Best post-'86 Seahawk squad under Knox

[74_75_78_79_]

'87, '88, and '90 the obvious candidates; all 9-game winners. The former actually 7-5 not including scab games, beat the Vikes mid-season and then, down the stretch, Denver and at Chicago back-to-back weeks and then, in the Wild Card game, bringing Houston to OT in the Astrodome. They only beat two playoff teams in '88 - Browns on the road, Houston at home. Seemed to take advantage of a weak division along with Denver 'taking a year off'. This installment may be the weakest of this trio. Broncos also were off in '90, but Seahawks sweep playoff-bound KC (though Raiders sweep them) and beat Cincy and Houston which makes it quite lame they not getting in playoffs due to Oilers...having a better conference record?

Wonder how these squads match up with Patera's '78/'79? All these teams 9-game winners but better than their record. Squads that no team would want to play against if they don't have to.

[7DnBrnc53]

87, easily. That was supposed to be the Super Bowl team (according to SI). Then, they got blown out in Denver in Week 1, the replacement players came in, and they ended up getting eliminated by Houston in the WC game.

[Reaser]

they ended up getting eliminated by Houston in the WC game.

Still think Young's interception was an interception.

[Todd Pence]

1990. They had four wins versus playoff teams, more than any of the others. If they hadn't tried the ill-advised attempt to install the run and shoot at the beginning of the season (a system totally unsuited to Chuck Knox as well as to Dave Krieg's quarterbacking skills), and with a couple of breaks here and there, they would have been a solid playoff team.

[JWL]

1987 is my choice and I have no particular reason for it. I had thought that was a good team. I didn't think the next three were as good. Point differential points to the 1987 team as the best of the group.

[Todd Pence]

The 1987 team was hyped in the preseason as a Super Bowl favorite, because of the strong way the Hawks finished '86. Getting Bosworth in the supplemental draft may have been a curse in disguise. Although the Boz had his moments in his rookie year, he played inconsistently and created dissension on a team which already had a solid linebacking corps, and had already spent two prime draft picks on linebackers (Tony Woods and Dave Wyman) in the regular draft that year. The '87 roster definitely had Super Bowl talent, but the team exemplified the maddening inconsistency which plagued the Seahawks throughout the Knox era. They were also among the teams most affected by the bad vibes of the '87 strike.