As explained in Part 1 of my bracket, my fantasy Super Bowl bracket includes 6 of the greatest NFL teams in history in each Conference that I have selected to battle it out for the ultimate Super Bowl championship. A more detailed explanation of the logistics is in Part 1. Here is a quick summary.
1) Naturally, the players from each team would need to be in their primes.
2) The rest can be chosen by you, the reader:
a) Mixing a team’s offense from one season with its defense from another season. You can also
mix a dynasty’s best players.
b) All players having access to the best and modern strength and condition and nutrition.
c) Steroids and PEDs are banned.
d) The NFL rules. I chose the old school rules that allow for smash mouth, hard hitting football.
e) Officiating will be perfect so no need for instant replay.
Without further delay, here is my AFC bracket (the years in the bracket generally are the year of the first Super Bowl victory and the year of the last Super Bowl victory).
1. Chuck Noll’s Pittsburgh Steelers (1974-1979)
Without a doubt, Chuck Noll’s Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1970s is the AFC’s premiere dynasty. They were one of the most stacked teams in the history of the NFL. During their run of four Super Bowl victories in six years, they had arguably the greatest defense of all time affectionately nicknamed the “Steel Curtain”, a gun slinging Hall of Fame quarterback in Terry Bradshaw, two Hall of Fame wide receivers in Lynn Swann and John Stallworth, and a power running game. Noll built the Steelers dynasty with an uncanny ability to draft great players. It began with the selection of Hall of Fame defensive tackle Mean Joe Greene in the 1969 NFL Draft. He anchored the legendary defensive line. He was a two time Defensive Player of the Year and five time All Pro. In the 1970 draft, the Steelers took Terry Bradshaw first overall. In the 1972 draft, they selected running back Franco Harris in the first round. He became a 9 time Pro Bowler. The 1974 NFL Draft was Noll’s best work. In that draft, he selected four future Hall of Famers: receiver Lynn Swann in the first round, linebacker Jack Lambert in the second round, receiver John Stallworth in the third round, and center Mike Webster in the fifth round. Terry Bradshaw is currently the most visible member of the 1970s Steelers with his work on the FOX Pregame show. The signature of those Steelers was their defense, the Steel Curtain. It had great front 7s and great secondaries. In the 1970s, they had 10 defenders that made a Pro Bowl. 4 of those defenders were future Hall of Famers: Greene, Lambert, linebacker Jack Ham, and cornerback Mel Blount. Despite not winning the Super Bowl in 1976 [due to key injuries on offense], that version of the Steel Curtain may have had the greatest single season for a defense of all time. They had 8 Pro Bowlers in that season, including its entire secondary. They only gave up 9.9 points the entire season. In the last five games of the season, they gave up 2.8 points per game and had 5 shutouts. On offense, the Steelers were anchored by a power running game with a great tandem in Franco Harris and Ricky Bleier. Harris and Bleier each rushed for 1,000 yards in 1976 but both missed the AFC Championship Game that was lost to the Oakland Raiders.
The first two Super Bowl victories were won primarily with the defense and running game. In Super Bowl IX, they beat the Minnesota Vikings 16-6. Harris was the MVP rushing for a then record 158 yards and a touchdown. Bradshaw completed only 9 passes on 14 attempts for 96 yards but did throw a touchdown. In the following year in Super Bowl X, the Steelers beat the Dallas Cowboys 21-17. Similarly, Bradshaw completed only 9 passes on 19 attempts. However, 4 passes were caught by Lynn Swann for 161 yards and a touchdown as Swann was the first wide receiver to win the Super Bowl MVP. Eventually, Bradshaw emerged as a top quarterback winning the NFL MVP in 1978 and was a big factor in the third and fourth Super Bowl victories as he won the MVP in both games. In Super Bowl XIII in 1979, Bradshaw set Super Bowl records with 318 passing yards and 4 touchdowns en route to a 35-31 win against the Cowboys. In the following year in Super Bowl XIV, Bradshaw had another great performance throwing for 309 yards and 2 touchdowns leading the Steelers to a 31-19 victory against the Los Angeles Rams. While the Steelers may have won their first two Super Bowls in spite of Bradshaw, he was critical in the second two victories.
Chuck Noll’s Steelers had it all in the 1970s. They should clearly be the top seed in this bracket.
