BYE Week and Home Field Advantage
Posted: Mon May 08, 2023 8:46 pm
The BYE week, and the home field advantage. Every team shoots for them. To me, the best sight would be the first team Eagles on the bench for one or two experiment weeks. This rests regulars and enables planning for the future. Here are four teams that had everything set and used the last two games as exhibitions.
1958 Baltimore Colts
The Colts won nine of the first ten. The only loss was a 24 to 21 game at Yankee Stadium
Game 11-Lost at Los Angeles Rams 30 to 28. This was a nationally televised Saturday game.
Game 12- Lost at San Francisco 49ers 21 to 12.
To say the Colts were rested for the title game at New York would be putting it mildly. In addition to the season games, the Giants had a 13th, the Eastern Conference Playoff. New York shut out the Cleveland Browns 10 to 0. The Giants beat the Browns three times in 1958. We all know about the sudden death game at Yankee Stadium.
1967 Green Bay Packers. After 12 games, the Packers were 9-2-1. They had clinched the Central Division of the NFL.
Game 13-Lost at Los Angeles Rams 27 to 24. This was the greatest game of the season. It was on a Saturday afternoon. and nationally televised. The lead changed hands five times. The Rams blocked a punt to set up the winning touchdown. The Rams Fearsome Foursome put great pressure on Bart Star.
Game 14-Lost at home to the Pittsburgh Steelers 24 to 17. Pittsburgh fans knew the Packers were using the reserves. Even with that, it was one of the great Pittsburgh wins in the 70s. I will talk about this game later. This was the first time I remember Vince Lombardi not angry at a loss.
The Packers at home defeated the Rams 28 to 7 in the Western Conference Playoff. Quite a difference from the regular season. The Packers then defeated the Dallas Cowboys 21 to 17 in the Ice Bowl. After that came the easy 33 to 14 victory over the Oakland Raiders in the Super Bowl.
1972 Washington Redskins. After 12 games, the Redskins were 11-1.
Week 13-At Dallas lost to Cowboys 38 to 28. The Redskins fell behind 28 to 3 at halftime but made it closer in the second half. Calvin Hill and Walt Garrison each gained over 100 yards. The Washington defensive line looked feeble.
Week 14-At home lost to the Buffalo Bills 24 to 17. Insignificant Game.
at RFK for both post season games. Shut down McArthur Lane and John Brockington defeating the Green Bay Packers 16 to 3. In a big reversal from two weeks earlier, shut down both Calvin Hill and Walt Garrison defeating the Dallas Cowboys 26 to 3. Lost to the Miami Dolphins in the Super Bowl 14 to 7.
The Biggest One-the 2004 Philadelphia Eagles after 14 games were 13-1
Week 16-At St. Louis on Monday night lost 20 to 7 to the Rams.
Week 17-At Lincoln Financial Field lost to the Cincinnati Bengals 38 to 10.
At the Linc for both post season games; defeated the Minnesota Vikings 27 to 14 and the Atlanta Falcons 27 to 10. Lost the Super Bowl to the New England Patriots 24 to 21.
1958 Baltimore Colts
The Colts won nine of the first ten. The only loss was a 24 to 21 game at Yankee Stadium
Game 11-Lost at Los Angeles Rams 30 to 28. This was a nationally televised Saturday game.
Game 12- Lost at San Francisco 49ers 21 to 12.
To say the Colts were rested for the title game at New York would be putting it mildly. In addition to the season games, the Giants had a 13th, the Eastern Conference Playoff. New York shut out the Cleveland Browns 10 to 0. The Giants beat the Browns three times in 1958. We all know about the sudden death game at Yankee Stadium.
1967 Green Bay Packers. After 12 games, the Packers were 9-2-1. They had clinched the Central Division of the NFL.
Game 13-Lost at Los Angeles Rams 27 to 24. This was the greatest game of the season. It was on a Saturday afternoon. and nationally televised. The lead changed hands five times. The Rams blocked a punt to set up the winning touchdown. The Rams Fearsome Foursome put great pressure on Bart Star.
Game 14-Lost at home to the Pittsburgh Steelers 24 to 17. Pittsburgh fans knew the Packers were using the reserves. Even with that, it was one of the great Pittsburgh wins in the 70s. I will talk about this game later. This was the first time I remember Vince Lombardi not angry at a loss.
The Packers at home defeated the Rams 28 to 7 in the Western Conference Playoff. Quite a difference from the regular season. The Packers then defeated the Dallas Cowboys 21 to 17 in the Ice Bowl. After that came the easy 33 to 14 victory over the Oakland Raiders in the Super Bowl.
1972 Washington Redskins. After 12 games, the Redskins were 11-1.
Week 13-At Dallas lost to Cowboys 38 to 28. The Redskins fell behind 28 to 3 at halftime but made it closer in the second half. Calvin Hill and Walt Garrison each gained over 100 yards. The Washington defensive line looked feeble.
Week 14-At home lost to the Buffalo Bills 24 to 17. Insignificant Game.
at RFK for both post season games. Shut down McArthur Lane and John Brockington defeating the Green Bay Packers 16 to 3. In a big reversal from two weeks earlier, shut down both Calvin Hill and Walt Garrison defeating the Dallas Cowboys 26 to 3. Lost to the Miami Dolphins in the Super Bowl 14 to 7.
The Biggest One-the 2004 Philadelphia Eagles after 14 games were 13-1
Week 16-At St. Louis on Monday night lost 20 to 7 to the Rams.
Week 17-At Lincoln Financial Field lost to the Cincinnati Bengals 38 to 10.
At the Linc for both post season games; defeated the Minnesota Vikings 27 to 14 and the Atlanta Falcons 27 to 10. Lost the Super Bowl to the New England Patriots 24 to 21.