Did you know who were the Greatest Black Quarterbacks of All Time?

The Six Greatest Black Quarterbacks of All Time

Throughout the decades of football, no position on the field brings more glamour than quarterback. From Johnny Unitas to Peyton Manning, the quarterback is often the face of the team, and the locker room leader.

However, this position has almost always been dominated by whites. The belief that a black person could lead a team at quarterback did not come to fruition until a few breakthrough stars in the late 80s and early 90s paved the way for blacks to excel at the quarterback position.
These are the best of the best.

The only criteria is the player must not be currently playing, so no Donovan McNabb for now.







6. Doug Williams

The only black QB to win a Super Bowl and a Super Bowl MVP had a less than spectacular career before it. Williams played a few promising years for the Bucs before leaving the NFL to play for the USFL's Oklahoma Outlaws due to a contract dispute in Tampa.

He returned a year later to Joe Gibbs' Redskins, initially backing up Jay Schroeder. After Schroeder went down with an injury several times during the season, Williams impressed Gibbs enough to be named the starting quarterback throughout the playoffs.

Williams led the Redskins to Super Bowl XXII, and torched the Broncos 42-10 while throwing 18-of-29 for 340 yards and four TD passes. For his amazing effort, he was named Super Bowl MVP.

Doug Williams' Super Bowl glory cannot be forgotten, but his stats didn't exactly stack up next to the greatest. In his career, Williams threw for 16,998 yards, and 100 TDs next to 93 INTs. On top of that, his career passer rating was a mediocre 69.4.

But his legacy is far more important, and his Super Bowl win opened the floodgates for black quarterbacks everywhere.



5. Marlin Briscoe

The first black quarterback of the modern era never got another shot after playing 11 games for the Broncos in 1968. He had a decent season, throwing for 14 TDs to 13 picks while rushing for 308 yards and 3 TDs.

Those numbers today would be considered average, but at the time the idea that a black man could play quarterback was absurd. 1968 was the same year Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated and the same year the Civil Rights Movement was at its peak.

Marlin Briscoe was revolutionary in his own way, proving to the entire world that blacks were on the same level as whites, even in sports.

Despite being qualified to keep playing quarterback, Briscoe was converted to a receiver for the rest of his career, and played quite well. He went to the Pro Bowl as a receiver in 1970, after grabbing 57 receptions for 1036 yards and 8 TDs.

He was also a member of the historic 1972 Miami Dolphins, the only modern NFL team to have a perfect season.

But above all else, Briscoe is the grandfather of black quarterbacks, and a pioneer for all times. His 14 touchdowns remains a Broncos' rookie record.



4. Michael Vick

Too low? Too high? For now, No. 4 feels just right for Michael Vick.

Vick's dog fighting scandal stopped a higher ranking, and cut short an exciting career. He may still return, but it wouldn't be without controversy.

Vick was an explosive runner, and became the first quarterback of all time to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season, but he never passed for more than 3,000 yards in a season, and never threw for more than 16 TDs.

It seemed like, in between all the hype, Vick didn't master actually playing the role of quarterback. His TD/INT ratio is slim, 71 to 52, and he had passed for just over 11,000 yards during his six-year career.

Vick could very well move up on this list if he returned to the NFL and had an even more successful career, emphasizing more on passing. But for now, Vick is stuck in the jailhouse, and at No. 4.



3. Steve McNair

"Air" McNair had a fantastic career, throwing for over 30,000 yards with 174 TDs and three Pro Bowl seasons, along with an NFL MVP award in 2003.

But the most infamous moment of McNair's career came at the end of Super Bowl XXXIV against the Rams, in what was the most dramatic ending in Super Bowl history and will forever be remembered in NFL lore as "One Yard Short."

With just 6 seconds remaining on the on the Rams' 10 yard line, McNair went for the game tying score with a pass to Kevin Dyson on the slant. However, Rams linebacker Mike Jones showed great awareness and wrapped Dyson up 1 yard short of the score.