2. Don Schula’s Miami Dolphins (1972-1973)
Under the guidance of head coach Don Schula, the Miami Dolphins were the first team to make it to three consecutive Super Bowls from 1971 to 1973. They won the latter two trips to the Super Bowl. Of course, the 1972 season is still the only perfect season in the history of the NFL as the Dolphins finished 17-0 after winning Super Bowl VII. They had the number 1 offense as well as the number 1 defense in the league that season. They scored 385 points (27.5 per game) and allowed 171 points (12.2) for a point differential of 214 points (15.3 per game). If an undefeated season is not impressive enough, they achieved the feat despite losing their starting, future Hall of Fame quarterback Bob Griese in Week 5 of the regular season. They picked up 38 year old, veteran Earl Morrall to replace Griese for the rest of the regular season. Griese only returned to play in the postseason when he relieved Morrall to begin the second half of the AFC Championship Game against the Pittsburgh Steelers who they beat 21-17. Even though they went into the Super Bowl with a 16-0 record, they were underdogs against the Washington Redskins. Naturally, the Dolphins played a near perfect game to win the game 14-7. The Redskins only scored on a blocked field goal attempt that was returned for a touchdown.
The Dolphins rode a great running game to the perfect season as it set the single season record for yards (2,960). Both Hall of Fame fullback Larry Csonka and Mercury Morris rushed for over 1,000 yards. They ran behind an elite offensive line that included Hall of Famers, center Jim Langer and guard Larry Little, as well as Pro Bowl guard Bob Kuechenberg. Hall of Fame wide receiver Paul Warfield provided the offense with a deep threat. While the offense got the fanfare, their elite defense was famously nicknamed the “No-Name Defense” referring to opposing Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry not knowing the name of a single Dolphin defender going into Super Bowl VI in the 1971 season. Nevertheless, they were a great defense led by Hall of Fame linebacker Nick Buoniconti. Although the Dolphins did not go undefeated in 1973, they were still dominant en route to repeating as Champions. Their defense was even more effective allowing only 150 points (10.7 per game) as the top defense that season. They steamrolled through the playoffs as they beat the Cincinnati Bengals 34-16, the Oakland Raiders 27-10, and the Minnesota Vikings 24-7.
Despite 3 consecutive Super Bowl trips, 2 Super Bowl victories, and the only undefeated season, the Dolphins do not get as much attention as other NFL dynasties. Nevertheless, they were a great team that is worthy of the 2 seed in my bracket.
3. Bill Belichick New England Patriots (2001-2011)
Under the leadership of two future Hall of Famers, head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady; the Patriots have been to 5 Super Bowls. They won three Super Bowls in the four years from 2001-2004. They are the template for a modern dynasty. The salary cap and free agency has prevented the construction of another super team. The Patriots have done it by acquiring cerebral players that are versatile and can execute different styles of play. The Patriot run can also be traced back to Hall of Fame head coach Bill Parcells’s tenure in New England. He took them to a Super Bowl in 1997 and drafted the nucleus of the great defenses in the early 2000s that was a major key in the three Super Bowl wins. They also needed a lot of things to go their way in 2001. In the Divisional Round of the playoffs against the Oakland Raiders, they played an epic snow game. It appeared that the Raiders stripped Brady for a fumble that should have essentially ended the game with the Raiders up 13-10. However, the referee reversed the call in what is now known as the “Tuck Rule Game”. Of course, the Patriots were able to drive for an Adam Vinaetieri field goal to tie the game then another Vinaetieri field goal in overtime to win the game. In Super Bowl XXXVI, they were heavy underdogs against the St. Louis Rams who were known as the greatest show on turf. Nevertheless, Belichick’s defense stifled the juggernaut Rams offense into the third quarter (maybe with some questionable practices I will touch upon later) that helped the Patriots build a 17-3 lead. Eventually, the Rams offense got rolling and marched up and down the field in the fourth quarter. They tied the game at 17 with 1:30 time left. Instead of playing for overtime, Belichick made one of the gutsiest decisions in Super Bowl history and allowed his young quarterback Tom Brady to drive the Patriots to the game winning field goal. If the game went into overtime and the Rams received the ball at any point, Belichick knew his defense had no chance to stop them. In retrospect, it was a genius move to allow Brady to go for the win.
