Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Week #5 of the '84 season, the Steelers get bombed at home to Miami before going to Candlestick the next week handing Niners their only defeat. Twenty years later, Steelers play both Pats & Eagles in back-to-back weeks. Any other examples of a team playing in back-to-back weeks the two teams that would end up meeting in that year's Super Bowl (or League Championship Game)?

The 1990 Dolphins handed Buffalo their worst lost of the year, and then were shut down by the Giants.

Late in the 1993 season, both Philadelphia and the Jets played Dallas, and then Buffalo the very next week. Not surprisingly, each team went 0-2, killing their playoff chances. Both teams finished 8-8; in 1993, there were 9-7 teams who made the playoffs in both conferences. 3 of the 4 games were close (the Jets were shut out by Dallas 28-0) and both clubs probably should have beaten Buffalo. Philly had a 7-0 lead and both Kelly and Thomas left the game injured, but Buffalo scored 10 points in the 4th to win. Matt Bahr missed a FG at the end that would have tied it. (Seeing the ex-Giant Bahr miss a late FG was almost as satisfying as watching Buffalo beat their three Super Bowl conquerers that season.)
Against NYJ, I believe Thomas lost the ball as he was going in the end zone, but the officials ruled it a TD. The Jets still had a chance to win at the end, but Pat Leahy missed his third FG of the day... a very frigid day.

(From 1970-99, not including ones already mentioned):

1971: Buffalo starts the season with two home games against Dallas and Miami, losing both 49-37 and 29-14, respectively.
1971: New England (Week 5-6) gets blown out at the Orange Bowl by Miami, 41-3, then helps open up Texas Stadium with a 44-21 loss to the Boys.
1973: Raiders opened up with a 24-16 loss at Minnesota, then stopped the Dolphins winning streak, 12-7.
1974: Houston (Week 4-5) loses a close one at home to the Steelers, 13-7, then gets blown out at the Met by the Vikes, 51-10.
1974: New Orleans (Week 11-12) loses 28-7 at home on MNF against Pittsburgh, then travel to Minnesota for a 29-9 loss.
1975: Green Bay (Week 5-6) ekes out a 19-17 win over Dallas on the road, then loses 16-13 at home to Pittsburgh.
1976: Chicago (Week 8-9) nips Minnesota by a point at home, 14-13, then loses to Oakland at home by a point, 28-27.
1980: Seattle (Week 8-9) loses at Oakland 33-14, then returns home to lose to Philly, 27-20.
1981: Rams (Week 11-12) loses at Cincy, 24-10, then loses 33-31 at home against the Niners.
1984: Redskins opens up at home and loses 35-17 to Miami before then going to SF for a MNF contest at Candlestick, where they lose 37-31.
1984: Houston (Week 7-8) loses at Miami, 28-10, then loses at home to SF, 34-21.
1985: Colts (Week 13-14) loses at home to NE, 38-31, then loses at Chicago, 17-10.
1986: Seattle (Week 7-8) defeats Giants at home, 17-12, then loses at Denver, 20-13.
1986: Redskins (Week 14-15) loses at home to the Giants, 24-13, then loses 31-30 at Denver.
1987: Buffalo (Week 7-8) loses at home to Washington, 27-7, then defeats Denver at home, 21-14.
1988: San Diego (Week 13-14) loses at home to SF, 48-10, then loses at Cincy, 27-10.
1990: Philadelphia (Week 12-13) beats Giants at home 31-13, loses at Buffalo 30-23.
1994: LA Rams (Week 12-13) lose on the road to 49ers, 31-27, then loses agains on the road to San Diego, 31-17.
1995: Minnesota (Week 3-4) loses to Dallas at home, 23-17 in OT, then pounds the Steelers on the road, 44-24.
1998: Miami (Week 16-17) defeats Denver at home on MNF, 31-21, then loses at Atlanta, 38-16.
1999: 49ers (Week 4-5) defeats Tennessee at home, 24-22, then loses at St. Louis, 42-20.

Not surprisingly, the collective record (including the others) is 10-44.

The 1991 Bears were 4-0 before they got to meet Buffalo and then Washington. Those were actually the only blips for the Bears in the first 11 weeks.

The next year, Denver got to face Dallas and then Buffalo....without John Elway.

conace21 wrote:The 1990 Dolphins handed Buffalo their worst lost of the year, and then were shut down by the Giants.

Late in the 1993 season, both Philadelphia and the Jets played Dallas, and then Buffalo the very next week. Not surprisingly, each team went 0-2, killing their playoff chances. Both teams finished 8-8; in 1993, there were 9-7 teams who made the playoffs in both conferences. 3 of the 4 games were close (the Jets were shut out by Dallas 28-0) and both clubs probably should have beaten Buffalo. Philly had a 7-0 lead and both Kelly and Thomas left the game injured, but Buffalo scored 10 points in the 4th to win. Matt Bahr missed a FG at the end that would have tied it. (Seeing the ex-Giant Bahr miss a late FG was almost as satisfying as watching Buffalo beat their three Super Bowl conquerers that season.)
Against NYJ, I believe Thomas lost the ball as he was going in the end zone, but the officials ruled it a TD. The Jets still had a chance to win at the end, but Pat Leahy missed his third FG of the day... a very frigid day.

Just some corrections-
the Jets did not get shut out by Dallas. They scored a touchdown. It was their first one in four games. (The prior three games are mentioned in my Coffin Corner article.)

Pat Leahy was retired by then. Cary Blanchard was the Jets kicker that season.

On the 1970-1999 streak, that's surprising (and against the expected odds), not just that the two teams that would meet in the Super Bowl would have a common opponent in 22 of the 30 seasons, but that those meetings would take place in consecutive weeks. Yet the back-to-back games appear to have happened be only once in the 15 seasons since 2000. Interesting question by 74757879, and interesting finding by BDSullivan.