Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

I know I'll haver very little to no support on this, but while it's not my absolute favorite of the 90s (1991 and 1994 I rate ahead)...I really liked 1993. Part of it I believe was because it was a landmark year of my life too where everything went right, but I did enjoy the last true year of old school blood and guts football, where every game wasn't a 48-45 track meet. Where teams just march down the field back and forth and score 28 pts combined in the last 2 minutes of a game...where everything seemed like it was a frenzied scripted movie.

The Jets crashed and burned having to play Buffalo-Dallas-Houston to end the season 8-8, but I really enjoyed the team they were the first 13 games. Tough, veteran defense. Great offensive line, Johnny Johnson, Boomer coming home. It was the last year of the truly old school 80s Giants as well. Lawrence Taylor and Phil Simms swan songs. The last year of those great Bills AFC Super Bowl clubs. Montana and Marcus Allen's resurgence in Kansas City. Parcells first year trying to turn around the Pats in those new uni's. Reggie White in Green Bay. Jerome Bettis really turning some heads with a monster year in LA, Tim Brown's first truly elite season. The much anticipated arrival of Bledsoe and Mirer.

I get the reasoning behind picking a year as "best of the decade" due to it actually epitomizing the decade best. Yes, 1998, NFL-wise or non-NFL-wise, hardly a 'Family Feud' "survey says" #1 answer as to what year best resembles the '90s. But - as i thoroughly explained why in previous posts - I still feel that it's not only the best NFL season of that very decade, but the last truly great NFL season-period.

'91-thru-'93 did, indeed, have that 'deadball' throwback feel to it (yes, despite being three years and two HCs removed from Tuna/Hoodie, '93 was the last breath of the spirit of 'Big Blue Wrecking Crew'). The contrast from '93 to '94 is a slightly (or not quite slightly) lesser version of '77-'78. I remember watching that MNF, Raiders at SF, opener. The sun was actually still out in the beginning of the game and just the way it lit into the stadium...a bit surreal; perhaps a new beginning! 1978, pop-culture-wise, was when the '70s became less "down-to-earth" and more flashy and glitzy thus opening up the passing game in the league. There are those who feel the '90s weren't the same again after Kurt Cobain took his life. Well, '94 was the first season after that event.

You could probably argue that the NFL '80s actually began in '78 due to those rules-changes, "flashier" game, 16 weeks in a season, 10 teams now in the playoffs along with an extra post-season round, etc. But, to me, that would only apply had the Steelers fallen off. Say, finished 9-7 in '78 and then 8-8 in '79. And especially if Big D and LA fell those two years as well. But they didn't. The Dynasty extended another two years thus extending the decade with it realistically as well as technically, And Dallas being Pittsburgh's SBXIII opponent to determine, at the very least, the "team of the '70s"! And then the 'Steelers/Cowboys' hype that carried quite well into the '79 season ('Super Bowl XIII 1/2' on 10/28 included)...yes, still '70s-enough to me those final two years. And the Rams posting an outstanding regular season (7-1 vs teams with winning records - Pit & Dal included) followed by finally getting out of the NFC the following year! Shula's Dolphins were a playoff team again those two years albeit not championship caliber.

On the other hand, Raiders were replaced by Houston as not only a playoff team both years, but as a rival for Pittsburgh. A team named the 'Seattle Seahawks' not only existing but being winners along with a 'Tampa Bay Buccaneers' team not only existing but starting 5-0 in '79 en route to a division title and home-NFCCG-berth! Yes, not real "seventies"-ish, but not enough IMO to debunk things either. And another big reason that should have already been mentioned...there was still running and especially still DEFENSE those two years (and not just that, but plenty of both through the entire '80s)!

Not just the Steelers falling, but new playoff participants winning their divisions like Buffalo & Cleveland, and Eagles & Falcons winning the NFC East and West while Cowboys & Rams settle for wild card spots made 1980 a more sensible change-of-guard year. Or maybe more like a 'transition' year, for '81 was when the first signs would show as to how the decade would truly unfold. Forty Niners and Giants not only made the playoffs but played each other in them while Gibbs won Washington 8 of their final 11! And then Washington wins-it-all the following year; and I feel it being quite likely that had 1982 went full, that it just may've gone down as not only my favorite '80s season, but my favorite of all-time since following the game (Steelers winning "one for the Thumb" or not).

sheajets wrote:I know I'll haver very little to no support on this, but while it's not my absolute favorite of the 90s (1991 and 1994 I rate ahead)...I really liked 1993. Part of it I believe was because it was a landmark year of my life too where everything went right, but I did enjoy the last true year of old school blood and guts football, where every game wasn't a 48-45 track meet. Where teams just march down the field back and forth and score 28 pts combined in the last 2 minutes of a game...where everything seemed like it was a frenzied scripted movie.

The Jets crashed and burned having to play Buffalo-Dallas-Houston to end the season 8-8, but I really enjoyed the team they were the first 13 games. Tough, veteran defense. Great offensive line, Johnny Johnson, Boomer coming home. It was the last year of the truly old school 80s Giants as well. Lawrence Taylor and Phil Simms swan songs. The last year of those great Bills AFC Super Bowl clubs. Montana and Marcus Allen's resurgence in Kansas City. Parcells first year trying to turn around the Pats in those new uni's. Reggie White in Green Bay. Jerome Bettis really turning some heads with a monster year in LA, Tim Brown's first truly elite season. The much anticipated arrival of Bledsoe and Mirer.

1993 wasn't one of my favorite seasons, even though my team did OK (and John Elway put up great numbers in his first year out of the antiquated Reeves-Dallas system). The Bills making it back to the SB (when they didn't deserve to) was a big reason. That team was 12-4, but should have been 7-9. They won several games because of teams having bad kickers that missed FG's, and they also got a lot of other breaks (like Thermal getting a TD in the second game against the Jets even though the ball didn't cross the plane).

