The Greatest NFL Franchise of the 21st Century

Multiple Super Bowl Wins and appearances

1st Patriots 

The Patriots are the greatest NFL Franchise of the 21st Century. They have made it to nine Super Bowls and won six of them. They have been in one-third of all the Super Bowls played thus far. Many have attempted to replicate the Patriots' successes, but nobody has succeeded thus far.

Ironically, the Best Patriots team was the last Patriots team to win it all. 2018-2019 season, when everyone was trying to predict the fall off. The Patriots lost the Super Bowl the year before and made it to their fourth Super Bowl in five years, their third one in a row. After losing to the Eagles, led by Nick Foles, the league looked to be looking for new teams. The Rams and Chiefs were the two most exciting teams in the league, but it was the Patriots who would beat the Chiefs in Overtime and then beat the Rams in the Super Bowl by 10 points, their largest margin of victory in any Super Bowl. Arguably, the most electric offense in the league that year only scored three against the Patriots.

2. Chiefs

The Chiefs are a younger version of the Patriots. Since Patrick Mahomes entered the picture, the Chiefs have been mostly unstoppable. They have been to the Super Bowl five times and won three. They have terrorized the 49ers, beating them in two Super Bowls. The Chiefs have split Super Bowls with the Eagles and failed to topple Brady with the Bucs.

The Chiefs have been in every Super Bowl since 2019, except 2021, when they lost in the conference championship game. The Greatest Chiefs team has to be the 2019 Chiefs. This was their first Super Bowl, and they took the league by storm. Patrick Mahomes was lighting up the league, and the Chiefs beat the 49ers by eleven, which remains their most significant margin of victory in a Super Bowl.

3. Eagles  

Number three goes to the Eagles, who gave Andy Reid two entries on this list. Between McNabb and Andy, Foles and Pederson, and Hurts and Sirianni, the Eagles have made four Super Bowl appearances and won half of them. Initially, they lost to the number one dynasty of the 21st century, only to come back and beat them in a shootout with Nick Foles in 2018. The modern Eagles did the same thing with the modern dynasty, the Chiefs, losing to them and then coming back and beating them in the rematch.

The best Eagles team is easily the latest. The Eagles dominated all year, then went on to dominate the Chiefs in the Super Bowl. They beat the Chiefs by 18 points, but the score wasn't even that close. The Eagles were stacked, and their backups took snaps in the Super Bowl against the Chiefs, who attempted to 3-peat. For all these reasons, the 2024 Eagles are the best Eagles team of the 21st century.

4. Steelers (2 Super Bowls, 3 appearances, 6 conference title games) 

The Steelers may be struggling now, but compared to the rest of the NFL, they are still one of the best franchises. The Steelers have appeared in three Super Bowls this Century and won two. The Steelers are one of three teams to achieve two Super Bowls this Century. Still, out of the three teams, the Steelers have been to the most Conference Championship games, beating the next closest team by one conference championship appearance. The 2005 Team is their best because they had the most dominant Super Bowl win.

5. Giants

The Giants have had some lows, but they have also had some of the best highs of any team this century. The Giants have reached three Super Bowls, and in two of them, they defeated the Dynasty of the Century, the Patriots. In one of those games, the Giants prevented the Patriots from having a perfect season.

The best Giants team has to be the 2012 Giants. They were only 9-7 in the regular season, but they put the pieces together late. In their first playoff game, they beat the Falcons 24-2, followed by a 37-20 victory over the Packers, and then a 20-17 win over the 49ers. Then, everyone thought the Patriots would get their revenge and win, but the magic happened again, and the Giants remained undefeated in the Super Bowl, 21-17, with an even bigger margin of victory than the previous time. The Giants gave up no more than 20 points to any team in the entire postseason while also scoring no less than 20 points all postseason.

Two Super Bowl Wins

6. Ravens

The Ravens round out the top six NFL Franchises of the 21st Century. The Ravens are always good, and they have been to two Super Bowls and won two of them this century. They narrowly miss the 5 spots with one less Super Bowl appearance than the 5th-ranked team. However, it's been great being a Ravens fan, from legendary quarterback play to some of the best defenses the league has ever seen. The Ravens are one of the most stable organizations in the league.

The best Ravens team has to be the 2000 Ravens, the first Super Bowl Champions of the Century. This team was insane. It's one of the best defenses of all time. In their entire playoff run, only one team managed to score double digits against them, and that was the Titans, with 10 points in the divisional round. They beat the brakes off the Giants 34-7 in the Super Bowl. Dominance is an understatement.

7. Bucs 

The Bucs are the last of the Mohicans. At Number Seven, they are the last team on this list to win multiple championships this century. The Bucs have two Super Bowls, but there was a long wait for their second one. That's why they are behind the Ravens, who have more conference championship appearances. Bucs fans know what it's like to be top dog, close contenders, and bottom of the barrel. The Bucs won the Super Bowl in 2002 and 2020. The Bucs were struggling until Tom Brady decided to join the team and win a Super Bowl in his first year there, following one of the best postseason runs ever, culminating in a dominant 31-9 victory over the current NFL champions, the Chiefs.

