The Pythagorean NFL Part 2: The Strike Years

[Garrett Garlits]

This thread will detail the two NFL seasons that were changed by player strikes: 1982 and 1987. Pythagorean rules will still be in effect, of course. The main change will be in 1982, where the normal five-team playoff format will take the place of the Super Bowl tournament.

Let's begin in 1982. Here are the standings in the AFC after nine weeks of play:

East:

Miami Dolphins: 7-2 (0)
New York Jets: 6-3 (0)
New England Patriots: 4-5 (-1)
Buffalo Bills: 4-5 (0)
Baltimore Colts: 1-8 (+1)

The Bills hold the expected win tiebreaker for third place over the Patriots at the moment, 4.4 to 4.0.

Central:

Cincinnati Bengals: 6-3 (-1)
Pittsburgh Steelers: 6-3 (0)
Cleveland Browns: 3-6 (-1)
Houston Oilers: 2-7 (+1)

The Steelers hold the expected wins tiebreaker over the Bengals for first place, 6.2 to 5.9.

West:

Los Angeles Raiders: 6-3 (-2)
San Diego Chargers: 6-3 (0)
Seattle Seahawks: 4-5 (0)
Kansas City Chiefs: 4-5 (+1)
Denver Broncos: 2-7 (0)

The Raiders and Chargers each have 5.9 expected wins, but the Raiders are in first place because they've beaten the Chargers head-to-head.

The Chiefs hold the expected wins tiebreaker for third place over the Seahawks, 4.3 to 3.7.

Here are the seeds to the moment:

1. Dolphins: 7-2
2. Steelers: 6-3 (AFC Central leaders)
3. Raiders: 6-3 (AFC West leaders)
4. Jets: 6-3 (AFC East second place)
5. Chargers: 6-3 (AFC West second place; won tiebreaker with Bengals)

The Steelers are the two seed because they have 6.2 expected wins to the Raiders' 5.9. The Jets are the first wild card because they have 6.4 expected wins to the Chargers' 5.9. The Chargers are the second wild card because they've beaten the Bengals head-to-head.

Next: The NFC standings for 1982.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Here are the NFC standings for 1982:

East:

Washington Redskins: 7-2 (-1)
Dallas Cowboys: 7-2 (+1)
New York Giants: 5-4 (+1)
Philadelphia Eagles: 4-5 (+1)
St. Louis Cardinals: 3-6 (-2)

The Cowboys hold the expected wins tiebreaker over the Redskins for first place, 6.7 to 6.5.

Central:

Green Bay Packers: 6-3 (+1)
Detroit Lions: 5-4 (+1)
Minnesota Vikings: 4-5 (-1)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 4-5 (-1)
Chicago Bears: 3-6 (0)

The Vikings hold the expected wins tiebreaker for third place over the Buccaneers, 4.2 to 3.9.

West:

San Francisco 49ers: 5-4 (+2)
Atlanta Falcons: 4-5 (-1)
New Orleans Saints: 3-6 (-1)
Los Angeles Rams: 3-6 (+1)

The Saints hold the expected wins tiebreaker over the Rams for third place, 3.4 to 3.3.

Seeds:

1. Cowboys: 7-2
2. Packers: 6-3
3. 49ers: 5-4
4. Redskins: 7-2 (NFC East second place)
5. Lions: 5-4 (won tiebreaker with Giants)

Both the Giants and the Lions have 4.6 expected wins, but the Lions are the second wild card because they've beaten the Giants head-to-head.

Next: Some other rules and explanations.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Before we get on to gameplay, here are a few things to remember:

1. The fractions of expected wins will not change as we go on. For example, even if they're tied in whole wins and losses, the Cowboys will always have a two-tenths of a point lead over the Redskins. If you think I'm going to recalculate the Pythagorean formula every week for every team to split hairs over tenths of a point, "alien space bat" is too kind of a term for you.

2. Each game will be played on the date it was scheduled. When I did this exercise over at All Time Sports, I restarted the season in the second week of January, and Super Bowl XVII ended up on March 27, which is technically possible but certainly not desirable. The records, however, will be kept as if we picked up the season where we left off in Week 10, just like in my baseball strike threads.

3. Since this is the year where all NFL starting times were mandated at 1 and 4PM Eastern, all Colts home games for the rest of the year will be 4PM Eastern kickoffs, thus eliminating the problem with Maryland's blue laws.

4. I'm not exactly sure which network had the doubleheader in which weeks, so I'm going to award them based on who has the overall best slate. When we get to '87, I'll make Week 3 (our Week 16) a double-doubleheader like we have in Week 17 today. I might do that in '82 as well if we have enough meaningful games to do it.

4. To the extent possible, the three two-team markets (New York, Los Angeles, and Baltimore/Washington) will have their Sunday games at different times. If one plays at 1PM Eastern, the other will play at 4PM Eastern. (The exception, of course, is if both teams are playing west of the Rockies.)

5. There will be byes for teams who had their games moved to January 2 in real life. I think I may handle them the way the NFL does in real life today: byes in Weeks 10-14, full schedule in 15-16, which were the original Weeks 4 and 5. (No games were rescheduled from those two weeks.)

Week 10 (original Week 3) schedule coming next!

