Which Team Would Win This Tournament of Best Ever Teams to Miss the Playoffs?

[footbull3196]

Ok so I’ve created a field of the best ever teams to miss the playoffs and started a tournament.  These teams were hand selected by myself and thrown into a 12 team bracket with 2 “conferences”.   Since 8 of the 12 teams have identical 10-6 records, point differential was used to determine the seeding order.   Here’s what I came up with:

Conference A

1. 2008 New England Patriots (11-5)
2. 1991 San Francisco 49ers (10-6)
3. 2005 Kansas City Chiefs (10-6)
4. 1986 Seattle Seahawks (10-6)
5. 1991 Philadelphia Eagles (10-6)
6. 1984 St. Louis Cardinals (9-7)

 

Conference B

1. 1985 Denver Broncos (11-5)
2. 2012 Chicago Bears (10-6)
3. 1989 Washington Redskins (10-6)
4. 2014 Philadelphia Eagles (10-6)
5. 2010 New York Giants (10-6)
6. 2003 Minnesota Vikings (9-7)

 

Just missed the cut - 2013 Arizona Cardinals (10-6), 1980 New England Patriots (10-6), 2015 New York Jets (10-6), 2002 New Orleans Saints (9-7), 2004 Buffalo Bills (9-7)

 

So the matchups would be as follows

Wild Card

6. 1984 St Louis Cardinals @ 3. 2005 Kansas City Chiefs

5. 2010 New York Giants @ 4. 2014 Philadelphia Eagles

 

6. 2003 Minnesota Vikings @ 3. 1989 Washington Redskins

5. 1991 Philadelphia Eagles @ 4. 1986 Seattle Seahawks

 

Divisional Round

1991 San Francisco 49ers and 2012 Chicago Bears face highest seeded remaining teams in each conference

2008 New England Patriots and 1985 Denver Broncos face lowest seeded remaining teams in each conference

NOTICE: Each team is locked into this tournament with the roster they ended the regular season with.  So if you’re wondering if Randall Cunningham would be available for the 1991 Eagles, the answer is no.  Tom Brady also would not be available for the 2008 Patriots.  However, since Steve Young came back and started the season finale to close out the 1991 regular season, he would be available for the 1991 49ers

If anyone wants to sim this on WhatIfSports, feel free to.  Try to use a best of 7 series in each matchup in order to most effectively determine the better team

As for my pick to win it all, it would be the 1991 San Francisco 49ers.  I don’t see the #1 seeds in either conference as particularly strong and the 49ers didn’t lose a game that season by more than 7 points, and all 6 of their losses were to non-losing teams.  If the Falcons hadn’t completed a miracle Hail Mary in Week 10, San Francisco would have not only gone to the playoffs, they would have won the division over the Saints.  And their 393-239 point differential is more indicative of a 12-4/13-3 team than a 10-6 team 

[footbull3196]

Bump, this time with a hastily created tournament bracket that I made in Microsoft Paint

 

[MWil23]

No mention of the 2007 10-6 Browns with a Pro Bowl QB, RB, WR, and TE?

#Notmytournament

[footbull3196]

30 minutes ago, MWil23 said:

No mention of the 2007 10-6 Browns with a Pro Bowl QB, RB, WR, and TE?

#Notmytournament

402-382 point differential made me hesitant to pick them.  I think they’re the best browns team since their reincarnation though, but to be fair the bar wasn’t set very high

[MWil23]

10 minutes ago, footbull3196 said:

402-382 point differential made me hesitant to pick them.  I think they’re the best browns team since their reincarnation though, but to be fair the bar wasn’t set very high

The '02 team that made the wildcard was probably better/more well rounded and dangerous. They should have upset Pitt that first year but blew a lead.

[footbull3196]

30 minutes ago, MWil23 said:

The '02 team that made the wildcard was probably better/more well rounded and dangerous. They should have upset Pitt that first year but blew a lead.

Oh I agree they had that game in the bag multiple times.  Sucks that they wasted the game of Holcomb’s life

[Destructo Spin]

The 1988 Saints were 10-6 and finished 3rd in the NFC West. 49ers and Rams also finished 10-6 in the division but the Saints were left out on tiebreakers.

The Saints were 4th in defensive points allowed and created 42 turnovers (including a ridiculous 25 recovered fumbles out of 29 forced). The linebacker group of Rickey Jackson, Sam Mills, Pat Swilling and Vaughan Johnson generally considered to be the best 4-man LB group in NFL history.

Had a good dual-threat RB in Dalton Hillard, another good RB in Reuben Mayes and a true #1 WR in Eric Martin. One of the best return men to ever play the game, Mel Gray. One of the best kickers ever, Morten Andersen.

