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you said it all.
What matchups do you think ultimately decided the SB champ over the last few decades?
1990: Bills-Giants, SB...one of the best SB's ever, obviously.
1991: Bills-Redskins, SB...the playoffs were pretty anticlimactic that year
1992: Cowboys-49ers, NFCCG
1993: Cowboys-49ers, NFCCG
1994: Cowboys-49ers, NFCCG
1995: Neil O-Donnell-His bookie, SB...what a crappy year, outside of Harbaugh's magic.
1996: Packers-Patriots, SB
1997: Packers-Broncos, SB...matchup of gunslingers, TD stole the show though
1998: Falcons-Vikings, NFCCG...even though the SB winner didn't come out of here, it was a foregone conclusion Denver was going to repeat when Gary Anderson choked. We missed out on one of the most exciting SB matchups ever, imo.
1999: Rams- ans, SB...Bucs game was great too, but Shaun King was never a threat to win a SB.
2000: Ravens- ans, AFC Divisional Playoff...old-fashioned NFL slugfest with two teams who hated each other.
2001: Patriots-Rams, SB...epic
2002: Buccaneers-Eagles, NFCCG...Bucs finally overcame their Philly demons.
2003: Patriots-Panthers, SB...what a crazy 2nd half.
2004: Patriots-Eagles, SB...really lame SB, not as close as the final score would indicate.
2005: Steelers-Colts, AFC Divisional Playoff...the only playoff game in recorded history where the Steelers were on the wrong end of questionable calls. The zebras made up for it by taking at least 10 points off the board for Seattle in the SB.
2006: Patriots-Colts, AFCCG...a classic.
2007: Giants-Patriots, SB...18-1
2008: Steelers-Cardinals, SB...again, the Steelers were gift-wrapped a SB when the refs failed to see that Santonio Holmes had his right foot on top of his left foot.
2009: Saints-Vikings, NFCCG...Favre went Favre, but Peterson's fumbles were crippling in this game.
2010: Packers-Steelers, SB...Pittsburgh made a game of it towards the end, but it was evident early on in the playoffs that Rodgers and the Pack were a machine.
2011: Giants-Patriots, SB...one of the weaker Patriots teams, but an exciting SB with lots of pivotal moments (Welker drop, pass to Manningham, Bradshaw's goof).
2012: Ravens-Broncos, AFC Divisional Playoff...the SB probably ends 42-6 if they don't sabotage the power. The Mile-High-Miracle is just one of the most unlikely plays you'll ever see. LOL Rahim Moore.
2013: Seahawks-49ers, NFCCG...see 2000.
2014: Patriots-Seahawks, SB...the worst -up in SB history, surpassing Jackie Smith's drop.
2015: Broncos-Patriots, AFCCG...exciting game and great end to one of the best H2H QB rivalries we'll ever see.
Last edited by DeadlyDynasty; 09-17-2016 at 03:45 AM.
you said it all.
Not since 1990, eh? I see what you did there, DD...
Anyway, the one game you listed that I take a little bit of an issue with on first glance is the 2002 NFCCC. The thing that made that year's Super Bowl unique was that Gruden was going against his own offense. The Raiders hadn't even changed the terminology of the offense. The Buccaneer defense literally knew every play that was coming. Obviously Philadelphia wouldn't have had that advantage and we all know about Andy Reid's history as a big-game coach. I think Oakland would've had every opportunity to beat the Eagles that year.
I could've gone back 2-3 more years from personal recollection*, but 1990 seemed like a nice flush date. Bill Callahan was a re ...makes me (almost) take Tim Brown's conspiracy theory seriously.
*Just to complete:
1989: Rams-Giants, Divisional Playoff...LA winning this game ensured SF would have an easy path to a SB
1988: Niners-Bengals, SB...Montana to Taylor ftw
1987: Vikings-49ers, Divisional Playoff...One of the best upsets nobody ever talks about. Minnesota also gave Washington a serious scare in the NFCCG but I still feel this game was the most important of that season. Honorary mention to the Ernest Byner game--but do you think Cleveland could've beat the Skins?
Last edited by DeadlyDynasty; 09-17-2016 at 08:47 AM.
They would have a puncher's chance. One thing that destroyed the Broncos in that SB was that Mike Harden was hurt and Tony Lilly, their slow white backup free safety, started in his place. The Redskins just devastated Tony Lilly- if you watch highlights from that 35-point second quarter you see Lilly getting beaten and punked on play after play after play. The Browns had one of the best secondaries in football- no way Doug Williams would have lit them up the way he lit up the Broncos. At the end of the day, though, it was Joe Gibbs versus Marty Schottenheimer. I do think the Redskins would've won, but it would have been a damned good game- 30-27, 27-24, something like that. 1987 was easily the best Browns team since the merger.
