NFL Films

By the fall of 1979, Pittsburgh was known as the "City of Champions." That October, the Pirates defeated the Baltimore Orioles to win the World Series, their second championship of the decade. Meanwhile, the Steelers had constructed a dynasty, boasting three world titles over the past five years. The fan base no longer hoped for victories. Now they expected them. So the standards were high for the '79 Steelers. But every player on the team was confident it could meet them. "Once you have the...

Nobody loves reclamation projects more than Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis. Jim Plunkett knew this. A former Heisman winner out of Stanford, Plunkett was cast out of New England and then released by San Francisco before arriving at Davis' doorstep in 1978. It proved to be a perfect match. In week 6 of the 1980 season, head coach Tom Flores gave Plunkett his chance. From there, he rewarded the team's confidence in him by leading Oakland to Super Bowl XV. There, backed by a renegade defense led...

"The Catch." In San Francisco, it means just one thing - Joe Montana's pass...Dwight Clark's leap...and the birth of a dynasty. The dramatic win over Dallas in the 1981 NFC Championship Game became the team's, and the franchise's legacy -- but it's only part of the story. Bill Walsh's groundbreaking West Coast attack, and an upstart defense fueled a remarkable turnaround for a once moribund franchise. San Francisco went from 2-14 in Walsh's first year, to 6-10, to 13-3 in '81, when Clark's...

The 1982 NFL season wasn't a marathon, it was a sprint. A players' strike reduced a 16-week schedule to nine that season, leaving teams scrambling to reach the playoffs. Most clubs appeared frantic and rusty after the layoff. But the Washington Redskins dominated all comers under head coach Joe Gibbs. Washington hired Gibbs in 1981, and just one season later, had molded the team in his hardnosed image. The offensive line, nicknamed "The Hogs," was equally adept at blasting holes for fullback...

Led by head coach Tom Flores, the 1983 Los Angeles Raiders entered Super Bowl XVIII as underdogs. But the Raiders proved that they were the NFL's best as they manhandled the highest scoring team in the league, the Washington Redskins, 38-9 to win their third Vince Lombardi Trophy. Al Davis has done more than anybody in the history of the game - through personal achievement, team achievement and contribution to the game - and has demonstrated more than ever that he is and always will be...

The fabled West Coast offense wasn't invented in San Francisco, but the father of the system, Bill Walsh, certainly perfected it there as head coach of the 49ers. With quarterback Joe Montana at the controls, the Niners were a dominant passing team, winning four Super Bowls in the 1980s. And of those four, their record-setting season in 1984 may have best captured the deadly efficiency of the West Coast attack. The Niners receiving corps had many ways to beat you. To move the chains, Montana...

The 1985 Chicago Bears were larger than life. They had in-your-face personalities. They boasted Hall of Fame-caliber players. But most importantly, the whole was greater than the sum of its parts. Chicago dominated opponents like few others. The Bears offense was a reflection of their hard-nosed head coach, Mike Ditka. First and foremost, Ditka liked to establish the run, with Walter Payton rushing for 1,551 yards on 324 carries. Still, the coach could be creative, too. He occasionally used a...

Bill Parcells has coached many great players over his NFL career, yet only a select few have been allowed to enter his inner circle. These are his "guys." A "Parcells guy" is usually someone you don't have to worry much about. He's reliable, productive, and smart. Even if he plays like a star, he rarely acts like one. The 1986 Giants had a few "Parcells guys". Outside linebacker Lawrence Taylor collected 20.5 sacks that season and won the NFL MVP Award, the first defensive player to do so...

During the 1987 season, Washington Redskins head coach Joe Gibbs had a lot of explaining to do. He told backup quarterback Doug Williams he was being traded to the Raiders, and then reconsidered just hours later. The coach also demoted Jeff Bostic from starting center to snapper on punts, angering the veteran to the point of demanding a trade. Worse yet, Gibbs had to counsel his entire team as they sat out on strike -- while coaching their replacements. But Gibbs had all the right answers that...

What's the best way to replace a coaching legend? Quietly. When Bill Walsh retired from the San Francisco 49ers following the 1988 season, the team opted not to sign a big name as his successor. Instead, the organization stayed in-house, hiring defensive coordinator George Seifert. It was perfect casting. The stoic Seifert promptly led the team to new heights in his first year on the job. The 49ers were already a dynasty, winning three Super Bowls over the decade, so Seifert wasn't pressed to...

When Phil Simms sprained his foot against the Buffalo Bills in Week 15, an unproven Jeff Hostetler was thrust to the forefront. Hostetler exceeded expectations by winning four straight starts, including two playoff games, to reach Super Bowl XXV. Veteran Ottis Anderson, a fill-in for the hobbled Rodney Hampton, rushed for 102 yards as New York beat Buffalo, 20-19, in one of the most thrilling Super Bowls ever.

The Washington Redskins always possessed a terrific offensive line under coach Joe Gibbs. Era after era, from one Super Bowl to the next, Gibbs' line was a huge, run-blocking, pass-protecting force. Nicknamed "The Hogs," the unit was probably at its best in 1991, allowing Mark Rypien ample time to become the premier long-range passer in the NFL. Over time, Gibbs noticed that Rypien threw an accurate deep ball, so the coach had the quarterback throw less, but go deep more to wide receivers Gary...