42 years of NFL History (SAT X)

[SirFozzie]

This will be an irregularly updated replay of 42 seasons of NFL History starting in 1970 (the first season post merger of the AFL and NFL). They will be played using Second and Ten version 10, with a hands off approach, all rules will be as of the year played:

1970 - Dallas Cowboys over Cincinnati 20-13 (RL: Colts over Cowboys)

Super Bowl MVP: Roger Staubach (13-18, 245 yards, 2 TD)

Playoff Teams:

AFC: Baltimore, Oakland, Miami, Cincinatti (RL: Same)
NFC: Minnesota, LA Rams, St Louis, Dallas (RL: Detroit and San Francisco instead of LA and St Louis)

Most Yards Passing: Daryle Lamonica (OAK) 2,966
Leading Rusher: Ed Podolak (KC) 948
Top Receiver: Danny Abramowicz (NO) 1,131

[SirFozzie]

1971:

Super Bowl: New Orleans over Cincinnati (20-12) (RL: Dallas over Miami)

Super Bowl MVP: Archie Manning (10/20, 249 yards, 2 TD, 4 rushes, 35 yards)

Playoffs
AFC: Cincinnati, Oakland, Kansas City, Miami (RL: Baltimore instead of Oakland, Cleveland instead of Cincinatti)
NFC: New Orleans, Minnesota, Washington, Dallas (RL: San Francisco instead of New Orleans)

Passing Yards: John Hadl (SD) (3,256)
Rushing Yards: John Brockinton (GB) (1,121)
Receiving Yards: Otis Taylor (993)

Note: Miami went undefeated in the regular season (14-0), with their closest win being a one point escape where they scored 14 points in the final 6:45 to beat Baltimore 17-1m , but in the playoffs Miami's 0 had to go, and it did in the AFC championship game, as their offense never got going, losing to Cincinnati 23-6.

I won't say there's a problem with the season stats here, but it's highly suspicious that a real ife 4-8-2 (New Orleans) team played a real life 4-10 team (Cincinnati). Looking at the #'s for cincinatti, they're at least within the same ball park (within 200 yards passing, 60 yards less in rushing)..for New Orleans, it's the same thing, except with a defense that gave up 400 yards less receiving... so I guess it's how the ball bounces!

[britrock88]

Looking at Cinci, I would guess that Greg Cook bounced back from his bum rotator cuff.

[SirFozzie]

1972:

Super Bowl: Oakland Defeats San Francisco 31-10 (RL: Miami defeats Washington)

Super Bowl MVP: Oakland's Phil Villapiano (13 Tackles, 1 Interception Returned for a TD, 1 Sack, 1 Forced Fumble)

Top Players:

Passing Yards: Joe Namath - NYJ (3,109)
Rushing Yards: Larry Brown - WAS (1,483)
Receiving Yards: Harold Jackson - PHI (1,067)

Playoff Teams:

Sim:
AFC: Miami, Cleveland, Denver (WC: Oakland)
NFC: Washington, Minnesota, San Francisco (WC: Green Bay)

Real Life:
AFC: Miami, Pittsburgh, Oakland (WC: Cleveland)
NFC: Washington, Green Bay, San Francisco: (WC: Dallas)

Passing Yards: Joe Namath (3,109)
Rushing Yards:

Only one major difference, where 5-9 Denver in real life goes 10-4 in the sim to take the West, and Pittsburgh is the odd team out. Miami goes 12-2 (compared to real life's perfect season), but is knocked off in the Divisional round when the Mad Bomber, Daryle Lamonica leads the Raiders to 17 fourth quarter points to take a 29-24 lead. Miami had first and Goal at the Oakland 2, but Earl Morrall was sacked, and then had a short pass intercepted in the end zone.

In the Super Bowl, Oakland scores 24 second quarter points to crush San Fran, which featured this wild swing.

1:55 to play, 2nd Quarter, Villapiano takes a pass from Steve Spurrier back 43 yards to put Oakland up 17-0.

1:39 to play, 2nd Quarter, Washington takes a kickoff back 101 yards to get San Francisco on the board.

