Why'd the Broncos get blown out in 3 straight Super Bowls?

[AkronsWitness]

On 6/7/2020 at 6:46 PM, kwolf68 said:

The Denver teams of that era were just not that good, there were 4 or 5 NFC teams that were typically better. Broncos so awful that Redskins Oline opened up the largest holes in NFL history as some guy named Timmy Smith ran for 200+. It was a pathetic performance. I give John Elway mad props for even getting that team to the big dance. You saw what he did when Denver finally put a quality defense and better supporting cast around him, even at the end of his career he proved to be a champion. 

Didnt watch those earlier teams, but it sounds a lot like early Elway was a lot like early LeBron in carrying very average teams to places in the playoffs they had no business being in.

[Hunter2_1]

There you go @DannyB. Bottom of the last page. That's as close as you'll get, I'd say

[coffeedrinker]

On 6/5/2020 at 8:27 AM, August4th said:

was the NFC on another level compared to the AFC back then? watching SB highlights of that era it was like "bringing a knife to a gunfight" on a football field

One thing that was going on back then in the 60s and 70s the AFC was considered to have the innovative coaches and teams and after the domination of the AFC in the 70s (Dallas was the only NFC team to win the SB from 1968 to 1980).  The NFC, in the late 70s and early 80s) started hiring and encouraging innovative coaches, like Bill Walsh, Jimmy Johnson, Mike Ditka who brought new offensive and defensive systems.  And it took a while for the AFC to catch up again. 

It was Walsh first started using analytics so, he developed the idea of scripting the first 15 plays to see how the defense was going to play and then modified the game plan based on what they were doing.

The 55-10 drubbing of the Broncos was a combination of great coaching, great players and then just getting on a roll where every break went SF's way and it appeared they could just do no wrong.  

[7DnBrnc53]

56 minutes ago, coffeedrinker said:

The NFC, in the late 70s and early 80s) started hiring and encouraging innovative coaches, like Bill Walsh, Jimmy Johnson, Mike Ditka who brought new offensive and defensive systems.  And it took a while for the AFC to catch up again. 

Also, the Redskins hired an excellent coach in Joe Gibbs. He sometimes seems to get overlooked when you mention the great coaches of that era.

Meanwhile, in the AFC, the team that made the most SB's in the 80's (the Broncos) had Dan Reeves as HC. His offensive system was well behind the times. Former Bronco WR Steve Watson called it the "Edsel System". You also still had Shula and Emperor Noll, but they didn't have the talent that they did when they won SB titles in the 70's.

 

[DannyB]

11 hours ago, Hunter2_1 said:

There you go @DannyB. Bottom of the last page. That's as close as you'll get, I'd say

[BleedTheClock]

Because they GET WHAT THEY FUDGING DESERVE!!!!!

 

(Browns Fan)

[Vorsutus]

6 hours ago, BleedTheClock said:

Because they GET WHAT THEY FUDGING DESERVE!!!!!

 

(Browns Fan)

(I am sorry).

[FinSting]

On 6/11/2020 at 2:23 PM, coffeedrinker said:

It was Walsh first started using analytics so, he developed the idea of scripting the first 15 plays to see how the defense was going to play and then modified the game plan based on what they were doing.

 

You left out "on a napkin."

[dll2000]

 

[kwolf68]

On 6/10/2020 at 1:11 PM, AkronsWitness said:

Didnt watch those earlier teams, but it sounds a lot like early Elway was a lot like early LeBron in carrying very average teams to places in the playoffs they had no business being in.

 

That is exactly what it was. The NFC was LOAD-ED in the 1980s (Niners, Bears, Redskins, Giants) and the AFC rolled out teams with serious flaws, to include Denver. As I said I am not sure Denver is any better than a Wildcard team had they played in the NFC. They rolled through a bunch of AFC creampuffs, mainly because Elways was often the difference, got to the Super Bowl and got rolled, EACH and EVERY time. Elway was going against some of the games best defenses while his own defense was getting door matted. Denver was NEVER going to win it all in the 1980s, the same way Dan Marino and Dan Fouts never won it all.

BUT, unlike Marino and Fouts, before Elway retired they got him the requisite supporting cast and all he did was close out his career with two straight rings. The guys with more than 2 rings? Brady, Bradshaw, Montana, and Aikman. 

So lets take a look at THOSE teams? Those are probably four of the five greatest dynasties in league history (along with the 60s Packers). IOW, they were LOADED. Elway was playing with a mediocre team most of his career. He was a gamer of a Quarterback and he proved it every season of his career and I am glad he won it all so we don't have to hear the talking heads blather about how he isn't "all that" because he never won it all, the same crap we hear about Dan Marino and Dan Fouts.

The fact that winning a Super Bowl validates a QB's standing is hogwash. No sane thinking person would ever say Trent Dilfer was better than Dan Marino. Give Dan Marino one of the greatest defenses ever and I promise you he has a ring. Not only was the Miami defense not good, for most of Marino's career it was downright putrid. 

Edited June 21, 2020 by kwolf68

[Cutler06]

Dan Reeves was the coach, inferior talent.