Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

A pair of 10+ win Denver teams that barely missed the playoffs in a tough AFC when there were only 5 playoff spots.

1981- Only team since the AFL merger to go undefeated at home in the regular season and not make the playoffs.

1985- One of only 2 11-5 teams to miss the playoffs due to tiebreakers and at the expense of a mediocre 8-8 team that won a lousy division.

Who was the better what-might-have-been Mile High teams?

Is a tough question, saw a lot of both, maybe 10-12 or more games both seasons. Elway would be edge.

FWIW, all five of the 1981 losses were on the road, while the '85 team dropped two at home and also benefited from a convenient snowball in their MNF win against the Niners.

JohnTurney wrote:Is a tough question, saw a lot of both, maybe 10-12 or more games both seasons. Elway would be edge.

I don't care even a little which team might have been better because it's impossible and pointless to compare two teams from different seasons but in defense of Craig Morton, he did have a terrific season in 1981, statistically the best of his career. Morton's 1981 passer rating was 20 points higher than Elway's 1985 rating.

I would take the 1981 team. On defense, they had most of the Orange Crush crew plus Rulon Jones and a young Dennis Smith. On offense, Morton had a career year back in the Dallas system.

On offense, Morton had a career year back in the Dallas system, throwing to Haven Moses, Rick Upchurch, Riley Odoms, and a young Steve Watson (who had a career year). Also, they may have had a little bit better offensive line in 81 with Claudie Minor at RT instead of Ken Lanier, and they had more depth with a young Lanier and Keith Bishop backing up Minor and Glassic.