NFL - Team of the Decade 2000 to 2009

In the new millennium only two NFL teams have been able to earn multiple Super Bowl victories. Four teams managed to play in two or more Super Bowls, but which team deserves the right to be called the Team of the Decade? GameDay-NFL recently posted what it felt was the best team from 2000 to 2009, but just how do you choose the team of the decade?

A team must have won a Super Bowl in order to be inconsideration, which narrows the list down to seven teams. New England Patriots, Baltimore Ravens, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Pittsburgh Steelers, Indianapolis Colts, New York Giants and the New Orleans Saints. Four teams appeared in two or more Super Bowls, the Giants, Steelers, Patriots and Giants. Each of these four teams also had very bad years during the decade. The Steelers and Colts both had 6-10 years while the Patriots went 5-11 during one season and the Giants managed to win only 4 games while losing 12 in their worst season of the decade.

Despite the occasional bad season, three of these teams won over 100 games. The Pittsburgh Steelers won 103 regular season games, compared to the New England Patriot's 112 wins and the Indianapolis Colts amazing 115 regular season victories. During this decade the Giants, while appearing in two Super Bowls and winning one, managed only 88 regular season victories.

In the 2004 regular season the Pittsburgh Steelers went an amazing 15 and 1, but lost in the playoffs. In 2007 the New England Patriots went one better, going a perfect 16 and 0 in the regular season only to lose in the Super Bowl to the New York Giants. The Patriots also had two fourteen win seasons during this time period. The Indianapolis Colts also has two seasons (2009 and 2005) in which they were able to win 14 games and lose only 2.

While the New York Giants and Indianapolis Colts certainly deserve recognition for their accomplishments during this time period, neither of them has the overall credentials to claim the title of best team of the decade. The Pittsburgh Steelers appeared in two Super Bowls and won both, averaging 10.3 wins per season and having only one losing season during the ten year stretch. As impressive as this is, the Pittsburgh Steelers come in second to the New England Patriots.

The Patriots appeared in four Super Bowls during these ten years and were World Champions three times. They averaged 11.2 win s per season and had a perfect regular season as well. With twice as many Super Bowl appearances as any other team, and winning 10 or more games eight out of nine years, the New England Patriots are the NFL's best team of the decade for 2000 through 2009.