I do agree with your assessment of 49ers-Vikings, though. San Francisco had the best team in football that year and should have won the SB without breaking a sweat. The Browns were really good in '87 and San Francisco just manhandled them in a Sunday night game. Minnesota did have a lot of talent and their 8-7 record was misleading- they were 8-4 in non-strike games.
jerry rice signed off on the theory as well, iirc
They had a pretty physical O-line and a damn good ground game...I can see why an unstable individual like Barret Robbins would lose his after an 11th hour change. Charlie Garner had an underrated season, almost becoming a 1000/1000 guy iirc
jerry rice signed off on the theory as well, iirc
Giants/Packers was the real Super Bowl in '07, tbh. People forget about this because of all the storylines that season, but the Packers went 13-3 that year and were legit le contenders. With an HOF QB under center and a dominant pass rush, they would have destroyed the Pats that year.
Also, Seahawks/Packers was the real Super Bowl in 2014. No way Rodgers s the bed against the Pats like Struggle did.
As for the AFC, Broncos/Jets might not qualify as the real Super Bowl in '98, but still deserves recognition. The Jets were crazy good that season, going 12-4 against a tough schedule (they tied the 1997 Packers' record of winning seven games against playoff-bound teams in the regular season). They had a stacked offense with Curtis Martin, Keyshaun Johnson, Wayne Chrebet and Kevin Mawae, and a real solid defense too. They already throttled the Falcons in the regular season that year and would have done it again in the SB.
Peterson's fumbles didn't hurt the Vikings that much since the Saints didn't recover neither of them. It was fumbles from other players plus the crippling Farve INT which killed them. That said, I think the Colts would have beaten Vikings because the Vikings secondary was not very good and Peyton could easily see over their interior pass rush unlike Brees.
You could also add in 2011 the Saints-Niners divisional playoffs in 2011. If the Saints defense doesn't choke in the final minute, most likely they beat the Giants in the NFC championship and we have a Brees-Brady Super Bowl.
That 91 Redskins was one of the most dominant teams in NFL history. They demolished everyone that season.
The jets-donks game is a fair point...a Parcells/Belichick team always had a chance. They were beating Denver 10-0, too...that game changed on a rare Curtis Martin fumble. Either way, I was so pissed at the NFCCG cause I had SB tickets and was hoping for a dream matchup. To this day I've been to 2 SB's and they were both dog (Niners-Chargers, Falcons-Donks).
yup, Only Dallas beat them (by 3 points) when they played their starters
Yeah, Harvin had a huge fumble but Peterson botched a handoff from Favre when they were threatening at the end of the first half. The latter can be attributed to either based on your interpretation, but I'm giving it to Peterson since he had greasy mitts all game
you're talking to a guy who despises brady, wilson tbh
The jets-donks game is a fair point...a Parcells/Belichick team always had a chance. They were beating Denver 10-0, too...that game changed on a rare Curtis Martin fumble. Either way, I was so pissed at the NFCCG cause I had SB tickets and was hoping for a dream matchup. To this day I've been to 2 SB's and they were both dog (Niners-Chargers, Falcons-Donks).
Yeah I forgot about that goal line fumble which was setup by a muff by Bush on a punt return. Peterson had two prior fumbles that game. Still he put up a lot of yards against an 8 man front while the DBs played man coverage the whole game.
That Jets team beat the Falcons with Chris Chandler out and a 44 year old Steve Deberg starting in his place.
The Chargers have had several teams loaded with Super Bowl talent but the one that's actually gotten there might as well not even have boarded the plane. It would have been a more interesting game had the Steelers gotten there (as they should've.)
There have been a lot of Super Bowl blowouts but IMO Bears-Patriots, 49ers-Broncos and 49ers-Chargers stand out as SBs in which everyone knew going in there was no chance of even a compe ive game.
As for the hypothetical Broncos-Vikings... I think Denver would've won that game fairly decisively, but it would've been nice to at least anticipate it.
Panthers would have destroyed New England last year
Great thread, tbh..
Mind filling me in on that theory scro?
spurraider21 could tell you better than me. The gist of it was Callahan changing the entire offensive gameplan (from run to pass) a day before the SB...some say to help out Jon Gruden. Either way, it ed the Raiders up and caused center Barret Robbins to have an anxiety attack and go awol the day before the game. Years later Tim Brown and Jerry Rice talked about how this was sabotage.
I still get chills when I think about Ronde Barber running back that 95 yard pick six.
Correct me if I'm wrong. But, I think that SB was the first time the NFL leading offense (Raiders) played the NFL leading defense (Bucs).
Tampa just had all the plays....you're right. But, it also didn't help the Raiders that their starting center would rather get ed up in Tijuana than actually play the game.
No offensive line + no defense = yes
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