Surprisingly DISAPPOINTING teams

[Some Guy From Mars]

OK, here are a few that come to mind:

1980 Pittsburgh Steelers
Heading into the 1980 season, many were suggesting that the Steelers would be the first team to win three straight Super Bowls, particularly in light of the depth it fielded that year. Alas, injuries (primarily to the offense) and age (primarily to the defense) eventually curtailed 'one for the thumb', which would not be realized until 25 years later. Six games into the season, Steelers were sitting well at 4-2, but a shocking 34-45 loss to the Raiders (who would imagine the Steel Curtain would ever give up over 40 points?) on Monday night started the slide that ended in a 9-7 season.

1985 Seattle Seahawks
Following a breakout 1984 season in which Seattle won 12 games on the strengths of an opportunistic defense, which intercepted 38 passes and sacked opposing passers 55 times, Seattle seemed set for a Super Bowl run in 1985, which failed to materialize. Result was a mostly up and down campaign that resulted in a final 8-8 record. Interestingly, Seattle went the entire year winning two games followed by two subsequent defeats (wash, rinse, repeat). Back breakers were a pair of three point losses to the Broncos and a week 15 defeat to the Raiders with a post season birth on the line.

2006 & 2009 Pittsburgh Steelers
I have always wondered why the turn of the century Steelers followed Super Bowl winning seasons in 2005 and 2008 with ones in which they do not even make the playoffs. Is it post Super Bowl hangover rearing its ugly head? Lack of maturity and/or experience? What is puzzling is that in both years the Steelers were arguably in their prime and had all the ingredients in place to make deep playoff runs but it never materialized.

[Rupert Patrick]

My ’98 Steelers come to mind. They were many’s preseason #1 power rankings-wise, or very close to it. I felt optimistic enough heading into the opener. But that soft 2-0 start, barely beating Ravens then Bears, offered up the warning of what was to come. Cowhers’s streak of playoff berths to start a HC-ing career halted at six hence ushering-in that brief turn-of-century slump.

I don't think that team was too disappointing. Kordell Stewart wasn't really the answer at QB. The Steelers wasted too much time on him (just like the Broncos have been doing with Siemian).

The bigger disappointment in 1998 was the Chiefs, in my opinion. I had them going to the Super Bowl, but they fell flat on their faces. Schottenheimer resigned as a result (he later said that he regretted it on A Football Life).

In 1998, I had a feeling Jacksonville was going to win the AFC Central. In 1997, they had improved on their 1996 season, I felt, even though they did not pull the playoff upsets, and they would take another step forward in 1998.

[7DnBrnc53]

1987 Chiefs: This was a team that was disappointing to me (I also remember Gayle Gardner picking them and NO to go to the SB on the opening NFL Live pre-game show of the season). They didn't have a running game the year before, so they added Paul Palmer and the Nigerian Nightmare in the first two rounds of the draft. I thought that would help them get back to the playoffs.

They won their first game against SD at home. However, they were waxed in Seattle in Week 2, and their strike players didn't win a game, putting them in a 1-4 hole when the regulars returned in late October. They went 3-7 after the real team came back, but five of those losses were by seven points or less.

The next year, they went 4-11-1, but seven of their losses were by seven points or less. However, Frank Gansz was shown the door, and Martyball came on the scene. I don't think that Frank was a great HC, but it seems like he was in a hole early because of the strike, and he had a lot of close losses.

[L.C. Greenwood]

OK, here are a few that come to mind:

1980 Pittsburgh Steelers
Heading into the 1980 season, many were suggesting that the Steelers would be the first team to win three straight Super Bowls, particularly in light of the depth it fielded that year. Alas, injuries (primarily to the offense) and age (primarily to the defense) eventually curtailed 'one for the thumb', which would not be realized until 25 years later. Six games into the season, Steelers were sitting well at 4-2, but a shocking 34-45 loss to the Raiders (who would imagine the Steel Curtain would ever give up over 40 points?) on Monday night started the slide that ended in a 9-7 season.

1985 Seattle Seahawks
Following a breakout 1984 season in which Seattle won 12 games on the strengths of an opportunistic defense, which intercepted 38 passes and sacked opposing passers 55 times, Seattle seemed set for a Super Bowl run in 1985, which failed to materialize. Result was a mostly up and down campaign that resulted in a final 8-8 record. Interestingly, Seattle went the entire year winning two games followed by two subsequent defeats (wash, rinse, repeat). Back breakers were a pair of three point losses to the Broncos and a week 15 defeat to the Raiders with a post season birth on the line.

