The Pythagorean NFL Part 2: The Strike Years

[Garrett Garlits]

Now let's look at the NFC. We begin with the current standings:

East:

Washington Redskins: 10-5 (-1)
St. Louis Cardinals: 7-8 (0)
Dallas Cowboys: 7-8 (0)
New York Giants: 7-8 (+1)
Philadelphia Eagles: 6-9 (-1)

The Redskins have clinched the division title.

The Cardinals hold the expected wins tiebreaker over both the Cowboys and Giants for second place. They have 7.4 expected wins, the Cowboys 7.3, and the Giants 6.5.

Central:

Chicago Bears: 10-5 (-1)
Minnesota Vikings: 8-7 (0)
Green Bay Packers: 6-9 (+1)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 6-9 (+2)
Detroit Lions: 5-10 (+1)

The Bears have clinched the division title.

The Packers hold the expected wins tiebreaker for third place over the Buccaneers, 6.1 to 5.5.

West:

San Francisco 49ers: 12-3 (-1)
New Orleans Saints: 11-4 (-1)
Los Angeles Rams: 6-9 (0)
Atlanta Falcons: 2-13 (-1)

The 49ers have clinched the division title. They have 12.1 expected wins, and the best the Saints can do is 11.8.

Seeds:

1. 49ers 12-3 (NFC West champs)
2. Redskins: 10-5 (NFC East champs)
3. Bears: 10-5 (NFC Central champs)
4. Saints: 11-4 (NFC West second place)
5. Vikings: 8-7 (NFC Central second place)

The Redskins hold the expected wins tiebreaker over the Bears for the two seed, 9.9 to 9.5.

First, let's discuss the seeding of the three division champions:

1. The Niners have already clinched home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.

2. The Redskins and Bears will meet in an NFC Divisional Playoff the weekend of January 10-11; the only question is where. The Redskins will host the game at RFK Stadium if they beat the Patriots; the Bears will host it if they beat the Lions at the Silverdome and the Skins lose.

Now for the wild card situation:

1. The Saints are guaranteed to host the NFC Wild Card Game at the Superdome on Sunday, January 3.

2. The Vikings will be the second wild card if they beat the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday, regardless of what anyone else does.

3. The Cardinals will be the second wild card if they beat the Colts and the Vikes lose.

3. The Cowboys will be the second wild card if they beat the Bills at Texas Stadium on Sunday and both the Vikes and Cardinals lose.

4. The Giants will tie the Vikes at 7.5 expected wins if they beat the Dolphins on Sunday and the Vikes lose. However, the Vikes hold the first applicable tiebreaker between the two teams, which is conference record. The Vikes were 6-6 in the NFC for the season, while the Giants were 4-8. (The two teams didn't play head-to-head this year, so those tiebreakers aren't applicable.) This means that the Giants have been eliminated.

5. The following games are no longer needed and thus have been canceled due to lack of a collective bargaining agreement:

Atlanta at New Orleans
Cincinnati at LA Rams
Green Bay at Tampa Bay
Philadelphia at San Francisco

Next: The broadcast schedule for Week 16.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Here is the broadcast schedule for Week 16 (original Week 3):

Sunday, September 27:

Bears-Lions, 1, CBS- Tim Brant, Hank Stram
Giants-Dolphins, 1, CBS- Verne Lundquist, Dick Vermeil
Vikings-Chiefs, 1, CBS- Pat Summerall, John Madden
Patriots-Redskins, 1, NBC- Don Criqui, Bob Trumpy
Colts-Cardinals, 1, NBC- Marv Albert, Joe Namath
Raiders-Oilers, 1, NBC- Charlie Jones, Jimmy Cefalo
Bills-Cowboys, 4, CBS- Tim Ryan, Joe Theismann
Seahawks-Chargers, 4, NBC- Dick Enberg, Merlin Olsen

Monday, September 28:

Broncos-Browns, 9, ABC- Al Michaels, Frank Gifford, Dan Dierdorf

(If this game is not needed, ABC will rebroadcast the Nebraska-Arizona State college football game originally played on Saturday, September 26.)

Note: The Bills-Cowboys game was moved from NBC to CBS to give CBS a late game, since Eagles-Niners was canceled.

Next: We settle the AFC playoff picture.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Now let's look at the Week 16 games that will settle the AFC playoff picture. We begin with the wild card race, which makes our first stop RFK Stadium in Washington:

Redskins 30, Patriots 9

The Skins have wrapped up the two seed in the NFC, and will host the Bears in an NFC Divisional Playoff the weekend of January 9-10. The ground game was the main reason, as three different Washington runners gained at least sixty yards. Kelvin Bryant led the way with eight carries for eighty-one yards, including a seventy-one yard romp that set up a shot Jay Schroeder touchdown pass. George Rogers added sixty yards on fourteen carries, and former replacement player Lionel Vital, who was resigned as insurance for the postseason, had sixty-five yards on eleven carries. Schroeder only threw thirteen times, completing nine for 117 yards and three touchdowns. Wide receiver Gary Clark caught a pair of short scoring tosses, with the other one going to Art Monk. Clark led the Skins' receivers with forty-eight yards on three catches. Kicker Obed Ariri, another former replacement player who was resigned to replace the inconsistent Ali Haji-Sheikh, rounded out the scoring by hitting three field goals. Pats kicker Tony Franklin matched that to provide all of New England's offense for the day.

The Skins' defense put Steve Grogan through one of his worst days as a pro; he completed seventeen of thirty-four for 210 yards, but was intercepted twice and sacked six times. Defensive tackle Dave Butz recorder two of the sacks, and cornerback Darrell Green snagged both picks. Tony Collins was held to fifty-three yards on fourteen carries, and Stanley Morgan was the Pats' leading receiver with four catches for fifty yards. Backup receiver Cedric Jones added fifty more yards on three catches, and fellow receiver Irving Fryar also caught three passes for forty-two yards.

The Pats have been eliminated from the AFC playoffs with this loss. This opens the door for the Dolphins to get in if they beat the Giants at Joe Robbie Stadium.

WSH: 11-5
NE: 8-8

Dolphins 38, Giants 24

The Fins have snagged the final playoff berth in the AFC, and still have a chance to host the AFC Wild Card Game on January 3 if the Chargers beat the Seahawks later today. Running back Troy Stradford was the main reason, as he gained exactly one hundred yards on fourteen carries with two seven-yard touchdowns. Quarterback Dan Marino had an average day by his lofty standards, but still managed to finish twelve of twenty for 228 yards and a pair of touchdowns. One was a dazzling eighty-three yard catch-and run by Mark Duper, while the other was a twenty-four yard bullet to a wide-open Mark Clayton. Duper caught only two passes all day, but they added up to 123 yards. Veteran tight end Bruce Hardy added forty-two yards on three catches.

The defense contributed by picking Giants quarterback Phil Simms off twice. One of these was caught on the run by strong safety Lifford Hobley, who was in the end zone for a touchdown before he stopped accelerating. Simms was also sacked three times, which was a major reason why Big Blue trailed 31-10 at halftime.

Simms completed sixteen of thirty-two for 207 yards and two touchdowns, both to tight end Mark Bavaro. Bavaro caught four passes for sixty-three yards, but it was wideout Lionel Manuel who led the New York air attack with six receptions for sixty-nine yards. Running back Joe Morris gained eighty-three yards on twenty-four carries with a touchdown to lead the ground forces. The Giants' defense also sacked Marino three times in a losing cause.

MIA: 9-7
NYG: 7-9

Chargers 31, Seahawks 13

The Seahawks will travel to Miami for the Wild Card Game, and the Broncos have won the AFC West without playing a down. Future Hall of Famer Dan Fouts went out a winner, completing fifteen of his twenty passes for exactly two hundred yards and four touchdown passes. Kellen Winslow, one of his favorite targets for many years, led the way for him one last time, catching five passes for sixty-five yards and a touchdown. His other touchdown strikes went to wide receivers Lionel James and two other former replacement players resigned for this game due to injuries in the receiving corps: Calvin Muhammad and Al Williams. Gary Anderson was the Bolts' leading rusher with fifty-eight yards on ten carries, while Tim Spencer added fifty-six yards on eight carries.

The San Diego defense intercepted Seattle quarterback Dave Krieg four times, with linebacker Billy Ray Smith picking off a pair. Krieg finished twelve of twenty-one for 130 yards, and wideout Ray Butler was his leading pass catcher with three receptions for thirty-nine yards. Tailback Curt Warner led the way on the ground for the Hawks with seventy-one yards on nineteen carries, while fullback John L. Williams scored from four yards out.

As the Jack Murphy Stadium scoreboard put it so well after the game, "SO LONG, DAN! SEE YOU IN CANTON!"

SD: 7-9
SEA: 9-7

Now it's time to figure out who the two seed will be. We begin to answer that question at Busch Stadium:

Colts 14, Cardinals 10

The Colts kept their hopes of hosting the Broncos in the divisional round alive by beating the Cards in their final home game at Busch Stadium. Quarterback Jack Trudeau completed sixteen of his twenty-nine throws for 243 yards and a short touchdown to wide receiver Matt Bouza, while running back Eric Dickerson rushed twenty-two times for seventy-one yards and scored from nine yards out. Tight end Pat Beach was Trudeau's favorite target, catching three passes for eighty-two yards. Wide receiver Bill Brooks caught four balls for fifty-nine yards, and Bouza added four more catches for forty-three yards plus the touchdown.

