Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

The 1992 Cowboys finish 9-7 or 10-6 with Steve Beurelein as QB, and likely lose in the first round of the playoffs. And I don't see Tony Romo winning a SB with those 90s Cowboys, either.

Those Dallas teams in 92 and 93 were interesting. They did well at the end of 91 without Aikman, but they started 0-2 without Emmitt Smith at the start of the 1993 season (which is unbelievable. They had a great O-line, and I don't think that Emmitt was a great back).

L.C. Greenwood wrote: The 1978 Patriots were a talented team, but the '78 Steelers may have been the most talented ever. The Oilers beat New England twice that season in Foxboro, and the Steelers annihilated Houston in the AFC Title Game. Just don't see the Pats coming close.

The Oilers beating the Pats in the playoffs should probably not be viewed as a upset, as the Pats were rocked before their week 16 game when Chuck Fairbanks was suspended by Chuck Sullivan for breaking his contract to agree to coach the University of Colorado for the 1979 season. Fairbanks was reinstated to coach New England for the playoff game against Houston, but he was clearly in a lame duck situation and it had already become a public urination battle between ownership/management and the coach and the team was caught in the middle. I would have taken a very weak 1978 team (New York Giants, Tampa Bay, St. Louis) to go into New England and win that day.

I don't know if I buy the argument that the 1978 Steelers are the most talented team ever. If forced to choose, I would almost choose the 1975 team. The 1978 team were really the one NFL team in 1978 that offensively best took advantage of the new passing rules, so they derive a special bonus there. I think the 1975 Steelers had a better defense in my opinion, Franco was younger and better in 1975 than in 1978, and Bradshaw had his first really good year in 1975. While Swann and Stallworth had not emerged as superstars in 1978, they were solid players in 1975. The Steelers played a much stronger schedule in 1975, especially in their own division, while it seemed the 1978 Steelers struggled in a lot of games they should have won handily.

Rupert Patrick wrote: I don't know if I buy the argument that the 1978 Steelers are the most talented team ever. If forced to choose, I would almost choose the 1975 team. The 1978 team were really the one NFL team in 1978 that offensively best took advantage of the new passing rules, so they derive a special bonus there. I think the 1975 Steelers had a better defense in my opinion, Franco was younger and better in 1975 than in 1978, and Bradshaw had his first really good year in 1975. While Swann and Stallworth had not emerged as superstars in 1978, they were solid players in 1975. The Steelers played a much stronger schedule in 1975, especially in their own division, while it seemed the 1978 Steelers struggled in a lot of games they should have won handily.

Plus the 75 Steelers had a healthy Joe Greene until the Oakland game where he hurt his shoulder and was never really the same. They also still had Andy Russell and Ernie Holmes. Who were better than their 1978 counterparts.

My (very) unpopular football opinion is that (and I've stated it here before) the following statement requires at least an asterisk:

The 1960 NFL Championship Game was the only playoff game the Lombardi Packers ever lost.*

*The now widely discredited "Playoff Bowl" was an official NFL playoff game (for third place) and the Lombardi Packers lost the 1964 Playoff Bowl on 1/3/65 to the Cardinals 24-17.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Playoff_Bowl

Did I hear someone say "Hinky-dink?"

The NFL jerseys from 2002-2011 when they had Reebok > the Nike Jerseys since 2012

I'm gonna actually take back what I said about Aikman.

I once was annoyed by him having 1 20 TD pass season. Turns out that he (and Irvin) could have had bigger numbers, but Emmitt Smith inside the 10 was one of the best scoring options ever.

And watching some old highlights, he could throw some VERY impressive long passes.

Aikman could have cleaned up in Houston's run-and-shoot or Buffalo's K-gun offense, but that was never asked of him in Dallas.

The 1991 Denver Broncos were the worst 12-4 team to ever reach the AFC-CG.

Those Dan Reeves teams were basically Elway, the Mile High Stadium mystique, and not much else.

CSKreager wrote:The 1991 Denver Broncos were the worst 12-4 team to ever reach the AFC-CG.

Those Dan Reeves teams were basically Elway, the Mile High Stadium mystique, and not much else.

Yeah, it would be between them and the 1984 Steelers. I would give the 84 Steelers an edge as far as being worse because the 91 Broncos had a real good defense, and the Steelers needed a miracle to get in the playoffs.

7DnBrnc53 wrote:

CSKreager wrote:The 1991 Denver Broncos were the worst 12-4 team to ever reach the AFC-CG.

Those Dan Reeves teams were basically Elway, the Mile High Stadium mystique, and not much else.

Yeah, it would be between them and the 1984 Steelers. I would give the 84 Steelers an edge as far as being worse because the 91 Broncos had a real good defense, and the Steelers needed a miracle to get in the playoffs.

Except the 1984 Steelers were 9-7, not 12-4. Yet they somehow beat the 49ers in San Francisco that season.