Super Bowl champs vs. Quality Opponents

As loyal readers of the Cold, Hard Football Facts are aware, we put a lot of stock in Quality Wins – how a team performs against opponents with winning records. We track these records each and every week throughout the season (our final regular-season Quality Standings can be found here).

 

As we noted after Super Bowl XLI, teams with the better record against quality competition posted a 10-1 record in the 2006 playoffs. It's the second time in our three-year history that teams with a superior mark against Quality Opponents posted a remarkable 10-1 record in postseason play.

 

The Colts were the class of the NFL in the 2006 regular season, with a 4-1 mark against Quality Opponents. Following their four postseason wins, they ended the year with an 8-1 mark against winning teams.

 

Only four Super Bowl champions have better records against quality competition. Here's how the Colts stack up historically:

 

Team	Overall Record	vs. Quality Opponents	SB Result
2003 Patriots	17-2	10-0 (1.000)	won XXXVIII
1981 49ers	16-3	6-0 (1.000)	won XVI
1972 Dolphins	17-0	5-0 (1.000)	won VII
2004 Patriots	17-2	10-1 (.909)	won XXXIX
1973 Dolphins	15-2	8-1 (.889)	won VIII
1985 Bears	18-1	8-1 (.889)	won XX
1986 Giants	17-2	8-1 (.889)	won XXI
2006 Colts	16-4	8-1 (.889)	won XLI

 

(Remember, the Cold, Hard Football Facts define a quality opponent as any team that has a winning record.)

 

The 2004 Patriots, 2003 Patriots and 1979 Steelers are the only teams in NFL history to win 10 games against quality opponents in a single season. The 1979 Steelers went 10-3 against quality opponents, topping our list for games in a single season against teams with winning records. Numerous Super Bowl teams have played 11 games against quality opponents in a single season. Only four have played more than 11:

SUPER BOWL TEAMS vs. QUALITY OPPONENTS (since the AFL-NFL merger)

SB (Season)	Winner (Record)	vs. Qual. Opp.	Loser (Record)	vs. Qual. Opp.
V (1970)	Baltimore (14-2-1)	4-2 (.667)	Dallas (12-5)	4-5 (.444)
VI (1971)	Dallas (14-3)	5-1 (.833)	Miami (12-4-1)	4-2 (.667)
VII (1972)	Miami (17-0)	5-0 (1.000)	Washington (13-4)	6-2 (.750)
VIII (1973)	Miami (15-2)	8-1 (.889)	Minnesota (14-3)	5-3 (.625)
IX (1974)	Pittsburgh (13-3-1)	3-1-1 (.750)	Minnesota (12-5)	4-2 (.667)
X (1975)	Pittsburgh (15-2)	7-2 (.778)	Dallas (12-5)	5-3 (.625)
XI (1976)	Oakland (16-1)	7-1 (.857)	Minnesota (13-3-1)	3-2-1 (.600)
XII (1977)	Dallas (15-2)	7-1 (.875)	Denver (14-3)	7-3 (.700)
XIII (1978)	Pittsburgh (17-2)	7-2 (.778)	Dallas (14-5)	6-4 (.600)
XIV (1979)	Pittsburgh (15-4)	10-3 (.769)	L.A. Rams (11-8)	4-6 (.400)
XV (1980)	Oakland (15-5)	6-4 (.600)	Philadelphia (14-5)	5-4 (.556)
XVI (1981)	San Francisco (16-3)	6-0 (1.000)	Cincinnati (14-5)	6-2 (.750)
XVII (1982)	Washington (12-1)	6-1 (.857)	Miami (10-3)	6-3 (.667)
XVIII (1983)	L.A. Raiders (15-4)	7-4 (.636)	Washington (16-3)	9-2 (.818)
XIX (1984)	San Francisco (18-1)	7-1 (.875)	Miami (16-3)	8-2 (.800)
XX (1985)	Chicago (18-1)	8-1 (.889)	New England (14-6)	5-5 (.500)
XXI (1986)	N.Y. Giants (17-2)	8-1 (.889)	Denver (13-6)	7-5 (.583)
XXII (1987)	Washington (14-4)	4-1 (.800)	Denver (12-5-1)	7-4 (.636)
XXIII (1988)	San Francisco (13-6)	9-2 (.818)	Cincinnati (14-5)	7-4 (.636)
XXIV (1989)	San Francisco (17-2)	9-2 (.818)	Denver (13-6)	7-4 (.636)
XXV (1990)	N.Y. Giants (16-3)	7-3 (.700)	Buffalo (15-4)	6-4 (.600)
XXVI (1991)	Washington (17-2)	9-2 (.818)	Buffalo (15-4)	4-3 (.571)
XXVII (1992)	Dallas (16-3)	6-2 (.750)	Buffalo (14-6)	8-4 (.667)
XXVIII (1993)	Dallas (15-4)	8-2 (.800)	Buffalo (14-5)	6-5 (.545)
XXIX (1994)	San Francisco (16-3)	7-2 (.778)	San Diego (13-6)	6-4 (.600)
XXX (1995)	Dallas (15-4)	8-2 (.800)	Pittsburgh (13-6)	5-3 (.625)
XXXI (1996)	Green Bay (16-3)	7-3 (.700)	New England (13-6)	6-5 (.545)
XXXII (1997)	Denver (16-4)	6-3 (.667)	Green Bay (15-4)	9-2 (.818)
XXXIII (1998)	Denver (17-2)	6-1 (.857)	Atlanta (16-3)	5-3 (.625)
XXXIV (1999)	St. Louis (16-3)	3-1 (.750)	Tennessee (16-4)	6-2 (.750)
XXXV (2000)	Baltimore (16-4)	7-3 (.700)	N.Y. Giants (14-5)	5-4 (.556)
XXXVI (2001)	New England (14-5)	5-3 (.625)	St. Louis (16-3)	8-2 (.800)
XXXVII (2002)	Tampa Bay (15-4)	7-4 (.636)	Oakland (13-6)	8-3 (.727)
XXXVIII (2003)	New England (17-2)	10-0 (1.000)	Carolina (14-6)	4-4 (.500)
XXXVIII (2004)	New England (17-2)	10-1 (.909)	Philadelphia (15-4)	3-2 (.600)
XL (2005)	Pittsburgh (15-5)	8-4 (.667)	Seattle (15-4)	5-3 (.625)
XLI (2006)	Indianapolis (16-4)	8-1 (.889)	Chicago (15-4)	4-2 (.667)

 

• 1983 Raiders (7-4, .636) over Redskins (9-2, .818)
• 1997 Broncos (6-3, .667) over Packers (9-2, .818)
• 2001 Patriots (5-3, .625) over Rams (8-2, .800)
• 2002 Buccaneers (7-4, .636) over Raiders (8-3, .727)

By Kerry Byrne