The Colts' defense dumped Redbirds quarterback Neil Lomax on his wallet five times, with linebacker Duane Bickett bagging a pair. Lomax finished his day fourteen of twenty-five for 129 yards and an interception. Tight end Rob Awalt was his leading target, finishing with two catches for thirty yards. Running back Stump Mitchell was the last hundred-yard rusher for the Cards at Busch, as he gained 116 yards on seventeen carries. Fullback Earl Ferrell added forty-two yards on eleven totes. Vai Sikahema scored the final touchdown in St. Louis Cardinals history when he returned a Rohn Stark punt sixty-eight yards for a touchdown to cut the Indy lead to 14-10 with 2:16 left in regulation.

The Cardinals have been officially eliminated from the NFC wild card race. Despite their team leaving town and being in playoff contention, only 34,098 fans were in attendance at Busch, and the loudest roars of the day were reserved for score updates concerning the baseball Cardinals, who lost to the Chicago Cubs 7-3 at Wrigley Field.

IND: 11-5
STL: 7-9

Broncos 38, Browns 20

The Broncos defeated the top-seeded Browns with ease on Monday Night Football, and they'll host the Colts at Mile High Stadium in an AFC divisional round game the weekend of January 9-10. Quarterback John Elway threw only seventeen times, but completed eleven of them for 185 yards and a pair of touchdown passes to wide receiver Vance Johnson, who caught three passes for seventy-one yards. One of the touchdown grabs was a one-handed beauty from thirty-four yards out in the third quarter. Running backs Sammy Winder and Gene Lang each scored a rushing touchdown, and Winder was the Broncos' leading ground gainer with fifty-two yards on sixteen carries. Lang added forty-one yards on eight carries. The other Denver touchdown came on a ninety-six yard kickoff return by Ken Bell in the second quarter.

Quarterback Bernie Kosar had a decent night in a losing cause for Cleveland, completing eighteen of his thirty-one passes for 231 yards and a pair of touchdowns. One went to Ozzie Newsome, the other to wide receiver Brian Brennan. Running back Kevin Mack led the ground game with eighty-five yards on eighteen carries, and fellow back Earnest Byner added forty-six yards on ten carries. Brennan led all receivers with seventy-seven yards on four catches, and wide receiver Webster Slaughter added fifty-three yards on four catches.

In case you're curious, the Browns have the expected wins tiebreaker over the Broncos for the top seed, 11.4 to 10.9.

DEN: 11-5
CLE: 11-5

I normally would do each conference in a separate post, but since there are so many interconference games I'm going to go on and do the NFC right here. So off we go to Arrowhead Stadium, where the Vikings are fighting for their playoff lives against the Chiefs:

Vikings 23, Chiefs 16

Darrin Nelson's sixty-yard touchdown run with 1:39 left in regulation put the Vikes in the NFC Wild Card Game, where they'll meet the Saints at the Superdome on January 3. The game-winning run capped off a huge day for Nelson, who finished with 187 yards on eighteen carries. Rookie running back D.J. Dozier added forty-nine yards on ten carries and scored a touchdown of his own. The visitors finished with 279 yards rushing on forty-three attempts, an average of 6.5 yards a carry. That was a good thing, because quarterback Wade Wilson had a terrible day, completing just twelve of his twenty-one passes for 180 yards and four interceptions. He was also sacked three times by Chiefs defensive end Mike Bell. He managed a touchdown pass to wide receiver and former replacement player James Brim. Fellow wide receiver Anthony Carter was his leading pass catcher with three receptions for fifty-four yards.

Bill Kenney had a subpar day for the Chiefs as well, completing just nine of his twenty passes for 201 yards and an interception. On the positive side, two of the completions were for long touchdowns: a forty-yarder to wide receiver Stephone Page and a forty-four yarder to Henry Marshall. The touchdown to Page knotted the game at sixteen with 8:05 to play. Kenney also connected with running back Christian Okoye on a forty-two yard catch-and-run. On the ground, Okoye was held to twenty-eight yards on thirteen carries. Running back Paul Palmer was the leading rusher for the Chiefs, gaining thirty-three yards on three carries.

MIN: 9-7
KC: 5-11

In other action:

Oilers 38, Raiders 21

Warren Moon threw for five touchdowns, which offset a 169-yard, two-touchdown rushing day from Marcus Allen.

HOU: 8-8
LA Raiders: 8-8

Bears 27, Lions 3

Walter Payton shone like the star he's always been in his last regular season game, rushing for one touchdown and catching two more from Jim McMahon.

CHI: 11-5
DET: 5-11

Cowboys 20, Bills 17

Roger Ruzek's 52-yard field goal at the final gun won a tight one for Dallas. Herschel Walker rushed for ninety-nine yards and scored a pair of touchdowns.

DAL: 8-8
BUF: 6-10

Next: Final standings and seeds for the AFC.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Here are the final standings in the AFC:

East:

Colts: 11-5
Dolphins: 9-7
Patriots: 8-8
Jets: 7-8
Bills: 6-10

Central:

Browns: 11-5
Oilers: 8-8
Steelers: 7-8
Bengals: 5-10

West:

Broncos: 11-5
Seahawks: 9-7
Raiders: 8-8
Chargers: 7-9
Chiefs: 5-11

Seeds:

1. Browns: 11-5 (AFC Central champs)
2. Broncos: 11-5 (AFC West champs)
3. Colts: 11-5 (AFC East champs)
4. Dolphins: 9-7 (AFC East second place)
5. Seahawks: 9-7 (AFC West second place)

The Browns hold the expected wins tiebreaker for the top seed. They have 11.4 expected wins, the Broncos have 10.9, and the Colts have 10.5.

The Dolphins hold the expected wins tiebreaker over the Seahawks for the first wild card, 9.2 to 9.0.

The AFC Wild Card Game will be on Sunday, January 3, with the Dolphins meeting the Seahawks at Miami's Joe Robbie Stadium. Kickoff will be at 4PM Eastern on NBC, with Marv Albert and Joe Namath calling the action.

Next: Final standings and seeds for the NFC.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Here are the final standings and seeds for the NFC:

East:

Redskins: 11-5
Cowboys: 8-8
Cardinals: 7-9
Giants: 7-9
Eagles: 6-9

The Cardinals hold the expected wins tiebreaker over the Giants for third place, 7.4 to 6.5.

Central:

Bears: 11-5
Vikings: 9-7
Packers: 6-9
Buccaneers: 6-9
Lions: 5-11

The Packers hold the expected wins tiebreaker for third place over the Buccaneers, 6.1 to 5.5.

West:

49ers: 12-3
Saints: 11-4
Rams: 6-9
Falcons: 2-13

Seeds:

1. 49ers: 12-3 (NFC West champs)
2. Redskins: 11-5 (NFC East champs)
3. Bears: 11-5 (NFC Central champs)
4. Saints: 11-4 (NFC West second place)
5. Vikings: 9-7 (NFC Central second place)

The NFC playoffs proceeded exactly as they did in real life. In the Wild Card Game on January 3, The Vikes racked up 417 total yards on offense while holding the Saints to 149 in a 44-10 blowout. They followed that up on Saturday, January 9 by stunning the top-seeded Niners at Candlestick Park, 36-24 in the divisional round behind 397 more offensive yards and a pair of Wade Wilson touchdown passes. The next day at RFK, the Skins topped the Bears 21-17, with Darrell Green's 52-yard punt return for a touchdown making the difference. The Skins and Vikes met the following Sunday at RFK in the NFC Championship Game, and a pair of Doug Williams touchdown passes spurred the home squad to a 17-10 victory and a berth in Super Bowl XXII on January 31 at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego.

Next: We begin the AFC playoffs with the Wild Card Game between the Hawks and the Fins.

(Note: I know I promised to do the '82 playoffs first, but I changed my mind when I realized that I'd only have to do one conference in '87. We'll do the '82 playoffs once the '87 postseason is concluded.)

Thoughts?

 

[AltSptHst]

After looking at the 82 standings, it looks like the Colts will still get Elway.

 

[Garrett Garlits]

I believe so, although the winning percentages of the bottom teams escape me. In the real world, of course, we'd know for sure because the Oilers' season wouldn't end after thirteen games no matter what. Meaningless games being canceled was an invention of mine to save excess typing and keep the flow of the timelines going. (I did the same thing in my baseball threads whenever possible.)

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Now it's time for the 1987 AFC Wild Card Game from Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami. Game time temperature is 79 degrees, with partly cloudy skies and a south-southeast wind at 12 MPH.

The first quarter was scoreless. The Dolphins got the ball following an early second-quarter punt at their own six-yard line and drove for a field goal. Troy Stradford peeled off runs of twelve, ten, and twelve yards, and quarterback Dan Marino found veteran tight end Bruce Hardy for eleven yards and backup wide receiver Jim Jensen for ten more. After fifteen plays and nine and a half minutes, the drive bogged down at the Seattle three-yard line. Kicker Fuad Reveiz converted a twenty-yard field goal attempt, and at the half, the home squad had a 3-0 lead.

