The Top Team Tournament is a project where I take every franchise’s best team (post-merger) and pit them against each other. This week I am analyzing the NFC East. In each blurb, I break down the team’s stats, successes, and (possible) failures. From now on, I will be including each player’s Approximate Value (AV), Pro Football Reference’s metric for a player’s value in their career. My goal is to give everyone a bit of background for each team while not diving deep into the histories of them. I will also do my best to not linger on possible heartbreak endings to these fantastic seasons. Along with my background, I will give my brief predictions for the teams in this tournament.
How do the 91′ Redskins fare in our top team tournament?
’91 Redskins – Arguably one of the best teams ever, the ’91 Redskins were stacked on both sides of the ball, leading to a 14-2 season. They led the league with 485 points for and were second in points against at 224. During the season they posted three shutouts, including an opening week rout of the Detroit Lions (45-0). In their three playoff games, they beat the Falcons (24-7), smashed the lions again (41-10), and gave the Bills the second of their four consecutive Super Bowl Losses. This team was the last to not trail at any point in any of their playoff games.
| Mark Rypien QB | 3,564 yards, 28 td, 11 int | Pro Bowl ’91, 2nd Tm All-Pro, SB MVP, 62 AV |
| Earnest Byner RB | 1,048 yards, 5 td | Pro Bowl ’91, 2nd Tm All-Pro, 106 AV |
| Gary Clark WR | 1,340 yards, 10 td | Pro Bowl ’91, 107 AV |
| Art Monk WR | 1,049 yards, 8 td | Hall of Fame, 129 AV |
| Jim Lachey LT | Pro Bowl ’91, 1st Tm All-Pro, 92 AV | |
| Mark Schlereth G | Pro Bowl ’91, 83 AV | |
| Fred Stokes DE | 6.5 sacks, 1 int, 2 fum rec, 36 tkls | 39 AV |
| Charles Mann DE | 11.5 sacks, 3 FF, 1 fum rec, 63 tkls | Pro Bowl ’91, 2nd Tm All-Pro, 97 AV |
| Darrell Green CB | 5 ints, 79 tkls | Pro Bowl ’91, 1st Tm All-Pro, Hall of Fame, 150 AV |
| Andre Collins LB | 3 sacks, 2 ints, 1 TD, 151 tkls | 48 AV |
| Wilber Marshall LB | 5.5 sacks, 5 ints, 1 TD, 4 FF, 1 fum rec, 135 tkls | 2nd Tm All-Pro, 120 AV |
| Chip Lohmiller K | 31/43 FG, 56/56 XP | Pro Bowl ’91, 2nd Tm All-Pro, 21 AV |
With a team like this, I could see the Redskins making a serious run at the championship. The problem is though, some of the best teams in the tournament, the Giants and the Cowboys, are in their division as well. It will be a tough road ahead, but this team has shown that they have what it takes to dominate all those who stand in front of them.
’04 Eagles – The early 2000’s Eagles were perennial playoff participants, including a Super Bowl appearance in 2004. This was the year they acquired Terrell Owens (WR), Jeremiah Trotter (MLB), and Jevon Kearse (DE) to shore up any gaps in their depth. The Eagles were able to go 13-1 (3-27 loss against the Steelers) and lock up a playoff spot before resting their starters and finishing 13-3. In the playoffs, they flew past the Vikings and Falcons en route to a disappointing loss to the Patriots in Super Bowl 39.
| Donovan McNabb QB | 3,875 yards, 31 TDs, 8 Ints, 220 rush yards, 3 rush TDs | Pro Bowl ’04, 138 AV |
| Brian Westbrook RB | 1,515 all purpose yards, 9 TDs | Pro Bowl ’04, 80 AV |
| Terrell Owens WR | 1,200 yards, 14 TDs | Pro Bowl ’04, 1st Tm All-Pro, 165 AV |
| Tra Thomas LT | Pro Bowl ’04, 86 AV | |
| Lito Sheppard CB | 5 Ints, 2 TDs, 15 PD, 1 Sack, 52 Tkls | Pro Bowl ’04, 1st Tm All-Pro, 50 AV |
| Michael Lewis SS | 1 Int, 12 PD, 2 FF, 74 Tkls | Pro Bowl ’04, 50 AV |
| Brian Dawkins FS | 4 Ints, 12 PD, 2 FF, 3 Sacks, 61 Tkls | Pro Bowl ’04, 1st Tm All-Pro, 140 AV |
| Sheldon Brown CB | 2 Ints, 16 PD, 1 FF, 3 Sacks, 66 Tkls | 67 AV |
| David Akers K | 27/32 FGs, 84.4% FG%, 41/42 XP | Pro Bowl ’04, 2nd Tm All-Pro, 42 AV |
Although they didn’t win the Super Bowl, this team still had some of the best talents of all time in Terrell Owens, Brian Dawkins, and Donovan McNabb. It will be an incredibly hard road for them to reach the championship, but I don’t discount them because they have the talent to pull off some upsets.
