Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

ShinobiMusashi wrote: ↑Sat Jun 13, 2026 4:28 pm But I've yet to see a case made for a team that had a better season post-91. If you wanted to make a case for 78 Steelers, 85 Bears, 84/89 Niners, 72 Dolphins or even 62 Packers having better season I would yield, but any of the Super Bowl winners after 91 I don't think measure up pound for pound for the season that Washington had that year.

Good rule of thumb: if three people tell you you're drunk, go lie down.

Sonny9 wrote: ↑Mon Jun 15, 2026 12:26 am

SeahawkFever wrote: ↑Sun Jun 14, 2026 11:27 am

CSKreager wrote: ↑Sun Jun 14, 2026 5:33 am

Against who? Lachey basically only played against two defenses with a pulse (HOU, PHI)

They may not rank very high defensively, but they did also face the Giants and Bears who had a player with double digit sacks (Leonard Marshall and Richard Dent).

All told, unless one of them was hurt or not playing, they faced eleven of the 26 players who got at least nine sacks in 1991. (one of them of course was Charles Mann who was on their own team)

Obviously there’s more to defenses than how many sacks you are getting from your top pass rusher, but they faced some solid pass rushers that season too.

Lachey did not give up a sack all year, including the playoffs
Dal Jeffcoat
Phi Simmons
NYG Marshall
Chi Dent
Hou Jones
Buf Smith

Are the big names he went up against

He ran those guys into the ground, 6 games against Marshall, Simmons, and Jeffcoat. None of them ever got close to Rypien. Lachey was on track to being one of the all time great linemen in NFL history before the injuries got him starting the very next year. I remember he was in the "Stars Of The Future" feature in the 75 year anniversary book and as a kid in 1994-95 seeing that thinking who the hell is that?!

I'm watching the Week #12, 1976, Steelers (7-4) at Bengals (9-2) game at Riverfront. We all know how that - barely - turned out! SUCH a 7-3 soon-to-be-snow-covered defensive slugfest! So much for Kruczek "HAVING" to put up a real passing attack for the 'Burgh to win!

What-if Paul Brown was still Cincy's HC in '76? 1977 as well but, first, this very Bicentennial campaign - sure enough they don't beat the Raiders the following week in Alameda, and on MNF mind you, but just maybe a simple Paul still being at-helm may have made just enough of a difference against the Steelers? Bengals win, and they would have clinched the division with the Steelers now out. They would still, then, be playing for home-field! I think Raiders still win against Cincy on MNF anyway; and in the same fashion. If Bengals lost decisively playing for their lives in real-time...

I don't know...Steelers were on SUCH a 'MIssion' after that 1-4 start! They likely, IMO, find a way to win thus still run-the-regular-season-table anyway. But, man, it would have made for an even TOUGHER task!

If Bengals DO win against Pittsburgh, then lose at Oakland as I opined, they would have gone to Baltimore. Given Ted M & Bert's playoff struggles with the Colts in the '70s, Paul & Co may have had a shot to finally make it to an AFCCG (hey, someone would have had to win a la '92 Eagles@Saints)! Very likely, however, the buck would have stopped in Alameda with the Raiders ending up Numero Uno just the same.

And what about '77? Bengals just barely lost the division to the 'Burgh as well. And this was a significantly weaker Steeler team than the year before. Winning the Central in '77 would mean they'd have to play at Mile High. As far as the AFC was concerned (again...the AFC), this simply was the Orange Crush's year!

Even if the Bengals make the playoffs in '77, IMO, they would not have been what they were the year prior; especially 1975. Despite Oakland being a step or so down from '75/'76 as well, I don't see the Bengals even with Brown beating the Raiders even at home. And, Heaven forbid, against DALLAS in SBXII? Can't see them offering Rog & Doomsday much more than Denver themselves did.

Whether IRL or Paul Brown hypothetically still being onboard two extra years, 1973 & 1975 were, to me, the only two Bengal squads that you could call SB-caliber even if barely that very caliber.

What do you all think?

74_75_78_79_ wrote: ↑Sun Jun 21, 2026 5:16 pm I'm watching the Week #12, 1976, Steelers (7-4) at Bengals (9-2) game at Riverfront. We all know how that - barely - turned out! SUCH a 7-3 soon-to-be-snow-covered defensive slugfest! So much for Kruczek "HAVING" to put up a real passing attack for the 'Burgh to win!

What-if Paul Brown was still Cincy's HC in '76? 1977 as well but, first, this very Bicentennial campaign - sure enough they don't beat the Raiders the following week in Alameda, and on MNF mind you, but just maybe a simple Paul still being at-helm may have made just enough of a difference against the Steelers? Bengals win, and they would have clinched the division with the Steelers now out. They would still, then, be playing for home-field! I think Raiders still win against Cincy on MNF anyway; and in the same fashion. If Bengals lost decisively playing for their lives in real-time...

I don't know...Steelers were on SUCH a 'MIssion' after that 1-4 start! They likely, IMO, find a way to win thus still run-the-regular-season-table anyway. But, man, it would have made for an even TOUGHER task!

If Bengals DO win against Pittsburgh, then lose at Oakland as I opined, they would have gone to Baltimore. Given Ted M & Bert's playoff struggles with the Colts in the '70s, Paul & Co may have had a shot to finally make it to an AFCCG (hey, someone would have had to win a la '92 Eagles@Saints)! Very likely, however, the buck would have stopped in Alameda with the Raiders ending up Numero Uno just the same.

