Category: Uncategorized

Commanders Drop

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Riddell Collectables X

I am excited for this drop for a few reasons. First, there are a lot of Washington alternate/quasi-throwback helmets out there from 1994, 2012, 2013, 2019 and 2020. This helmet fills in a gap. Second, I am glad they went with a black alternate with tricky logos to customize. I hope they don’t make a Browns alternate because it’s so easy for collectors to make on their own. I would prioritize a lot of other helmets first.

By my count, there’s eight alternates left from 2024 alone. And 10 throwbacks from 2024. This is a total of 18. And then there’s new alternates and throwbacks in 2025.

I do have one minor quibble. I have never been a fan of the “00.” In 2020, Riddell placed “20” on the 2020 Commanders helmet. They could have gone with “22” here. Or even a “24.” This has happened before. Riddell didn’t place numbers at all on the 1960 Patriots, 1966 Chargers, 1961-73 Chargers (traditional style), or the 2020 Chargers. Others place the year, including the 1960 Broncos and the 1960 Browns.

For those counting, that’s 10 throwbacks and 11 alternates. The NFC east has the most with five, followed by the NFC north and NFC south (4 each). The NFC has 15 and the AFC 6. I would think the next AFC team would be the Jets or Colts. We will see…

Limited Edition Counts

Throwback / Alternate

  • Throwbacks: 10
  • Alternates: 11

NFC: 15

  • East: 5 – Commanders (1/1), Cowboys (1/3), Eagles (1/1), Giants (2/2)
  • North: 4 – Bears (1/2), Packers (1/2), Lions (1/1), Vikings (1/2)
  • South: 4 – Buccaneers (1/1), Falcons (1/1), Panthers (1/1), Saints (1/2)
  • West: 2 – 49ers (1/1), Cardinals (0/1), Rams (0/0), Seahawks (1/1)

AFC: 6

  • East: 2 – Bills (0/0), Dolphins (1/1), Jets (0/2), Patriots (1/1)
  • North: 1 – Bengals (0/0), Browns (0/1), Ravens (1/1), Steelers (0/1)
  • South: 2 – Colts (0/2), Jaguars (0/2), Texans (1/2), Titans (1/1)
  • West: 1 – Broncos (1/2), Chargers (0/1), Chiefs (0/0), Raiders (0/0)

Release & Manufacture Dates

  1. 2024/03/07: Dallas Cowboys alternate – 2023/11
  2. 2024/03/28: Seattle Seahawks throwback – 2023/11
  3. 2024/04/18: Chicago Bears alternate – 2023/11
  4. 2024/05/09: Tampa Bay Buccaneers throwback – 2023/11
  5. 2024/05/30: Carolina Panthers alternate – 2023/11
  6. 2024/06/20: Atlanta Falcons throwback – 2023/11
  7. 2024/08/01: Green Bay Packers alternate – 2024/05
  8. 2024/08/15: Detroit Lions alternate – 2024/05
  9. 2024/09/05: Baltimore Ravens alternate – 2024/05
  10. 2024/09/12: New York Giants throwback – 2024/05
  11. 2024/09/26: Denver Broncos throwback – 2024/05
  12. 2024/10/17: New England Patriots throwback – 2024/05
  13. 2024/11/07: New Orleans Saints alternate – 2024/05
  14. 2024/11/18: Miami Dolphins throwback – 2024/05
  15. 2024/12/19: Houston Oilers throwback – 2024/05
  16. 2025/01/23: Philadelphia Eagles alternate – 2024/05
  17. 2025/02/06: Minnesota Vikings alternate – 2024/09
  18. 2025/02/20: New York Giants throwback (GIANTS logo) – 2024/09
  19. 2025/03/06: San Francisco 49ers throwback – 2024/09
  20. 2025/03/20: Houston Texans alternate (H logo) – 2024/09
  21. 2025/04/10: Washington Commanders alternate — likely 2024/09

Who will be next?

The limited edition speed helmets have focused on contemporary designs. So, I am guessing a design for the rest of 2025 must have been worn in 2024 or in the upcoming 2025 season. I would not anticipate a design from 2023 or earlier (like the 2023 Lions alternate). But who knows?

