All week, we're looking at Football Outsiders' "30 for 30," featuring the 30 best teams of the past 30 years according to our advanced DVOA ratings. With our first two lists, it was easy to compare our ratings to standard stats such as total points or yards. But today, we're going to look at the third part of the game, the one often ignored by conventional NFL stats: special teams.
Great special teams will often make offenses and defenses look better. That isn't just because of field goals or touchdown returns. Good returns let the offense start closer to the end zone. Strong kickoffs and punts give the defense more room to work with.
Football Outsiders' special-teams ratings combine measurement of five main phases of special teams: field goals, kickoffs, punts, kick returns and punt returns. We measure field goals by comparing each kick to the average expected value of a field goal attempt from the same spot. We measure the other four areas of special teams by comparing each kick or punt to the league average based on the expected point value of field position at the yard line where each kickoff/punt is kicked, caught and returned to. All of our special-teams ratings are adjusted for weather and altitude because it's easier to kick indoors or in the thin air of Denver.
A longer explanation of our special-teams method can be found here, and remember: You can find DVOA stats for all 30 seasons on the stats pages at Football Outsiders. Ratings for each season are normalized to reflect the changes in NFL rules for special teams and the continuous improvement of kickers over the past 30 years.
Perhaps the most surprising thing about this list is the team that isn't on it. The New England Patriots have had a remarkable run of consistently strong special teams. They have rated above-average for 21 straight seasons. That doesn't just extend to before the Bill Belichick era -- it also extends to before the Pete Carroll era. The Patriots currently have a seven-year streak of ranking in the top eight, yet New England has never ranked No. 1 in special-teams DVOA, and the best Patriots special-teams unit (2002) would be No. 42 on this list.
Note: 0 percent DVOA represents the league average, so a special-teams unit with a +12 percent mark rated 12 percent better than an average unit. Also, stats other than total special teams DVOA represent the regular season only, unless noted. Special thanks to Jeremy Snyder, who did most of the transcription work on the late 1980s and early '90s.
30. 2015 Baltimore Ravens
+7.3 percent
Last year, kicker Justin Tucker had the most valuable year of field goals by any kicker in our 30-year database, but Baltimore's special teams as a whole were better in both 2014 and 2015. The Ravens were worth at least 4.5 points over average in all five areas of special teams that we measure.
29. 2000 Tennessee Titans
+7.4 percent
Kicker Al Del Greco was almost exactly average on both field goals and kickoffs, but the Titans got a strong year from punter Craig Hentrich, and Derrick Mason was elected to the Pro Bowl for kickoff returns and punt returns.
28. 2010 Chicago Bears
+7.4 percent
The Bears appear four times on this list, but this season more than any other was about Devin Hester's dominance. He returned three punts for touchdowns and averaged a league-leading 17.1 yards per punt return, which makes this the most valuable punt return season in our 30-year database.
27. 1996 Green Bay Packers
+7.4 percent
This is the second-highest punt return season in our database, thanks to Desmond Howard's averaging 15.1 yards per return and scoring three touchdowns. He also added a 99-yard kickoff return touchdown against New England in Super Bowl XXXI.
26. 2013 Kansas City Chiefs
+7.5 percent
The Chiefs are on this list for their prowess on returns -- but not because of just one player. Dexter McCluster's 11.8 yards per return and two touchdowns helped the Chiefs rank second behind Minnesota in punt return value. Meanwhile, they led the league in kick return value, thanks to a combination of Quintin Demps and Knile Davis, who each averaged more than 30 yards per return and scored a touchdown.
25. 2016 Kansas City Chiefs
+7.7 percent
Rookie Tyreek Hill exploded onto the scene with two scores on punt returns and another on a kickoff. The Chiefs also got a Pro Bowl-caliber season from punter Dustin Colquitt.
