The Pythagorean NFL

[Garrett Garlits]

Now it's time for the 1983 AFC Wild Card Game from Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati. Game time temperature is six degrees below zero with cloudy skies and a west-southwest wind gusting to 29 MPH. Wind chill at kickoff is 34 degrees below zero.

The first quarter was scoreless. The Chiefs opened the scoring early in the second quarter, as linebacker Thomas Howard strip-sacked Bengals quarterback Kenny Anderson, then recovered the fumble himself at the Cincinnati thirty-four. Quarterback Bill Kenney took a six-yard loss on a sack on first down, then found running back Billy Jackson for a twenty-yard gain on second down. On the next play, he connected with veteran wide receiver Henry Marshall for the touchdown. Kicker Nick Lowery added the extra point, and the Chiefs had a 7-0 lead with 11:11 remaining in the first half.

The Bengals cut into the Chiefs' lead with a field goal just before halftime. They got the ball at their own thirty-three after Lowery's forty-five yard field goal attempt was blown wide right, and Anderson went to work with his short passing game, hitting wide receiver Isaac Curtis for ten yards, running back Charles Alexander for eleven, and wide receiver Cris Collinsworth for nineteen. With time running out in the half, coach Forrest Gregg called on kicker Jim Breech, who converted from twenty-eight yards out to cut the KC lead to 7-3 with forty-seven seconds remaining in the first half.

The Chiefs managed to answer that field goal with one of their own on the final play of the half, thanks mostly to Jackson's twenty-nine yard dash through a seemingly indifferent Cincy defense. Lowery managed to sneak his forty-seven yard attempt through the uprights, and the Chiefs led 10-3 at the half.

The visitors put another field goal on the board just before the end of the third quarter. Kenney completed passes of fifteen yards to wide receiver Anthony Hancock and seventeen yards to fellow wideout Carlos Carson, and Jackson gained another twenty-nine yards up the middle on the same play that had highlighted the Chiefs' last-second field goal drive before the half. Lowery was good again, this time from twenty-five yards out, and after three quarters it was Kansas City 13, Cincinnati 3.

The Chiefs put the game away in commanding fashion early in the final period. Here's Charlie Jones:

"Second down and one from the Bengals' thirty-five. That's Curtis going in motion, and Anderson back.....looking, does he have Collinsworth......slips......the ball is intercepted by (cornerback) Lucious Smith, who has a wide-open field in front of him and will score the touchdown!...…….Officially a thirty-six yard interception return, and Collinsworth looks to be hurt."

Bob Griese: "He slipped while running his pattern and knocked himself out as he fell, Charlie. That field is rock-hard because of the cold, and has no give whatsoever. Once Collinsworth's out of the play, Smith has an easy interception and an easy touchdown. Collinsworth's walking off under his own power, but the game belongs to the Kansas City Chiefs."

Lowery's extra point established our final score: Chiefs 20, Bengals 3. The Chiefs will now head for the Orange Bowl in Miami, where they'll take on the Dolphins in the first AFC Divisional Playoff next Saturday afternoon, New Year's Eve. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:30 PM Eastern on NBC, with Marv Albert and Bob Trumpy on hand to describe the action.

Jackson was named MVP by NBC after gaining eighty yards on ten carries. The Chiefs' defense deserves an honorable mention; they sacked Anderson four times and delivered the clinching touchdown.

Next: The Chiefs take on the Dolphins.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Now it's time for the first 1983 AFC Divisional Playoff from the Orange Bowl in Miami. Game time temperature is 51 degrees, with cloudy skies and a north wind gusting to 23 MPH.

The Chiefs scored first, as linebacker Charles Jackson stripped Fins running back Tony Nathan of the ball on a handoff. Free safety Deron Cherry recovered for the visitors at the Miami twenty, and after a sack by defensive end A.J. Duhe on third down thwarted their efforts to get into the end zone, Nick Lowery converted a forty-yard field goal attempt to put the visitors up 3-0 with 9:47 to play in the opening quarter.

The Fins tied the game with a field goal of their own after a Mark Clayton punt return gave them the ball at the KC thirty-yard line. Three plays later, kicker Uwe von Schamann was good from forty-one yards out, and after one quarter we were tied at three.

The Fins added another field goal in the second quarter to give themselves a halftime lead. Nathan's seventeen-yard gain on a sweep around left end got the ball across midfield, and quarterback Danny Marino found wide receiver Mark Duper for a twenty-two yard gain to get the Dolphs into range for von Schamann, who connected from thirty-four yards out to give them a 6-3 lead at the half.

The Fins asserted themselves in the third period, scoring two touchdowns in ninety seconds. The first came at the end of a thirteen-play, eighty-one yard drive that took almost seven minutes off the clock. It was a mixture of runs and short passes; the longest gain came on a fourteen-yard pass to wide receiver Duriel Harris. The touchdown came from twenty-three yards out, when Marino hooked up with wide receiver Mark Duper for the score. Von Schamann added the extra point, and with 1:43 to play in the third Miami took a 13-3 lead.

The other score by the Dolphs in the third period came after Chiefs quarterback Bill Kenney was picked off by strong safety Glenn Blackwood on the Chiefs' next possession. Blackwood's return gave Dan the Man the ball at his own forty-nine, and he immediately found Nathan out of the backfield for fifteen yards and a first down. Later in the drive, running back David Overstreet rumbled up the middle for sixteen yards and a first and goal at the Kansas City ten. On third down from the eleven, Marino found his wide-open tight end, Joe Rose, in the back of the end zone for the touchdown. Von Schamann once again added the extra point, and after three quarters it was Dolphins 20, Chiefs 3.

The Fins put an exclamation point on the festivities with a defensive touchdown early in the fourth quarter. Here's how Marv Albert called it:

"Third and seven from his own twenty-six, as Kenney fades back......has Carlos Carson over the middle, struggling for the first down...….HE LOST THE BALL! It's picked up by Duhe, who has blockers in front of him......down to the fifteen, the ten, the five, and he's in for the touchdown!...….A.J. Duhe, who can be used as either a linebacker or a defensive end, was on the spot to pick up the fumble, which was caused by the free safety, Lyle Blackwood. A thirty-two yard return."

Bob Trumpy: "There's the hit by Blackwood, Marv, and Duhe picks it up on the bounce and has three teammates in front of him. No Chiefs can get within five yards of him, and he scores easily. The Chiefs have a long way to go now, and less than twelve minutes to get there."

Von Schamann's extra point was our last point of the day. Final score: Dolphins 27, Chiefs 3. The next day, the Fins found out that they would host the Los Angeles Raiders in next Sunday's AFC Championship Game, as the Raiders drubbed the Pittsburgh Steelers 38-10 in the second AFC Divisional Playoff at the LA Coliseum. Kickoff next Sunday is scheduled for 4PM, and Dick Enberg and Merlin Olsen will call the action for NBC.

Marino was named Player of the Game by NBC in his first-ever postseason game. He finished fourteen of twenty-one for 173 yards and two touchdowns. The "Killer Bees" defense also deserves a salute, as they sacked Kenney six times, returned a fumble for a touchdown, and forced an interception that set up another one.

Next: The Raiders meet the Dolphins in the AFC Championship Game.

Thoughts?

 

[DTF955Baseballfan]

3 divisional titles instead of 1, 2 trips to the Super Bowl, and 4.5 years of great running - does Billy Sims get into the Hall of Fame, if only via the Veterans' Committe,, TTL? Might need to win one and be dominant in it, but if he's a Super Bowl MVP or something, he rises about the Sterling Sharpe level and to the Gale Sayers level of incredible player for a short period who has *just* enough accompishments. (Plus Sharpe waas in an increased passing era which may have hurt him.) Sims has no dominant QB behind him, either, which helps him like it did Sayers.

 

[Garrett Garlits]

He very well could be a Pythagorean Hall of Famer, DTF. Another interesting case is that of Monte Clark. In real life, very few people outside of Detroit and San Francisco remember him. In this universe, he's already won one Super Bowl by upsetting one of the strongest defensive teams that's ever been, and now he's taken the Lions to the Super Bowl twice. Even one win out of two gives him a serious Hall of Fame case, and if he wins them both, he's almost a shoo-in.

