Oilers at Bills AFC-CG, 1991

[CSKreager]

Inspired by the 74_75_78_79 thread on the 78 NFC CG that nearly was….

How about a hypo CCG that was literally 1 play away?

Let’s suppose Houston gets one of those 2 4th down stops or the bad snap on the winning FG ends up backfiring in Mile High and the Oilers escape Mile High and the Denver Elways don’t voodoo their way to another AFC CG with an 8-8 roster…..

Remember this would have been a year BEFORE 35-3

Moon and Kelly had both thrown 30 TD’s that year

The Broncos’ defense, despite being a product of a 5th place schedule, held Buffalo without an offensive touchdown.

A lot is made about BUF’ defensive rankings in 1991 (19th in points, 27th in yards). Houston? Top 10 in both categories!

Plus this Oiler team’s key pieces were a year younger and they still had Drew Hill

You wonder how much riding possible momentum of making an AFC-CG, let alone beating the aura and mystique of “Elway and Notre Dame-esque Mile High” could have buoyed HOU

And lest we forget how tough they played Washington AT RFK. You can’t tell me their top 10 defense that allowed 1 touchdown in bad weather would have fared worse than 24-0

[74_75_78_79_]

Those Oiler teams of that time period sure had a way of leaving playoff advancements on the table. They never made it to a conference title game!

Statistically, '91 looks stronger than esteemed Buddy Ball '93. They had the #2 offense though it was their passing game that carried the unit to that mark. Their defense finished 9th overall with their passing D being the weaker link. 1993's defense finished #13 overall (passing D also quite the weak link) but that may very well be a product of that 1-4 start; not sure, got to further inspect.

Just the same, in '91 they started 7-1 and sure looked the part! Demolishing the Raiders in the opener, 47-17, beating KC two weeks later by more than a TD, and trouncing Denver following their Wk#5 bye, 42-14! They took that very 7-1 record into RFK bringing the unbeaten Champs-to-be into OT, barely losing it, 16-13!

They then beat Dallas the following week at home, the game also going into OT. It was prior to Big D's 5-game tear to end the season but still a nice bounce-back win to make it 8-2. Then they barely beat the 4-6 Browns (Belichick's first year as HC) and then lose back-to-back at not-good Pittsburgh (Noll's final season) and at home to the Eagles in that memorable Monday Night defensive slug-fest, 13-6, dropping them to 9-4.

They easily avenge the Steelers the following week at home and barely beat the Browns again, at Cleveland, penultimate week. But the following Saturday, all they had to do was beat Handley's Giants at the Meadowlands and clinch 2nd-seed!

Not to be. they suffer the upset, have to host the 8-8 Jets in the 1st-Rd who they barely advance against (barely beat them at home earlier as well), and, of course, LOSE at Mile HIgh to that very team they squashed earlier on!

Simply another underachieving Oiler squad from that time which, very well, may have (indirectly, at least) led them to Tennessee.

How do they do at Buffalo if they avert that Mile High defeat? I say it likely turns out to be a defense battle just like the actual Denver/Buffalo event with it going either way. I guess I give the edge to the home team.

But if Houston actually lands in Minneapolis, I'd think it'd be too easy to assume they give Washington a good game simply because they did so in Week #10. Too easy to think that. Washington still wins it and though likely a closer game, I still see the Redskins winning by more than a TD. Heck, maybe they actually win by 13 as well! Just that it wouldn't be a case of Houston scoring a late-garbage-TD to make it such a final margin!

[CSKreager]

Those Oiler teams of that time period sure had a way of leaving playoff advancements on the table. They never made it to a conference title game!

And conversely we had so many mid Bronco teams always advancing in the playoffs after 84 despite not always having the better roster (yes I think the 89 Steelers man for man may have had better players)

[Brian wolf]

Oilers just couldn't win on the road. Moon had a terrible starting record away from The House Of Pain. That Oilers-Cowboys game was one of the best from 1991.

[7DnBrnc53]

Those Oiler teams of that time period sure had a way of leaving playoff advancements on the table. They never made it to a conference title game!

And conversely we had so many mid Bronco teams always advancing in the playoffs after 84 despite not always having the better roster (yes I think the 89 Steelers man for man may have had better players)

Offensively, they were as good at RB (if not a little better. Denver had Humphrey, but they had Worley and Hoge). They also had Louis Lipps at WR (who was more of a #1 than Vance Johnson, even though Johnson should have made the Pro Bowl that year), and their offensive line may have been better with Dermontti Dawson, John Jackson, and Tunch Ilkin being as good or better than their counterparts.

On defense, they were about even at LB. Denver had even better safeties, but the Steelers had way better CB's. Denver had the better D-line, though, with Holmes and Kragen leading the way.

So, you might have a point. Despite two super rookies, the 89 Broncos weren't the most talented team in the AFC. Actually, I would have rather seen the Bills go against SF that year. They would have played their WR's inside and close (if the regular season game is any indication), and the Bills also would have used the no-huddle to start the game. Also, while SF was white hot going into that game, they don't have a Belichick-level defensive mind.

[Brian wolf]

Good point 7D, but Rhodes* could light a fire under his players, though Lott didn't need motivation and seeing the 49er's defenders flying around against Buffalo in the SuperDome in 1990 would have been a trial by fire for Levy's young team. It would have been fun to watch.

* Bill McPherson led the defense and deserves credit as well.

[SeahawkFever]

Inspired by the 74_75_78_79 thread on the 78 NFC CG that nearly was….

How about a hypo CCG that was literally 1 play away?

Let’s suppose Houston gets one of those 2 4th down stops or the bad snap on the winning FG ends up backfiring in Mile High and the Oilers escape Mile High and the Denver Elways don’t voodoo their way to another AFC CG with an 8-8 roster…..

Remember this would have been a year BEFORE 35-3

Moon and Kelly had both thrown 30 TD’s that year

The Broncos’ defense, despite being a product of a 5th place schedule, held Buffalo without an offensive touchdown.

A lot is made about BUF’ defensive rankings in 1991 (19th in points, 27th in yards). Houston? Top 10 in both categories!

Plus this Oiler team’s key pieces were a year younger and they still had Drew Hill

You wonder how much riding possible momentum of making an AFC-CG, let alone beating the aura and mystique of “Elway and Notre Dame-esque Mile High” could have buoyed HOU

And lest we forget how tough they played Washington AT RFK. You can’t tell me their top 10 defense that allowed 1 touchdown in bad weather would have fared worse than 24-0

I presume you are calling the Broncos the “Elway’s” because they didn’t have much talent outside of Elway in your opinion.

If so, do you mean that just on offense or both sides?

Me personally, I’d say the 91 Broncos had a pretty good defense from the looks of it.

Easy schedule no doubt (at least by points they faced a number of teams in the teens and 20’s of points scored ranking).

But I do see two safeties that made the pro bowl in Dennis Smith and Steve Atwater, an inside linebacker who made the pro bowl in Karl Mecklenburg, and two outside linebackers who had double digit sacks in Simon Fletcher and Mike Croel.

And I see that they ranked third by points allowed, fifth in yards allowed, third in first downs allowed, and only 11th in takeaways, but sixth in punts forced.

[SeahawkFever]

And as for the Oilers and Bills, I wouldn’t be surprised if Houston wins; especially if Buffalo played the same level offensively as they did vs Denver.

And Super Bowl 26 could easily have been closer than it was if Houston was there.