Pretty much the same roster had gone 12-3 the previous season. They were just unlucky to be stuck in a brutal division playing a brutal schedule. Lost to the 49ers 34-33 in the season opener then went on a 7-game win streak. Other losses were to the 10-6 Rams, 10-6 Giants, the 11-5 Vikings, @ the Redskins which was one of the toughest road games in those days, and the 49ers again.

 

I'd put them way high up in this bracket.

[Malfatron]

On 12/3/2018 at 5:28 PM, footbull3196 said:

If anyone wants to sim this on WhatIfSports, feel free to

yep, these whatifsports results are often realiable. right @JBURGE

[FinSting]

I can't remember any of these teams. Probably because they didn't handle Town Bizness so they didn't make the playoffs. 

But yeah, the '91 49ers would destroy everyone in this group. Had to look it up...they were a woeful 4-6, then went on a six-game winning streak to finish 10-6. Ain't nobody would've wanted to play the 49ers in the playoffs that year! 

[CKS97]

2 minutes ago, FinSting said:

I can't remember any of these teams. Probably because they didn't handle Town Bizness so they didn't make the playoffs. 

But yeah, the '91 49ers would destroy everyone in this group. Had to look it up...they were a woeful 4-6, then went on a six-game winning streak to finish 10-6. Ain't nobody would've wanted to play the 49ers in the playoffs that year! 

That win streak was a little overrated. They did their damage at home. Only 2 of those 7 wins were on the road: at 7-9 Seattle, at 3-13 Rams.

[JBURGE]

1 hour ago, Malfatron said:

On 12/3/2018 at 6:28 PM, footbull3196 said:

If anyone wants to sim this on WhatIfSports, feel free to

yep, these whatifsports results are often realiable. right @JBURGE

It's sad that it's been years but I know what you're referencing lol 

[footbull3196]

1 hour ago, Destructo Spin said:

The 1988 Saints were 10-6 and finished 3rd in the NFC West. 49ers and Rams also finished 10-6 in the division but the Saints were left out on tiebreakers.

The Saints were 4th in defensive points allowed and created 42 turnovers (including a ridiculous 25 recovered fumbles out of 29 forced). The linebacker group of Rickey Jackson, Sam Mills, Pat Swilling and Vaughan Johnson generally considered to be the best 4-man LB group in NFL history.

Had a good dual-threat RB in Dalton Hillard, another good RB in Reuben Mayes and a true #1 WR in Eric Martin. One of the best return men to ever play the game, Mel Gray. One of the best kickers ever, Morten Andersen.

Pretty much the same roster had gone 12-3 the previous season. They were just unlucky to be stuck in a brutal division playing a brutal schedule. Lost to the 49ers 34-33 in the season opener then went on a 7-game win streak. Other losses were to the 10-6 Rams, 10-6 Giants, the 11-5 Vikings, @ the Redskins which was one of the toughest road games in those days, and the 49ers again.

 

I'd put them way high up in this bracket.

To be completely honest, they’re not even the team from the NFC from that season that I would consider putting in the bracket if I had to do it over again.  The 1988 Giants would have been my choice.  359-304 point differential (as compared to the Saints 312-283), and had Phil Simms with a pretty good season for the time period, as well as a 1000 yard rusher in Joe Morris and 1000 yard receiver with Lionel Manuel.  Don’t forget about Mark Bavaro at TE.   And the Giants defense was stout as well since they still had LT, Leonard Marshall, Carson, Pepper Johnson, Carl Banks, etc

But one of their losses was a really bizarre sequence of events.  Against the Eagles in Week 12, they lost 23-17 in overtime after the Eagles lined up for a FG attempt only to have it blocked.  But the ball bounced straight to Clyde Simmons who picked it up and ran it into the end zone for a touchdown.  Not to mention, the Giants were still alive for a playoff spot in the final week of the season that year.  The Saints had already blown a 9-3 start by slipping to 9-6 so they were already eliminated entering the final week of 1988.  Giants just ended the season by losing to a Jets team with a winning record in a 6 point game

[FinSting]

1 hour ago, CKS97 said:

That win streak was a little overrated. They did their damage at home. Only 2 of those 7 wins were on the road: at 7-9 Seattle, at 3-13 Rams.

Lost in the stats was the physical act of someone putting a monkey on Steve Young's back that took a few years to remove

[RBreezy]

Aw man don’t even remind me of the 2014 Eagles. I’ll never forget rolling into Dallas on thanksgiving and absolutely beating down Murray and the Cowboys. It looked like the Sanchize was prime to lead the team to the playoffs. Obviously it all came unglued lol choked away the division 

[Neumatic]

I’ve made it a point not to bet against Bill Belichick and I’m not going to start now.