Reverse Paper Tiger Teams

[CSKreager]

In this case, teams that didn't have a gaudy reg. season record but played a tough schedule/tough division (ie the opposite of the 1995 Chiefs).

Teams that were built for the playoffs but not for a 16-week season.

Teams that seemed to be better than their record indicated, if you will.

[sheajets]

My 1993 Jets are the very definition of this.

6th ranked defense in football that was very physical and a good running game. Esiason stabilized the QB position for a year. An oline that allowed the fewest sacks in the NFL I believe. Last 3 games of the season were Cowboys/Bills/Oilers. Year good luck with that. And a big missed call took the win away from us in Buffalo

We should've beaten the Broncos week one but Blair Thomas drops an easy swing pass at the goal line with nobody in front of him. Very tough losses to the Eagles and Raiders where rotten luck and officiating came into play as well.

Rob Moore missing 3 games really hurt. 8 times they held an opponent to 14 points or less (yea I know it was 1993 but still...)

[sheajets]

1980 Broncos as well. Played the future Champion Raiders very hard late in the year with. Losing by 6 pts and then by 3pts in games that could've gone either way

Beat the 12-4 Cowboys and 11-5 Browns. Lost by only 4 to the 11-5 Oilers. Beat the 11-5 Chargers. Hard luck 8-8

[JWL]

Yes, the 1993 Jets were victimized by the officials in games at the Raiders and Bills.

As for the Denver game, I am pretty sure Blair Thomas caught the pass at the end of the game and just couldn't keep his balance. His momentum then took him out of bounds.

[BD Sullivan]

The 1975 Oilers only played 14 games, but finished 10-4. Unfortunately, being in the same division as playoff teams Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, they ended up watching the postseason, instead of taking part. Those four losses all came against either the Steelers or Bengals:

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/ ... i/1975.htm

[JuggernautJ]

Teams that seemed to be better than their record indicated, if you will.

How about both of the recent Giants champions?

In 2007 the NYGs were 10-6 with the 14th ranked Offense and 17th ranked Defense yet they managed to upset (to put it mildly) an undefeated Patriots team that was almost universally anointed as one of the all-time greats.
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/ ... g/2007.htm

The Giants "repeated" the feat in 2011 when their 9-7 team, with the 9th ranked Offense and 25th ranked Defense again defeated the favored Patriots for the NFL championship.
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/ ... g/2011.htm

I would say both those Giants teams out-performed their paper selves.

[Todd Pence]

1985 Seahawks finished 8-8 with the toughest schedule in the league. Finished with same point differential as division champion Raiders. Lost four by a touchdown or less.

[7DnBrnc53]

1980 Broncos as well. Played the future Champion Raiders very hard late in the year with. Losing by 6 pts and then by 3pts in games that could've gone either way

Beat the 12-4 Cowboys and 11-5 Browns. Lost by only 4 to the 11-5 Oilers. Beat the 11-5 Chargers. Hard luck 8-8

The 1980 Broncos played nine games against teams that would finish above .500 (they were 3-6 in those games, and 5-2 against teams .500 or below. The two losses came against 8-8 KC).

What hurt them was the Matt Robinson trade, plain and simple.

[74_75_78_79_]

The 2008 Eagles.

May be the very best 9-win (9-6-1) team in the 16-game era. Perhaps the best Andy Reid Eagles squad? For starters, they did beat both SB-participants-to-be. They clobbered Big Ben in Week #3 and late in the season beat the Cards even more convincingly.

#6 in pts scored, #4 in pts allowed

#9 in yardage gained, #3 in yards allowed

Impressive for a 9-winner! Beat the 12-4, NFC top-seed, G-men twice in a row on the road and came razor-close to winning the NFCC the following week. I remember, upon they eliminating Giants, being worried about my Steelers possibly facing them in SBXLIII. Maybe an unnecessary worry but can’t blame me. And, yes - it is Football Outsiders, but FWIW they do proclaim them as the best team that year “play-for-play”.


The ’96 Cowboys.

They’re another team that beat both SB-participants-to-be as well - beating GB convincingly on MNF without even scoring a TD. And their win vs Pats...yes, they don’t score a TD either but neither do Pats (Boniol vs Vinatieri kickers-duel). They did beat SF (and on the road) for the first time since ’93. Finished 9-3 with that loss to Wash in finale mainly a case of they already having division wrapped (#22 didn’t play).

I had no reason, especially after their 1st-Rd thumping of Vikes, to think Big D didn’t have a good enough chance to win it yet again. This despite an even less spectacular regular season than the year before and yet another year removed from Jimmy. Still had the Pack’s #.


I do proclaim the anti-paper-tiger ‘kings’ to be...the ’88 Forty Niners! The 2010 Packers another very worthy mention! Yes, my ’05 Steelers too but even better...(of COURSE better)...the ’74 installment!

[7DnBrnc53]

1980 Broncos as well. Played the future Champion Raiders very hard late in the year with. Losing by 6 pts and then by 3pts in games that could've gone either way

Beat the 12-4 Cowboys and 11-5 Browns. Lost by only 4 to the 11-5 Oilers. Beat the 11-5 Chargers. Hard luck 8-8

I would put the 10-6 1981 Broncos in here as well. They played in a division that had two other teams finish over .500 (Chargers and Chiefs), as well as the defending World Champion Raiders (a dangerous team that would bounce back in 1982).

In addition, they had to play @Buffalo, @Cincinnati, and @NFC Central Champ Tampa. They even had to finish on the road @AFC West killer Chicago (they were a bad team, but it still wasn't an easy task in the cold).