1. 1984 San Francisco 49ers
Some, perhaps even many, believe that the 1972 Dolphins belong at the top of this list. But it’s this dominant San Francisco team that is actually the best Super Bowl winner of all-time. This was head coach Bill Walsh and his West Coast offense at the height of its powers, as the team went 15-1 that year. They, too, would have been undefeated if not for a narrow three-point loss to the Steelers in the regular season. These 49ers were second in the NFL in average points scored per game and first in average points allowed. Of course, Joe Montana led the way. This time he did so, once again, without having his future Hall of Famer Jerry Rice by his side.
Montana threw for 3,630 yards that season, good enough for that era, but his stats didn’t really matter. What defines this team is the manner in which they won the Super Bowl. In 1984, a young quarterback by the name of Dan Marino was absolutely tearing up the NFL.
He was light years ahead of the game that season, throwing for 5,084 yards and 48 touchdowns with only 17 interceptions. The yards and touchdowns were records that stood the test of time until the all-out offensive explosion in the NFL of the last 12 or so years. Marino and the Dolphins came in with real hype behind them. But this 49ers team immediately threw them off of their game.
Marino did throw for 318 yards in the Super Bowl, but he only threw for one touchdown as opposed to two interceptions. The 49ers had Miami on the ropes before the fourth quarter had even begun. Sadly enough, this ended up being Marino’s only Super Bowl appearance. While it was far from Montana’s only trip to the big game, it may have been his finest year overall. He took home the Super Bowl MVP and his 49ers put together the best Super Bowl-winning season in NFL history.