The crushing defeat stopped McNair from possibly becoming the second black quarterback to win a Super Bowl. But the loss doesn't stop people from remembering McNair as a solid and reliable QB.

His injury-prone nature was the only thing that halted him from becoming the greatest.



2. Randall Cunningham

The epitome of "what if?". Cunningham was trapped on a Philadelphia Eagles team whose offensive philosophy was "Let Randall make a big play or two and the defense will take care of the rest."

Still, Cunningham had a fantastic career. Like Mike Vick, he could scramble fantastically, but unlike Vick, he could also throw.

Cunningham threw for more than 3,000 yards in five seasons as a quarterback, and holds the record for most rushing yards at the quarterback position. Combined with
four Pro Bowl seasons, it's hard not to make a case for Randall.

His potential was unlimited and it came to fruition in 1998 when he had one of the greatest supporting casts in history, and led the Vikings to a 15-1 record while throwing for 34 TDs to 10 INTs.

Had Cunningham been granted better coaching during his time in Philadelphia, and a better supporting cast, what could have been?



1. Warren Moon


No contest here really. Moon threw for nearly 50,000 yards, was named to nine Pro Bowls, and consistently led the Houston Oilers to the playoffs.

The only real knock against Moon was his inability to bring his team to a Super Bowl. Moon wasn't even able to guide the Oilers to a conference championship, nor was he able to do the same for the Vikings or Seahawks.

However, in the big picture, that hardly means a thing for the NFL and CFL legend. Moon's achievements earned him a place in both in the NFL Hall of Fame and the CFL Hall of Fame.

To be named to both Hall of Fames as a quarterback is an enormous achievement, it's even bigger when you haven't even been to a Super Bowl.
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Did you know what quarterback has the most passing yards in a single season?

Dan Marino passed for 5,084 yards in 1984.

Dan Marino has passed for:

61,361 Career Passing Yards

420 Career Passing Touchdowns

3,011 Career Rushing Yards

9 Career Rushing Touchdowns

5,058 Career Fantasy Points

and






Drew Brees are the only players to pass for over 5,000 yards in a single season. Drew Brees has thrown for

30,646 Career Passing Yards

202 Career Passing Touchdowns

241Career Rushing Yards

7 Career Rushing Touchdowns

2237.75 Career Fantasy Points

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Did you know what What quarterback hold the record for most passing yards in a game?

Norm Van Brocklin in 1951, threw for 554 yds.












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Did you know this Memphis Trivia?

Did You Know That Memphis Tn has?

One of the Highest Crime Rates In the United States.



Did you know that Memphis has one of the Highest infant Mortality Rates?




Did you know that Memphis has the number #1 Papa Johns Store.

This store does $2 Million Dollars a year?

1436 Union Avenue
Memphis, TN 38103
Papa John's - www.papajohns.com




Did you know that Memphis is number 4 in Foreclosures?

1. Indianapolis
2. Atlanta
3. Dallas
4. Memphis, Tenn.

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Did you Know these State Capital?