2006 & 2009 Pittsburgh Steelers
I have always wondered why the turn of the century Steelers followed Super Bowl winning seasons in 2005 and 2008 with ones in which they do not even make the playoffs. Is it post Super Bowl hangover rearing its ugly head? Lack of maturity and/or experience? What is puzzling is that in both years the Steelers were arguably in their prime and had all the ingredients in place to make deep playoff runs but it never materialized.

After their landmark 1974 draft, the Steelers weren't very consistent in procuring talent, both in draft and elsewhere, and that showed up in 1980 and beyond. Age was beginning to be a factor in 1979, and the reinforcements were lacking, even considering Pittsburgh's lower draft position. And the Steelers also released Dwaine Board and later, Brent Jones, and we know the excellent careers those players had. Big Ben's serious motorcycle accident in 2006 torpedoed the Steelers, as he was rushed back to action, and Pittsburgh went 2-6 over the first half of that season.

[74_75_78_79_]

OK, here are a few that come to mind:

1980 Pittsburgh Steelers
Heading into the 1980 season, many were suggesting that the Steelers would be the first team to win three straight Super Bowls, particularly in light of the depth it fielded that year. Alas, injuries (primarily to the offense) and age (primarily to the defense) eventually curtailed 'one for the thumb', which would not be realized until 25 years later. Six games into the season, Steelers were sitting well at 4-2, but a shocking 34-45 loss to the Raiders (who would imagine the Steel Curtain would ever give up over 40 points?) on Monday night started the slide that ended in a 9-7 season.

1985 Seattle Seahawks
Following a breakout 1984 season in which Seattle won 12 games on the strengths of an opportunistic defense, which intercepted 38 passes and sacked opposing passers 55 times, Seattle seemed set for a Super Bowl run in 1985, which failed to materialize. Result was a mostly up and down campaign that resulted in a final 8-8 record. Interestingly, Seattle went the entire year winning two games followed by two subsequent defeats (wash, rinse, repeat). Back breakers were a pair of three point losses to the Broncos and a week 15 defeat to the Raiders with a post season birth on the line.

2006 & 2009 Pittsburgh Steelers
I have always wondered why the turn of the century Steelers followed Super Bowl winning seasons in 2005 and 2008 with ones in which they do not even make the playoffs. Is it post Super Bowl hangover rearing its ugly head? Lack of maturity and/or experience? What is puzzling is that in both years the Steelers were arguably in their prime and had all the ingredients in place to make deep playoff runs but it never materialized.

After their landmark 1974 draft, the Steelers weren't very consistent in procuring talent, both in draft and elsewhere, and that showed up in 1980 and beyond. Age was beginning to be a factor in 1979, and the reinforcements were lacking, even considering Pittsburgh's lower draft position. And the Steelers also released Dwaine Board and later, Brent Jones, and we know the excellent careers those players had. Big Ben's serious motorcycle accident in 2006 torpedoed the Steelers, as he was rushed back to action, and Pittsburgh went 2-6 over the first half of that season.

Yes, age crept up on the ’Burgh by ’80, but what makes that campaign disappointing was that they still had the depth. Guys like Jim Smith, Theo Bell, Robin Cole to name a few. Guess it simply wasn’t enough.

Big Ben’s accident before the ’06 campaign perhaps the chief reason for not returning to playoffs, but that year marked the first of quite a few years to come of Steelers no longer having a true power run-game. Bettis not too big a role the year prior but provided Steelers with just enough contributions here and there to make the difference. Davenport hardly a replacement for the Bus; didn’t like his straight-up running style considering he being a big guy. Still, Steelers almost did rally, but two blowout defeats to Ravens down stretch proved they not really being deserving of playoffs. At least they had themselves a ‘last laugh’ moral victory to close things out at Cincy; rookie Santonio robbing Bengals of a playoff berth as well.

Disappointing about ’09 is simply Steelers starting out 6-2! Still, they almost rallied to playoffs as well going from 6-7 to 9-7; almost a clone of ’89, but simply too-little-too-late.

Yeah, Seahawks were expected to be a contender again in ’85. Only two things I remember about that season was Jets finally beating them (“here they go again”, I said when Jacob Green returned that fumble 79 yards to put ’Hawks up, 14-0) and that MNF INT-fest at San Fran. They were still respectable that campaign FWIW.