While the 2001 Patriots were a scrappy, underdog team that won the Super Bowl, they were able to add great players to their core to form great teams that won their second and third Super Bowls. They had a dominant 3-4 defense. Their defensive line was brilliant and anchored by great players such as Vince Wilfork, Richard Seymour, and Willie McGinest. A defense gains a huge advantage when it only needs 3 defensive lineman to pressure a quarterback. It allows the linebackers and cornerbacks to wreak havoc. Of course, it was a deadly combination with the greatest defensive mind in Bill Belichick. They also had great linebackers and secondary players during that time. Linebacker Tedy Bruschi was the defensive leader of the Patriots and symbolized the Patriot way. He was athletic, versatile, tough, and intelligent. Mike Vrabel was a great Patriot linebacker for similar reasons. The Patriots also had great defensive backs. Corner backs Ty Law, Lawyer Milloy, and Asante Samuel all played great. The addition of safety Rodney Harrison added another athletic, hard hitting defender. On the other hand, wide receiver Troy Brown’s ability to also play corner back was another example of how the Patriots had a versatile team. Nothing displayed this defense’s physicality and intelligence more than its ability to confuse and beat up Peyton Manning and his Indianapolis Colts during the 2003 and 2004 playoffs. In 2003, the Patriots went on to beat the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl XXXVIII. The game broke out as a shootout in the fourth quarter. After the Panthers scored a touchdown to tie the game at 29-29, the Carolina kicker made a fatal blunder by kicking the football out of bounds in the ensuing kickoff. Accordingly, it set Brady up in great field position to drive for the game winning field goal for a 32-29 victory. In the following year, the Patriots again won by 3 points beating the Philadelphia Eagles 24-21.
In 2007, the Patriots had arguably the greatest offense in the history of the NFL. It scored 589 points (36.8 points per game) and set the record for most points in a season before Peyton Manning broke it with the Broncos this season. During the season, Brady also broke the Manning’s passing touchdown record with 50, which Manning also took back this season. The key reason to Brady’s record breaking season was the acquisition of the greatest deep threat in NFL history, future Hall of Famer Randy Moss. They pulled a heist by trading a 4th round pick for Moss as he was completely wasted and unmotivated by the Oakland Raiders. He went on to break the record for single season touchdown receptions at 23. There were times Brady would just throw it up into coverage knowing that Moss would come down with the touchdown catch. The Patriots also signed Wes Welker in the offseason. He turned into a great possession receiver with 112 receptions for 1,175 yards. They also signed Donte Stallworth who was another great deep threat on the other side of Moss. They also had a great offensive line that protected Brady as he was only sacked 21 times during the regular season.
They took an 18-0 record into Super Bowl XLII and were prime to join the 72 Miami Dolphins as the second undefeated team in NFL history. However, the New York Giants had other plans. They had a great defensive line led by future Hall of Famer Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyiora, and Justin Tuck. That line got hot in the playoffs and was putting intense pressure on every opposing quarterback. Even though the Patriots had an elite offensive line, the Giants defensive line overpowered it too. Brady faced pressure he did not face the entire season and did not have time to drop back and throw bombs to Moss and his other receivers. Nevertheless, the Patriots eventually went to its short passing game in the fourth quarter and Wes Welker began dominating the game. Brady drove his Patriots for the go ahead touchdown to give them a 14-10 lead. However, Giants quarterback Eli Manning drove his team right back down the field. The game winning touchdown drive included a spectacular catch by receiver David Tyree who outjumped Rodney Harrison for the ball and caught it against his helmet. Earlier in the play, it looked like the Patriots had Manning sacked a couple of times but he escaped and threw the deep pass to Tyree. The drive culminated with a fade pattern to Plaxico Burress for the go ahead touchdown. There was still enough time for Brady to try to drive his Patriots down the field again. A key play in the series was lineman Jay Alford’s sack of Brady on second down for a 10 yard loss. On the very next play, Brady threw bomb that actually reached the end zone in the direction of Moss. If the Patriots were ten yards closer, Moss may have had a second to jump for the ball, like he did most of the season, for the game winning touchdown. In my opinion, the biggest reason the Patriots lost the game was that its offense did not adjust to the Giants pass rush quickly enough. They could not stop the Giants pass rushers and could not provide Brady with enough time to drop back and throw deep passes like he did all season. It is my belief that the Patriots should have went to the short passing game earlier. The Giants could not stop Welker. He could have had 20 receptions and 200 yards instead of the 11 receptions for 109 yards. The Patriots would return to the Super Bowl again in 2011. However, the Giants denied them again with another Eli Manning game winning drive at the end of the game aided by a dropped pass by Wes Welker earlier in the fourth quarter that could have iced the game.