There are nine 2024 alternates still available for Riddell to tap into:

  1. Arizona Cardinals black
  2. Cleveland Browns white
  3. Denver Broncos white
  4. Houston Texans red
  5. Indianapolis Colts black
  6. Jacksonville Jaguars white
  7. LA Chargers (dark blue bolt)
  8. New York Jets black
  9. Washington Commanders black

There are also ten 2024 throwbacks:

  1. Dallas Cowboys silver with the red-white-blue stripes
  2. Dallas Cowboys white 1960
  3. Chicago Bears three-striped
  4. NY Jets 1965-77 white
  5. Jacksonville Jaguars black
  6. Minnesota Vikings (albiet in the lighter modern purple)
  7. New Orleans Saints
  8. Green Bay Packers plain yellow
  9. Indianapolis Colts white
  10. Pittsburgh Steelers (grey facemask)

There are 20 limited spots open. They could easily be filled by the 18 above, but I think that’s unlikely. I think nearly all of the alternates get made. Other spots will be filled with maybe a few 2024 throwbacks and new alternates/throwbacks in 2025.

2020 – 2023 potentials

I personally think it’s highly unlikely Riddell will go back this far. But in case, here are the candidates:

  1. Atlanta Falcons 2016-21 matte black alternate
  2. Buffalo Bills 1965-73 throwback
  3. Cleveland Browns 1957-59 throwback (player #)
  4. Denver Broncos 2016-22 midnight blue alternate
  5. Denver Broncos 2023 white alternate
  6. Detroit Lions 2023 honolulu blue alternate
  7. Detroit Lions 1955-56 plain silver throwback
  8. Houston Texans 2022 battle red alternate
  9. Kansas City Chiefs 2019 and 2021 “alternate” with grey facemask
  10. LA Chargers 2020-23 white alternate – yellow bolt with dark blue outline
  11. NY Jets 2022-23 black alternate

Limited Edition Counts

Throwback / Alternate

  • Throwbacks: 10
  • Alternates: 10

NFC: 14

  • East: 4 – Commanders (0/1), Cowboys (1/3), Eagles (1/1), Giants (2/2)
  • North: 4 – Bears (1/2), Packers (1/2), Lions (1/1), Vikings (1/2)
  • South: 4 – Buccaneers (1/1), Falcons (1/1), Panthers (1/1), Saints (1/2)
  • West: 2 – 49ers (1/1), Cardinals (0/1), Rams (0/0), Seahawks (1/1)

AFC: 6

  • East: 2 – Bills (0/0), Dolphins (1/1), Jets (0/2), Patriots (1/1)
  • North: 1 – Bengals (0/0), Browns (0/1), Ravens (1/1), Steelers (0/1)
  • South: 2 – Colts (0/2), Jaguars (0/2), Texans (1/2), Titans (1/1)
  • West: 1 – Broncos (1/2), Chargers (0/1), Chiefs (0/0), Raiders (0/0)

Release & Manufacture Dates

  1. 2024/03/07: Dallas Cowboys alternate – 2023/11
  2. 2024/03/28: Seattle Seahawks throwback – 2023/11
  3. 2024/04/18: Chicago Bears alternate – 2023/11
  4. 2024/05/09: Tampa Bay Buccaneers throwback – 2023/11
  5. 2024/05/30: Carolina Panthers alternate – 2023/11
  6. 2024/06/20: Atlanta Falcons throwback – 2023/11
  7. 2024/08/01: Green Bay Packers alternate – 2024/05
  8. 2024/08/15: Detroit Lions alternate – 2024/05
  9. 2024/09/05: Baltimore Ravens alternate – 2024/05
  10. 2024/09/12: New York Giants throwback – 2024/05
  11. 2024/09/26: Denver Broncos throwback – 2024/05
  12. 2024/10/17: New England Patriots throwback – 2024/05
  13. 2024/11/07: New Orleans Saints alternate – 2024/05
  14. 2024/11/18: Miami Dolphins throwback – 2024/05
  15. 2024/12/19: Houston Oilers throwback – 2024/05
  16. 2025/01/23: Philadelphia Eagles alternate – 2024/05
  17. 2025/02/06: Minnesota Vikings alternate – 2024/09
  18. 2025/02/20: New York Giants throwback (GIANTS logo) – 2024/09
  19. 2025/03/06: San Francisco 49ers throwback – 2024/09
  20. 2025/03/20: Houston Texans alternate (H logo) – 2024/09

Updated Buccaneers Checklist

I appreciate feedback on my site and checklists. On a recent Buccaneers post, fellow collector Steve noted discrepancies in the modern Revolution pocket helmet flag size.

