The longest winning streaks in NFL history

The NFL is deliberately designed to be a league full of parity, in which success is hard to come by, failure is rewarded with better draft picks, and any team can beat any other on any given Sunday.

The obvious intended consequence of this is highly competitive play week over week, season over season. The unintended consequence is it becomes difficult to create a sustainable dynasty with championship-caliber teams or to rattle off a significant winning streak.

Let’s celebrate some of the greatest accomplishments in league history by reflecting on the top five longest winning streaks in NFL history.

5. Denver Broncos: 1997-1998 (18 games)

The Green Bay Packers won the 1996 Super Bowl and looked poised to repeat with Brett Favre at the helm in 1997. Unfortunately for them, the Denver Broncos took that crown by beginning an 18-game winning streak under John Elway.

The Broncos won their final game of the regular season, all of their playoff games, and their first 14 games of the 1998 season. They would lose their bid for an undefeated season to the New York Giants, but still went on to repeat as Super Bowl champions in 1998.

Elway retired following his second consecutive Super Bowl victory.

4. New England Patriots: 2007-2008 (18 games)

Maybe considered the best team of all time, the 2007-2008 Patriots were led by Tom Brady and Randy Moss. Their offense eviscerated most opponents, and by late season, they were seeing game spreads repeatedly in the double digits.

The Patriots would go on to lose the Super Bowl to the Giants in one of the most shocking upsets in NFL history, but their 21-point-per-game winning differential is a lasting testament to their dominance during this stretch.

3. Miami Dolphins: 1972-1973 (18 games)

The Miami Dolphins earn recognition on a regular basis for their accomplishment of winning every single game of the 1972 season, playoffs and Super Bowl.

The Dolphins won Super Bowl VII, 14-7, over Washington, which capped a remarkable run that is commemorated each year with a bottle of champagne when the last remaining undefeated team of each NFL season suffers their first defeat.

The Dolphins' win streak ended in Week 2 of the 1973 season but didn’t stop them from repeating as Super Bowl champions again in the 1973 season.

2. Green Bay Packers: 2010-2011 (19 games)

A crossover streak that began in 2010 with a six-game run and a Super Bowl victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Packers kicked off 2011 with another 13 straight victories before falling to the Chiefs in December.

Aaron Rodgers’ 2010 playoff run was legendary and earned him the respect of every defender in the league.

1. New England Patriots: 2003-2004 (21 games)

Yet another streak led by Brady and Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, the 2003-2004 Patriots hold the NFL record for most consecutive wins.

The Patriots began the 2003 season with a 2-2 record before going on a 21-game winning streak, in which they won the Super Bowl over the Carolina Panthers near the end of it.

The Patriots ended up losing in 2004 to the Steelers in Week 8, after beginning the season 6-0, but would still go on to win back-to-back Super Bowls by defeating the Philadelphia Eagles at the end of the year.