The best 1990s NFL season?

[ShinobiMusashi]

I almost posted a thread topic for this before it came up in a search so Im reviving this one instead. I actually read this post before on a search through here and it is what got me to watching through the 98 season on Youtube over this past Summer(spectacular time, so awesome what all is on Youtube as far as full games now).

I have to agree that there was a lot of special elements about 1998 that make it stand out. I'm partial to 1990 myself:

NYG vs SF Tyson vs Holyfield of the NFL type build for their MNF game and the NFCCG showdown rematch.

Buffalo Bills in general just being an awesome team. I would have to say Thurman Thomas is one of my favorite players of all time.

The whole dynamic of the AFC getting stronger, Houston, LA Raiders, Miami, Kansas City all suddenly way better and stronger looking compared to shape of AFC 84 to 89. Cincinnati after down year in 89 was back to being sharp team with Super Bowl experience in 1990 even though they had issues.

Washington vs NYG vs Philly in the NFC East, get real, Dallas was getting stronger too with good young 7-9 team. Peak NFC greatness I think. Got to be in discussion for toughest division race in NFL history.

Pretty sweet spot where there were so many legends of the 80's still at or close to their primes that year but so many future stars were there mixing it up with them. You had Bo Jackson and Joe Montana as a 49er on the field still, peak Randall Cunningham Ultimate Weapon season, something about that makes this 1990 season great to me. I feel like the great teams from later in the decade the 94 49ers, 95 Cowboys, and 96 Packers types would have struggled against some of C-level teams from 1990 NFL. Just seemed bigger stronger harder hitting football that year for some reason to me.

Toughest division race? The Giants basically had a 4 game lead by Halloween!

That was an overrated year for the NFC East- Washington couldn’t win outside of RFK, Philly was a paper tiger, Dallas had no defense, and the Cardinals were the Cardinals

I think 1990 was the weakest season of that decade. What you call “bigger stronger harder hitting football” I see as a bad year for offensive talent- Marion Butts was the 2nd leading rusher in the NFL

To me it was a year where the quality of football was poor, symbolized by those NYG/SF games between 1 team that couldn’t run and another that couldn’t throw resulting in 2 of the most overrated overhyped games in NFL history

Would you say it was a tougher division to win in 1990 than the one the Cowboys won in 92-93-95, or what 49ers won in the West in 94, or Green Bay won in 96, or Broncos 98 AFC West title? For sure the 99 Rams had a cake walk winning that NFC west.

[CSKreager]

I almost posted a thread topic for this before it came up in a search so Im reviving this one instead. I actually read this post before on a search through here and it is what got me to watching through the 98 season on Youtube over this past Summer(spectacular time, so awesome what all is on Youtube as far as full games now).

I have to agree that there was a lot of special elements about 1998 that make it stand out. I'm partial to 1990 myself:

NYG vs SF Tyson vs Holyfield of the NFL type build for their MNF game and the NFCCG showdown rematch.

Buffalo Bills in general just being an awesome team. I would have to say Thurman Thomas is one of my favorite players of all time.

The whole dynamic of the AFC getting stronger, Houston, LA Raiders, Miami, Kansas City all suddenly way better and stronger looking compared to shape of AFC 84 to 89. Cincinnati after down year in 89 was back to being sharp team with Super Bowl experience in 1990 even though they had issues.

Washington vs NYG vs Philly in the NFC East, get real, Dallas was getting stronger too with good young 7-9 team. Peak NFC greatness I think. Got to be in discussion for toughest division race in NFL history.

Pretty sweet spot where there were so many legends of the 80's still at or close to their primes that year but so many future stars were there mixing it up with them. You had Bo Jackson and Joe Montana as a 49er on the field still, peak Randall Cunningham Ultimate Weapon season, something about that makes this 1990 season great to me. I feel like the great teams from later in the decade the 94 49ers, 95 Cowboys, and 96 Packers types would have struggled against some of C-level teams from 1990 NFL. Just seemed bigger stronger harder hitting football that year for some reason to me.

Toughest division race? The Giants basically had a 4 game lead by Halloween!

That was an overrated year for the NFC East- Washington couldn’t win outside of RFK, Philly was a paper tiger, Dallas had no defense, and the Cardinals were the Cardinals

I think 1990 was the weakest season of that decade. What you call “bigger stronger harder hitting football” I see as a bad year for offensive talent- Marion Butts was the 2nd leading rusher in the NFL

To me it was a year where the quality of football was poor, symbolized by those NYG/SF games between 1 team that couldn’t run and another that couldn’t throw resulting in 2 of the most overrated overhyped games in NFL history

Would you say it was a tougher division to win in 1990 than the one the Cowboys won in 92-93-95, or what 49ers won in the West in 94, or Green Bay won in 96, or Broncos 98 AFC West title? For sure the 99 Rams had a cake walk winning that NFC west.

Dallas didn’t clinch in 92 until the 2nd to last week and had to go down to week 17 in 93 AND 95

[ShinobiMusashi]

Toughest division race? The Giants basically had a 4 game lead by Halloween!

That was an overrated year for the NFC East- Washington couldn’t win outside of RFK, Philly was a paper tiger, Dallas had no defense, and the Cardinals were the Cardinals

I think 1990 was the weakest season of that decade. What you call “bigger stronger harder hitting football” I see as a bad year for offensive talent- Marion Butts was the 2nd leading rusher in the NFL

To me it was a year where the quality of football was poor, symbolized by those NYG/SF games between 1 team that couldn’t run and another that couldn’t throw resulting in 2 of the most overrated overhyped games in NFL history

Would you say it was a tougher division to win in 1990 than the one the Cowboys won in 92-93-95, or what 49ers won in the West in 94, or Green Bay won in 96, or Broncos 98 AFC West title? For sure the 99 Rams had a cake walk winning that NFC west.

Dallas didn’t clinch in 92 until the 2nd to last week and had to go down to week 17 in 93 AND 95

That's a good counter. The 93 Giants team may be one of the more underrated 90's teams, only allowed 7 more points than the 85 Bears and those 7 came from Dallas beating them to take the division and #1 seed from them. Would you say the 92 Eagles and Redskins were tougher than the 1990 Eagles and Redskins? The 95 division race I cant see being on the same level as 90, Dallas got swept by the Redskins that year that had Heath Shuler and Gus Frerrotte and lost the game to Philly on the controversial play call to go for it by Switzer. Giants and Cardinals were mostly a joke that year if I remember right so it was a 2 team race between Dallas and Philly, and the 95 Eagles team to me doesn't seem to belong in the same conversation as the 1990 Eagles team. Cunningham threw for 30 tds and ran for almost 1,000 yards rushing in 1990, I believe Washington and Philly had 3rd and 4th best offenses in NFL that year.

It's an interesting thought that may deserve it's own thread, which 90's Super Bowl Champion that won their division had the toughest challenge to win it. I would think the 1990 Giants would be at or near the top. Washington and Philly were both tough that year, Washington 1 year away from 14-2 Super Bowl season, Philly loaded with talent on defense with prime Randall at QB, and the Dallas team that went 7-9 I would say were a better young team than a lot of 7-9er's through the rest of the decade. Cardinals were not good but 6 of those 10 losses came to division rivals and most of their losses were close games, Rosenbach started looking good toward the end of the year to gain a lot of hype throwing for 681 yards and 6 tds vs 3 ints in last 2 games also had most rushing yards of any QB not named Cunningham that year(also I believe one of only if not only QB to start every game for his team). They had terrible record but stock seemed to be trending upward and were more competitive than their record shows(could easily see them as a 7-9/8-8 team in a different division that year or playing in AFC).