Tie games since '74 with biggest impact on final standings

[Todd Pence]

Since a regular-season overtime period was instituted in 1974, tie games such as the one last Sunday night have become exceedingly rare, occurring with a frequency of less than once a season. Which one of these tie games has been the most significant as far as playing a role in divisional/playoff races? One candidate that comes to mind is 1989's Browns-Chiefs tie. KC's Nick Lowery missed three field goals in that game. If the Chiefs had managed to pull the victory out instead of settling for the tie, it would have considerably altered the playoff picture both in terms of the AFC Central and Wild Card race, The half game the Browns gained in the standings by hanging on for the tie wound up giving them the Central Division outright, otherwise they would have faced a tiebreaker with Houston and Pittsburgh. On the other hand, the half game the Chiefs lost that day put them out of the playoff picture whereas a victory would have put them in the thick of the Wild Card race.

[Rupert Patrick]

The 1978 Packers Vikings 10-10 tie probably had the biggest impact, because a Green Bay win would have given the Packers a 9-7 record and the Central Division title.

[74_75_78_79_]

Jets/Dolphins tie in '81 instantly came to mind upon seeing the header. If Jets win it's...'Epic at Shea', perhaps, in the divisional round! A win over Chargers would then almost-definitely place them at Cincy the following week (FWIW, Jets would bury Bengals on road in next year's 'tournament'; Jets/SF at Pontiac could have been interesting).

If Miami wins then it's Denver at Buffalo in a wild card rematch? I'm guessing Jets stay home due to what I would assume would be they having a lesser conference record (8-6) than both Buffalo (9-3) and Denver (7-5), Broncos winning out by percentage points. As for top-seed? Cincy would still get it due to better conference record, 10-2 to 9-3.

[74_75_78_79_]

If Steelers at Heinz beat Falcons in 2002, it makes no difference for them. Raiders & Titans still get top-2 respective seeds simply because each beat the 'Burgh head-to-head. Makes no difference for Falcons either. They'd be 9-7 instead of 9-6-1 but the also 9-7 Saints lose tie-breaker due to getting swept by them.

However if Atlanta wins against Steelers then it's they going to San Fran in the 1st-round as Giants go to Green Bay. Falcons won at Giants in Week #6. No big comeback game at Candlestick, perhaps? Would G-men also been able to win at Lambeau?

[Mark L. Ford]

Philadelphia 13, Cincinnati 13 in 2008; the Eagles were losing but tied the game and put it into OT. Finishing 9-6-1 instead of 9-7-0 gave them the sixth seed that would have gone to Tampa Bay.

[74_75_78_79_]

Since a regular-season overtime period was instituted in 1974, tie games such as the one last Sunday night have become exceedingly rare, occurring with a frequency of less than once a season. Which one of these tie games has been the most significant as far as playing a role in divisional/playoff races? One candidate that comes to mind is 1989's Browns-Chiefs tie. KC's Nick Lowery missed three field goals in that game. If the Chiefs had managed to pull the victory out instead of settling for the tie, it would have considerably altered the playoff picture both in terms of the AFC Central and Wild Card race, The half game the Browns gained in the standings by hanging on for the tie wound up giving them the Central Division outright, otherwise they would have faced a tiebreaker with Houston and Pittsburgh. On the other hand, the half game the Chiefs lost that day put them out of the playoff picture whereas a victory would have put them in the thick of the Wild Card race.

If Cleveland wins it makes no difference in seeding whatsoever.

If Cleveland loses, making them 9-7, they still win division due to both sweeping Houston and having better division record than Steelers. However, Bills would have gotten 2nd-seed due to better conference record (8-4 to what would have been Browns' 6-6). As for the two wild card spots? You tell me! Chiefs (9-7) would have had a 7-7 conference record instead of 6-7-1 that they actually did have. Oilers and Steelers both 6-6 conference record. All three at 500! Steelers beat Chiefs but Chiefs beat Houston who in turn swept Steelers making Oilers an automatic 'in'. Who gets left out between Steelers & Chiefs and why?

[7DnBrnc53]

As for the two wild card spots? You tell me! Chiefs (9-7) would have had a 7-7 conference record instead of 6-7-1 that they actually did have. Oilers and Steelers both 6-6 conference record. All three at 500! Steelers beat Chiefs but Chiefs beat Houston who in turn swept Steelers making Oilers an automatic 'in'. Who gets left out between Steelers & Chiefs and why?

