Top Three NFL Records Through Thanksgiving

It is hard to believe that there are only five more weeks of NFL football until the playoffs start! With the Thanksgiving games already played, and the Sunday/Monday slate of games ongoing, now is a good time to reflect on the teams with the top NFL records.

The teams with the three best records in the NFL as of Saturday evening, November 26, are the Green Bay Packers, the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens. Each team has their own story.

The Green Bay Packers, at 11-0, have the best record in the NFL so far this year. By reaching 11-0, they have already entered an elite club - few teams reach this point in the season without losing at least one game. Given the Packers' rich history, I was surprised to learn that this is the first time in Packers' history that the team has been 11-0! Based on the caliber of play, and the team chemistry, there is an excellent chance that they could finish the season undefeated - something only two other teams in the history of the NFL have done, the 1972 Dolphins and the 2007-2008 Patriots. (The 1972 Dolphins went all the way through the playoffs to the Super Bowl to remain undefeated; the 2007-2008 Patriots lost in the Super Bowl to the New York Giants.)

The San Francisco 49ers, at 11-2, have accomplished an extraordinary turn-around with a first year head coach, and new offensive and defensive coordinators. Last year, the 49ers' record was 6-10, and the team started the season at 0-5. This year, under first year head coach Jim Harbaugh, who was coaching Stanford this time last year, their play and record is considerably improved. Many of the players give credit for their record this year to Jim Harbaugh, who provided the quarterback, Alex Smith, with a better supporting cast and better plays, and who has used creative motivational techniques to help his team. One of these techniques is to allow the practice squad to travel with the regular team to all of the away games. (Most teams don't do this because of this cost.) Harbaugh, however, feels that this encourages team building. Another interesting tactic of Harbaugh's was to have his team practice in Ohio for a week between two East Coast games, allowing them to have more practice time, rather than flying back to the West Coast and then back to the East Coast in one week.

The Baltimore Ravens, at 8-3, are one of the only two teams to defeat the San Francisco 49ers. They also, perhaps not coincidentally, have been coached by John Harbaugh, the 49ers' coach's older brother, since 2008. One of the three Thanksgiving Day games was the Ravens versus the 49ers. The teams (and the media) dubbed it the first "Har-Bowl." In a very close game, the Ravens won with a score of 16-6. Oh- and the Ravens have reached their 8-3 record while missing their future Hall of Fame linebacker, Ray Lewis, due to an injury for the last two games. It is hard to believe that there are only five more weeks of NFL football until the playoffs start! With the Thanksgiving games already played, and the Sunday/Monday slate of games ongoing, now is a good time to reflect on the teams with the top NFL records.

The teams with the three best records in the NFL as of Saturday evening, November 26, are the Green Bay Packers, the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens. Each team has their own story.

The Green Bay Packers, at 11-0, have the best record in the NFL so far this year. By reaching 11-0, they have already entered an elite club - few teams reach this point in the season without losing at least one game. Given the Packers' rich history, I was surprised to learn that this is the first time in Packers' history that the team has been 11-0! Based on the caliber of play, and the team chemistry, there is an excellent chance that they could finish the season undefeated - something only two other teams in the history of the NFL have done, the 1972 Dolphins and the 2007-2008 Patriots. (The 1972 Dolphins went all the way through the playoffs to the Super Bowl to remain undefeated; the 2007-2008 Patriots lost in the Super Bowl to the New York Giants.)

The San Francisco 49ers, at 11-2, have accomplished an extraordinary turn-around with a first year head coach, and new offensive and defensive coordinators. Last year, the 49ers' record was 6-10, and the team started the season at 0-5. This year, under first year head coach Jim Harbaugh, who was coaching Stanford this time last year, their play and record is considerably improved. Many of the players give credit for their record this year to Jim Harbaugh, who provided the quarterback, Alex Smith, with a better supporting cast and better plays, and who has used creative motivational techniques to help his team. One of these techniques is to allow the practice squad to travel with the regular team to all of the away games. (Most teams don't do this because of this cost.) Harbaugh, however, feels that this encourages team building. Another interesting tactic of Harbaugh's was to have his team practice in Ohio for a week between two East Coast games, allowing them to have more practice time, rather than flying back to the West Coast and then back to the East Coast in one week.

The Baltimore Ravens, at 8-3, are one of the only two teams to defeat the San Francisco 49ers. They also, perhaps not coincidentally, have been coached by John Harbaugh, the 49ers' coach's older brother, since 2008. One of the three Thanksgiving Day games was the Ravens versus the 49ers. The teams (and the media) dubbed it the first "Har-Bowl." In a very close game, the Ravens won with a score of 16-6. Oh- and the Ravens have reached their 8-3 record while missing their future Hall of Fame linebacker, Ray Lewis, due to an injury for the last two games. Which, I would say is pretty impressive!