Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

What HC was better? What was a better 'run' ('68-thru-'77, '88-thru-'96 I guess when each begin and end), '69 Vikings vs '90 Bills (best installment of each), '73 vs '92 (second-best of each, IMO)? Tarkenton vs Kelly, etc?

What are all your overall thoughts/opinions?

Tough call ... Levy had more talent to work with but Grant had better defenses ... The Bills and Vikings both lost to more talented teams in the SB. Both teams took advantage of their home field in championship games and also won once on an opposing field.

I think if they had met in a Super Bowl...they'd both lose.

Brian wolf wrote: ↑Thu Aug 28, 2025 7:41 pm Tough call ... Levy had more talent to work with but Grant had better defenses ... The Bills and Vikings both lost to more talented teams in the SB. Both teams took advantage of their home field in championship games and also won once on an opposing field.

BUF never lost at home in their apex while MIN lost 3 times at home in December

True, the Vikings lost divisional games but not championship games at home. They also had Couzzo at QB in the 70' loss and punter Lee in the 71' loss ... Pearson killed them in 75

How about better QB between Joe Kapp and Frank Reich?

How about better QB between Joe Kapp and Frank Reich?

Kelly > Tarkenton
Kapp > Reich (although yes there was the Comeback)

Brian wolf wrote: ↑Thu Aug 28, 2025 7:41 pm Tough call ... Levy had more talent to work with but Grant had better defenses ... The Bills and Vikings both lost to more talented teams in the SB. Both teams took advantage of their home field in championship games and also won once on an opposing field.

If their Super Bowls had (hypothetically) been played at home for both of these teams (i.e. on an open air stadium in a cold weather city) do they fare any better?
How much of their success could be attributed to the "home flied advantage?"

RichardBak wrote: ↑Thu Aug 28, 2025 9:35 pm I think if they had met in a Super Bowl...they'd both lose.

(Thanks, I needed a smile today!)

I believe so, JJ ... a true homefield advantage, especially with Kelly and Tarkenton at QB. Both California teams, the Raiders going to Rich Stadium and the Rams to Metropolitan Stadium, just couldnt play their game. The crowd was electric, especially in Buffalo. Once both teams went to neutral sites, doubt crept in for the SB.

Its still hard to believe that the Vikings couldnt play better with receivers like Gene Washington, John Gilliam, Ahmad Rashad, Sammy White and Chuck Foreman. Those guys could have made plays but they also could drop passes, especially Gilliam. Tarkenton couldnt get the ball to them quick enough, though AFC defenses, like NFC ones against Buffalo, were very prepared.

BUF never lost at home in their apex while MIN lost 3 times at home in December

From 1990-93, the Bills played teams at home that were very flawed offensively:

1990: The Dolphins ran the ball 27 times for only 107 yards (less than 4 YPC). Sammie Smith wasn't a RB that you stay up night trying to think up ways to stop. Also, in the AFC Title Game, the Raiders missed Bo (although they couldn't stop the No-Huddle, and that put them behind the 8-ball pretty quick).

1991: By the end of the year, the Chiefs weren't the same team that pounded the Bills at Arrowhead earlier in the year on MNF. A declining Steve DeBerg and Mark Vlasic played horrible at QB, and they only had 77 rushing yards on 24 carries. Also, that was one of Elway's worst offensive supporting casts (and, he had some shaky ones under Daniquated Reeves, who believed in 1920's offensive philosophy).

1992: The Oilers didn't seem to understand that you had to run the ball to win in January. Moon played great to put them way ahead, but they didn't try hard enough to get Lo White involved in that third quarter when they were up 35-17 and got the ball back (they only had 82 yards on 22 carries).

1993: The Raiders didn't really have much of a ground game that year. They did run 35 times, so they made a commitment. However, they only got 110 yards (3.14 YPC). Also, I don't think that Montana had a lot of weapons around him in the first place with the Chiefs. That team went further than they had any business going.

And, besides offensive issues, those teams messed up on special teams (3 missed FG's by Denver's Treadwell in 91, the bad squib kick by Del Greco and the surprise onside early in the third quarter in 92 that allowed the Bills to get back into the game, etc...).