Games with deceptive final scores

[Brian wolf]

I am going to do a thread about Smith, a talented game-manager who went through a lot of adversity. Is he HOVG? Or just HOFG(Hall Of Feel-Good)?

[SixtiesFan]

As I have mentioned before, the 1967 Packers playoff win over the Rams could have been alot different had Gossett for LA had hit his early FG attempts. Instead, the Packers go up 14-7 at the half and take over defensively in the second half, with Williams and Dale starring on offense. Despite four turnovers, the offensive line controlled the Fearsome Foursome ... you wonder in hindsight what Unitas and the Colts might have done against GB but the Rams were fired up and eliminated them the previous weekend. I still believe the Rams should have hosted the Packers in LA.

George Allen's Rams never got a break on the playoff seeding. In 1967 they beat the Colts in the last game of the season to tie them for the best record. Then they had to go to freezing Milwaukee to play the 9-4-1 Packers. In 1969 they got the Vikings in freezing Minnesota. In 1973, with Chuck Knox as coach, they were 12-2 but the draw had them play at Dallas. In the 1974 NFC Championship game seeding had them at Minnesota again.

Beginning in 1975, playoff home field was determined by won-lost record. Before it was seeding determined before the season.

[sheajets]

1984 AFC Championship Game. Steelers at one point led in the 2nd Q 14-10...and it was a 10 point game well into the 3rd quarter (31-21 Miami) However I never felt for a second that Pitt had a chance to win that game even though they hung around for quite some time and the score seemed competitive

1991 Bengals/Raiders Divisional Playoff. That game was 10-10 into the 4th but Cinci's offense just seemed so lifeless and inept. Raiders won 20-10 but it felt like it should've been 27-3 or something along those lines.

[Bryan]

I understand how one could look at that rivalry having only watched the playoff games and think that it wasn't as close as the Steelers/Raiders.

It wasn't as close as the Steelers/Raiders. The Raiders had much more firepower on offense compared to those Oiler teams. The Raiders were simply better than the Steelers in 1973, 1976 and probably 1977...the Oilers were never actually better than the Steelers at any point in time. The Steelers absolutely womped the Oilers in the regular season in 75 and 79 with scores of 32-9 and 38-7. The dominated both games in 1976, 21-0 & 32-16. I don't see the Steelers being able to dismantle the Raiders that easily.

The Oilers could never win a shootout with Pittsburgh; many games saw the Steelers hit a couple big plays and the Oilers simply couldn't recover. That's what happened in the 78 Championship game, too. The Raiders could and did actually have games where they put up 30+ points on the Steelers; the Oilers never could do that with their personnel. I agree the Oilers were probably the 2nd best team in 1979, but they were never on the Raiders' level. The Oilers were 0-4 in games against the Steelers when it really mattered....end of 75 regular season, end of 78 regular season, and the 78 & 79 title games. The Oilers managed 0 offensive TDs in 8 postseason quarters of action against Pittsburgh. Not exactly "Stabler-to-Branch" type of stuff.

[Bryan]

George Allen's Rams never got a break on the playoff seeding. In 1967 they beat the Colts in the last game of the season to tie them for the best record. Then they had to go to freezing Milwaukee to play the 9-4-1 Packers.

By the same token, the Packers were just playing by the rules of the time. They were 9-2-1 and had already clinched their playoff spot prior to the game against the Rams. Even with nothing to play for, the Packers came within a blocked punt of beating the Rams in Los Angeles. Two weeks later, with something at stake, the Packers routed the Rams 28-7.

I think if home field had been determined by record back in 1967, the Packers actually try to win their final two games. I'm guessing Don Horn wouldn't have played the majority of the Steelers game, and I'm guessing the Packers would have beaten the Rams in Los Angeles. So then the Packers finish 11-2-1 or at worst 10-3-1 if they don't try against the Steelers...but the irony is that had the Rams lost to a Packers team with something to play for, then the Rams would have been 9-2-2 going into the last week against 11-0-2 Baltimore with no shot at making the postseason. So people can complain about the 1967 Rams having to go to Milwaukee for their playoff game, but the playoff system at the time also helped the Rams make the postseason in the first place.

