Late last month, The Athletic listed the 1986 New York Giants as one of the NFL’s most dominant teams of the last 50 years. For that reason, it should come as little surprise that same team has now been named the organization’s most dominant team since the AFL-NFL merger of 1970.
The Athletic recently broke down the most dominant single-season teams for each of the NFL’s 32 franchises, and the 1986 Giants got the nod and ranked No. 12 overall.
| Criteria | Credentials |
| W-L | 14-2 |
| PPG Ratio | 1.6:1 |
| Playoffs W-L | 3-9 |
| Playoffs PPG Ratio | 4.6:1 |
| Point Diff. vs. Winning Teams | 103 |
| Power Ranking | 90.4 |
This team and the 1990 version (34th overall) were the only Giants teams since 1970 that contended seriously for spots in the overall top 25. The 1986 Giants far outpaced the others since 1970 in postseason PPG ratio and point differential against winning teams. This team outscored its three playoff opponents by 35-8 on average, producing the third-highest postseason PPG ratio for any team since 1970, behind the Bears (9.1) and 1989 49ers (4.8).
Led by Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor and legendary head coach Bill Parcells, the 1986 Giants restored order in the world of football and returned the Lombardi Trophy to East Rutherford. It was their first Super Bowl title and their first NFL Championship since the 1956 season.
Unsurprisingly, the 1985 Chicago Bears topped the list as the most dominant single-season team not only in their history, but NFL history.
Meanwhile, the 2007 New England Patriots got the nod as their organization’s best single-season team, checking in at No. 5 overall. Of course, we all know how that ended in Super Bowl XLII.
The Patriots placed three teams in the overall top 25, with this historic 2007 version edging out the teams from 2016 (10th) and 2004 (12). Those three teams went a combined 27-3 against opponents that finished with winning records. That included 9-1 by the 2007 team, which produced a franchise-best point differential against winning teams, outscoring them by 15.2 points per game. That one loss, of course, came in the Super Bowl to the Giants.
As dominant as the 1986 team was, what the 2007 Giants will live in infamy.
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