Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Should Flores get the nod being he is the one who snatched the conference's only two Lombardis during that period? Or do some of you feel that there's a better candidate? Someone who had less to work with, perhaps.

I don't believe there is any such award so there isn't really a need to create one.

Jerry Glanville. Simultaneous feuds with Chuck Noll and Sam Wyche, culminating in a 61-7 loss to the Bengals and an inexplicable home playoff loss to the Steelers. Had arguably the most talent in the conference, yet could never win his division. Imploded in the postseason in dramatic fashion...first with Stagger Lee in 1987, then losing to a woeful Bubby Brister team in 1989. Defensive mastermind whose defenses were always among the bottom of the league in points allowed and yards penalized. Much more memorable than anything Tom Flores did in the 1980's.

wow... Thinking about this really underscores in my mind how dominant the NFC was during that decade. If we could morph Flores/Shula/Knox/Reeves into one coach I'll vote for that guy.

I'd have to go with Reeves. Yes, I know, his teams got stomped in three Super Bowls, but Marv Levy and Bud Grant are in the HOF after losing four each. During 1981-89, Denver was 91-55-1 (including postseason) and won 10 games in a season six times. The only bad year he had was in 1982, which actually proved to be a godsend, since it put them in a better position to get Elway.

BD Sullivan wrote:I'd have to go with Reeves. Yes, I know, his teams got stomped in three Super Bowls, but Marv Levy and Bud Grant are in the HOF after losing four each. During 1981-89, Denver was 91-55-1 (including postseason) and won 10 games in a season six times. The only bad year he had was in 1982, which actually proved to be a godsend, since it put them in a better position to get Elway.

I was thinking Reeves as well, strictly judging within the conference, leaving out the SBs. Seven winning seasons, five of them playoff berths with the other two in '81 (10-6) and '85 (11-5) as close as one can get. He should be in the Hall, I think. Especially leading Atlanta to their first and, so far, only SB. As for other worthy mentions of '80s AFC coaches, Shula's 5-straight post-seasons (2 SBs), Marty's work with Cleveland along with making KC an instant winner in '89, and let's not forget Knox's 7 winning seasons total with Buf & Sea combined (6 of them playoffs). And look at Noll doing all he did with those post-Dynasty squads cumulating in '89, best single-season coaching performance of the decade in either conference; amongst the best ever.

End of day, however, I'll still take Flores and his two Lombardis (and three extra playoff berths to boot).

#1-Dan Reeves
#2-Tom Flores
#3-Don Shula. He had five straight playoff appearances and two AFC titles.

Based on awards

AFC COY
1980 1 Rutigliano, 2 Knox, 3 Flores
1981 1 Gregg 2 Shula 3 Reeves
1982 1 Flores 2 Shula 3 Michaels
1983 1 Knox 2 Reeves 3 Noll
1984 1 Knox 2 Reeves 3 Shula
1985 1 Berry 2 Walton 3 Shula
1986 1 Schottenheimer 2 Berry 2 Walton
1987 1 Meyer 2 Noll 3 Levy
1988 1 Levy 2 Wyche 3 Berry
1989 1 Reeves 2 Schottenheimer 3 Noll

Reeves had 2 4ths

Anyone can get to the postseason with Marino, Elway or Kosar. Chuck Noll made the postseason with Cliff Stoudt, Mark Malone and Bubby Brister. I think Noll's work in the 1980's is underrated. He kind of staved off the total decline from the Steeler dynasty years.

To be fair, those coaches also made the postseason with David Woodley, Steve DeBerg and 38 year old Don Strock starting the game. Shula went to the playoffs twice and Super Bowl once with Woodley. DeBerg started 5 games plus the postseason in 1983, and was much better than the rookie Elway. Schottenheimer went through 4 QB's in 1988.