Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

SixtiesFan wrote:

BD Sullivan wrote:

SixtiesFan wrote:1960 NFL Championship: Green Bay Packers at Cleveland Browns.

1958: Baltimore at Cleveland

And this doesn't count the Browns' 1963 second place finish.

The Browns had a one-game lead over the Giants after eight weeks, but then had two costly losses that likely ended up costing them any chance at winning the Eastern Conference. First, they lost 9-7 at Pittsburgh, where their offense was non-existent in the second half. The following week at home against St. Louis, Blanton Collier started Jim Ninowski at QB, but after scoring on the first series, the offense again died until a late touchdown chopped the lead to 20-14, and a final drive died at the Cardinal 30. The Browns blew a golden chance to take a 14-13 lead late in the third when they picked off a pass and had first down at the St. Louis, but they lost one yard on four plays. Finally, two other blown chances: in the first quarter, Pat Fischer somehow outjumped Gary Collins for the ball at the Cardinal five to stop a drive, and in the third, Ray Renfro was wide open at the St. Louis 25--and dropped the ball.

Cleveland did gain a tie for first the next week with the Giants and Cardinals, then knocked off St. Louis to stay tied with the Giants. Then, their season collapsed by getting blown out by the Lions, who were 4-7-1 entering the game and hadn't won for over a month. The Browns only trailed 14-10 at the half, but again did nothing after the break, getting outscored 24-0.

1957 NFL Championship- San Francisco 49ers at Cleveland Browns. What if SF doesn't blow that big 2nd half lead at Kezar against Detroit?

1978 AFC Championship- New England Patriots at Pittsburgh Steelers. If only Fairbanks had waited until after the season to consider the Colorado job, I don't think the Pats would have been as shellshocked against Houston. And they would have at least gotten more than 5 points against the Steelers at Three Rivers!

1998 NFC Championship- San Francisco 49ers at Minnesota Vikings. People forget that Steve Young actually had a better statistical passing year than Cunningham. Would have been fun to see the last great Niner team of that era against the prolific Vikes? Moss vs. Rice!

1991 NFC Divisional Playoffs- if the Saints had gotten past Atlanta, it would have been fun to see New Orleans vs. Detroit and a Dallas-Washington rematch of the Cowboys RFK surprise.

CSKreager wrote:1957 NFL Championship- San Francisco 49ers at Cleveland Browns. What if SF doesn't blow that big 2nd half lead at Kezar against Detroit?

The game would have been played at Kezar.

1960 Grey Cup: Ottawa-Winnipeg...Bud Grant's best Blue Bomber team. A win in this game would have made it five in a row from 58-62.
1967 Western Conference Championship: Packers-Colts
1968 NFL Championship: Colts-Cowboys
1969 NFL Championship: Vikings-Cowboys
1969 AFL Championship: Raiders-Jets rematch
SB 6: Cowboys-Chiefs
1972 Grey Cup: Hamilton-Winnipeg...the first place Blue Bombers blew a 24-7 third quarter lead and lost 27-24 to Saskatchewan in the Western Final. This after going a dominant 8-0 at home during the regular season. It broke my adolescent heart.
SB 10: Steelers-Vikings rematch
SB 11: Steelers-Vikings one more time
SB 12: Cowboys-Raiders
1979 AFC Championship: Steelers-Chargers
SB 20: Bears-Dolphins
SB 21: Giants-Browns
SB 22: Washington-Browns
SB 33: Broncos-Vikings...two super teams
SB 44: Colts-Vikings...Manning-Favre

1965: Browns at Colts, a rematch of the previous year's title game.

BD Sullivan wrote:1965: Browns at Colts, a rematch of the previous year's title game.

Good choice. It was a field goal away from happening.

Had Pete Rozelle postponed games on 11/24/63:

Giants and Chicago in the 40-degree+ weather that Chicago had on January 5, 1964, instead of the nine degrees one week earlier.

In that same vein, the Steelers could conceivably have been the Bears' foe that day had they beaten the Giants in the regular season finale.

The following year, the Colts could have traveled to St. Louis had the breaks gone the Cardinals' way during the regular season.

1972 AFC championship Raiders-Dolphins. It was supposed to go that way, wasn't it?

1957 NFLC - Cleveland at San Fran

1964 NFLC - Colts at Cards

1967 - NFL playoff format allowing two wild cards to make playoffs hence 11-1-2 Colts being let in!

1972 - Steelers/Washington or Dallas/Miami (rematch from previous year) Super Bowl

1974 - Steelers/Miami AFCC

1981 - Bengals/Dallas SB

1983 - Raiders/Niners SB

1988 - Eagles/Niners NFCC (would most likely have been a clone of the following season's Week #3 Classic)

1989 - Giants/Niners NFCC (Tuna makes it close), Steelers/Browns AFCC (actually forget that, glad that DIDN'T happen; Steelers quite likely win it hence Historic Embarrassment two weeks later)

1991 - Niners VS Wash in NFC playoffs

1993 - Houston/Dallas SB

1994 - well YOU KNOW!! (should be #1 on everyone's list outside Chargers Nation)

1995 - (if I wasn't a Steelers fan) Colts/Dallas SB

1996 - Dallas/GB NFCC, winner takes on unrest(rust)ed Denver

1997 - Steelers/Packers SB

1999 - Titans/Bucs 'bruiser' Bowl

2000 - Rams/Ravens SB

2001 - Steelers/Rams SB

2002 - Eagles/Raiders SB

2004 - Steelers/Eagles SB

2005 - (if I wasn't a Steelers fan) Pats/Seattle SB

2010 - Steelers/Bears SB (well of course)

2012 AFC Title Game: Patriots at Broncos

Would have happened if it wasn't for the horrible officiating by Bill "Bronco hater" Vinovich.

Packers and Pats in SB 46 or 49

Could have been a "changing of the guard" matchup between Rodgers and Brady.