Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Sam Rutigliano could qualify? He went to the playoffs in 1980 and 1982, but he had the worst AFC playoff team of the 1982 strike-shortened season and I'm sure the Browns wouldn't have entered the playoffs in a normal season. The same for Monte Clark and the Lions.

Bryan wrote:

74_75_78_79_ wrote:Had to exclude pre-merger because if I didn't, then the answer would be pretty darn obvious...Jimmy Conzelman!

Buck Shaw?

Didn't think of him, I should have thought of him, but I think I'll still place JC in 1st pre-'70-wise if, however, by a lesser margin now. I definitely will cross-out "pretty darn obvious".

As for post-'69...many great suggestions have come up. Sam Wyche? The problem with possibly placing he at '#1' here is that despite his work (as Wolf mentions) in developing DeBerg, Joe Cool, that Esiason-led Bengal-O, etc, and simply being from those very Schools of Brown & Walsh, he only having made the playoff twice in the ample amount of years he coached - and, of course, his Tampa Bay time. The same with Forrest Gregg who also didn't punch-in a playoff berth with the 'Bay' team he himself coached. But he did post an extra winning season (with Cleveland) as Sam himself did in '86 with Cincy. I couldn't help but to create that 'Wyche-vs-Gregg' thread some time back.

McCafferty is a solid mention! This especially if you opine - as I myself do - that he would have made Detroit a winner had tragedy not stepped in. Being how 'un-pretty' that '70 title may have looked, Colts may have seemed destined for a letdown in '71. But not so! Don led them to a strong 10-4 showing the following year (#1, and historically underrated, defense; much better run-game, albeit passing fell off) and right on back to the AFCCG! Certainly a feather in his cap!

Fairbanks, fellow-Pats HC Berry, Walt Michaels? Problem is they simply not having HC'd as much to get an even-better-enough take on them. I'm sure they each would have done well, but would have liked to see them each HC longer and/or see how they would have been for another team(s). Razor-close Fairbanks was to winning a Lombardi if you assume he beats Rocky/Franco-less Steelers and then Vikings. But Berry does have a SB berth of those three. Really like those '81/'82 Jets teams! I know its not an 'excuse' (Mia did sweep them regular season), but what-if no rain in the '82 AFCCG game just the same (or a full 16-game campaign)? Sure enough Walt posts more playoff berths had he stuck around as well as making them even-better than they were in '85 & '86.

It's very tough, here, to pick a clear first-place. Force me to make a decision? Still tough.

Brian wolf wrote:Good call on McCafferty ...

Had the Colts taken care of business against Plunkett and the Patriots, might have been a different outcome for them in 1971/72, though beating the Chiefs, Dolphins, Browns or Dallas with a lot of veterans was a tough task.

The scuttlebutt was that the Colts tanked the game to the Patriots, because the WC went to Cleveland and the AFC East champion went to Kansas City. These were the days when the playoff matchups were all scheduled beforehand regardless of record. Under today's rules the WC would go to KC and the Browns would go to the AFC East winner. But that was not the case then. So the idea was the Browns were a lot worse than the Chiefs (which was true), so regardless of the AFC Championship, take the easier first game. Which it was, the Colts cruised over the Browns while the Dolphins needed double OT in KC.

The Colts missed Bulaich and Matte against the Dolphins. Nottingham had his moments, but not explosive enough. Missed Roy Jefferson as well. Passing game for the Colts in 1971 was not very good. I am assuming Unitas had a bum arm for most of the year, that's why Morrall was starting and Unitas just subbing in and not playing very well at that. Unitas came on at the end, seemed to be throwing better based on stats. But the Dolphins were able to contain the Colts enough and got a couple of big plays. Maybe turns differently if the Colts have a better ground game, since they actually did a decent job of containing Csonka and Kiick.

Jay Z wrote:

Brian wolf wrote:Good call on McCafferty ...

Had the Colts taken care of business against Plunkett and the Patriots, might have been a different outcome for them in 1971/72, though beating the Chiefs, Dolphins, Browns or Dallas with a lot of veterans was a tough task.

The scuttlebutt was that the Colts tanked the game to the Patriots, because the WC went to Cleveland and the AFC East champion went to Kansas City. These were the days when the playoff matchups were all scheduled beforehand regardless of record. Under today's rules the WC would go to KC and the Browns would go to the AFC East winner. But that was not the case then. So the idea was the Browns were a lot worse than the Chiefs (which was true), so regardless of the AFC Championship, take the easier first game. Which it was, the Colts cruised over the Browns while the Dolphins needed double OT in KC.

The Colts missed Bulaich and Matte against the Dolphins. Nottingham had his moments, but not explosive enough. Missed Roy Jefferson as well. Passing game for the Colts in 1971 was not very good. I am assuming Unitas had a bum arm for most of the year, that's why Morrall was starting and Unitas just subbing in and not playing very well at that. Unitas came on at the end, seemed to be throwing better based on stats. But the Dolphins were able to contain the Colts enough and got a couple of big plays. Maybe turns differently if the Colts have a better ground game, since they actually did a decent job of containing Csonka and Kiick.

I know I'm bringing back a now-faded thread, but with this here last post mentioning those very '71 Browns, their HC Nick Skorich can at least be mentioned as a just-two-time playoff HC! Serving as the 'bridge' between Collier and Gregg, Nick went 9-5 this very '71 campaign and make the playoffs again the following year (this time as a 10-4 wild card) and giving that famous undefeated team some real hell in the divisional. He posted yet another winner in '73 at 7-5-2, but then in his final year in '74 he suffered what would, at the time, be just Cleveland's second losing season ever! Nick never had another run elsewhere so hard to judge how he was as a HC. Were those three straight winning seasons a product of what Collier left for him, was it all him; or a little of both?

EDIT - My mistake. Skorich took over for Buck Shaw after '60. He, right away, took the Birds to a 2nd-place 10-4 finish before suffering back-to-back losing seasons after that, then being let go (and off to Blanton's staff). '61 seems like a case of inheriting.