Most Balanced Elite Teams

[infantrycak]

Too big a project for one so maybe we can get a collaboration. Just curious who the most balanced teams in NFL history have been and their results. To be clear this is about single teams being balanced not a 2 team comparison like #1 O v. #1 D.

I'm going to list teams in the top 2 for both O & D and have two lists for by yardage and points. So here is a 3 team start...

offense rank-defense rank: result

Yardage
1995 Niners 2-1: lost div (also appear in points)
1990 Niners 1-1: lost div
1979 Steelers 1-2: won SB
1978 Cowboys 2-2: lost SB
1977 Cowboys 1-1: won SB
1966 Cowboys 1-2: lost Conf

Points
1995 Niners 1-2: lost div
1993 Cowboys 2-2: won SB
1984 Niners 2-1: won SB
1968 Cowboys 1-2: lost div

I suspect some teams will be quick and not appear on the list at all.

 

[eriadoc]

The 2007 Pats were 1st in offense, obviously. But they were 4th in yardage allowed, 4th in points allowed, 1st in point differential, and 3rd in giveaway/takeaway. I bring this up because I don't think anyone views that team as having a great defense. They were just playing from in front all the time. So it's just another illustration of the stats not telling the whole story.

And they lost their first game in the SB, which always makes me smile.

 

[Vance87]

Chargers had the #1 D and O a couple years back and didn't even make the playoffs.

 

[bah007]

Chargers had the #1 D and O a couple years back and didn't even make the playoffs.

I remember hearing that. Didn't they give up an unusually high number of defensive and special teams TDs that year?

 

[Playoffs]

Pieces to the puzzle...

Albert Breer ‏@AlbertBreer

And here's the actual research -- where each Super Bowl champ since 1990 ranked league-wide in defense and offense: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BfkzkmzIAAAUbUX.jpg