Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Counterpoint: the NFC had 0 depth. Outside of SF/GB/DAL, everybody else was mid at best

I don't think the Packers of the 90's were really all that great. If they didn't add Reggie White, they are a playoff team, but that's it. I watched the Den@GB game from 1993 recently, and I couldn't believe that the Broncos fell behind 30-7 at one point (although, looking back, that was year one of the five-year rebuilding program that brought Elway two SB's before retiring).

1981- the sea change year. Legendary draft class, rise of the 49ers and Giants, end of the Raiders/Steelers hegemony

New blood like the Jets and Bengals, Vikings and Rams fell off

CSKreager wrote: ↑Wed Nov 26, 2025 5:32 pm 1981- the sea change year. Legendary draft class, rise of the 49ers and Giants, end of the Raiders/Steelers hegemony

New blood like the Jets and Bengals, Vikings and Rams fell off

The start of Gibbs first tenure. Starting 0-5, outgaining their opponents by ~500 yards but going -15 in turnovers. They turned it around going 8-3 the rest of the way. Outgained by ~100 yards but won the turnover battle going +13. The next 3 years +8, +43, +15 in turnovers

I've posted this somewhere else but I feel like 1990 was a pretty spectacular season and can't be topped by any seasons in the 90's that came after it. Look at the AFC with that peak Bills team 13-3, what a run, then Miami was strong that year at 12-4 with a great defense. AFC Central the Bengals were still hot but also you got prime Moon in Houston with Glanville now out of the picture, and Chuck Noll still putting some interesting pieces in place in Pittsburgh with a 9-7 season. The only knock on the AFC this year would be Denver 5-11 Super Bowl hangover, while KC became a fun team to watch with Derrick Thomas and excellent offensive line. The Raiders 12-4 season with Bo Jackson in his final year.

NFC side even better, the whole build up to 49ers and GIants, Joe Montana vs LT, both teams off to a 10-0 start before they both lose right before the big game. One of the most watched Monday Night Football games still to this day if I'm not mistaken. That was must see TV. It would have been awesome to not have been 5 years old and been able to live that in real time that year lol.

NFC East was a beast, Washington was excellent team that year fell to San Fran in the playoffs could have just as easily been a Super Bowl year for that team with a few different breaks. Philly with prime Cunningham the ultimate weapon or whatever Sports Illustrated called him that year, prime Eagles Reggie defense making things interesting in that conference. Then Dallas was suddenly strong too at 7-9 with Emmitt as a rookie looking like a team on the rise. Out west was the 49er show with a 14-2 season on the quest for the 3peat, what a team and what a narrative. Montana wins MVP this year as well. The Dome Patrol Saints are their only challenge in their division at 8-8.

The only knock on the NFC that year was the decline of the Majik Man in Green Bay. After excellent 1989 season he started to fall apart in 90. It's a shame because had he been able to follow up that 89 performance it would have really made that NFC Central a lot more interesting those years in 1990 and 91.

This was also the year they added the second wild card team to both conferences. To me this made the NFL playoffs perfect. The 4 team playoff in the 70's was beautiful, but once they expanded to 16 games and 5 playoff teams I thought the 6th team for each conference tipped it into perfect balance for everything. Not a fan of 7 playoff teams per conference(they need to just bump it up to 16 team tourny).

But man how do you top this season with all those legends and phenoms like Bo and Cunningham playing at peak performance? Montana, Moon, Marino 3 of the all time greats all in prime form. And then top it all off with the greatest Super Bowl and to me the greatest game in NFL history Super Bowl XXV(my favorite at least). 91 can't touch this. 92, 93, interesting book ends to that era but not the same as 1990, 93 had too many big name injuries. 94-95-96 the league just wasn't on that level that we seen with the top teams in 1990, 1997 to me was a down year for the 90's, 1998 would be the peak of the latter 90's to me and end of the era(with 1999 being really fun/interesting season and start of something new, but felt more amateur almost like a college football season compared to 1990 NFL).

The only knock on the AFC this year would be Denver 5-11 Super Bowl hangover

One reason had to do with injuries to some defensive players, but I wonder if losing three of the last four SB's caught up to them. Also, I feel that it should have been Dan Reeves' final year in Denver because he should have been fired.

Out west was the 49er show with a 14-2 season on the quest for the 3peat, what a team and what a narrative. Montana wins MVP this year as well.

I don't think they were as strong that year as they were in 1989.

The only knock on the NFC that year was the decline of the Majik Man in Green Bay. After excellent 1989 season he started to fall apart in 90. It's a shame because had he been able to follow up that 89 performance it would have really made that NFC Central a lot more interesting those years in 1990 and 91.

Definitely. I thought that the Pack were going to take over the Central that year. However, it was a prelude to what was coming with Wolf, Holmgren, Favre, and Reggie White.