The Fins scored the first touchdown of the game midway through the third quarter. They got the ball back at their own thirty after Seahawks kicker Norm Johnson pulled a forty-yard field goal attempt wide right, and Marino immediately went to work. finding Hardy over the middle for twenty yards and wide receiver James Pruitt for thirteen more and a first down at the Hawks' 33. On first down, Marino was sacked by linebacker Fredd Young for a seven-yard loss. On second and seventeen, Danny handed off to Lorenzo Hampton, who found a hole in the middle of the Hawks' defense and wasted no time exploiting it, galloping into the end zone untouched for six. Reveiz added the extra point, and after three quarters the Fins had a 10-0 lead.

The Seahawks were up against it down by two scores and needed to get on the board as soon as possible. They finally accomplished this just after the two-minute warning, as quarterback Dave Krieg completed passes of eleven yards to wide receiver Ray Butler, twelve yards to running back Curt Warner, and eleven more to wide receiver Steve Largent. Finally, on third and ten from the Miami 45, Krieg finally went for the bundle, and Largent made a tremendous one-handed catch and stepped out of bounds at the four, a gain of forty-one yards. After the two-minute warning, Krieg went back to the air on first and goal, and wide receiver Paul Skansi came down with his pass in the end zone for the touchdown. Johnson made the all-important extra point, and with 1:54 left in regulation the Miami lead was down to 10-7.

The next step for the Hawks was to try the onside kick, and so they did. Unfortunately, the Fins recovered at the Seattle 29. The Hawks had all of their timeouts, so the Fins couldn't simply run out the clock. Marino handed off to Stradford instead, and Troy barged through a gaping hole and streaked into the end zone for the clinching touchdown. Reveiz added the final extra point as jubilation reigned at Joe Robbie. The Dolphins had defeated the Seahawks 17-7, and they'll meet the Cleveland Browns at Municipal Stadium next Saturday in the first AFC Divisional Playoff. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:30 PM Eastern time, with Don Criqui and Bob Trumpy calling the action for NBC.

Stradford was named MVP by NBC because of his tremendous all-purpose day. He led the Fins in both rushing (eighty-five yards on fourteen carries with a touchdown) and receiving (four catches for fifty-seven yards). It should me mentioned that both Warner and Largent had hundred-yard games for Seattle in a losing cause; Warner carried nineteen tines for 102 yards, while Largent caught six passes for a hundred.

Here's how Marv Albert called Stradford's clinching touchdown:

"Dolphins figure to be conservative and run out the clock here. Handoff to Stradford, and he bangs through the middle and INTO THE OPEN FIELD! HE WILL SCORE, AND THAT WILL DO IT! Troy Stradford only had to gain a couple of yards and help milk the clock, but he has put the game out of reach instead."

Joe Namath: "I don't think (Dolphins coach) Don Shula's complaining, Marv. No one wrapped him up as he went through the line, so he just stayed on his feet until he got to the end zone. A case of terrible execution by the Seattle Seahawks."

Next: The Dolphs invade Cleveland.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Now it's time for the first 1987 AFC Divisional Playoff from Municipal Stadium in Cleveland. Game time temperature is 15 degrees, and snow flurries will fall throughout the day. Wind information is unknown.

The Browns proved that they meant business on the very first play of the game, when running back Kevin Mack took a handoff around left end and scampered for forty yards and a first down at the Miami 42. Later in the drive, quarterback Bernie Kosar hit Webster Slaughter for sixteen yards and another first down. The touchdown came from twenty-two yards out, when former replacement running back Larry Mason, resigned to provide insurance because Earnest Byner injured his foot in practice, took a handoff u the middle and stormed into the end zone for the score. Kicker Jeff Jaeger added the extra point, and with 11:16 left in the opening period, the Browns had a 7-0 lead.

The Browns added to their lead the next time they had the ball. The key play was a twenty-three yard catch-and-run on a screen pass by Mack, who flattened a pair of Fins defenders in his wake. The drive stalled at the Miami nineteen, but Jaeger hit a thirty-six yard field goal attempt to give the Browns a 10-0 lead after one quarter of play.

Toward the end of the period, the Fins began a drive that would ultimately result in a field goal. Quarterback Dan Marino completed a swing pass to Lorenzo Hampton out of the backfield that gained twelve yards, then hit Bruce Hardy over the middle for eleven more. On the first play of the second period, Fuad Reveiz hit a forty-six yard field goal, no sure thing in the cold off of Lake Erie, and it was 10-3 Browns four seconds into the second quarter.

The Browns scored again toward the end of the period. Gerald "The Ice Cube" McNeil set up the offense at its own forty-seven with a superb punt return, and Kosar converted a third and nine with a twenty-five yard pass to Slaughter. On second and goal from the Miami four, Mack took a handoff and busted over right tackle. He lost the handle on the ball at about the two-inch line, but Mason beat two Dolphins defenders to the ball and fell on it to preserve the Cleveland touchdown. Jaeger's extra point extended the Browns' lead to 17-3 with 4:38 to play in the first half.

The Dolphins got back into the game just before the half. The big play in the drive was Troy Stradford's thirty-three yard dash around right end on a pitchout to give the visitors a first down at the Cleveland twenty-five. Marino followed that up with a ten-yard pass to running back Ron Davenport out of the backfield. Finally, on a third and nine from the Browns' eleven, Marino fired a dart to a wide-open Mark Clayton in the middle of the end zone for the touchdown. Reveiz added the extra point, and we reached halftime with the Browns leading the Dolphins 17-10.

The Dolphins took advantage of an early third-quarter turnover to further cut into the Cleveland lead. A Kosar pass intended for Ozzie Newsome was picked off by reserve defensive back Reyna Thompson, who returned it to the Cleveland thirty-nine. Marino's twelve-yard pass to Hardy put the Fins in field goal range, and Reveiz converted from forty-one yards out to cut the Browns lead to 17-13 with 8:56 left in the third.

The visitors surged ahead at the end of the third quarter with a well-executed touchdown drive. Scott Schwedes set the offense up at its own forty-five with a good punt return, and Marino found Clayton for twelve yards and backup wide receiver Jim Jensen for thirteen more. On the last play of the third quarter, Marino faced a second and eleven from the Browns' nineteen and was equal to the challenge, finding Clayton between defensive backs Hanford Dixon and Frank Minnifield for the Dolphins' touchdown, Reveiz kicked the extra point, and after three quarters it was Miami 20, Cleveland 17.

The Browns tied the game with a field goal early in the final quarter. Kosar connected with wide receiver Brian Brennan for sixteen yards and a first down, and Byner ignored the pain in his sore foot to romp for forty-five yards up the middle on a draw play, which gave the Browns a first and goal at the Miami ten. The Miami defense pushed the Browns back a yard on the next three plays, but Jaeger converted from twenty-eight yards out to knot things up at twenty with 9:54 left in regulation.

The Browns got the ball back a little over three minutes later and drove for the winning touchdown. Mack bolted up the middle for ten yards and a key first down, and Kosar connected with Slaughter for fourteen yards, Newsome for sixteen, and Newsome again for twenty-two after Mack had a touchdown called back because of a holding call. The winning score came from six yards out, as Kosar ducked a furious rush and spotted wide receiver Reggie Langhorne in the back of the end zone. The ball was overthrown slightly, but Langhorne climbed the ladder against Dolphins free safety Paul Lankford and came down with the ball as Municipal Stadium exploded with joy. Jaeger's extra point gave the Browns a 27-20 lead with 1:06 to play, and Marino's last desperate attempt at a game-tying drive ended in four incompletions. The Browns had survived 27-20. and will host either the Colts or the Broncos in next Sunday's AFC Championship Game right here at Municipal Stadium. Kickoff time will be 12:30 PM Eastern on NBC, with Dick Enberg and Merlin Olsen calling the action. Bob Griese will serve as the sideline reporter. The Colts and Broncos will kick off at Mile High Stadium tomorrow at 4PM Eastern on NBC, and Dick and Merlin will be on hand for that one as well.

Mack was named MVP by NBC. He carried nineteen times for seventy-seven yards with a touchdown. Byner added seventy-two more yards on twelve carries despite having to run on a cold, hard field with a sprained foot.

Next: The Colts take on the Broncos at Mile High.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Now it's time for the second 1987 AFC Divisional Playoff from Mile High Stadium in Denver. Game time temperature is 54 degrees, with partly cloudy skies and an east wind at 2 MPH.

The Colts struck first less than a minute into the game. John Elway's first pass attempt of the game was picked off by cornerback Eugene Daniel, who returned the ball to the Broncos' 38. From there, running back Eric Dickerson stormed through a crevice in the middle of the Denver defense and raced untouched into the end zone for the touchdown. Kicker Dean Biasucci added the extra point, and the Colts led 7-0 jus t a minute and six seconds into the game.

Later in the quarter, the passing game threw in its two cents, as called by Dick Enberg:

"First and ten for the Colts from their own eighteen, already leading 7-0. (Quarterback Jack) Trudeau back, he'll throw on first down. Looking for Bentley...….a slip in the secondary, and Bentley makes the catch, and he's all alone and off to the races. Thirty......twenty......TOUCHDOWN INDIANAPOLIS! Eighty-two yards! They took advantage of the slip by the cornerback Mark Haynes, as Albert Bentley was being covered like a blanket one second and was by himself at least ten yards in the clear the next."

Biasucci's extra point put the visitors up 14-0 after one quarter.

The Colts were driving for another score before the period ended. Dickerson picked up ten yards on a draw play, and Bentley picked up fourteen on the same play later in the drive. Trudeau also hooked up with wide receiver Kelly Johnson, a former replacement player, for ten yards and a first down. The drive stalled at the Denver 27, but Biasucci converted a forty-four yard field goal to extend the Indy lead to 17-0 with 13:29 to play in the first half.

The Broncos finally got on the board with a touchdown just before halftime. The big play on the drive was running back Gene Lang's thirty-four yard dash on a draw play that put the ball in Colts territory at the forty-five. Elway hooked up with wide receiver Vance Johnson for eighteen yards and a first down, and scrambled twelve yards for another. The touchdown came from the Indy six-yard line, where Elway found wideout Ricky Nattiel for the score. Rich Karlis made the extra point, and at halftime the Colts led the Broncos 17-7.

The underdog Colts needed just two plays to score after taking the second half kickoff. Trudeau hooked up with Bentley on a twenty-six yard catch-and-run that gave the Colts a first down at the Denver forty-five. Then it was up to E.D.:

Enberg: "Dickerson the lone setback on first and ten. Gets the call and has a hole...…..across midfield, down to the forty, thirty-five, thirty, AND HE'S GONE ALL BY HIMSELF FOR THE SECOND TIME TODAY! ERIC DICKERSON SCORES FROM FORTY-FIVE YARDS OUT!...…..And the Colts are pouring it on the heavily favored Broncos, turning Mile High Stadium into the most silent place in America at the moment."

Biasucci converted yet another extra point, and the Colts led 24-7 with 13:52 to play in the third quarter.

The Broncos had to answer with a touchdown of their own, and they did. Running back Sammy Winder galloped through a hole in the Indy defense for twenty-eight yards and a first down, and Lang followed that up with a twelve-yard gain of his own. Elway then found wide receiver Mark Jackson for twelve yards and a first down. It was first and goal at the Indianapolis eight, and after a running play gained nothing Elway stood tall in the pocket and gunned the ball to a wide-open tight end Clarence Kay in the end zone for the touchdown. Karlis' extra point trimmed the Colts' lead to 24-14 with 9:55 left in the third.

The home squad cut into the Colts' lead even further on their next drive. Elway hooked up with Kay again for fifteen yards and a first down, then flipped the ball to Johnson, who turned a five-yard pass into a thirty-eight yard gain by faking at least three Colts defenders out of various articles of clothing. The drive stalled at the Indy twelve, but Karlis hit from twenty-nine yards out to cut the Colts' lead to 24-17 with 6:15 left in the third.

The Colts stemmed the surging Denver momentum with a touchdown of their own before the third quarter ended. Dickerson raced for twenty-nine yards off the right side, then cut the next play back to the left and gained eighteen. Next it was Bentley up the middle for ten. Finally, on a third and one from the eight former replacement player Chuck Banks, added to the roster for this game, knifed off the right side and into the end zone for the score. Biasucci added the extra point, and at the end of three quarters it was Indy 31, Denver 17.

Next it was the Broncos' turn, and they didn't disappoint, scoring in just two plays: a fifty-six yard bomb from Elway to Johnson and a thirty-yard catch-and-run by Nattiel in which he practically carried two Colts defensive backs into the end zone piggyback. Karlis banged the extra point through, and the Indy lead was down to 31-24 with 3:13 left in regulation.

The Colts added a pair of scores in the final two minutes to put the game away. First, Trudeau found wide receiver Walter Murray for a forty-eight yard gain and a first down at the Denver fifteen. Dickerson gained the next eleven yards up the middle, and Bentley took it the last four yards on a pitchout to the right. Biasucci's extra point made it 38-24 Colts with 1:52 to play.

The last nail in the coffin came after the ensuing kickoff bounced off of at least two Broncos and was recovered by the Colts at the Denver thirty-nine. Trudeau decided to go for the kill and fired downfield for wideout Bill Brooks, who bobbled the ball briefly, then got control of it and raced into the end zone to put the final cherry on top. One last extra point from Biasucci and the Colts had finished a 45-24 upset of the Broncos and were on their way to Cleveland for next Sunday's AFC Championship Game.

Dickerson was named MVP by NBC after gaining 199 yards on twenty carries and scoring two touchdowns. Also receiving consideration were Trudeau, who completed thirteen of twenty-three for 283 yards and two touchdowns, and Bentley, who gained forty-eight yards on eleven carries with a touchdown and caught three passes for 114 yards and a touchdown.

The Colts' Super Bowl dreams ended the following Sunday on the shores of Lake Erie, as the Browns scored twenty-four second half points to break a 14-14 tie and pull away to a 38-21 victory. The Browns will now meet the NFC champion Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XXII on Sunday, January 31 at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego. Kickoff will be shortly after 6PM Eastern on ABC, with Al Michaels, Frank Gifford, and Dan Dierdorf set to call the action.

Next: To be determined.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Now it's time for the 1982 AFC Wild Card Game from Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego. Game time temperature is 80 degrees, with fair skies and a north-northwest wind at 10 MPH.

The Bengals opened the scoring after taking the opening kickoff. They used just three running plays: an eleven-yard scramble by quarterback Kenny Anderson, a forty-three yard rumble up the middle by running back Pate Johnson, and a fifteen-yard touchdown scamper up the middle by fellow running back Charles Alexander. Kicker Jim Breech tacked on the extra point, and the visiting Bengals led 7-0 after just a minute and forty-five seconds of action.

The Bengals added another score before the end of the period. Johnson barged up the middle for thirteen yards and another first down, and Anderson began to use his receivers. He hit veteran Isaac Curtis for twenty yards to put his team in Charger territory, and hit Cris Collinsworth for twenty-two yards and a first down at the San Diego eleven. Three plays later, he faced a fourth and one from the two. Coach Forrest Gregg decided to go for it, and Anderson faked a handoff to Johnson, then made an easy flip to M.L. Harris for the touchdown. Breech's extra point gave the Bengals a 14-0 lead after one quarter.

It was all Cincinnati as the second quarter dawned, too. Linebacker Bo Harris intercepted a Dan Fouts pass intended for Charlie Joiner and returned it to the San Diego 41. After Johnson plowed up the middle for ten yards and a first down, Anderson decided to go deep. Here's Charlie Jones:

"Four on the pattern for Anderson, first and ten from the San Diego thirty-one. Anderson back, looking long for Collinsworth...…..HE'S GOT IT! TOUCHDOWN CINCINNATI!......The Bengals up 20-0, and that was right out of the Air Coryell playbook."

Lenny Dawson: "An absolutely perfect strike by Anderson hit Collinsworth dead in his stride, and all Cris had to do was hold on. The Chargers need to get it together in a hurry before they're blown completely out of this game."

Breech added another extra point, and it was 21-0 Cincy with 10:26 to play in the first half.

The Chargers finally got on the board as the second quarter wound down. Chuck Muncie popped off the left side for thirteen yards, and later in the drive chugged up the middle for nineteen more. Fouts also found each of his main receivers for key first downs: Wes Chandler for ten, Charlie Joiner for twelve, and Kellen Winslow for twelve more. On fort and goal from the Cincy six, Fouts once again found Winslow for the touchdown, and the Bolts were on the board. Rolf Benirschke added the extra point, and it was a 21-7 Bengals lead with 3:08 to play in the first half.

The Bengals reestablished their momentum by answering that touchdown with one of their own before halftime. Anderson set the table with a fifteen-yard pass to Dan Ross that gave the Bengals a first down at the San Diego forty-three. from there, it was up to Pete Johnson:

Jones: "First and ten from the Charger forty-three. Here's Pete Johnson...….finds a hole at the thirty-five, the thirty, the twenty-five, one last block by Coollinsworth, and Johnson's all by himself in the secondary! TOUCHDOWN AND NO FLAGS!...…...The Bengals have answered the touchdown by the Chargers with one of their own, and with the extra point they'll have another twenty-one point lead."

And so they did. Our halftime score: Bengals 28, Chargers 7.

The Bengals extended their lead even farther the first time they had the ball in the third quarter. Mike Fulller's punt return set up the offense at its own forty-three, and on the third play Johnson rumbled for twenty-three yards before being forced out at the Chargers' twenty-seven. A nineteen-yard pass to Collinsworth a play later gave them a first and goal at the six, and eventually Breech converted a twenty-four yard field goal attempt to increase the Bengals' lead to 31-7 with 9:47 left in the third.

Air Coryell came back to life in its next possession. Fouts hit future Bengal James Brooks out of the backfield for ten, then Winslow over the middle for twenty-one, then Chandler down the sideline for nineteen. Brooks eventually scored from a yard out, and with Benirschke's extra point the Cincy lead was down to 31-14 with 6:47 to play in the third quarter.

