Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

How about NFL '67 thru '69 allowing 6 teams the same exact way the conferences do it now? Seeding based on record (tie-breakers if necessary) with no respect to the conferences; top two non-division-winners (5th & 6th seeds) get in whether in the same conference or even same division, etc. Here's how it would have been...

1967 first round:
1) Rams, 2) Packers - bye
6) Bears @ 3) Cowboys; 5) Colts @ 4) Browns

1968 first round:
1) Colts, 2) Cowboys - bye
6) Cards @ 3) Browns; 5) Rams @ 4) Vikes

1969 first round:
1) Vikes, 2) Cowboys - bye
6) Colts @ 3) Rams; 5) Lions @ 4) Browns

The obvious thoughts come in '67 with undefeated-til-final-game Colts getting an opportunity, at least, to join the dance (IMO Pack still prevails anyway) and Butkus & Sayers being in the playoffs! Bud Grant's first NFL playoff game being at home instead! Shula getting another post-season shot in '69 to bring Colts a title. Any other thoughts?

74_75_78_79_ wrote:How about NFL '67 thru '69 allowing 6 teams the same exact way the conferences do it now? Seeding based on record (tie-breakers if necessary) with no respect to the conferences; top two non-division-winners (5th & 6th seeds) get in whether in the same conference or even same division, etc. Here's how it would have been...

1967 first round:
1) Rams, 2) Packers - bye
6) Bears @ 3) Cowboys; 5) Colts @ 4) Browns

1968 first round:
1) Colts, 2) Cowboys - bye
6) Cards @ 3) Browns; 5) Rams @ 4) Vikes

1969 first round:
1) Vikes, 2) Cowboys - bye
6) Colts @ 3) Rams; 5) Lions @ 4) Browns

The obvious thoughts come in '67 with undefeated-til-final-game Colts getting an opportunity, at least, to join the dance (IMO Pack still prevails anyway) and Butkus & Sayers being in the playoffs! Bud Grant's first NFL playoff game being at home instead! Shula getting another post-season shot in '69 to bring Colts a title. Any other thoughts?

Regarding 1967, there would have been no Ice Bowl, at least not in the NFL Championship game. Had the Rams and Packers met in the title game, it would have been played in the Coliseum, not Lambeau Field.

Hypothetically, the Cowboys and Colts win the 1967 Wildcard games. The Rams and Packers beat the Cowboys and Colts in the next round, with a Rams-Packers title game in Los Angeles. Maybe the Colts would have beaten the Packers resulting in another Ram-Colt game.

We don't know what would have happened. It comes down to "On any given Sunday."

While we're at it, we can also throw in a 'what-if' pertaining to the since-'02 format being just like '67-thru-'69 (strictly division-winners getting in)!

That obviously would have boxed out my '05 Steelers along with '07 Giants, '08 Eagles and '10 Packers.

And when if ONLY ONE wild card team was ever allowed in all the way up through 2001? '78 Oilers, '85 Pats, '87 Vikes, '89 Steelers and Rams, '91 Cowboys, '96 Jags all missing the boat.