NFL "what-if" scenarios thread

[Ten Minute Ticker]

The NFC gets the Steelers instead of the AFC. Do they still make four Super Bowls coming out of the NFC?

Probably. I could see them dominating the Cowboys and Rams in the NFC playoffs. Although that may not be the same Super Bowls. I think we definitely would have seen a Raiders vs. Steelers SBXI in 1976.

Trying to envision the divisional setups:
AFC 1
AFC East - Buffalo, NY Jets, New England, Miami, Atlanta
AFC Central - Houston, Minnesota, Cincinnati, New Orleans
AFC West - same
AFC 2
AFC East/North - Buffalo, NY Jets, New England, Minnesota
AFC Central/South - Atlanta, Houston, Cincinnati, New Orleans, Miami
AFC West - same

NFC 1
NFC East - NY Giants, Philadelphia, Washington, Baltimore
NFC Central - Detroit, Chicago, Green Bay, Cleveland, Pittsburgh
NFC West - Dallas, San Francisco, LA Rams, St. Louis
NFC 2
NFC East - NY Giants, Philadelphia, Washington, Cleveland, Pittsburgh
NFC Central - Baltimore, Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay
NFC West - San Francisco, LA Rams, Dallas, St. Louis
NFC 3
NFC East - NY Giants, Philadelphia, Washington, Dallas
NFC Central - Cleveland, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Baltimore
NFC West - Detroit, Chicago, Green Bay, San Francisco, LA Rams
NFC 4
NFC East - NY Giants, Philadelphia, Washington, Dallas
NFC Central - Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Baltimore
NFC West - St. Louis, Chicago, Green Bay, San Francisco, LA Rams
NFC 5
NFC East - NY Giants, Philadelphia, Washington, Dallas, St. Louis
NFC Central - Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Baltimore
NFC West - Chicago, Green Bay, San Francisco, LA Rams

Fun to think about.

[CSKreager]

What if the 1995 49ers don’t spit the bit in week 17 vs Atlanta and get homefield advantage throughout the playoffs?

[7DnBrnc53]

What if the 1995 49ers don’t spit the bit in week 17 vs Atlanta and get homefield advantage throughout the playoffs?

SF would have been the 1-seed, with Dallas the 2.

The second WC game is Bears@Packers, with the Pack still winning.

However, the Pack go to Dallas, and the 49ers play the Eagles.

I think the Cowboys and 49ers win, and the 49ers beat them at home before losing to the Steelers in SB 30.

[74_75_78_79_]

What if the 1995 49ers don’t spit the bit in week 17 vs Atlanta and get homefield advantage throughout the playoffs?

SF would have been the 1-seed, with Dallas the 2.

The second WC game is Bears@Packers, with the Pack still winning.

However, the Pack go to Dallas, and the 49ers play the Eagles.

I think the Cowboys and 49ers win, and the 49ers beat them at home before losing to the Steelers in SB 30.

Yeah, you've said that before - Steelers beating San Fran. I just never was able to picture it. I was most afraid of having to play them in a possible SBXXX going into the playoffs. Yes, that great Steeler defense. They played lights-out as the actual, real-time event rolled on but some of it was also the Dallas offense falling asleep after Irvin was called for that OPI in the 2nd Q.

But SF no longer had Ricky Watters which would have definitely been a big help. Weak running game now without him but still looking real SB-win-capable that season; they blowing out Dallas on the road and all, and with Grbac at QB! Would the Steelers have been able to capitalize on SF's weaker run-game as Green Bay did?

[SeahawkFever]

What if the 1995 49ers don’t spit the bit in week 17 vs Atlanta and get homefield advantage throughout the playoffs?

SF would have been the 1-seed, with Dallas the 2.

The second WC game is Bears@Packers, with the Pack still winning.

However, the Pack go to Dallas, and the 49ers play the Eagles.

I think the Cowboys and 49ers win, and the 49ers beat them at home before losing to the Steelers in SB 30.

Yeah, you've said that before - Steelers beating San Fran. I just never was able to picture it. I was most afraid of having to play them in a possible SBXXX going into the playoffs. Yes, that great Steeler defense. They played lights-out as the actual, real-time event rolled on but some of it was also the Dallas offense falling asleep after Irvin was called for that OPI in the 2nd Q.

But SF no longer had Ricky Watters which would have definitely been a big help. Weak running game now without him but still looking real SB-win-capable that season; they blowing out Dallas on the road and all, and with Grbac at QB! Would the Steelers have been able to capitalize on SF's weaker run-game as Green Bay did?

Correct me if I’m wrong, but in either 96 or 97 didn’t we see the Niners play the Steelers at Three Rivers?

Granted if it was the latter, Garrison Hearst would have been a better running back than Derek Loville.

As I’ve said before, in my opinion, in the hypothetical of either:

A: The Niners beating Atlanta in the last game of 95
Or B: Steve Young doesn’t get hurt and they win vs New Orleans and Carolina, so a loss to Atlanta loss wouldn’t matter.