The two helmets on the left are from the same era and are representative of that style. In 2014, the Bucs changed the helmet color, logo and facemask. This is the middle revolution style helmet in the photo below. The next helmet on the right – the speed helmet – continued that style. The final helmet on the right is the helmet the Bucs currently wear today.

One may notice an anomoly with the middle revolution helmet. Although the flag is the same as the modern helmet, it’s noticably smaller. The actual flag was larger, as shown in the flags on the right. I suspect Riddell figured it couldn’t fit the sword hilt by the ear hole and reduced the size. Regardless, the actual helmet flag was similar in size to the flags on the speed helmet.

I also discovered the Bucs darkened in the pewter color in 2014. That color remains to this day.

So, this is a helmet error. Thanks to Steve for pointing this out! I updated the Bucs, revolution and teams websites to reflect this change.

Left to Right:
1. 1997-2013 traditional (light pewter, 1997-13 logo, black facemask)
2. 1997-2013 revolution (light pewter, 1997-13 logo, black facemask)
3. 2014-19 revolution (dark pewter, 2014-19 logo, silver facemask)
4. 2014-19 speed (dark pewter, 2014-19 logo, silver facemask)
5. 2020-present speed (dark pewter, 2020-present logo, black facemask)

Someday, I am going to research the 1976-96 creamsickle helmet facemask colors. Riddell has manufactured three helmets from this era: a two-bar, traditional, and speed as part of the 2024 limited edition series. They all have different colors. The two-bar is noticeably red. The traditional is orange. The speed is more of a bay orange color. And Riddell apparently manufactured a two-bar helmet with a grey facemask!

See the NFL hex colors website for more information on where I got “bay orange” from!

Revised Vikings Checklist

Well, one learns something new every day 🙂

When I purchased the new Vikings white alternate, I noticed the Vikings had changed helmet colors over the years. It hasn’t always been a regular purple. In fact, there have been four different shades (in addition to four facemask colors and two different horns, not including the white alternate).

I also discovered a revolution style helmet I didn’t know existed. It is for the 2002-05 Vikings helmet. Considering Riddell started the Revolution helmets around 2005, this one must have just snuck in.

Here is a photo of all the factory Vikings pocket helmets. The Vikings are one of the rare teams with a factory helmet for all the years and styles. There are no gaps. The revised checklist is available on the Vikings pocket helmet page.

First row: 1961-79 (dark purple, classic horn, grey facemask)
Row 2: 1980-84 (dark purple, classic horn, grey facemask), 1985-2001 (dark purple, classic horn, purple facemask)
Row 3: 2002-05 (fade purple, classic horn, purple facemask)
Row 4: 2006-12 (fade purple, modern horn, purple facemask), 2006-12 (medium purple, modern horn, black facemask)
Row 5: 2019-present (light purple, modern horn, black facemask), 2023-present white alternate

The Collector’s Dilemma

The Vikings alternate pocket helmet sold out fast. In about an hour in fact. I think this could be a problem.

Four Types of Collectors

There are three types of collectors who buy pocket helmets. There are serious collectors, like myself. Next, there are casual buyers who think the helmets are kind of cool. Maybe they only buy helmets for their favorite teams. And finally, kids. I thought gumball helmets were the best growing up, but I never saw them as collectables. They were toys.

