Super Bowl Super Study Says Patriots, Broncos Built Like Champs

2. Divisional Dominance

Not only should championship teams consistently win both at home and on the road, but they should dominate against their divisional foes.

After all, teams spent more than two decades playing half of their games against divisional opponents. If a team can’t clobber their most hated foes, how can they prevail against the best in other divisions?

True, divisional games generally play to tighter scoring margin, but that doesn’t translate to losses for the championship-caliber teams. They normally control the roost in the division.

The chart below examines the divisional record for each Super Bowl combatant after the AFL-NFL merger. The chart also examines the conference record for each AFL team before the merger and 1966 Packers, as those teams did not play in a division. The conference record acts a rough equivalent to divisional record.

Winners				Losers
SB	Team	W-L			SB	Team	W-L
I	66 Packers	10-2			I	66 Chiefs	5-1
II	67 Packers	4-1-1			II	67 Raiders	6-0
III	68 Jets	7-1			III	68 Colts	6-0
IV	69 Chiefs	5-3			IV	69 Vikings	6-0
V	70 Colts	6-1-1			V	70 Cowboys	5-3
VI	71 Cowboys	7-1			VI	71 Dolphins	5-3
VII	72 Dolphins	8-0			VII	72 Redskins	7-1
VIII	73 Dolphins	7-1			VIII	73 Vikings	6-0
IX	74 Steelers	4-2			IX	74 Vikings	4-2
X	75 Steelers	6-0			X	75 Cowboys	6-2
XI	76 Raiders	7-0			XI	76 Vikings	5-1
XII	77 Cowboys	7-1			XII	77 Broncos	6-1
XIII	78 Steelers	5-1			XIII	78 Cowboys	7-1
XIV	79 Steelers	4-2			XIV	79 Rams	5-1
XV	80 Raiders	6-2			XV	80 Eagles	6-2
XVI	81 49ers	5-1			XVI	81 Bengals	4-2
XVII	82 Redskins	6-1			XVII	82 Dolphins	6-1
XVIII	83 Raiders	6-2			XVIII	83 Redskins	7-1
XIX	84 49ers	6-0			XIX	84 Dolphins	8-0
XX	85 Bears	8-0			XX	85 Patriots	6-2
XXI	86 Giants	7-1			XXI	86 Broncos	5-3
XXII	87 Redskins	7-1			XXII	87 Broncos	7-1
XXIII	88 49ers	4-2			XXIII	88 Bengals	4-2
XXIV	89 49ers	5-1			XXIV	89 Broncos	6-2
XXV	90 Giants	7-1			XXV	90 Bills	7-1
XXVI	91 Redskins	6-2			XXVI	91 Bills	7-1
XXVII	92 Cowboys	6-2			XXVII	92 Bills	5-3
XXVIII	93 Cowboys	7-1			XXVIII	93 Bills	7-1
XXIX	94 49ers	6-0			XXIX	94 Chargers	6-2
XXX	95 Cowboys	5-3			XXX	95 Steelers	6-2
XXXI	96 Packers	7-1			XXXI	96 Patriots	6-2
XXXII	97 Broncos	6-2			XXXII	97 Packers	7-1
XXXIII	98 Broncos	8-0			XXXIII	98 Falcons	7-1
XXXIV	99 Rams	8-0			XXXIV	99 Titans	9-1
XXXV	00 Ravens	8-2			XXXV	00 Giants	7-1
XXXVI	01 Patriots	6-2			XXXVI	01 Rams	7-1
XXXVII	02 Bucs	4-2			XXXVII	02 Raiders	4-2
XXXVIII	03 Patriots	5-1			XXXVIII	03 Panthers	5-1
XXXIX	04 Patriots	5-1			XXXIX	04 Eagles	6-0
XL	05 Steelers	4-2			XL	05 Seahawks	6-0
XLI	06 Colts	3-3			XLI	06 Bears	5-1
XLII	07 Giants	3-3			XLII	07 Patriots	6-0
XLIII	08 Steelers	6-0			XLIII	08 Cardinals	6-0
XLIV	09 Saints	4-2			XLIV	09 Colts	6-0
XLV	10 Packers	4-2			XLV	10 Steelers	5-1
XLVI	11 Giants	3-3			XLVI	11 Patriots	5-1

As history shows, playing in a division with fewer teams will result in fewer divisional wins. However, it should not translate to a middling 3-3 or 5-3 record against divisional foes. While the recent string of unlikely champions again cloud the result, this part of the study clearly illustrates the champions must control the divisional roost.

This year’s teams see a strange mix of teams that struggled against the division. The NFC West clearly had a spoiler in the St. Louis Rams, who owned a 2-1-1 record against the Seahawks and 49ers. This showed in both team’s divisional struggles.

The 2012 Seahawks, along with the 2012 Falcons and 2012 Bengals, are the three teams to finish with a 3-3 divisional record. The 2012 49ers, meanwhile, finished 3-2-1 against the NFC West. Who knows where the 49ers will fit in this study. Meanwhile, the Falcons and Bengals likely have to worry the most, as they split against each of their three divisional opponents.

 

 

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Read more: Adam Dobrowolski, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Bill Belichick, Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos, Eli Manning, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, Indianapolis, Indianapolis Colts, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, NFL, Patriots, Peyton Manning, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, Super Bowl, Super Bowl XLVII, TBA, Tom Brady, Tom Coughlin, Washington Redskins