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SixtiesFan wrote:Speaking of the Bills, QB Joe Ferguson broke his ankle in the next to last game of the regular season and played the final game (a win over Joe Montana's 49ers) and the road playoff loss to the Chargers with a broken ankle. Something of a handicap, one would think.
Those 1980-1981 Bills teams were tough. The beat the Chargers, Raiders, and Rams during the 1980 regular season. I've watched their playoff game against San Diego. Ferguson had zero mobility, yet he was able to lead the Bills down the field. Ferguson would periodically get knocked out of the game, and backup QB Dan Manucci would come on the field, resulting in 3 runs up the middle and a punt each time. Nick Mike-Mayer missed a couple FGs, which arguably affected the outcome of the game, but the Bills did have a 14-3 lead in the 2nd half. The Bills defense gave up some yards but always came up with a big stop or a big turnover. It seemed like a healthy Joe Ferguson would have been enough to defeat a great San Diego team. As it stood, the Chargers needed a last-minute 50-yard TD pass to Ron Smith to win the game. The Chargers had Smith split out alone on one side of the field, isolated on the slow FS Bill Simpson. I don't know how the Bills ended up in that coverage, but Smith caught a short pass and simply ran past a lunging Simpson for the score.
The Bills defeated the Dolphins, Jets and Chargers in the 1981 regular season and earned a wildcard in the competitive AFC East. They defeated the Jets in the postseason, then gave the Bengals a run for their money. The Bills kind of outphysicaled the Bengals, and the game was tied 21-21 in the 4th quarter until Ken Anderson connected with Cris Collinsworth for the 28-21 margin of victory.
Joe Ferguson never was written about much even in his playing days. In his 1973 rookie season, Ferguson mainly handed off to O.J. Simpson and the "hand-off QB" label stuck to him even though Ferguson carried the Bills for many years after Simpson left. I recall a piece in the Sporting news circa 1981 saying Joe Ferguson had the lowest national profile of any NFL starting QB.
Ferguson was like John Brodie and Jim Hart, inconsistent career-wise, but as good as anybody when he had a hot hand. One example was a 1983 duel with Dan Marino.
Both Fred Smerlas and Conrad Dobler praised Ferguson in their autobiographies. Each described his as a gutsy leader who commanded a lot of respect from his teammates, but kept a low profile.
Dobler wrote about the end of the 1980 season. Ferguson was injured in Week 15 against New England. The offensive line had only surrendered 12 sacks in the first 14 games, but New England recorded 8; 1 of Ferguson, 2 of David Humm, and 5 of Dan Manucci...who only got off 6 passes. A hobbled Ferguson was still Buffalo's best option.
The 1980 game between Pittsburgh and Buffalo at Rich Stadium had the most memorable (for me at that time) play of that season: a Ferguson TD pass to Jerry Butler, who somehow snagged the ball from Mike Wagner. I remember very well the photo in many newspapers, singnalling that the Bills had defeated the current Super Bowl champions and were 9-3 by then.
conace21 wrote:Both Fred Smerlas and Conrad Dobler praised Ferguson in their autobiographies. Each described his as a gutsy leader who commanded a lot of respect from his teammates, but kept a low profile.
Dobler wrote about the end of the 1980 season. Ferguson was injured in Week 15 against New England. The offensive line had only surrendered 12 sacks in the first 14 games, but New England recorded 8; 1 of Ferguson, 2 of David Humm, and 5 of Dan Manucci...who only got off 6 passes. A hobbled Ferguson was still Buffalo's best option.
The 1980 Bills had many veterans who had started their careers in another teams (Conrad Dobler, Phil Villapiano, Isaiah Robertson, Frank Lewis, Ron Jessie and Sherman White) who had good years.
I would also rank the playoff-missing Patriots as better than at least half the other playoff teams. From 1977-80, the Patriots had a weird inability to win Monday Night games which doomed their fortunes in each of those seasons, going 1-7 on MNF, and often losing to inferior competition. In '80, it was close losses to the Oilers and Dolphins which devastated their playoff plans.
All right, here are my (the OP's) power rankings end of Week #16 1980 had I not been in elementary school following my first ever season, but as an adult who already has been following, knowing league history at least somewhat the preceding years...
Honorable mention: Steelers 9-7
Would simply love to 'cheat' and cram them in there. Some reasons to do so. As previously mentioned, a few very close losses (especially vs Cleveland & Houston themselves) that may have otherwise placed them top-seed. Cleveland and Houston, who both finished two ahead, didn't have to play against Raiders, Bills, or SD like Pittsburgh had to. However, Steelers didn't handle themselves against either of those top-dogs like a team worthy of the post-season. Also, as many close losses they suffered in '80, how about the close wins vs weak competition such as Colts, Pack, and TB? Yes, they had the injuries. The sky may have been the limit had they been completely healthy, but they simply weren't. They still had the depth. Some of those catches Smith and Bell made that year almost made you think they were Stallworth & Swann in disguise. Robin Cole played rather well amongst others. However, it just wasn't enough.
