Top 10 NFL Power Rankings, 1979

[74_75_78_79_]

Started a power rankings thread a little while back about the 1980 season. How famously evenly matched just about all playoff teams were that year helped to warrant such a thread. Though not as across-the-board even as '80 (what season was?), enough argument can be made about some '79 teams being better than teams who were either higher seeded, had a better record, or made the playoffs unlike them. Unlike the Vikings in '80, the one 9-7 playoff team from '79 (Rams) would have more respect amongst their post-season peers. 10-6 Washington, of course, would play the role of the Pats in this case.

From #10 to #1, what are your with-a-fresh-mind/going-into-the-post-season Power Rankings for '79? Of course you can include a non-playoff team or teams instead of an actual playoff team(s). I would guess Washington will not only be included on many lists, but perhaps ranked rather high. And who would be the one getting boxed-out to make room? Not Rams, right? Were the Bears actually better than the Bucs? Eagles better than Dallas (or were Redskins better than them both)? Who was better, 10-6 Dolphins or 10-6 Broncos? Any other non-playoff team breaks through in addition to Washington? If so, who? Browns? Hawks? Raiders? Pats?... Saints??

As for #1...I will guess that the Chargers will be the almost unanimous vote. Whether you feel SD wins that hypo-AFCC game vs Steelers or not, it would be hard even for me to not place them there. On(and off)-paper stellar on offense and defense, and beating the 'Burgh, 35-7, during regular-season. However, Steelers by all means of course were stellar both sides of ball as well, statistically or not. Just imagine if they didn't commit all those turnovers! How could they not be #2?? Eagles' Week #5 win vs them, perhaps (as well as winning at Houston in finale)?

[ChrisBabcock]

1. San Diego
2. Pittsburgh
3. Dallas
4. Chicago (won 7 of last 8)
5. Washington
6. Miami
7. Houston
8. Philly
9. LA
10. Tampa Bay

[74_75_78_79_]

Here are mine. May (or may not) end up being unpopular with some. Again, this is based on a clear mindset going into that '79 post-season, doing my best to 'not know' what would end up actually happening. Judging strictly by regular season, and maybe a little bit on what happened leading up to '79.

First, honorable mentions...four playoff teams I have not making the top-10 cut! Let's start with Miami. I had to leave them out if however barely. Getting swept by Jets, the only 10-win team Miami beat in '79 were the Bears. Only other wins vs above-500 teams were vs 9-7 Seattle & 9-7 Pats whom they split with. They lost to Raiders, home to Houston, and to Browns in OT.

Bucs & Bears? They're out as well. The only 10-team-winner they beat...were each other; the only other above-500 both beat...the 9-7 Rams. The next toughest team TB played in '79 were the 8-8 but 'dangerous' Saints who torched them, at Tampa, 42-14! Bears lost to Dallas, Miami, and at home to 9-7 Pats but at least they played against these teams (tougher schedule) so for that, I'd have to give them the 'nod' over their fellow 10-6 NFC Central counterpart. Great D along with Ricky Bell, but Tampa's regular season body-of-work just doesn't cut it; especially the way they stunk it up in the end (loss to SF obvious nadir). Not knowing the actual result to be, I would never have predicted them over Eagles in that divisional game.

Rams...didn't think first thought I'd actually leave these guys out but, again, we're going by regular-season body-of-work. Come playoff-time (make that November) they re-earned their all-decade-long respect and legitimized their playoff-berth as well as trip to SBXIV, but looking at regular season as a whole - despite road-wins at Denver, Seattle, and Saints in their only meaningful game vs them that year - it doesn't overpower convincing losses to the conference's top-two seeds along with losing to Bears.

Non-playoff teams? Pats should not only be the first of these teams mentioned but I'll place these guys higher than all I've already mentioned so far except for maybe Miami; or maybe I'll place them higher than them as well. In addition to at least splitting with Miami, they brought Steelers into OT in the MNF opener, beat Bears at Soldier, and last but not least...(their 'Ace' in the hole)...they beat San Diego! Rounding out the others, you have the dangerous first non-losing-season Saints, another 8-8 in NYJ who swept Dolphins, at least split with NE, and beat Raiders. But let's not forget at all about Levy's Chiefs! Perhaps the best 7-9 team ever. Only two teams in the division had a better conference record. Forget the 'monsoon' Week #16. How about sweeping Raiders & Hawks? What a super-tight division that AFC West was - which makes one ought to give even more regular-season kudos to its champ!

Now with the Top 10...

10) Browns - Year before Rutigliano/Sipe's tour de force 'Cardiac' season! They get swept by Steelers (as if anything to be ashamed of) but at least split with Houston. They beat Miami which places them into this Top 10 in the first place. But the two games which really seal-the-deal here are - of course - their triumphs over Dallas (MNF) and the Eagles.

