Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

One of the strangest NFL teams I recall.

Went 8-8, yet got into the playoffs (this was the year when 10-6 Philadelphia/San Fran missed the playoffs).

But despite their record, they never really got blown out until around Thanksgiving (at the BIlls and Lions). Yet they were the 1 for the 1-15 Colts. Their scoring offense/defense wasn't completely lopsided in favor of one or the other.

Swept Miami to essentially get in the playoffs, barely held off New England at Foxboro after nearly blowing a 20-point lead, played the Bears/Bills/Oilers tough (though they had no business losing that Chicago game on MNF).

They weren't even as talented as the other 8-8 playoff teams of that era (Browns and Saints had better years sandwiched around those 8-8 years with much more talent), though they did have some talented players that went on to bigger and better things (Mathis became a beast for a few years in Atlanta, Rob Moore had some productive years in Arizona, and Jeff Blake came up with the only relatively decent years for Cincy post-Boomer and pre-Marv Lewis)

Check out wiki and there's a quote from The Football Outsiders calling them one of the worst playoff teams ever.

The Coz's other 8-8 outing with the Jets two years later were a stronger team FWIW. In '93, they were 8-5 going down the stretch but Dallas, at Buffalo, then at Houston remaining on the schedule certainly didn't help. That Eagles game Week #5 (game 4 for NYJ) clearly sticks out. Not sure of this, but I think if they win that one (or one more game, period) they get the nod over Pittsburgh.

74_75_78_79_ wrote:Check out wiki and there's a quote from The Football Outsiders calling them one of the worst playoff teams ever.

The Coz's other 8-8 outing with the Jets two years later were a stronger team FWIW. In '93, they were 8-5 going down the stretch but Dallas, at Buffalo, then at Houston remaining on the schedule certainly didn't help. That Eagles game Week #5 (game 4 for NYJ) clearly sticks out. Not sure of this, but I think if they win that one (or one more game, period) they get the nod over Pittsburgh.

That Bills game right around Christmas 1993 is the wound that never heals. We lose 16-14 in the bitter cold. Cary Blanchard misses 3 field goals (all he had to make was 1 to put is in the playoffs) Also I believe a Bill fumbled through the endzone without breaking the plane earlier but the refs gave him a TD. Just a mess.

sheajets wrote:

74_75_78_79_ wrote:Check out wiki and there's a quote from The Football Outsiders calling them one of the worst playoff teams ever.

The Coz's other 8-8 outing with the Jets two years later were a stronger team FWIW. In '93, they were 8-5 going down the stretch but Dallas, at Buffalo, then at Houston remaining on the schedule certainly didn't help. That Eagles game Week #5 (game 4 for NYJ) clearly sticks out. Not sure of this, but I think if they win that one (or one more game, period) they get the nod over Pittsburgh.

That Bills game right around Christmas 1993 is the wound that never heals. We lose 16-14 in the bitter cold. Cary Blanchard misses 3 field goals (all he had to make was 1 to put is in the playoffs) Also I believe a Bill fumbled through the endzone without breaking the plane earlier but the refs gave him a TD. Just a mess.

Yes, Thurman Thomas clearly fumbled before entering the end zone.

JWL wrote:

sheajets wrote:

74_75_78_79_ wrote:Check out wiki and there's a quote from The Football Outsiders calling them one of the worst playoff teams ever.

The Coz's other 8-8 outing with the Jets two years later were a stronger team FWIW. In '93, they were 8-5 going down the stretch but Dallas, at Buffalo, then at Houston remaining on the schedule certainly didn't help. That Eagles game Week #5 (game 4 for NYJ) clearly sticks out. Not sure of this, but I think if they win that one (or one more game, period) they get the nod over Pittsburgh.

That Bills game right around Christmas 1993 is the wound that never heals. We lose 16-14 in the bitter cold. Cary Blanchard misses 3 field goals (all he had to make was 1 to put is in the playoffs) Also I believe a Bill fumbled through the endzone without breaking the plane earlier but the refs gave him a TD. Just a mess.

Yes, Thurman Thomas clearly fumbled before entering the end zone.

That figures. That is why I hated the Bills by the 1993 playoffs. The 1992 and 93 Bills would win games due to bad calls or fluky bounces, but in the SB, they would get blown off the field. In 94, however, the luck ran out. When the Jets beat Buffalo in Week 1 that year, Jet RB Johnny Johnson fumbled, but Johnny Mitchell recovered it after it bounced right to him. On NFL Primetime that evening, Tom Jackson said "These are the plays that went the Bill's way last year".