1:10 to play, 2nd quarter, Lamonica hits Chester in stride for a 48 yard bomb to make it a 24-7 game, and it was game over at halftime.

[SirFozzie]

1973:

Super Bowl: LA Rams over Pittsburgh 34-22 (Real Life: Miami over Minnesota)

Super Bowl MVP: John Hadl (13-20, 164 yards, 2 TD)

Top Players:

Passing Yards: Fran Tarkenton - MIN (3,132)
Rushing Yards: O.J. Simpson - BUF (1,854)
Receiving Yards: John Gilliam - MIN (1,099)

Playoff Teams:

Sim:
AFC: Cincinnati, Miami, KC (Wild Card: Pittsburgh)
NFC: LA Rams, Philadelphia, Minnesota (Wild Card:Atlanta)

Real Life:
AFC: Cincinnati, Miami, Oakland (Wild Card: Pittsburgh
NFC: LA Rams, Dallas, Minnesota (Wild Card: Washington)

Pretty close on the playoff teams this time around. While the Juice didn't QUITE get to the 2,000 mark he did in real life, he was still way out in front in the rushing race (more than 500 yards ahead of second place). For the first time, more than one receiver crossed the 1,000 yard barrier (four of them). A fantastic finish to the Super Bowl, as with 6:37 to play, Franco Harris rumbled in from 3 yards out to give Pittsburgh a 22-17 lead. However, the Rams drove down field and scored (Hadl to Harold Jackson, 8 yards) to take the lead 24-22 with 1:43 to play, and added late scores with Pittsburgh desperately trying to stop them for the winning margin.

[SirFozzie]

1974:

Super Bowl: Oakland defeated Washington 24-19 (Real Life: Pittsburgh over Minnesota)

Super Bowl MVP: Ken "Snake" Stabler (20-30, 267 yards, 2 TD)

Top Players:

Passing Yards: Ken Anderson - CIN (2,921)
Rushing Yards: Otis Armstrong - DEN (1,393)
Receiving Yards: Don Zimmerman - PHI (1,086)

Playoff Teams:

Sim:
AFC: Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Oakland (Kansas City Wild Card)
NFC: Washington, Minnesota, New Orleans (Detroit Wild Card)

Real Life:
AFC: Miami, Pittsburgh, Oakland (Buffalo Wild Card)
NFC: St Louis, Minnesota, LA Rams (Washinton Wild Card)

So, two real life 5-9 teams (the Chiefs, and the Saints) made the playoffs, but in general, it was definitely an offensive step back from the year before.

[SirFozzie]

1975:

Super Bowl: LA Rams over Pittsburgh 23-17 (RL: Pittsburgh over Dallas)

Super Bowl MVP: Terry Bradshaw (10/19, 175 yards, 2 TD, 28 yards rushing)

Top Players:

Passing Yards: Ken Anderson - CIN (3,354)
Rushing Yards: OJ Simpson - BUF (1,565)
Receiving Yards: Harold Jackson - LA (1,139)

Playoff Teams:

Sim:
AFC: Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Oakland (Wild Card: Cincinnati)
NFC: St Louis, Minnesota, LA Rams (Wild Card: Dallas)

Real Life:
AFC: Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Oakland (Wild Card: Cincinnati)
NFC:St Louis, Minnesota, LA Rams (Wild Card: Dallas)

Talk about a lack of drama in the regular season. Four dominant teams in each conference had at least 10 wins... only one other team (Denver) finished above .500. The NFC had beast mode engaged, as the Rams and Vikings both went 13-1 in the regular season, and Saint Louis wasn't far behind with a record of 12-2.

That's right, the sim had the same 8 teams in exactly the same way. EES SO REEL! (sorry, had a Sammy Sosa flashback)

The AFC Championship was one to remember, with Terry Bradshaw finding John Stallworth in the corner of the endzone with a 13 yard TD pass with 1:22 to play to win the AFC Championship on a windy day at Three Rivers Stadium. Bradshaw was 5-5 for 59 yards on that final drive.

