Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Sometime, there is a week 16/17 game that if it goes the other way it changes the entire complexion of the playoffs (i.e. different 1st round bye, wild card matchups change)

Going to give a few examples of this- not all of them, but just a few

1991 NFC Playoffs if Dallas loses to Atlanta in Week 17, 2 Legit to Quit Falcons win NFC West: Falcons host Cowboys in a rematch in what would have been the final game at Fulton County Stadium, Saints at Bears (both 11-5, Chicago H2H tiebreaker, Bears had beat 7-0 NO in week 9)

1992 AFC Playoffs if Buffalo beats Houston in week 17: Buffalo is 1 seed, Pittsburgh 2, the Oilers instead go to San Diego for a WC Game and Miami hosts Kansas City. If Houston has a normal type of loss to the red-hot Chargers (i.e. not the historic collapse they had in real life), do they still hire Buddy Ryan or is the Oilers' 1993 less turbulent?

1995 AFC Playoffs if Oakland beats Denver in week 17: Indianapolis face the Bills, Raiders go to San Diego. Does the Captain Comeback Colts cinderella run even get off the ground if they have to go to Buffalo which at that time never lost a home playoff game at Rich Stadium? And what of the 95 Chiefs if they instead face a division rival they had swept that season and whose number they had back then?

1997 NFL Playoffs if the Jets beat Detroit in week 17: This one affects both conferences. Miami/New England on the final Monday night is all or nothing and assuming Pats still win, it's Jets/Pats III with Tuna returning to Foxboro for the playoffs! Also, Tampa Bay would instead host the Vikings and Washington plays the Giants for a 3rd time.

2001 AFC Playoffs if Oakland beat the Jets in week 17: Raiders get the 2 seed, New England's final game at Foxboro Stadium instead of that snow bowl would have been against Seattle

Good Scenarios ...

Had Deion Sanders caught Miller's short TD pass in the game against Dallas, they would have won their division. A rematch against Dallas in Fulton County Stadium would have been classic!

If the Skins beat Dallas in 1979, the Boys dont make the playoffs, I believe. Roger never has his concussion against the Rams and might not retire? The Redskins-Rams game might have been interesting because I still believe Philly would have played Tampa ... Not sure though.

If Rashad doesnt make that catch against Cleveland in 1980, Detroit wins the division ... Imagine Billy Simms and Wilbert Montgomery squaring off in the Vet?

Had the Chargers lost to the Steelers in the finale in 1980, would they or NE have made the wild card round? I am thinking the Patriots ...

If the Skins beat Dallas in 1979, the Boys dont make the playoffs, I believe. Roger never has his concussion against the Rams and might not retire? The Redskins-Rams game might have been interesting because I still believe Philly would have played Tampa ... Not sure though.

Actually, that would have knocked out Chicago because the Cowboys defeated them that year (and they both would have been 10-6). It would have been the Cowboys@Eagles, and I don't think Dallas wins there twice that year. The Eagles still lose at Tampa, but the Rams@Skins game is too tough to call. In a hunch, I will take Washington by 3, and then I have them beating Tampa at home for the NFC Title before losing to the Steelers in SB 14.

Just making the playoffs would have changed history for Washington. Riggins comes back in 1980, and they don't do quite as bad, so Pardee is back in 81. That means that Gibbs may return to SD for one more year and wait until 1982 to be hired as someone's HC (NE, Colts, and Chicago were the options).

Thanks 7D ...

I forgot about Dallas over Chicago ... A great, hard-hitting game. Roger having to win again in Philly would have been electric. Regardless of the playoffs, Riggins would have still sat-out in 80 I believe but maybe he would have gotten paid, playing Diesel in the postseason?

Brian wolf wrote:Had the Chargers lost to the Steelers in the finale in 1980, would they or NE have made the wild card round? I am thinking the Patriots ...

Patriots. San Diego lost to Denver and Buffalo, teams New England beat

That would have made the AFC WC Game a New England at Houston rematch from their MNF thriller in November

Oakland gets the 2 seed