1. San Francisco 49ers: Unsurprisingly, the team that has Joe Montana and Jerry Rice on it is pretty good. But it takes more than two great players to make a great team, and the 49ers great players all over, on both sides off the ball. While the running backs aren’t all that great by themselves, they’re both exceptional at catching passes, completing an offense that is equally proficient with deep bombs and shorter passes alike. The defense, while not on the same level as the offense, is still well above average. The strength on defense is in the secondary; Ronnie Lott should be your go-to player in almost every situation. If you’re having real trouble in coverage, consider switching to Dave Waymer, the other safety, as he boasts a higher Interceptions rating.
2. New York Giants: The Giants are the mirror image of the 49ers. They’re good (but not great) on offense and fantastic on defense. The linebackers steal the show here. Lawrence Taylor is a murder machine, but when he’s in Bad condition he slows down noticeably. Pepper Johnson is more than game to the task of hitting cleanup in those situations, and if both are lagging, use Gary Reasons in coverage and Carl Banks against the run. On offense, go slow and prioritize controlling the clock over quick scoring. Tap A fast enough and Ottis Anderson will knock down defenders aplenty. Phil Simms’ accuracy makes him the perfect game manager, but the receivers aren’t good enough to beat even single coverage, so make sure you only throw to someone who is all the way open.
3. Houston Oilers: That the Oilers are the actual best team in the AFC is somewhere between ‘open secret’ and ‘not any sort of secret, whatsoever’ among TSB veterans. This is entirely because of their nuclear-hot passing game. Warren Moon is arguably the best QB in the whole game, possessing an arm that’s both powerful and accurate. All four starting WRs are amazing, and would be starters most places that only start two. Throw bombs all day and watch the points pile up. You’re not going to be running much, but when you do, make sure you’re starting literally anyone else over incumbent starter Lorenzo White, who is fumble-prone. Defense is kind of an afterthought here; many recommend using OLB Ray Childress, but he’s too slow for my tastes. I prefer using whichever safety is in better condition. Neither is great, but both can prevent big plays and touchdowns.
4. Buffalo Bills: The Bills, by contrast, are much more balanced on offense. Thurman Thomas is the best RB in the game not named ‘Bo Jackson’, and QB Bills is nearly identical to Joe Montana. However, this offense has two key flaws. First, there’s no depth. If Thomas gets injured, you’re not going to be able to run effectively until he’s back. Second, none of the receivers are truly elite, meaning there’s no one to throw it to when everyone is covered. Still, I get the most out of these guys when I take out FB Jamie Mueller, replace him with WR Don Beebe, and change the playbook to all single back/shotgun stuff. The defense is Bruce Smith and a bunch of scrubs. Smith is the best D-Lineman in the game, hands down, but he’s the only guy here worth using. Your run defense will shit the bed from time to time no matter what, so get sacks whenever possible.
5. Philadelphia Eagles: What can I say about QB Eagles that has not already been said? QB Eagles is a legend. His rocket arm and insane running speed make just about every passing play a winning proposition, even when everyone is covered. The WRs aren’t anything special, but Keith Jackson is the best tight end in the game, so throw his way whenever possible. Also, note that your RBs stink, so your best chance of moving the ball on the ground is with QB Eagles (make sure you get out of bounds!). Fortunately, the offense need not carry the day with a defense like this. The front seven is amazing all around, but I recommend using either Reggie White or Jerome Brown (may they both Rest In Peace), depending on their condition and the situation. The secondary is better than their reputation, too, but no one player there is quite worth using.
Next time, I’ll explain why the team with Bo Jackson on it doesn’t even crack the Top 5. It makes total sense once you think about it.
Rob Writes About Whatever 
I have found that the Chicago Bears are one of the best teams in the game too, possibly equal to New York or Buffalo. Their defense is one of, if not the best, very comparable to New York and Buffalo. Mike Singletary can easily run right through any offensive line and complete a sack. Richard Dent is great on defense and can get a sack if Singletary doesn’t. Their defensive backs, Donnell Woolford and Mark Carrier, always seem to intercept most passes. Their offense is basically running the ball with Neal Anderson 90% of the time. The receivers, Wendell Davis and Ron Morris, are above average/average at best, with average speed. In a sense, there are similarities to New York and Buffalo as far as offense and defense goes. I agree with New England or Indianapolis as being the games “worst” team. I do find it fun to use either of them, and use their backup quarterbacks the whole season. You really have to think a little, even though it is a simple game. It can become quite challenging instead of scoring 15 touchdowns with Bo Jackson. Houston probably has the fastest “duo” of receivers in AFC (possible tie with Buffalo’s Andre Reed and James Lofton), like San Francisco does in the NFC. I think Houston’s defense might edge out the 49ers though. I will say, the Eagles might be the best overall team. Offense, defense, running the ball, above average speed for receivers and their defense is excellent! I love to see what others’ opinions are of this game and the teams. I have had many a conversation about this game with a buddy of mine and everyone is different as far as their thoughts, which make great conversation! Great article, brings me back to the simpler days of life!
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Love the article. I have always found that the Eagles with their QB as a bit of cheat code for this game. You have to put Sherman on the bench due to fumbles and you have to change up the Pass play options and select choices that are good against the blitz. I rarely call running plays with this teams since the backs are below average when it comes to that. You really only have to throw to wide open receivers when playing as this team since you can run the QB if everyone is covered. The trick is to not be greedy and get out of bounds as much as possible so QB Eagles does not get hurt when running downfield. O-line can break down sometimes but it rarely matters when Eagles can just scramble away from 99% of the pressure. If forced to throw into coverage Keith Jackson is a solid option and Byars is great against the blitz. I use Jerome Brown and Seth Joyner as my defensive options and focus on stopping the run and sacking the QB as much as possible. It is gimmicky but when used like this you will rarely lose and rival the 49er’s as the easiest team to beat the game with.
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Hey John, thanks for the kind words!
Agreed 100% on the Eagles’ strategy, that’s how you gotta play with them. I had trouble with them at first because I tried to play ball control with them. The lesson, as always, is that you should always strive to be a better offensive mind than Buddy Ryan.
As for your claim that the Eagles are the best team to beat the 49ers with, I can get behind that but I also think it’s a matter of personal preference. Obviously the Giants are up there as well, but I would also submit that the Chiefs are a particularly bad matchup. The 49ers do have a good defense but they don’t have anyone that can tackle Okoye easily.
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Does this article pertain to the NES or SNES version of the game?
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Good question, this list is for the NES version. I haven’t played the SNES version nearly enough to be able to make such a list, and in my limited experience with it that version the Cowboys stand alone, much more so than the 49ers do in the NES version.
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Yep, most STB longtime players would agree with your 1-5 assessment. My 49ers get ridiculously good when you put Rice at RB, move Taylor to his WR spot and slot Sherrard in at Taylor’s spot. Back in the day my buddies came up with a rule that I couldn’t do that…decades before the TecmoBowl.org site instituted the same rule for their online play league. LOL
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