Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

CSKreager wrote: ↑Sun Nov 09, 2025 1:17 am Half their wins were against non-playoff teams (CIN, CLE, PIT, Phoenix 2x, Giants twice, Philly)

I don care if they were 10-6, Philly didn’t make the playoffs; Giants were aging, Cardinals were the Cardinals, Dallas had no defense in 1991

The NFC East of 91 is one of the most overrated divisions in NFL history

So a ignore a good team that went 10-6??? The '90 raiders went 9-7 with a 1 point differential yet made the playoffs. That makes them a more formidable opponent than '91 Philly?

'92 Dallas:
Over half their wins were against non playoff teams,
10 opponents were under 500 NYG twice, Phx twice, Lions, Bears, Rams Falcons, Seahawks, Raiders,
and one was at .500 Broncos

As far as the 1991 East goes, all 3 teams won their first playoff game. Philly lost their next game to the Super Bowl Champions. How is that over rated?

Odd side note in the 1st round of the playoffs. The Eagles scored the last 29 points in their 36-20 win over the Saints while Washington scored the last 24 points when they beat the Vikings 24-7

Sonny9 wrote: ↑Sun Nov 09, 2025 2:59 pm

CSKreager wrote: ↑Sun Nov 09, 2025 1:17 am Half their wins were against non-playoff teams (CIN, CLE, PIT, Phoenix 2x, Giants twice, Philly)

I don care if they were 10-6, Philly didn’t make the playoffs; Giants were aging, Cardinals were the Cardinals, Dallas had no defense in 1991

The NFC East of 91 is one of the most overrated divisions in NFL history

So a ignore a good team that went 10-6??? The '90 raiders went 9-7 with a 1 point differential yet made the playoffs. That makes them a more formidable opponent than '91 Philly?

Good teams don’t miss the playoffs.

CSKreager wrote: ↑Mon Nov 10, 2025 3:12 am

Sonny9 wrote: ↑Sun Nov 09, 2025 2:59 pm

CSKreager wrote: ↑Sun Nov 09, 2025 1:17 am Half their wins were against non-playoff teams (CIN, CLE, PIT, Phoenix 2x, Giants twice, Philly)

I don care if they were 10-6, Philly didn’t make the playoffs; Giants were aging, Cardinals were the Cardinals, Dallas had no defense in 1991

The NFC East of 91 is one of the most overrated divisions in NFL history

So a ignore a good team that went 10-6??? The '90 raiders went 9-7 with a 1 point differential yet made the playoffs. That makes them a more formidable opponent than '91 Philly?

Good teams don’t miss the playoffs.

How good should teams with above the middle records in a more stacked or imbalanced conference be considered?

I.e. they would've made the playoffs on the other side.

SeahawkFever wrote: ↑Mon Nov 10, 2025 2:18 pm

CSKreager wrote: ↑Mon Nov 10, 2025 3:12 am

Sonny9 wrote: ↑Sun Nov 09, 2025 2:59 pm
So a ignore a good team that went 10-6??? The '90 raiders went 9-7 with a 1 point differential yet made the playoffs. That makes them a more formidable opponent than '91 Philly?

Good teams don’t miss the playoffs.

How good should teams with above the middle records in a more stacked or imbalanced conference be considered?

I.e. they would've made the playoffs on the other side.

You either make the playoffs or you don’t

CSKreager wrote: ↑Wed May 06, 2026 3:30 am

SeahawkFever wrote: ↑Mon Nov 10, 2025 2:18 pm

CSKreager wrote: ↑Mon Nov 10, 2025 3:12 am

Good teams don’t miss the playoffs.

How good should teams with above the middle records in a more stacked or imbalanced conference be considered?

I.e. they would've made the playoffs on the other side.

You either make the playoffs or you don’t

True, but not all non playoff teams are the same quality.

There’s a difference between a team that nearly makes the playoffs with a 9-8 or 10-7 record today, and a team that is outright bad, and ends up drafting in the top few picks barring trades, or otherwise wasn’t good enough to be in the hunt in the second half of the season.

In some cases, the conferences are kind of imbalanced and the best non-playoff teams could’ve maybe made the playoffs as a low seed on the other side, or in a less stacked year at the top by record.

At least that’s something I’d argue.

CSKreager wrote: ↑Wed May 06, 2026 3:30 am

SeahawkFever wrote: ↑Mon Nov 10, 2025 2:18 pm

CSKreager wrote: ↑Mon Nov 10, 2025 3:12 am

Good teams don’t miss the playoffs.

How good should teams with above the middle records in a more stacked or imbalanced conference be considered?

I.e. they would've made the playoffs on the other side.

You either make the playoffs or you don’t

1967 Colts and Chiefs?
1963 Raiders? They swept the 11-3 Chargers who won the title.
I forgot about the 10-6 1991 49ers. All of their losses were by 1 score. They may have been the 2nd best team in the NFC that year. 154 point differential was the 2nd best in the NFL

1982 may be their best playoff team coaching wise. Winning 4 games isn't done much and Art Monk missed every playoff game that year.

Tons of very good teams have missed the playoffs. Sometimes it's due to the existing playoff structure, other times due to intense competition in their division or conference. Context matters. Assigning a binary, arbitrary standard to it is counterproductive and silly.

Citizen wrote: ↑Thu May 07, 2026 9:38 am Tons of very good teams have missed the playoffs. Sometimes it's due to the existing playoff structure, other times due to intense competition in their division or conference. Context matters. Assigning a binary, arbitrary standard to it is counterproductive and silly.

Absolutely.
Well said.

Citizen wrote: ↑Thu May 07, 2026 9:38 am Tons of very good teams have missed the playoffs. Sometimes it's due to the existing playoff structure, other times due to intense competition in their division or conference. Context matters. Assigning a binary, arbitrary standard to it is counterproductive and silly.

Especially back in the day in the NFL when your two out of conference opponents were weak and the team you are competing with for first place had a harder 2 games
1953 the 49ers played the 11-1 Browns and 7-4-1 Eagles and split with them. While the Lions swept the 6-6 Steelers and 3-9 Giants to win the division by 1 game over the 49ers

And the classic "best example" of the 11-1-2 Baltimore Colts, tied for the best record in the League, being excluded from the playoffs by a tie breaker vs the similarly 11-1-2 Los Angeles Rams on the last day of the season.

Meanwhile, the Packers (9-4-1), Browns (9-5) and Cowboys (9-5) made the playoffs as division winners.

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1967/