LUCKIEST single-season teams?

[Todd Pence]

1986 KC Chiefs, anyone?

[Jay Z]

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.

Thing is, the Cowboys really didn't beat anybody either. No wins against playoff teams. Vikings beat the Lions twice, clobbered the Cowboys. Vikings were the dominant statistical team, even without Kapp. Had a bad defensive game against the Niners. Cuozzo was not good, but Morton wasn't good either.

Blanda won MVP that year. Not only was he not the best kicker, he wasn't even the best backup QB? Morrall was, capping it off in the Super Bowl.

[7DnBrnc53]

1986 KC Chiefs, anyone?

That's another good one. They were able to ride a fifth-place schedule and tie-breakers into the playoffs, where their lack of offense (specifically, the lack of a running game) caught up to them.

[BD Sullivan]

1986 KC Chiefs, anyone?

That's another good one. They were able to ride a fifth-place schedule and tie-breakers into the playoffs, where their lack of offense (specifically, the lack of a running game) caught up to them.

The 85 Browns now come to mind, considering they stumbled into the postseason with a 8-8 DIVISION_WINNING record--while Denver watched on TV with their 11-5 record. At least the Browns put together 2 1/2 solid quarters in their playoff game before blowing a 21-3 lead over the Dolphins. What's equally bizarre is that they would have hosted the championship game--since WC New England defeated the Raiders.

[Gary Najman]

1986 KC Chiefs, anyone?

I loved how their two safeties (Deron Cherry and Lloyd Burruss) 14 passes between them for nearly 350 yards and scored a total of 6 touchdowns between them.

[Gary Najman]

I always thought that the 1985 Cowboys were lucky in beating the Giants both times to win the NFC East (I believed the Giants were the better team that year). In the first matchup, a then-rare Sunday Night game at the Meadowlands, the Cowboys won 30-29 thanks to a late Phil Simms's fumble snap that setup a Rafael Septien FG (In this game Danny White was intercepted four times). In the game at Texas Stadium, the GIants were winning 14-7 and the end of the first half and were on the way to increase their lead when "Too Tall Jones" tipped a SImms' pass backwards and JIm Jeffcoat was in the right place to intercept it and returned it for the tying TD. In the next series, a botched punt by Sean Landeta left the ball at their 12-yard line, where the Cowboys scored the leading TD. Although both Danny White and Gary Hogeboom were knocked out of the game, a late Steve Pelluer-to-Karl Powe pass gave the Cowboys a crucial first down to preserve a 28-21 victory and the NFC East title.

[JWL]

2005 Steelers

[7DnBrnc53]

The 2001 Bears would certainly qualify. Their 13-3 season was a big fluke.

Week 2: They were down 10-3 going into the fourth quarter, and the score was tied at 10 with 6:38 left when the Vikings tried a fake punt that failed. The Bears got the ball on the Minnesota 45, and went down to get a TD to take the lead. The Vikings had a late drive going, and had a second and three on their own 48 when a holding call negated a 17-yard Culpepper connection to TE Byron Chamberlain.

Week 4: Down 13-6, the Cardinals had two drives in Chicago territory short-circuited by a penalty and a fumble (returned 69 yards for a TD by R.W. McQuarters). That turned out to be the difference (the Cardinals had 16 first downs to 13 for Chicago, and they out-gained them 288-253. They also won the turnover battle (3 to 1), but the one fumble was costly, as I just described.

Weeks 7-8: These wins against the 49ers and Browns in OT are the prime example of what a fluke team this 01 Bear team really was.

In Week 7, the 49ers increased their lead to 31-16 on a 40-yard Jose "baby" Cortez FG after a 7+-minute root canal drive (they had a 3rd and 3, but Garcia went deep to TO and overthrew him). The Bears went on to score 15 unanswered points in regulation, and send the game into OT. In the extra frame, the Bears got a fluky INT TD on the first play from S Mike Brown after the ball went up in the air off of TO.

In Week 8, the Browns had a 21-7 lead over the Bears with 32 seconds left. The Shane Matthews Band hit Marty Booker with a TD pass to cut it to seven. Then, after getting an onside kick on a fluky bounce, tied the game on a Hail Mary pass that James Allen caught off a deflection. They also win in OT with another deflected pass returned for a TD by S Mike Brown.

