LUCKIEST single-season teams?

[Todd Pence]

Who are the squads who got the breaks go their way during their campaign? The teams who got the soft schedules, the bounces that went their way, the easy path through the playoffs? The ones who played over their heads or better than their statistics might indicate?

One that immediately comes to mind is the Baltimore Colts of 1970. Although still two years removed from their juggernaut unit of '68, Baltimore was, while still being solid on defense, hardly an overwhelming team. They lucked out by being in a division that, besides Don Shula's Dolphins taking their first baby steps toward dynasty, terrible. In the opening of the playoffs they drew a weak Cincinnati team. Then they got home field against a Raider team that had run out of miracles for the season. In the Super Bowl, they triumphed despite being outplayed by Dallas, highlighted by a tipped pass reception for a TD, a phantom fumble recovery at the goal line, and another tipped ball resulting in a game-changing INT in the contest's final moments.

[7DnBrnc53]

While we are on the subject of 1970, what about the Raiders? The prime examples are the games they played @KC and @NYJ.

At KC, they benefited from a Ben Davidson late hit when there were multiple penalties. It prevented the Chiefs from running out the clock, and the Raiders were able to get a tie.

At NYJ, they only won because of a hail mary to Warren Wells at the gun.

[lastcat3]

'89 Broncos. '89 was perhaps the lowest point for the AFC during the NFC string of Super Bowl victories. Only one team in the AFC had more than nine victories that season. The Broncos. Whatever stats they accumulated that season probably meant very little because they played in a conference full of a bunch of .500 teams or worse.

[7DnBrnc53]

'89 Broncos. '89 was perhaps the lowest point for the AFC during the NFC string of Super Bowl victories. Only one team in the AFC had more than nine victories that season. The Broncos. Whatever stats they accumulated that season probably meant very little because they played in a conference full of a bunch of .500 teams or worse.

I would have to admit that the 89 Broncos were lucky. The Bills and Bengals didn't play up to expectations that year, and their own division was mediocre. They also pulled out three division games that they could have lost (SD, @SEA, @KC), and they were lucky to beat the Steelers in the AFC Divisional Round.

In addition, I would also say that the 87 and 91 versions were pretty lucky as well. The 87 version may have went downhill if they lose that MNF to the Bears in Week 10. The pivotal play in that game was Fridge's fumble at the goal line in the second quarter with Chicago up 14-7. If the Bears score, they probably blow Denver out, and their season probably doesn't go in the same direction (after that, they had to come from behind to beat NE in Wk 13, they needed Lowery to miss a FG to avoid OT in Week 15, and had the Chargers at home in a blizzard on the season's last day).

The 91 team had a solid defense that was third in points allowed, but they were greatly aided by a fifth place schedule. They had eight wins by seven points or less, and one by eight points (here are the ones that stand out):

Week 3: The Seahawks had the ball late in the red zone, but were unable to score (Broncos won 16-10)
Week 4: John Friesz missed two open WR's for TD's, and Junior Seau had an INT called back because Burt Grossman was offsides (Broncos won 27-19)
Week 9: Jason Staurovsky had a FG blocked by Dennis Smith, and Hugh Millen ran the ball and let the time run out instead of throwing it away (Broncos won 9-6)
Week 10: Gary Anderson misses a FG, and Eric Green can't bring in an O'Donnell pass in the end zone late in the game (Broncos win 20-13)
Week 16: They had to pull one out late against a lowly Cardinal team (Broncos win 24-19)

[ChrisBabcock]

This will probably be borderline blasphemous to a few readers here, but I'll nominate the 1990 Bills as one of the luckiest teams ever. They had a early season stretch of come from behind wins over the Broncos, Raiders and Jets that all could have easily been losses. The first two scoring 24 and 20 points in the 4th quarter. Losses in those games takes them from 13-3 and home field advantage to 10-6 and having to travel to Kansas City in the wild card round.

