Top 10 Seasons in NFL History (UNFINISHED)

As we close in on another season of NFL football, let us look back at the 10 greatest seasons in league history.  All of these seasons were defined by unforgettable performances and moments, helping to forge indelible narratives in the 102-year history of pro football.  Teams came out of nowhere to become champions, legendary players had seasons for the ages, and unexpected story lines emerged to captivate the football-viewing nation.

And now for the list:

10. 1968

This season will forever be remembered for Joe Namath and the New York Jets’ historic upset of the near-unbeatable Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III, a game that brought the AFL to parity with the NFL in the eyes of many, ensuring the merger between the two leagues would be successful.

9.  1972

This season is remembered not only for the Dolphins becoming the only perfect team in NFL history, but also for the once-woebegone Steelers beginning their ascent to dominance, punctuated by one of the greatest plays in NFL history, the Immaculate Reception.

8. 1978

A pivotal year for the league, which expanded the regular season schedule to 16 games while introducing new rules to aid offenses.  Rookie Earl Campbell burst onto the scene, and the Steelers beat the Cowboys in a memorable Super Bowl between the era’s biggest powerhouses.

7. 1958

It was around this time that the NFL came of age, emerging from the long shadows of baseball to eventually become a national obsession, a far cry from its humble beginnings in small blue-collar towns.  The crown jewel of this season is the championship game in which the Baltimore Colts beat the New York Giants in the first overtime in pro football history.  Yes, you can say that Baltimore put the NFL on the map.

6. 1997

A year of change and surprise.  The Cowboys fell to earth not long after claiming three titles, the once-pathetic Buccaneers emerged behind a stout young defense, and the Jets, a year removed from 1-15, nearly make the playoffs with coach Bill Parcells.  Barry Sanders rushed for over 2,000 yards, and would shockingly retire two years later.  

But the biggest story is John Elway and the Denver Broncos, who rode Hall of Fame running back Terrell Davis to a shocking Super Bowl upset of Brett Favre and the defending champion Packers, giving both Elway and the Broncos their long-awaited first title after years of falling short, as well as the AFC’s first Super Bowl win in 14 years.  This Super Bowl also forever changed the nature of the Super Bowl from an overhyped, forgettable blowout to a yearly thrill ride worthy of all the press. 

5. 2012

Another wild, unpredictable season, marked by Peyton Manning joining the Broncos and making a successful comeback from potentially career-ending neck surgery the year before, along the rise of electrifying young quarterbacks, from rookies Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, and Russell Wilson to sophomore Colin Kaepernick, who took over for a concussed Alex Smith in November.  Hard to imagine all these years later that only Wilson remains from that group.

In the playoffs, however, the Ravens found momentum after an up-and-down season.  Inspired by the impending retirement of Ray Lewis and Joe Flacco doing his best Joe Montana impersonation, the Ravens stunned the Broncos in double overtime, beat Tom Brady and the Patriots on the AFC final, and survived a 34-minute blackout in Super Bowl XLVII to outlast the 49ers and a frantic Kaepernick comeback.  Coach John Harbaugh got the better of brother Jim.

4. 1999