Of course, if he'd won with the Niners in '76 it's highly unlikely that they could have gotten away with firing him, and the dominoes start to fall. Would a Super Bowl win have brought Jim Plunkett a few extra years in Frisco? If so, does Clark draft Joe Montana in '79? If he doesn't, where does Montana go, and is he as successful there? What about Bill Walsh? Does Paul Brown eventually give in and hire him as head coach in Cincinnati, which is the job Walsh really wanted? If he does, it's pretty likely that Walsh and Montana never get together, as Kenny Anderson had a few good years left. Or does Walsh stay in college, at Stanford or elsewhere? Maybe he goes to the other side of San Francisco Bay and replaces John Madden in Oakland. And what happens to the Lions? Might they go after someone like Walsh themselves, or would they go another route and try to lure a college coach like Michigan's own Bo Schembechler to Detroit?

As you can see, even in a timeline that answers certain "what-if" questions as this one does, there are plenty of others that could be asked. If anyone has either answers or more questions, feel free to share them here!

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Now it's time for the 1983 AFC Championship Game from the Orange Bowl in Miami. Game time temperature is 73 degrees, with mostly cloudy skies and an east-northeast wind at 13 MPH.

The Raiders scored first on their first possession of the afternoon, thanks to some masterful short passing by Jim Plunkett. On this drive, he hit Marcus Allen out of the backfield for eleven yards, tight end Todd Christensen for twelve, and veteran wide receiver Cliff Branch for seventeen. The drive eventually stalled at the Miami fourteen, but Chris Bahr's thirty-one yard field goal gave the visitors a 3-0 lead with 7:03 to play in the first period.

The Raiders added a touchdown before the first quarter ended. Greg Pruitt's punt return set up the offense at its own forty-four, and Marcus Allen's nineteen-yard gain on a sweep around left end put the ball in Miami territory. Later in the drive, Allen bolted up the middle for eleven yards and another first down. He left the game to tend to an equipment problem, so backup Frank Hawkins took over and popped off left tackle for ten yards and another first down. Hawkins stayed in for the rest of the drive, eventually scooting through the middle and into the end zone from twelve yards out. Bahr added the extra point, and after one quarter the Raiders held a 10-0 lead

There was only one other score in the game, and it came from the Fins early in the second quarter. The key play of the drive actually happened in the final minute of the first quarter, when Tony Nathen took a handoff and shot through a gaping hole in the LA defense for forty-six yards and a first down at the Raiders' eighteen. Fellow running back Andra Franklin scored the touchdown from six yards out on a similar play, and the home squad was back to within four at 10-6. Unfortunately, they would get no closer, Uwe von Schamann shanked the extra point, and there was no further scoring. The Raiders will represent the AFC in Super Bowl XVIII two weeks from today at Tampa Stadium, where they'll take on the NFC champion Washington Redskins. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:30 PM Eastern on CBS, and Pat Summerall and former Raiders coach John Madden will be on hand to call the action.

Allen was named MVP by NBC. He led the Silver and Black in both rushing and receiving, carrying nineteen times for ninety-six yards and catching five passes for fifty-six yards. The Fins got a miserable day from Danny Marino; the rookie quarterback was held to nine completions in nineteen attempts for only eighty-one yards and an interception. Nathan led the rushing attack with sixty-one yards on twelve carries. but forty-six of those yards came on the carry we described earlier that set up Miami's only score.

The Raiders would go on to rout the Redskins 38-9 in Super Bowl XVIII. Allen was the main reason, gaining 191 yards on twenty carries with two touchdowns, including a breathtaking seventy-four yarder that's still remembered as one of the great runs in Super Bowl history. This is the first Super Bowl won by the Oakland/Los Angeles franchise, while the Redskins have become the first franchise in the Super Bowl era to get to the big game four times without a victory, as well as the first team to lose back-to-back Super Bowls that we've covered so far in this timeline. (We covered Super Bowl XVII in our other thread.)

We've contested seventeen Super Bowls so far in the Pythagorean universe, and the AFC has a 10-7 lead over the NFC.

Next: The standings for 1984.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Since we've been discussing Billy Sims and Monte Clark over the last couple of days, why don't I sim the Lions' two Super Bowl appearances and see how they did? We begin with Super Bowl XV at the Louisiana Superdome:

The Patriots opened the scoring on their first possession On the first play from scrimmage, Steve Grogan came out throwing, completing a fifteen-yard pass to Stanley Morgan. Later in the drive, he threw a swing pass out of the backfield to Don Calhoun, who broke two Detroit tackles on his way to a twenty-six yard gain and a first and goal at the Detroit ten-yard line. On first and goal. running back Vegas Ferguson was stopped for no gain. On second and goal, he darted through a hole up the middle and into the end zone for the New England touchdown. John Smith added the extra point, and with 9:48 to play in the first quarter the AFC champs had a 7-0 lead.

The Pats found the end zone again in their next possession. Roland James started things off by returning a punt inside Detroit territory, giving them the ball at the forty-five. Calhoun gained one first down with a thirteen-yard sprint off right tackle, and on third and three from the twenty-six Grogan found veteran receiver Harold Jackson for seventeen yards and a first and goal at the nine. The touchdown came on third and goal from the three after the Lions were called for encroachment. Grogan rolled to his right and spotted Morgan wide open in the corner of the end zone, and Stanley caught the short flip for the score. Smith once again added the extra point, and after one quarter the Pats were in firm control, 14-0.

There were no serious scoring threats in the second quarter. Each team crossed midfield once; the Pats punted, while the Lions ran out of time. Gary Danielson found Freddie Scott for nineteen yards and Dexter Bussey for twelve to get his team into Pats territory for the first time in the game, but backup linebacker Bill Matthews sacked him for a five-yard loss on first down, and two desperation Hail Marys fell incomplete. At the half, our score was still Patriots 14, Lions 0. Billy Sims had largely been absent from the Lions' offense; he'd gained just fourteen yards on seven carries and hadn't caught a pass. Meanwhile, the Pats' defense had sacked Danielson five times.

Things were different as the second half began. The Lions started their first possession at their own forty-five following John Arnold's punt return, and Sims got the ball on the first three plays from scrimmage rushing twice for fifteen yards and catching a screen pass for fourteen more and a first down at the New England twenty-eight. The other big play of the drive was a twelve-yard pass to Scott that gave the NFC champs a first and goal at the seven. The Pats didn't permit another yard, though, and Eddie Murray's twenty-four yard field goal still left New England in charge 14-3 with 7:47 left in the third. The Lions had missed a golden opportunity, especially since Sims had been wide open in the end zone on third down, only for a pressured Danielson to throw the ball just a hair over his head.

Late in the third period, the Detroit defense finally gave its offense a break. Linebacker Stan White tattooed Pats running back Andy Johnson, who promptly fumbled. Former Steeler Jimmy Allen recovered at midfield, and the Lions were threatening once more. A pass to Scott gained them eleven yards, and Bussey's twenty-yard catch-and-run gave them a first and ten at the twenty. They'd worked their way down to the four by the time the third quarter ended, but Sims could only gain a yard on third and goal. Not wanting to come away without points, Lions coach Monte Clark again called on Murray, who was good from twenty yards out. Forty-seven seconds into the final quarter, the Pats' lead was down to 14-6.

On their next possession, the Pats invaded Lions territory on a twenty-nine yard burst up the middle by Ferguson, but the next few plays fizzled and they punted. The next time they had the ball, they started at their own forty-eight following another James punt return, and Grogan found Russ Francis for eleven yards and a first down in Detroit territory. They eventually reached the thirty-one, but Smith's forty-eight yard field goal attempt was wide left from the minute it came off his foot.

After that miss, the Lions got the ball at their own thirty-eight with 5:40 to play. On the second play of the drive, Danielson sent Sims down the middle of the field on a pass pattern, then laid the ball right in his hands. Billy broke a tackle before finally being brought down at the Pats' thirty-yard line, a gain of thirty-one yards. After taking a play off, Sims crashed his way up the middle for eleven more yards and another first down. That set up a first and ten at the twelve, and the Lions ran the same play on which Sims had been overthrown earlier. This time. Danielson's pass was on target, and Murray added the extra point to cut the New England lead to 14-13 with 2:50 left in regulation.