I would favor the Niners repeating. Their biggest flaw in 1995 and 1996 definitely was their running game. Offensive line was also getting older too.

But in 95, I think they could’ve dodged Green Bay, whereas the next year I don’t think I could say that.

[Brian wolf]

With Rice, I feel the 49ers would have beaten Dallas again, but could their defense have stopped Emmitt Smith? Larry Allen and Erik Williams would have been ready to rumble ... Could Novachek or Brent Jones have been the difference?

[SeahawkFever]

With Rice, I feel the 49ers would have beaten Dallas again, but could their defense have stopped Emmitt Smith? Larry Allen and Erik Williams would have been ready to rumble ... Could Novachek or Brent Jones have been the difference?

I think the defense could’ve played well like they did in the game they played vs Dallas in reality (in that game they allowed only two touchdowns and two field goals, and one of the touchdowns was in garbage time).

But Smith I’d imagine would be the toughest one to stop. He had 100 yards on slightly over five yards per carry, and scored the Cowboy touchdown that was in the first half of that game.

[7DnBrnc53]

Correct me if I’m wrong, but in either 96 or 97 didn’t we see the Niners play the Steelers at Three Rivers?

Granted if it was the latter, Garrison Hearst would have been a better running back than Derek Loville.

It was 1996, when the 49ers had Loville and Terry Kirby at HB. They won 25-15, but it wasn't an impressive win:

https://web.archive.org/web/19991111064 ... elers.html

[SeahawkFever]

Correct me if I’m wrong, but in either 96 or 97 didn’t we see the Niners play the Steelers at Three Rivers?

Granted if it was the latter, Garrison Hearst would have been a better running back than Derek Loville.

It was 1996, when the 49ers had Loville and Terry Kirby at HB. They won 25-15, but it wasn't an impressive win:

https://web.archive.org/web/19991111064 ... elers.html

Interesting link, thanks for sharing it.
I could see why you wouldn't view a win as impressive if there were penalties that helped, and a fumble by the other team.

I looked through the site, and it was pretty interesting. The Niners may have been overrated at points (in particular the stuff related to organizational image, "49er way and all"), but from a Seahawks fan, I think the site sells them short for some things too.

Most notably the chart that compared Jerry Rice to Don Hutson. Both were excellent receivers in their respective times. Hutson definitely would have appeared more dominant for his own time, but the league would have been younger, and wider separation probably would have been easier.

Also, the part about them being the best franchise up through the mid 90's, if you are only looking at things in terms of the Super Bowl era, I could see why you would have claimed that at the time; as they were the first team to win the Super Bowl five times.

Though if you look at the entirety of league history, I could see why other teams would have had their cases if we include championships pre-Super Bowl, and of course regular season win percentages are also a thing, and the Niners had more lean years in their earlier days than other franchises up to that point.

I wouldn't be surprised if there was a period in time where every dynastic team in NFL history was looked at with a lens as harshly critical as the users of that site did, and it appears that that summarizes pretty well why people who disliked the 49ers did so.

[conace21]

SF would have been the 1-seed, with Dallas the 2.

The second WC game is Bears@Packers, with the Pack still winning.

However, the Pack go to Dallas, and the 49ers play the Eagles.

I think the Cowboys and 49ers win, and the 49ers beat them at home before losing to the Steelers in SB 30.

Yeah, you've said that before - Steelers beating San Fran. I just never was able to picture it. I was most afraid of having to play them in a possible SBXXX going into the playoffs. Yes, that great Steeler defense. They played lights-out as the actual, real-time event rolled on but some of it was also the Dallas offense falling asleep after Irvin was called for that OPI in the 2nd Q.

But SF no longer had Ricky Watters which would have definitely been a big help. Weak running game now without him but still looking real SB-win-capable that season; they blowing out Dallas on the road and all, and with Grbac at QB! Would the Steelers have been able to capitalize on SF's weaker run-game as Green Bay did?

Correct me if I’m wrong, but in either 96 or 97 didn’t we see the Niners play the Steelers at Three Rivers?

Granted if it was the latter, Garrison Hearst would have been a better running back than Derek Loville.

As I’ve said before, in my opinion, in the hypothetical of either:

A: The Niners beating Atlanta in the last game of 95
Or B: Steve Young doesn’t get hurt and they win vs New Orleans and Carolina, so a loss to Atlanta loss wouldn’t matter.

I would favor the Niners repeating. Their biggest flaw in 1995 and 1996 definitely was their running game. Offensive line was also getting older too.

But in 95, I think they could’ve dodged Green Bay, whereas the next year I don’t think I could say that.

Yes, in 1996, the 49ers went to Pittsburgh and beat the Steelers 25-15. It was 22-0 and the half, and a Mike Tomczak offense was not equipped to come back. The 49ers couldn't run the ball with Terry Kirby and William Floyd, but Steve Young carved up their pass defense. Jerome Bettis was hobbled with an injury, but Eric Pegram ran for 100 yards.