Missed Opportunities That Could Have Altered NFL History

[Brian wolf]

Also, in the final minutes of that AFL Championship game, Boozer for the Jets fumbles but no Raider is around and the ball just rolls back to him ...

In SB III of course, the Colts squander scoring opportunities but Namath could have had three interceptions.
The first chance was dropped by LB Don Shinnick with George Sauer making a heads up play by knocking the ball out of his hands, the second pass was anticipated by CB Lenny Lyles who just missed intercepting or tipping the pass that still was caught by Sauer and of course the HUGE drop by SS Logan who had nothing but open field ahead of him for a TD ... NBC play-by-play announcer Curt Gowdy dryly remarked " The Colts have had trouble hanging on to the ball today, first Mackey, now Logan" ... and Richardson as well.

[GameBeforeTheMoney]

What if the Packers drafted Barry Sanders with the second pick in the 1989 draft?

Barry Sanders, Brett Favre, Sterling Sharpe....look out.

[RichardBak]

Harley Sewell getting a roughing call on punter Horace Gillom in the 1954 Detroit-Cleveland title game. At the time the Lions were up, 3-0, in first quarter, and would've gotten the ball back, ready to roll behind big guns Bobby Layne, Doak Walker, et al. Instead Cleveland got a fresh set of downs and, two plays later, Otto Graham hit Ray Renfro for a TD and a 7-3 lead. Browns never looked back, walloping Detroit 56-10. Buddy Parker always considered that game the worst moment of his coaching career, and that penalty the most pivotal. For the first time, he had decided to aggressively try to block a punt instead of setting up for the return by Jack Christiansen, the league's most dangerous return man. The result was disaster.

At the time, Paul Brown was winless in 9 tries vs Parker's Lions: 0-8-1 (incl. ex games). In fact, the Lions had just beaten the Browns, 14-10, the Sunday before on the same field when Layne engineered a last-minute drive in a snowstorm. The Lions started the '54 title game like a house on fire. Bill Bowman ripped off a 50-yard run on the first play from scrimmage, but Lew Carpenter lost a fumble on the next play. Moments later, Joe Schmidt intercepted Graham, putting the Lions back around the Browns' 30. On the very next play, Layne hit Dorne Dibble with a perfect pass as he was legging it into the end zone---and Dibble dropped it. So it was clear it was gonna be one of those kind of days even before Sewell's roughing call.

Had the Lions continued their domination over the Browns for just one more afternoon (as oddsmakers and the press thought they would), Detroit would've become the first team since the league split into 2 divisions to capture 3 straight titles---something that in all this time only the 1965-67 Packers have ever been able to do. I know I'm prejudiced, but that roughing call prevented the 1952-54 Detroit squad from getting the recognition it truly deserves as one of the best-balanced and most versatile groups ever to win multiple championships. History basically remembers them as a colorful bunch, but that tends to overshadow the team's talent and grit. Three straight titles would've made Detroit the undisputed "Team of the '50s," and it certainly would've made Parker a slam-dunk for the HOF, an honor that still eludes him.

[Ronfitch]

What if the Packers drafted Barry Sanders with the second pick in the 1989 draft?

Barry Sanders, Brett Favre, Sterling Sharpe....look out.

But Favre is not a sure bet at that point. In '89, the Packers put together a 10-6 record with an offense that averaged 4.4 ypc and earned Brent Fullwood a Pro Bowl. Seems likely that the line would have done well for Sanders to do his thing and - taking carries and that Pro Bowl slot from Fullwood - begin a spectacular career in Green Bay. But Green Bay also had a Pro Bowl QB that year in Don Majkowski.

Does having Sanders in the backfield - along with Sharpe, TEs Ed West and rookie Jackie Harris in '89 lead to better seasons and Wolf is never brought in to Green Bay, and therefore neither is Favre?

[7DnBrnc53]

On You Tube, I was looking at the Denver@Cleveland partial game (on NFL Throwback) from 2008. It made me sad, and thinking about what may have been.

Denver's offense was awesome that year. They were on the verge of something great if they got the defense going.

In Week 16 of the 2008 season, the Broncos were leading the Bills, 13-3 with 2:00 left in the first half. Shanny should have called a punt, but he decided to let a slumping Matt Prater try a 54-yard FG in the cold. He missed, the Bills went down and cut the lead to three before the half, and went on to win 30-23.

I sometimes wonder what would have happened if Shanny punted. I think the Broncos win that game and wrap up the AFC West, which would have saved Mike's job no matter what happened in the playoffs.

[Brian wolf]

Another missed opportunity was the Cowboys against the Eagles in the final game of the 1980 regular season. Playing fired up in front of fans at Texas Stadium, the Cowboys went up 35-10 in the third quarter. Had they maintained this lead or scored more points, the Cowboys would have won the division based on point differential over the Eagles but QB Ron Jaworski led a furious comeback and pulled the Eagles to within eight points. Though the Cowboys won the game 35-27, they lost the division and home-field advantage. They had beaten the eventual champions, the Raiders 17-13 during the season ... They were hard to beat at home and a SB win would have put Pearson and Martin in the HOF and helped Danny White's case as well. I also feel White should be considered for the HOVG based upon his winning pct ...

Everyone knows about Pearson's big catch to put Dallas in scoring range at the end of the 1981/82 NFC Championship game in SF but on a play that could have set up Septien for the game winning FG, White went back to pass but his right guard missed his block on DT Lawrence Pillars, who hit White, forcing a fumble which was recovered by Jim Stuckey. As tough a loss as any game in Cowboy's history.

