Perfection paid off in the long run for the 1972 Miami Dolphins on Friday night during the NFL Network’s Top 100 Teams countdown.

A panel of experts named the 17-0 ’72 Dolphins as the greatest team in NFL history – edging out the 1985 Chicago Bears for the top spot. Their ranking culminated a list featuring every Super Bowl champion, NFL champion, and several teams that did not win a Super Bowl.

Here is the list in its entirety:

1. 1972 Miami Dolphins
2. 1985 Chicago Bears
3. 1978 Pittsburgh Steelers 
4. 1984 San Francisco 49ers
5. 1989 San Francisco 49ers
6. 1992 Dallas Cowboys
7. 2007 New England Patriots
8. 1976 Oakland Raiders
9. 1962 Green Bay Packers
10. 1975 Pittsburgh Steelers 
11. 1999 St. Louis Rams 
12. 1986 New York Giants 
13. 1966 Green Bay Packers
14. 1998 Denver Broncos 
15. 1991 Washington Redskins
16. 2004 New England Patriots
17. 1977 Dallas Cowboys
18. 2013 Seattle Seahawks
19. 1994 San Francisco 49ers
20. 1996 Green Bay Packers
21. 2016 New England Patriots 
22. 2000 Baltimore Ravens
23. 1993 Dallas Cowboys 
24. 1968 New York Jets
25. 1950 Cleveland Browns
26. 1958 Baltimore Colts
27. 1969 Kansas City Chiefs 
28. 1973 Miami Dolphins
29. 1990 New York Giants 
30. 2009 New Orleans Saints
31. 1981 San Francisco 49ers 
32. 2003 New England Patriots
33. 1983 LA Raiders
34. 1971 Dallas Cowboys
35. 1990 Buffalo Bills
36. 2017 Philadelphia Eagles 
37. 2006 Indianapolis Colts
38. 1998 Minnesota Vikings
39. 1979 Pittsburgh Steelers
40. 1929 Green Bay Packers
41. 1964 Cleveland Browns
42. 1948-49 Philadelphia Eagles
43. 1974 Pittsburgh Steelers
44. 1968 Baltimore Colts
45. 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
46. 2014 New England Patriots
47. 1995 Dallas Cowboys
48. 1922-23 Canton Bulldogs
49. 1941 Chicago Bears
50. 1997 Denver Broncos 
51. 2001 New England Patriots
52. 1960 Philadelphia Eagles 
53. 2007 New York Giants 
54. 1982 Washington Redskins 
55. 1953 Detroit Lions
56. 1967 Green Bay Packers 
57. 1936 Green Bay Packers
58. 2015 Denver Broncos
59. 1942 Chicago Bears
60. 2001 St. Louis Rams
61. 1963 Chicago Bears 
62. 2008 Pittsburgh Steelers
63. 1984 Miami Dolphins
64. 1954 Cleveland Browns
65. 1987 Washington Redskins
66. 1933 Chicago Bears
67. 2011 Green Bay Packers
68. 2015 Carolina Panthers 
69. 1988 San Francisco 49ers
70. 1945 Cleveland Rams
71. 1920 Akron Pros
72. 1970 Baltimore Colts
73. 1990 San Francisco 49ers
74. 1980 Oakland Raiders
75. 2009 Indianapolis Colts 
76. 1983 Washington Redskins 
77. 1956 New York Giants 
78. 1967 Oakland Raiders
79. 2018 New England Patriots 
80. 1927 New York Giants 
81. 1926 Frankford Yellow Jackets 
82. 1921 Chicago Staleys
83. 1969 Minnesota Vikings 
84. 1964 Buffalo Bills
85. 1966 Kansas City Chiefs 
86. 2013 Denver Broncos 
87. 2010 Green Bay Packers
88. 1940 Chicago Bears 
89. 1934 Chicago Bears 
90. 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers
91. 1999 Tennessee Titans 
92. 1951 LA Rams 
93. 2011 New York Giants 
94. 1978 Dallas Cowboys 
95. 2006 San Diego Chargers  
96. 1943 Chicago Bears 
97. 2012 Baltimore Ravens 
98. 1928 Providence Steam Rollers 
99. 1937 Washington Redskins
100. 1961 Houston Oilers

When the NFL Network did a similar countdown of the greatest Super Bowl champions ever leading up to Super Bowl XLI, the ’72 Dolphins finished at the top of that list as well.

Perfection has its privileges. Just ask the Dolphins, who were quick to remind folks of that during their tribute video on Friday night.

My choice would have been the 1989 San Francisco 49ers because after all, they beat the tar off a lot of good teams unlike some teams we know near the very top of the countdown.