24. 2016 Philadelphia Eagles
+7.8 percent
Darren Sproles made the Pro Bowl as the NFC's return man, but the Eagles got more value from kick returns, on which Wendell Smallwood and Josh Huff both scored touchdowns. The Eagles' kickoff coverage was also stellar, allowing only five returns past the 25 and none past the 35.
23. 2002 Detroit Lions
+7.8 percent
The Lions were a miserable 3-13, but don't blame the special-teams unit. Detroit got more than 12 points of estimated value from kick returns (Eddie Drummond averaged 26 yards per return) and more than 18 points of estimated value from punting (John Jett's average of 38 net yards per punt ranked second overall).
22. 2011 San Francisco 49ers
+7.8 percent
With a great all-around performance, the 49ers were worth at least 4.5 points over average in all five areas of special teams. Kicker David Akers and punter Andy Lee were both voted first-team All-Pros by the Associated Press, and Ted Ginn Jr. scored touchdowns on both kickoff and punt returns.
21. 2014 Baltimore Ravens
+7.9 percent
This was another strong year for kicker Justin Tucker and an even better year for kick returner Jacoby Jones, who led the NFL with 30.6 yards per return, and punter Sam Koch, who led the NFL with 47.4 gross yards per punt.
20. 1995 Kansas City Chiefs
+8.0 percent
This placement is driven by return man Tamarick Vanover, who led the league with two touchdowns and 25.5 yards per kick return. He scored on a punt return as well. Punter Louie Aguiar also had a strong season, ranking fourth with 43.8 gross yards per punt.
19. 2007 Cleveland Browns
+8.1 percent
Josh Cribbs was the Steve Tasker of the 21st century, and this was his greatest season. The former Kent State quarterback averaged 30.7 yards on kickoff returns, with two touchdowns. We measured the value at 29.9 estimated points worth of field position compared to average, and that's the best kick return season in the past 30 years. Cribbs also averaged 13.5 yards per punt return with another touchdown, and for good measure, he added on 18 special-teams tackles as a gunner, tied for fifth overall.
18. 2014 Philadelphia Eagles
+8.3 percent
This was another Pro Bowl year for Darren Sproles, who had two touchdowns with 13.0 yards per punt return. Josh Huff and Chris Polk each scored a touchdown on a kickoff return. The Eagles' kickoff coverage forced two fumbles and stopped a league-leading 20 returns short of the 20.
17. 2000 Baltimore Ravens
+8.4 percent
You know about the defense, but special teams certainly helped the Ravens win a championship despite a subpar offense. Jermaine Lewis averaged a league-leading 16.1 yards per punt return with two touchdowns, then scored a third in the Super Bowl. Kicker Matt Stover hit 90 percent of his field goals, including 12-of-15 from 40 or more yards, and was voted a first-team All-Pro.
16. 2000 Seattle Seahawks
+8.5 percent
Another all-around strong special-teams unit, the 2000 Seahawks got at least 10 points of value on kickoffs (Rian Lindell), punts (Jeff Feagles) and kick returns (Charlie Rogers). The specialists had to adapt to kicking outdoors, as the Seahawks played at the University of Washington's Husky Stadium while CenturyLink Field was built on the old site of the Kingdome.
15. 2011 Chicago Bears
+8.5 percent
This was sort of a weird off-year for Devin Hester on kickoff returns: He had a touchdown return against Minnesota but was tackled behind the 20 on 17 returns. He was his usual awesome self on punt returns, though, with a 16.2-yard average and two touchdowns. Kicker Robbie Gould went 6-for-6 on field goals of more than 50 yards, and the punt coverage team, led by Pro Bowl special-teamer Corey Graham, allowed just seven returns of more than 10 yards.
14. 1991 Washington Redskins
+8.6 percent
Washington's special teams simply lapped the field in 1991, with more than twice as much value as any other special-teams unit. The biggest gains were on kickoffs and punt returns. Kicker Chip Lohmiller had a 34 percent touchback rate when the league average was just 22 percent. On the rest of the kickoffs, the coverage team didn't allow a return of more than 40 yards. Meanwhile, Brian Mitchell ranked second in the league with 13.3 yards per punt return and scored two touchdowns.
