Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

I'm sorry if this was already a thread.

Regular-season-record-wise, of course both are tied for first among non-playoff qualifiers since 1978. These two 11-5s have been linked together since the end of that '08 regular-season.

I've always seen both as, basically, even. You got the Elway-over-Cassel factor on one side, and the Belichick-over-Reeves factor on the other. But upon closer inspection, I would have to give nod to the chronological latter of the two. And though not by a landslide, not by a nail-biter either.

Yes, of course, Elway-over-Cassel otherwise, but not the case when comparing these two very seasons being discussed. Matt had a noticeably better QB outing in '08 than John did 23 seasons prior. Elway threw a career-worst 23 INTs to Cassel's 11. QB-rating-wise, only his rookie year in '83, and Reeves' final year as his HC in '92 (Shanahan now in San Fran), were worse seasons for John.

And Denver being 10th in offense and 13th in D nothing to hoot and holler over. The Pats were #5 in O and #10 in D! Beating a now just-"good" San Fran team in Mile High, 17-16, was the Broncos' only win vs a winning team in '85. The '08 Pats did suffer something they never did with Brady at QB, and that's losing to the Steelers at home (actually losing convincingly to them), but at least split with Favre's Jets and also split with the eventual-division-champs, Dolphins. And they did blast the other SBXLIII-participant-to-be, 47-7, albeit - yes - as those Cards were falling hard into the playoffs. Broncos did lose both times in OT to the 12-4 division-champs-to-be, Raiders, but almost doesn't count and I got to give that Brady-less team the nod here.

Thoughts?

Cassel had better numbers because he had more weapons. Elway never had a Randy Moss to throw to at WR. Also, Elway was in an antiquated passing scheme. Cassel had five receivers in the pattern a lot of the time, whereas Elway usually didn't. Reeves was running a 1960's offense in the 1980's.

The 1985/86 postseason would have been interesting with the Broncos making it. People had been anticipating a potential matchup with the Dolphins since both Marino and Elway were drafted and it should have happened in 1984. With an opportunistic defense the Broncos were still better than the Browns and could have beaten the Jets or Patriots as well, though the Patriots got hot ...

Brian wolf wrote:The 1985/86 postseason would have been interesting with the Broncos making it. People had been anticipating a potential matchup with the Dolphins since both Marino and Elway were drafted and it should have happened in 1984. With an opportunistic defense the Broncos were still better than the Browns and could have beaten the Jets or Patriots as well, though the Patriots got hot...

The Patriots of 1985 may have been the most talented team in the AFC, with eight players selected to go to Honolulu that year (Craig James, Irving Fryar [as a KR, not WR], Brian Holloway, John Hannah, Andre Tippett, Steve Nelson, Raymond Clayborn, and Fred Marion). However, they didn't have great QB's (Grogan, Eason). They needed their turnover touch and a good run game to make the playoffs. Makes me wonder, though: What if they drafted Dan Marino?

Many people dont remember that when Denver beat NE in the 86 playoffs, that Elway hurt his ankle the same way Mahomes did this postseason but Elway fought through it and had that great finish in Cleveland the next week. The Broncos defense just collapsed in the second half of the SB against the Giants.