US Postal Service Abbreviation	US State, Possession or Territory	Capital (New: click city to see a map)	Old Style Abbreviation
AK	Alaska	Juneau	-
AL	Alabama	Montgomery	Ala.
AR	Arkansas	Little Rock	Ark.
AS	American Samoa	Pago Pago	-
AZ	Arizona	Phoenix	Ariz.
CA	California	Sacramento	Calif.
CO	Colorado	Denver	Colo.
CT	Connecticut	Hartford	Conn.
DC	District of Columbia	Washington
DE	Delaware	Dover	Del.
FL	Florida	Tallahassee	Fla.
FM	Federated States of Micronesia	Palikir
GA	Georgia	Atlanta	Ga.
GU	Guam	Hagatna (Agana)
HI	Hawaii	Honolulu	-
IA	Iowa	Des Moines	-
ID	Idaho	Boise	-
IL	Illinois	Springfield	Ill.
IN	Indiana	Indianapolis	Ind.
KS	Kansas	Topeka	Kan.
KY	Kentucky	Frankfort	Ky.
LA	Louisiana	Baton Rouge	La.
MA	Massachusetts	Boston	Mass.
ME	Maine	Augusta	-
MD	Maryland	Annapolis	Md.
MH	Marshall Islands	Majuro
MI	Michigan	Lansing	Mich.
MN	Minnesota	St. Paul	Minn.
MO	Missouri	Jefferson City	Mo.
MP	Northern Mariana Islands	Saipan
MS	Mississippi	Jackson	Miss.
MT	Montana	Helena	Mont.
NC	North Carolina	Raleigh	N.C.
ND	North Dakota	Bismarck	N.D.
NE	Nebraska	Lincoln	Neb.
NH	New Hampshire	Concord	N.H.
NJ	New Jersey	Trenton	N.J.
NM	New Mexico	Santa Fe	N.M.
NV	Nevada	Carson City	Nev.
NY	New York	Albany	N.Y
OH	Ohio	Columbus	-
OK	Oklahoma	Oklahoma City	Okla.
OR	Oregon	Salem	Ore.
PA	Pennsylvania	Harrisburg	Pa.
PR	Puerto Rico	San Juan
PW	Palau	Koror
RI	Rhode Island	Providence	R.I.
SC	South Carolina	Columbia	S.C.
SD	South Dakota	Pierre	S.D.
TN	Tennessee	Nashville	Tenn.
TX	Texas	Austin	-
UT	Utah	Salt Lake City	-
VI	Virgin Islands	St. Thomas
VT	Vermont	Montpelier	Vt.
VA	Virginia	Richmond	Va.
WA	Washington	Olympia	Wash.
WI	Wisconsin	Madison	Wis.
WV	West Virginia	Charleston	W.Va.
WY	Wyoming	Cheyenne	Wyo.

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Did you know the top10 NFL offense of all-time?

