Pats/Colts '81
Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2016 1:23 pm
The '81 opener between these two at Schaefer could be on two of these recent 'week 1' threads. Pats a real good 10-6 squad in '80 with 7 Pro Bowlers just missing the playoffs. Colts nothing to sneeze at themselves. In '80, they were 7-6 with three weeks to go having just completed a sweep vs division-champ-to-be Buffalo. From there they would mysteriously lose their final three, all to non-playoff teams; first at Cincy and then at home to both Miami & KC.
Just the same, no one could have expected this very opener in '81 to be 'part 1' of that year's two 'toilet bowls'. Going into NE and beating an almost-playoff team from the year before who swept them as well. All had to be pretty optimistic in Baltimore until Buffalo came to town the next week avenging a sweep themselves from a year earlier. 35-3 was the final score and you ought to know the rest. Pats would lose their next three before beating 3-1 Chiefs the next week and 4-2 Oilers two weeks later to 'rally' themselves to 2-5. You also know what happened from there.
What IS the explanantion for the sudden futility of both these squads who finished 10-6 and started 7-6 respectively the year prior? Not to mention NE immediately returning to above-500 ball in strike-shortened '82, also making it to the 'tournament'. Colts, meanwhile, would suffer another dreader (0-8-1) but then immediately be brought to some FWIW-respectibilty under Kush in their final season in Baltimore, starting 4-2 and 6-4. I'm sure this has been discussed on here before, but if Colts maintain above-500 ball to the end and especially make playoffs, do they stay in Baltimore?
Just the same, no one could have expected this very opener in '81 to be 'part 1' of that year's two 'toilet bowls'. Going into NE and beating an almost-playoff team from the year before who swept them as well. All had to be pretty optimistic in Baltimore until Buffalo came to town the next week avenging a sweep themselves from a year earlier. 35-3 was the final score and you ought to know the rest. Pats would lose their next three before beating 3-1 Chiefs the next week and 4-2 Oilers two weeks later to 'rally' themselves to 2-5. You also know what happened from there.
What IS the explanantion for the sudden futility of both these squads who finished 10-6 and started 7-6 respectively the year prior? Not to mention NE immediately returning to above-500 ball in strike-shortened '82, also making it to the 'tournament'. Colts, meanwhile, would suffer another dreader (0-8-1) but then immediately be brought to some FWIW-respectibilty under Kush in their final season in Baltimore, starting 4-2 and 6-4. I'm sure this has been discussed on here before, but if Colts maintain above-500 ball to the end and especially make playoffs, do they stay in Baltimore?