Top 8 NFL regular season Power Rankings, 1977

[74_75_78_79_]

Considering that '78 was the last one posted and that I mentioned a couple things about the very season prior in recent posts, may as well make this the next one. Final year of 'dead ball'! Steelers just a plain 'good' team this campaign barely making playoffs at 9-5, needing help in the finale to get in, losing to Colts/Broncos/Raiders by a combined 40 pts. Non-playoff qualifiers Miami (10-4), NE and Washington (both also 9-5) not only a threat to bounce them out, but also the two other unspectacular 9-5 playoff teams cross-conference...Vikes & Bears. What may end up helping the 'Burgh make top-8 is their 28-13 win over Dallas. And what about the Colts in their 3rd-straight playoff-clincher under Ted and Bert? #1 I'd imagine after 10 games with that 9-1 start, but likely out of top-3 thanks to three-games skid weeks #11-through-#13. Where do defending-Champ Raiders stack up to top-seeds, surprise-Denver & Dallas?

Shouldn't make anyone's top-8 or even 'honorable-mention' (#9) but Bum's Oilers in this year before Earl...quite respectable! Split with Steelers & Bengals (playing spoiler over the latter in finale), give Raiders a fine game at Alameda, and utterly bludgeon playoff-bound Bears, 47-0!

[BD Sullivan]

A blown call in the October 30 game at Cincy ended up costing Houston a playoff berth and was egregious enough that Pete Rozelle actually apologized for the screwup. Cincy's KR allowed the ball to bounce past him at the 10 and he chased it into the corner of the end zone. It then took a crazy bounce by coming up in front of him and touching him before then going into the middle of the end zone. The refs ruled that the KR's foot was out of bounds, which made it a touchback with 27 seconds left in the game. The film showed otherwise and Cincy ended up winning in OT.

Coupled with the quick whistle that allowed Baltimore to win on the final Sunday, thereby knocking out the Dolphins, the two calls would have changed the playoff picture this way: Houston travels to Denver and Oakland goes to Miami.

[ChrisBabcock]

1. Broncos... just like the following year, Orange Crush held half of their opponents to single digit scoring. Did lose to Dallas in the regular season finale but it looks like they were in resting the starters mode.
2. Cowboys
3. Rams... its a shame the 70s Rams couldn't get to a Super Bowl before the 9-7 '79 team.
4. Raiders
5. Dolphins
6. Steelers
7. Colts... that 3 game late season slump sends then down here.
8. Patriots... split with Colts and Dolphins.

[Rupert Patrick]

Percent probability of winning the conference and Super Bowl in parenthesis according to my ratings system:

1 - Dallas (65, 45)
2 - Los Angeles (29, 18)
3 - Denver (41, 17)
4 - Oakland (26, 10)
5 - Pittsburgh (17, 4)
6 - Baltimore (16, 4)
7 - Chicago (3,1)
8 - Minnesota (3,1)

[74_75_78_79_]

1) Cowboys
2) Broncos
3) Raiders
4) Rams
5) - tie - Dolphins & Patriots
7) Colts
8) Steelers

Dallas being a yearly SB-contender up to this year gives them my nod over 'Cinderella' though quite impressive (looking like a true 12-2) Broncos. Yes, Rams beat Raiders but Raiders are defending-Champs and finished with the better (11-3 to 10-4) record. Bears beat Rams but neither they nor Minn get in. Colts fell hard, and almost lost finale as well, but still stay above the 'Burgh. Beating Dallas assured Steelers a spot.

Know what? Maybe Oilers get my #9/honorable-mention after all. Bears vs Vikes (for the 10-spot)? Other than their spilt with each other, Bears only win vs an above-500 was vs Rams, Vikings' only one was over 8-6 Cincy. For that, Bears get edge. 9-5 Washington? Na, get swept by Dallas (and Giants) not beating a winner until finale vs already-clinched Rams.

'Gritz Blitz' Falcons...if only their O would have been just a little bit better...