Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Which of these 'One year away, but not quite ready yet' teams that flashed the form that would make them a memorable SB champ the following year was better?

Both had a signature coming out party win (Bears beating the LA Raiders in what some consider the most violent game in NFL history, Dallas knocking Washington from the unbeaten ranks AT RFK)

Both won a playoff game. Both were outmatched on the road a week later in classic 'Big step forward, but not quite ready to take that next step'. Both put it all together the following season.

Which of these flashed better 'Watch out for them next season' brilliance?

P.S. I was gonna potentially throw in the 1995 Packers, but they had won playoff games in 1993/1994 and their potential was not exactly a mystery by the time the 1995 playoffs rolled around.

Good topic! Two up-and-comers each winning their first playoff-game on the road against an already-established winner ('84 Bears beating Gibbs' Redskins at RFK, '91 Boys beating...Ditka's Bears at Soldier). Not just because Dallas was 11-5 and Bears were 10-6, but I'll go with Dallas. Getting blown-out at '84 Forty Niners is, of course, more understandable than...at '91 Lions (twice! got bombed by them regular-season too), but although I felt that the Bears "arrived" as at least a playoff team, I remember already anticipating in the '92 off-season that it could indeed be Dallas's year. Don't remember seeing that Super-start (and finish) coming in '85. Unlike Bears, the '91 Dallas D needed one final piece (Haley) though still looking on the up-and-up already, but Dallas's O seemed more complete/balanced than the still-seen-as-"all-Sweetness" Bears' O.

Not just Bears beating Raiders in that slugfest, but even-more impressive was they drubbing the heck out of 13-3-to-be Denver on Week #2, 27-0! As for the four other above-500 teams they played in '84, however, all were losses (home to non-playoff, 9-7-to-be Dallas included; oh what a difference another year would make). Dallas suffered their set-backs as well in '91, starting at 1-2 and 6-5. Most disturbing losses being Week #3 at home, 24-0, to Randall-less Philly ("still can't beat 'em"), pummeling at Detroit in Week #9, and a convincer to Handley's G-men at the Meadowlands (close-losses to Wash and at Houston, of course, more understandable). But that would be their final loss of the regular-season, handing Redskins their first loss (at RFK) the very next week, beating the Saints at home two weeks later, Eagles at the Vet (albeit vs Kemp at QB), and then at home in the finale over Atl who, on a 5-game-win-streak, was still fighting for the division. '84 Bears didn't finish too hot, losing at the Murph MNF Week #14 and then at home to Forrest Gregg's Pack the following week before winning big at Detroit in finale. Then again, they already won their division with three weeks to go!