7) Three-way-tie between Broncos, Seahawks, Raiders - I'm sure there are those who'll feel I'm slighting Denver for lumping them in with two 9-7s whom they did win the division over. Raiders did sweep them however. Raiders beat Rams on road in opener, beat Miami, beat Chargers 45-22 (avenging, yes, their earlier 10-30 drubbing), beat Cleveland and also Saints at Superdome in that MNF classic. Seattle did sweep Raiders though; and also beat Houston (who Raiders didn't beat - Campbell/Tatum collision). Hawks also beat Browns (at Cleveland) and the Saints and Raiders did, and they at least split with Denver. I guess I should put it #9 Raiders, #8 Hawks, #7 Broncos, but can't help but to lean more to tying all three up. Simply placing Hawks ahead of Raiders just because of the sweep seems too easy to do, especially considering that Raiders at least beat SD once; and - again - swept Denver. Yes, tie these three up!

6) Cowboys - Almost tempted to nestle these guys with the three right below them, but I won't. Years as a major contender leading up to '79 plays a role fair or not. Dutifully split both their series with Philly & Wash, beat Bears and Rams, but lost to all three winning teams in the AFC Central (and they get division title over Philly due to better conference record). They were still 'Dallas', still had Roger, but pretty much a plain 'good' team going into that post-season. Very beatable which would prove true in the divisionals.

5) Redskins - What gives them the 'tie-breaker' over Big D, is simply they 'almost' sweeping them (beating them by more in their win vs them) and at least beating the Browns. Yes, they didn't get to play Chicago or Rams (did play against, and lose to, Saints), but what I first mentioned ought to be enough.

4) Oilers - Beat Steelers at least once (and Browns), had AFC Central in-their-grasp going into finale. Beat Wash, Dolphins, and Cowboys (Turkey Day) all on the road, and beat Raiders as well.

3) Eagles - A VERY-strong third! They beat Steelers and then helped them out in the finale by taking care of business in the Astrodome (lost to Cleveland though, and Cincy; and to them big). Other than also splitting with Dallas and Wash, no more quality wins to think of but what I mentioned ought to be enough.

2) Steelers - Yes that loss to Philly, but their body-of-work besides (and they were, fair or not, defending-Champs). Beat NE on the road, buried Houston in their win vs them (Oilers winning 20-17 in theirs), swept Browns, but it's that 4-week stretch Weeks #8-thru-#11 that simply reeks of SB-Champ-to-be! Beating the 'Orange Crush' 42-7! Then Dallas & Washington by a combined 52-10, and finally at Levy's very respectable Chiefs, 30-3. Yes, we all know what happened the following week at the Murph, but that ought to lift them past Philly.

1) Chargers - Going into the playoffs - again, with a clear mind - my attitude would have been, "well let's see how they handle playoff-pressure." IMO Steelers win the hypo-AFCC, but they simply being defending-Champs may place them above Eagles but not these guys judging strictly by the regular-season. Chargers 35 Steelers 7 for starters. Swept Seattle & Chiefs, buried Rams & Saints - both on the road - by combined 75-16! Yes, they could play defense in '79. Beat Denver 7-0 in their win vs them. Beat Raiders at least once as well. 6-2 in a super-tough division! #2 in points for, #2 in points against! Steelers were actually #1 in the former category, and #5 in the other. In either event, regular-season champ goes to SD. Would have never imagined a depleted Oilers squad going into the Murph and doing what they did, yet alone a healthy one.

EDIT - Eagles beating Oilers in finale doesn't count because Steelers already had division wrapped-up over Buffalo in the early game, 28-0. I give Birds nod over Oilers anyway.

[Todd Pence]

I would say that the AFC was MUCH stronger than the NFC this year. Five of the AFC's teams were probably better than the NFC's best, which was probably the Cowboys. And at least five NFC teams were probably weaker than the AFC's worst.

[CSKreager]

If the Raiders hadn't screwed up against the Chiefs (a VERY rare sweep for them in that 1972-1988 stretch in the wilderness), could they have maybe pulled off that Wild Card to Super Bowl run a year earlier?

Wouldn't have had to deal with any frigid weather ala Red Right 88 Cleveland + Stabler had a decent statistical season.

And the Dolphins/Broncos of '79 weren't as good as the Oilers/Bills of '80.

[74_75_78_79_]

If the Raiders hadn't screwed up against the Chiefs (a VERY rare sweep for them in that 1972-1988 stretch in the wilderness), could they have maybe pulled off that Wild Card to Super Bowl run a year earlier?

Wouldn't have had to deal with any frigid weather ala Red Right 88 Cleveland + Stabler had a decent statistical season.

And the Dolphins/Broncos of '79 weren't as good as the Oilers/Bills of '80.

Raiders making SB in '79 a bit of a stretch, but one matchup we never seen in both '78 & '79 - Raiders vs Steelers. Raiders beat Steelers in '76 opener, again in AFCC, and also in '77. They would then extend that streak to 6 by beating them in '80 & '81 (both Monday Nighters, the latter being a bad Raider team vs an 8-5 Steeler one) and of course the '83 divisional round demolition. Home or away, Raiders did have their number during that stretch so Steelers playing Denver & Miami instead in both '78 & '79 respectively had to be safer for them.