1. St. Louis Rams (2000) St. Louis averaged 33.8 points per game in 2000, about a point more than in 1999, when the Rams were also an offensive powerhouse, and a couple more than in 2001. Those three years together guarantee the Kurt Warner-Marshall Faulk offense a permanent place in NFL history, but what makes the 2000 season stand out is that the offense did it with relatively little help from the D, which was the worst in the NFL. In their first six games, the Rams averaged 43.7 points a game. Then they were thrown for a bit of a loop when Warner missed five games with a broken pinky. But Warner, who played only 11 games, averaged 9.9 yards per pass attempt, and his backup, Trent Green, played eight games that would have been, statistically, the envy of just about any other NFL starter. Together, the two QBs combined for 5,492 yards in the air. Faulk, meanwhile, scored 28 touchdowns; he ran for 1,359 yards, averaging 5.4 yards per carry; he also caught 81 passes for 830 yards, averaging 10.2 yards a catch. Wide receivers Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce each caught 80-plus passes. The key here is the Rams' 2000 offense remained great despite Warner's injury and despite the fact every NFL defense knew what was coming. "The Rams created a mystique last year with how explosive they were," said Panthers safety Eugene Robinson late in the season. "Their defense could give up 35 points, and they'd put up 50 points. Everybody was like, 'Oh, man, they're the greatest thing since sliced bread.' Rightfully so. Now, all you need to do is have a very good defense, play sound ball, keep things in front, and don't give up the big play." Right. 2. Washington Redskins (1983) The '83 'Skins scored 541 points during the regular season, the second-highest total in NFL history, and, except for their 38-9 Super Bowl loss to the Raiders, never scored fewer than 23 points in a game. How'd they do it? Joe Theismann, John Riggins and the Hogs. Theismann completed 60 percent of his passes for 3,714 yards and 29 TDs. Riggins carried 375 times, bulldozing his way to 1,347 yards and 24 TDs. They had some help, too -- from Joe Washington, who rushed for 772 yards, an average of 5.3 per carry, and caught 47 passes; from wide receiver Charlie Brown, who caught 78 passes for 1,225 yards and eight TDs; from Art Monk, who played only 12 games but caught 47 passes; and from kicker Mark Moseley, who booted 161 points through the uprights. 3. Minnesota Vikings (1998) The 15-1 Vikings broke Washington's offensive scoring mark (see above) in 1998, putting 556 points on the board -- an average of almost 35 per game. Defensive backfields had nightmares before playing the Vikings, having spent the week trying to figure out how to stop both Cris Carter and Randy Moss. They couldn't cheat because running back Robert Smith was a threat on the ground, running for 1,187 yards, an average of 4.8 yards per carry. QB Randall Cunningham completed 61 percent of his passes, throwing 34 TD passes while being picked off only 10 times (backup QB Brad Johnson threw for another seven TDs). And the kicker? Gary Anderson had a perfect season, and the best season by a kicker, nailing all 35 of his field-goal attempts and every extra-point attempt, for a total 164 points. The Vikings offense was, simply put, explosive. Eighty-five plays went for 20-plus yards. "They've got an awful lot of weapons," said Vince Tobin, who was the 1985 Bears' defensive coordinator. "It's hard to spot a weakness you can really hone in on. They set all those records, and they didn't do it with mirrors." 4. Miami Dolphins (1984) Two words can tell the tale of Miami's offense in 1984: Dan Marino. The smart mammals scored an average of 32 points per game, and almost all the credit goes to Marino's arm. He passed for an NFL-record 5,084 yards and an NFL-record 48 touchdowns. But let's be fair: The receivers were no slouches, and the offensive line provided superb protection. Wide receivers Mark Clayton and Mark "Super" Duper were a formidable duo. Eighteen of Clayton's 73 receptions were for TDs, an NFL record; he averaged 19 yards a catch. Duper caught 71 balls for 1,306 yards and eight TDs. Tony Nathan had 61 catches coming out of the backfield. And Marino was sacked only 14 times in the 18 games leading up to the Super Bowl. "I've never seen a team that could pass the way they do, week in and week out," said