There’s a fourth type who aren’t collectors. They’re hoarders. They purchase as many as they can and sit on them, hoping for a profit in the long run. This isn’t a criticism and I am in no way criticizing what they do. They see an opportunity and jump on it. Hoarders seems like a bad term, but I can’t think of a better one 🙂

The Problem

The 2024 limited edition pocket helmets had a run of 2000, which seemed like a perfect number. It’s just enough to accomodate everyone. And it generally took a few months for them to sell out. That model worked really well and was a lot of fun.

In 2025, however, the run is limited to 525 helmets. Most of the helmets went to the hoarders, with one seller having as many 40 available on ebay. They are going for about $30 (including shipping), a significant markup from buying from Riddell directly ($16 including shipping). If a hoarder sells 20, that’s almost $300 in profit. Not too bad, but not worth the time and hassle for many others.

But if a regular or casual collector has to spend about $30 for each helmet from a hoarder, that’s about $700 in one year. That price point is likely too much for many collectors. I was prepared to spend $375 this year, but not $700. I would probably stop collecting and maybe focus on making my own custom helmets.

Not to mention the logistics of coordinating one’s schedule to fit the narrow 60 minute purchase window. I feel like a run of 525 with nearly unlimited purchase amounts could hurt the market, similar to what happened to baseball cards in the early 1990’s.

Maybe the hoarders will find their strategy didn’t work, that they overestimated the market, and will back off. That will open up things up somewhat. Time will tell.

Solutions

  • One strategy would be to up the production to 2000. Or maybe do two runs of 525. Another option is to limit purchases to 5 or less helmets per order.
  • I think it would be cool if Riddell sold blank shells so individuals could make their own helmets. Or offer 3D print files for free or for sale.
  • Another idea is to sell some of the limited editions in 2, 4, 8 or more sets.
  • A final option is to give up the idea of selling the helmets as limited editions and open the market.

Vikings Pocket Helmet Drop

Here it is: the 2nd drop of the 25 helmet 2025 limited edition series. The Minnesota Vikings 2024 alternate.

This makes a total of 17 limited edition helmets. Since 23 more will produced in 2025, that will make a total of 40 in two years.

There are a lot of options to choose from this year to fill out the other 23. I would definitely anticipate more alternates from the list below.

One issue would be alternates from the last few years that have been discontinued. The Broncos have 2 alternates from before 2024 (one white and the other midnight blue). Or the Lions and Texans 2023 alternates. I will be curious to see how far back Riddell goes. Maybe they could surprise with a throwback or alternate in a 2-bar or traditional style, like the 1994 Bills alternate (traditional) or 1960 Chargers (2-bar).

Potential Alternates and Throwbacks for the Next Drop

  • Bears 1933 throwback (three orange stripes)
  • Browns 2022 alternate white and maybe the 1957-59 throwback (last worn in 2021)
  • Broncos 2016-23 alternate midnight blue; and 2023 and 2024 whites (3 total)
  • Cardinals 2023 alternate black
  • Chargers alternates (2)
  • Chiefs 2023 alternate, grey facemask
  • Colts 2022 alternate black and 1956-57 throwback
  • Commanders 2022 alternate black, 2020 plain burgundy, grey facemask alternate,
  • Cowboys 1976 throwback (last worn in 2022)
  • Giants 1981-99 throwback
  • Jaguars 2024 alternate white and 1995-2012 throwback
  • Jets 2022-23 alternate black, 2024 alternate black, 2015-18 alternate white, and 1965-77 throwback
  • Lions 2023 alternate honolulu blue and 2000s plain silver throwback
  • Packers plain brown throwback (last worn in 2022), plain yellow throwback with green facemask (last worn in 2019) and plain yellow with green stripe and grey facemask (last worn in 2021)
  • Saints 1976-99 throwback
  • Texans 2022-23 alternate battle red; 2024 alternate battle red and alternate stell blue (3 total)
  • Vikings 1961-75 throwback
  • 49ers 1989-95 throwback