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Here's the schedule for Week 10:

Thursday, September 23:

Falcons-Chiefs, 8:30, ABC- Frank Gifford, Don Meredith, Howard Cosell

Sunday, September 26:

Bills-Oilers, 1, NBC- Bob Costas, Bob Trumpy
Broncos-Saints, 1, NBC- Phil Stone, Gene Washington
Dolphins-Packers, 1, NBC, Dick Enberg, Merlin Olsen
Seahawks-Patriots, 1, NBC- Don Criqui, John Brodie
Buccaneers-Lions, 1, CBS- Jack Buck, Hank Stram
Rams-Eagles, 1, CBS- Dick Stockton, Roger Staubach
Jets-Colts, 4, NBC- Charlie Jones, Len Dawson
Bears-49ers, 4, CBS, Tim Ryan, Johnny Morris
Giants-Steelers, 4, CBS- Pat Summerall, John Madden

Monday, September 27:

Bengals-Browns, 9, ABC- Frank Gifford, Don Meredith, Howard Cosell

Byes: Cowboys, Vikings, Cardinals, Redskins, Raiders, Chargers


Note 1: Bolded text will not be a regular feature of this thread. If I can get it to work, fine. If I can't, I'm not fighting this lousy computer, which too often has a mind of its own. (I know how to do it, but sometimes the computer just won't let me, for some unknown reason.)

Note 2: I'm calling an emergency that allows me to run the Jets and Giants at the same time. Without Giants-Steelers, I have nothing worth showing at 4PM on either network. (Remember, the Niners aren't necessarily the defending Super Bowl champions.)

Note 3: All remaining Packer home games will be played at Lambeau Field.

Next: We begin gameplay with the two primetime games.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Here's this week's prime time action, beginning with the Falcons-Chiefs Thursday Night Special:

Falcons 20, Chiefs 13

William Andrews gained 101 yards on twenty carries and scored a fourth-quarter touchdown to lead the visiting Falcons to victory at Arrowhead. Fellow running back Gerald Riggs broke a 3-3 tie with a 34-yard touchdown run of his own early in the third. Joe Delaney rushed for 94 yards on fifteen carries in a losing cause for the Chiefs. The Falcons can tie the Niners for first place in the NFC West if the Niners lose to the Bears on Sunday, while the Chiefs fall into fourth place in the AFC West by themselves; their playoff chances are on life support.

ATL: 5-5 (vs. SF)
KC: 4-6 (Bye)

Bengals 51, Browns 14

The Bengals took over first place in the AFC Central by themselves, pending the previous day's Giants-Steelers result. They racked up 540 total offensive yards, with wide receiver Cris Collinsworth catching five passes for a hundred yards even and tight end Dan Ross amassing a hundred yards in just four catches. Running back Pete Johnson gained 126 yards on twenty-two carries with two touchdowns, and fellow running back Charles Alexander added 75 yards on just eleven carries with a score. Quarterback Kenny Anderson went 16 for 22 for 281 yards and four touchdowns, one each to Ross, Collinsworth, backup wide receiver Steve Kreider, and veteran pass catcher Isaac Curtis. The defense chimed in with four sacks of Browns quarterback Brian Sipe, who nonetheless threw to tight end Ozzie Newsome for both Cleveland scores.

There are rumors that Browns coach Sam Rutigliano's job is in immediate jeopardy, with the top permanent replacement candidate being Ohio State head coach Earle Bruce. Meanwhile, Dandy Don Meredith sang "Turn Out The Lights" at the end of the third quarter for the first time in Monday Night Football history; the Bengals were leading 48-7 at the time.

In an unprecedented move, the Bengals will appear on MNF two weeks in a row, as their game against the Cowboys has been moved to Monday, October 4. (Note: The NFL will be playing the original Week 7 next week.)

CIN: 7-3 (vs. DAL 10/4)
CLE: 3-7 (Bye)

Next: Sunday's early games.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Here are the Sunday early games from Week 10:

Buccaneers 14, Lions 9

The Bucs got to fourteen points in an unusual manner: four Bill Capece field goals and a safety, which turned out to be the game-winning score. It came at the 8:32 mark of the fourth quarter, when Lions running back Dexter Bussey was tackled in the end zone by defensive tackle Lee Roy Selmon. This safety paid back the Lions for one they'd scored earlier on a sack of Doug Williams by defensive end Doug English. The only touchdown of the game belonged to the Lions, as quarterback Gary Danielson found tight end David Hill with an eight-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter. Running back James Wilder paced the Tampa offense with sixty-four yards on thirteen carries, while their defense held the Lions' Billy Sims to thirty-eight yards on nineteen carries.

The Bucs' win moves them into both a tie for third place in the NFC Central and a three-way tie for the second wild card with the Lions and Falcons.

TB: 5-5 (at CHI)
DET: 5-5 (vs. BUF)

Broncos 16, Saints 7

Three Rich Karlis field goals provided the margin of victory for the Orange Crush. Karlis hit from forty yards out early in the third quarter to break a 7-7 halftime tie, and was good from both twenty-one and forty-four yards out later in the game to seal the victory. Running back Gerald Willhite led the Broncos' offense with 87 yards on just twelve carries, while Saints star runner George Rogers could gain just twenty-nine yards on sixteen attempts. Running back Sammy Winder scored on a five-yard touchdown run for Denver, who still faces a long road to get back into the AFC wild card race.

DEN: 3-7 (vs. LA Raiders)
NO: 3-7 (at LA Rams)

Bills 38, Oilers 0

The Bills kept pace in the AFC wild card chase by shellacking the helpless Oilers. The running game did most of the damage, as Joe Cribbs gained 96 yards on twenty-two carries and two touchdowns and Roosevelt Leaks added 88 yards on fourteen carries and another score. Both men were pulled by coach Chuck Knox early in the fourth quarter to lessen their injury risk, which was the only down note for the Bills all day. Quarterback Joe Ferguson did his part as well, going thirteen of twenty for 176 yards and two touchdowns, both to wideout Jerry Butler, who ended up catching fou42r balls for seventy yards. Only a lax Buffalo defense late in the game allowed Earl Campbell to rush for 72 yards on twenty-two carries, and quarterback Archie Manning was brutalized, as the Bills held him to ten completions in thirty attempts and sacked him five times. Gifford Nielsen replaced him early in the fourth quarter, and coach Ed Biles said after the game that he doesn't know who will start next week when the Redskins visit the Astrodome.

