SeahawkFever wrote: ↑Thu Jul 31, 2025 1:28 pm
Out of curiosity, which team of these two was better?
Both teams started off 1986 pretty well before collapsing in the latter stages of the regular season.
Both collapses turned out to be the first part of a multi year skid where they regressed to the mean in the late 80’s after two plus decades of consistently being one of the NFL’s best teams.
The Raiders won a head to head matchup, but I’m pretty sure the Cowboys were the better team statistically when I ran my formula, and they could’ve had a winning season without a quarterback injury.
So which one was better?
Great topic which was brought up here almost a decade ago...(man, how time flies)...
https://profootballresearchers.com/foru ... php?t=3759
The '86 teams - still playoff teams the year before - each got themselves a Heisman RB whom they paired up with
the other Heisman RB whom they already had. Of course each Heisman winner who was already there, each ending up in Canton, would end up getting supplanted by the newer one, but each of those supplanters
not ending up in Canton.
I'm not sure what everyone was making of the Raiders going into that '86 season. They did make a video, 'The Silver and the Black'. As for Big D, they beat the Giants that MNF opener with both Herschel and Dorsett each scoring a TD in their win. Going back to their championship-caliber days from just several years ago? Not sure, but it had to look to everyone else - myself included at the time - that playoff caliber, at least, would still be in order. Cowboys started 6-2, the Raiders started 8-4; but dropped their first three games - a team that was top-seed the year before, mind you. Thoughts about each going into '87? Not sure what I thought but sure enough they were just off the radar thus me preparing/not being surprised if they each continued such further descent.
Equal disappointments each team was to each other, but as for 'better' team? Dallas if White doesn't get injured, plain and simple, and still at best just a mere playoff team that goes one-and-done anyway (WCG-loss to Redskins). Raiders simply just weren't going to get there, finally ran out of all their two-decade-long gas in the very end. I've opined this before, even if Big D doesn't lose Danny and complete the sweep over the G-men, that just would have made the Big Blue Wreckling Crew MAD thus even MORE scarier! They still roll through all the rest of their games, perhaps more decisively! And they simply go down as one of those few champions who actually get swept by a lesser team during the regular season ('83 Raiders, '95 Cowboys, etc); that's all, still a strong 16-3 World Champ just the same!
Brian wolf wrote: ↑Thu Jul 31, 2025 2:23 pm
The Cowboys might have made the playoffs had White not gotten injured against the Giants but I felt the Raiders were better and should have made the playoffs after an 8-4 start. Fumbles by Marcus Allen hurt them down the stretch, which also frustrated Al Davis, who was determined to bring in Bo Jackson afterward.
White recovered well in 1987 but just wasnt the same QB. I still wished Jimmy Johnson would have kept him in 1989 to mentor Aikman but Johnson was wanting Walsh as well for competition.
I may be wrong, but had White been on the roster in 1990 instead of Laufenberg, the Cowboys might have beaten the Falcons to make the playoffs after Aikman got hurt. Its hard to say though.
Interesting hypo. Danny still having gas left in the tank in 1990? Possibly. Nothing against Lauf. Good guy, good teammate, had the passion and I believe he was (or maybe still is) a radio commentator for the Cowboys, but simply lacking the QB-power (Cliff Stoudt as well) to get them over Atlanta who, yes, weren't good but under first-year HC, Glanville, the FWIW 'controls' were set for next year's "Too Legit" Dirty Bird campaign with they simply playing for pride, closing the season on a winning note. A Steve Walsh, or especially next-year's Beuerlein, or perhaps an aging Danny White would have done the trick! And I also have already opined that they have a great shot at upsetting those paper-tiger Bears at Soldier in the 1st Rd (only to then get
obliterated by San Fran the following week - perhaps by
worse than Big D beat SF ten regular seasons prior, lol;
60-14 instead of 59-14)!
Oszuscik wrote: ↑Thu Jul 31, 2025 3:08 pm
Good question, but I think the Raiders were the superior team. Their downfall in 1986 I'd imagine was more of a surprise than the Cowboys' as the Raiders I think still had a lot of life to their team. Danny White's injury and Tony Dorsett's age kind of signaled the inevitable end of the Cowboys' run.
Again, without remembering exactly what my thoughts were at the time, it'd have to be looked back upon as an 'equal' surprise. End of an Era, '86 seemed to sadly bring home.
In 1983 (and '82) all four '70s stalwarts - Steelers, Cowboys, Dolphins, and Raiders made the playoffs.
In '84, just Dallas missed.
In '85, just Pittsburgh missed.
And then the
following year ("after 1986, what else could be new" - Billy Joel)...ALL FOUR miss out!
And
again in '87, and
AGAIN in 1988!!
The end of the '80s (barring that obvious Miracle/Last Hurrah that took place, consummating in-full that
second game on New Year's Eve), were not so kind to the '70s and the Nostalgia that came with it. Yet, ironically, there are numerous 'ten-years-and-one-day' parallels between the '78 and '88 seasons which I'm sure most of you have already read from me numerous times.
Damn, and I'll say it yet again...as long as not ever at Steelers' expense, I so WISH we could have had ourselves at least ONE (okay, preferably two) Raiders/Cowboys Super Bowls involving Madden/Stabler vs Landry/Staubach!! And, of course, a significant
regular season showdown, or two( '74 finale SUCH a ripoff)!
PS - And JUST ONE
World Series between Mike Schmidt/Pete Rose/Larry Bowa's Phillies against Thurman Munson/Reggie Jackson/BIlly Martin's NEW YORK YANKEES!!