2002 Toughest
1. NFC South
2. AFC West
3. AFC East
4. NFC East

2001 Toughest
1. AFC Central
2. AFC East
2. NFC West
2. NFC Central
3. AFC West
3. NFC East

2000 Toughest
1. AFC Central
2. NFC Central
3. AFC East
4. NFC East
5. AFC West
5. NFC West

During the 2000 season, WeTheFans.com came up with a statistic we had never seen, "Weekly Wins By Division." We wanted to see how much of a correlation there was between the "Winningest Division" (the ONLY criteria for TOUGH) and the Super Bowl.

So from Week 1 to Week 17, we charted ONE STAT; total wins per division. There was a DEFINITE CORRELATION. The Super Champs Baltimore Ravens came from the 2000 Toughest Division.
2000 Divisional Breakdown
2000 NFL Standings

Again during the 2001 season we "Charted the Divisions." The AFC Central repeated as the Toughest Division, but the Super Bowl Champs New England Patriots came from the 2001 second Toughest Division. Close enough.
2001 Divisional Breakdown
2001 NFL Standings

We were back in the 2002 season "Charting the Divisions" to see if realignment would cause a divisional power shift and if the Toughest Division would lead back to the Super Bowl as Numbers One & Two had previously. For the second time in three years, the Toughest Division team won the Super Bowl, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
2002 Divisional Breakdown
2002 NFL Standings

The 2003 season is our fourth "Charting the Divisions." So far so good. The team (Patriots) from the Toughest Division (AFC East) is in the Championship Game, so let's see what happens.
2003 Divisional Breakdown
2003 NFL Standings