The 5 weakest ’70s teams to make it to CCG
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74_75_78_79_
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The 5 weakest ’70s teams to make it to CCG
I’m guessing the very ’79 team that hosted (and got shut out in) their respective conference championship game will be just about everyone’s ‘#1’; but a few other not-so-stellar ones come to mind as well.
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ChrisBabcock
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Re: The 5 weakest ’70s teams to make it to CCG
Also maybe even their opponent in that game.I’m guessing the very ’79 team that hosted (and got shut out in) their respective conference championship game will be just about everyone’s ‘#1’; but a few other not-so-stellar ones come to mind as well.
Re: The 5 weakest ’70s teams to make it to CCG
The other three would be the 1970 Raiders, 73 Raiders, and 78 Oilers.
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BD Sullivan
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Re: The 5 weakest ’70s teams to make it to CCG
The '71 Colts beat an equally-weak Browns team, with conspiracy theorists noting how one week before that game, the Colts dogged it against the 5-8 Pats, who had lost all of their six road games up to that point. Had the Colts won, they would have gone to KC for the Christmas Day game, with the Chiefs the favorite entering that postseason.
In the AFC CC game, they got shut out 21-0 and the next season, they collapsed.
In the AFC CC game, they got shut out 21-0 and the next season, they collapsed.
Re: The 5 weakest ’70s teams to make it to CCG
Statisically, the 1971 Colts were better than the 1970 team.BD Sullivan wrote:The '71 Colts beat an equally-weak Browns team, with conspiracy theorists noting how one week before that game, the Colts dogged it against the 5-8 Pats, who had lost all of their six road games up to that point. Had the Colts won, they would have gone to KC for the Christmas Day game, with the Chiefs the favorite entering that postseason.
In the AFC CC game, they got shut out 21-0 and the next season, they collapsed.
Really surprised no one has mentioned the 1977 Vikings. Overachieved to go 9-5 and didn't beat anyone of note except the Bears, in OT, at home. Also without their starting QB in the playoffs.
Re: The 5 weakest ’70s teams to make it to CCG
If the Bears win that OT game, they are 10-4, and they would have had the NFC Central Title and the #2 seed since they beat the 10-4 Rams earlier that year.Really surprised no one has mentioned the 1977 Vikings. Overachieved to go 9-5 and didn't beat anyone of note except the Bears, in OT, at home. Also without their starting QB in the playoffs.
The 9-5 Redskins would have been the recipients of the Wild Card. They would have gone to Soldier Field, and the Rams would have gone to Dallas.
I think the Cowboys steamroll the Rams, and the Redskins find a way past Chicago. That would have set up another Washington-Dallas playoff matchup. The Cowboys end up winning, but I think it would have been closer than their matchup with Minnesota was.
As a result, maybe George Allen gets one more year in D.C, and the Rams give a guy by the name of Bill Walsh a chance at HC instead of hiring Allen.
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74_75_78_79_
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Re: The 5 weakest ’70s teams to make it to CCG
I may have bitten off more than I can chew with this! Thinking things over, turns out that '#1' isn't the '79 Bucs with me (they're #2 weakest instead). The problem is that after #3, I'm at a halt! Don't know who to place at #4 yet alone #5.
With exception of ’73 Raiders, that I don’t wish to see as a solid candidate in this, every other team mentioned so far I thought of when starting this thread. Beating Miami on Week #2, thus snapping their 18-game win streak, beating a good Denver team in a critical ‘division title or bust’ finale, getting revenge on the ’Burgh in the divisional, and simply being smack in middle of years of greatness, makes me want to keep Madden’s '73 bunch out of this.
I also knew that the 10-6 ’78 Oilers would be mentioned but, like those ’73 Raiders, I feel they also have a solid argument to get off the hook. You can hold their minus-15-point-differential against them but as I mentioned on another post, it was all in that 21-point finale loss at SD with Oilers having already clinched. You can also credit the Fairbanks fiasco for their (convincing) divisional playoff win at NE, but they did beat the Pats at Schaefer Week #11 as well in addition to beating Miami in Week #12 - whom they would also beat again in the WC and on the road (by more than a TD). Last but not least they hand the ’Burgh their first loss; on the road and on Prime Time, mind you. And with #34 making such a debut with authority...yes, would prefer to not include them either.
I did think ’79 Rams would be mentioned, but I wish to exclude them as well. Yes, the very mediocre regular season, but due to their all-decade-long credibility, which they obviously returned right back to once the playoffs began (winning at Big D, leading Steelers after three quarters), I don't feel like including them.