[Brian wolf]

The Browns had opportunities slip through their hands against the Raiders in the 1980/81 playoffs. Though Sipe had his huge Mistake By The Lake interception to seal the game for Oakland, earlier in the ballgame the Browns receivers dropped three potential touchdowns, two by Dave Logan and one by Reggie Rucker off his hands in the endzone ... Had they won, maybe they could have beaten the Chargers to go to their first SB, instead, the Browns are not relevant again till winning the division to close the 1985 season ...

[7DnBrnc53]

Another missed opportunity was the Cowboys against the Eagles in the final game of the 1980 regular season. Playing fired up in front of fans at Texas Stadium, the Cowboys went up 35-10 in the third quarter. Had they maintained this lead or scored more points, the Cowboys would have won the division based on point differential over the Eagles but QB Ron Jaworski led a furious comeback and pulled the Eagles to within eight points. Though the Cowboys won the game 35-27, they lost the division and home-field advantage. They had beaten the eventual champions, the Raiders 17-13 during the season ... They were hard to beat at home and a SB win would have put Pearson and Martin in the HOF and helped Danny White's case as well. I also feel White should be considered for the HOVG based upon his winning pct ...

There was that game, and there was the blown call earlier that year against the Eagles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxSCIvDcioU

If Dallas won the earlier game in Philly, they are 13-3, and the Eagles are 11-5.

Speaking of 1980, though, I want to switch gears and talk about the Browns@Vikings game in Week 15.

Late in the game, the Browns had an eight point lead, but lost a fumble in Viking territory, which led to the comeback (that ended with the Rashad Hail Mary).

If the Browns hold on there, and still win against Cincy, they are 12-4 and get home field in the AFC Playoffs.

Also, that puts the Lions in the playoffs, and makes the Bills the #2 seed.

With these results above changed, you have Dallas, Atlanta, and Detroit as the NFC division champs (with Philly@LA as WC), and you have the Browns, Bills (who beat SD earlier that year), and Chargers as division champs (with Hou@Oak as WC).

In the AFC, the Raiders still win over the Oilers and Browns, but I think they end up in Buffalo instead of SD, and the Raiders don't survive another Ice Station Zebra. Bills go to first SB.

In the NFC, the Rams beat the Eagles before losing to Dallas. Then, after the Falcons beat Detroit, they go to their first NFC Title Game. I think that Dallas wins, but the vibe around the Falcons is more positive than in reality (when they blew a lead with a little over six minutes left).

Now, SB XV is Bills vs. Cowboys (12-13 years earlier). It is a closer game than the Raiders-Eagles SB, but the veteran Cowboys pull it out.

That is huge for Tom Landry (who gets his third ring), and Danny White (whose legacy is totally improved). Maybe Landry actually retires around 1986 or sooner, especially if they find a way to win another one. If he does, you may not see Jerry and Jimmy in Big D.

[Jay Z]

The Browns had opportunities slip through their hands against the Raiders in the 1980/81 playoffs. Though Sipe had his huge Mistake By The Lake interception to seal the game for Oakland, earlier in the ballgame the Browns receivers dropped three potential touchdowns, two by Dave Logan and one by Reggie Rucker off his hands in the endzone ... Had they won, maybe they could have beaten the Chargers to go to their first SB, instead, the Browns are not relevant again till winning the division to close the 1985 season ...

The Browns actually had six opportunities to score. Two FG, two missed FG, one fumbled snap on another FG, and the final INT. I don't blame them for trying for the TD at the end, that was just such a bad pass.

The Browns never got closer than the five yard line. The Raiders were able to pass it down to the one twice, and plow in from there. Only other opportunity for the Raiders was when the Browns turned it over, and the Raiders got stoned at about the Browns 20. Raiders could not run the ball at all (other than the two TDs) and couldn't pass much either other than the two TD drives. Plus they had the pick six. Thought the Browns should have run the ball more, they were a lot better than the Raiders in that regard.

[Bryan]

The Browns actually had six opportunities to score. Two FG, two missed FG, one fumbled snap on another FG, and the final INT. I don't blame them for trying for the TD at the end, that was just such a bad pass.

The Browns never got closer than the five yard line. The Raiders were able to pass it down to the one twice, and plow in from there. Only other opportunity for the Raiders was when the Browns turned it over, and the Raiders got stoned at about the Browns 20. Raiders could not run the ball at all (other than the two TDs) and couldn't pass much either other than the two TD drives. Plus they had the pick six. Thought the Browns should have run the ball more, they were a lot better than the Raiders in that regard.

I think Rutigliano gets a bad rap for going for the TD at the end; the Browns kicking game was completely unreliable that day. They should have used Mike Pruitt more; the Raiders D-line was nothing special and the Browns could have moved the ball consistently on the ground. The biggest strategy mistake, which was IMO especially apparent on the Browns' 4th quarter possessions, was Rutigliano's insistence on throwing the ball downfield. Sipe didn't really have the arm to throw accurately into the cold wind, yet most of the time he was trying to complete passes 15-20 yards away. The last Ice Bowl drive, Starr threw short to his RBs and let them outmanuever the LBs. The Browns had both Pruitts and Calvin Hill as RB targets, yet Sipe never dumped the ball off short. On their second to last possession, Dino Hall returns the kickoff to the 45, the Browns trail by 2, and the Browns go 3 and out on 3 incompletions down the field.