The NFL from 1983 to the Present

Are you ready for some football?

When I was a kid, there were all these great books that covered the history of the NFL -- particularly from about 1950 to 1970. I knew all the famous players and games of that era before I was 8, and I've never forgotten them. They don't have books like that anymore for anyone (much less for kids); I have no idea how kids today learn about the history of the NFL. But I still got to wondering about what would go in those books if they still existed.

So let's take the post-strike NFL, from 1983 to the present. Here are my opinions:

Best team (one year):
1985 Bears

Best team (multiple years):
1991-1995 Cowboys

Best quarterback:
Joe Montana

Best running back:
Emmitt Smith

Best wide receiver:
Jerry Rice

Best defensive player:
Deion Sanders

Best coach:
Jimmy Johnson

Ten best games:
1. Super Bowl XXV: New York Giants 20 - 19 Buffalo Bills (Jan. 27, 1991) (Tampa)
2. Super Bowl XXXVIII: New England Patriots 32 - 29 Carolina Panthers (Feb. 1, 2004) (Houston)
3. Super Bowl XLII: New England Patriots 14 - 17 New York Giants (Feb. 3, 2008) (Phoenix)
4. AFC Divisional Playoff: New England Patriots 16 - 13 Oakland Raiders (OT) (Jan. 19, 2002) (The Tuck Rule)
5. Super Bowl XXXIV: Tennessee Titans 16 - 23 St. Louis Rams (Jan. 30, 2000) (Atlanta)
6. NFC Championship: San Francisco 49ers 13 - 15 New York Giants (Jan. 20, 1991)
7. NFC Championship: New Orleans Saints 31 - 28 Minnesota Vikings (OT) (Jan. 24, 2010)
8. Super Bowl XLIII: Arizona Cardinals 23 - 27 Pittsburgh Steelers (Feb. 1, 2009) (Tampa)
9. AFC Championship: Denver Broncos 38 - 33 Cleveland Browns (Jan. 17, 1988)
10. AFC Championship: Indianapolis Colts 38 - 34 New England Patriots (Jan. 21, 2007)