’86 Giants – Led by an incredible defense that posted 7 games (including playoffs) where opponents scored less than 10 points, the 1986 Giants are in contention for the best team ever. With 20.5 sacks on the year, Lawrence Taylor had the best year of his G.O.A.T. career. Joe Morris was one of the most versatile players on the field with over 1,700 all purpose yards and 15 touchdowns. The dominance didn’t end in the regular season, as the Giants were able to roll over everyone who stood in their way. In the Divisional round, they faced the 49ers, who kept it close until the second quarter. Phil Simms threw 4 TDs, Morris had 2 rushing TDs, and Taylor had a pick-six to win 49-3. The NFC Championship game wasn’t quite as easy, but their opponent (Washington Redskins) still had no chance, falling 17-0. In the Super Bowl, The Broncos led at halftime (10-9) but were quickly humbled as Simms and Morris went to work scoring 17 unanswered points in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, the Broncos tried to come back, but ultimately fell short in the end (39-20 Final).
| Phil Simms QB | 3,487 yards, 21 TDs, 22 Ints, 1 rush TD | 118 AV |
| Joe Morris RB | 1,749 all purpose yards, 15 total TDs | Pro Bowl ’86, 1st Tm All-Pro, 50 AV |
| Mark Bavaro TE | 1,001 yards, 4 TDs | Pro Bowl ’86, 1st Tm All-Pro, 45 AV |
| Brad Benson T | Pro Bowl ’86, 2nd Tm All-Pro, 61 AV | |
| Lawrence Taylor LB | 20.5 Sacks | Pro Bowl ’86, 1st Tm All-Pro, 182 AV, Hall of Fame, MVP, DPOY |
| Leonard Marshall DE | 1 Int, 3 FF, 3 FR, 12 Sacks, 63 Tkls | Pro Bowl ’86, 2nd Tm All-Pro, 87 AV |
| Jim Burt NT | 3 FR, 1 Sack | Pro Bowl ’86, 48 AV |
| Harry Carson LB | 1 Int, 2 FR,2 Sacks | Pro Bowl ’86, 2nd Tm All-Pro, 119 AV, Hall of Fame |
| Carl Banks LB | 1 FR, 6.5 Sacks, 113 Tkls | 83 AV |
| Sean Landeta P | 79 punts, 44.8 Avg yards | Pro Bowl ’86, 1st Tm All-Pro, 50 AV |
With Taylor and Carson on defense and Simms and Morris on offense, this team is worthy of the praise they have been given and have a great chance of advancing far in this tournament. However, I believe that it depends on if the simulator will use playoff Simms (8 TDs, 0 Ints) or regular season Simms (21 TDs, 22 Ints).
’93 Cowboys – When discussing franchises like the Cowboys, it is hard to pick the best of the best, but I feel that the ’93 edition was the pinnacle of the early 90’s dynasty. On defense, they were incredibly well rounded with talent on all three levels, D-Line, LBs, and secondary. They finished 2nd in points against with 14.3 PPG. However, they are especially known for their trio on offense, Aikman, Smith, and Irvin. This was the year that revolved around Emmitt Smith, from his two week holdout to his rushing title and Super Bowl MVP. With the amazing numbers that Smith posted, it is easy to forget how he got them. The offensive line was bolstered by three pro-bowlers (Nate Newton, Mark Stepnoski, and Erik Williams). Jerry Jones and Jimmy Johnson were the perfect pair to create a dynasty. With a full team, their biggest failures were weeks 12 and 13 where they lost to the Falcons (14-27) and the Dolphins (14-16). After these, the Cowboys sailed into the postseason and handed the Bills yet another Super Bowl Loss relatively easily (30-13).
| Troy Aikman QB | 3,100 yards, 15 TDs, 6 Ints | Pro Bowl ’93, 122 AV, Hall of Fame |
| Emmitt Smith RB | 1900 all purpose yards, 10 total TDs | Pro Bowl ’93, 1st Tm All-Pro, 170 AV, Hall of Fame |
| Daryl Johnston FB | 446 all purpose yards, 4 TDs | Pro Bowl ’93, 30 AV |
| Michael Irvin WR | 1,330 yards, 7 TDs | Pro Bowl ’93, 129 AV, Hall of Fame |
| Jay Novacek TE | 447 yards, 2 TDs | Pro Bowl ’93, 53 AV |
| Nate Newton G | Pro Bowl ’93, 106 AV | |
| Mark Stepnoski C | Pro Bowl ’93, 104 AV | |
| Erik Williams T | Pro Bowl ’93, 1st Tm All-Pro, 83 AV | |
| Russell Maryland DT | 2 FF, 2 FR, 2.5 Sacks, 56 Tkls | Pro Bowl ’93, 75 AV |
| Ken Norton LB | 1 Int, 1 FR, 2 Sacks, 159 Tkls | Pro Bowl ’93, 105 AV |
| Charles Haley DE | 3 FF, 1 FR, 4 Sacks, 41 Tkls | 99 AV, Hall of Fame |
| Kevin Smith CB | 6 Ints, 1 TD, 3 FF, 1 FR, 90 Tkls | 40 AV |
| Tony Tolbert DE | 7.5 Sacks, 84 Tkls | 71 AV |
The 90’s Cowboys are regarded as a dynasty because they know one thing, how to win. This team is built to withstand many road blocks and come out successful and they certainly have a chance to make it far. The biggest challenge, just like the other teams in the NFC East, is their own division. This is one of the best divisions in the whole tournament and whoever comes out on top will be a dominant force for the other teams to face.
This is part of an ongoing project that I have been and will be updating for the coming months. Let me know your predictions and any critiques I should make!
Next week I dive into the NFC South including the ’09 Saints, ’16 Falcons, ’02 Buccaneers, and ’15 Panthers.
Thank you for stopping by and reading!
Devyn Smith Twitter: @smithdev002
Instagram: devyn5mith
- TAGS
- NFC East
- Top Team Tournament’
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