[7DnBrnc53]

This will probably be borderline blasphemous to a few readers here, but I'll nominate the 1990 Bills as one of the luckiest teams ever. They had a early season stretch of come from behind wins over the Broncos, Raiders and Jets that all could have easily been losses. The first two scoring 24 and 20 points in the 4th quarter. Losses in those games takes them from 13-3 and home field advantage to 10-6 and having to travel to Kansas City in the wild card round.

That may have been the most pivotal three-game stretch in the team's history. If they don't have that FG block return by Bennett, and lose the Denver game, that team may have lost the next two, and ended up with a 8-8 season or something like that (the year before, they were known as the Bickering Bills, and that may have returned with a 2-4 start).

[BD Sullivan]

While we are on the subject of 1970, what about the Raiders? The prime examples are the games they played @KC and @NYJ.

At KC, they benefited from a Ben Davidson late hit when there were multiple penalties. It prevented the Chiefs from running out the clock, and the Raiders were able to get a tie.

At NYJ, they only won because of a hail mary to Warren Wells at the gun.

There was also the Cleveland game (the week after the KC tie), where Blanda led them to a tying score with 1:34 left--after Blanda converted on 4th-and-15. The Browns then had the ball 1st-and-10 at their 42 when Bill Nelsen got picked off with 52 seconds left. With 12 seconds to go, the Raiders were at midfield on third-and-20 and no timeouts when they got flagged for illegal procedure. The Browns could have refused the penalty, but decided to push back the Raiders to their own 45. Blanda hit Hewritt Dixon with a quick flare and he stepped out of bounds at the Browns 46 with seven seconds o go. Blanda then booted a 53-yarder for the win.

[7DnBrnc53]

This category is perfect for the 1995 Chiefs:

Week 2: The Giants had a 17-3 lead in the fourth quarter and blew it, losing 20-17 in OT. In the fifth quarter, they had a chance to recover a fumble around their own 15, but they blew it.
Week 3: The Raiders had a 17-7 lead going into the fourth quarter that they blew. In OT, they had a pass complete to the KC 28 that was called back because of holding. Then, on the next play, the official got in the way of Tim Brown, allowing James Hasty to return the INT 64 yards for the game winner.
Week 6: In OT, Lewis Bush dropped an INT that would have put the Chargers fairly deep in KC territory.
Week 12: With the game heading into OT, Oiler RB Todd McNair fumbles, and Mark Collins returns it 34 yards for a TD.

[7DnBrnc53]

While we are on the subject of 1970, what about the Raiders? The prime examples are the games they played @KC and @NYJ.

At KC, they benefited from a Ben Davidson late hit when there were multiple penalties. It prevented the Chiefs from running out the clock, and the Raiders were able to get a tie.

At NYJ, they only won because of a hail mary to Warren Wells at the gun.

There was also the Cleveland game (the week after the KC tie), where Blanda led them to a tying score with 1:34 left--after Blanda converted on 4th-and-15. The Browns then had the ball 1st-and-10 at their 42 when Bill Nelsen got picked off with 52 seconds left. With 12 seconds to go, the Raiders were at midfield on third-and-20 and no timeouts when they got flagged for illegal procedure. The Browns could have refused the penalty, but decided to push back the Raiders to their own 45. Blanda hit Hewritt Dixon with a quick flare and he stepped out of bounds at the Browns 46 with seven seconds o go. Blanda then booted a 53-yarder for the win.

OK, thanks. I knew that Blanda tied that game with a late FG, but I didn't have the details. Also, they were down at home 20-7 to the Broncos that year and had to come back, didn't they (I think that one of their TD's in that game was a pass that was tipped to Warren Wells)?

[BD Sullivan]

Also, they were down at home 20-7 to the Broncos that year and had to come back, didn't they (I think that one of their TD's in that game was a pass that was tipped to Warren Wells)?

Raiders were actually down 17-7, but Wells did grab a TD pass that had been tipped by Bill Thompson. Interestingly, the Broncos entered that game 3-0 and the Raiders 0-2-1.

The Blanda game-winner against the Browns got somewhat overshadowed because it happened the same day as Tom Dempsey's 63-yarder.