Pending the events in Foxborough, the Bills could be tied with the Patriots for third place in the AFC East by the end of the day.

BUF: 5-5 (vs. DET)
HOU: 2-8 (vs. WSH)

Rams 42, Eagles 21

The Rams racked up 484 yards of total offense in their destruction of the Eagles at a half-empty Vet. Running back Wendell Tyler dominated from start to finish, rushing for 122 yards on twenty-one carries and scoring two touchdowns, plus turning a short dumpoff throw from quarterback Vince Ferragamo into a 35-yard touchdown pass. Mike Guman also cracked the hundred-yard rushing barrier, totaling 103 yards on just ten carries, plus catching three passes for forty-eight yards and a touchdown. Ferragamo completed twenty of twenty-five passes for 260 yards and four touchdown passes; the other two were to wide receivers Willie Miller and George Farmer.

Quarterback Ron Jaworski had a good day in a losing cause for Philly, completing fourteen of twenty-seven for 262 yards and touchdown passes to wide receiver Mike Quick and tight end John Spagnola. Running back Perry Harrington scored the other Eagles touchdown, and running back Wilbert Montgomery gained 84 yards on sixteen carries.

The Rams are now in sole possession of third place in the NFC West.

LA Rams: 4-6 (vs. NO)
PHI: 4-6 (Bye)

Seahawks 28, Patriots 0

Hawks kicker Norm Johnson equaled an NFL record by kicking no less than seven field goals, and running back Sherman Smith added a touchdown to complete their whitewashing of the Pats. Johnson was good from 48, 37, 30, 22, 29, and 43 yards (twice), while Smith's touchdown came early in the fourth quarter from two yards out. Meanwhile, Pats quarterback Steve Grogan could only complete seven of twenty-three passes for fifty-two yards and two interceptions, thus leading coach Ron Meyer to replace him with Tom Flick early in the fourth quarter. About the only bright spot for New England was running back Mark van Eeghen, who gained fifty-seven yards on just nine carries.

The Seahawks now occupy third place by themselves in the AFC West, while the Pats have tumbled into fourth place in the East and dealt a significant blow to their playoff hopes.

SEA: 5-5 (vs. SD)
NE: 4-6 (vs. STL)

Packers 22, Dolphins 7

Running back Eddie Lee Ivery gained 134 yards on just sixteen carries and scored a touchdown, and future Hall of Famer Jan Stenerud was five for five on field goals as the Pack dispatched the Fins with shocking ease. Ivery's four-yard touchdown run late in the second quarter gave the home squad the lead for good, and Stenerud made it stand up with kicks of 34, 38, and 48 yards added to earlier makes from twenty-five and twenty-six yards. The Packers' defense held Miami quarterback David Woodley to twelve completions in twenty-two attempts for just 130 yards, and it was backup Don Strock who got them on the board late in the fourth with a touchdown flip to wide receiver Jimmy Cefalo. The only thing effective about the Dolphins all day was the running of Andra Franklin, who gained 78 yards on fifteen carries.

The Pack now leads by two games in the NFC Central, while the Fins need the Colts to upset the Jets in order to stay in first place in the AFC East by themselves.

MIA: 7-3 (Bye)
GB: 7-3 (at MIN)

Next: Sunday's late games.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Now here are Sunday's late games from Week 10:

49ers 24, Bears 6

The Niiners defeated the Bears at the wind tunnel that was Candlestick Park. Winds were over thirty miles an hour for the whole game, but that didn't future Hall of Famer Joe Montana from completing fifteen of twenty-one passes for 297 yards and three touchdowns. The big play of the game was Montana's 79-yard touchdown pass to reserve running back Vince Williams late in the first quarter, which was mostly a breathtaking broken-field run by Williams. Wide receiver Freddie Solomon and tight end Russ Francis were the other touchdown catchers, while favorite target Dwight Clark caught six passes for 96 yards. As for the Bears, their bright spot was, as always, running back Walter Payton, who rushed for 118 yards on thirteen carries.

The Niners retained their one-game lead over the Falcons in the NFC West heading into next week's showdown at Fulton County Stadium.

SF: 6-4 (at ATL)
CHI: 3-7 (vs. TB)

Jets 27, Colts 7

We have a tie atop the AFC East, as the Jets dispatched the Colts just as expected. Running back Freeman McNeill just missed the hundred-yard mark, finishing with 99 yards plus a touchdown on eighteen carries, and quarterback Richard Todd threw a pair of touchdown passes, one to wide receiver Wesley Walker and the other on a beautifully executed screen to running back Bruce Harper. Colts rookie quarterback Mike Pagel completed twenty of his thirty throws, but couldn't manage a touchdown; running back Zack Dixon's nine-yard run was responsible for Baltimore's points.

NY Jets: 7-3 (Bye)
BAL: 1-9: (Bye)

Steelers 23, Giants 3

The Steelers kept pace with the Bengals in the AFC Central by taking care of business against the visiting Giants. Quarterback Terry Bradshaw was the driving force, completing nineteen of twenty-seven passes for 244 yards and a touchdown to wide receiver Jimmy Smith. John Stallworth didn't score, but caught four passes for ninety yards. Running back Frank Pollard scored another touchdown on the ground, and rookie kicker Gary Anderson added three field goals. Meanwhile, the resurgent Steel Curtain held Big Blue to just thirty-three yards rushing on twenty-six carries and quarterback Scott Brunner to just eight completions in twenty-four attempts. Kicker Joe Danelo's last-second field goal spoiled the Pittsburgh shutout, but the issue had long since been decided.

