1980 'power' rankings

[74_75_78_79_]

Considering just how super-close all ten playoff teams were to each other that year (except for 9-7 Minnesota), just for fun, who do you all think were the top-ten NFL teams on paper at least? Many saw Oakland as a team that relied heavy on big plays (not so great statistically) and Philly as the 'scrappy','hard-working' over-achievers who got to "avoid" playing Atl in the NFCC (instead getting 'familiar' Dallas at home). Some feel the 10-6 Pats were playoff worthy and Pittsburgh, despite their sudden woes, were still just a few close losses away from actually getting home-field.

The way the Rams played at times during the regular season seemed to warrant a 'best team in the league' title. Losing to Dallas like they did in the wild card seemed kind of odd especially considering the way they walloped them in that late season Monday Nighter. I'm sure many saw Detroit as better than Vikes. They lost the Central due to a just barely, by mere %age, lesser conference record (Vikes' 8-4 to their 9-5). Bills beat SD during regular season yet, as a division winner, had to play them at the Murph in the divisionals because SD had a better conference record than they and Cleveland.

It seems like the general consensus through the years is Atlanta being '#1' in '80, but some of those other 12-4 or 11-5s seem to have their own argument as well. IMO, Atlanta no 'shoo-in' vs Philly in a hypo-NFCC at Fulton.

[Todd Pence]

Heck if the Steelers had had a kicker who could kick an extra point, they very well might have captured their seventh straight divisional title.

[7DnBrnc53]

Heck if the Steelers had had a kicker who could kick an extra point, they very well might have captured their seventh straight divisional title.

Also, while the Steelers had pretty good depth, the amount of injuries may have been too much to overcome.

If I had to do power rankings for 1980 after Week 16's action, though, this would be my top-5:

1. Atlanta
2. Buffalo (beat the Raiders and Chargers that year)
3. Oakland (they were hot, and they almost swept SD that year)
4. Dallas (went 3-1 against SD, Philly, and Oakland)
5. San Diego

[Rupert Patrick]

I have always believed if you could replay the 1980 postseason a dozen times, you would get eight different teams winning it all. I have never seen a postseason with the teams so evenly balanced where eight of the ten teams had a legitimate argument to win it all. I think all the teams except for Houston and MInnesota could wind up winning it. This is how I have them ranked as most likely to win the Super Bowl XV after Week 16, taking home field advantage into consideration, with probability of winning conference and Super Bowl in parenthesis as (xx/xx):

Eagles (52/38)
Falcons (31/21)
Chargers (34/12)
Bills (26/8)
Rams (10/7)
Browns (22/6)
Cowboys (6/3)
Oilers (9/3)
Raiders (9/2)
Vikings (0.5/0.2)

My system, unfortunately, does not take into consideration that the Raiders were a better team than the sum of their individual parts, and were a team who were much better than they were as the season progressed.

[SixtiesFan]

Heck if the Steelers had had a kicker who could kick an extra point, they very well might have captured their seventh straight divisional title.

Also, while the Steelers had pretty good depth, the amount of injuries may have been too much to overcome.

If I had to do power rankings for 1980 after Week 16's action, though, this would be my top-5:

1. Atlanta
2. Buffalo (beat the Raiders and Chargers that year)
3. Oakland (they were hot, and they almost swept SD that year)
4. Dallas (went 3-1 against SD, Philly, and Oakland)
5. San Diego

Speaking of the Bills, QB Joe Ferguson broke his ankle in the next to last game of the regular season and played the final game (a win over Joe Montana's 49ers) and the road playoff loss to the Chargers with a broken ankle. Something of a handicap, one would think.

[74_75_78_79_]

Not totally sure what my personal exact top ten is, but Pats definitely supplant Vikes. But who else of the 9 other playoff teams from '80 can you place NE ahead of? Hard to say Houston being that they won in their MNF matchup. The other thing...could Pittsburgh actually get nod over NE despite finishing 9-7?

I do think Dallas had quite a strong #1 argument by end of regular season. As Den pointed out, 3-1 vs Phi/SD/@Oak almost sweeping Eagles. And, still, they did beat Atl in Fulton after all.

