The NFL’s Transition Years

Before the salary cap, some NFL teams would dominate the professional football landscape for a number of years. As aging veterans retired and coaches moved on however, the team would recede back into the pack only to rise again some years later.

As dominate teams started to fade, a noticeable transition could be seen. Other teams would step up as start their era of elite-team status. In the salary cap era, the transition period can be one season instead of a slow progression.

This NFL season is proving to be a transition year as some notable contenders may very well be on their way to pretender status instead of contender. The first 33 years of the Super Bowl (1967-1999) saw 13 different teams win the big game. Since 2000, four different teams have won the last six Super Bowls, with teams like the Ravens, Buccaneers, Rams, and Patriots taking the title.

Those names are not among the winners on the Lombardi Trophy for any of the previous 33 championships. From 1967-1999, certain teams would be dominate, then recede, only to rise again in a kind of championship cycle. Why? Was the cause of this cycle for these 13 teams a "commitment to excellence," more money to pay star players, and top-notch football savy throughout the team operations?

Probably a little of each.

We all know that NFL was a different era then. Big market teams with big pockets had an advantage over the Houstons and Minnesotas. While these cities could produce some winning years, a continued presence in the big games was reserved for Dallas, Pittsburgh, Miami, New York, Washington, and Los Angeles/Oakland.

However, even in this era of dynasty football, transitions took place.

While the saying, "the road to the Super Bowl runs through Dallas" was probably created in Dallas, there isn't disputing that the Cowboys were a historically important team when it comes to talking about NFL playoff history.

The Ice Bowl, Jackie Smith's drop, and Danny White deciding to call a play instead of just drawing the Redskins off-sides are a part of the Dallas mystique and memories of a team with an expectation for winning.

But Dallas had its down periods. QB Roger Staubach was never really replaced until the Troy Aikman and Jimmy Johnson years.

The Pittsburgh Steelers of the 1970s also stepped back into the shadows after Terry Bradshaw and the Steel Curtain turned into mortal football players.

It isn't a surprise then to see that in today's salary cap NFL, teams also fade away from being "the big game on the schedule" to "any given Sunday."

The biggest fall this season is, without a doubt, the Philadelphia Eagles.

Even without the Terrell Owens mess and before Donovan McNabb was lost for the season, the window on the Eagles was closing. The Eagles had been to four consecutive NFC Championship Games and that streak was due to end, just like similar streaks for the 1975-1977 Los Angeles Rams, 1981-1983 Dallas Cowboys, 1991-1994 Buffalo Bills, and 1974-1978 Oakland Raiders.

No one wins forever, and the Eagles were due to start losing. The running game was becoming non-existent, veterans got older, and other teams just start catching up.

The reasons why the days of Eagle dominance are over for now may be more complicated, but the job now is to return to the top and make their winning a cycle instead of a blip on the radar screen.

While the Eagles struggle in a tough division, the New England Patriots are almost being given a pass in their division as they struggle almost as much as the Eagles.

While the Patriots don't have the headline stories of player discontent like the Eagles do, they are also beginning a downswing. The Patriots managed their injuries last season, but are having more trouble this year. Where WR Troy Brown could step in and play DB last season, there aren't many stories this year of heroic Patriots other than the return of Tedy Bruschi. While this is a great story, the ending doesn't have Bruschi making a big-play interception or pass reception that will result in a championship.

The Patriots have simply taken on too much damage to recover. The playoffs are in the future because of the weak division, but the strong AFC has too many teams ready to knock off the champs.

While we all can speculate on the kind of season the Patriots could have had without key injuries, the loss of both coordinators can't be ignored and in the past has also been an indication that a team is closer to fading than coming on.

Every time a team loses a Jon Gruden, Mike Holmgren, or Brian Billick, another head coach capable of taking a team to a championship and beating your team is created. Often, the successor is simply not able to imitate or duplicate the success of the former coach and this kind of loss can be devastating for a team.

While the downfall of teams is an interesting story, what is more interesting is who fills that void. A couple of surprises have emerged this season and may be ready to begin a term as the "big dog."

Eli Manning has made a quick transition to a "big game" quarterback. Head coach Tom Coughlin made all the right moves with Manning and took a situation where lots of people were ready to see him fail (especially in San Diego) and allowed him to develop.

The New York Giants are the surprise team of NFC and while talk of a Manning Bowl in Detroit is a bit premature, the Giants are back.

While the Giants are a surprise, likely, their improvement was seen likely given the draft picks and free agents they signed. If Manning performs (and he has) and WR Plaxico Burress can make an impact (and he has), the Giants should have been ready to take the next step.

RB Tiki Barber is one of the best in the business and the defense is also a good one. The Giants saw their plan come together.

How about the Chicago Bears?

They thought QB Rex Grossman was their man (again), but he was injured (again). It looked like another cold season for the Bears as rookie Kyle Orton was going to take the reins, a place where the coaching staff wasn't looking to go.

But after 11 games, the Bears are looking down at the rest of their division and look the favorite to come out on top of the NFC North. Do the Bears have what it takes to stay of top?

We won't know for a few seasons, but if they do become a perennial contender, this could be another example of an injury that gives rise to another Kurt Warner/Trent Green story.

The AFC has their share of transition teams, also.

Marvin Lewis was one of the best coordinators without a head-coaching job on his resume. When he gets his chance, he'll be good one, many thought. When he was brought aboard as the Cincinnati Bengals head coach, Lewis put his plan in place and has the Bengals sitting on top of their division holding their own against the likes of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The formula is similar as that of the Giants. Bring your rookie QB along slowly, don't throw him in the fire immediately. Get a solid RB, find a game-breaking WR, and get rid of those who think losing is a privilege.

No one is comparing Carson Palmer to Boomer Esiason yet, but after a decade of losing records, those who take the Bengals lightly just might be one of the teams on their way down (see: Baltimore Ravens).

While the Indianapolis Colts can't be looked on as a surprise team, the question is if they don't win it this year, is the window still opening or starting to close? Sure, Peyton Manning is the best in the business, but Brett Favre was also, and look what happens when the running game goes into the tank the pass defense resembles a touch-football team.

The Colts have Manning and WR Marvin Harrison for life. But what about Reggie Wayne and Brandon Stokley? How long will they be happy playing second and third fiddle?

There are teams ready to throw money at these players to be their number one guy and often that will start the fall.

The Colts are only leasing RB Edgerrin James right now. He is their franchise player and has made it clear he isn't happy about that.

DE Dwight Freeney is one of the best in the league, but he can't do it by himself. The Colts' defense looked great early in the year, but has shown that it can still turn games into more of a basketball score.

Beware, Colts fans, Super Bowl or bust means just that.