The Bengals answered on their next possession. Anderson hooked up with Collinsworth for seventeen, Ross for fourteen, and Curtis for twelve. The rest of the drive belonged to Johnson and Alexander, who proceeded to literally run the Chargers' defense into the ground. Johnson eventually scored from eight yards out off the right side, and with Breech's extra point it was 38-14 Cincy with 2:07 left in the third period.

The Chargers managed to answer before the third quarter ran out. Muncie took a pitchout to the right side for seventeen yards, and Chandler picked up eighteen yards on an end around for another first down. Fouts also threw to Joiner for twenty-one yards and Chandler for twelve. He then found Winslow for the touchdown on fourth and goal from the Cincy eight, and Benirschke added the extra point to cut the Bengals' lead to 38-21 after three.

The Bengals added to their lead on their first possession of the fourth quarter. Johnson pounded up the middle for twelve yards, and Anderson completed back-to-back eleven-yard passes to Collinsworth and reserve wideout Steve Kreider. Then it was Ross over the middle for another eighteen. The drive eventually stalled at the San Diego thirteen, but Breech converted a thirty-yard field goal to extend the Bengals' lead to 41-21 with 11:37 remaining in regulation.

The Chargers needed to answer in a hurry with time running out, and they did just that. Brooks' kickoff return set Fouts up at his own forty-one, and he found Chandler for ten yards and a first down in Cincy territory. Next, Muncie bulled his way up the middle for twenty-two yards, and Harris added to the gain by tackling Muncie by the facemask. The penalty was enforced half the distance to the goal, which put the ball at the Bengals' twelve. Fouts immediately found a wide-open Chandler for the touchdown, and Benirschke added the extra point to make it 41-28 Cincy with about seven minutes left in regulation.

The fired-up Chargers didn't stop there; Winslow recovered Benirschke's onside kick, and Fouts went right back to work. He hit Chandler for fifteen, Joiner for elven, then Chandler on a twenty-seven yard catch-and-run. Muncie was next out of the backfield for eleven more and a first and goal at the three. Muncie tried up the middle three different times with no gain, so Benirschke was called on for a twenty-yard chip shot so the Bolts could get something out of the drive. He converted, and the Bengals' lead was down to 41-31 with about five minutes to play.

The miraculous was next on the menu, as Coryell ordered another onside kick, and this time it was reserve tight end Eric Sievers who recovered for the Chargers. Brooks immediately found a hole off the right side of the Cincy defense and plowed through it for forty-six yards and a first down at the Bengals' nineteen, but the Bengals held them right there. With just over a minute left and needing two scores, Coryell sent Benirschke out, and Rolf's thirty-six yard field goal made it 41-34.

There was nothing left for the Chargers to do but hope a third consecutive onside kick worked in their favor, but it didn't. Verser recovered the kick for the Bengals at the San Diego twenty after a mad scramble, and Anderson put the game away in one play, a touchdown pass to a wide-open Curtis. Breech added one last extra point, and we had our final score: Bengals 48, Chargers 34. The next stop for the boys from Cincy is Shea Stadium, where they will face the Jets next Sunday in the second AFC Divisional Playoff. Game time is 12:30 PM Eastern on NBC, with Don Criqui and John Brodie on the call.

NBC named co-MVPs for this game: Anderson completed twenty of his twenty-two passes for 313 yards and three touchdowns, while Johnson gained 186 yards on nineteen carries and scored twice. Collinsworth got some consideration as well after catching five passes for a hundred yards even. Chandler amassed 101 yards on seven catches in a losing cause for the Chargers, The Bengals outgained the Chargers on the day, 534-489.

The Bengals looked great early the following week at Shea, sprinting out to a 14-3 first-half lead over the Jets. Then the roof caved in, as the home squad scored forty-one of the game's final forty-four points, including twenty-one in the fourth quarter, to turn this one into a 44-17 pounding. Richard Todd threw for 269 yards, and Freeman McNeil both rushed for a touchdown and threw for onw, while Darrol Ray returned an interception ninety-six yards for a score. The Jets will host the winner of the January 15 game between the Steelers and the Raiders at the LA Coliseum next Sunday, January 23. Kickoff wll be at 12:30 PM Eastern on NBC, with Dick Enberg and Merlin Olsen calling the action. Dick and Merlin will also be on hand for the contest between the Steelers and the Raiders.

Next: The Steelers meet the Raiders.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Now it's time for the first 1982 AFC Divisional Playoff from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Game time temperature is 68 degrees with a wind of unknown direction at 9 MPH. No precipitation fell during the course of the game.

There was no scoring until the final minute of the first half, when the Steelers got into field goal range thanks to a fifty-yard bomb from Terry Bradshaw to Jim Smith. Franco Harris followed that up with a twenty-six yard gain on a sweep to the left that gave the Steelers a first and goal at the Raiders' one-yard line. The Raiders' defense didn't allow another yard, so Steelers coach Chuck Noll sent out rookie Gary Anderson to convert a chip shot from nineteen yards out. Anderson did so, and the Steelers went to the locker room at halftime with a 3-0 lead.

The Raiders took the lead with a touchdown late in the third quarter. Greg Pruitt's punt return set up the Los Angeles offense at the Pittsburgh forty-four, and Jim Plunkett hit on passes of fourteen yards to Malcolm Barnwell and nineteen yards to Cliff Branch. Finally, on second and goal from the two, he flipped the ball to Marcus Allen, who was able to walk into the end zone for the touchdown. Chris Bahr's extra point gave the home squad a 7-3 lead after three quarters.

Toward the end of the period, the Steelers got their offense going, as Bradshaw found Lynn Swann for fourteen yards and John Stallworth for sixteen. As the fourth quarter dawned, they were at the Raiders' thirty-yard line. They lost a yard over the next few plays, and Anderson was called on from forty-eight yards out. The kick was low but straight, and good by mere inches. With 13:37 left in regulation, it was Los Angeles 7, Pittsburgh 6.

The Raiders answered with a field goal of their own after cornerback Lester Hayes picked off a Bradshaw pass intended for Stallworth and returned it to the Steelers' thirty-four. An eleven-yard run up the middle by Kenny King and a seventeen-yard completion from Plunkett to Barnwell combined to give the Raiders a first and goal at the Pittsburgh six. The drive got as far as the four before stalling, and Bahr converted a twenty-one yard field goal to extend the Raiders' lead to 10-6 with 6:52 left in regulation time.

The Steelers took the next five-plus minutes to put together what they thought would be a game-winning drive. Bradshaw completed a ten-yard pass to Bennie Cunningham for one first down, then later in the drive found Stallworth for thirteen more and another first The running game contributed two slashing runs up the middle for first downs: one by Greg Hawthorne for elven yards, the other by Frankie Pollard for eighteen. Then it was Franco Harris's time, and the future Hall of Famer bulled his way into the end zone from six yards out to give the Steelers a 13-10 lead with 1:39 to play in regulation.

It was up to the Raiders to get themselves into position for a possible tying field goal, and they pulled it off spectacularly. A twenty-eight yard pass from Plunkett to Branch got them out of a third-and-eighteen hole deep in their own territory, and Plunkett also connected with Todd Christensen for ten yards and Barnwell for eleven. Finally, it was showtime for Bahr for forty-eight yards out. The snap was low, but holder Marc Wilson got the ball down, and Bahr's kick was good with five yards to spare. We were headed for overtime at the Coliseum deadlocked at thirteen.

The overtime began with an exchange of punts, and the Raiders got the ball for their second possession of the extra period at their own six-yard line. The Steel Curtain almost won the game for Pittsburgh right off the bat, as Jack Lambert came untouched up the middle and sacked Plunkett at the one-inch line. But the former Super Bowl champion got his team out of trouble with an eleven-yard pass to Barnwell for a first down. Two plays later, Allen ripped off a forty-five yard run up the middle. He was pushed out of bounds by Dwayne Woodruff at the Pittsburgh thirty-nine, and the Raiders were already in Bahr's range. Three more running plays got nothing, and it was decision time for Raiders coach Tom Flores. Almost everyone watching both at the Coliseum and on television thought that he would send All-Universe punter Ray Guy out to try and pooch punt the Steelers into a hole similar to the ones the Raiders had just gotten themselves out of. Instead, he rolled the dice and sent Bahr out to try a game-winning fifty-six yard field goal, knowing that the Steelers needed only a pass completion or two to get into Anderson's range should Bahr miss. Here's how things turned out, courtesy of NBC's Dick Enberg:

"Here's Bahr from fifty-six yards out, his longest attempt of the year. His career long is fifty-five, and remember that Marc Wilson, the holder, dropped the snap on his last attempt, and Bahr had to scramble to even get the kick away. Luckily, it was good. For a spot in the AFC Championship Game......ball is down, kick's on a line...…….IT IS GOOD!......Chris Bahr hits from fifty-six yards out, and the Raiders are going to the AFC Championship Game!"

Merlin Olsen: "This was almost blocked, Dick. Watch Mike Merriweather, Number 57 for the Steelers. He just misses it because it's so low. Bahr couldn't get it up, but it was long enough, and the Raiders have won a classic."

Final score in overtime: Raiders 16, Steelers 13.