The Pats put themselves back in scoring position on their next drive, but Smith's fifty-seven yard attempt was far short. This gave the Lions the ball at their own forty-seven with 1:25 remaining and just one timeout left. Bussey's twelve-yard run got them a first down, but the Pats' ninth sack of Danielson and an incomplete pass put them right back behind the eight-ball. On third and fifteen from the Pats' forty-six, Danielson just barely avoided a tenth sack, then found Leonard Thompson at the sidelines for twenty yards and the first down. He followed that up with a thirteen-yard strike to wide receiver David Hill for another first down with 1:09 left. After a short pass and a run by Bussey got the ball down to the four, Clark used the Lions' last timeout with four seconds left. A field goal would be a twenty-one yard chip shot for Murray. Instead, Clark made the unfathomable decision to send his offense back onto the field. Here's how Dick Enberg described what happened next:

"This figures to be a pass, as we have five wide receivers. A throw into the end zone is all they have time for, although Sims is in the backfield to block. This is it for the Lions; it's a touchdown or nothing...…..Danielson hands the ball to Sims...…...NOBODY TOUCHES HIM! TOUCHDOWN LIONS! OH, MY!...……..The Lions are world champions! Everyone in the Superdome including Merlin Olsen and myself thought that the Lions would throw, and somehow we forgot about the man that makes it all work: Billy Sims."

Merlin Olsen: "What a gutsy call by Monte Clark, Dick. He knows he has a chip-shot field goal to win the game, yet he must have seen something in the Patriots' defense that led him to try and take it into the end zone, and what better choice than Billy Sims? He must have seen that the Patriots were tired on defense and decided to exploit it. It worked, and the city of Detroit has a Super Bowl champion for the first time."

Somehow in all of the pandemonium on the field, Murray added the extra point, and the Lions' seventeen-point fourth-quarter comeback was in the books. Our final score: Lions 20, Patriots 14.

Sims was named Super Bowl MVP. He ended up with seventy-one yards on nineteen carries with a touchdown, and sixty-six yards on four catches with another touchdown. He was the game's overall leading receiver. Ferguson outgained him by a yard on the ground, as he compiled seventy-two yards on fourteen carries with a touchdown in a losing cause. Danielson also deserves some accolades; he completed sixteen of his twenty-five passes for 206 yards and a touchdown despite being sacked a Super Bowl-record nine times. Matthews had three, and linebacker Steve Nelson added a pair.

We've now contested eighteen Super Bowls in the Pythagorean universe, and the AFC's all-time lead has been cut to 10-8.

Before we go, a historical note. The Lions' comeback was the second-most important on January 25, 1981; also on that day, the American hostages came home from Iran after 444 days of captivity.

Next: The Lions try to defend their world title in Super Bowl XVI at the Silverdome when they take on the Cincinnati Bengals.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Now it's time for Super Bowl XVI from the Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan:

The Bengals opened the scoring on their first possession. The big play on the drive was a forty-eight yard pass from Kenny Anderson to Isaac Curtis that gave the Bengals a first down at the Lions' twenty-four. The touchdown came on a six-yard burst off right tackle by former two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin. Jim Breech added the extra point, and with 10:39 left in the opening period the visitors led 7-0.

The Lions' defense evened things up midway through the period. As we join the action, it's third and four for the Bengals at their own twenty-four. Here's Pat Summerall:

"Anderson back to throw, has time, looking over the middle for (tight end Dan) Ross.....it's intercepted by Jimmy Allen! Allen over the twenty-five, the twenty, cuts back to the sideline and he will go in for the touchdown!...….A thirty-three yard return, and the Lions can tie this game with the extra point."

John Madden: "Not a bad throw by Kenny Anderson, just a great anticipatory play by Jimmy Allen. He steps right in front of Ross and takes the ball cleanly. Then he cuts back to the sideline on the return, and no one comes close to catching him. You know, Pat, this is still a Lions crowd. People thought that it wouldn't be loud because of all the corporate executives and high rollers, and that the Lions wouldn't have a home field advantage, but that's not the case at all."

Summerall: "They should have been in our hotel about four this morning!"

Eddie Murray added the extra point, and the game was tied at seven with 7:06 to play in the opening quarter.

The Bengals unsnapped the tie before the end of the period. A thirty-one yard catch-and-run by Griffin put the ball in Detroit territory at the forty-two, and later on Cris Collinsworth turned a simple Anderson checkdown into a twenty-six yard gain with some textbook open-field running. The drive got as far as the Lions' six, by linebacker Garry Cobb sacked Anderson for a seven-yard loss on a third down. Breech came in to attempt a thirty-yard field goal, which was good. At the end of the first quarter, the Bengals led the Lions 10-7.

The Bengals padded their lead midway through the second quarter. Anderson found Curtis for twelve yards and one first down, than hit divisional round hero Steve Kreider for twelve more yards and another first down. The visitors also got a break when an apparent no-gain stop of fullback Pete Johnson turned into fifteen yards and a first down because Lions linebacker Stan White tackled Johnson by the facemask. The drive eventually stalled at the Detroit nine-yard line, but Breech converted a twenty-six yard field goal to extend the Bengals' lead to 13-7 with 4:57 left in the first half.

The Lions finally crossed midfield for the first time today thanks to a ten-yard run by reserve running back Vince Thompson, but on second and six from the Cincy twenty-six quarterback Eric Hipple was pressured into a bad throw, which was promptly picked off by linebacker Bo Harris. The Bengals went three-and-out, and with 1:18 left in the half punter Pat McInally was ready to kick to the Lions' Robbie Martin. Here's Pat:

"McInally gets off a boomer High spiral taken by Martin at the twenty. Twenty-five, thirty, gets a block at the thirty-five, over the forty, forty-five, midfield, and he's in the secondary! Down to the forty, thirty-five, and McInally's all he has to beat! He's past him and going into the end zone! An eighty-yard punt return, and the Silverdome's going absolutely wild!"

Madden: "A perfectly executed punt return by Robbie Martin and the rest of the Lions' special teams. Everybody does their job perfectly; Martin waits for his blocks, and the blocks come jut as he needs them. Soon there's only one guy left to beat, and that's Pat McInally. That race isn't even close, and McInally's a football player; he's a wide receiver who also punts, not just a regular punter."

Murray added the tiebreaking extra point, and the Lions took a 14-13 lead with fifty-six seconds left in the first half. Anderson hooked up with Collinsworth on passes of eighteen, twelve, and twenty-eight yards to get the visitors back in scoring position as the half wound down, but time ran out with the Bengals at the Detroit twenty-one yard line. At halftime, they trailed the defending Super Bowl champions 14-13.

The Bengals took the lead on their first possession of the second half. Anderson hooked up with Johnson out of the backfield for fifteen yards and a first down, then hit Ross for twelve yards and another first. Next the running game took center stage, as Charles Alexander ran a picture-perfect sweep to the left for sixteen yards and a first down at the Lions' nine. On the very next play, Anderson hit a wide-open Kreider in the corner of the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown. Breech's extra point gave the Bengals a 20-14 lead after three quarters.

The Bengals tried to add to their lead the next time they had the ball. Mike Fuller's punt return set the offense up at its own forty-two, and Alexander's fourteen-yard jaunt up the middle put the Bengals in Detroit territory. But it all went sour a few plays later, as Johnson was stripped by Cobb after gaining enough for another Cincy first down. Former Steelers safety Ray Oldham recovered for the home squad at its own twenty-eight, and for the first time today the Lions' offense began to hum. Hipple's thirteen-yard screen to Billy Sims produced one first down, and Billy pounded up the middle for fourteen yards and another first on the very next play. Then, on second and nine from the Bengals' thirty-five, Hipple threw the home run ball for Freddie Scott, who made a dazzling one-handed catch at the two while managing to keep both feet in bounds. The Bengals toughened on defense, stopping three consecutive running plays for no gain. That brought Murray on, and he punched through a nineteen-yard field goal to cut the Cincy lead to 20-17 with about five minutes remaining in regulation time.