The Giants are now in the middle of a four-way tie for the second wild card in the NFC with the Lions, Falcons, and Bucs at 5-5.

PIT: 7-3 (Bye)
NYG: 5-5 (Bye)

Next: Week 11's broadcast schedule.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Here's the broadcast schedule for next week. I know I said that I'd play all the games on the date tat they were scheduled, but I would have been looking at a Week 17 with eight teams on a bye, among other things, so I'm putting the weeks with the most byes first. This week would have been Week 7 in the original schedule.

Two notes:

1. Cross-flexing makes its debut approximately thirty-three years early, as NBC gets two interconference games that would have normally gone to CBS because they're being played in AFC stadiums. Had I not done this, NBC would have no 1PM Eastern games at all, which is a no-no except when one of the networks has a prescheduled special event early on an NFL Sunday.

2. In this universe, stadiums where baseball and football are shared have made unspecified alternate arrangements with their baseball tenants where needed so that the football games can be played.

With that in mind, here's the lineup:

Sunday, October 3:

Lions-Bills, 1, NBC- Charlie Jones, Len Dawson
Cardinals-Patriots, 1, NBC- Bob Costas, Bob Trumpy
Buccaneers-Bears, 1, CBS- Tim Ryan, Johnny Morris
49ers-Falcons, 1, CBS- Jack Buck, Hank Stram
Redskins-Oilers, 1, CBS- Dick Stockton, Roger Staubach
Saints-Rams, 4, CBS- Tom Brookshier, Wayne Walker
Packers-Vikings, 4, CBS- Pat Summerall, John Madden
Raiders-Broncos, 4, NBC- Dick Enberg, Merlin Olsen
Chargers-Seahawks, 4, NBC- Don Criqui, John Brodie

Monday, October 4:

Cowboys-Bengals, 9, ABC- Frank Gifford, Fran Tarkenton, Howard Cosell

Byes: Dolphins, Colts, Browns, Steelers, Jets, Chiefs, Giants, Eagles

CBS has the doubleheader this week, with Niners-Falcons the main game early and The Border War with Pat and John the main game late. They had it last week as well, with regional action early and Giants-Steelers the main game late.

Next: Updated standings heading into Week 11.

Thoughts?

 

[DTF955Baseballfan]

Lynn Dickey was really good for a short span of time but injuries doomed him. Hmmm, actually checking his Wikip page he was first an Oiler and was older than I thought by the time I got into football in the early '80s. One of thsoe players who might have really been great; it'll be fun to see what comes of this.

I redid the whole season on whatifsports maybe a decade ago, I forget who won, I think it waas the Redskins over the Chargers in the Super Bowl, something like 30-13. But, I didn't keep the stats when I transferred to a new computer some time later.

 

[Garrett Garlits]

I did the season based on the real standings for the All Time Sports board and came up with the Jets beating the Redskins. The Steelers finished 10-6, but missed the playoffs. We also resumed the season starting in early January, which made a mess of the announcing teams and ran the '82 NFL season head on into the '83 USFL season. I remember that we had Craig Morton starting for the NFL Broncos one week and the USFL's Denver Gold exactly seven days later!

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Now let's look at the standings heading into Week 11, beginning in the AFC:

East:

Jets: 7-3
Dolphins: 7-3
Bills: 5-5
Patriots: 4-6
Colts: 1-9

The Jets hold the expected wins tiebreaker for first place over the Dolphins, 7.4 to 6.5.

Central:

Steelers: 7-3
Bengals: 7-3
Browns: 3-7
Oilers: 2-8

The Steelers hold the expected wins tiebreaker for first place over the Bengals, 7.2 to 6.9.

West:

Raiders: 6-3
Chargers: 6-3
Seahawks: 5-5
Chiefs: 4-6
Broncos: 3-7

The Raiders and Chargers each have 5.9 expected wins, but the Raiders hold the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Seeds:

1. Jets: 7-3 (AFC East leaders)
2. Steelers: 7-3 (AFC Central leaders)
3. Raiders: 6-3 (AFC West leaders)
4. Bengals: 7-3 (AFC Central second place)
5. Dolphins: 7-3 (AFC East second place)

The Jets hold the expected wins tiebreaker for the top seed over the Steelers, 7.4 to 7.2.

The Bengals hold the expected wins tiebreaker for the first wild card over the Dolphins, 6.9 to 6.5.

Next: The NFC standings.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Now for the NFC standings, beginning in the East;

Cowboys: 7-2
Redskins: 7-2
Giants: 5-5
Eagles: 4-6
Cardinals: 3-6

The Cowboys hold the expected wins tiebreaker over the Redskins for first place, 6.7 to 6.5.

Central:

Packers: 7-3
Buccaneers: 5-5
Lions: 5-5
Vikings: 4-5
Bears: 3-7

The Buccaneers hold the expected wins tiebreaker over the Lions, 4.9 to 4.6.

West:

49ers: 6-4
Falcons: 5-5
Rams: 4-6
Saints: 3-7

Seeds:

1. Cowboys: 7-2 (NFC East leaders)
2. Packers: 7-3 (NFC Central leaders)
3. 49ers: 6-4 (NFC West leaders)
4. Redskins: 7-2 (NFC East second place)
5. Falcons: 5-5 NFC West second place)

With 5.1 expected wins, the Falcons currently have the tiebreaker for the second wild card, followed by the Bucs, Lions, and Giants.

