Non-playoff teams that played an important spoiler role

[Todd Pence]

The 1977 San Diego Chargers had an undistinguished 7-7 season, but three of their wins had a significant impact on the playoff picture.

Their early 24-3 win over the Bengals potentially eventually cost Cincinnati a divisional title and allowed Pittsburgh to steal the AFC Central.

Their 14-13 squeaker win over Miami would later prove fatal to the Dolphins hopes in lieu of the hotly contested AFC East race.

And, their late-season 12-7 win over Oakland led to the Raiders having to concede the AFC West title to the Broncos and eventually having to travel to Mile High for the decisive AFC title game.

Any other non-playoff teams who had multiple upsets that changed the face of the playoff picture?

[conace21]

The 1977 San Diego Chargers had an undistinguished 7-7 season, but three of their wins had a significant impact on the playoff picture.

Their early 24-3 win over the Bengals potentially eventually cost Cincinnati a divisional title and allowed Pittsburgh to steal the AFC Central.

Their 14-13 squeaker win over Miami would later prove fatal to the Dolphins hopes in lieu of the hotly contested AFC East race.

And, their late-season 12-7 win over Oakland led to the Raiders having to concede the AFC West title to the Broncos and eventually having to travel to Mile High for the decisive AFC title game.

Any other non-playoff teams who had multiple upsets that changed the face of the playoff picture?

The 1997 Colts were 3-13, after losing their first 10 games I believe. They beat 3 playoff teams... Though I think only one game directly affected the playoff picture.

They beat the defending champion Packers 41-38 without QB Jim Harbaugh and Marshall Faulk. Green Bay, had they won this game, technically would have been the #1 seed. However, SF had nothing to play for in the season finale and presumably rested starters against Seattle. If home field advantage had been at stake (and it would have been if GB had beaten Indy) SF presumably would have played starters and defeated Seattle. As it turned out, GB beat the 49ers in SF in the NFC title game.

Indy defeated NYJ 22-15. If the Jets win this one, and everything else stays the same, they make the playoffs.

Indy destroyed Miami 41-0. This didn't technically have an impact on the playoff race. Miami played them,in game 15 and could have still won the AFC East by beating NE in the season finale, but the Pats won 14-12. Eve, if Miami had not lost to NE, the Pats would have won the divisional title anyways by sweeping Miami.

The Colts were swept by the Todd Collins Bills. If they had swept Buffalo, the Colts would have finished 5-11.11, and Buffalo would have been among the 4-12 teams with a shot at Peyton Manning. Oh, the 21st century may have been different.

[Saban1]

The 1964 New York Giants had the worst record in the NFL (2 wins, 10 losses, and 2 ties) that year. Yet, they beat the St. Louis Cardinals in one game and tied them in another. The Cards beat the Cleveland Browns once that year and tied the Browns in another game. The Cardinals finished 2nd to Cleveland with a 9-3-2 record while the Browns won the Eastern Conference title with a 10-3-1 record. If the Cards had beat the Giants in the tie game, then they would have finished tied with Cleveland and forced a playoff in the east. If the st. Louis Cardinals had beaten the Giants in the game that they lost, then they would have won the Eastern Conference outright.

Cleveland went on to win the NFL Championship game over Baltimore, 27 to 0.

[74_75_78_79_]

Would '80 Dolphins beating Pats in the 'Lennon' MNF game possibly count? Perhaps considering that NE won their last two yet still didn't make it. Looked up Delvin Williams upon posting my '77 Niners 0-5' thread and saw that Wiki stated his two Pro Bowls but made an interesting point in that his stats in that very game (he was a Dolphin in '80) were shown on the screen while Howard made that infamous announcement while Englishman John Smith attempted that kick.

Man, still can't get over how creepy, perhaps prophetic, the end of "Revolution #9" is ("block that kick! block that kick!...") and that John was on MNF 6 years earlier with Howard while Ronald Reagan was in the booth with him (he got along with him, actually, and went over the rules of American football with him) and that he was actually in NYC when it took place and Hinckley was in the City as well at Lennon's public mourning.....

Speaking OF New York, how bout O'Brien's Jets knocking Giants out of the playoffs in '88 finale? I remember Buddy saying publicly that his Eagles owed NYJ Christmas gifts, lol.

[Evan]

The 1977 Giants finished 5-9. They really weren't very good, the QB tandem of Pisarcik and Golsteyn was abysmal (this was after they traded Craig Morton for Steve Ramsey, who couldn't even beat out Pisarcik or Golsteyn).

But ... the Giants beat the Redskins twice in the first six games of the season. The Redskins finished 9-5 and out of the playoffs.

The Giants then beat the Cardinals when St. Louis was 7-4 and still very much in the playoff hunt. The Cardinals finished 7-7 and out of the playoffs.

So that would be three significant games that a sub-.500 team won against playoff contenders who wound up not making the postseason. Hope that helps.

[7DnBrnc53]

The 1981 Bears (6-10) are tailor made for this thread:

1. Two weeks after beating the eventual AFC West Champion Chargers in OT, they beat a Chief team in the middle of the playoff race 16-13 in OT in Week 10. The Chiefs ended up 9-7 and out of the playoffs.

2. In Week 14, the 7-6 Vikings were in the hunt for the NFC Central Division title, and the Bears beat them 10-9. The Vikes ended up dropping their last two games to finish 7-9 after a 7-4 start.

3. In Week 16, they soundly beat the Broncos 35-24, preventing them from wrapping up the AFC West. The Broncos would be eliminated the next night after SD beat Oakland.

[BD Sullivan]

The 1977 Giants finished 5-9. They really weren't very good, the QB tandem of Pisarcik and Golsteyn was abysmal (this was after they traded Craig Morton for Steve Ramsey, who couldn't even beat out Pisarcik or Golsteyn).

But ... the Giants beat the Redskins twice in the first six games of the season. The Redskins finished 9-5 and out of the playoffs.

The Giants then beat the Cardinals when St. Louis was 7-4 and still very much in the playoff hunt. The Cardinals finished 7-7 and out of the playoffs.

So that would be three significant games that a sub-.500 team won against playoff contenders who wound up not making the postseason. Hope that helps.

They almost knocked the Bears out of the playoffs, taking them to the last moments of overtime before losing on a FG in the season finale. Of course, the snow covered field also helped.

[7DnBrnc53]

The 1992 Seahawks did have an important spoiler win (against Denver on MNF in Week 13), but they almost beat the playoff-bound Steelers and Eagles the next two weeks as well. They also lost to the eventual AFC East Champion Dolphins by two points earlier in the season.

[Gary Najman]

The 1989 Cowboys had their only win of the season at Washington, and IIRC, the Redskins missed the playoffs due to that loss.