The Lions' defense forced a three-and-out, and the Lions got the ball back following a McInally punt with 4:13 to play. Sims slashed off left tackle for sixteen yards and one first down, then knifed off right tackle for eighteen yards and another. But time was running out on the home squad, and Hipple just barely managed to get off a pass on third and eight from the Cincy thirty-four with eighteen seconds left. Leonard Thompson made the catch, but was pushed out of bounds at the thirteen with just five seconds to play. As was the case last year, there was time for just one more play. A Murray field goal from thirty yards out would force overtime, but for the second year in a row Lions coach Monte Clark decided to go for the win. Here's Pat:

"Technically it's first and ten, but realistically this is the last play of the game."

Madden: "Remember what the Lions did last year, Pat. The Bengals have to be keying on Sims and forcing Hipple to throw."

Summerall: "Five wide receivers and Sims in the backfield, just like last year. Hipple hands off......Sims at the ten, breaks a tackle, (Linebacker Jim) LeClair on his back...….HE SCORES!...…..It's pandemonium in Pontiac, as the Lions are once again Super Bowl champions, and once again it's Billy Sims scoring on the last play of the game."

Madden: "You can't fault the Bengals, Pat. They had the play defensed perfectly. This is about the heart of Billy Sims. He wouldn't let the Bengals tackle him. Look at him carry Jim LeClair into the end zone like he weighs fifty pounds. This is just a case of a superstar wanting it just a bit more than anyone else on the field. And look at all the Lions fans on the field. No other fanbase has ever had a feeling like this. As big an event as the Super Bowl has become, for your team to win it in your own stadium......they'll remember this night as long as there's a city of Detroit."

In the midst of the pandemonium, Murray kicked the extra point against a skeleton Bengals defense, and the Lions' second straight world title was in the books. Final score; Lions 24, Bengals 20.

To the surprise of no one, Sims was named Super Bowl MVP for the second straight year, joining Bart Starr as the only players to be named MVP twice. He finished his day with ninety yards on seventeen carries plus the winning touchdown. Anderson had a spectacular passing day in a losing cause, completing eighteen of thirty-two for 287 yards with a touchdown and an interception despite being sacked five times by the Detroit defense. Cobb led the way with two. Collinsworth was the game's leading receiver with six catches for ninety-eight yards. For the Lions, Hipple attempted only twelve passes, completing seven for 104 yards and an interception.

We've now had nineteen Super Bowls, and the AFC's all-time lead over the NFC is down to one at 10-9.

Next: The standings for 1984.

Thoughts?

 

[DTF955Baseballfan]

Wow, SUper Bowl XV was amazing. I wonder if the kicker hurt himself or something that we don't know about. That one might give Sims a bust in Canton. (Edit: Saw Super Bowl XVI now, yes, it'd take him a while with a shorter career but he'd be in Canton eventually.) As for Clark, witht he Raiders not wining in 1980, I think I see what could have happened.

Clark wins the Super Bowl in 1976 with a surprise upset, then things go south, and after 4-12 the team doesn't want to give him a raise. Plunkett had an okay season in 1978 but they still draft Montana in the 3rd round as OTL, but here more because he's seen as a good insurance policy.

Clark goes to Detroit and becomes TTL's John Gruden, who took a team in Tampa that had been built to win and took them the rest of the way.Then, Plunkett loses his job midway through the 1980 season to Montana as he is seen as perhaps over the hill. He becomes Steve DeBerg of TTL (DeBerg might actually quarterback the Raiders in 1980), and winds up going to Los Angeles in 1982, as they trade for a proven veteran in their new home to win over fans.

Interesting that Jay Schoeder in the 1987 one was listed as the Redskins' QB and not Doug Williams. This makes sense, though, the butterflies from this setup could mean that WIlliams is with a totally different team. I just hope something happens so we can imagine him winning a Super Bowl somewhere instead of the QB who actually does, since I like the fact the public saw a black QB succeed there.

Then again, who knows - int he future we might see Warren Moon or Randall Cunningham be Super Bowl MVP.

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Murray didn't hurt himself in either game; he kicked the extra point after each game-winner. It's just the way the plays came up.

Nice idea about Plunkett and Montana, but what about Dan Pastorini, who was acquired by the Raiders going into the '80 season, in place of DeBerg? He has more of a track record in this universe, as he led the Oilers to Super Bowl XII.

WhatIfSports listed Schroeder as the starter for the '87 Skins because he started ten games, the most of any Washington quarterback that year. I simply forgot about Williams when I ran the sim; it may have turned out to be a blessing, since getting to the Super Bowl and losing wouldn't have done a lot for Williams anyway. I don't change rosters in this universe, so he's still a Redskin for a couple of more years. (He retired a Redskin in 1989.)

Moon definitely has a chance at a championship with the late eighties/early nineties "House of Pain" Oilers. I'm not so sure about Cunningham until he gets to Minnesota in 1998. Then again, who knows what's going to happen in the Pythagorean universe? I sure wouldn't have banked on the Lions winning back-to-back Super Bowls and Monte Clark being almost a Hall of Fame lock. (He and Chuck Noll are the only two coaches in this universe to win at least three Super Bowls.) In real life, he would have been a legend in Detroit, and probably would have coached the Lions well into the Barry Sanders era. He won't do so here, because I don't change coaches either.

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned as we head through the eighties!

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Now it's time to examine 1984 in the AFC. We begin in the East:

Miami Dolphins: 13-3 (-1)
New England Patriots: 8-8 (-1)
New York Jets: 7-9 (0)
Buffalo Bills: 3-13 (+1)
Indianapolis Colts: 3-13 (-1)

The Fins and Pats both drop a game, which preserves Miami's five-game margin of victory. The Jets stay where they are and finish third in their first year at the Meadowlands, while a one-game improvement by the Bills and a one-game drop by the newly-relocated Colts creates a tie for fourth.

We go to the expected win totals to settle the tie for fourth, and the Colts prevail. 3.4 to 3.1.

Next, to the Central:

Pittsburgh Steelers: 10-6 (+1)
Cincinnati Bengals: 8-8 (0)
Cleveland Browns: 6-10 (+1)
Houston Oilers: 3-13 (0)

The Steelers add a game to increase their final lead, and the Bengals freeze and finish second. New coach Marty Schottenheimer improves his Browns by a game after taking over from Sam Rutigliano midseason, and new quarterback Warren Moon does nothing for the last-place Oilers in his first year. Better days figure to be ahead for everyone except the reigning champions.

Finally, we examine the West:

Seattle Seahawks: 12-4 (0)
Denver Broncos: 11-5 (-2)
Los Angeles Raiders: 11-5 (0)
Kansas City Chiefs: 8-8 (0)
San Diego Chargers: 8-8 (+1)

The Broncos fall by a pair, which opens the door for the Hawks to claim both their first-ever playoff spot and their first division title without moving. The Broncos end up tied with the Raiders for second, but both teams also qualify for wild card spots. Meanwhile, a one-game improvement by the Bolts ties them for fourth with the Chiefs, who stay where they are. It also creates a rarity in the divisional era, as all five teams finish .500 or better.

We have two ties to break. First, let's settle fourth place. The Chiefs nip the Bolts, 7.7 to 7.6.

Next, let's settle second place, which will also determine home field for the AFC Wild Card Game. The Broncos prevail in a rout, 11.4 to 10.6. This means that the game will take place at Mile High Stadium in Denver on Sunday, December 23. Kickoff is scheduled for 4PM Eastern on NBC, with Charlie Jones and Bob Griese calling the action.