Next: Week 11 of Monday Night Football.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Now here's the action for Monday, October 4:

Cowboys 35, Bengals 17

The Bengals didn't blow out their opponents on MNF this week; it was the Boys who exploded for three fourth-quarter scores to pull away to victory. Danny White's touchdown pass to Tony Hill on the first play of the final period gave the visitors a 21-14 lead, and after a Jim Breech field goal pulled the Bengals to within four, Tony Dorsett's 42-yard touchdown gallop midway through the period put the game away. The Hawk rushed for 116 yards on twenty-four carries, and also scored from ten yards out late in the second quarter to tie the game 14-14 at the half. Fellow running back Ron Springs gained 97 yards on just eight carries and scored from thirty-five yards out late in the first quarter. White finished his evening having completed eighteen of twenty-seven passes for 187 yards and a pair of touchdowns, the other going to wide receiver Drew Pearson. As for the Bengals, Kenny Anderson completed eighteen of twenty-two passes for 198 yards and a pair of touchdowns, one each to Dan Ross and Cris Collinsworth. Ross led all receivers with eighty-three yards on five receptions.

Next stop for the Boys: A showdown with the Niners next Sunday at Candlestick Park. Meanwhile, the Bengals' loss puts the Steelers in sole possession of first place in the AFC Central.

DAL: 8-2 (at SF)
CIN: 7-4 (Bye)

Next: Sunday's early games.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Here are Sunday's early games for Week 11:

Redskins 29, Oilers 3

The Redskins defeated the Oilers with ease in front of less than 30,000 at the Astrodome. The Skins' two-pronged offensive attack was the reason; John Riggins gained 108 yards in twenty-five carries with a touchdown, and quarterback Joe Theismann completed sixteen of twenty passes for 222 yards and a short touchdown pass to wide receiver Art Monk. Reserve running back Clarence Harmon scored the other touchdown, and kicker Mark Moseley contributed three field goals. Meanwhile, the defense shut down the Houston offense, holding Earl Campbell to forty-eight yards on seventeen carries and sacking quarterbacks Archie Manning and Gifford Nielsen six times. Neither Manning nor Nielsen distinguished themselves, and for the second week in a row coach Ed Biles declined to name a starter for the Oilers' next game, which will be October 17 in Pittsburgh against the Steelers.

The Skins are still the first wild card in the NFC, and are still tied for first place in the NFC East. They host the Vikings next week at RFK Stadium.

WSH: 8-2 (vs. MIN)
HOU: 2-9 (Bye)

Bills 20, Lions 6

Everything went against the Bills. For starters, Billy Sims ran wild for the visitors, carrying eighteen times for 135 yards. Secondly, quarterbacks Joe Ferguson and Matt Robinson combined to throw four interceptions. Finally, the Bills turned the ball over a total of five times, including a fumble. But all the visitors could manage were two Bob Thomas field goals, mostly because the Bills brutalized Lions quarterback Gary Danielson, limiting him to just seven completions in thirty-six attempts for fifty-six yards. Robinson threw a short scoring pass to wide receiver Mike Mosley, and Joe Cribbs managed 74 yards on twenty-four carries, including a ten-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter that salted the game away. Neither Bills coach Chuck Knox nor Lions coach Monte Clark would commit to a starting quarterback for their team's next game.

The Bills remain in the thick of AFC wild card contention at 6-5, while the Lions have dropped to 5-6 and are on the outs for the moment in the NFC wild card race.

BUF: 6-5 (Bye)
DET: 5-6 (Bye)

Patriots 44, Cardinals 21

The Pats gave up an eighty-yard touchdown bomb less than two minutes into the game, then scored five straight first-half touchdowns on their way to a blowout of the Redbirds. Running back Tony Collins amassed 145 yards on twenty-two carries and scored four touchdowns, the longest being a thirty-one yard third-quarter romp. Mark van Eeghen added 75 yards on sixteen carries, and third-string back Mosi Tatupu scored from twenty-two yards out. Not much was required of Steve Grogan, but he delivered when he had to connecting with wide receiver Preston Brown on a seventeen-yard touchdown strike. The Pats rushed for a total of 250 yards for the game.

Meanwhile, the visiting Cards completed just seven passes, which included the aforementioned bomb to wide receiver Mike Shumann. That was quarterback Neil Lomax's only completion of the day; backup Jim Hart relieved him midway through the second quarter and threw a touchdown pass to wide receiver Pat Tilley. Running back O.J. Anderson provided the other touchdown while gaining 107 yards on seventeen carries.

NE: 5-6 (Bye)
STL: 3-7 (vs. SEA)

Buccaneers 31, Bears 7

The Bears were manhandled for the second week in a row, this time by the desperate Bucs. Running back James Wilder sparked the Tampa offense, gaining seventy-two yards on fourteen carries plus a touchdown on the ground and catching four passes for eighty-seven yards and two more touchdowns. Fellow running back James Owens led all ground gainers with eighty-five yards on thirteen totes. Quarterback Doug Williams rounded things out, completing fifteen of twenty-three passes for 249 yards and three scores, the other going to tight end Jimmie Giles. The Tampa defense held Walter Payton to thirty-four yards on fifteen carries, though he did lead the home squad in receiving with fifty-two yards on four catches.

The Bucs have taken over second place in the NFC Central, and could be just one game behind the division-leading Packers should the Pack lose to the Vikings later today. Meanwhile, Mike Ditka's first season as Bears coach isn't going well, as his team has slipped to 3-8.

TB: 6-5 (Bye)
CHI: 3-8 (Bye)

49ers 24, Falcons 9

The big early game of the day was dominated by the Niners, as Joe Montana was eighteen of twenty-two passing for 234 yards and a touchdown pass to running back Earl Cooper, who also scored on a six-yard run in the second quarter. Dwight Clark led the receivers with six catches for eighty-six yards, while the Niners' defense held Falcons main runner William Andrews to just thirty-eight yards on fifteen carries. Andrews made up for this by being the favorite target of quarterback Steve Bartkowski, catching five passes for sixty-five yards. Wide receiver Alfred Jenkins added sixty-here yards on three catches. Bartkowski finished his day seventeen of twenty-seven for 232 yards and an interception.

