Beginning with Jets automatically playing at Oakland for that final AFL Championship (2nd-place Chiefs - out), what playoff scenarios in any given year(s) would intrigue you the most?
From '70-thru-'74, we'll assume that division-winners would have 'rotated' yearly for a 1st-Rd bye hence hosting their CC (e.g. '72 Oak@Mia-winner at Pit for AFCC; '73 LA@Min-winner at Dal for NFCC) followed by, simply, 3rd-vs-2nd-seed-winner at 1 from '75-thru-'01 (e.g. '80 Buf@Clev-winner at SD; '86 SF@Chi-winner at NYG) and then, finally, '02-present simply being 4@1 vs 3@2 ('05 NE@Ind vs Cin@Den; '10 Sea@Atl vs Phi@Chi).
To start things off...we would have had Vikings in '75 waiting in the NFC catbird seat for Cards@Rams-winner; no "Hail Mary"! Nor Oilers in '78 & '79 (nor '80! no playoffs ever for Earl or Bum). '78 would have Steelers awaiting Den@NE-winner, '79 would be Dolphins@Steelers playing for a trip to the Murph!
If strictly division-winners made playoffs, '69-present
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74_75_78_79_
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74_75_78_79_
- Posts: 2792
- Joined: Sat Oct 11, 2014 1:25 pm
Re: If strictly division-winners made playoffs, '69-present
2007 would have been ...
AFC: Pit@NE, SD@Ind; NFC: TB@Dal, Sea@GB
IMO, the only two teams who could have knocked off the undefeated Pats is the team who actually did beat them IRL and the other team with a Manning at QB. Assuming that SD still upsets the Colts - both playing each other one week earlier in this event - and the Giants not being in the playoffs in the first place, it looks like (again, my opinion) we would have had ourselves a 19-0 finisher, like it or not.
1999: No Titans/MCM. Simply 9-7 Seahawks at 13-3 Colts, winner at 14-2 Jax. Peyton wins his first playoff game already? Or does Holmgren top Mora? No playoffs (nor 62-7 humiliation) for Marino/Johnson in their final year; no playoff berths at all for Jimmy while with the Dolphins!
1992: Buffalo out thus no "Comeback"! Instead its Chargers at Dolphins, winner goes to Three Rivers. Unless there also was rainy mud in MIami the week after the regular season, maybe we get a different result this time. And if SD does win that one, is it the Chargers making it to the SB, thru the 'Burgh, two years earlier in Ross's very first year with them (and winning there again, as IRL, in '94)??
2020: I guess Brady doesn't win a 7th for himself. An extra Ring for Mahomes/Reid? Do Saints or Green Bay represent the NFC?
AFC: Pit@NE, SD@Ind; NFC: TB@Dal, Sea@GB
IMO, the only two teams who could have knocked off the undefeated Pats is the team who actually did beat them IRL and the other team with a Manning at QB. Assuming that SD still upsets the Colts - both playing each other one week earlier in this event - and the Giants not being in the playoffs in the first place, it looks like (again, my opinion) we would have had ourselves a 19-0 finisher, like it or not.
1999: No Titans/MCM. Simply 9-7 Seahawks at 13-3 Colts, winner at 14-2 Jax. Peyton wins his first playoff game already? Or does Holmgren top Mora? No playoffs (nor 62-7 humiliation) for Marino/Johnson in their final year; no playoff berths at all for Jimmy while with the Dolphins!
1992: Buffalo out thus no "Comeback"! Instead its Chargers at Dolphins, winner goes to Three Rivers. Unless there also was rainy mud in MIami the week after the regular season, maybe we get a different result this time. And if SD does win that one, is it the Chargers making it to the SB, thru the 'Burgh, two years earlier in Ross's very first year with them (and winning there again, as IRL, in '94)??
2020: I guess Brady doesn't win a 7th for himself. An extra Ring for Mahomes/Reid? Do Saints or Green Bay represent the NFC?