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Power Ranking The Decade: The Final Poll #20-11
by Chris Brophy
25/2/2010
Continuing our ranking of all 32 teams over the course of the past ten years we now look at the middle of the pack. Sure, they could have been worse but then again, they could have been a lot better:
 20, Miami Dolphins
Record: 79 – 81 (0.494)
Play-off Appearances: Three (1-3)
Division Titles: Two (2000, 2008)
Super Bowl Appearances: None
The Dolphins seemed to survive Dan Marino’s retirement just fine but after Ricky Williams decided that yoga and pot smoking was more his thing and some ill-fated trade’s things collapsed quickly. Now, under Bill Parcells direction things have turned around quickly and the future looks bright.
19, St Louis Rams
Record: 71 – 89 (0.444)
Play-off Appearances: Four (3-4)
Division Titles: Two (2001, 2003)
Super Bowl Appearances: One (2001)
The decade started with the greatest show on turf but the drama has slowly evaporated and returned as a comedy with the Rams leaving the decade as the NFL’s worst team. Still, at least they have tasted success but they are a team that has felt all the emotions this past ten years.
18, Denver Broncos
Record: 93 – 67 (0.581)
Play-off Appearances: Four (1-4)
Division Titles: One (2005)
Super Bowl Appearances: None
Like the Rams, the end of the 90’s was a great place to be if you were a part of this franchise and whilst they have not collapsed in the style of the aforementioned Rams they have managed to be consistent in disappointing. The past two seasons have seen fast starts with late fall downs and this franchise appears to be in flux at present. They were the first team to beat the Patriots in post season this decade though.
17, Carolina Panthers
Record: 79 – 81 (0.494)
Play-off Appearances: Three (5-3)
Division Titles: Three (2003, 2005, 2008)
Super Bowl Appearances: One
The Panthers have been consistently inconsistent. Great one year, disappointing the year after. They did feature in a memorable Super Bowl and almost stole one of the Patriots rings. When in post season they have managed to do some damage but given some of the talent and the ability they have shown, this is a franchise that probably should have achieved more.
 16, New York Jets
Record: 80 – 80 (0.500)
Play-off Appearances: Five (4-5)
Division Titles: One (2002)
Super Bowl Appearances: None
Considering they have shared a division with the Patriots the Jets record doesn’t look so bad and they have managed to feature in the post season five times with a couple of memorable wins. However, they have never really been dominant and when you look back they look more like they have been making up the numbers than making numbers to remember.
15, Dallas Cowboys
Record: 82 – 78 (0.513)
Play-off Appearances: Four (1-4)
Division Titles: Two (2007, 2009)
Super Bowl Appearances: None
This decade has been a strange one for Dallas. The finally got a play-off win after a long, long wait but it doesn’t hide the pain of loses to the likes of the Seahawks on a bad field goal snap and hold. This franchise has been loaded with talent in the later part of the decade but not quite been able to deliver. Still, it’s got to be better than the Dave Campo/Quincy Carter years!
14, Chicago Bears
Record: 81 – 79 (0.506)
Play-off Appearances: Three (2-3)
Division Titles: Three (2001, 2004, 2005)
Super Bowl Appearances: One (2006)
They made a Super Bowl with Rex Grossman!! That alone is worth a top half place in these rankings. They have since struggled to get back anywhere close to the top and are set to enter the new decade with the combination of Mike Martz and Jay Cutler. It’ll all end in tears joy or sadness? Only time will tell.
13, Seattle Seahawks
Record: 82 – 78 (0.513)
Play-off Appearances: Five
Division Titles: Four (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007)
Super Bowl Appearances: One (2005)
The ‘Hawks look to have a very respectable set of rankings for this past ten years and they dominated the mid-part of the decade in their own division. Whilst one of those years featured a Super Bowl appearance I think it is fair to say they had control of a pretty weak division and whilst four straight division titles looks good it is worth knowing no other team in the division ever posted a winning record in those four years and they twice took the title with a 9-7 record!
 12, Minnesota Vikings
Record: 84 – 76 (0.525)
Play-off Appearances: Four (3-4)
Division Titles: Three (2000, 2008, 2009)
Super Bowl Appearances: None
The Vikings seem to be always a nearly team – whatever the era – and the past decade has proven no different. They have given us the talents of Randy Moss and Adrian Peterson offensively and the Williams Wall flanked by Jared Allen defensively but it’s always been close but no cigar for the men in purple. It gets no closer than Brett Favre’s late interception in the NFC Championship game just gone.
11, San Diego Chargers Record: 85 – 75 (0.531)
Play-off Appearances: Five (3-5)
Division Titles: Four (2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009)
Super Bowl Appearances: None
The nearly team of the AFC, dominance of the division and some of the finest offensive talent assembled has seen plenty of division titles and regular season wins since the terrible start to the decade but the play-offs have proven a bridge too far ever time.
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