[7DnBrnc53]

After their landmark 1974 draft, the Steelers weren't very consistent in procuring talent, both in draft and elsewhere, and that showed up in 1980 and beyond. Age was beginning to be a factor in 1979, and the reinforcements were lacking, even considering Pittsburgh's lower draft position. And the Steelers also released Dwaine Board and later, Brent Jones, and we know the excellent careers those players had. Big Ben's serious motorcycle accident in 2006 torpedoed the Steelers, as he was rushed back to action, and Pittsburgh went 2-6 over the first half of that season.

From what I heard (after reading The Super 70's by Tom Danyluk) was that the Steelers thought that their system was great, and they could turn anyone into a good player. So, they took less than adequate guys, like Wilile Fry in round 2 in 1978. Also, I do agree that Board's release in 79 was a mistake, but Brent Jones's release came in 1986 (after the dynasty years were over). In a sense, I don't understand the release (they only had Preston Gothard at TE, and Bennie Cunningham retired), but I think that he was released because he wasn't that good of a blocker.

[BD Sullivan]

After their landmark 1974 draft, the Steelers weren't very consistent in procuring talent, both in draft and elsewhere, and that showed up in 1980 and beyond. Age was beginning to be a factor in 1979, and the reinforcements were lacking, even considering Pittsburgh's lower draft position. And the Steelers also released Dwaine Board and later, Brent Jones, and we know the excellent careers those players had. Big Ben's serious motorcycle accident in 2006 torpedoed the Steelers, as he was rushed back to action, and Pittsburgh went 2-6 over the first half of that season.

From what I heard (after reading The Super 70's by Tom Danyluk) was that the Steelers thought that their system was great, and they could turn anyone into a good player. So, they took less than adequate guys, like Wilile Fry in round 2 in 1978. Also, I do agree that Board's release in 79 was a mistake, but Brent Jones's release came in 1986 (after the dynasty years were over). In a sense, I don't understand the release (they only had Preston Gothard at TE, and Bennie Cunningham retired), but I think that he was released because he wasn't that good of a blocker.

Board was released because he would have sat the bench with the still-imposing DL in place.

[JKelly]

1980 New Orleanes Saints after going 8-8-0 in 1979 they bounced back with a clunker of a season 1-15-0, bad defense and no rushing attack. Topped off with running up a 35-7 lead of the 49ers by halftime then blowing the lead and losing in overtime 38-35.

1977 St. Louis Cardinals coming off of 3 straight 10+ win seasons started off 7-3 then proceeded to lose the final 4 games of the season. One was getting throttled on Thanksgiving by the Dolphins 55-14 and in the final game losing to a one win Tampa Bay team. Some of this was attributed to Coryell's feud with Bidwell along with a bit of a drop off in offensive production along with a so so defense that normally plagued most of Coryell's teams over the years.

[BD Sullivan]

1980 New Orleanes Saints after going 8-8-0 in 1979 they bounced back with a clunker of a season 1-15-0, bad defense and no rushing attack. Topped off with running up a 35-7 lead of the 49ers by halftime then blowing the lead and losing in overtime 38-35.

1977 St. Louis Cardinals coming off of 3 straight 10+ win seasons started off 7-3 then proceeded to lose the final 4 games of the season. One was getting throttled on Thanksgiving by the Dolphins 55-14 and in the final game losing to a one win Tampa Bay team. Some of this was attributed to Coryell's feud with Bidwell along with a bit of a drop off in offensive production along with a so so defense that normally plagued most of Coryell's teams over the years.

That loss in the final game was a clear indication that the team was in disarray. They had been eliminated the week before and some of the postgame furor from that game dealt with Coryell's family getting harassed in the stands and other chaos

[Gary Najman]

OK, here are a few that come to mind:

1980 Pittsburgh Steelers
Heading into the 1980 season, many were suggesting that the Steelers would be the first team to win three straight Super Bowls, particularly in light of the depth it fielded that year. Alas, injuries (primarily to the offense) and age (primarily to the defense) eventually curtailed 'one for the thumb', which would not be realized until 25 years later. Six games into the season, Steelers were sitting well at 4-2, but a shocking 34-45 loss to the Raiders (who would imagine the Steel Curtain would ever give up over 40 points?) on Monday night started the slide that ended in a 9-7 season.

They were in a tough division also, but I think that the loss of John Stallworth to injury after three games was crucial. Smith and Bell were good, but not great as Stallworth was.

In the Raiders MNF game, the Steelers once had a 17-7 lead, but Rod Martin returned a Terry Bradshaw fumble for TD, and then Jim Plunkett hit on three long TD passes. Still, by the start of the 4th quarter Oakland led only by a point, 35-34 (for the record, the Steelers were 10-point favorites).