If you've been following this feature all week, you might have noticed that the 1991 Redskins rank in the top 20 in all three phases of the game. That's a hint for Thursday's piece.
13. 1987 New Orleans Saints
+8.6 percent
The Saints had the best special teams of the strike-shortened season, mostly thanks to first-team All-Pro (and soon-to-be Hall of Famer) Morten Andersen. He hit 78 percent of his field goals, including all his attempts from fewer than 40 yards. The average kicker in 1987 connected only 85 percent of the time on kicks of fewer than 40 yards. Andersen also averaged 65.4 yards per kickoff in a season when no other kicker averaged more than 62.
12. 2004 Buffalo Bills and 11. 2005 Buffalo Bills
+8.7 and +8.8 percent
The Bills finished No. 1 in special-teams DVOA two straight seasons, powered primarily by kick returns from cornerback Terrence McGee. In 2004, he averaged 26.3 yards per return and scored three touchdowns. In 2005, he was even better: only one touchdown but 30.2 yards per return. That's the second-best kick return season in our database. Punter Brian Moorman was the other star of Buffalo's special teams and was selected first-team All-Pro after averaging 45.7 gross yards per punt in 2005.
10. 2000 Miami Dolphins
+8.8 percent
Miami ranked in the top 10 in all five phases of special teams, and the highlight wasn't a single specialist but rather the kickoff- and punt-coverage units. Although Olindo Mare had only seven touchbacks, the Dolphins ranked second, allowing 44.2 net yards per kickoff and forcing three fumbles. They forced two more fumbles on punt returns and didn't allow a kickoff or punt return of more than 40 yards all season.
9. 2001 Philadelphia Eagles
+8.9 percent
Philadelphia ranked in the top six in all five phases of special teams, led by a No. 1 finish in kickoff value behind All-Pro kicker David Akers. Brian Mitchell's career was winding down, but he was still good enough to average 25 yards per kick return.
8. 1997 Dallas Cowboys and 7. 1998 Dallas Cowboys
+8.9 and + 9.2 percent
Here's another team that went back-to-back at No. 1 in special teams. Richie Cunningham led the NFL with 34 field goals in 1997, while Toby Gowin was strong on both punts and kickoffs. Deion Sanders returned punts for a 12.3-yard average with one touchdown in 1997 and an even better 15.6-yard average with two touchdowns in 1998. But the most value came from fantastic kickoff coverage. Dallas allowed an average return of just 18.5 yards in 1997 and 18.9 yards in 1998, leading the NFL both years. The Cowboys forced five fumbles on kick returns in each season, though they somehow recovered only one of those (which they returned for a touchdown).
6. 2006 Chicago Bears
+9.6 percent
Rookie Devin Hester made an immediate impact with five return touchdowns during the regular season -- three on punts, two on kickoffs -- and a sixth on the first play of Super Bowl XLI. Kicker Robbie Gould was named a first-team All-Pro, connecting on 32 of 36 field goals, and Chicago's kickoff coverage was outstanding. The Bears stopped 15 kick returns short of the 20 and didn't allow a return of more than 35 yards. They also stripped the ball from returners five times and recovered three of those. Brendon Ayanbadejo and (the other) Adrian Peterson each recorded 18 special-teams tackles.
5. 2009 Cleveland Browns
+9.7 percent
This was another All-Pro year for Josh Cribbs, as Cleveland led the league in kick return value and ranked second in punt return value, scoring four total return touchdowns. The difference between this unit and the 2007 one that ranked 19th overall? Cleveland's specialists were better in 2009. Phil Dawson and Billy Cundiff combined to hit 23 of 25 field goals, and punter Dave Zastudil was outstanding, averaging 44.7 gross yards per punt (39.1 net). Unfortunately, Zastudil went on injured reserve with a torn patellar tendon at midseason, and replacement Reggie Hodges was subpar, averaging just 39.8 gross yards per punt (36.4 net).