Steelers coach Chuck Noll after the Dolphins rolled over Pittsburgh 45-28 in the AFC championship game. "It's like a writer winning the Pulitzer Prize every week." 5. San Diego Chargers (1981) San Diego averaged 30 points a game in 1981, thanks to the strength of Dan Fouts' arm. He threw 609 times, completing 360 passes for 4,802 yards -- all NFL records. The Chargers also set a record for total yards, traveling almost four miles on the football field (6,744 yards, to be exact). Obviously, Fouts didn't do it alone. All-Pro tight end Kellen Winslow caught 89 passes for 1,290 yards to lead the league, Charlie Joiner had 70 catches for 1,188 yards, and Wes Chandler added 52 grabs for 857 yards. Meanwhile, Chuck Muncie kept defenses honest by rushing for 1,144 yards and 19 TDs. When, in 1984, the Chargers went up for sale for $70 million, ESPN golf announcer Gary McCord made an on-air offer: "Tell owner Gene Klein I'll pay him $35 million for them, and he can keep the defense." 6. Los Angeles Rams (1950) The 1950 L.A. Rams, featuring future Hall of Fame QBs Norm Van Brocklin and Bob Waterfield and future HOF receivers Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch and Tom Fears, hold the NFL record for points per game -- they averaged 38.8 during the regular season. One week, the Rams beat the Colts 70-27. The next week, they beat the Lions 65-24, scoring 41 points in the third quarter. The Rams offense set 22 records in 1950, including most passing yards and most total yards. Fears caught a remarkable 84 passes for 1,116 yards in the 12-game season, including a record 18 against the Packers; he also caught seven passes for 198 yards in the divisional playoff. The Rams featured three 1950 All-Pro linemen -- Dick Huffman, Bob Reinhard and Fred Naumetz -- paving the way for an excellent running game, with 1946 Heisman winner Glenn Davis, 1950 All-Pro Dick Hoerner and Paul Barry. 7. San Francisco 49ers (1994) Steve Young set an NFL record with a 112.8 QB rating. Translated into real numbers: Young completed more than 70 percent of his passes for 3,969 yards, throwing for 35 TDs. His main target was, of course, Jerry Rice, who caught 112 passes for 1,499 yards and 13 TDs. Meanwhile, Ricky Watters caught 66 passes out of the backfield, and Brent Jones snagged another 49 from the tight end slot. The 49ers, who had nine current or former Pro Bowlers on offense, scored 505 points in 1994, averaging 32 a game. Then came the postseason: Watters set an NFL playoff record with five TDs as the Niners beat the Bears 44-15 in the divisional matchup; the 49ers won the NFC title game over the Cowboys, 38-28; and then, in the Super Bowl, the Niners beat the Chargers 49-26 behind Young's six TD passes. Average postseason points per game: 44. 8. New York Giants (1963) Remember that great photo of Y.A. Tittle kneeling on the field, blood streaming down his face? That's what it took in the early 1960s NFL, if you wanted to put points on the board the way his Giants did. Tittle, on his way to becoming MVP, led the NFL's highest scoring offense (448 points in 14 games, despite being shut out by the Steelers in the second game of the season), completing 60 percent of his passes for 3,145 yards and 36 touchdowns. Protecting Tittle: Hall of Fame tackle Roosevelt Brown. Tittle's favorite targets: Wide receiver Del Shofner, who caught 64 passes for 1,181 yards, an average of 18.5 yards per catch, and Hall of Famer Frank Gifford, who caught 42 passes for 657 yards and seven TDs from the flanker slot. 9. Chicago Bears (1941) The Bears went 10-1 in 1941, scoring 396 points, an average of 36 per game. George McAffee was second in the NFL in rushing, carrying the ball 65 times for 474 yards and 12 touchdowns, tops in the NFL. Norm Standlee was fourth in rushing, with 414 yards. Sid Luckman led all QBs by completing 57.1 percent of his passes. And they did this all outdoors. 10. Green Bay Packers (1962) When you can power sweep your way to almost 30 points a game, you've got yourself a ground game. Fullback Jim Taylor, behind one of the greatest offensive lines of all time (tackle Forrest Gregg, guards Jerry Kramer and Fuzzy Thurston and center Jim Ringo, All-Pros all), led the league in rushing with 1,474 yards, and scored an NFL record 19 TDs. Bart Starr led the NFL in passing, completing 62.5 percent of his passes for 2,438 yards. Meanwhile, the Packers outscored opponents 415-148.