[Brian wolf]

Though the final score was closer, the Dolphins controlled the Steelers in the 1972 AFC Champ game.
Once Bradshaw went out, the Dolphins took the life out of them, though Terry came back to throw a TD pass; had he not been intercepted, might have been another Three Rivers miracle finish but the Dolphins secondary didnt give up cheap TDs ...

Though its still considered a SB "tournament" game rather than wild-card, the 1982 Bengal-Jet game was closer than the final score, Jets broke it open in the final quarter. Worth watching or collecting for exciting offense-scoring ...

The 2001/02 Wild card game between Oak-Jets was also an exciting game, where the Raiders broke it open with a Charlie Garner TD. Probably, Testaverde's last shot for a championship ...

[SixtiesFan]

George Allen's Rams never got a break on the playoff seeding. In 1967 they beat the Colts in the last game of the season to tie them for the best record. Then they had to go to freezing Milwaukee to play the 9-4-1 Packers.

By the same token, the Packers were just playing by the rules of the time. They were 9-2-1 and had already clinched their playoff spot prior to the game against the Rams. Even with nothing to play for, the Packers came within a blocked punt of beating the Rams in Los Angeles. Two weeks later, with something at stake, the Packers routed the Rams 28-7.

I think if home field had been determined by record back in 1967, the Packers actually try to win their final two games. I'm guessing Don Horn wouldn't have played the majority of the Steelers game, and I'm guessing the Packers would have beaten the Rams in Los Angeles. So then the Packers finish 11-2-1 or at worst 10-3-1 if they don't try against the Steelers...but the irony is that had the Rams lost to a Packers team with something to play for, then the Rams would have been 9-2-2 going into the last week against 11-0-2 Baltimore with no shot at making the postseason. So people can complain about the 1967 Rams having to go to Milwaukee for their playoff game, but the playoff system at the time also helped the Rams make the postseason in the first place.

That the "Packers were just playing by the rules of the time" was the point. The Rams had to play on the road while Lombardi's Packers got a break on playoff seeding. I saw the week 13 Rams-Packers game on TV. The Packers were playing all out. That the Rams won by a blocked punt was not a surprise. George Allen emphasized special teams.

[CSKreager]

How about the two Lions-Redskins games from 1991?

The first was 45-0 which sounds bad enough but I think it could have easily been 70-0. The Lions seemed to be outclassed at every level.

Gibbs ran up the score just as he did against Atlanta in November.

If I were Wayne Fontes, I wouldn’t have shaken his hand after that game.

[Mark]

How about the two Lions-Redskins games from 1991?

The first was 45-0 which sounds bad enough but I think it could have easily been 70-0. The Lions seemed to be outclassed at every level.

Gibbs ran up the score just as he did against Atlanta in November.

If I were Wayne Fontes, I wouldn’t have shaken his hand after that game.

The Redskins did nothing but run the ball most of the 4th quarter and took a knee at the Lions 12 toward the end of the game.If he wanted to run up the score he could have done much more. I recall an Eagles-Redskins game when Spurrier was coach and the Eagles were up 37-7 and Andy Reid had them took a knee. Spurrier said they should have kicked a FG. While I am not for intentionally humiliating anyone I wouldn't completely stop playing especially since point differential can come into play. I recall there being a fuss in 1996 when the Cowboys kicked an unneeded FG against the Packers that made it 21-6 instead of 18-6. I hate the Cowboys but that wouldn't bother me. Is losing 21-6 really worse than 18-6? In the 1991 Redskin Falcon game the last score was an interception return. I guess the interceptor was supposed to take a knee?

[CSKreager]

1997 AFC Wild Card Game, Jacksonville at Denver the rematch from that all time upset

The final was 42-17, but the Jaguars late in the 3rd after falling behind 21-0 had a chance to take the lead

They were driving to take the lead before Mark Brunell fumbled inside the redzone

The Broncos scored 3 4th quarter touchdowns