Allen was named MVP by NBC. He gained one hundred yards exactly on twenty-six carries, and also caught five passes for twenty-two yards and a touchdown. Also considered was Branch, who caught five passes for 101 yards.

The Raiders and Jets met on January 23 at Shea in the AFC Championship Game, and the Jets prevailed 17-14. Freeman McNeil rushed for 101 yards on twenty-three carries, and Richard Todd completed fifteen of twenty-four for 277 yards and a touchdown despite being sacked four times. Allen scored a touchdown for the Raiders, but was held to thirty-six yards on fifteen carries. The Jets are awaiting the NFC's representative in Super Bowl XVII, which will take place here at the LA Coliseum on January 30. Kickoff time is set for 6PM Eastern on NBC, and Dick Enberg and Merlin Olsen will once again bring the action to you.

Next: We begin the NFC Divisional Playoffs at Lambeau Field, where the Redskins tangle with the Packers.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Now it's time for the first 1982 NFC Divisional Playoff from Lambeau Field in Green Bay. Game time temperature is nineteen degrees, with fair skies and a north wind at 16 MPH. Wind chill at kickoff is five degrees above zero.

The Redskins opened the scoring with a field goal midway through the first quarter. John Riggins set it up with runs of fifteen and ten yards up the middle, and Mark Moseley connected from thirty-eight yards out to put the visitors up 3-0 after one quarter.

The next Washington score came with just over two minutes remaining in the first half after a try at a fake punt went awry for the Pack. The Skins got the ball at the Green Bay twenty-eight as a result, and a twelve-yard run by Riggins put them in prime field goal range. Moseley eventually converted a thirty-one yard attempt, and the Skins led 6-0 with 2:22 left before halftime.

It took less than a minute for the Skins to get on the board again. Free safety Mark Murphy intercepted a Lynn Dickey pass and returned it to the Packers' twenty-yard line, and Moseley quickly converted it into a thirty-two yard field goal, his third of the day. At the half, it was Redskins 9, Packers 0.

The Skins extended their lead after taking the second-half kickoff. Riggins peeled off a air of eleven-yard runs, and Joe Theismann completed a sixteen-yard pass to Art Monk and hooked up with Charlie Brown on a thirty-eight yard catch-and run. Riggins eventually barged up the middle for the touchdown from five yards out, and it was 16-0 Washington after three quarters of play.

The visitors added one last touchdown early in the final period. Theismann's eleven-yard screen pass to Riggins got them across midfield before the end of the third quarter, and his fourteen-yard pass to Monk gave them a first down at the Packers' twenty-seven. From there, the Skins hopped aboard the Diesel, as Riggins slashed and drove his way into the end zone for his second touchdown of the day. Moseley added the extra point, and the Skins led 23-0 with 12:56 left in regulation.

The Packers managed to avoid a shutout with a touchdown in the final half-minute of play. Cornerback Mark Lee was credited with an interception when he scooped up a ball that Theismann dropped while his arm was going forward, and the Pack had the ball at the Redskins' twenty-seven. Dickey hit James Lofton for twenty-one yards to set up a first and goal at the five, then hit him for the touchdown on the next play. Jan Stenerud's extra point established the final score: Redskins 23, Packers 7. The Skins will meet the winner of tomorrow's Niners-Cowboys game in next Sunday's NFC Championship Game.

Riggins was named Player of the Game by CBS. he gained 116 yards on twenty-two carries and added two touchdowns.

Next: The Niners and Cowboys meet at Texas Stadium.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Now it's time for the second 1982 NFC Divisional Playoff from Texas Stadium in Irving, Texas. Game time temperature is 57 degrees, with fair skies and a southwest wind at 5 MPH.

The Cowboys scored first, fueled by a forty-six yard burst off right tackle by Tony Dorsett on the first play from scrimmage that age the Boys a first down at the Niner twenty-six. The next three plays lost a yard, but kicker Rafael Septien connected on a forty-four yard field goal attempt to put the home squad up 3-0 with exactly twelve minutes remaining in the first quarter.

The Boys added to their lead the next time they had the ball. Ron Fellows' punt return gave them the ball at their own forty-one, and soon they were across midfield. Then it was time for Tony D to take control of the proceedings. Here's Pat Summerall:

"First and ten from the San Francisco forty-five, and Dorsett will get the call. Breaks a tackle at the forty, down over the thirty-five, the thirty, just one man to beat, at the twenty and that's all she wrote!...…... Touchdown, Tony Dorsett from forty-five yards out!"

John Madden: "The key block was by Number 64, Tom Rafferty, Pat. Fires outta there and BOOM! He flattens (Niners linebacker) Hacksaw Reynolds, and once Dorsett has that seam, he won't let himself be caught."

Septien added the extra point, and the Cowboys led 10-0 with 8:34 remaining in the opening period.

The Niners answered with a score of their own before the end of the quarter. Jeff Moore netted them a first down with a twelve-yard run, and Joe Montana hooked up with speedster Renaldo Nehemiah for twenty-four yards and another first down. Then it was back to the running game, as Bill Ring barged up the middle for fifteen yards and a first down. Next, Vince Williams gained seventesen on a perfectly executed catch-and-run. Montana ended the drive himself by punching it over from two yards out. Kicker Ray Wersching missed the extra point, so the Boys still led 10-6 after fifteen minutes.

The Boys started crafting their answer before the first quarter was over. They began the drive at their own eight, but runs of thirty-one and twenty-two yards by Dorsett and Ron Springs respectively earned them a first down at the Frisco thirty-nine. The touchdown came from the nine, when Dorsett took a handoff and cut back around left end, then raced into the end zone untouched for his second six-pointer of the day. Septien's extra point extended the Dallas lead to 17-6 with 12:46 to play in the first half.

Next came what most observers considered the backbreaker. The Boys took over at their own thirty-seven after a missed Wersching field goal, and before anyone could blink they were in the end zone again. Here's Pat:

"First and ten for the Cowboys, and White flips it out in the flat to Dorsett, who breaks a tackle at the forty-five and is across midfield. Another tackle missed a the forty, and Dorsett has just one man to beat, and that's (Niners cornerback Ronnie) Lott! Juke at the twenty, and that's goodbye!...……...Sixty-three yards, and sixty of them were a breathtaking run by Tony Dorsett."

Madden: "Sloppy tackling by the 49ers. (Linebacker) Dan Bunz should've had Dorsett at the forty, but he totally whiffs, and when you're depending on Ronnie Lott, as fine a player as he is, to tackle Tony Dorsett when he has a full head of steam, that's just not gonna work. All it took was half a juke, and Dorsett was home free."

Septien booted the extra point, and the NFC East champs had a 24-6 lead on the NFC West champs at halftime.

The Cowboys continued their onslaught the first time they had the ball in the second half. An eighteen-yard burst off left tackle by Dorsett and a thirteen-yard pop off right tackle by Springs were all that was needed to get them back into field goal range, and Septien connected from forty-nine yards away to make it 27-6 Boys with 8:16 left in the third period.

Another big play from the passing game put the Niners away once and for all before the end of the third period. Here's Pat's call:

"Second and 1 from his own forty-four. White back to throw, this is a free down in essence. He hangs it up there......DOUG COSBIE'S GOT IT AT THE TWENTY, AND NO ONE'S NEAR HIM! TOUCHDOWN DALLAS AND THAT'LL DO IT!...….It's time now to get ready for the Redskins next Sunday."

Madden: "Someone fell down, Pat. It looks like (cornerback) Eric Wright tripped and fell. Yeah, right there. Cosbie's not the fastest guy in the world, even for a tight end, but he's got momentum going, and that carries him into the end zone before anyone else can catch up to him."

Septien added the extra point, and after three quarters the Dallas lead was 34-6.

The Boys added one last field goal midway through the final quarter. White started things off with a fifteen-yard scramble for a first down, then found Drew Pearson for ten yards in the flat. Next was a twenty-six yard strike to Tony Hill that gave Dallas a first and goal at the seven. A Springs seven-yard touchdown run was called back because of offensive holding, but that only stalled the Dallas drive momentarily. White proceeded to hook up with Butch Johnson for thirteen yards on first and goal from the seventeen, and although the Niners stopped the next two running plays for no gain Septien was left with a twenty-one yard chip shot. He converted, and with 5:59 to play the Cowboys' lead was thirty-one at 37-6.

The Niners scored a pair of touchdowns in the final two minutes to make the final score a bit more respectable. The first one came after a punt return by Freddie Solomon set the offense up at the Dallas thirty-eight. Ring proceeded to bull his way through the middle of the Dallas defensive reserves for thirty-two yards before being forced out of bounds at the six, and on the next play Montana threw to a wide-open Russ Francis in the end zone for the touchdown. Wersching added the extra point, and the score was now 37-13 with 1:56 to play in regulation.

The second one happened on the last play of the game, when Montana threw a Hail Mary just for kicks which was caught by Dwight Clark for the score. The play covered sixty-five yards, and Wersching's extra point made the final score Dallas 37, San Francisco 20. The Cowboys will host the Redskins next Sunday afternoon for the NFC championship and the right to take on the Jets in Super Bowl XVII.