Week 12: They trailed the 0-10 Lions 10-6 before taking a 13-10 lead with 5:37 left on a Leon Johnson TD run. The Lions (led by QB Mike McMahon) drove the ball down to the Bear 21 before they had three incompletions (one on third down to Johnnie Morton was overturned) and a missed Jason Hanson 40-yard FG.

Week 15: The Redskins were trailing 20-13 late in the game and had a first and ten on Chicago's 12 when Tony Banks completed a nine-yard pass to Rod Gardner. The Bears were called for defensive holding, but instead of having a first and ten at the six, they took a second and one at the three. They weren't able to get it in, and Chicago held on.

[conace21]

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.

While the Bills certainly won those game with a lot of unusual plays, it should be noted that there weren't a lot of unforced errors by the opposition. The Bills made the plays. Against Denver (who did dominate the LOS on both sides of the ball), Buffalo blocked two FG's. The second was a great play by Nate Odomes, though the Bills did get a fortunate bounce... the blocked FG went up in the air and came down in the arms of Cornelius Bennett, who had nothing but open field ahead of him.
Next possession, Leon Seals jumps and tips an Elway pass. Again, the ball landed fortuitously for the Bills, right in the arms of Leonard Smith, and he weaved through the Broncos for a TD and the lead. Then came the only unforced error, but even that could be chalked up to the Bills fans, who were going crazy after Smith scored, and the Broncos started their next possession at the five. John Elway, who had a habit of whining about crowd noise, pleaded with the ref for relief from the 80,000 screaming fans. The ref issued a warning over his mic, but Elway was so shaken he just dropped the snap. Bennett recovered, setting up the third touchdown. Credit the 12th Man with forcing that fumble.
Against LA, Buffalo scored on a deep pass to James Lofton. Steve Tasker blocked a punt, and not for the first time. Bennett sacked Jay Schroeder and forced a fumble that set up a FG. On the next drive, Odomes literally yanked the ball out of Willie Gault's hands and took off down the sidelines for a score.

[Crazy Packers Fan]

The 2001 Bears would certainly qualify. Their 13-3 season was a big fluke.

Week 2: They were down 10-3 going into the fourth quarter, and the score was tied at 10 with 6:38 left when the Vikings tried a fake punt that failed. The Bears got the ball on the Minnesota 45, and went down to get a TD to take the lead. The Vikings had a late drive going, and had a second and three on their own 48 when a holding call negated a 17-yard Culpepper connection to TE Byron Chamberlain.

Week 4: Down 13-6, the Cardinals had two drives in Chicago territory short-circuited by a penalty and a fumble (returned 69 yards for a TD by R.W. McQuarters). That turned out to be the difference (the Cardinals had 16 first downs to 13 for Chicago, and they out-gained them 288-253. They also won the turnover battle (3 to 1), but the one fumble was costly, as I just described.

Weeks 7-8: These wins against the 49ers and Browns in OT are the prime example of what a fluke team this 01 Bear team really was.

In Week 7, the 49ers increased their lead to 31-16 on a 40-yard Jose "baby" Cortez FG after a 7+-minute root canal drive (they had a 3rd and 3, but Garcia went deep to TO and overthrew him). The Bears went on to score 15 unanswered points in regulation, and send the game into OT. In the extra frame, the Bears got a fluky INT TD on the first play from S Mike Brown after the ball went up in the air off of TO.

In Week 8, the Browns had a 21-7 lead over the Bears with 32 seconds left. The Shane Matthews Band hit Marty Booker with a TD pass to cut it to seven. Then, after getting an onside kick on a fluky bounce, tied the game on a Hail Mary pass that James Allen caught off a deflection. They also win in OT with another deflected pass returned for a TD by S Mike Brown.

Week 12: They trailed the 0-10 Lions 10-6 before taking a 13-10 lead with 5:37 left on a Leon Johnson TD run. The Lions (led by QB Mike McMahon) drove the ball down to the Bear 21 before they had three incompletions (one on third down to Johnnie Morton was overturned) and a missed Jason Hanson 40-yard FG.

Week 15: The Redskins were trailing 20-13 late in the game and had a first and ten on Chicago's 12 when Tony Banks completed a nine-yard pass to Rod Gardner. The Bears were called for defensive holding, but instead of having a first and ten at the six, they took a second and one at the three. They weren't able to get it in, and Chicago held on.

The 2001 Bears are the first team that came to mind when I read the topic title. I remember picking them to lose to the Eagles in the playoffs, then going back on my pick at the last moment. I was none too surprised when they lost, anyway.