CCs/semifinal games you considered the "real" SB/title game

[74_75_78_79_]

Simply a case where you felt the two very best teams in pro football ended up playing each other one playoff-round too early. Sure enough those early-'90s Dal/SF NFCCs will first come to most minds (or at least '92 & '94). The four-straight NFLCs from '66 through '69 ought to come up as well (or maybe you, instead, actually feel that KC and Oak were better than both Minn & Clev).

Pre-SB-era tiebreaker games can also be used as an example, such as that de facto 'Western championship game' in 1941 between Packers & Bears who both finished at 10-1.

[JohnH19]

The 1974, 75 and 76 Pittsburgh - Oakland AFC Championship games. Unfortunately, the 1976 game was less competitive because Franco and Rocky didn’t play.

[Rupert Patrick]

2006 AFC Championship between New England and Indianapolis.

Two divisional games that I considered the real Super Bowl:

1997 AFC Divisional playoff between Chiefs and Broncos.

2000 AFC Divisional playoff between Ravens and Titans.

[74_75_78_79_]

Being that I placed SF & Rams as my top-two on the ’89 regular season Power Rankings thread, I guess I can personally include that year’s NFCC albeit LA in a distant-2nd. Rams beating Eagles not really an upset; same with the following week at the Meadowlands. They beat the G-men convincingly during the regular season and came razor-close to sweeping SF. Giants 12-4 (second-best record in the league) and division champs but 0-4 vs SF/LA/Phi.

If you do think that Dallas was better than Cincy in ’81, then ‘The Catch’ can be included in this. Same with the ’09 NFCC if you thought Saints & Vikings were the NFL’s top-two.

[sheajets]

It was not build up this way over the course of the week, but once Atlanta knocked off Minnesota, Jets-Broncos in 1998 became the Super Bowl.

[74_75_78_79_]

I did think of ’82 NFCC but the jury was still out on the Redskins going into the CCs. Of the four remaining teams, I would have felt Dallas being the best of them, Wash being the worst. When Redskins won, then they were considered serious.

[JWL]

It was not build up this way over the course of the week, but once Atlanta knocked off Minnesota, Jets-Broncos in 1998 became the Super Bowl.

I didn't find much of a difference between the Falcons and Vikings. The Falcons winning the NFC title game was not a surprise to me.

The Jets started off rocky at 2-3. Glenn Foley was the starting quarterback in the 3 losses. Once Vinny Testaverde started for good, the Jets blasted off. The team went 12-1 when Testaverde started. The Jets were 7-1 in the regular season against playoff teams.

The Falcons went 14-2. One of the losses came to the Jets when a geriatric quarterback named Steve DeBerg had to start. The game would have been different had Chris Chandler been able to play but the Jets did win by 25 points.

Point differential suggests the Vikings were the best regular season team. I didn't find them to be any better than the Broncos, Falcons, or Jets. I thought overall the four teams were fairly close.

[7DnBrnc53]

Sure enough those early-'90s Dal/SF NFCCs will first come to most minds (or at least '92 & '94).

In 1992, I don't think that SF was that great. The Bills did beat them at Candlestick earlier that year, and matched up better with them than they did Dallas. The 92 Niners probably should have been 10-6 like the 93 version.

[sheajets]

It was not build up this way over the course of the week, but once Atlanta knocked off Minnesota, Jets-Broncos in 1998 became the Super Bowl.

I didn't find much of a difference between the Falcons and Vikings. The Falcons winning the NFC title game was not a surprise to me.

The Jets started off rocky at 2-3. Glenn Foley was the starting quarterback in the 3 losses. Once Vinny Testaverde started for good, the Jets blasted off. The team went 12-1 when Testaverde started. The Jets were 7-1 in the regular season against playoff teams.

The Falcons went 14-2. One of the losses came to the Jets when a geriatric quarterback named Steve DeBerg had to start. The game would have been different had Chris Chandler been able to play but the Jets did win by 25 points.

Point differential suggests the Vikings were the best regular season team. I didn't find them to be any better than the Broncos, Falcons, or Jets. I thought overall the four teams were fairly close.

And prior to that DeBerg I believe was a QB coach. He came out of coaching to play. 44 years old

[superbowlfanatic]

Even more than Rupert P.'s inclusion of the Titans/Ravens AFC Conf. Championship before Super Bowl 34,
I think their matchup in the AFC Divisional round the next season showcased the two very best teams in the NFL that year. I truly believed that whoever won that Ravens/Titant game would be far superior to the Raiders and any team that the NFC put forward. And that proved to be correct.