If I had to list out all significant Favre interceptions the post would have been way too long.

#6: Baltimore Ravens
Record: 92-68 (.575) (7th)
Playoff Appearances: 6 (T4th)
Playoff Wins: 8 (5th)
Super Bowl Appearances: 1
Super Bowl Wins: 1
Consistency Rank: 6th

No team entered the decade as powerful and surprising as did the Baltimore Ravens. Until their magical Super Bowl season of 2000, they had never posted a winning record in their short official history. Yet with such key building blocks as Jamal Lewis, Ray Lewis, and Jonathan Ogden, it seems odd today that the Ravens’ rise could be so surprising.

While the Ravens haven’t been back to the promised land since 2000, they have almost always been a tough ticket for whoever opposes them. The Brian Billick era would garner several more stars, particularly defenders like Ed Reed, Terrell Suggs, and Haloti Ngata. However, much like Mike Shanahan and Jon Gruden after him, even the great coaches can get stale, and Billick was fired after a 5-11 campaign in 2007.

The move proved to be the correct one for owner Steve Biscotti, as current head whistle in charge John Harbaugh has refreshed the Ravens’ winning ways, doing it with players like Joe Flacco and Ray Rice. While the Ravens aren’t quite back to the elite status that they enjoyed at the beginning of the decade, they end it being closer to the tier than others.

dawkins caught that thing like he was returning a punt.

I hope that terminology catches on

I give credit to this article, which has one of the funniest lines I've heard in a while:

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=4&p=2343606#p2343606

#5: New York Giants
Record: 88-72 (.550) (7th)
Playoff Appearances: 6 (T4th)
Playoff Wins: 6 (6th)
Super Bowl Appearances: 2
Super Bowl Wins: 1
Consistency Rank: 8th

This franchise has had a curious path to its lofty position in the rankings. Much like the Ravens after them, Jim Fassel surprisingly took the Giants to a Super Bowl berth with Kerry Collins at quarterback. However, the team under Fassel soon reverted to its usual mediocre ways, and he was fired when mediocre turned into awful with a 4-12 2003 season.

Enter Tom Coughlin of Jaguars fame, as well as a highly aggressive move by GM Ernie Accorsi in the same year: the acquisition of Eli Manning. 2004 would be another rough season for the Giants, but successive drafts by Accorsi continued to bring more talent like Brandon Jacobs, Justin Tuck, and Matthias Kiwanuka. Yet the Giants still failed to win a playoff game in the next two years.

All that would be forgotten with one of the most memorable playoff runs in NFL history the next year: beating the Cowboys at Dallas after losing twice to them in the regular season, upsetting the Packers in absolutely frigid weather, and above all, the David Tyree catch that led to the wrecking of the Patriots’ bid of perfection in the Super Bowl. Even if the Coughlin era appears to be going back towards the norm a mere above average play, 2007 will have made his tenure worth it.

the awfulness of this past season could require a sea change.

They weren't awful this year. They were mediocre. They were just expected to be top tier, and they weren't.

they owned the cowboys at least. and never dropped one to an utterly terrible team.

double post, my bad

there's an echo in here.

watching the giants, they looked awful. and if the DC wasn't the problem, I'd expect further changes.

#4: Philadelphia Eagles
Record: 103-56-1 (.648) (T3rd)
Playoff Appearances: 8 (2nd)
Playoff Wins: 10 (T2nd)
Super Bowl Appearances: 1
Consistency Rank: 2nd

When you think of teams that were not only consistent winners, but dominating winners, the Eagles have to enter that description. How does this strike your fancy: averaging ten wins per season, missing the playoffs only twice, and ascending to the conference championship game half of the years in the decade?

For the surly Philly fans, it likely doesn’t strike their fancy much, when you consider that the Eagles lost four out of those five chances to make the Super Bowl. This likely adds even more pain to a town that’s been starved for a football championship since 1960. The franchise also suffered through the drama that is Terrell Owens, acquiring him after it was perceived by the team that Todd Pinkston and James Thrash just weren’t going to cut it.

Still, Eagles fans have to be very proud of the Andy Reid era, even if they didn’t win it all. They also have to tip their hat to Donovan McNabb, the other constant through the ten years. Throw in some old greats like Brian Dawkins, and Reid’s penchant for huge linemen like Tra Thomas and John Runyan, and it’s no doubt that the Eagles dominated like they did. Add on young talent like LeSean McCoy, Stewart Bradley, and DeSean Jackson, to name a few, and there’s no reason why there can’t be more dominance in Philadelphia in the future.

im sure you knew you had to mention dawkins

It's interesting how your appreciation for a star player can go up when you see him at work on your favorite team.

see, i havent just been ranting about the guy for years for no reason, he's fuckin incredible. i did read yesterday he may be able to opt out of his contract after next sesaon

these have been awesome by the way, great work

So, the top NFC team of the decade is a team with 4 NFC title game losses and 1 Super Bowl loss.

Quite the turnaround from the days when the NFC won 12 straight Super Bowls.

#3: Pittsburgh Steelers
Record: 103-56-1 (.648) (T3rd)
Playoff Appearances: 6 (T4th)
Playoff Wins: 10 (T2nd)
Super Bowl Appearances: 2
Super Bowl Wins: 2
Consistency Rank: 5th

Like several other teams in the top ten, the coaching in Pittsburgh was remarkably consistent. With the assistance of zone blitz master Dick LeBeau, Bill Cowher almost always had the Steelers in serious contention. There had been a few question marks pop up early in the decade, where the Steelers failed to get past the AFC title game, as well as doubt in the quarterback position when Kordell Stewart and Tommy Maddox fell in and out of favor, culminating in an unusual 6-10 2003 season.

Those doubts were eviscerated when the Steelers were able to draft Ben Roethlisberger that year, and while Pittsburgh has always hosted defense and a strong running game above everything else, it's tough to deny that Roethlisberger provided the vertical threat that the team needed to be complete. An amazing 15-1 2004 season was wrecked, again, by the Patriots, but next year they made history by becoming the first #6 seed to win a Super Bowl.

When Cowher retired after 2006, high expectations arose on Mike Tomlin, the choice to become only the third Steelers head coach sicne 1969. Tomlin has met those expectations, winning a record sixth Super Bowl for the franchise in 2008. There will be some work for Tomlin to do in order to pursue number seven--particularly on the offensive line. But with Roethlisberger, Rashard Mendenhall, and James Harrison in town, it's tough to imagine this franchise being knocked off their high perch any time soon.

i dont think anyone would argue against the fact that the afc was much stronger than the nfc during the decade, but i think its starting to even out.

although the fact that the eagles are ranked higher than the giants might play a small part in your comment.

And on this note, I'll give you guys at least a couple of days to argue over how the top two teams should be ranked.

totes obvi:

2. colts (lots of reg. season wins, a few afc championship appearances & 1 SB)
1. pats (lots of reg. season wins, a few afc championships & 3 SB)

lock'r up!