2024 Limited Edition Speed Series (1 of 2000)

  1. Atlanta Falcons 1966-69: Red helmet, grey facemask, gold-white-black-white-gold stripes, floating feather lines, V-neck
  2. Baltimore Ravens 2024-present alternate: Purple helmet, front facing Ravens logo, gold tapered stripes, gold facemask
  3. Carolina Panthers 2022-present alternate: Black helmet, black facemask, tapered Carolina blue stripes, Carolina blue panther
  4. Chicago Bears 2022-present alternate: Orange helmet, navy facemask, navy “C” with white outline
  5. Dallas Cowboys 2022-present alternate: White helmet, white facemask, blue star with blue and white outline
  6. Denver Broncos 1993-96 throwback: Royal blue helmet, 93-96 D logo, orange-white-orange stripes, white facemask
  7. Detroit Lions 2024-present alternate: Honolulu blue helmet, modern black lion with white/black outline, black/white/black/white/black/white/black stripes, black facemask
  8. Green Bay Packers 2024-present alternate: White helmet, G logo, white facemask
  9. Miami Dolphins 1966, 69-73 (2015-present throwback): White helmet, dolphin #1 inside ring, aqua-white-orange-white-aqua stripes, grey facemask
  10. New England Patriots 1982-90 (2002, 2010-12, 2022-present throwback): White helmet, Pat Patriot logo, red-white-blue-white-red stripes, white facemask
  11. New Orleans Saints 2022 alternate: Black helmet, black facemask, tapered gold/black stripe, modern fleur de lis logo
  12. New York Giants 2024 throwback: Blue helmet, red stripes and wings, grey facemask
  13. Seattle Seahawks 1983-2011 (2023 – present throwback): Silver helmet, classic Seahawk, blue facemask
  14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1976-96 (2023-present throwback): White helmet, Buccaneer logo, red-orange-red stripes, orange facemask
  15. Tennessee Titans / Houston Oilers 1981-96 (2023-present throwback): White helmet, blue derrick with red outline, red facemask, red-white-blue-white-red stripes

2025 Limited Edition Speed Series (1 of 500)

  1. Minnesota Vikings 2024 alternate: White helmet, off-white horn with purple outline, silver-grey-silver stripes, silver facemask
  2. Philadelphia Eagles 2022-present alternate: Black helmet, modern wing, black facemask

The best NFL franchises to have never won a Super Bowl

In the Super Bowl era (59 years) 12 of the 32 franchises have never won a Super Bowl. Here are my rankings.

In tier 1, I have the Vikings alone. The Vikings are a no brainer for the top spot. They have the 4th best regular season record in history and have more playoff appearances than the 49ers, Chiefs or Patriots. The 1998 team is probably the 2nd best team to not win a Super Bowl. As good as the Vikings consistently are, it’s remarkable they haven’t won a championship.

In tier 2, I have the Bills and Bengals. I was torn between the Bills and Bengals for 2nd place. The Bills get the edge for a few good runs and one more Super Bowl appearance.

In tier 3, the Titans/Oilers, Chargers and Falcons are usually competitive and have been to the super bowl. They only need to get over the hump.

The next tier includes the Panthers, Texans, and Jaguars.

The last three – Browns, Lions and Cardinals – have a long history of not winning in the regular season or playoffs. So they are in tier 5.

The worst franchise to win a Super Bowl is easily the Jets, followed by the Saints, Bears, and Bucs.

  1. Vikings.
  2. Bills.
  3. Bengals.
  4. Titans / Oilers.
  5. Falcons.
  6. Chargers.
  7. Panthers.
  8. Texans.
  9. Jaguars.
  10. Browns.
  11. Lions.
  12. Cardinals.

A new collectable

Riddell introduced a new collectable helmet titled the “midi.” At 7.5 inches, it’s in between a mini and a full size helmet. Riddell generally makes five types of collectables. There are varying alternates and throwbacks in all the styles.

  1. Full size – about 11 inches
  2. Midi (new) – about 7.5 inches
  3. Mini – about 5.5 inches
  4. Helmet of Players – about 4 inches
  5. Pocket – about 2 inches
  6. Trackers – about 1.5 inches

Some may wonder: what was the helmet of players? The helmet of players was a large helmet that included tiny figures, kind of like army men. They were made in the late 90’s and early 2000’s, I guess. They had the same packaging as pocket helmets from the time. I purchased a KC Chiefs one and would like to collect all the teams. They go for about $25 each on eBay, so I will likely stick with my one Chiefs helmet 🙂

NEW Green Bay Packers Riddell Mini Helmet of Players NOS

Helmets not manufactured by Riddell

Another type of helmet is, of course, the classic gumball collectable helmet. However, Riddell does not manufacture gumball helmets. These came in a variety of types.