#10 - Browns
First off, my mistake, Bob Golic was not on the '80 Browns (not yet). Upon further thought, I thought I not only break the tie between Cleveland and Houston, but to cram another team in between the two at #9. That would be the team that did beat the Browns in '80, the one Golic did play for; also being the team whom Houston did beat in their game vs them on MNF. What prevents any 'power' points from being gained by teams in the AFC Central in the first place, is that the division was matched up against the weak NFC Central. Not to mention each of them only having to play one of the two 9-7s, Minnesota, who Houston beat but "live-by-bomb, die-by-bomb"-heavy Cleveland didn't beat in that Kramer-to-Rashad Hail Mary (again..."live-by-the-bomb...").
#9 - Patriots
Seven Pro Bowlers, the 6-1 start, a close loss or two (John Lennon game included) from not only making post-season, but home-field as well. Just as much a part of the pack as the actual 1980 playoff participants IMO.
#8 - Oilers
"Knocked on the door" the two previous years. No reason for me at least to think they were an 'odd-man-out' going into the '80 post-season. Would have thought they had an at least even shot at Oakland, and then if they do win that one...play at the Murph, this time full strength!
#7 - Raiders
Stick-um aside, this team that would actually go on to win it all Jan '81 simply had enough stuff to them that couldn't be measured in stats (team-speed, confidence, swagger, the Raider Mystique, etc). Almost beating Eagles in a defensive slugfest at the Vet, almost sweeping SD, many vets from the Madden days still around (two of them, Stork & Rod, allowing a rookie MLB from Penn St to more than amply take the lead at D) gave reason to definitely not count these guys out going into the playoffs. They were 9-2 going in after that rough start.
#6 - Rams
Great team all through the '70s, were in the SB the previous year (giving Steelers all they could handle), now 11-5 and just coming off a walloping MNF win over Dallas two weeks prior, bringing Buffalo into OT in the bitter cold week before that...this team seemed built to go all the way.
#5 - Eagles
Great, tough, respectable, 'blue-collar' team knocking on Dallas's door the last few seasons; finally 'got in' in '80! Awesome 11-1 start, especially those first three games. I wouldn't have counted-them-out going into the post-season, but that shaky 1-3 finish (especially against cream-of-the-crop) would have had me worried. Also, they did play-down, at times, to weaker competition during that 11-1 stretch (e.g. Saints game). Getting past Dallas that January wouldn't have been a shocker for me (nor, as I stated earlier, they winning at Atl in a hypo-NFCC; Eagles were very close to winning that Week #14 match at the Vet), but I would have leaned the other way before game time.
#4 - Chargers
I keep forgetting they were 6-4 at one point during this, arguably, 'peak' of the Coryell Era. Barely spilt their series with Oakland, lost at home to Buffalo, lost convincing enough to Dallas. However, that Legendary offense with Muncie now added in and that 3-Pro-Bowler D-front (Dean still present) that would have seemed at least to make up for the rest of that side of the ball...although I would have rooted against them, if they simply get by Oakland, they beat Philly two weeks later IMO. If they don't shoot themselves in feet with turnovers, definitely get a higher ranking than this.
#3 - Bills
Beat both AFCC-participants during their amazing opening-statement 5-0 start. Beat Rams. Good enough for #3.
#1b - Dallas
An all-too-perennial-well-seasoned-contender at this point, too good to place them at simply #2; even with no-playoff-experience Danny White. It would have gone back-and-forth between they and my 1a. Almost sweep Philly, beat SD convincing enough, beat Raiders at Oakland late in the season...
#1a - Atlanta
'New' to being top-seed unlike 1b, but burying Pats and Bills on the road, beating Philly on the road, their loss to Rams in their split with them was when division was already clinched (albeit Bart, Andrews, Junior, etc all still playing in that game; top-seed still on line), the 9-game win-streak before that very season finale, no more Staubach....
Last edited by 74_75_78_79_ on Mon Jun 01, 2020 11:03 am, edited 5 times in total.
I always wondered why Miami had the sudden drop off to 8-8 this year. I always thought it was mostly to due to Griese being benched/injured a good chunk of his last year or if it was something more than that. They bounced right back to the top of the standings in the early 80s winning more because of the Killer Bs than QB play.
In the New England-Miami MNF game, the Pats' offensive play-calling was brutal, which led to them getting caught in a tight struggle that they ultimately lost. Some people forget, presumably because of Cosell announcing Lennon's death as the play was getting set up, that NE was trying to kick a last-second FG that ended up being blocked and sending the game to OT. Had they made that and every thing else played out the last two weeks as it did, the Pats would have won the division and Buffalo would have traveled to Oakland for the WC game.
Last hurrah of the 70s Rams (by the time Dickerson came around, a lot of those guys were gone by the middle of the decade)
The Colts had a surprisingly decent season (swept the Bills, singlehandedly kept them from HFA throughout playoffs) which made their '81 collapse the more shocking
Washington played all season like they had never recovered from the '79 Dallas finale (though had the Bears not routed the Cardinals, it wouldn't have mattered)
Seattle went winless at home which was a stunner given their 1978/1979 moments of glory
The 49ers showed offensive glimpses of what was to come, but had a long ways to go on defense
The Jets.... well, they go from a decent year in '79, are the 1 in the 1-15 Saints, then make the playoffs the next 2 years
The NFL Films segment of this season "Saviors, saints and sinners" is IMHO one of the best they ever had and for me it was the first glimpse (and impact) of NFL Films. A true gem!
