Who’re the best 5th-place teams, ’70-thru-’01?

[74_75_78_79_]

I’m going to start with one which, I have a feeling, will end up being everyone’s #1...

That would be Levy’s ’79 Chiefs! Finished 7-9 in a super-tough AFC West in which all other teams finished above-500. They were 4-4 in the division and did sweep both Seattle & Oakland. Also came razor-close, in a monsoon, to finishing 8-8 hence knocking the Bucs out in TB.

[7DnBrnc53]

I’m going to start with one which, I have a feeling, will end up being everyone’s #1...

That would be Levy’s ’79 Chiefs! Finished 7-9 in a super-tough AFC West in which all other teams finished above-500. They were 4-4 in the division and did sweep both Seattle & Oakland. Also came razor-close, in a monsoon, to finishing 8-8 hence knocking the Bucs out in TB.

Good selection. They had 12 games against teams that finished above .500. They were also fifth in the league in lowest points allowed, a rarity for a last-place team.

[7DnBrnc53]

1983 Jets

They were basically the same team that lost in rain-soaked Miami the year before in the AFC Title Game. However, Todd had a down year (18 TD, 26 INT), and Freeman McNeil only played in nine games that year (with 654 yards rushing). They were 19th in points scored, but 10th in points allowed with 331.

They still were alive for a WC berth going into their last two games, but they lost to the Steelers (in Bradshaw's last game) and Dolphins to finish 7-9.

[Bryan]

1984 Chargers...7-1 against non-divisional opponents, including wins over Miami and Chicago. 0-8 against divisional opponents.

[Gary Najman]

1984 Chargers...7-1 against non-divisional opponents, including wins over Miami and Chicago. 0-8 against divisional opponents.

1988 Dolphins...6-2 against non division opponents (including victories over playoff-bound Minnesota and Cleveland) , 0-8 against divisional opponents. They set the record for the few sacks allowed with 7.

[conace21]

1984 Chargers...7-1 against non-divisional opponents, including wins over Miami and Chicago. 0-8 against divisional opponents.

1988 Dolphins...6-2 against non division opponents (including victories over playoff-bound Minnesota and Cleveland) , 0-8 against divisional opponents. They set the record for the few sacks allowed with 7.

1995 Oakland Raiders, who could have made the playoffs on Christmas Eve, but Mike Shanahan gained sweet revenge against Al Davis, as the Broncos knocked Oakland out of the playoffs.
Oakland started 6-2, then lost 4 straight to playoff teams, including both No. 1 seeds and both Super Bowl participants (Pit, Dal, KC.) But it wasn't just the tough schedule that did them in. They ended the season losing to the two other 8-8 AFC West squads. Seattle embarassed them 44-10 on Sunday night, and Denver came from 11 points down in the finale.

[74_75_78_79_]

'84 Chargers & '88 Dolphins each 0-8 in their division?? Never knew that! I do remember '95 Raiders (first year back in Oak-town) making some relative noise at first. But felt they were paper-tiger-ish all along, and was quite confirmed when the 'Burgh took it to them.

I'll go back to two squads that I've shown respect here prior - the '81 Bears & '84 Eagles. The former winning vs Air Coryell under the not-lights. A pretty nice precursor to the '86' in just a few years! They beat a real respectable Levy Chief team at Arrowhead who would go on to finish 9-7! And after barely losing at Big D on Turkey Day (Evans at QB), they win their final three each against teams who still were in the hunt! As for Swamp Fox's Birds? They were still in at a super-respectable 5-6-1 going into Week #13! They had wins vs playoff-bound G-men & Wash going in. But Jaws broke his leg in that very Week #13 game at Busch and that was that.

[Gary Najman]

'84 Chargers & '88 Dolphins each 0-8 in their division?? Never knew that! I do remember '95 Raiders (first year back in Oak-town) making some relative noise at first. But felt they were paper-tiger-ish all along, and was quite confirmed when the 'Burgh took it to them.

I'll go back to two squads that I've shown respect here prior - the '81 Bears & '84 Eagles. The former winning vs Air Coryell under the not-lights. A pretty nice precursor to the '86' in just a few years! They beat a real respectable Levy Chief team at Arrowhead who would go on to finish 9-7! And after barely losing at Big D on Turkey Day (Evans at QB), they win their final three each against teams who still were in the hunt! As for Swamp Fox's Birds? They were still in at a super-respectable 5-6-1 going into Week #13! They had wins vs playoff-bound G-men & Wash going in. But Jaws broke his leg in that very Week #13 game at Busch and that was that.

The 1984 Eagles lost a 1-point game at heavily favored and unbeaten Miami when Paul McFadden missed the tying extra point in the final minute. A week earlier they tied the Lions at the Silverdome, as McFadden kicked a field goal in the final seconds to force overtime (Lions kicker Eddie Murray missed a chip shot FG in OT). McFadden led the league in field goals that season and three defensive linemen (Greg Brown, Dennis Harrison and Ken Clarke) had more than 10 sacks each, a year before landing Reggie White,

[7DnBrnc53]

1999 Patriots: Started 6-2 before going 2-6 the second half of the season. They were seventh in the NFL in points allowed with 284, and they lost five games by seven points or less. Bledsoe had 21 picks to 19 TD's, but he had 3,985 passing yards, and he was without a decent ground attack (Pats ranked 23rd in rushing with 1,426 yards. 31-year old Terry Allen led the team with 896 yards rushing). This season led to Carroll's firing, and the last 20 years of cheating and deceit.

[BD Sullivan]

The 78 Bucs were 5-11 and lost six games by a touchdown or less. The following year, they put it all together and reached the NFC Championship game.