We all have an all-time favorite NFL team - whether it was the Eagles Team of 1949, the New York Giants of 1986, or the New England Patriots of 2009-2019.
Today, we're going to look at whether there is something that all of the greatest NFL teams have in common. Is there a blueprint for NFL success? Well, there are definitely a few things that these record-breaking teams have in common.
Here are 5 things that all great NFL teams have.
A Great Quarterback
We won't spend long on this one because it's pretty obvious. It has often been said that the team with the best quarterback will be the team that will win the Super Bowl.
This is why we have seen Tom Brady win seven Super Bowl titles with two different teams in the last two decades.
A Fast-Thinking Center
For a quarterback to truly thrive, he needs to be paired with a world-class center.
After the quarterback, the center is the most important player on the pitch. Great teams will share the responsibility of making calls between the quarterback and the center, like Peyton Manning and Jeff Saturday did on the Indianapolis Colts.
A good center will arrange the offensive line in a way that will keep the quarterback safe for long enough to make his pass to the wide receiver. Or he will spot a weakness in the opposing team and carve out a running space for his team.
A Coach That Trusts His Players
The players are only as good as their coaches let them be.
A good coach can create the perfect setup on the pitch, one that allows all of his players to perform at their best.
He should be able to inspire players and keep them disciplined. He should be able to turn a bad match around with a halftime talk. But most importantly, he should trust his players.
If a coach has created the right culture in the team, the players will be able to walk onto the pitch confident that they will win the game and that they have the talent to call the shots themselves.
A Powerful Defensive Line
The defensive line often goes without praise or acknowledgment of their work.
Without the hard work—the tackles, the saves, the defensive runs—of the defensive line, the all-time greatest teams wouldn't have been winning championships.
A solid defensive line makes the jobs of the quarterbacks and centers a lot easier.
A Supportive Set of Fans
They call fans the 12th man for a reason. Having strong support at both home and away games can make a huge difference to how teams perform.
The praise and emotional support of fans have become especially important in our social media-dominated world.
Where the players are receiving hate all day every day, they need kind words to remind them why they love the sport so much.
