Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Plain and simple- if the Bills win that game, who faces the Rams in the Super Bowl if Tennessee ends up going one-and-done against the Bills?

Jacksonville still beats Miami 62-7, but what of a Bills/Colts game with the winner going to Jacksonville?

And how do either of those teams fare in SB XXXIV against the Greatest Show on Turf?

CSKreager wrote:Plain and simple- if the Bills win that game, who faces the Rams in the Super Bowl if Tennessee ends up going one-and-done against the Bills?

Jacksonville still beats Miami 62-7, but what of a Bills/Colts game with the winner going to Jacksonville?

And how do either of those teams fare in SB XXXIV against the Greatest Show on Turf?

The Colts beat the Bills at home pretty badly that year, and the Bills probably would have started Rob Johnson again. Colts in a walkover.

However, in Jacksonville, the ride stops for Manning and Co. Jags go to the Super Bowl, and I think they actually upset the Rams. They have more playoff experience, and they can match them in weapons with Brunell, Fred Taylor, and Thunder and Lightning on the outside.

7DnBrnc53 wrote:

CSKreager wrote:Plain and simple- if the Bills win that game, who faces the Rams in the Super Bowl if Tennessee ends up going one-and-done against the Bills?

Jacksonville still beats Miami 62-7, but what of a Bills/Colts game with the winner going to Jacksonville?

And how do either of those teams fare in SB XXXIV against the Greatest Show on Turf?

The Colts beat the Bills at home pretty badly that year, and the Bills probably would have started Rob Johnson again. Colts in a walkover.

However, in Jacksonville, the ride stops for Manning and Co. Jags go to the Super Bowl, and I think they actually upset the Rams. They have more playoff experience, and they can match them in weapons with Brunell, Fred Taylor, and Thunder and Lightning on the outside.

I think the Rams vs Jacksonville in Super Bowl XXXIV would have been one of the highest scoring Super Bowls of all, but I think the Greatest Show on Turf would have pulled it out in the end. It would have been one of those 45-42 type games, I believe.

IMO, Bills make the Super Bowl. That Colts team, in Peyton's first post-season, wasn't ready yet to win a playoff game and that Jags squad was certainly a paper tiger. The only above-500 team they played all regular season was Tennessee who, of course, thrept them - 2nd and 3rd game being lopsided. Bills, with Flutie or Johnson, wouldn't have been able to keep up with Rams' O. It wouldn't have been close like Tenn/StL actually was. In either event, the clear best team in the AFC is the one that actually got there that year. Not saying Bills/Titans shouldn't have been close, but a 'Miracle' shouldn't have been needed to actually win that 1st-rounder. Titans were the only team who could have possibly beaten the Rams in the Bowl (did beat them during regular season) and almost did.

I think Buffalo could have beaten Indianapolis. Peyton didn't play nearly as well as he had in the regular season. He broke out in the 1999 season opener against the Bills; that was the announcement that he has arrived, and except for the second half of 2001, he really had never left.
The Titans played very well against the Colts offense, but a lot of Indy's wounds were self inflicted. They had several costly dropped balls. I think Buffalo's defense would have played at least as well as the Titans did.

On offense, Indy was a much better matchup for Rob Johnson then Tennessee was. They didn't have the same pass rush, which was Johnson's Achilles heel. Buffalo didn't have an Eddie George, but Johnson would have made more plays in the passing game than Steve McNair.

As far as Jacksonville goes, who knows? Buffalo had bested the Jags in 1998, but they were much stronger in 1999. Tough to say Buffalo wins when nobody besides the Titans had defeated Jacksonville all year.

Here's a scenario: The Bills make it to SB 34 and fall behind the Rams. They put Flutie in, and he brings them from behind to win. In 2000, you think they have to give the ball to Doug permanently, don't they?

7DnBrnc53 wrote:Here's a scenario: The Bills make it to SB 34 and fall behind the Rams. They put Flutie in, and he brings them from behind to win. In 2000, you think they have to give the ball to Doug permanently, don't they?

You would have to think so, but I never thought Wade Phillips was one of the brighter HC's I've ever seen.

I just rewatched the Football Life show on Flutie over the weekend and am convinced that given the right franchise, he would have had a HOF career here in the US. If he had gone to a team who wasn't so hung up on his size, and was impressed with what he brought to the team, that he would have developed into one of the top passers in the league. His ability to improvise and run with the ball made up for his lack of stature, and he would have been right up there with Kelly, Marino, and Elway, and won a Super Bowl or two along the way. But teams didn't really know what to do with him, and he had to go to Canada to prove he belonged in the US.

Rupert Patrick wrote:I never thought Wade Phillips was one of the brighter HC's I've ever seen.

Playing Flutie (or not) wasn't a decision fully in his hands.

To be fair, Flutie's arm strength had faded during as the 1999 season, and he won games with his mobility, leadership, smarts, and ability to make plays on the run.
Johnson was considered to be the team's QBof the future, and after a tough first two games in 1998, he had generally played well in Buffalo. The one exception was his inability to feel the pass rush and corresponding lack of durability. However, he had not been sacked once against Indy, which was a meaningless game. However, I always thought the first playoff game was the worst possible scenario for Johnson. He was playing behind a banged up offensive line that had both starting tackles hobbled. He was playing before a loud hostile crowd that was ecstatic over their first playoff game. And he was playing against a strong Titans pass rush led by Jevon Kearse. Flutie's ability to scramble and avoid pressure would have served him well.