Golden Nuggets: Football Outsiders ranks 49ers’ 80’s and 90’s dynasty as No. 2 all-time

The San Francisco 49ers’ run during the ‘80s and ‘90s is among the best in NFL history, when the team qualified for the postseason all but twice from 1981-1998.

With Bill Walsh at the helm, the Niners won three Super Bowls in eight seasons during the ‘80s, before the 49ers legend gave the coaching reins to George Siefer, who led San Francisco to championships in 1989 and 1994.

When you look at the players who donned 49ers uniforms during that stretch, it’s hard not to see why the franchise was elite. Jerry Rice, Joe Montana, Steve Young, Ronnie Lott, Roger Craig, Fred Dean, Charles Haley, Deion Sanders, Dwight Clark, and that is just some of them.

Football Outsiders ranked the greatest NFL dynasties in history using multi-year runs in actual DVOA, estimated DVOA, and SRS-to-DVOA conversion, listing the Niners at No. 2:

“So, why aren’t the 49ers No. 1? Their stellar 5-0 record in Super Bowls sort of hides the fact that they only made five Super Bowls. Yes, I know, “only,” but we’re talking about the top two dynasties of all time here. Eric Wright interfered with Art Monk in the 1983 NFC Championship Game (well, no he didn’t, but that’s what the history books say). Roger Craig fumbled against the Giants in 1990. The Triplet Cowboys took two of three title games in the early 1990s. Brett Favre took the 49ers down in in 1997. This was an era where the NFC was, for the most part, significantly better than the AFC — of those teams that beat San Francisco, only the Packers didn’t go on to win the Super Bowl. The 49ers would have been favored in the Super Bowl each time. Flip a couple of those San Francisco’s way, and they’re probably still on top of this list. But if wishes were horses...”

Here is the complete top-10:

1: 2001-2019 New England Patriots

2: 1981-1998 49ers

3: 1960-1967 Green Bay Packers

4: 1966-1985 Dallas Cowboys

5: 1940-1943 Chicago Bears

6: 1972-1979 Pittsburgh Steelers

7: 1950-1958 Cleveland Browns

8: 1967-1977 Oakland Raiders

9: 1935-1944 Green Bay Packers

10: 1991-1996 Dallas Cowboys

What do you think of Football Outsiders rankings?

On to some more links:

49ers’ offensive lineman Daniel Brunskill has been a pleasant surprise since signing with the team last year. NBC Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco wrote about Brunskill’s appreciation for Joe Staley and what he expects from Trent Williams.

Despite making the Super Bowl in his first full year as a starter, some people are still skeptical about QB Jimmy Garoppolo. NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah says the Niners need Jimmy G to be better next season. (h/t David Bonilla of 49ers Web Zone)

Head coach Kyle Shanahan’s system doesn’t need a highly touted running back to put up great rushing numbers. Yahoo! Sports Fantasy staff wonders if Raheem Mostert isn’t getting enough fantasy football love going into the 2020 season.

The 49ers’ biggest rival in the NFC West is the Seattle Seahawks. NBC Bay Area’s Josh Schrock says the Niners might be able to benefit from a lack of continuity on the Seahawks’ offensive line.

Many experts are predicting the NFC West to be the toughest division in football next season. 49ers Web Zone’s Gilbert Brink predcits the 49ers will still dominate the NFC West in 2020.

It’s been a few months since DeForest Buckner was traded to the Indianapolis Colts. George Bremer of The Herald Bulletin says the defensive lineman is a huge piece of the Colts’ future plans.