Since the Oilers won the first tie-breaker, do the other two teams separate and have their own tie-breaker? Because if they do, the Steelers still make it due to their win over KC (with the BUF-CLE game location the only thing that changes).

Switching gears, another tie that had an impact was the 20-20 tie between Green Bay and Baltimore in 1982. If the Colts would have won that game, Houston may have got the first pick, and their probably wouldn't have been any controversy with them being able to draft John Elway.

As for the Packers, they would have been 5-4, and who knows who they would have been playing (four other teams in the NFC were 5-4).

[74_75_78_79_]

As for the two wild card spots? You tell me! Chiefs (9-7) would have had a 7-7 conference record instead of 6-7-1 that they actually did have. Oilers and Steelers both 6-6 conference record. All three at 500! Steelers beat Chiefs but Chiefs beat Houston who in turn swept Steelers making Oilers an automatic 'in'. Who gets left out between Steelers & Chiefs and why?

Since the Oilers won the first tie-breaker, do the other two teams separate and have their own tie-breaker? Because if they do, the Steelers still make it due to their win over KC (with the BUF-CLE game location the only thing that changes).

Switching gears, another tie that had an impact was the 20-20 tie between Green Bay and Baltimore in 1982. If the Colts would have won that game, Houston may have got the first pick, and their probably wouldn't have been any controversy with them being able to draft John Elway.

As for the Packers, they would have been 5-4, and who knows who they would have been playing (four other teams in the NFC were 5-4).

Oilers necessarily don't get 'first' tie-breaker just that they'd be automatic being that they'd be ahead of Steelers for reasons already stated (couldn't have it Chiefs & Steelers). WCG would either be Hou@KC or Pit@Hou.

What was it that made Elway not want to be a Colt? Would he perhaps had the same lack-of-enthusiasm for 1-8 Oilers?

Who would Pack at 5-4 play against (be seeded as)? Someone else can explore that one, lol.

[7DnBrnc53]

What was it that made Elway not want to be a Colt? Would be perhaps had the same lack-of-enthusiasm for 1-8 Oilers?

According to the 30 for 30 documentary, Marvin Demoff was the one that came up with the idea (Elway not having to play for the Colts. He also came up with the "playing on the West Coast" excuse).

However, according to Ernie Accorsi (this is from his book The GM), Elway called him about a week after the draft and agreed to play in Baltimore. He also told Ernie that he would call back after things died down. Ernie then said that he told Robert Irsay about the convo, and Irsay traded Elway to Denver that night.

Accorsi believes that the Colts would have stayed in Baltimore if they got Elway.

As for Elway and the Oilers, I think that John said once that he would have played in Houston, but I don't know much more about that.

[Rupert Patrick]

As for the two wild card spots? You tell me! Chiefs (9-7) would have had a 7-7 conference record instead of 6-7-1 that they actually did have. Oilers and Steelers both 6-6 conference record. All three at 500! Steelers beat Chiefs but Chiefs beat Houston who in turn swept Steelers making Oilers an automatic 'in'. Who gets left out between Steelers & Chiefs and why?

Since the Oilers won the first tie-breaker, do the other two teams separate and have their own tie-breaker? Because if they do, the Steelers still make it due to their win over KC (with the BUF-CLE game location the only thing that changes).

Switching gears, another tie that had an impact was the 20-20 tie between Green Bay and Baltimore in 1982. If the Colts would have won that game, Houston may have got the first pick, and their probably wouldn't have been any controversy with them being able to draft John Elway.

As for the Packers, they would have been 5-4, and who knows who they would have been playing (four other teams in the NFC were 5-4).

I believe how it was handled in those days was if it is a three-way tiebreaker and two of the teams are in the same division, the two teams in the same division break their tie first, and the winner of that goes against the team from the other division in a second tiebreaker to settle the tiebreaker. The 1989 tiebreakers were very complex as memory serves; I remember calling the NFL offices late that season pretending I was a reporter from my local newspaper and actually spoke with Val Pinchbeck for a couple minutes and he answered my questions about the playoff tiebreakers but it's been so long I can't find my notes of that conversation. Ivan Urena is our resident tiebreaker expert; I am hoping he chimes in on this.