Seeds:

1. Dolphins (AFC East champs): 13-3
2. Seahawks (AFC West champs): 12-4
3. Steelers (AFC Central champs): 10-6
4. Broncos: (AFC West second place): 11-5
5. Raiders: (AFC West third place): 11-5

Next: We look at the NFC.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Now it's time for our look at 1984 in the NFC. We begin in the East:

Washington Redskins: 11-5 (0)
St. Louis Cardinals: 10-6 (+1)
New York Giants: 8-8 (-1)
Dallas Cowboys: 8-8 (-1)
Philadelphia Eagles: 7-9 (+1)

The Skins hold where they are to take the East for the third consecutive year. The real-life three-way tie for second is solved easily, as the Redbirds add a game to put themselves in playoff position while the Boys and Giants each drop a game and tie for third. Meanwhile, the Eagles' tie in Detroit turns into a win, but that's not enough to keep them out of last place. In other news, the Boys will most likely miss the playoffs for the first time in ten years.

Now to the Central:

Chicago Bears: 11-5 (+1)
Green Bay Packers: 10-6 (+2)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 7-9 (+1)
Detroit Lions: 5-11 (+1)
Minnesota Vikings: 3-13 (0)

The Bears add a game to preserve their division title, which is good news because the Pack improves by a pair to finish second and nail down a wild card spot. The Bucs manage a one-game improvement in the last year of John McKay's tenure as head coach, but with the Seahawks' division crown this year, they're the only current NFL team never to make the playoffs. In other news, Monte Clark's spectacular tenure as Lions coach ends abruptly after a fourth-place finish caused in part by a career-ending knee injury to Billy Sims, and the Les Steckel era in Minnesota fizzles out after the Vikes win just three games. It's so bad that Bud Grant has been called out of retirement for the 1985 campaign.

Note: We've already covered the 1987 campaign, where the New Orleans Saints made the playoffs for the first time as a wild card. For details, see my other thread, "The Pythagorean NFL Part 2: The Strike Years".

Finally, to the West:

San Francisco 48ers: 14-2 (-1)
Los Angeles Rams: 9-7 (-1)
New Orleans Saints: 6-10 (-1)
Atlanta Falcons: 5-11 (+1)

The only team not to drop a game are the basement-dwelling Falcons, who manage a one-game improvement under new coach Dan Henning. The Niners still blow out the Rams by five games to win the division title, while the Saints still finish three games out of second.

Seeds:

1. 49ers (NFC West champs): 14-2
2. Redskins (NFC East champs): 11-5
3. Bears (NFC Central champs): 11-5
4. Packers (NFC Central second place): 10-6
5. Cardinals (NFC East second place): 10-6

The Redskins hold the expected wins tiebreaker over the Bears for the two seed, 10.9 to 10.5. As a result, they'll host the Bears in the second NFC Divisional Playoff on Sunday, December 30.

The Packers hold the expected wins tiebreaker over the Cardinals for the first wild card, 10.2 to 9.9. As a result, they'll host the Cardinals in the NFC Wild Card Game on Sunday, December 23. Kickoff from Lambeau Field is at 12:30 Eastern on CBS, with Pat Summerall and John Madden on hand to describe the action.

Next: We begin the AFC playoffs, as the Raiders take on the Broncos in the Wild Card Game.

Thoughts?

 

[DTF955Baseballfan]

I sure wouldn't have banked on the Lions winning back-to-back Super Bowls and Monte Clark being almost a Hall of Fame lock. (He and Chuck Noll are the only two coaches in this universe to win at least three Super Bowls.) In real life, he would have been a legend in Detroit, and probably would have coached the Lions well into the Barry Sanders era. He won't do so here, because I don't change coaches either.

WIthout Dick Vermeil winning an NFC title, perhaps Monte Clark becomes the more successful and more well-known poster boy for coaching burnout TTL - Vermeil and he are about the same age, but if we figure on Clark coaching '76-'79 and then leaving over a contract issue, then having 5 years in Detroit, it's easy to imagine him burning himself out.

 

[Garrett Garlits]

It's altogether possible; he was out of football for five years after the Lions fired him, so he could have been a burnout case after winning the Super Bowl twice, especially in the fashion that the Lions did.

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Now it's time for the 1984 AFC Wild Card Game from Mile High Stadium in Denver. Game time temperature is 51 degrees, with partly cloudy skies and a north-northwest wind at 13 MPH.

The Raiders struck first on the opening play from scrimmage. It's first and ten at the LA thirty-seven as we pick up the call from Charlie Jones:

"Three on the pattern for (quarterback) Marc Wilson, with (Marcus) Allen and (Frank) Hawkins the setbacks. Wilson will throw right away, and he will throw deep! (Cliff) Branch underneath it...….he's got it at the twenty-five, the twenty, the ten, and he goes in for the touchdown!...…..A sixty-three yard bomb on the very first play, and Mile High Stadium is absolutely stunned!"

Bob Griese: "Branch just beat (Broncos cornerback) Louie Wright badly, Charlie. He gets two steps on Wright at the start of his pattern, and even at his age, you don't catch Cliff Branch if you're two steps behind him. Wilson lays the ball in perfectly, and just twenty seconds into this game the Raiders have the lead."

Chris Bahr missed the extra point, but the Raiders still held a 6-0 lead after one quarter.

The Raiders added a field goal just after the two-minute warning. Greg Pruitt's punt return gave them good field position at their own forty-five, and Wilson wasted not time finding wide receiver Dokie Williams for ten yards and fellow wideout Malcolm Barnwell for twelve more. Allen's eleven-yard bolt up the middle put them in range for Bahr, who converted from twenty-nine yards out to give the Silver and Black a 9-0 lead with 1:28 remaining in the first half.

After the Broncos went three and out on their next possession, the Raiders capitalized on another great Pruitt punt return to add another touchdown before halftime. This time, Pruitt's punt return got them to the Denver forty-one, and Allen took it from there, first gaining six yards on a pitchout to the right, then running Student Body Left for thirty-five yards and the touchdown. Bahr's extra point put the visitors up 16-0 at the half. Here's Charlie's touchdown call:

"Allen again, cuts back left, gets a block, and HE'S GONE! HE'LL TAKE IT IN UNTOUCHED!...…...Thirty-five yards, and not a Bronco near him after he hit the thirty! The Raiders' version of USC's Student Body Left, and the Broncos were caught completely unprepared."

Griese: "What a tremendous run by Marcus Allen. This probably isn't really Student Body Left, but it's a perfectly executed sweep. Marcus isn't touched as he goes in, but the way he's running today he looks like he could go right through the whole Denver defense if he needed to."

The Broncos finally got on the scoreboard at the end of the third quarter. Gerald Willhite returned a Ray Guy punt to the Raiders' forty-seven, and quarterback John Elway drove them to the twenty in just five plays. Kicker Rich Karlis converted a thirty-seven yard attempt on the final play of the third quarter, and with fifteen minutes left in regulation the Raiders' lead was cut to 16-3.

The Broncos added another field goal midway through the final quarter, thanks in part to a fifteen-yard pass from Elway to wide receiver Steve Watson. The drive stalled at the Los Angeles seven, but Karlis connected from twenty-four yards out to cut the Raiders' lead to 16-6, which turned out to be the final score.

Here's next weekend's Divisional Playoff schedule in the AFC:

Saturday, December 29:

Raiders-Dolphins, 12:30, NBC- Marv Albert, John Brodie

Sunday, December 30:

Steelers-Seahawks, 4, NBC- Dick Enberg, Merlin Olsen

Allen was named MVP by NBC. He gained seventy-three yards on sixteen carries with a touchdown. The Broncos' high note was their pass rush, which sacked Wilson six times. Elway was less than magnificent in his first playoff game, as he completed just ten of twenty-three passes for 130 yards and was intercepted twice.

Next: To be determined.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Now it's time for the first 1984 AFC Divisional Playoff from the Orange Bowl in Miami. Game time temperature is 79 degrees, with partly cloudy skies and an east wind at 19 MPH.

After a scoreless first quarter, the Dolphins got on the board first less than a minute into the second. Fulton walker's punt return set the offense up at its own forty-eight on the last play of the opening period, and on the first play of the second quarterback Danny Marino fired downfield and found wide receiver Mark Duper at the Los Angeles thirteen-yard line for a gain of thirty-six. They connected again in the end zone on the next play, and Uwe von Schamann's extra point gave the home squad a 7-0 lead just fifty-two seconds into quarter number two.

