Top 10 NFL regular season Power Rankings, 1987...

[74_75_78_79_]

...not counting scab-games, of course!

Yes, this was a strike year hence an historically unpopular season but if you discount games #3 thru #5 for each team, this could make for one of the more difficult as well as intriguing PR-threads yet. Of course as you all already know, Burnsie's Vikes realistically were an 8-4 team; all but definite they'll be on everyone's list as well as not being anyone's mere #10. Not just Buddy's Birds but also non-playoff Steelers & Dolphins each at 7-5 non-scabs. Do all three finish ahead of Colts and/or Seahawks who both actually did make playoffs? This should be a rather interesting one to piece together although #1 (best O and best D) ought to be pretty clear.

[ChrisBabcock]

wow. This was a tough one. (for obvious reasons)

1. 49ers
2. Dome Patrol... I had forgot that their offense was fairly decent too.
3. Redskins... 20+ points in each of their last 9.
4. Broncos
5. Bears
6. Browns
7. Burnsie's Vikes
8. Colts... their 3-0 finish the previous year sort of propelled them here. Their offense was hit and miss though.
9. Oilers
10. Dolphins

[74_75_78_79_]

1) Forty Niners
2) Saints
3) Redskins
4) Seahawks
5) Broncos
6) Bears
7) Vikings
8) Colts
9) Dolphins
10) Browns

Before I begin, let me correct what I stated OP what I'm sure most of you already knew upon reading...Steelers were actually 6-6 non-scabs. Still quite respectable, just the same. Yes, beating SF in the opener as well as beating Seattle and at least giving Oilers and Browns good games final two weeks. But it just don't cut it anyway as far as allowing them in my top-10. Same can be said for quite a few teams who didn't make it (Eagles, Giants, Pats, Bills) - something, or another, preventing it.

This was quite an exercise! Likely one of you will suggest something that'll make me reconsider; and then another one of you will suggest something else and so on. Gibbs' well-seasoned Redskins I was tempted to place at #2, but simply the way the Saints were on high-momentum during that 9-0 finish (splitting w SF amongst beating significant others in that stretch) had to give Mora's playoff debut the nod. A NO@SF rubberband NFCC looked so much in the cards come playoff time!

Seattle you may think an interesting #4 but not just they beating Vikes, but back-to-back wins vs Denver and at Bears down-stretch propells them here. Got to respect Colts' body-of-work once You-Know-Who came onboard - whipping Dolphins, Oilers, and beating Browns at Cleveland in-particular. Sweeping Steelers is all Oilers got going for them; sweeping Steelers and pounding Oilers is all Browns got going for them; so that gives Browns 10-spot.

[BD Sullivan]

The biggest Colts win of the season was their 9-7 upset win in Cleveland in Week 12. Without that, they end up in a three-way tie with Miami and New England, and I think the Pats emerge as division champs. The Colts ended up going back to Cleveland for their playoff game and had the Browns sweating (a neat trick in 10 degree weather until an interception in the third quarter changed the momentum and the Browns won, 38-21.

What I always thought was weird that year was that previously, Eric Dickerson had never played at Cleveland Stadium. Then, in the first post-strike game, he came with the Rams for a MNF game, was traded to the Colts later that week and played in both the Week 12 and playoff games. Three visits in the span of 11 weeks, and then the Colts came to Cleveland for a Week 3 MNF game in 1988.