Sports

Move over, Dallas Cowboys. America has a new team

Peyton Manning of the Denver Broncos against the New York Jets on October 12, 2014.
Jim McIsaac | Getty Images

The Denver Broncos may have fallen (way) short against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVIII this past February, but they can now claim a new title: America's favorite football team.

Denver replaced the Dallas Cowboys at No. 1, according to results from The Harris Poll in a survey of 2,543 adults (1,275 of whom follow pro football) taken Sept.10-17. The Cowboys, who had held the top spot since 2007, fell to No. 4 on the annual list of popular teams, behind the New York Giants and the Green Bay Packers.

The Broncos, led by 13-time Pro Bowl quarterback Peyton Manning, have sold out every home game since the 1970 season. It's the second-longest active streak in the NFL behind only the Washington Redskins.

America's favorite football teams in 2014

Rank Team Chg Last playoff season Last Super Bowl win
1Denver Broncos+220131998
2New York Giants+220112011
3Green Bay Packers-120132010
4Dallas Cowboys-320091995
5Pittsburgh Steelers+220112008
6Seattle Seahawks+620132013
7San Francisco 49ers+120131994
8New England Patriots-320132004
9Chicago Bears-320101985
10New Orleans Saints+120132009
11New York Jets+420101968
12Minnesota Vikings+12012----
13Detroit Lions+92011----
14Washington Redskins020121991
15(t)Philadelphia Eagles-62013----
15(t)Miami Dolphins-520081973
17Cincinnati Bengals+72013----
18Oakland Raiders-220021983*
19Arizona Cardinals-32009----
20(t)Cleveland Browns+52002----
20(t)Buffalo Bills +81999----
22Atlanta Falcons-22012----
23(t)Baltimore Ravens-720122012
23(t)San Diego Chargers02013----
23(t)Kansas City Chiefs+620131969
26Indianapolis Colts-720132006
27Houston Texans-62012----
28Carolina Panthers-12013----
29St. Louis Rams+120041999
30Tampa Bay Buccaneers-420072002
31(t)Tennessee Titans02008----
31(t)Jacksonville Jaguars+12007----

Source: Source: Harris Poll, Pro-Football-Reference (* the Raiders played in Los Angeles during the 1983 season, Note: "(t)" indicates a tie in team ranking)

Some of the biggest upward movers on the list were the Detroit Lions, who climbed up nine spots to No. 13, and the Buffalo Bills, who moved up eight spots to No. 20.

Not surprisingly, the Cleveland Browns also climbed five spots in this year's ranking. This past spring, the team drafted former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Johnny Manziel, who has been credited with a surge in season ticket sales.

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Two teams surrounded by high-profile problems off the field, the Baltimore Ravens and the Indianapolis Colts, both saw the biggest downward moves in popularity.

The Ravens, embroiled in the Ray Rice domestic violence controversy for much of the year, fell seven spots to No. 23. The Colts (who peaked at No. 2 back in the 2010 list) have proved unable to maintain the same level of widespread popularity they enjoyed during their Peyton Manning era (1998-2011).

Falling seven spots to No. 26, the Colts have been forced to deal with the public relations aftermath created by owner Jim Irsay, who pleaded guilty to operating a vehicle under the influence and received a six-game suspension by the league.

The Cowboys have had to deal with their own off-the-field, legal distractions. This week, a Dallas judge dismissed a sexual assault lawsuit that had been filed against Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.

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