The Killer Bees defense was responsible for the Fins' next score, as Raiders quarterback Marc Wilson threw a pass over the middle and right into the arms of cornerback Don McNeal, who returned it to the LA thirty-one. It took only one play for the Fins to score, as running back Tony Nathan took a handoff on a draw play and found absolutely no resistance from the Silver and Black. He raced into the end zone untouched, and von Schamann added the extra point to increase the Miami lead to 14-0 with 6:18 to play in the first half.

Another Raiders turnover turned into the Fins' third touchdown of the quarter. Marcus Allen was hit by linebacker A.J. Duhe and lost the football. Defensive end Kim Bokamper made the recovery at the Raiders' thirty-eight, and on the third play of the ensuing drive Nathan popped off right tackle, broke a tackle in the secondary, and made his way into the end zone for the second time today from twenty-six yards out. On the previous play, he'd gained ten yards up the middle. Von Schamann added another extra point, and the Dolphins led 21-0 with 1:25 still left until halftime.

The Raiders got on the board with a field goal on the final play of the first half. Cleo Montgomery's kickoff return gave them good field position at their own forty-six, and the big play of the drive was a twenty-yard gain on a left side sweep by Frank Hawkins. The drive stalled at the Miami nineteen, but Chris Bahr was good from thirty-six yards out on the final play of the first half. Our halftime score: Dolphins 21, Raiders 3.

The Raiders crept back into the game a little further with a third-quarter field goal. They got the ball at their own thirty-four after von Schamann missed from forty-four yards out, and the big play of the drive was a fifteen-yard pass from backup quarterback Jim Plunkett to Cliff Branch. The drive reached the Miami thirty-three before the Dolphs could stymie it, and Bahr boomed a fifty-yard field goal to get the visitors back on the board. At the end of three quarters it was Miami 21, Los Angeles 6.

The Dolphins were finally able to gat back on the board midway through the final quarter. Marino was the leader of this drive, completing a key twelve-yard pass to veteran receiver Nat Moore for one first down and finding fellow wideout Mark Clayton for twenty-four yards later in the drive for another. The drive reached the Raiders' twenty-five before petering out, and von Schamann was good from forty-two yards out to take a 24-6 lead with 6:03 left in the game.

The Raiders were running out of time, and Plunkett took them on a four-play, all-pass drive to get them back into the end zone. First, he hit Allen out of the backfield for fifteen yards. Then it was tight end Todd Christensen for eighteen. Finally, a pair of nineteen-yard passes to wide receiver Malcolm Barnwell, the second of which went for the touchdown. Bahr's extra point cut the Miami lead to 24-13 with 5:15 left in regulation.

The Los Angeles defense forced a three-and-out, and the Raiders took over at midfield following a punt with around four minutes left. Unfortunately, their dreams were crushed on the second play of the drive. Here's Marv Albert:

"Plunkett back to throw on second and ten. Looking for Barnwell...…...It's off his hands and....picked off by Blackwood! Lyle Blackwood over the forty, the thirty-five, the thirty, only Plunkett to beat......he's going in for a clinching Dolphins touchdown! A fifty-yard interception return by the free safety Lyle Blackwood, and that will do it! The Dolphins will go back to the AFC Championship Game, and they'll host either the Steelers or the Seahawks next Sunday."

John Brodie: "Plunkett was trying to get his team back in the ballgame, but there's no excuse for this throw. It's off of Malcolm Barnwell's hands, and Lyle Blackwood's right there to take it back for six. He should have thrown short, or maybe let Marcus Allen see if he could break a long one, before he threw a desperation pass like that, Marv."

Von Schamann's extra point established our final score: Dolphins 31, Raiders 13. They will indeed host the AFC Championship Game next Sunday afternoon at the Orange Bowl against either the Steelers or the Seahawks.

Nathan was named MVP by NBC. He finished with seventy-nine yards on just eleven carries with two touchdowns. Here's Marv Albert's call of his first touchdown:

"Nathan gets the call, right through the middle, and he's loose. Fifteen, ten, five, TOUCHDOWN TONY NATHAN!...…….A thirty-one yard run, and the Raiders' defense had very little to say about it."

Brodie: "Not a soul in silver and black was anywhere near Nathan, Marv. Part of that was blocking, and part of that was lazy defense. They're keying too much on Dan Marino because of all the yards he threw for this year, and when you do that you pay for it by giving up touchdowns like this."

Speaking of Dan the Man, he only threw twenty-one times, completing fourteen for 178 yards with a touchdown and an interception. The Dolphins' defense also did its job, sacking Wilson and Plunkett a combined five times. Defensive end Doug Betters led the way with a pair.

Next: The Steelers travel to the Kingdome to oppose the Seahawks.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Now it's time for the second 1984 AFC Divisional Playoff from the Kingdome in Seattle:

The Seahawks scored first on their opening possession. They gouged the Steelers' defense for fifty-nine yards on consecutive running plays: a thirty-seven yard bolt up the middle by running back David Hughes and a twenty-two yard run by running back Eric Lane, also up the middle. The Hawks reached the Pittsburgh seventeen before settling for a thirty-four yard field goal attempt by kicker Norm Johnson. The kick was good, and the home squad led 3-0 with 9:36 left in the opening period.

Later in the period, Kenny Easley's punt return set up the offense at its own forty-seven, and quarterback Dave Krieg completed a pair of nineteen-yard passes to move his team into field goal range. The first was a screen to running back Dan Doornink, while the second was a throw over the middle to future Hall of Famer Steve Largent. Johnson's attempt this time was from thirty-three yards out, and he converted to increase the Seattle lead to 6-0 with 2:04 to play in the opening quarter.

Johnson put a third field goal on the board just before the end of the first quarter. Linebacker Greg Gaines picked off a Mark Malone pass and returned it to the Steelers' forty-one, and on the first play from scrimmage Lane ripped his way through the middle of the Pittsburgh defense for another long gain, this one thirty-one yards to give the Hawks a first and goal at the Pittsburgh ten. The offense could only gain three yards in the next three plays, but Johnson was good from twenty-four yards out to stretch the Hawks' lead to 9-0 after one quarter of play.

The Hawks took advantage of a second Steeler turnover to put three more on the board early in the second quarter. Easley caused the fumble with a hard hit on running back Frankie Pollard, then beat two Steelers to the recovery at the Pittsburgh twenty-six. The key play pf the drive was a nineteen-yard completion from Krieg to veteran tight end Charle Young that gave the Hawks a first and goal at the four. The Steeler defense toughened, pushing them back three yards over the next three plays, but Johnson hit a twenty-four yard field goal to give the AFC West champs a 12-0 lead with 13:09 to play in the second quarter.

The Hawks added a fifth field goal just before halftime. Backup safety John Harris blocked Craig Colquitt's punt, and backup running back Randall Morris pounced on the ball at the Steelers' thirteen. Johnson was good from twenty-eight yards three plays later, and the Hawks led the Steelers 15-0 at the half.

The final points of the game came early in the third quarter, as the Steelers' offense put together their best drive of the day after taking the second half kickoff. The ground game did most of the damage, as running back Walter Abercrombie popped off the right side for fourteen yards and a first down and third-down specialist Rich Erenberg romped up the middle for eleven yards and another first. The touchdown came from twenty-five yards out, as quarterback David Woodley, who had replaced Malone on the drive, found six-foot-six rookie wide receiver Weegie Thompson, who outleapt two Seattle defenders for the ball and came down flat on his stomach. Gary Anderson added the extra point, and the Hawks' lead was cut to 15-7, which is where it stayed. The Hawks will travel to the Orange Bowl in Miami next Sunday to take on Danny Marino and the Miami Dolphins in the AFC Championship Game. Once again, our final score: Seahawks 15, Steelers 7.

Johnson was named MVP by NBC for hitting all five of his field goal attempts.

The Dolphins rolled over the Hawks the following week, 31-10. Marino was twenty-one of thirty-four for 282 yards and three touchdowns, and Tony Nathan added another score on the ground. which offset a six-catch, 128-yard, one-touchdown performance from Largent. The Dolphins will represent the AFC in Super Bowl XIX, which will be contested on January 20 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. Kickoff is at 6PM Eastern on ABC, with Frank Gifford, Don Meredith, and Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann in the booth and O.J. Simpson on the sidelines.