However, the best Bucs team has to be the 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who steamrolled the NFL on their way to a Super Bowl. They were 12-4 in the regular season, beat the 49ers 31-6 in their first playoff game, beat the Eagles 27-10 in their next playoff game, and then beat the Raiders by 27 points in Super Bowl 48-21. They were so far above their competition that year that it was even funny.

One SB Championship and Multiple Appearances

8. Seahawks  (1 Super Bowl win, 3 appearances, 18 playoff wins, head-to-head win vs Broncos, 3 conference games) 

The Seahawks are a low-key team, but they edge out the more flashy Rams as the 8th-best Franchise of the 21st Century. The Seahawks have appeared in three Super Bowls and won one of them. Additionally, among the teams with one Super Bowl win and three appearances, the Seahawks have the most playoff wins. The Seahawks have given their fans a lot to cheer about over the years.

The Best Seahawks team is the one that got over the hump. The Legion of Boom and their diamond-in-the-rough quarterback, Russel Wilson, took the crown by force. They faced Peyton Manning and the highest-flying offense of the year, and the question was, what happens when the best offense meets the best defense? The Seahawks left no doubt that defense wins championships when they won that game 43-8.

9. Rams (1 Super Bowl win, 3 appearances, 11 playoff wins, 3 conference games) 

The Rams take the 9th spot, making three different Super Bowl appearances in three different decades and finally getting over the hump in 2021. The Cinderella story of Mathew Stafford leading the Rams to their first Super Bowl Championship of the 21st Century, as he won the first Super Bowl of his career, was magical. The 2021 Rams are the team that is over the hump and are rightfully the best Rams team of the 21st century.

10. Colts

The Colts make the top ten best franchises of the 21st century. Why do they qualify? Firstly, they have the necessary hardware. The Colts have won a Super Bowl championship and have appeared in the Super Bowl multiple times. Also, the biggest separator for the Colts is that when they weren't making the Super Bowl, they were in the conference Championship more than anyone with similar qualifications.

 They are under the Rams because they have fewer Super Bowl appearances. The best Colts team is the 2006 team that helped them overcome their hump and win the Super Bowl, making Tony Dungy the first black coach to win a Super Bowl in a game featuring two black coaches for the first time.

11. Broncos

Back to Back, Manning. The Colts traded Peyton Manning to the Broncos in favor of Andrew Luck, and they haven't added too much to their legacy since that moment. However, Peyton Manning's run with the Broncos during that time is enough to secure them the eleventh spot of the 21st century, just behind his former team. The Broncos played in two Super Bowls, won one, and made three conference championships. The best Broncos team of the 21st century is the 2015 team that got them over the hump. The defense was out of this world, and Peyton held it together for one last run at greatness.

1 Super Bowl Win and Appearance 

12. Green Bay Packers (1 Super Bowl win and appearance, 6 conference games )

The Green Packers are the best Super Bowl team, with only one appearance. What sets them apart is their conference Championship games. They have knocked at the door of the Super Bowl six times. The Packers Team of the Century is the Aaron Rodgers-led 2010 Packers, who went from the last seed in the NFC to the top of the NFL after thrashing the Steelers in the Super Bowl.

13. Saints (1 Super Bowl win, 3 conference games) 

The Saints are one-for-one. They made it to the Super Bowl one time. They had one shot, one opportunity, and they seized everything they ever wanted in one moment. They beat the Colts and had the legendary onside kick out of the second half, giving them the edge for the win. The 2008 Saints are the best Saints team of the 21st century. They earned that as Super Bowl Champions, which is why the Saints are the thirteenth-best NFL franchise of the 21st century.

Multiple Super Bowl Appearances

14.49ers (3 appearances 0 wins )

The 49ers have kept their fanbase engaged over the years by fielding many great teams. However, they have never been able to get over the hump. The 49ers are the best team of the 21st century to never win a Super Bowl.

The 49ers have been to the Super Bowl three times. Out of the three appearances, the best 49ers team that got them the closest to finally getting over the hump was the 2023 49ers. They went as far as they could without actually winning. They went blow for blow, with the Chiefs forcing overtime and even scoring a field goal to take the lead in the extra period. However, it still wasn't enough. The Chiefs marched down the field and ripped the 49ers' heart out. But that 49ers team was one of the most stacked teams of the 21st century.

15. Panthers' (2 appearances, 0 wins)

Yes, the Panthers are in the top 15 NFL franchises of the 21st century. They have had some really tough periods, but at the end of the day, 17 other teams can't go accomplishment for accomplishment with the Panthers. The Panthers have made it to the Super Bowl twice this century.

The Best Panthers Team was the 2004 Panthers. Those Panthers were more well-rounded and came close to finishing the job in the Super Bowl.

1 Super Bowl Appearance

16. Falcons (1 SB appearance, 3 conference Title games)

The Falcons are the best team to have only made one Super Bowl appearance this century. They have knocked on the door three times with three conference championship games, but they were never able to complete the quest. The best Atlanta Falcons team assembled was the one that was up 28-3 on the Patriots in the Super Bowl before losing their lead in the game. It was a terrible ending, but it is still the most entertaining season the Falcons have had and a lot better than other teams have managed.

Teams 17-32

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