NFL "what-if" scenarios thread

[CSKreager]

But I think you still should see them as a pretty good team. They had Seau, Natrone was a premiere back at that immediate time. Bobby Ross was an underrated coach. I believe Joe Theismann predicted going into the playoffs that SD would represent the AFC due to their balance. But they simply couldn't match up with San Fran at all, not even in a regular season game. And they wouldn't have been able to do anything against Dallas either - SB or regular season as well. They were too balanced and un-fancy for their own good, I guess.

I kind of see the 94 Chargers as the NFL equivalent to the 2001 Sixers or 02 Nets. Nice teams in a weak conference that had good years, but weren't going to win a title when all was said and done (although, I don't see those Laker teams as great as the champion Cowboys or 94 49ers.

One thing I have to disagree on- in 1994, the NFC was not a strong conference outside of DAL/SF. In fact, it took until the final Monday night of the season for a 3rd NFC team to even get 10 wins.

The AFC had 5 10-win teams in 1994. The NFC only had 2, yet the perception was that those two were so good it didn't matter that the rest of the NFC was mid. Like think about how close we were to 4 9-7 NFC Central teams in the playoffs

This wasn't like 1988 or 1991 when 10-6 NFC teams missed the playoffs.

[CSKreager]

What if the 1984 Cowboys won the Monday Night finale in Miami?

They extend their playoff streak to 10 straight years, the Giants are knocked out, DAL actually hosts LA in a Wild Card rematch of the previous years

Miami still hosts Seattle, but Denver gets the 1 seed. Perhaps DEN plays PIT differently if they know that they would have had hypothetical AFC-CG homefield?

Also, had Dallas made playoffs in 84, does that change 85? Maybe 1986 snaps a playoff streak instead of just the first losing season in forever?

[7DnBrnc53]

One thing I have to disagree on- in 1994, the NFC was not a strong conference outside of DAL/SF. In fact, it took until the final Monday night of the season for a 3rd NFC team to even get 10 wins.

True. However, like the 2002 NBA West, it had (what was considered) the only two real title contenders.

What if the 1984 Cowboys won the Monday Night finale in Miami?

They extend their playoff streak to 10 straight years, the Giants are knocked out, DAL actually hosts LA in a Wild Card rematch of the previous years

Miami still hosts Seattle, but Denver gets the 1 seed. Perhaps DEN plays PIT differently if they know that they would have had hypothetical AFC-CG homefield?

Also, had Dallas made playoffs in 84, does that change 85? Maybe 1986 snaps a playoff streak instead of just the first losing season in forever?

First off, I don't see much changing in the AFC. Denver still loses even with home field, and Miami still goes to SB 19.

In the NFC side, though, the Cowboys should take care of the Rams before losing at SF (who had their number by then) the next week.

Another playoff win should help Danny White's cache, though (especially after avenging the WC loss the previous year). And, I think they are even more likely to do what they did in 1985 (but the Rams still get them back in the Divisional Round).

As for Parcells, though, his second year as HC would also have been without postseason play of any kind (he did improve the record six games, but they lost their last two against the Cardinals and Saints after starting 9-5). So, his seat will be on fire going into 1985.

[ShinobiMusashi]

Wow this thread is a blast. I actually went crazy with an idea like this I got from the AFL Full Color Football docu. In that doc there are some talking heads that hint around that maybe the AFL would have been fine without the merger, perhaps even better off(Al Davis in that doc seemed to be hinting at that). So I wrote an alternate history fan fiction on another forum about what if the merger never happened. It was completely bananas and totally unrealistic but a lot of fun to even think about. In my alternate history Al Davis keeps his position as AFL Commish, unites majority of AFL owners and manages to back out of the merger after the Jets win Super Bowl III.

Super Bowl IV goes down as the final ever AFL vs NFL game with AFL winning. No merger happens in 1970, AFL goes back to raiding NFL rosters and drafts. AFL gets the Monday Night Football deal due to the momentum of winning SB's 3 and 4. AFL wins intellectual property rights to the term Super Bowl to keep using for the AFL title game. The NFL competes head to head with NFL Championship on TV as same time as AFL Super Bowl with disastrous effect in 1970 and 1971 since both NFL title games were stinkers while AFL "Super Bowl"s are thrillers. AFL pulls ahead in ratings and attendance as NFL starts to copy things the AFL is doing and losing their identity. AFL steals some TV contracts. Turning point comes in 1976 when Pittsburgh wins federal injunction to switch leagues from NFL to AFL(as defending back to back 1974-1975 NFL Champs, also they won NFL title in '72). Oakland vs Pittsburgh showdowns in 1976 break TV ratings records for AFL while NFL teams fail and go bankrupt in 76. NFL finally folds and goes out of business after 1977 season. AFL holds an NFL player allocation draft prior to 1978 season(Walter Payton drafted #1 by KC). Bill Walsh coaches the Patriots to 3 titles in the 80's with 3 different QB's(Vince Ferragamo in 1980, Jim Plunkett in 1986, and Frank Reich in 1988).

[CSKreager]

What if the 1991 Oilers got a 1st round bye?

Assuming Denver beats the 8-8 Jets, Houston instead would have gotten a week off and the Broncos have to come to the Astrodome where they had gotten humilated earlier that season.

This was when Denver basically couldn't win on the road- they never won a road playoff game between the drive and 1997. In the early 90s, they were essentially a team that was so dependent Mile High

I don't think the Elways could get away with falling behind 21-6 at sea level.

Does HOU fare any better or worse vs BUF?

And how does getting to an AFC-CG change the Oilers mindset for 92 let alone 93? Maybe getting past that divisional hump infuses them with some extra confidence?

And considering Dan Reeves still drafted Maddox in real life despite nearly making a SB, what happens if they don't even get that far?

(or maybe the Jets win at Denver- after all they barely won at home vs Phoenix- and we get an AFC Divisional of Jets/Bills and Chiefs/Oilers)