Also, I wanted Houston to make the SB bad that year. I wanted to see Buddy's 46 get after Aikman and the hated Cowboys. However, they got upset by Montana and a Chief team that vastly overachieved (I think the Steelers should have brought him in and let O'Donnell go to the Bucs on that offer sheet. Neil wasn't bad, but he wasn't the franchise).

For the 90's, 1996 would be my favorite year. That was when I came to the realization that John Elway is going to get a ring. It didn't happen that year, but it happened the next season. Also, it was nice to see the Cryboys and the evil 49ers take a step back (and see the Panthers whoop them twice).

1978 - the first season I saw complete.

1980 - my all-time favorite season, great teams, great games, NFL Films at his highest peak.

1993 - My Cowboys winning back-to-back Súper Bowls.

Of course this is subjective because different people enjoy different things. Here's the ones I'd pick.

60s Honestly those last 3 pre merger seasons all seem like they would have been a thrill to watch. I can't really pick one. Chargers are one of my teams so I'll just choose 63.

70s 72 The drama of the undefeated season. My first season was 2007 and I really value the drama of the undefeated dynamic.

80s 84 Marino breaking the records and the great Niners season. Super Bowl would be underwhelming but feel the journey there must have been a lot of fun.

90s 98 You had Elways last season and the Falcons v Vikings NFC title game. Would have fun watching the Vikings incredible offense and Gary Andersons streak.

1994 to me was a real turning point year. The Brilliant 75 Season Anniversary (great logo and TV Program, believe it was a 2 part on TNT) you also had the leagues first real foray into throwback jerseys which I found fascinating (of course nowadays teams have gone way to far with too many jerseys, too much mixing and matching and ruining identities) but back then it was interesting seeing the Bills wear the standing buffalo helmet logo, or the awesome old Chargers and 49ers uniforms.

Also the first year of the NFL on FOX and the pregame shows trying (too hard) to be wacky, goofy...pop culturey. Essentially it looked like something Jerry Bruckheimer would produce, but people tuned in.

Brett Favre's first great season. Dan Marino's last great season (4k + yards and 30tds coming off a bad injury)

A surprising and fun Chargers team taking the NFL by storm...though I really would've preferred a Steelers/9ers Super Bowl

The 49ers and the Cowboys are absolute NFL royalty at the time. Star studded high profile monster franchises. Their are essentially two Super Bowls played in the 3 seasons between 92-94. The NFL Championship Game was really thought of and promoted like the REAL Super Bowl. With the Super Bowl being derided as a sort of coronation

Zero26 wrote:80s 84 Marino breaking the records and the great Niners season. Super Bowl would be underwhelming but feel the journey there must have been a lot of fun.

A lot happened during the 1984 regular season. The postseason was pretty terrible. The best game arguably was Pittsburgh's upset of Denver in the divisional round, and that was more of Denver's offensive ineptness than anything. In the championship round, 2 of the 4 starting QBs were Steve Fuller and Mark Malone. That Super Bowl was one of the most hyped, most anticipated games in NFL history, and it wasn't even competitive.

sheajets wrote:A surprising and fun Chargers team taking the NFL by storm...though I really would've preferred a Steelers/9ers Super Bowl

Not sure if I agree with the description of that 94 Chargers team. They only went 11-5 (5-5 down the stretch), and were lucky to have that many wins. They were an above-average team, much like the 92 and 93 Chargers that went 11-5 & 8-8 with pretty much the same players. I don't recall them taking the NFL by storm. They snuck by both the Dolphins and Steelers in the playoffs and got stomped in the Super Bowl by the Niners (Opening kickoff, Niners TD, SD 3 and out, Niners TD...5 minutes of action, 14-0 deficit!). They definitely weren't a fun team to watch...a blah team that had Natrone Means touching the ball 382 times on offense at a clip of 4.1 yards. Yawn.

Bryan wrote:

sheajets wrote:A surprising and fun Chargers team taking the NFL by storm...though I really would've preferred a Steelers/9ers Super Bowl

Not sure if I agree with the description of that 94 Chargers team. They only went 11-5 (5-5 down the stretch), and were lucky to have that many wins. They were an above-average team, much like the 92 and 93 Chargers that went 11-5 & 8-8 with pretty much the same players. I don't recall them taking the NFL by storm. They snuck by both the Dolphins and Steelers in the playoffs and got stomped in the Super Bowl by the Niners (Opening kickoff, Niners TD, SD 3 and out, Niners TD...5 minutes of action, 14-0 deficit!). They definitely weren't a fun team to watch...a blah team that had Natrone Means touching the ball 382 times on offense at a clip of 4.1 yards. Yawn.

Those mid 90's AFC SB teams were pretty uninspiring. Chargers, Steelers, and Patriots. Bleh. Especially when compared to the teams the NFC was putting in during that same time(49ers, Cowboys, Packers). The AFC felt like power vacuum teams from the Bills fall-off but before the Bronco's rose later in the decade.

Hail Casares wrote:Those mid 90's AFC SB teams were pretty uninspiring. Chargers, Steelers, and Patriots. Bleh. Especially when compared to the teams the NFC was putting in during that same time(49ers, Cowboys, Packers). The AFC felt like power vacuum teams from the Bills fall-off but before the Bronco's rose later in the decade.

Has there ever been a worse 3-year run of conference Super Bowl QBs than Humphries, O'Donnell, Bledsoe? Maybe the early 2000's NFC run of Brad Johnson, Jake Delhomme & Donovan McNabb?