And what about '77? Bengals just barely lost the division to the 'Burgh as well. And this was a significantly weaker Steeler team than the year before. Winning the Central in '77 would mean they'd have to play at Mile High. As far as the AFC was concerned (again...the AFC), this simply was the Orange Crush's year!

Even if the Bengals make the playoffs in '77, IMO, they would not have been what they were the year prior; especially 1975. Despite Oakland being a step or so down from '75/'76 as well, I don't see the Bengals even with Brown beating the Raiders even at home. And, Heaven forbid, against DALLAS in SBXII? Can't see them offering Rog & Doomsday much more than Denver themselves did.

'73 & '75 were, to me, the only two Paul Brown Bengal squads that you could call SB-caliber.

What do you all think?

73 Bengals got screwed by the playoff rotation. 2nd best record in AFC, yet have to go to Miami? They should have hosted Oakland who turned out to be their weakest team of the decade

73 Bengals got screwed by the playoff rotation. 2nd best record in AFC, yet have to go to Miami? They should have hosted Oakland who turned out to be their weakest team of the decade

I see the Bengals defeating the Raiders at Riverfront.

As for Miami, they would have to host the Steelers, who they had to hold off on MNF a few weeks ago. With Bradshaw starting, I don't think they get off to the same early lead as they did on MNF. I do think they win, but that would have been closer than the Bengals-Dolphins game was.

Week 17 1995 final Sunday had three what ifs that could have shaped the entire postseason

What if Yancy Thigpen doesn’t drop a TD at Lambeau Field?

What if San Francisco doesn’t spit the bit vs Atlanta?

What if the Raiders don’t blow the Denver finale?

CSKreager wrote: ↑Sun Jul 12, 2026 12:19 am Week 17 1995 final Sunday had three what ifs that could have shaped the entire postseason

What if Yancy Thigpen doesn’t drop a TD at Lambeau Field?

What if San Francisco doesn’t spit the bit vs Atlanta?

What if the Raiders don’t blow the Denver finale?

You would have seen Bears@Lions and Pack@Eagles in the NFC WC. I see the home teams winning, with Detroit going to Dallas and Philly going to SF.

In the AFC, you have Bills@Raiders, and I like Buffalo in that one because Hoss probably doesn't play (Hobert and Vince Evans played against Denver).

I still see Dallas going to the SB and beating the Steelers, but the Packers would have moved up in the draft order, which would allowed them to get Ray Lewis.

As a Packers fan, there are a few what-ifs I go to, both on and off the field.

1. What if Green Bay defeated the Giants in the 2007 NFC Championship Game? I think a Brady-Favre Super Bowl would have been absolute, must-see television. And if Green Bay won, maybe Favre would have retired on top instead of his whole retirement saga.

2. Before said 2007 season, there was talk about Green Bay trading Aaron Rodgers for Randy Moss when he was in Oakland. A Favre-Moss combo may have extended Favre's career in Green Bay another couple of years. Plus, I'm not sure Rodgers would be the QB he became if he went to the Raiders.

3. What if Sterling Sharpe never got injured after the 1994 season? Sharpe the clear #1 receiver with Robert Brooks, Antonio Freeman, Keith Jackson, and Mark Chmura.

4. As for the Rodgers Era, what if Rodgers and the Pack held on to beat Seattle in 2014? Green Bay-New England in Super Bowl XLIX may have flipped the Packers' way.

5. If the Packers drafted Justin Jefferson instead of Jordan Love in 2020, how much longer does Rodgers stay in GB?

These are just some examples.

3. What if Sterling Sharpe never got injured after the 1994 season? Sharpe the clear #1 receiver with Robert Brooks, Antonio Freeman, Keith Jackson, and Mark Chmura.

I heard something about how Sharpe was having a falling out with Ron Wolf around that time over his contract. 1994 may have been his last year as a Packer even if he stayed healthy.

Ray Rhodes was a GB assistant, and tried to trade for Mark Brunell in 1995 when he took over as Eagle HC. He failed to get Mark, but maybe he trades Fred Barnett and a draft pick for Sharpe or something.

Very simple what-if. What if there was no AFC or NFC playoffs? Winning a division guaranteed a playoff spot, but the other six spots, and yes, I’m retrofitting this back to the merger, went to best records?

The top four best division winners get byes. Division record ties are by head-to-head and then division record.

Everyone else, including the two worst division winners who do not get homefield advantage just because they won a division, are seeded by record. Ties are broken by point differential. And it’s a bracket, not flexible by round.

First, the schedules would likely be totally different. Apart from playing your division foes twice, there’s no reason for adherence to a conference schedule as conferences are irrelevant in this model.

But we only have the data we have. So let’s try this on 1978, my first season I followed the NFL.

1. Pittsburgh 14-2, 9. Oakland 9-7 +28 at 8 San Diego 9-7 +46
4. New England 11-5, 12. Minnesota 8-7-1 at 5 Miami 11-5
2. Dallas 12-4 +176, 10. Philly 9-7 +20 at 7 Houston 10-6 -15
3. LA 12-4 +71, 11. Seattle 9-7 -13 at 6 Denver 10-6 +84

Interesting, though I think the Super Bowl ends up the same.

1979 mixes it up a bit more interestingly.

1. SD 12-4 +165, 9. Denver 10-6 +27 at 8. TB 10-6 +36
4. Mia. 10-6, +84 (over TB), 12. LA 9-7 +20 at 5. Philly 11-5 +57
2. Pitts. 12-4 +154, 10. NE 9-7 +85 at 7. Chicago 10-6 +57
3. Dallas 11-5, 11. Oakland 9-7 +28 at 6. Houston 11-5 +31