[7DnBrnc53]

Heck if the Steelers had had a kicker who could kick an extra point, they very well might have captured their seventh straight divisional title.

Also, while the Steelers had pretty good depth, the amount of injuries may have been too much to overcome.

If I had to do power rankings for 1980 after Week 16's action, though, this would be my top-5:

1. Atlanta
2. Buffalo (beat the Raiders and Chargers that year)
3. Oakland (they were hot, and they almost swept SD that year)
4. Dallas (went 3-1 against SD, Philly, and Oakland)
5. San Diego

Speaking of the Bills, QB Joe Ferguson broke his ankle in the next to last game of the regular season and played the final game (a win over Joe Montana's 49ers) and the road playoff loss to the Chargers with a broken ankle. Something of a handicap, one would think.

Yeah. They may have defeated the Chargers if he is healthy, and they would have had Oakland at home for the AFC Title Game in chilling conditions.

[Bryan]

Speaking of the Bills, QB Joe Ferguson broke his ankle in the next to last game of the regular season and played the final game (a win over Joe Montana's 49ers) and the road playoff loss to the Chargers with a broken ankle. Something of a handicap, one would think.

Those 1980-1981 Bills teams were tough. The beat the Chargers, Raiders, and Rams during the 1980 regular season. I've watched their playoff game against San Diego. Ferguson had zero mobility, yet he was able to lead the Bills down the field. Ferguson would periodically get knocked out of the game, and backup QB Dan Manucci would come on the field, resulting in 3 runs up the middle and a punt each time. Nick Mike-Mayer missed a couple FGs, which arguably affected the outcome of the game, but the Bills did have a 14-3 lead in the 2nd half. The Bills defense gave up some yards but always came up with a big stop or a big turnover. It seemed like a healthy Joe Ferguson would have been enough to defeat a great San Diego team. As it stood, the Chargers needed a last-minute 50-yard TD pass to Ron Smith to win the game. The Chargers had Smith split out alone on one side of the field, isolated on the slow FS Bill Simpson. I don't know how the Bills ended up in that coverage, but Smith caught a short pass and simply ran past a lunging Simpson for the score.

The Bills defeated the Dolphins, Jets and Chargers in the 1981 regular season and earned a wildcard in the competitive AFC East. They defeated the Jets in the postseason, then gave the Bengals a run for their money. The Bills kind of outphysicaled the Bengals, and the game was tied 21-21 in the 4th quarter until Ken Anderson connected with Cris Collinsworth for the 28-21 margin of victory.

[74_75_78_79_]

Houston seems to get pushed aside from the rest of the 12/11-win pack, but I feel Cleveland should be tied with them whatever their 'position' may be with someone. 'Kardiac Kids'...definitely an exciting one-year story but basically "live-by-bomb, die-by-bomb" and not too much else other than a couple guys named Lyle and Golic on D. A contrast in styles, those two, and like a true division rival, split in '80 with the road team winning each time. Conference record, I believe, won that division for Cleveland.

Yes, Buffalo was tough. They and Eagles would have been a good match. Both lost at home to Atl (Buf by a lot), both beat Oakland, but Bills did beat SD at the Murph whereas Philly scored two TDs late just for final score to be 22-21. For that, place Bills (and SD) above Philly. However, FWIW, Birds won at Rich in a then rare Thursday nighter early the next year.

[BD Sullivan]

Houston seems to get pushed aside from the rest of the 12/11-win pack, but I feel Cleveland should be tied with them whatever their 'position' may be with someone. 'Kardiac Kids'...definitely an exciting one-year story but basically "live-by-bomb, die-by-bomb" and not too much else other than a couple guys named Lyle and Golic on D. A contrast in styles, those two, and like a true division rival, split in '80 with the road team winning each time. Conference record, I believe, won that division for Cleveland.

Two-year story, really. They finished 9-7 in '79, with three losses decided in either the final minute or OT. Of course, four of the wins also were decided in the final moments, including one in OT. All told, 10 of their games had a margin of five points or less, with the Browns having a 6-4 record in those contests,