There’s also a helmet I see a lot of called the “Mighty Mini.” These helmets look a lot like pocket helmets, but are more squat and have the team name on the front (Pocket helmets are usually blank or have the Riddell logo on the front). I speculate these were made in the late 90s through the mid 2000s. I have no idea who manufactured them, however. Maybe it was Riddell?

NFL Plastic MIGHTY Mini Helmets Lot Of 9 - San Francisco, Buffalo, Kansas City.. - Picture 1 of 8

What happened to NFL teams that won 15+ games in a season?

Nine teams have won 15 or more games in a season. It happened twice this year: the Chiefs and the Lions.

What does history say about the other seven teams?

  • 7/7 made it to the playoffs.
  • 6/7 made it to the conference championship game.
  • 4/7 made it to the super bowl.
  • 2/7 won the super bowl.

The teams

All of the teams except the 2007 Patriots, 2024 Chiefs, and 2024 Lions were 15-1.

  1. 2024 Chiefs: Made the playoffs.
  2. 2024 Lions: Made the playoffs.
  3. 2015 Panthers: Lost the Super Bowl to the Broncos.
  4. 2007 Patriots: Lost the Super Bowl to the Giants.
  5. 2011 Packers: Lost in the divisional round to the Giants (who later beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl).
  6. 2004 Steelers: Lost in the AFC championship to the Patriots.
  7. 1998 Vikings: Lost in the NFC championship to the Falcons.
  8. 1985 Bears: Won the Super Bowl.
  9. 1984 49ers: Won the Super Bowl.

Which team was the best?

For my money, that 1985 Bears team is the best in the super bowl era. The best on the list to not win a super bowl was probably the 2007 Patriots. But man o man, that 98 Vikings team was pretty much unstoppable.

Who has the better shot in 2024: the Chiefs or the Lions?

If history is any guides, the Chiefs likely won’t make the super bowl or lose in it. . A threepeat has never happend and is incredibly difficult. They’ll likely have to go through the Bills and Ravens, two teams coming off very strong campaigns. Finally, the Chiefs don’t dominate teams the way the other 8 teams on the list do. Several of their wins were fluky

Still, experience matters. And Mahomes can never be counted out. And Steve Spagnolo’s defense is very strong. You know the old saying about defense…

The Lions have a better shot as they will likely have an easier path. The Lions have dominated teams this year. America is rooting for a Lions – Bills super bowl, which would be amazing. We’ll see…

The greatest franchises in the Super Bowl era

Reasonable fans can agree. The top franchises since 1966 are teams like the Patriots, Cowboys, Steelers, and 49ers. The debate gets interesting in the next tiers.

A data nerd, I thought I would quantify it with five criteria:

  1. Regular season winning percent – 20%
  2. Playoff appearances – 5%
  3. Playoff winning percent – 10%
  4. Super bowl appearances / conference championships – 20%
  5. Super bowl championships – 45%

I adjusted the scores based on the number of eligible years. Most teams have existed for 58 seasons in the Super Bowl era (not including 2024). However, the Ravens (27), Seahawks and Buccaneers (47), Panthers and Jaguars (28), and Texans (21) have played fewer seasons. So I had to weight the data. While the Bucs have 2 super bowl championships, it would be unfair to compare them to the Ravens (who also have 2) as the Bucs have had more opportunities.

The data is up to the 2023 season. I will update my rankings after the 2024 super bowl.

Overall Rankings

With a high weight placed on super bowls, it’s no surprise the Patriots come out as the top franchise in the super bowl era. The Steelers are consistently good year after year. They have had four coaches in the super bowl era. The Cowboys and 49ers rankings should also not be surprising.

