Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Bryan wrote:Of that same era, I liked the 1989 Packers. They had been bad for so long and they finally started to win. Sharpe was pretty good as a rookie in 1988, but he really broke out in 1989. Don Majikowski and Tim Harris came out of nowhere and had monster seasons. They played so many exciting games and beat the Niners. I can remember thinking that with Lindy Infante as the head coach, the Packers would just continue to win and get better. How wrong I was.

Also liked the 1989 Steelers because of their crazy postseason run of beating Glanville's Oilers and almost knocking off Denver. Again, the Steelers had been bad for the last several years and you thought that they had turned the corner. But what is the quickest way to stop an up-and-coming team? Hire Joe Walton.

The 1989 Packers and Steelers winning the way they did heavily influence the "Hungriest Teams of the 90s" in the Hungriest Men of the 90s VHS.

The 2001 Bears need to be mentioned as well. 13-3 team that was a total "horseshoe up their ass" season. 5-11 the year before. 4-12 the year after.

OT win vs SF. Improbable OT win vs the Browns. (back to back weeks)

Lot both games to the second place and 12-4 GB Packers.

Only beat 3 teams with a winning record.

Jim Miller at QB.
A-Train Thomas at RB.

Tremendous defense.

An offense OC'd by John Shoop(lol)

The Keith Traylor INT and return vs Jacksonville is an all-time memory.

Todd Pence wrote:1994 Chargers.

I didn't like them. I was sick of the luckiest AFC teams going, not the best. SB 29 would have been way better with the Steelers in it.

The Chargers went to the SB because the Steelers choked at home, just like in the 92, 93, and 97 postseasons. Though they choked in KC in 93/94. Cowher won a lot of games with mediocre QBs till Big Ben came along.

sheajets wrote:but in the blink of an eye...Krieg to Largent, Krieg to Largent, Warner touchdown.

Funny thing is that up to that point I think the Dolphins had (somehow) managed to hold the great Steve Largent w/o a reception in that game. Then. . .BOOM!

sheajets wrote:Then the Dolphins immediately cough up the kickoff and the Seahawks add a field goal. Then Miami coughs it up AGAIN on the return. Incredible how everything swung Seattle's way at the end there (or you can say, they willed it to swing their way)

I'll never forget how things went the Seahawks' way after Dave Krieg threw that late pick. I believe the guy who coughed the ball up (twice!) was Fulton Walker. I don't even know if he was with MIA after that (wouldn't surprise me in the least if he wasn't).

sheajets wrote:But the last two weeks of the season they seemed to have gotten it together and were able to carry it into the playoffs a bit. They bent but didn't break against the Giants

The Seahawks beat Los Gigantes twice in a row by the very same score (17 - 12. Once in Seattle, once at the Meadowlands), including the year Los Gigantes won their first S.B. championship (matter of fact SEA might've been the team that handed Los Gigantes their last loss in 1986).

sheajets wrote:and forced a bunch of turnovers and played well vs New England to make it to 9-7

I remember that game, too. Up to that point SEA had never beaten N.E. and I was very nervous about how that one would "shake out." However, another break came the Seahawks' way when results earlier that day meant that N.E. no longer had the opportunity to make the playoffs that year and I'll never forget watching a highlights package of the game later that day when the announcer (may have been ESPN. Not sure but I'm pretty sure it wasn't a local [meaning: Seattle] guy) said, "The Pats played like patsies!" before proceeding to show the Seahawks beat the Patriots (and make the playoffs) for the very first time!

racepug wrote:

sheajets wrote:but in the blink of an eye...Krieg to Largent, Krieg to Largent, Warner touchdown.

Funny thing is that up to that point I think the Dolphins had (somehow) managed to hold the great Steve Largent w/o a reception in that game. Then. . .BOOM!

sheajets wrote:Then the Dolphins immediately cough up the kickoff and the Seahawks add a field goal. Then Miami coughs it up AGAIN on the return. Incredible how everything swung Seattle's way at the end there (or you can say, they willed it to swing their way)

I'll never forget how things went the Seahawks' way after Dave Krieg threw that late pick. I believe the guy who coughed the ball up (twice!) was Fulton Walker. I don't even know if he was with MIA after that (wouldn't surprise me in the least if he wasn't).

sheajets wrote:But the last two weeks of the season they seemed to have gotten it together and were able to carry it into the playoffs a bit. They bent but didn't break against the Giants

The Seahawks beat Los Gigantes twice in a row by the very same score (17 - 12. Once in Seattle, once at the Meadowlands), including the year Los Gigantes won their first S.B. championship (matter of fact SEA might've been the team that handed Los Gigantes their last loss in 1986).

sheajets wrote:and forced a bunch of turnovers and played well vs New England to make it to 9-7

I remember that game, too. Up to that point SEA had never beaten N.E. and I was very nervous about how that one would "shake out." However, another break came the Seahawks' way when results earlier that day meant that N.E. no longer had the opportunity to make the playoffs that year and I'll never forget watching a highlights package of the game later that day when the announcer (may have been ESPN. Not sure but I'm pretty sure it wasn't a local [meaning: Seattle] guy) said, "The Pats played like patsies!" before proceeding to show the Seahawks beat the Patriots (and make the playoffs) for the very first time!

And they absolutely owned the Jets early in their history. The Jets went 0-7 vs Seattle from 1976 to 1984. Then they finally beat them in 1985 and proceeded to go 8-1 vs Seattle from 1985-2004. But from 2004 onwards Seattle is 4-0 vs the Jets. They don't play often but it's been a strange series of streaks

Weirdly, the Seahawks and Giants also played a 17-12 game in 2020, with the Giants winning this time

Per the best Lions teams part I think 2014 Lions could have went on a run in those wacky playoffs if they'd only gotten out of Dallas. People like to talk about how the Lions wasted Megatrons career but himself has said that team was pretty good and he only retired shortly after they "blew it up".

07 Giants are the big one. But yeah what good luck gives you bad luck takes away and the Giants were the best team the following year until their best receiver shot himself.

Per 08 Cardinals at the time their defense was horrible(PFR says 28th could swear remembering it was 30th) but looking at the names on that defense over a decade later the unit was capable of much more than their stats would indicate they were just pretty young.

Brian wolf wrote:The Chargers went to the SB because the Steelers choked at home, just like in the 92, 93, and 97 postseasons. Though they choked in KC in 93/94. Cowher won a lot of games with mediocre QBs till Big Ben came along.

They didn't choke in 97 (they were lucky to get that far. Kordell played above his head), but I agree with you about the other two. In 92, O'Donnell didn't play that well, and Richard Shelton dropped an INT that probably gets returned for a TD. In 93, the Steeler special teams reared their ugly head late in the game as they blew a 10-point lead against a Chief team that wasn't that good, in my opinion (Denver should have won the West in 93, not KC).

Brian wolf wrote:The Chargers went to the SB because the Steelers choked at home, just like in the 92, 93, and 97 postseasons. Though they choked in KC in 93/94. Cowher won a lot of games with mediocre QBs till Big Ben came along.

The Steelers had a defense and running game, never a great QB, as you point out, sir. Cowher's defenses never ranked outside of the top 12 in points allowed in the '90s. Kordell Stewart, Mike Tomczak, and Neil O'Donnell are far from HOVG candidates.

I really thought Tomczak could develop for Pittsburgh or Chicago but he really was more content being a backup. Ohio State QBs just never do much in the pros ... Steeler fans have to wonder what Brister might have done with the job ...