Dorsett was named Player of the Game by CBS. He ran for 129 yards on seventeen carries and scored two touchdowns, and he also caught a sixty-three yard touchdown pass. White also received some consideration after completing fourteen of twenty-one for 273 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Montana finished his day nineteen of thirty-two for 284 yards and two touchdowns in a losing cause, and Clark caught eight passes for 129 yards and a touchdown.

The following week, the Skins invaded Texas Stadium and knocked off the Boys 31-17 to advance to Super Bowl XVII against the Jets. John Riggins gouged Doomsday for 140 yards on thirty-six carries and scored twice, and the Boys lost a lot of their pep when White was knocked out of the game at halftime and replaced by backup Gary Hogeboom, although Hogeboom threw a pair of touchdown passes. Even worse was the performance of Dorsett, who was held to fifty-seven yards on fifteen carries.

Next: Super Bowl XVII.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Now it's time for Super Bowl XVII from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Game time temperature is 52 degrees, with a wind of unknown direction blowing at 15 MPH. Precipitation information is unknown, but it didn't rain at the Rose Bowl during the real-life game.

The Jets scored on their opening possession. The key play on the drive was a seventeen-yard pass from Richard Todd to Johnny "Lam" Jones. The touchdown came from the Washington twenty, as running back Bruce Harper took a handoff and ran right through a huge hole in the Redskins' defense and into the end zone. Pat Leahy added the extra point, and with 4:40 to play in the opening quarter the Jets had a 7-0 lead.

After the Skins went three-and-out, the Jets scored again to add to their lead. Todd's twenty-five yard strike to Derrick Gaffney got the ball across midfield, and Mike Augustyniak bolted up the middle for eleven more yards and a first down at the Skins' twenty on the next play. One play later, it was Todd to favorite target Wesley Walker for fourteen yards and a first and goal at the four. On the next play, Todd faked a handoff to Harper, then hit Freeman McNeil circling out of the backfield with a perfect pass. McNeil strode untouched into the end zone for the score, and the Jets had a 13-0 lead. Leahy's extra point attempt sailed wide left, so the Jets had to be content with a thirteen point lead at the forty-four second mark of the opening period.

The Skins finally crossed midfield for the first time on their next drive. John Riggins caught a pass out of the backfield for twelve yards, and Joe Theismann found Art Monk over the middle for twenty-six more and a first down at the Jets' twenty-seven. But three running plays netted nothing, and Mark Moseley's forty-four yard field goal attempt sailed wide right.

It only took three plays for the Jets to score again once they had the ball back. Two runs by Scott Dierking lost a yard, so it was third and nine at the New York twenty-six. Here's what happened next, as told by Dick Enberg:

"Third down and nine, three wide receivers for the Jets, with Walker and Gaffney to the left, Lam Jones to the right, and five defensive backs for Washington. Todd back to throw...…"

Merlin Olsen: "Jones is all alone, Dick!"

Enberg: "He certainly is, and Todd throws for him......HE'S GOT IT AT THE TWENTY-FIVE! TWENTY, TEN, FIVE, TOUCHDOWN!!!!!!!...…..Johnny 'Lam' Jones, the speedster from Texas, a former track star in addition to his football experience, just made the run of his life here in the Super Bowl. Seventy-four yards!"

Olsen: "Mike Nelms, the nickelback, is the man who slips, or rather trips. But even if he hadn't fallen, that extra second is all 'Lam' Jones needs with his world-class speed. He catches it on the run, goes in easily, and the Jets will have a twenty-point lead if Leahy can convert."

Leahy did convert this time, and the Jets led 20-0 with 4:31 to play in the first half.

Nelms had a chance to redeem himself on the ensuing kickoff, and he did so in spectacular fashion. Again, here's Dick:

"Leahy kicks it off with the Jets up 20-0, and Nelms takes it at the ten. Fifteen, twenty, gets a block at the thirty, breaks a tackle, and he's loose at midfield! Forty-five, forty, and only Leahy to beat! Thirty, twenty-five, twenty, fifteen, ten, five, TOUCHDOWN REDSKINS!...…..Mike Nelms, who just gave up that long touchdown to 'Lam' Jones, gets it right back for the Redskins on the kickoff. They're calling it a ninety-one yard return."

Olsen: "He really needed a good return to make up for his error earlier, and watch how he breaks two tackles, one at the thirty, and the other at about midfield. Then it's down to Nelms against Pat Leahy, and that's no contest at all. The Redskins are right back in this ballgame, Dick."

Moseley tacked on the extra point, and the New York lead was now 20-7 with 4:10 left until halftime.

The Jets got an excellent kickoff return of their own from Harper, who was pushed out of bounds at the Washington 36. On the first play from scrimmage, McNeil bolted up the middle for fourteen yards, and the Jets were back in field goal range. They gained just one yard in the next four plays, but Leahy converted from thirty-eight yards out to extend the New York lead to 23-7 with 2:40 to play in the first half.

The Skins knew that if they didn't score before halftime, the game was as good as over. Working efficiently, Theismann got the Skins downfield. A fourteen-yard pass to Virgil Seay put the Skins in Jets territory at the thirty-eight. But on second and two from the Jets' thirty, disaster struck. Theismann threw short to Don Warren, who took one step, then was popped by linebacker Lance Mehl. Strong safety Ken Schroy made the recovery for the Jets at the New Yok twenty-one with a minute and a half left in the half, and the Jets worked the two-minute drill to perfection. The biggest pay was a twenty-nine yard burst off the left side by McNeil, and another short run by Freeman was extended by a facemask call. The drive reached the Skins' nine-yard line before time ran out on the offense, but Leahy was good from twenty-six yards out to make the halftime score Jets 26, Redskins 7.

The Jets crossed midfield twice in the scoreless third quarter. One ended in a short pooch punt, but the other was a serious threat. Augustyniak gained fifteen up the middle, and Todd connected with Walker for eleven yards and Gaffney for twenty more. Augustyniak was on his way to another long gain when he was stripped from behind by Skins linebacker Rich Milot. Cornerback Vernon Dean recovered for the Skins at the Washington thirty-one, but the Skins couldn't capitalize on their good fortune and had to punt.

The Skins finished the scoring midway through the final period. Theismann hit Seay for elven yards to take the ball across midfield, and Riggins pounded up the middle for eighteen more and a first down at the Jets' twenty-six. The drive stalled at the nineteen, and Moseley was called on from thirty-six yards out with a little more than eight minutes left in regulation. The kick was good, and the Jets' lead was down to 26-10. But the Skins could get no further; they were only across midfield for one more play the rest of the game. Our final score: Jets 26, Redskins 10. The Jets have now won two Super Bowls, the other being Joe Namath's famous "guarantee" game in 1969 (Super Bowl III).

Todd was named Super Bowl MVP after completing fifteen of his twenty-two passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns. Jones was also a candidate for the award after catching four passes for 103 yards with a touchdown. The defense wasn't, at least not as a group. but they were instrumental as well, particularly since they held Riggins to thirty-eight yards on twenty-one carries.

We've now conducted fourteen Super Bowls in the Pythagorean universe, and the AFC has an 8-6 all-time lead.

Next: We finish this thread with Super Bowl XXII.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Now it's time for Super Bowl XXII from Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego. Game time temperature is 59 degrees, with mostly cloudy skies and a south-southwest wind at 9 MPH.

The Redskins got on the board first. On their opening possession they converted a third and eight from their own thirty when Jay Schroeder completed a fourteen-yard screen pass to Kelvin Bryant. He converted another third down later in the drive with an eighteen-yard bullet to Ricky Sanders, and Lionel Vital's fifteen-yard burst off right tackle gave the Skins a first down at the Browns' sixteen. The drive stalled at the twelve, but Obed Ariri converted a twenty-nine yard field goal attempt to give the Skins a 3-0 lead after one quarter of play.

The Browns were driving toward their first score of the day when the opening quarter expired. Earnest Byner rumbled up the middle for fifteen yards and one first down, and Kevin Mack popped off right tackle for fifteen more yards and another. Bernie Kosar then found former replacemenKosar connected t wide receiver Perry Kemp for an eighteen-yard gain. The Browns had reached the Washington seventeen by the end of the first quarter, and on the second play of the second quarter from the Skins' sixteen Kosar found Webster Slaughter amid a crowd of three Redskin defenders for the touchdown. Jeff Jaeger added the extra point, and forty-one seconds into the second quarter the Browns had taken a 7-3 lead.

It took just one play from scrimmage for the Browns to get the ball back, as linebacker Clay Matthews tipped Schroeder's attempted pass into the arms of fellow linebacker Eddie Johnson, who returned the gift to the Washington thirty-one. The Browns needed just three plays to find the end zone again: a one-yard run by Byner, a ten-yard pass to Brian Brennan, and a screen to Mack that turned into a twenty-yard touchdown pass thanks in part to Mack flattening Redskins cornerback Darrell Green at the two-yard line. Jaeger's extra point made the score 14-3 Browns with 12:22 left in the first half, and the Skins had lost Green for the rest of the game with a concussion.