4. 1996 Carolina Panthers
+9.8 percent
Strong, balanced special teams were a huge reason behind Carolina's surprising run to the NFC Championship Game in the franchise's second season. The Panthers ranked sixth or better in each of the five phases of special teams we measure, and they were No. 1 in two of them: kickoffs and kick returns. Kick returns were primarily the domain of Michael Bates, who averaged 30.2 yards and was named a first-team All-Pro. John Kasay's kickoffs were good, but the coverage was even better. The Panthers stopped 17 returns short of the 20 and another seven right at the 20. They didn't allow a kickoff return to reach the 40 all season ... until Desmond Howard took a kickoff 49 yards in the NFC Championship Game. Kasay also led the NFL with 37 field goals and went 6-for-6 in the postseason.
3. 1994 Cleveland Browns
+10.1 percent
The total absence of the Patriots from our top 30 makes this the only Bill Belichick team on the list, and special teams were a big part of lifting Cleveland to an 11-5 record in Belichick's second year as head coach. The Browns gained at least 10 points of value in four of the five phases of special teams. Matt Stover connected on 93 percent of field goal tries in a season when the NFL average was just 79 percent. The Browns also ranked fifth in net yards per kickoff (43.1), and Randy Baldwin led the league with 26.9 yards per kick return. Meanwhile, Tom Tupa's gross punting average of 40.1 yards ranked 24th in the league, but that isn't as important as his ability to pin opponents deep. On 26 occasions, Tupa punted from the opposing side of the 50-yard line; nine of those pinned opponents inside their own 10, and only five resulted in touchbacks.
Even in the one area in which they didn't have at least 10 points of value, the Browns had a player make the Pro Bowl: punt returner Eric Metcalf. He had two touchdowns, but the Browns ranked only seventh overall in part because of five fumbles on punt returns.
2. 2007 Chicago Bears
+11.2 percent
What's better than a Devin Hester season with five touchdown returns? How about a Devin Hester season with six touchdown returns? Hester had four punt returns for touchdowns and a remarkable average of 15.5 yards per return, plus he added two more touchdowns on kickoff returns. But this was no one-man show. The Bears were third in field goal value, with Robbie Gould hitting 31 of 36 opportunities, and the Bears blocked three punts, four field goals and an extra point. (Demonstrating the somewhat random nature of such plays, the Bears blocked a field goal in the first four weeks of the season, then didn't do so again the rest of the season.)
By the way, this is the seventh team on this top 30 coached in some way by Dave Toub. He was the coordinator for the four Chicago teams on this list as well as the 2013 and 2016 Kansas City Chiefs, and he was John Harbaugh's special-teams assistant on the 2001 Philadelphia Eagles.
1. 2002 New Orleans Saints
+12.2 percent
The Saints ranked in the top five in all five phases of special teams, gaining at least 8.0 points over average in each one, even after our adjustments for their playing indoors. John Carney hit 31 of his 35 field goals, or 89 percent, which ranked him second behind Adam Vinatieri. Carney and punter Toby Gowin split kickoff duties, and the coverage team stopped 22 opponent returns behind the 20. But the biggest star on special teams was the Beer Man, Michael Lewis. A former Budweiser truck driver, Lewis was the rare NFL player to come out of semi-pro ball instead of college. He averaged 14.2 yards per punt return (one touchdown) and 25.8 yards per kick return (two touchdowns). On top of all this, the Saints blocked three punts, a field goal and an extra point.
Unfortunately, the Saints went only 9-7 and didn't make the playoffs despite this special-teams performance because both the offense and the defense were below average. There's only so much that a great special-teams unit can do.