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Did you know the top 10 Best NFL defense of all-time?

The Best Defensive Lines were...
1. 1976 Pittsburgh SteelersThe Steelers defenses of the 1970s are legendary, but the 1976 unit was the best (slightly better than the '75 squad). Here's why: 28. That's how many points the Steel Curtain surrendered in the last nine games of the season. That's a total. As a result, Pittsburgh, which started the season 1-4, made it all the way to the AFC Championship Game, which they lost to the Raiders 24-7. (It's worth noting that Pittsburgh running backs Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier were both injured in that contest.)

The '76 Steelers didn't have it easy -- their opponents had a .528 winning percentage. But they had these guys: Hall of Famers Mean Joe Greene, Jack Lambert, Jack Ham and Mel Blount. And eight Steelers defensive players made the 1976 Pro Bowl team: cornerback J.T. Thomas, defensive end L.C. Greenwood, Greene, Ham, Lambert, defensive back Glen Edwards, safety Mike Wagner, and Blount.

2. 1985 Chicago Bears

The Bears had a very good offense in 1985, but it was Buddy Ryan's blitzing "46" defense that earned this team Page 2's honor of greatest NFL team of all-time. The Bears, with a D anchored by middle linebacker Mike Singletary (with superb assistance from tackles William "Refrigerator" Perry and Dan Hampton, outside linebackers Otis Wilson and Wilbur Marshall, and DE Richard Dent), went 15-1, holding seven opponents to fewer than 10 points.

The Bears showed their ultimate mettle in the playoffs. In the NFC divisional playoff, they shut out the Giants 21-0. The next week, they won the NFC championship by goose-egging the Rams 24-0. Then, in the Super Bowl, they held the Pats to a total of seven (7) yards rushing, helping to seal a 46-10 win.

"The Bears had a tremendous tactical advantage," said Bud Carson, the Steelers defensive coordinator from 1972 to 1977. "Teams that stayed in normal offensive formations got ripped apart. At that time, I had never seen anything like the advantage the Bears enjoyed. Buddy was reckless and crazy in a good way. He had so many blitzes. Defensive coordinators dream about doing what he did. He definitely had his moment in time."

3. 2000 Baltimore Ravens

	Ray Lewis' Ravens roughed up the Giants in Super Bowl XXXV.

In the past quarter-century, only one defense has held opponents to fewer than 11 points per game. That team? Ray Lewis' Ravens. In 2000, Baltimore set NFL records for fewest points allowed (165) and fewest yards rushing allowed (970) in a 16-game schedule. In addition to Lewis, who eventually was named Super Bowl MVP, Baltimore's defense boasted safety Rod Woodson, who was named to the NFL's 75th Anniversary All-Time Team.

During the regular season, the Ravens shut out four opponents, then got better in the playoffs, allowing a total of only 23 points in four games, including their 34-7 victory over the Giants in the Super Bowl. Even though they had a relatively easy regular-season schedule (opponents had only a .428 winning percentage), their playoff performance was outstanding.

As ESPN's John Clayton wrote last year, "The Ravens have that rare ability to reach into the chest of an opposing offense, remove its heart, squeeze it and return it to victims like a deflated football."

4. 1971 Minnesota Vikings
We were tempted to put the Vikings atop this list, just because they had one of the all-time best nicknames in sports history. "The Purple People Eaters" held their 1971 opponents to only 9.9 points per game, capping what might be the best three-year defensive run in NFL history. (In 1970, they gave up 10.2 ppg, and in 1969 9.5, the seventh and second-lowest totals in history; the 1971 team was fourth.) Considering that their motto was "Meet at the quarterback," it's no surprise that the Eaters held opposing QBs to a 40.4 rating, one of the lowest ever.

The Vikings, who went 11-3 before losing to the Cowboys in the divisional playoffs, shut out three opponents, and only one team scored more than 20 points against them. As a result, Alan Page became the first defensive player to ever be named NFL MVP. Carl Eller, Jim Marshall and safety Paul Krause joined Page on the All-Pro team.

5. 1962 Green Bay Packers
The great 1962 Packers had a rock-solid defense front to back, boasting an astounding five Hall of Famers: defensive linemen Willie Davis and Henry Jordan, linebacker Ray Nitschke, cornerback Herb Adderley, and safety Willie Wood. (For good measure, they also boasted a couple of other 1962 All-Pros in linebackers Dan Currie and Bill Forester.) Green Bay gave up just 10.8 points per game, shutting out opponents three times. The Packers held opposing QBs to a 43.5 rating, due, in part, to Wood's league-leading nine interceptions. The Packers defense allowed the Giants 291 yards in the NFL championship game, but held the Giants offense scoreless as the Packers won, 16-7 (New York scored on a blocked punt).

6. 1990 New York Giants

	The Giants' Lawrence Taylor revolutionized the linebacker position.

The Giants allowed only 13.2 points a game against a very tough schedule -- they played against seven playoff teams during the regular season. Led by Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor, New York's defense also came through in the playoffs, holding the Bears to just three points in the divisional playoff game. Then they allowed a tough 49ers offense just two field goals and one TD, and set up the game-winning score by forcing a late fumble to win the NFC title 15-13. In Super Bowl XXV, the Giant defense held its own against the Bills' no-huddle offense, and New York won 20-19.

"The Giants drove me crazy," said former Redskins coach Joe Gibbs. "They gave me the most fits. They were the opposite of Buddy Ryan's Bears defense. They played that soft two-deep zone that didn't allow any big plays. You had to earn everything you got against the Giants."

7. 1969 Kansas City Chiefs
The Super Bowl IV champion Chiefs boasted three future Hall of Famers on defense -- tackle Buck Buchanan and linebackers Bobby Bell and Willie Lanier -- and they earned their place on this list with a stellar postseason. But during the regular season, Hank Stram's "Triple Stack" defense, which gave the linebackers lots of room to roam, was superb, holding five opponents to fewer than 10 points and giving up an average of less than two touchdowns a game.

Then they got serious. Against the Super Bowl champion Jets in the AFL divisional playoff game at Shea Stadium, the Chiefs held on for a 13-6 victory, thanks to a remarkable three-play goal line stand that stifled the Jets on the one. After losing twice to the Raiders during the regular season, the Chiefs allowed a single touchdown, in the first quarter, to win the AFL title over Oakland 17-7. The Chiefs defense then stifled the Vikings in the Super Bowl, allowing only two rushing first downs and picking off three passes in the fourth quarter to win 23-7. Total points against the Chiefs in the playoffs: 20.

8. 1973 Miami Dolphins The Dolphins 53/"No Name" Defense ("53" was linebacker Bob Matheson's number) held 11 opponents to 14 points or less, setting a record by allowing just 150 points in a 14-game season. Defensive end Bill Stanfill set a Dolphins' sack record that still stands, with 18.5. In the playoffs and Super Bowl, they allowed only 33 points against Cincinnati, Oakland and Minnesota. Stanfill, Manny Fernandez, Hall of Fame middle linebacker Nick Buoniconti, and safeties Dick Anderson (AP Defensive Player of the Year) and Jake Scott were all named to the 1973 All-Pro team.

Before facing the Dolphins in Super Bowl VIII, Vikings QB Fran Tarkenton oozed confidence, saying he'd solved the 53. "I think you've got to prepare for the 53 defense, you've got to make it so the Dolphins don't know what to expect. I'm sure we'll prepare a little bit different." It didn't work. The Vikings lost 24-7, scoring their only TD in the fourth quarter.

9. 1963 Chicago Bears
In 1963, Bears defensive coach George Allen came up with a new zone defense against the pass, befuddling opponents. With Doug Atkins and Ed O'Bradovich pressuring opposing QBs from their defensive end slots, and Bill George and Larry Morris defending against short passes from the linebacker position, the Bears picked off 36 passes, and allowed just 10.3 points and 227 yards per game. The Bears went on to win the NFL championship, thanks to the D. In the title game against Y.A. Tittle and the Giants, who had the best offense in the NFL, Chicago's five picks were the key, as the Bears won 14-10. George Allen got the game ball.

10. 1975 Los Angeles Rams
Fred Dryer. Jack Youngblood. Merlin Olson. Get the idea? They weren't the "Fearsome Foursome," but with those guys anchoring the defensive line, and All-Pros Isiah Robertson (linebacker) and Dave Elmendorf (safety), the Rams were almost impossible to score against. The Rams went 12-2, holding opponents to just 9.6 points a game, (the second-lowest average in NFL history) and ending the season with a six-game winning streak during which they gave up just 32 points. The defense wasn't as impressive in the postseason, surrendering 23 points in a first-round victory over the Cardinals before losing 37-23 to the Cowboys in the NFC title game.

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