The Niners have a huge game against the NFC East-leading Cowboys next Sunday at home, while the Falcons will entertain the Eagles on Monday Night Football.

SF: 7-4 (vs. DAL)
ATL: 5-6 (vs. PHI 10/11)

Next: Week 11's Sunday late games.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Now here are Week 11's Sunday late games:

Seahawks 35, Chargers 31

The second-greatest NFL comeback to date took place at the Kingdome, as the Hawks stormed back from a 31-7 third-quarter deficit to stun the visiting Bolts. The Chargers scored twenty-one points in the opening period, as Dan Fouts threw a pair of touchdown passes, one to tight end Kellen Winslow and one to wide receiver Wes Chandler. Running back Chuck Muncie added a short touchdown plunge. It was 24-7 San Diego at the half, and a second Fouts-to-Winslow touchdown connection put the visitors up 31-7 with 10:48 to play in the third quarter. The Hawks' comeback was fueled by reserve running back David Hughes, who carried just six times on the day for thirty-one yards but found the end zone three times, including the eventual seven-yard game-winner that came with exactly four minutes left in regulation. Both of his other touchdowns came from four yards out. Fellow running back Dan Doornink, who led the Seattle ground game with 91 yards on eight carries, provided the other score, and future Hall of Famer Steve Largent pulled down five passes for 109 yards, including a spectacular 35-yard catch and run that set up the winning score. Fouts finished the day nineteen of twenty-six for 284 yards with three touchdowns and an interception in a losing cause; the interception by Seattle strong safety Kenny Easley set up the go-ahead drive. Chandler finished with 109 yards receiving on seven catches with a score.

The Hawks remain in AFC wild card contention at 6-5, while the Chargers, at least for the moment, drop out of their first-place tie with the Raiders in the AFC West. They'll tie the Raiders again if the Silver and Black fall to the Broncos at Mile High.

SEA: 6-5 (at STL)
SD: 6-4 (vs. NO)

Packers 21, Vikings 14

Another fourth-quarter comeback took place at the Metrodome, where the Pack scored twice in the final period to stun the homestanding Vikes. The winning score came with 1:52 to play on a seven-yard dash by running back Gerry Ellis, and linebacker George Cumby picked off Tommy Kramer with less than thirty seconds left to seal the Green Bay victory. Quarterback Lynn Dickey completed sixteen of twenty-four passes for 177 yards and a pair of touchdowns, including the tying score to wide receiver John Jefferson early in the final quarter. Fellow receiver Phillip Epps caught Dickey's other touchdown toss. Kramer tossed a pair of touchdowns himself, one each to wideouts Sam McCullum and Sammy White. A defensive player from each team also had a standout game; for the Vikes, it was defensive tackle James White, who had ten tackles and sacked Dickey three times. For the Pack, it was linebacker Mike Douglass, who dumped Kramer three times and picked off a pass besides. In all, the Pack sacked Kramer six times, while the Vikes sacked Dickey five times.

The Vikes have a date at RFK Stadium against the Skins next week, while the Pack enjoys a bye before visiting the surging Bucs on October 17.

GB: 8-3 (Bye)
MIN: 4-6 (at WSH)

Saints 41, Rams 35 (OT)

The Saints and Rams went back and forth all day until reserve running back Jimmy Rogers (no relation to George that I know of) scored from thirteen yards out with just thirty-two seconds left in the extra period. Both teams had tried for game-winning field goals in the overtime, but Rams kicker Mike Lansford was short from forty-four yards out and Saints rookie Morten Anderson grazed the left upright from forty-seven. The pulse-pounding fourth quarter featured five touchdowns, one of them by each team in the final minute. The Saints took a 35-28 lead with forty-seven seconds to play on a ten-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Kenny Stabler to running back Wayne Wilson, but the Rams tied it on a successful 59-yard Hail Mary with no time left from quarterback Vince Ferragamo that ended up in the arms of wide receiver Willie Miller after no less than three Saints tried to either bat the ball down or intercept it.

Both Rogers (George, that is) and Wilson rushed for over a hundred yards for New Orleans. George gained 11 yards on twenty-four carried and scored two touchdowns, while Wilson not only rushed for exactly one hundred yards on nineteen carries, but caught five passes for seventy-six yards including the aforementioned touchdown. Wide receiver Jeff Groth caught a touchdown pass and also scored a rushing touchdown on a reverse. Stabler completed twenty-one of thirty-four passes for 320 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Ferragamo had a better day in a losing cause, completing twenty-three of thirty-seven for 343 yards and four scores. Miller caught four passes for 134 yards including the Hail Mary, and Ferragamo also threw touchdowns to wideouts Preston Dennard, George Farmer, and Drew Hill. Running back Wendell Tyler carried nineteen times for seventy-one yards and scored the other Los Angeles touchdown.

NO: 4-7 (at SD)
LA Rams: 4-7 (vs. NYG)

Raiders 24, Broncos 16

The day's theme of late comebacks and fantastic finishes concluded in Denver, where the heavily-favored Raiders scored ten points in the final seven minutes to turn back the Broncos. The go-ahead field goal from Chris Bahr was set up when a bad handoff from quarterback Steve DeBerg caused Broncos running back Gerald Wilhite to drop the football. Linebacker Matt Millen made the recovery for the Raiders. The game was sealed with a minute and a half remaining, when a DeBerg pass intended for wide receiver Steve Watson was picked off by Raiders linebacker Rod Martin, who raced thirty-eight yards for the clinching touchdown.