Stories

  • Some might be surprised by the Ravens strong showing as the 5th best franchise. But they’ve had a strong run for 27 years.
  • This is a somewhat obscure fact. The Vikings have the 4th best regular season winning percentage in the super bowl era (the last 58 years). Yes, you read that right. Only the Cowboys, Steelers, and Ravens have performed better in the regular season over the last 58 years. The Vikings rank 17th as a francishe due to their lack of postseason success.
  • The Vikings and the Bills are the highest ranked franchises to not win a super bowl, coming in a 17 and 18 in the overall rankings. While they are both 0-4 in the super bowl, the Vikings have a much stronger and consistent regular season record of success.
  • The Giants are the opposite of the Vikings. The Giants rank 21st in regular season winning percentage. In fact, it’s below .500. However, the Giants have had remarkable postseason success. This capapults them to 9th in the rankings.

Tiers

Tier 1: Elite Franchises: 30-26 score.

The Patriots, Steelers, Cowboys and 49ers emerge as the elite franchises. These teams have a consistent record of regular season success and postseason achievements.

The 49ers score is closer to tier 2 than tier 1. I made a judgment call for tier 1 because the 49ers have been in so many NFC championship games. My data does not capture that (although it does cover playoff winning percentage).

Tier 2: Great Franchises: 26-23 score.

The Ravens, Packers, Chiefs, and Broncos are in tier 2. These teams might have some off years, but they are contenders pretty much every year. The Broncos are tied with the Steelers and Cowboys for the 2nd most super bowl appearances (8).

The Chiefs have catapulted to a tier 2 franchise in the Mahomes era. If they get more super bowl appearances and wins under Mahomes, they could catapult to tier 1.

Tier 3: Great Franchises: 22-19 score.

Eight teams make teir 3: the Giants, Raiders, Commanders, Rams, Dolphins, Colts, Eagles, Seahawks, and Vikings. These are usually solid teams who occasionally make the playoffs. Except for the Giants, they all have positive regular season winning percentages. They all have a super bowl win, except for the Vikings.

Tier 4: Middle of the Pack: 18-17 score.

The Bills, Bucs, Panthers and Bears fall in the middle of the pack. The only reason the Bucs fall in this category and not a lower one is their two super bowl wins. Their history is one of balaned win-loss records or years of mediocrity with periodic successful spikes (like the Bills latest run).

Tier 5: Below Average: 16-15 score.

The Saints, Chargers, Jets, Bengals, and Titans/Oilers are in tier 5. They have generally struggled or been consistently mediocre, despite the Bengals three super bowl appearances.

The Chargers and Titans/Oilers kind of stand out in this group. I always feel like these teams can be dangerous and competititve at any moment. The Bengals as of the last few years as well.

Tier 6: Poor: 14 score

The Jaguars, Falcons, and Texans. I really can’t say more.

Tier 7: Bottom Tier: 13 and below score.

These three teams – the Browns, Lions and Cardinals – are known for their lack of success. I’m not telling the fans something they don’t already know.

However, I have always found these teams likeable and root for them. Their fans are incredible and continue to support them. Maybe this will be the year Lions break out?

Divisions

Not surprisingly, the NFC east is the best, led by the Cowboys, Commanders and Giants. The Eagles have also been successful. They are the 15th highest ranked franchise, but lowest in the NFC east.

The AFC west is led by the Chiefs and Broncos with 14 super bowl appearances between them and the 9th and 10th best regular season winning records overall. The Raiders were successful for a long time, particularly in the 60s through the 80s.

The AFC west is led by the Patriots and Dolphins, who were always competitive in the Don Shula era.

The Steelers and Ravens clearly stand out in the AFC north, as do the 49ers, Rams and Seahawks in the NFC west. I was a little surprised by the low NFC north rankings, but the Lions and Bears bring down the average. At 19th overall, the Bucs are the highest ranked team in the NFC south (lower than the lowest NFC east team, the Eagles). The AFC south is led by the Colts, the only divisional team to win a superbowl.

  1. NFC east – 22.6
  2. AFC west – 21.1
  3. AFC east – 20.6
  4. AFC north – 20.4
  5. NFC west – 19.8
  6. NFC north – 18.7
  7. NFC south – 16.4
  8. AFC south – 16.1