Next: We begin the NFC playoffs with the Wild Card Game, as the Packers entertain the Cardinals.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Now it's time for the 1984 NFC Wild Card Game from Lambeau Field in Green Bay. Game time temperature is 13 degrees, with cloudy skies and a north wind at 7 MPH. Wind chill at kickoff is three degrees above zero.

The Cardinals opened the scoring late in the first quarter with a fourteen-play, eight-minute drive which culminated in a field goal. Running back Otis Anderson peeled off runs of eighteen yards off right tackle and twelve yards up the middle, and also caught a pass from quarterback Neil Lomax out of the backfield for ten yards to convert a key third down. The drive eventually stalled at the Packers' five-yard line, but kicker Neil O'Donoghue converted a twenty-two yard field goal to give the Cards a 3-0 lead with 2:17 left in the opening quarter.

The Pack used a pair of running plays to get into field goal range before the period ended. They only got the ball to the eighteen on the ensuing kickoff, but running back Eddie Lee Ivery stormed up the middle for nineteen yards and a first down on the first play of the drive. On the next play, fullback Jessie Clark faked going up the middle, then cut back to the left and found nothing but green in front of him. He was eventually brought down at the St. Louis sixteen after a gain of forty-seven. The offense gained only three more yards, but kicker Al Del Greco converted a thirty-yard field goal attempt to knot things up at three after one period of play.

The Cardinals took the lead midway through the second quarter. Lomax completed passes of twelve yards to running back Stump Mitchell and fifteen yards to veteran wide receiver Pat Tilley, while the running game contributed a pair of sixteen-yard runs. One was off the left side by Anderson, while the other was off the right side by Mitchell. The touchdown came on second and goal from the twelve, when Lomax hooked up with wide receiver Roy Green for the score. O'Donoghue made the extra point, and the Redbirds took a 10-3 lead with 6:39 left before halftime.

The Packers answered with a field goal on their next possession. The big play on the drive was an eleven-yard gain on a draw play by running back Gerry Ellis. The Pack was halted at the Cards' thirty-three, but Del Greco braved the slight but cutting wind to convert from fifty yards out and cut the St. Louis led to 10-6 with 2:26 left in the first half.

The Cards ran a picture perfect two-minute drill to get back into the end zone before the half. Lomax completed a pair of key passes to Tilley for gains of twenty-one and twelve, and also found Green for a gain of thirteen and a first down at the Green Bay fourteen. A play later, Anderson bolted up the middle and into the end zone from thirteen yards out. O'Donoghue made the extra point, and the Cards took a 17-6 lead into the locker room at halftime.

The visitors added to their lead after taking the second half kickoff. The two biggest plays were an eleven-yard run off left tackle by Anderson and a sixteen-yard pass to wide receiver Danny Pittman that converted a key third down. Eventually it was fourth and goal at the Green Bay one, and Cards coach Jim Hanifan decided to go for the jugular. Most people expected Anderson to pound it in; instead, Lomax rolled to his right and flipped the ball to a wide-open Tilley in the end zone for the touchdown. O'Donoghue's extra point extended the Cardinals' lead to 24-6 after three quarters.

It was up to the Pack to mount a fourth-quarter comeback, and they began it by blocking a punt from the Cards' Carl Birdsong. Gary Hayes made the block, and former Pitt standout Tommy Flynn made the recovery at the Cards' twenty-one. The offense could only gain a yard in three plays, but Del Greco was good from thirty-seven yards out to cut the Cards' lead to 24-9 with 9:40 left in regulation.

After a three-and-out, the Pack set up shop at their own thirty-three. Here's Pat Summerall with what happened next:

"First and ten for the Packers, and Ivery…...has a hole up the middle.....forty-five, fifty, into Cardinals territory, and he's still going! Thirty-five, thirty, cuts back at the twenty-five, twenty, breaks one last tackle, and he's going in for the Green Bay touchdown!...…..Sixty-seven yards, and the Packers are right back in this one with a little over eight minutes to play."

John Madden: "No one really thinks of Eddie Lee Ivery as a great back, but he shows off what he can do here. Great power gets him across midfield, then he turns on the speed and shows his ability to shift and cut back. Then he gets one last block from James Lofton, of all people, shrugs out of a last tackle attempt, and he's in. We have a ballgame again, Pat."

Del Greco's extra point cut the Packer deficit to eight at 24-16.

The Green Bay defense forced another three-and-out, and the offense got the ball back with a little over six minutes to play. They began at their own eighteen following the St. Louis punt, and right away quarterback Lyn Dickey found Lofton for twenty-eight yards and a first down at the forty-six. Clark added nineteen more yards on a draw play later in the drive, and a facemask penalty against linebacker E.J. Junior after an Ivery run gave the Pack a first and goal at the Cardinals' three. Two plays later from the one, Dickey found tight end Henry Childs for the touchdown. Del Greco added the extra point, and with 2:26 to play the Pack was back to within a point at 24-23. That was where it ended for the Green and Gold, though, as Del Greco's forty-five yard field goal attempt at the final gun sailed wide right. Final score: Cardinals 24, Packers 23. The Cards will move on to San Francisco next Saturday afternoon, where they'll take on Joe Montana and the 49ers. Kickoff is at 4PM Eastern on CBS, and Pat and John will once again have the call.

Anderson was named Player of the Game by CBS. He carried twenty-seven times for 118 yards and a touchdown, and also caught four passes for thirty-six yards. Tilley led all receivers with six catches for sixty-five yards and a touchdown, and Green also caught six passes for sixty yards and a score. Lomax finished his day twenty-six of forty for 248 yards and two touchdowns despite being sacked five times. Linebacker Mike Douglass led the way with a pair. Ivery was the game's leading rusher with a hundred and thirty-one yards on just ten carries, including his sixty-seven yard touchdown run. Clark carried seven times for eighty-four yards, and Ellis added fifty-one yards on nine totes. Conversely, the Green Bay passing game was anemic to say the least, as Dickey attempted sixteen throws and completed only seven for sixty-two yards with a touchdown and an interception.

Next: The Niners host the Redbirds.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Now it's time for the first 1984 NFC Divisional Playoff from Candlestick Park in San Francisco. Game time temperature is 41 degrees, with cloudy skies and a southeast wind at 6 MPH.

After a scoreless first quarter, the Niners hit the board first midway through the second. Linebacker Jack "Hacksaw" Reynolds knocked the ball loose from Ottis Anderson, and defensive end Dwaine Board recovered for Frisco at the Cardinals' forty-three. Running back Wendell Tyler popped off left tackle for seventeen yards to get the offense in field goal range for kicker Ray Wersching, who converted a twenty-six yard field goal attempt to give the home squad a 3-0 lead with 5:51 to play in the first half.

The Cardinals answered with a touchdown on their ensuing possession. Stump Mitchell's kickoff return set them up at their own forty-eight, and Neil Lomax found Roy Green for nineteen yards and a first down in Niner territory. Later in the drive, fullback Earl Ferrell's twenty-one yard catch-and-run gave the Cards a first and goal at the two. A sack cost them five yards, but Lomax rebounded to connect with Green for the touchdown from seven yards out. Neil O'Donoghue added the extra point, and the seventeen-point underdogs had a 7-3 lead with 1:48 left until halftime.

The Niners cut into the St. Louis lead with a field goal on the final play of the first half. Quarterback Joe Montana conducted a flawless two-minute drill, hitting tight end Earl Cooper for fifteen yards, running back Roger Craig for ten, and wide receiver Freddie Solomon for eleven. Tyler added a twelve-yard run up the middle, and the Niners were back in Wersching's range. Ray eventually hit from twenty-one yards out on the final play of the first half to cut the Cardinals' halftime lead to 7-6.

The Niners took the lead with a touchdown midway through the third quarter. Craig blasted through a huge hole in the middle of the Cardinals' defense for twenty-three yards and a first down, and Montana had all day to find wide receiver and Olympic sprinter Renaldo Nehemiah for twenty-four yards and another. One play after that, Tyler scored the go-ahead touchdown by knifing off the left side and into the end zone untouched from eighteen yards out. Wersching added the extra point, and the Niners took a 13-7 lead with 7:29 left in the third quarter.