Rookie running back Marcus Allen paced the Raiders' offense carrying sixteen times for eighty-one yards, catching four passes for fifty-one yards, and scoring a touchdown both ways. His four-yard touchdown catch from quarterback Jim Plunkett began the Los Angeles comeback from a 16-7 third-quarter deficit. The Broncos scored their points on a thirteen-yard touchdown pass from DeBerg to Watson and three Rich Karlis field goals.

The Raiders are now in sole possession of first place in the AFC West thanks to the Chargers' loss in Seattle.

LA Raiders: 7-3 (at BAL)
DEN: 3-8 (at KC)

Next: The schedule for Week 12.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Here's the schedule for Week 12 (original Week 10):

Sunday, October 10:

Browns-Dolphins, 1, NBC- Charlie Jones, Len Dawson
Seahawks-Cardinals, 1, NBC- Jay Randolph, Bob Griese
Broncos-Chiefs, 1, NBC- Bob Costas, Bob Trumpy
Vikings-Redskins, 1, CBS- Jack Buck, Hank Stram
Giants-Rams, 4, CBS- Tom Brookshier, Wayne Walker
Saints-Chargers, 4, CBS- Dick Stockton, Roger Staubach
Cowboys-49ers, 4, CBS- Pat Summerall, John Madden
Raiders-Colts, 4, NBC- Don Criqui, John Brodie
Jets-Steelers, 4, NBC- Dick Enberg, Merlin Olsen

Monday, October 11:

Eagles-Falcons, 9, ABC- Frank Gifford, Fran Tarkenton, Don Meredith

Note: Howard Cosell will be in Los Angeles calling the Cardinals-Dodgers NLCS.

Byes: Bills, Patriots, Bengals, Oilers, Packers, Lions, Bears, Buccaneers

Next: Updated standings as we enter Week 12.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Here are the standings going into Week 12, beginning in the AFC East:

Jets: 7-3
Dolphins: 7-3
Bills: 6-5
Patriots: 5-6
Colts: 1-9

The Jets hold the expected wins tiebreaker for first place over the Dolphins, 7.4 to 6.5.

AFC Central:

Steelers: 7-3
Bengals: 7-4
Browns: 3-7
Oilers: 2-9

AFC West:

Raiders: 7-3
Chargers: 6-4
Seahawks: 6-5
Chiefs: 4-6
Broncos: 3-8

Seeds:

1. Jets: 7-3 (AFC East leaders)
2. Steelers: 7-3 (AFC Central leaders)
3. Raiders: 7-3 (AFC West leaders)
4. Dolphins: 7-3 (AFC East second place)
5. Bengals: 7-4 (AFC Central second place)

The Jets are the current top seed because they have 7.4 expected wins. The Steelers are the two seed with 7.2, while the Raiders are the three seed with 6.9.

Next: The NFC standings.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Now for the NFC standings, beginning in the East:

Cowboys: 8-2
Redskins: 8-2
Giants: 5-5
Eagles: 4-6
Cardinals: 3-7

The Cowboys hold the expected wins tiebreaker over the Redskins for first place, 7.7 to 7.5.

Now for the Central:

Packers: 8-3
Buccaneers: 6-5
Lions: 5-6
Vikings: 4-6
Bears: 3-8

Finally, the West:

49ers: 7-4
Falcons: 5-6
Saints: 4-7
Rams: 4-7

The Saints hold the expected win tiebreaker over the Rams for third place, 4.4 to 4.3.

Seeds:

1. Cowboys: 8-2 (NFC East leaders)
2. Packers: 8-3 (NFC Central leaders)
3. 49ers: 7-4 (NFC West leaders)
4. Redskins: 8-2 (NFC East second place)
5. Buccaneers: 6-5 (NFC Central second place)

Next: The Falcons host the Eagles on Monday Night Football.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Now here's the action for Monday, October 11:

Falcons 27, Eagles 9

The Falcons got themselves back on track by thoroughly dominating the Eagles. William Andrews led the offense by gaining ninety-six yards on fifteen carries, and he scored on an eight-yard run in the second quarter. Steve Bartkowski only threw thirteen times, but completed ten of them; two went to Alfred Jenkins for touchdowns. Kicker Mick Luckhurst put the topper on the evening by making a pair of long field goals. Perry Harrington led the Eagles on the ground with seventy-eight yards on nine carries, but Wilbert Montgomery was held to just twenty-five yards in seventeen attempts. Ron Jaworski completed seventeen of twenty-seven passes for two hundred yards exactly, but was intercepted three times and sacked five times. Wide receiver Ron Smith led all pass catchers with seventy yards on five receptions, and Tony Franklin converted all three of his field goal attempts.

The Falcons are now only half a game behind the idle Bucs for the NFC's second wild card spot. They travel to Soldier Field next week to take on the reeling Bears. Meanwhile, there are rumors that Eagles coach Dick Vermeil is starting to feel the strain of his intense coaching style and is planning to retire at the nd of the season.

ATL: 6-6 (at CHI)
PHI: 4-7 (vs. DET)

Next: Since there are more late games on Sunday than early games, we'll cover those next time.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Now here are Sunday's late games from Week 12:

Rams 34, Giants 28

For the second week in a row we had a shootout in Anaheim, as the home squad grabbed a 17-0 first-quarter lead and spent the rest of the game holding on for dear life. Vince Ferragamo completed sixteen of twenty-six for 218 yards and touchdowns to George Farmer and reserve running back Mike Guman, and Wendell Tyler managed seventy-two yards and twenty carries with a pair of scores. Little-used back Jewerl Thomas cracked the hundred-yard mark gaining a hundred and one yards on just four carries, including a forty-eight yard gain to set up a touchdown on LA's opening drive. As for the Giants, Scott Brunner was brilliant in a losing cause, hitting on fourteen of his twenty-four passes for 237 yards and all four New York touchdowns. Rookie running back Butch Woolfolk caught a pair; the other two went to wide receivers John Mistler and Floyd Eddings. Another wide receiver, Johnny Perkins, led all receivers with eighty-three yards on four catches, while Woolfolk gained seventy-two yards on fifteen carries. Brunner's second touchdown pass to Woolfolk cut the Rams' lead to 34-28 with forty-nine seconds left, and the Giants recovered the onside kick, only to be penalized for twelve men on the field. The Rams recovered the Giants' second try at the onside kick and ran out the clock.