I do remember hearing that ’71 Colts were statistically better than ’70, and after giving their season another look - I believe it! #1 defense yardage-wise (#2 in pts scored) and the 5th best O in points scored. By regular season's end, you had to give 10-4 them no less a chance to return to the SB than division-winner by a half-game Miami and the other 10-3-1 finisher, KC. Can't include them either and, no, not going to even think of considering their statistically weaker 'un-pretty' SB champion installment of the previous year.
So where does this leave me? Got to include at least two more to round out my (bottom) 5. Here's what I got for now...
1) '77 Vikings
2) '79 Buccaneers
3) '70 Raiders
Yes, Jay, I certainly did think of the '77 Vikings upon OP; but wasn't sure at first that I'd place them at the top (bottom). As already mentioned, they barely split with a 'bleh' barely-good one-dimensional Bears team. Yes, they bring Champ-to-be Dallas into OT opening week FWIW, but would go on to suffer lopsided affairs to Rams, Cardinals (at home), and Raiders. Many feel it was the Coliseum mud that actually got Vikings back to the NFCCG, theorizing that a divisional date at the Met would have resulted in an elimination instead. Yes, it took a monsoon to prevent TB from suffering an historic collapse, but at least they scored themselves a more credible playoff victory against a just-about-SB-caliber Vermeil team; and scored a couple quality regular season wins to boot. If Vikes have Tarkenton for the whole '77 campaign? Different story, they're at least not '#1' on this list if on this list at all.
Okay, gang, help me decide which of the above mentioned teams that I must, reluctantly, place at #4 and #5? Or if, maybe, the '70 Raiders should be ranked 'lower' or maybe not be on this list at all? Didn't realize this be such a tough exercise!
With exception of ’73 Raiders, that I don’t wish to see as a solid candidate in this, every other team mentioned so far I thought of when starting this thread. Beating Miami on Week #2, thus snapping their 18-game win streak, beating a good Denver team in a critical ‘division title or bust’ finale, getting revenge on the ’Burgh in the divisional, and simply being smack in middle of years of greatness, makes me want to keep Madden’s '73 bunch out of this.
I also knew that the 10-6 ’78 Oilers would be mentioned but, like those ’73 Raiders, I feel they also have a solid argument to get off the hook. You can hold their minus-15-point-differential against them but as I mentioned on another post, it was all in that 21-point finale loss at SD with Oilers having already clinched. You can also credit the Fairbanks fiasco for their (convincing) divisional playoff win at NE, but they did beat the Pats at Schaefer Week #11 as well in addition to beating Miami in Week #12 - whom they would also beat again in the WC and on the road (by more than a TD). Last but not least they hand the ’Burgh their first loss; on the road and on Prime Time, mind you. And with #34 making such a debut with authority...yes, would prefer to not include them either.
I did think ’79 Rams would be mentioned, but I wish to exclude them as well. Yes, the very mediocre regular season, but due to their all-decade-long credibility, which they obviously returned right back to once the playoffs began (winning at Big D, leading Steelers after three quarters), I don't feel like including them.
I do remember hearing that ’71 Colts were statistically better than ’70, and after giving their season another look - I believe it! #1 defense yardage-wise (#2 in pts scored) and the 5th best O in points scored. By regular season's end, you had to give 10-4 them no less a chance to return to the SB than division-winner by a half-game Miami and the other 10-3-1 finisher, KC. Can't include them either and, no, not going to even think of considering their statistically weaker 'un-pretty' SB champion installment of the previous year.
So where does this leave me? Got to include at least two more to round out my (bottom) 5. Here's what I got for now...
1) '77 Vikings
2) '79 Buccaneers
3) '70 Raiders
Yes, Jay, I certainly did think of the '77 Vikings upon OP; but wasn't sure at first that I'd place them at the top (bottom). As already mentioned, they barely split with a 'bleh' barely-good one-dimensional Bears team. Yes, they bring Champ-to-be Dallas into OT opening week FWIW, but would go on to suffer lopsided affairs to Rams, Cardinals (at home), and Raiders. Many feel it was the Coliseum mud that actually got Vikings back to the NFCCG, theorizing that a divisional date at the Met would have resulted in an elimination instead. Yes, it took a monsoon to prevent TB from suffering an historic collapse, but at least they scored themselves a more credible playoff victory against a just-about-SB-caliber Vermeil team; and scored a couple quality regular season wins to boot. If Vikes have Tarkenton for the whole '77 campaign? Different story, they're at least not '#1' on this list if on this list at all.
Okay, gang, help me decide which of the above mentioned teams that I must, reluctantly, place at #4 and #5? Or if, maybe, the '70 Raiders should be ranked 'lower' or maybe not be on this list at all? Didn't realize this be such a tough exercise!