If the Patriots won the 2007 season, Brady and Belichick would have gone down in history as the greatest coach and quarterback combination of all time. They would have been 4-0 in the Super Bowl and had an undefeated season and the only 19 win season in history. That night changed everything. It seemed to end their aura of invincibility and they have not had the same postseason success since that moment. They are only 8-8 in the playoffs since starting 10-0. The second Super Bowl loss to the Giants again starts to hurt them when they are compared to other great dynasties. Winning either Super Bowl to get to a total of 4 championships would have also done a lot to neutralize the Spygate accusations. As the facts stand now, the Patriots have not won a Super Bowl since those accusations. In addition, their 3 Super Bowl wins were by 3 points so any advantage could have turned the tide on any of those games. The first one against the Rams stands out. When Rams Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk was asked about it, he answered “I understand Bill is a great coach… But No. 13 [Kurt Warner] will tell you. Mike Martz will tell you. We had some plays in the red zone that we hadn’t ran. . . . And a couple of plays on third down that we walked through also . . . And they created a check for it. It’s just little things like that. It’s either the best coaching in the world when you come up with situations that you had never seen before. Or you’d seen it and knew what to do.” Faulk’s response makes sense considering the Patriots could not stop the Rams after the Rams changed their plays up. Obviously, the Patriots obviously did something wrong if the NFL gave them a large fine, took away a first round pick, and decided to burn the video tapes. If there was nothing on the tapes, they would have never been destroyed. If the greatest Show on Turf had a second Super Bowl win instead of the Patriots having three, their places in history would most likely be swapped.
Nevertheless, the Patriots did win those three Super Bowls and Bill Belichick is a legendary defensive mind and head coach. If they won Super Bowl XLII, I might have put them as my 1 seed. I moved them down to 3 because of that loss and Spygate. Regardless, put their 2007 offense with their 2003 or 2004 defense and they can go up against anyone in the AFC or NFC bracket. If you put superstar tight end Rob Gronkowki with that 2007 offense, it is an impossible offense to handle. It would be great to see the 2007 Patriots offense and the 1976 Steelers defense meet for the AFC Championship Game in this bracket. It would be arguably the greatest offense of all time versus arguably the greatest defense of all time. Both teams are also among the best teams to not win the Super Bowl.
4. Al Davis’s Oakland/ Los Angeles Raiders (1976-1983)
The late owner of the Oakland Raiders, Al Davis, famously gave his team the mottos “Commitment to excellence” and “Just win, baby”. Those slogans meant something in the 1970s and 1980s as the Raiders were one of the best franchises winning 3 Super Bowls from 1976 to 1983. They won Super Bowl XI in 1976 under Hall of Fame head coach John Madden, who is now more famous for his career as a broadcaster and his name on football video games. The next two Super Bowl victories came under Tom Flores in Super Bowl VX (1980) and Super Bowl XVIII (1983). On offense, the Raiders were known for their running game complemented by a deep passing attack. Quarterback Ken Stabler led them to the first Super Bowl win while Jim Plunkkett led them to the final two Championships. Stabler was definitely the better of the two as he won the NFL MVP in 1974 and was a 4 time Pro Bowl selection. In the 1976 Championship season, he threw for 27 touchdowns and had a 103.4 QB rating. During the championship runs, the Raiders were blessed with a great receiving core that included Hall of Fame receiver Fred Biletnikoff, Hall of Fame tight end Dave Casper, and Hall of Fame finalist and deep threat Cliff Branch. Biletnikoff was prominent in the 1970s and was a member of the 1976 team. Casper played in the first two Championship teams. Branch played on all three Super Bowl winning teams. The best running back during this span was Hall of Famer Marcus Allen who joined the Raiders in 1982. The Raiders also had a great offensive line anchored by Hall of Famers, guard Gene Upshaw and tackle Art Shell. On the other hand, the Raiders were also known for their great defenses. They had a reputation of hitting hard and playing dirty. No players symbolized it more than safeties Jack Tatum and George Atkinson. Tatum was known as “the Assassin”. His tackle of New England Patriots receiver Darryl Stingley in a 1978 preseason game left the receiver paralyzed. After a 1976 game when Atkinson used a clothesline to give Steelers wide receiver Lynn Swann a concussion, Chuck Noll called out Atkinson as being a “part of the criminal element in football.” Hall of Fame cornerback Willie Brown was also part of the great secondary of the 1970s. They also had great linebackers and defensive lines. All three Championship teams included Hall of Fame linebacker Ted Hendricks. Hall of Famers, defensive end Howie Long and cornerback Mike Haynes, played on the defense in the final Super Bowl winning team.
