racepug wrote: ↑Thu Oct 19, 2023 6:56 pm
74_75_78_79_ wrote: ↑Wed Oct 18, 2023 4:37 pm
placing many champions above '72 just because of their easy schedule. Yes, maybe a few of the best-of-the-bests I may still place above them.
That's what
I've always thought. Sure, nobody else has gone unbeaten (through an
entire season), since, but do people REALLY believe that some
other championship teams
couldn't have beaten the '72
Dolphins? Personally, I think the '84
49ers and the '85
Bears could BOTH have beaten the '72
Dolphins. 'Course, that's only my belief but nobody has any way of proving me wrong, either.
What would you, and the others in here, see as Shula's best-coached season of his career? Continuing in my giving more kudos to those '72 Dolphins, I think I'll have to say that very season!
Going undefeated and untied is obviously real difficult! Only Paul Brown ever did it. Especially considering Griese was out a good part of the campaign. Putting Griese back in during the AFCCG wasn't an un-gutsy decision considering the still-unbeaten-untied/"if its not broken" momentum under Earl Morrall. And the severe pressure he must have been under going into SBVII! His last big game vs George Allen resulted in that lopsided play-in finale loss five years earlier to his Rams when he was still in Baltimore. Yet he finishes the job! And it would take another
46 years until a runner-up would go back to the SB and
win it this time! Obviously a tough accomplishment as well.
But unlike Landry and Reid, there are still plenty of alternate 'candidates' you could argue for. You got 1970, he immediately leading a bad team to the playoffs. Going back in '73 and repeating, and in dominant fashion, is another. Going 10-4 in '75 without Csonka, Kiick, and Warfield, bringing Wood-Strock to the SB in '82, and - as someone here mentioned - Bill Walsh having a newfound appreciation for him in bringing what he thought was a 9-7 ("just"-Marino) team all the way to the SB at 14-2.
Again, though, my personal pick is 17-0-0 in 1972!
What's Landry and Reid's best-coached season? Not too many 'candidates' to choose from.
1975 should be the obvious #1 with '80 at #2 and that's about it. Each were supposed to regress. Yet, in 'Year One' without Staubach, he still 'miracle's his way to an NFCCG but '75, of course, even quite better! After their own divisional round 'Miracle', they not only win the conference, but do so by squashing the 12-2 Rams in LA! And then they give, IMO, the Best Team of All-Time everything they could possibly handle (perhaps a slightly better-timed Percy Howard end zone jump away). A supreme MASSIVE over-achievement! Which is what makes
SBX the Eternal Classic it is! And will
always be.
Reid's best?
2013 beyond-obviously! His first year in KC, they were 2-14 the previous year, and he goes
11-5! 2000, I guess, can be seen as an honorable mention. His second year in Philly with an 11-5 playoff berth and convincing 1st-Rd win over Dungy's Bucs, 21-3. Plus, I really liked that
onside-kick on the
very first play in the opener at Big D! Nice touch! And sign of confidence, and winning ways, to come!
Any other candidates? Propelling his 9-6-1 squad to the NFCCG (and almost winning it) in 2008?
Yes, a personal Top Ten HCs list, if I ever do one again, very likely will be different. This is (still) it so far...
1) Vince, 2a)Hoodie, 2b)Brown, 4) Papa Bear,
5) Noll (with potential to crash-in at any time, as many spots up as possible
6) Walsh, 7a) Gibbs, 7b) Tuna, 9-tie) Shula/Landry
And then there IS Andy. And Steve Owen.
And then there's CURLY who - upon further thought - I should not 'restrict' due to his lack of contender-ship post WWII. Not really fair. SIX World Championships! One of just three (Guy & Vince the others) to win three-straight
NFL Championships. And both he - and Guy (twice) - went undefeated, though
ties still factored into the equation for both.
And Guy should, at the very least, be allowed to take a whiff of the Top Ten, I'd think! The League in its sheer infancy at the time but still. Had the Hall of Fame had its first induction after the 1929 season - and only ONE could get into that inaugural class - come on!
Who else would it be??
Sadly, Tuna may not be in my next 'edition'.
And as for Shula. Tying both he and Landry understandable. Landry DID beat him well in SBVI. But not only did I make an error OP of this thread in stating that both have an 'extra' conference championship over Andy, I failed to point out '68 - and also '64! Basically two extra 'Super Bowl' appearances. Should I even tie Landry with Shula after all?
But, again, if Reid wins his third SB (and then especially a 4th), he ought to graduate from this convo anyway.
A real tough exercise, my next 'Top Ten' HCs of All-Time will be! Am I missing any other possible break-in candidate?