1996- Who wins AFC if Jacksonville misses playoffs?

[CSKreager]

If Morten Andersen doesn't have that infamous missed FG in week 17 vs. Jacksonville, how does that change the AFC playoff picture?

Does New England still make it to SB 31/New Orleans against the Packers?

What about Denver if they don't face those upstart Jags? Ditto Pittsburgh/Indy/Buffalo?

And who would've gotten in their place had the Falcons pulled off the week 17 shocker?

[conace21]

Kansas City and Buffalo played in the season finale. The winner would make the playoffs, and the loser could only make it if Jacksonville lost. The Chiefs had apparently gone to the locker room in Orchard Park just in time for,Morten Andersen's game winning FG attempt.

I'm pretty sure KC would have gone back to Buffalo for the WC game. I don't think they would have had any more success in Buffalo the second time there. Buffalo would have gone to Denver, and I can't see them winning there. Jim Kelly and Thurman Thomas were both banged up at the end of the season, and Thurman's back-up, Darrick Holmes, averaged 3.0 yards per carry that year. Bryce Paup was also hindered at the end of 1996 with a groin injury. I think Denver dispatches Buffalo and NE to go to the Super Bowl. Drew Bledsoe always seemed to have nightmare games against the Broncos in the 1990's.

I would still take Green Bay to beat Denver. The Packers were the best team in football in 1996, barring a rash of injuries at WR in midseason.

[7DnBrnc53]

Kansas City and Buffalo played in the season finale. The winner would make the playoffs, and the loser could only make it if Jacksonville lost. The Chiefs had apparently gone to the locker room in Orchard Park just in time for,Morten Andersen's game winning FG attempt.

I'm pretty sure KC would have gone back to Buffalo for the WC game. I don't think they would have had any more success in Buffalo the second time there. Buffalo would have gone to Denver, and I can't see them winning there. Jim Kelly and Thurman Thomas were both banged up at the end of the season, and Thurman's back-up, Darrick Holmes, averaged 3.0 yards per carry that year. Bryce Paup was also hindered at the end of 1996 with a groin injury. I think Denver dispatches Buffalo and NE to go to the Super Bowl. Drew Bledsoe always seemed to have nightmare games against the Broncos in the 1990's.

I would still take Green Bay to beat Denver. The Packers were the best team in football in 1996, barring a rash of injuries at WR in midseason.

I agree with this. Denver didn't seem to have the same drive at the end of the season in 96 as they would have the next two years, even though I don't really think GB was a better team.

[ChrisBabcock]

I agree also. I think it begs the question, did Denver really lay an egg in that playoff game against Jacksonville or did Jacksonville just catch lightning in a bottle for those 2 playoff wins? I say the latter. The Buffalo win I believe they just matched up better. So I've heard, Tony Boselli allegedly manhandled Bruce Smith that game.

[CSKreager]

I agree also. I think it begs the question, did Denver really lay an egg in that playoff game against Jacksonville or did Jacksonville just catch lightning in a bottle for those 2 playoff wins? I say the latter. The Buffalo win I believe they just matched up better. So I've heard, Tony Boselli allegedly manhandled Bruce Smith that game.

The latter.

I doubt Jim Kelly/Doug Collins/Rich Gannon/Steve Bono would have been able to run around the way Brunell did.

[conace21]

Rich Gannon was just as mobile as Brunell, but he wasn't scrambling anywhere in January 1997. He was injured after getting the starting job in December, and the Chiefs were forced to go back to Bono.

Denver did lay a bit of an egg. Shannon Sharpe dropped a couple passes early, there was a blown coverage that allowed Jimmy Smith to be wide open at the end of the half, which lead to a FG. Michael Dean Perry, on a fourth down Jacksonville punt, made his way slowly off the field. The ball was snapped before he had reached the sidelines. The 5 yard penalty for 12 men on the field gave Jacksonville a first down and led to a crucial FG.

[7DnBrnc53]

Denver did lay a bit of an egg. Shannon Sharpe dropped a couple passes early, there was a blown coverage that allowed Jimmy Smith to be wide open at the end of the half, which lead to a FG. Michael Dean Perry, on a fourth down Jacksonville punt, made his way slowly off the field. The ball was snapped before he had reached the sidelines. The 5 yard penalty for 12 men on the field gave Jacksonville a first down and led to a crucial FG.

Also, in the second quarter, there was a weak pass interference call on Tory James. On a third down play with the score 12-3 Denver, James stepped in front of the receiver (I think it was Willie Jackson, but i'm not sure) and intercepted a pass that would have given Denver the ball around the Jacksonville 20. However, the officials called interference (he did nudge him a bit, but he was going for the ball, so it shouldn't have been called), and the Jags seemed to play much better after that gift from the zebras.

I'm pretty sure KC would have gone back to Buffalo for the WC game.

Come to think of it, Indy and KC would have been 9-7, and with Jacksonville 8-8 and out of the playoffs, Indy gets the five-seed since they defeated KC late in the year at Arrowhead, and the Chiefs get the six seed and head to Blitzburgh.

In the Indy@Buf game, I can see Harbaugh pulling it out at the end, sending the Colts to Denver. As for the next day's game, the Steelers probably get to Bono a lot like they did Harbaugh. KC had a better O-line than Indy, but Bono was a statue.

Then, the Steelers lose to NE the next week, and I actually can see the Colts losing to Denver. They didn't have a franchise LT like Boselli to neutralize Pro Bowl DE Alfred Williams, and Harbaugh (while mobile) wasn't as fast or elusive as Brunell.

[conace21]

Good call on the seeding. I had forgotten that Indy did beat KC, with Marvin Harrison providing a glimpse of the future, catching three TD passes. Harrison was kind of overlooked among rookie WR's between Keyshawn's antics, Terry Glenn's 90 receptions, and Eddie Kennison scoring 11 TD's.

I disagree with you about Indy beating Buffalo though. In the "Wade Phillips as a DC/Jim Harbaugh years" (1995-1997) the Bills and Colts played six times. Harbaugh started 5 of those games, and the Colts lost every one. Harbaugh was knocked out three times (concussion in Indy in 1995, possibly a concussion on a late hit by Paup in Buffalo in 1997, and he just got the general hell beat out of him in Indy in 1997.) In the two games he finished, he was sacked five times in Buffalo in 1995 and six times in Buf in 1996...I really don't know how he ever finished that game.
The only time the Colts beat Buffalo in that short era was a month before that would be wild card game. Both starting QB's missed the game; Buffalo was also without Thomas, Paup and Tasker. Buffalo's offense consisted of a 95 yard deep ball to Quinn Early (who should have been ruled down at midfield) and a 47 yard catch and run by Eric Moulds to set up a FG. Indy won in OT 13-10. But with Paup back, Bruce Smith facing someone not named Tony Boselli, I think Harbaugh is in for a long day. Marshall Faulk was ineffective as a runner in 1996; that must have been one bad toe injury. Buffalo would not have run all over the Colts as easily as Pittsburgh did, but they had a better passing game with Reed, Tasker, Early, and even Eric Moulds, scored twice in the last three games of the year. I think Buffalo wins 20-10.