1998

[SeahawkFever]

The 49ers from 1995 to 1997 had a top 5 defense every season. Advanced metrics via DVOA even back this up. So this is wrong.

And as I said above, the 95 team ranked 19th since 1950 in DVOA on defense.

It wasn’t flawless defensively, but very good.

DVOA only goes back to 1978 I believe now, and everything else before is estimates. They had the #1 defense in the league that season. Even if you wanted to say 19th since 1950, that's still extremely good in a 45 year time span, and a championship level unit from 1995 to 1997.

No doubt. I'm aware that the stat of DVOA goes back to 1978, but even with the estimates from 1950-1977 included, the 95 Niners defense comes up as 19th, and I can't help but wonder if they'd rank even higher with Deion Sanders one more year.

When I said what I said above, I thought the defenses in 95-97 were something going for them, but a better second cornerback after Eric Davis leaves for Carolina would've helped (in highlight clips of the team, I see Tyrone Drakeford being thrown at a lot).

The weakest components of those teams from what I can tell are offensive line, and in 95 and 96, run game.

[7DnBrnc53]

Who cares if Lee played safety at *checks notes* West Chester. He was still too lumbering, and slow to play at safety. That's why he played inside linebacker. McDonald even at that stage in his career was the better choice.

Woodall played LLB for the 49ers, not MLB.

[Ness]

Who cares if Lee played safety at *checks notes* West Chester. He was still too lumbering, and slow to play at safety. That's why he played inside linebacker. McDonald even at that stage in his career was the better choice.

Woodall played LLB for the 49ers, not MLB.

Yes that was a typo. Plummer/Norton spent the most time there.

[7DnBrnc53]

Yes that was a typo. Plummer/Norton spent the most time there.

Right. Also, it isn't possible to play worse than Tim McDonald did on Terance Mathis' TD catch (against the Falcons on Christmas Eve, 1995). McDonald's best days may have been in Arizona.

[SeahawkFever]

Yes that was a typo. Plummer/Norton spent the most time there.

Right. Also, it isn't possible to play worse than Tim McDonald did on Terance Mathis' TD catch (against the Falcons on Christmas Eve, 1995). McDonald's best days may have been in Arizona.

Yeah, McDonald was ran around on that play. If Young got one more completion on the next drive, then they may have won in spite of that.

Tim McDonald was pretty good in his first couple San Francisco years from what I’ve seen (much better at tackling than coverage though), but I wouldn’t be surprised if he was more dominant in Arizona beforehand; after all in 1995; the season of the play you are referring to he was age 30. So he was older in San Fran than Arizona.

[SeahawkFever]

Out of curiosity, how good were the Jets that year? And could that go down as one of Parcell's best coaching job?

[74_75_78_79_]

Out of curiosity, how good were the Jets that year? And could that go down as one of Parcell's best coaching job?

I know that there is an old thread asking what '80s Jets team had the best shot at winning the SB (https://profootballresearchers.com/foru ... php?t=2389). But I thought that there also was a 'best non-'68 Jets team' tread which would also include '69, 1998 itself, and also Rex/Sanchez''s back-to-back CCG berths of '09/'10. I guess there never was; I tried finding such.

Anyway, '98 is a strong candidate (though it seems that most here - maybe me as well - seem to lean toward strike-shortened '82; 1969 has been mentioned, using the "one-year-removed" logic). 12-4, division-winner, leading Broncos at Mile High, 10-0, at the half...sounds solid to me!

Parcells' best coaching job, Fever? It's hard to look past '03, his first year in Big D, inheriting a back-to-back-to-back 5-11 Campo squad and guiding Quincy & Co to a 10-6 playoff berth! But '97 may also be seen as better than '98 - and also '03 - given the '1-15 to 9-7' turnaround of it all! They were a finale-win in Detroit from making the playoffs. But not allowing a letdown the following year and going 2nd-seed/AFCCG berth sure is something to hang his hat on. He brought out the very best in Vinny!

If Gary Anderson makes that FG (and/or Randle not being out in OT), and Denver for whatever reason does not get it together in the 2nd-half, Jets/Vikings, to me, would NOT have been an un-intriguing SB match-up. Not at all! Sure-enough Vegas would have installed Minny as a more-than 7-pt favorite, maybe 10, but Jets would have had quite a chance! I definitely opine that NYJ beats Atl in such a SBXXXIII-hypo. Yes, Falcons didn't have their starting QB in their regular season match, but I think Jets beat Chandler (Parcells over Reeves in a SB) as well. With the right game-plan written up by Tuna, Hoodie & staff, Jets winning against Dennis Green's bunch wouldn't have been seen as, say, SBIII; let's just say that.