The Rams have kept their slim playoff hopes on life support, while the Giants are now a game behind the Bucs for the second NFC wild card.

LA Rams: 5-7 (vs. NO)
NY Giants: 5-6 (at CLE)

Chargers 31, Saints 27

Dan Fouts completed only eleven passes all day, but the most important one came with 1:46 to play, as he hit Wes Chandler for the winning touchdown in a thrilling come-from-behind victory. Chandler ended his day with six catches for 101 of Fouts' 169 yards, and The Beard also threw a touchdown pass to tight end Kellen Winslow. James Brooks provided another score with an 88-yard punt return in the third quarter.

Meanwhile, another brilliant performance by the resurgent Kenny Stabler was wasted by the Saints; The Snake was twenty for thirty-one for 322 yards and three touchdowns with an interception. Running back Wayne Wilson caught four passes for ninety-six yards including a fifty-three yard touchdown pass as New Orleans built a 24-7 halftime lead. Tight end Hoby Brenner and backup wide receiver Kenny Duckett caught Stabler's other scoring passes, while George Rogers rushed for 116 yards on fifteen carries.

The Chargers are now tied with the Bengals for the second wild card in the AFC, and they hold the tiebreaker because they beat the Bengals earlier in the year. They're headed to Miami for a showdown with the Dolphins next Monday night. As for the Saints, they've slipped into last place in the NFC West, and they've all but eliminated themselves from playoff contention.

SD: 7-4 (at MIA 10/18)
NO: 4-8: (vs. LA Rams)

Cowboys 28, 49ers 7

The game of the day in the NFC turned out to be a rout, as the Boys dominated from start to finish. Danny White completed fifteen of nineteen for 268 yards and all four Dallas touchdowns. Two of them went to Drew Pearson, who caught only three passes on the day for seventy-five yards. The other two went to Tony Hill, who caught four passes for sixty-two yards, and Ron Springs. Tony Dorsett didn't find the end zone, but gouged the Niners' defense for 119 yards on twenty-two carries. Meanwhile, Joe Montana was sacked four times by the Doomsday defense and could only manage eleven completions in eighteen attempts for 129 yards. Running back Vince Williams scored from five yards out late in the fourth quarter to spoil the Dallas shutout bid.

The Boys have the NFL's best record to the moment at 9-2, and they'll host the Cardinals next Sunday at Texas Stadium. The Niners will face a tougher task, as they welcome the Vikings to Candlestick.

DAL: 9-2 (vs. STL)
SF: 7-5 (vs. MIN)

Raiders 33, Colts 7

The Raiders destroyed the Colts behind the spectacular running of rookie Marcus Allen. Allen shredded the Baltimore defense for 161 yards on twenty-one carries with a touchdown, and he also caught a touchdown pass from quarterback Jim Plunkett. Plunkett, who finished thirteen of twenty-one for 185 yards, also found wide receivers Cliff Branch and Malcolm Barnwell for scores, and backup running back Kenny King gained seventy-nine yards on thirteen carries. The defense held Colts quarterback Mike Pagel to eight completions in twenty-four attempts for just ninety-five yards and recorded five sacks. For the second game in a row, running back Zack Dixon scored the Colts' only touchdown with a 43-yard run to paydirt in the fourth quarter.

The Raiders stay a game ahead of the Chargers in the AFC West heading into their usual war with the Chiefs next Sunday at the Coliseum. The Colts own the league's worst record at 1-10, and the odds of coach Frank Kush keeping his job are getting slimmer by the loss.

LA Raiders: 8-3 (vs. KC)
BAL: 1-10 (at NE)

Jets 20, Steelers 17

Pat Leahy's 28-yard field goal at the final gun won the game for Gang Green, but the Steelers have bigger concerns going forward, as quarterback Terry Bradshaw was leveled late in the first quarter by Jets defensive end Mark Gastineau and had to leave the game with a concussion. Backup Cliff Stoudt replaced him, and the New York Sack Exchange teed off, sacking Clifford six times and forcing him to hurry nearly every throw. He managed a short touchdown pass to running back Frankie Pollard, but ended his day completing just eleven passes in thirty-six attempts. Franco Harris did his best to bail out the passing game, gaining seventy yards on twenty carries with a touchdown.

Jets quarterback Richard Todd wasn't much better than Stoudt, as the Pittsburgh defense sacked him thrice and picked him off five times. Linebacker Jack Lambert was responsible for two of the sacks and two of the interceptions, and Todd's lone bright spot was his nineteen-yard scoring pass to tight end Jerome Barkum that brought the Jets within 10-7 at halftime. Much like Franco, running back Freeman McNeil rescued the Jets' offense, rushing for eighty-one yards and a touchdown on eighteen carries.

The Jets hold the top seed in the AFC at the moment with an 8-3 record, but they have to travel to Buffalo next Sunday for the first of two meetings in three weeks with the upstart Bills. The Steelers are still in first place in the Central because they hold the expected wins tiebreaker over the Bengals, but the Oilers figure to be at their best, such as it is, when they visit Three Rivers next Sunday.

NYJ: 8-3 (at BUF)
PIT: 7-4 (vs. HOU)

Next: Sunday's early tilts.

Thoughts?