After the defense forced a three-and-out, the special teams gave the Niners outstanding field position when Dana McLemore returned Carl Birdsong's punt all the way to the St. Louis thirty-seven. Montana went up top on the very first play from scrimmage, and Dwight Clark made an outstanding catch at the four-yard line with two Cardinal defenders draped on his back. Tyler pounded up the middle for the score from three yards out a play later, and Wersching's extra point extended the Niners' lead to 20-7 after three quarters.

The Niners added another touchdown midway through the final period. Montana's biggest contribution was a twelve-yard pass to Solomon for a first down, and the running game unearthed a huge surprise when Derrick Harmon, best known as a kick returner, tore through the middle of the tiring Cardinal defense for thirty-four yards. Craig provided the touchdown on a draw play from ten yards out, and Wersching added the extra point to give the Niners a 27-7 advantage with exactly nine minutes left in regulation.

The Niners added one last touchdown on their next possession. Tyler set things up with a sixteen-yard bolt up the middle. Then, he put the Cardinals away. Here's Pat Summerall:

"First and ten at the San Francisco thirty-seven. Tyler still in there, and he gets it......forty-five, fifty, and he's loose!.....Over the forty, the thirty-five, the thirty, and the only man he has left to beat is the back judge!...…….Sixty-three yards for his third touchdown of the day! A career day for Wendell Tyler, and this one's in the books!"

John Madden: "The Cardinals' defense is exhausted, Pat. Tyler's been pounding at them for the entire second half, and they just don't have it in them to stop him anymore. What a day for a guy who was mostly known for his fumbling problems with the Rams. He's finally shown a national television audience just how good he really is."

Wersching added the extra point, and with 6:41 still left in the fourth, the Niners led 34-7.

The Cardinals saved a smidgen of their pride by executing a field goal drive against a defense comprised mostly of backups. Mitchell contributed an eleven-yard gain on a draw play, and Lomax found tight end Doug Marsh over the middle for eleven yards, then threw a short pass to Green, whose speed turned it into a thirty-eight yard gain. The drive died at the Niners' fourteen, but O'Donoghue's thirty-one yard field goal established our final score: Niners 34, Cardinals 10. The Niners will host either the Bears or the Redskins in next Sunday's NFC Championship Game here at Candlestick. Kickoff is at 4PM Easten on CBS, with Messrs. Summerall and Madden once again on the call.

Unsurprisingly, Tyler was named Player of the Game by CBS. He finished with 161 yards on nineteen carries and three touchdowns. The Niners as a team finished with 255 yards rushing with four touchdowns for the day. Montana was accurate but unspectacular, completing thirteen of seventeen for 159 yards. Lomax actually outplayed him despite a subpar day; he was twelve of twenty-eight for 213 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Green led all receivers with three catches for sixty-for yards and a touchdown. On defense, the Niners held Anderson to fifty-two yards on seventeen carries and sacked Lomax seven times; Board and reserve linebacker Milt McColl each had a pair. The Cards dumped Montana four times, with defensive end Curtis Greer notching a pair.

The next day at RFK Stadium, the Bears got a hundred and four yards rushing and a touchdown pass from Walter Payton and two more touchdown throws from backup quarterback Steve Fuller on their way to a 23-19 win over the Redskins. The Niners were waiting the following week at Candlestick, and Fuller only managed eighty-seven yards through the air and was sacked eight times, while Montana threw for 233 yards and one score and Tyler added another touchdown on the ground as the Niners rolled, 23-0. They rolled in Super Bowl XIX as well; Montana finished twenty-four of thirty-five for 331 yards and three touchdowns through the air and added fifty-nine more yards and a touchdown on the ground. Meanwhile, the Dolphins managed just twenty-eight yards on the ground and Danny Marino was sacked four times as the Niners won in a cakewalk, 38-16 to claim their second Super Bowl as a franchise at Candlestick in front of a jubilant crowd.

The Niners' victory has tied the all-time Super Bowl victory race at ten wins for each conference.

Next: We look at the standings for 1985.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

Now let's look at 1985 in the AFC. We begin in the East:

New York Jets: 12-4 (+1)
Miami Dolphins: 11-5 (-1)
New England Patriots: 10-6 (-1)
Indianapolis Colts: 6-10 (+1)
Buffalo Bills: 3-13 (+1)

There's a flip-flop at the top, as the Jets pick up a game and the Dolphins drop one to give Gang Green their second division crown in the last four seasons. The Pats drop a game and finish third, but are still in prime wild card position. The Colts add a game under new coach Rod Dowhower, while the combined best efforts of Kay Stephenson and Hank Bullough aren't enough to keep the Bills out of the basement despite a one-game improvement. Brighter times figure to be ahead for the franchise under its new permanent head coach for 1986, former Chiefs boss Marv Levy.

Next, to the Central:

Pittsburgh Steelers: 9-7 (+2)
Cleveland Browns: 8-8 (0)
Cincinnati Bengals: 8-8 (+1)
Houston Oilers: 5-11 (0)

The Dynasty's still hanging on, as despite uncertainty at quarterback all season long the Steelers manage a two-game improvement to take their fourth consecutive Central crown and eleventh in the past fourteen years. The Bengals pick up a game to force a tie for second with their Ohio neighbors the Browns, who stay where they are. In Houston, defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville, who replaced Hugh Campbell with two games left in '85, will be on board full time in '86, and his job will be to turn around a last-place team, as the Oilers stay where they are as well.

We go to the expected win totals to settle the tie for second, and the Bengals prevail, 8.1 to 7.8.

Last but not least, the West:

Denver Broncos: 9-7 (-2)
Los Angeles Raiders: 9-7 (-3)
Seattle Seahawks: 9-7 (+1)
San Diego Chargers: 9-7 (+1)
Kansas City Chiefs: 7-9 (+1)

This one's so complicated that we had to apply the expected wins tiebreaker just to figure out who to list first. For the first time in the divisional era, there's a four-way tie at the top, and according to the tiebreaker the Broncos get the nod despite dropping a pair of games. That's because the real-life champion Raiders shed three games and fall into a second-place tie with the Seahawks which will have to be settled head-to-head. The Bolts improve by a game but get the short end of the stick as far as the division title goes, while the Chiefs improve by a game but still finish last.

Final expected win totals: Broncos 9.4, Raiders 9.3, Seahawks 9.3, Chargers 8.7.

We go to the head-to-head tiebreaker to settle the tie for second between the Raiders and the Hawks, and each team won a game. But the Seahawks outscored the Raiders 36-16 in the combined series, so they take second.

Seeds:

1. Jets (AFC East champs): 12-4
2. Broncos (AFC West champs): 9-7
3. Steelers (AFC Central champs): 9-7
4. Dolphins (AFC East second place): 11-5
5. Patriots (AFC East third place): 10-6

The AFC Wild Card Game took place on December 29 at Miami's Orange Bowl, and the Pats rushed for 255 yards to go with three short Tony Eason touchdown passes as they trounced the Fins 31-14. Divisional rivals still can't meet in the divisional round, so the Pats will head for Denver to oppose the Broncos on Sunday, January 5. Kickoff is at 4PM Eastern on NBC, with Dick Enberg and Merlin Olsen on the call. Our other divisional game will feature the Jets hosting the Steelers at the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Saturday, January 4. Kickoff will be at 12:30 PM Eastern, with Don Criqui and Bob Trumpy calling the action for NBC.

Note: The Jets always preferred to refer to the stadium they shared with the Giants at this time as "The Meadowlands" to avoid giving their rivals a plug, so I'll do the same when I'm talking about games that the Jets host there. When the Giants host, I'll call the stadium by its official name, Giants Stadium.

Next: The NFC standings for 1985.

Thoughts?

 

[Unknown]

Super Bowl XIX was held at Stanford's football stadium (called Stanford Stadium) IOTL, so it was, effectively, a home game for San Francisco (indeed, the 49ers' practice facility at the time was five miles from the stadium). Does that still happen ITTL?