The Skins provided a much-needed answer on their next possession. Art Monk ran a reverse for nineteen yards to get the ball across midfield, and on the next play Bryant found a huge hole in the middle of the Cleveland defense and galloped through it for thirty-eight yards and a first and goal at the Browns' eight-yard line. The Cleveland defense pushed the Skins back a yard over the next three plays, but Ariri converted a twenty-six yard field goal to cut the Browns' lead to 14-6 with 6:52 to play in the second quarter.

The Browns answered with a field goal of their own just before the half. Kosar connected with Ozzie Newsome for twelve yards over the middle, and Mack's fifteen-yard run up the middle put the Browns into Washington territory again. Kosar then threw the same screen pass to Mack that had gotten the Browns a touchdown earlier; this time it worked for twenty-one yards and a first down at the Skins' twenty-three. The offense couldn't move the ball any farther, but Jaeger was good from forty yards on the final play of the first half to send the teams to the locker room with the Browns up 17-6.

Coming out of halftime, the Redskins drove sixteen plays and eighty-four yards in a little over nine minutes to get back into the game with a touchdown. Most of it took place on the ground, but Schroeder threw key passes to Monk for ten yards, Gary Clark for fourteen, and Clint Didier for seventeen. Schroeder scored the touchdown himself on a seven-yard run, and Ariri's extra point cut the Browns' lead to 17-13 with 5:47 to play in the third quarter. After the Browns went three-and-out on their next possession, Eric Yarber returned the punt inside Cleveland territory at the forty-five. Three plays later, it was fourth and one at the Browns thirty-six, and coach Joe Gibbs decided to go for it. Knowing that the Browns had eight defenders at the line of scrimmage ready to stop Bryant and George Rogers, Schroeder decided to pass, only for reserve defensive back Mark Harper to come up the middle on a safety blitz and sack him for a seven-yard loss.

The Browns wasted no time taking advantage of their good fortune. Mack's twenty-yard rumble up the middle gave the Browns a first down at the Redskins' thirty, and Kosar converted a third and nine from the fourteen by hitting Brennan at the sideline for eleven yards and a first down. (The call was upheld by instant replay.) Two plays later, Kosar connected with Reggie Langhorne for the touchdown, and Jaeger's extra point increased the Browns' lead to 24-13 with 11:25 left in the game. The Browns tried to ice (no pun intended) the game with another field goal later in the quarter after Gerald "The Ice Cube McNeil's punt return set them up at their own forty-eight. Kosar's eighteen-yard pass to Clarence Weathers put the Browns in field goal range, but Jaeger's forty-nine yard attempt sailed wide left. The Skins crossed midfield one more time with less than three minutes to play, but reserve defensive back Chris Rockins settled matters once and for all by making a diving interception of a Schroeder pass intended for Clark. The Browns had brought an NFL championship to Cleveland for the first time since 1964 by defeating the Redskins 24-13.

Kosar was the only real choice for Super Bowl MVP. He completed seventeen of his twenty-four passes for 201 yards and three touchdowns. Mack was a rather distant second choice; he led all rushers with sixty-nine yards on nineteen carries and also all receivers with forty-one yards on two catches.

Fifteen Super Bowls have now been contested in the Pythagorean universe, and the AFC has a 9-6 lead in the all-time standings.

That's all for this timeline, folks. For more NFL action, please read "The Pythagorean NFL" timeline, which will once again be updated daily beginning tomorrow.

Thoughts?

 

[DTF955Baseballfan]

Nice to see the Browns won one. Of course, OTL Doug Williams replaced Schroeder but it's easy to see butterflies keeping that from happening here.

 

[Garrett Garlits]

I completely forgot about Doug Williams, and I shouldn't have. Sorry, guys!

It'll be interesting to see what kind of success the Browns will have in this universe. The ground rules that I've set up mean that they'll move to Baltimore in '96 no matter what, but if they'd won a Super Bowl or two in real life you'd have to think that Art Modell would have had enough money to keep them in Cleveland. I'm sure Baltimore would have had an expansion team by now, probably in '02 when the Texans came in.

 

[Garrett Garlits]

I'm reopening this thread to pose another scenario using the Pythagorean universe.

What we've seen so far supposes that the NFL and its players reached an agreement to continue playing meaningful games while their labor issues were being settled. But, as we all know, that didn't happen in real life. What if it didn't happen in the Pythagorean universe either? In other words, what if the 1982 playoffs were conducted using the "Super Bowl Tournament" format that we saw in real life? And what if the 1987 season only lasted fifteen games? What would change?

Let's begin with 1982. As I just said, we're going to seed the teams the way the NFL did in real life, but using Pythagorean records and tiebreakers. This also means that divisions are eliminated. Here's a look at the AFC:

1. Miami Dolphins: 7-2
2. New York Jets: 6-3
3. Pittsburgh Steelers: 6-3

The Jets hold the expected wins tiebreaker over the Steelers for the two seed, 6.4 to 6.2.

4. Los Angeles Raiders: 6-3
5. Cincinnati Bengals: 6-3
6. San Diego Chargers: 6-3

These three teams tied with 5.9 expected wins each. We go to the head-to-head matchups to settle the tie, and we find that the Raiders finished 2-1 against the other two teams; they swept the Chargers and lost to the Bengals. That gets them the four seed. The Bengals finished 1-1, losing to the Chargers and beating the Raiders, which makes them the five seed. The Chargers beat the Bengals and lost twice to the Raiders to finish 1-2, so they get the six seed.

7. Buffalo Bills: 4-5
8. Kansas City Chiefs: 4-5

These two teams are the winner of a four-team tiebreaker that also included the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks. The Bills finished first with 4.4 expected wins, followed by the Chiefs with 4.3, the Patriots with 4.0, and the Seahawks with 3.7. Thus, the Bills are the seven seed and the Chiefs are the eight seed.

To avoid the mess that regionalization was in real life, the NFL has decided to devote one day of games to each conference. Since NBC is the Super Bowl network this year, it got first choice, and it chose Saturday, January 8. The NFL '82 pregame show will air at 11:30 AM Eastern, followed by this slate of games:

Bills-Jets, Noon- Don Criqui, John Brodie, Mike Haffner (sideline reporter)
Chargers-Steelers, 3PM- Dick Enberg, Merlin Olsen, Mike Adamle (sideline reporter)
Chiefs-Dolphins, 6PM- Bob Costas, Bob Trumpy, Bob Griese (sideline reporter)
Bengals-Raiders, 9PM- Charlie Jones, Len Dawson, Bill Macatee (sideline reporter)

We already have a winner, as the Chargers upset the Steelers 31-28 at Three Rivers Stadium to move on to the semifinals. Dan Fouts led the way for the Chargers, completing twenty-seven of forty-two for 333 yards and three touchdowns. Two of those touchdowns went to Kellen Winslow, including the game winner in the fourth quarter. Winslow finished with seven catches for 102 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns, while Wes Chandler caught nine passes for 124 yards and Chuck Muncie racked up 125 yards on twenty-six carries. In what turned out to be his final postseason appearance, Terry Bradshaw was twenty-eight of thirty-nine for 325 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. John Stallworth caught eight passes for 116 yards and a touchdown, and while Franco Harris was held to thirty-five yards on ten rushing attempts, he caught eleven passes for seventy-one yards. Frankie Pollard led the rushing attack with forty-seven yards on nine carries.

Next: We examine the NFC.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Now let's look at the NFC. Here are the seeds:

1. Dallas Cowboys: 7-2
2. Washington Redskins: 7-2

The Cowboys hold the expected wins tiebreaker over the Redskins for the top seed, 6.7 to 6.5.

3. Green Bay Packers: 6-3
4. New York Giants: 5-4
5. Detroit Lions: 5-4
6. San Francisco 49ers: 5-4

The Lions, Giants, and Niners each ended up with 4.6 expected wins. I couldn't use head-to-head results, since the Niners didn't play either of the other two teams, so the next step was conference record. The Lions finished 4-4 and the Niners were 2-3 (a .400 percentage), while the Giants finished 3-5 (a .375 percentage). Since the Giants had only four losses in this universe, we'll adjust that record to 4-4, which creates a tie between them and the Lions, each with a .500 percentage. Now we go back to break the tie between the Lions and the Giants, and since the Giants beat the Lions head-to-head, they take the four seed, while the Lions are the five seed and the Niners are sixth.

7. Philadelphia Eagles: 4-5
8. Minnesota Vikings: 4-5

The Eagles and Vikings were the winners of a four-way tiebreaker that also included the Atlanta Falcons and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Eagles finished first with 4.4 expected wins and got the seven seed, while the Vikings were second with 4.2 expected wins and got the eight seed. Next came the Falcons with 4.1 expected wins, then the Bucs with 3.9.

The NFC's first round day is Sunday, January 9. The NFL Today will air on CBS at 11:30 AM Eastern, followed by this slate of games:

Eagles-Redskins, Noon- Jack Buck, Hank Stram, Joe Greene (sideline reporter)
49ers-Packers, 3PM- Tim Ryan, Johnny Morris, Wayne Walker (sideline reporter)
Lions-Giants, 6PM- Dick Stockton, Roger Staubach, John Dockery (sideline reporter)
Vikings-Cowboys, 9PM- Pat Summerall, Tom Brookshier, John Madden, Irv Cross (sideline reporter)

Next: We continue with the first round in the AFC.

Thoughts?