Yes, '98 was a normal great 12-4 team. Maybe the best NYJ squad outside of '68. And if not, then by just a little bit IMO.

[sheajets]

Out of curiosity, how good were the Jets that year? And could that go down as one of Parcell's best coaching job?

I know that there is an old thread asking what '80s Jets team had the best shot at winning the SB (https://profootballresearchers.com/foru ... php?t=2389). But I thought that there also was a 'best non-'68 Jets team' tread which would also include '69, 1998 itself, and also Rex/Sanchez''s back-to-back CCG berths of '09/'10. I guess there never was; I tried finding such.

Anyway, '98 is a strong candidate (though it seems that most here - maybe me as well - seem to lean toward strike-shortened '82; 1969 has been mentioned, using the "one-year-removed" logic). 12-4, division-winner, leading Broncos at Mile High, 10-0, at the half...sounds solid to me!

Parcells' best coaching job, Fever? It's hard to look past '03, his first year in Big D, inheriting a back-to-back-to-back 5-11 Campo squad and guiding Quincy & Co to a 10-6 playoff berth! But '97 may also be seen as better than '98 - and also '03 - given the '1-15 to 9-7' turnaround of it all! They were a finale-win in Detroit from making the playoffs. But not allowing a letdown the following year and going 2nd-seed/AFCCG berth sure is something to hang his hat on. He brought out the very best in Vinny!

If Gary Anderson makes that FG (and/or Randle not being out in OT), and Denver for whatever reason does not get it together in the 2nd-half, Jets/Vikings, to me, would NOT have been an un-intriguing SB match-up. Not at all! Sure-enough Vegas would have installed Minny as a more-than 7-pt favorite, maybe 10, but Jets would have had quite a chance! I definitely opine that NYJ beats Atl in such a SBXXXIII-hypo. Yes, Falcons didn't have their starting QB in their regular season match, but I think Jets beat Chandler (Parcells over Reeves in a SB) as well. With the right game-plan written up by Tuna, Hoodie & staff, Jets winning against Dennis Green's bunch wouldn't have been seen as, say, SBIII; let's just say that.

Yes, '98 was a normal great 12-4 team. Maybe the best NYJ squad outside of '68. And if not, then by just a little bit IMO.

Coming from a diehard, yea it was likely our most well rounded team and best chance to make a Super Bowl since 1986 (where if we don't Jets it up in Cleveland I feel they do beat Denver) however something about that 1998 team felt like they weren't my Jets. I grew up watching the Jets in their 80s and 90s (black trim) era uniforms...at that time I actually didn't want to switch to the throwbacks. And those Namath era uniforms always looked like they belonged at Shea...not on that ugly green turf of Giants Stadium in the 1990s. They were just out of place. A lot of that Jets team gave off that mercenary vibe. Parcells wasn't a Jet and would never have any emotional ties to us...everyone knew he was flightly and nobody was sure how long he'd commit to this. You had guys like Dave Meggett, Pepper Johnson and Keith Byars and Jumbo Elliot, the old Giants/New England crew on the sidelines Crennel, Belichick, Carthon, Weis. Even Curtis Martin I didn't warm up to right away. Bryan Cox too who I disliked from his Miami days.

That's why I have more of an affinity for the 81-82, 1986, 2009-2010 Jets

If they won the SB in 1998 it would've been essentially our version of the 2020 Bucs

And I always felt like it was going to be a 1 year thing. That even if Testaverde doesn't go down, no way they make it to a SB in 1999

[7DnBrnc53]

at that time I actually didn't want to switch to the throwbacks. And those Namath era uniforms always looked like they belonged at Shea...not on that ugly green turf of Giants Stadium in the 1990s. They were just out of place. A lot of that Jets team gave off that mercenary vibe. Parcells wasn't a Jet and would never have any emotional ties to us...everyone knew he was flightly and nobody was sure how long he'd commit to this.

I agree with you about the unis. The ones that they started wearing in 1990 with the green pants and black facemask are my favorites. I don't know why the Jets and Giants went old school near the turn of the century.

As for Parcells, I think that the Mad Dog (Chris Russo) said once that Bill wanted to go back to the Giants in 1997, but they wouldn't get rid of GM George Young, so he went across the hall instead.