In the Super Bowl, the Rams just ran it down Pittsburgh's throat, running for a mind boggling 252 yards. Terry Bradshaw was the MVP in a losing effort, as he tried to get the Steelers in line for a super bowl winning score, but just could not get back in the field as the Rams successfully ran out the clock

[SirFozzie]

1976:

Super Bowl: (RL: Oakland over Minnesota)

Super Bowl MVP: Fran Tarkenton (17-29, 262 yards, 1 TD)

Top Players:

Passing Yards: Roger Staubach - DAL (3,237)
Rushing Yards: Walter Payton - CHI (1,766)
Receiving Yards: Bob Chandler - BUF (1,367)

Playoff Teams:

Sim:
AFC: New England, Cincinnati, Oakland (Wild Card: Baltimore)
NFC: Saint Louis, Minnesota, LA Rams (Wild Card: Washington)

Real Life:
AFC: Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Oakland (Wild Card: New England)
NFC: Dallas, Minnesota, LA Rams (Wild Card: Washington)

Well, we have our first undefeated season in the sim, albeit with an astrisk as the New England Patriots went 13-0-1, only allowing 192 points (that's less than 2 touchdowns a game). Oakland goes 13-1 and still only gets a two seed.

In the NFC, it sucks to be the Cowboys, you go 10-4, and miss out on the playoffs with both Saint Louis and Washington going 11-3.

Tampa Bay managed to avoid the 0-fer that they had in real life, finishing 2-12.

In the divisional round, the Raiders obliterated the Bengals, winning 54-24. Fran Tarkenton was the magic man for the Vikings, throwing a TD pass with 4:01 to play to give the Vikings a 24-21 win over the Rams, a missed XP with 2:23 to play was the difference in Washington's 21-20 win over Saint Louis, and the Patriots shut down the Colts offense, 21-3.

In the AFC Championship, Mark Van Eeghan rumbled in from 9 yards out with just 85 seconds left on the clock to finish off a comeback from being down 17-0 as the Raiders won, 21-17.

And in the NFC Championship, Minnesota took a 23-3 lead into half time and made it stick, beating the Redskins 30-10. So just like real life, it would be the Snake and Fran the Man in Super Bowl XI.

However, it was Fran Tarkenton who had the winning touch this time around, and was the Super Bowl MVP in the Vikings 19-9 win.

[SirFozzie]

1977:

Super Bowl: Dallas over Miami 17-10 (RL: Dallas over Denver)

Super Bowl MVP: Roger Staubach (17/21, 175 yards, 1 TD)

Top Players:

Passing Yards: Roger Staubach - DAL (3,213)
Rushing Yards: Walter Payton - CHI (1,874)
Receiving Yards: Lynn Swann - PIT (972)

Playoff Teams:

Sim:
AFC: New England, Cincinnati, Denver (Wild Card: Miami)
NFC: Dallas, Chicago, LA Rams (Wild Card: Green Bay)

Real Life:
AFC: Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Denver (Wild Card: Oakland)
NFC: Dallas, Minnesota, LA Rams (Wild Card: Chicago)

Wow, another dominant season by Walter Payton, who outrushed second place (Oakland's Mark Van Eeghen) by 667 yards.

Talk about a wild wild finish in the NFC Wild Card race. FIVE teams tied at 7-7. Green Bay, Atlanta, Washington, Philadelphia and Saint Louis all went into the meat grinder of the tiebreaker system, and despite having the worst offense of the five (and the lowest Point Difference), Green Bay survived the tiebreaker procedures to take the spot.

Shed a tear for Atlanta.. how can you give up 117 points in 14 games, scoring 242, and only go 7-7? Of their seven losses, the largest margin of losing was 9, and they shutout the opponent three times (as well as giving up no points defensively against San Francisco, the only ponts allowed were on a bad snap on a punt.

In the Super Bowl, MVP Roger Staubach found Preston Pearson with a flare pass and Pearson took it in from 16 yards out with 7:43 to play to provide the winning margin. Staubach was efficient if not mind-blowing. Terry Dorsett looked to have MVP numbers, when he ran 13 times for 112 yards, but when you consier 90 of them came on one run, the numbers lose some of their luster.