Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Couldn't avoid this season, could we? The first ever 16-game season; first with 10 playoff teams. Fourteen teams total finished with a winning record. Three finished 8-8 starting with Washington who, of course, notoriously started 6-0. But the other two also started well - the Browns at 3-0/4-2, and the Jets who were only ever below-500 after a Week #5 loss to Steelers; enjoyed a 2-0, 5-3, 6-4 and then a 8-6 start before dropping their final two (the first of those two an OT-loss on the road to...the Browns). Do 8-7-1 division-winner Vikes, 9-7 Falcons & 9-7 Eagles ALL risk getting boxed-out by that trio of 9-7 non-playoff-participants from the super-strong AFC West?

Considering this is judging by regular-season's end not knowing what would happen in the playoffs, the Pats may suffer very-high positioning not just from the Fairbanks situation, but losing at home to Houston (yes, in regular season as well) and at Dallas down the stretch (no, can't count MNF finale at Miami; East was already clinched).

As for cream of the crop in these rankings...yes, Steelers & Dallas first two to come to mind but the RAMS got quite an argument! PRs-wise, at least! They finished 12-4 as opposed to Steelers' 14-2, and Dallas (the other 12-4) are defending-Champs, but Malavasi's bunch did beat 'em BOTH (and neither one in the finale as Rams did vs the 'Burgh three years prior)! And not only did they win at Houston as well, but how about going...7-1 vs the EIGHT total above-500 teams they played?? Dallas was 4-3 vs the seven winners they played against, and the Steelers...they only played against five winners in '78 going 3-2 against them; or shouldn't their finale victory vs Denver be counted? Steelers playoff-position obviously already set but didn't the same go for Denver? Did Pats already clinch 2nd-seed? In either event, this doesn't make LA an automatic shoe-in for #1; but at least something to strongly consider before giving Pitt/Dal the top-2. Yes, 6-combined-SB-berths so far in the decade between the two; and Rams did finish 5-4 after that 7-0 start. Just the same, it's hard to fathom the (2nd-half) egg that was laid at the Colseum, NFCC.

What's really weird about this year is that only 9 out of 28 teams scored more than they gave up. Miami, Pittsburgh and Dallas being in triple digit more points scored than given up skewed things.

1. Steelers
2. Dolphins... adding Delvin Williams was a huge boost to the running game
3. Cowboys
4. Rams
5. Broncos... Orange Crush held HALF of their opponents to single digit scoring!
6. Patriots
7. Oilers... beat 11-5 Dolphins and Patriots in back to back weeks
8. Chargers... won 7 of last 8. A preview of the next few years.
9. Raiders
10. Eagles

1) Steelers
2) Cowboys
3) Rams
4) Broncos
5) Oilers
6) Patriots
7) Dolphins
8) Chargers
9) Seahawks
10) Raiders

Really, unbiasedly, tried placing Rams atop but just couldn't. Steelers/Cowboys finishing 5-0 & 6-0 respectively, together winning 3 of the 4 last SBs, Bradshaw or Staubach over Haden, etc. Steelers won some close games but so did Rams, actually, during that 5-4 finish and against significantly weak competition - eeking it out vs Bucs, SF, and G-men - and actually losing at home to Cincy Week #15! With top-seed on the line, they rebound in the finale knocking out the Pack who needed to win-period. With the '75 NFCC still fresh enough, though, I'm sure I would have seen Dallas taking the inevitable rematch three weeks later. Especially considering the way they finished with such authority, NE being the only one in those final six games to give them a game. If not for SBX and their regular season loss to Steelers a year earlier, I may place the 'Boys at #1. Maybe I should place them '1b'.

Orange Crush get 4th by me. Same caliber as the AFC top-seed SB-participant from the year before, only they finish at a modest 10-6. This while adding some assistant-special-teams/assistant-defensive coach to their staff (forgot the name). Tying them with Rams for 3rd not too far off as well as me almost placing Oilers at 4th instead (but took the Crush over Luv Ya Blue). Oilers a minus-15-pt-differential but let's face it, that came from running up against the hot-Chargers in the finale while already having clinched. Being the first team to beat the Steelers (at Three Rivers in prime time, mind you), winning at Pats, beating Miami, #34 steamrolling his way into the league...yes, they're in the top 5!

Of course I'm giving that 7-loss non-playoff trio from the AFC West the nod over each of their 7-loss NFC (playoff-qualifying) counterparts. The Raiders victory over Vikings in finale earn them my final spot. Yes, it doesn't matter being that all three missed out anyway but 'record vs common opponents' should not have been applied to the (obviously, backwards) tie-breaker between those three! SD sweeps Seattle but splits with Raiders; Raiders get swept by Seahawks. Simple enough. And WHAT a team them Chargers became once Don hopped aboard starting with that 23-0 drubbing of Denver! Very tempting to move them above Miami despite losing to them that very next game; but I guess I won't. Dolphins also beating Dallas (albeit Cowboys still in hibernation for that final week) shores things up just enough.