Double-thread: '85 Lions and '86 Falcons

[74_75_78_79_]

Two 'almost'-one-year-wonder mid-'80s teams one year apart who each started strong, gathering up quality-wins within those starts, but would falter whilst still, at least, looking respectable late in each season.


We'll start, chronologically, with the '85 Lions. Daryll Rodgers now onboard, taking over for Monte Clark at HC. They start 2-0 with that second win over Dallas who, perhaps, came into the Silverdome on too much a 'high' over their 44-14 schlacking of Washington in the MNF opener. Big D seriously shooting themselves in feet thus digging themselves into a 26-0 hole after 3 quarters of play. Hogeboom comes in for Danny, out with a sprained thumb, and almost rallies them back but not to be.

Weeks later, they become the first team ever to beat the previous year's SB-participants in back-to-back weeks to up their record to 5-3. First they beat San Fran who, yes, were 3-3 going in but would still return to the playoffs, and then Miami who was 5-2 going in en route to a return to the AFCCG. Both wins were also at home.

The remaining win over a playoff-participant-to-be was once again at home, on Thanksgiving, over the Jets who - like the Steelers two years prior - went into Pontiac/Turkey Day at 9-3! Bringing back memories of their 'Silver Rush' not too long back, they sack Ken O'Brien 7 times! That very win brought them above-500 for the last time that year at 7-6, making it then 6-0 at home but 1-6 on the road. Yes, resembling their '81 team. At that point they were only one game behind both San Fran and NYG who would end up getting in as the NFC Wild Cards.

It didn't matter. They would lose-out the rest of the way anyway to make it 7-9. Ranked worst in offense in the end and, despite a strong pass-defense statistically, just #18 overall on that side of the ball. Perhaps the good start to the season W/L-record-wise could be a product of Daryll simply inheriting a team that was just two years removed from an almost-NFCCG-appearance thus the years of respectability leading up under Monte Clark. All went bad the following year!


The next such 'almost'-one-year-wonder ...the Falcons the very next year. Dan Henning's fourth season there as HC - as well as his LAST! But not before a 5-1-1 start which included a Wk#3 win at Dallas who were in midst of that "final breath" of Landry Era 6-2 start, a 26-14 win at home vs the Rams to make it, now, 5-1, and bringing San Fran to a TIE the following week (also at home)!

Then came the 5-game-losing-streak. But each was against a playoff team to be - Rams & San Fran rematches among them. But with exception to SF who beat them, 20-0, to make it 5-straight defeats, each of the other losses FWIW were at least close on the scoreboard. They do win at suddenly-mediocre Miami the following week, but become the first team that season to lose to Indy (and at home) the very next week (Ron Meyers' Colts-debut)!

Mora's Saints would then come into town to tack on another loss. That would make a losing season official at 6-8-1, but I'd imagine that if there was any chance of Henning getting another shot in '87 due to they at least being respectable most of the way, it was doused with that very loss to 0-13 Indy! Marion Campbell would take over the following year. FWIW, unlike the Lions from the previous year, the Falcons at least had something to hang their hat on statistically. They were #17 in offense and 7th at D!


In addition to both teams, a year apart, reminding me of each other, Rodgers' Lions & Henning's Falcons played each other in the '85 opener with Detroit winning on the road, and they also played in the '86 finale with Atlanta winning this time - and also on the road.

Thoughts?

[CSKreager]

86 ATL had a monster schedule- they faced half of the 85 playoff teams

[7DnBrnc53]

The 85 Lions did what they did with shaky QB play, no Billy Sims, and minimal contributions from Doug English (who only played in ten games in his last season) and Mike Cofer (who only played in seven games).

The next year, they draft QB Chuck Long (who was a bust. They should have drafted WR Mike Sherrard) and RB Garry James (over Dalton Hilliard). Despite more shaky QB play (Eric Hipple played the majority of the games for them), they did start 3-3 before losing four in a row in a gauntlet part of the schedule (@Rams, @Chi, Cin, Minn. Three of the losses were by seven points or less). Then, after a 3-7 start, they won two more to get to 5-7 before losing the rest of their games.