In the 1976 playoffs, the Raiders beat the New England Patriots 24-21 in the Divisional Round. In the AFC Championship Game, the Raiders went up against the two time defending Super Bowl Champions Pittsburgh Steelers. Although the Steelers brought their vaunted 1976 defense into the game, both their running backs were injured for the game. Accordingly, the Raiders had no trouble stopping the Steelers offense. In Super Bowl XI, the Raiders steamrolled the Minnesota Vikings 32-14 with a dominating defense and Fred Biletnikoff winning the MVP for catching 4 passes for 79 yards that were keys in each of the three touchdown drives. Willie Brown also returned an interception for a 75 yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. In 1980, the Raiders revived veteran quarterback Jim Plunkett’s career. They had another great defense in that season highlighted by defensive back Lester Hayes winning Defense Player of the Year with 13 interceptions. They entered the playoffs as a Wild Card team and beat the Houston Oilers 27-7, the Cleveland Browns 14-12, and the San Diego Chargers 34-27 to win the AFC. In the Divisional Round, the Browns were set up for a chip shot field goal on the Raiders 13 yard line with less than a minute remaining in the game. However, the Browns quarterback Brian Sipe foolishly forced a pass into the endzone that was intercepted. In Super Bowl XV, the Raiders annihilated the Philadelphia Eagles 27-10. Linebacker Rod Martin intercepted Eagles quarterback Ron Jaworski three times and Plunkett won the MVP throwing for 261 yards and three touchdowns.
In 1983, the Raiders played in Los Angeles. Their offense was highlighted by a great season by tight end Todd Christensen who had 92 receptions for 1,247 yards and 12 touchdowns. They also had another excellent defense with great lineman, linebackers, and defensive backs. They cruised through the playoffs beating the Pittsburgh Steelers 38-10 and the Seattle Seahawks 30-14. The victory against the Seahawks is even more impressive considering the Seahawks beat the Raiders twice in the regular season in 1983. Their dominance continued into Super Bowl XVIII. Despite being underdogs against the 14-2 Washington Redskins who were trying to repeat as the Champions, the Raiders easily won the game 38-9. Marcus Allen was unstoppable in the playoffs. In the three games, he rushed for 466 yards and 4 touchdowns while catching 14 balls for 118 yards and a touchdown. He was the MVP of the Super Bowl rushing for 191 yards and a 74 yard touchdown.
The Raiders of the 1970s and 1980s have earned their place in history. They had great players in both decades that beat you up. It is definitely a dynasty I would mix and match their best players from the Super Bowl winning teams even though all three standalone teams are great.
5. Mike Shannahan’s Broncos (1997-1998)
Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway carried three Denver Bronco teams to the Super Bowl in the 1980s: 1986, 1987, and 1989. He victimized the Cleveland Browns twice in the AFC Championship Game. First, it was “the Drive” when Elway led his team on a 98 yard drive to tie the game near the end of regulation before winning it in overtime. Then, there was “the Fumble” the following year in the AFC Championship Game when Browns running back Earnest Byner fumbled the ball on the Broncos 2 yard line just as the Browns were about to score the game tying touchdown at the end of regulation. In retrospect, the Denver Broncos were a team that were not good enough to be in the Super Bowl but were elevated by a legendary quarterback. Accordingly, the Broncos were annihilated by the far superior NFC Teams as they were beat by the New York Giants 39-20 in Super Bowl XXI, the Washington Redskins 42-10 in Super Bowl XXII, and San Francisco 49ers 55-10 in Super Bowl XXIV. Nevertheless, Elway was unfairly criticized for not being able to win the big one because of the losses in the Super Bowl. As a result, the back to back titles in the late 1990s that allowed him to ride into the sunset completely changed his legacy. The Mike Shannahan Broncos in the 1990s had great offenses. Shannahan implemented his zone blocking scheme and the Broncos were finally able to give Elway a great running game with the arrival of All Pro running back Terrell Davis in 1995. In the Championship seasons of 1997 and 1998, Davis rushed for 1,750 yards with 15 touchdowns and 2,008 yards with 21 touchdowns respectively. Of course, Elway was no slouch. He threw for 27 touchdowns against 11 interceptions and 22 touchdowns against 10 interceptions in those two seasons. They also had a brilliant receiving core with great wide receivers in Rod Smith and Ed McCaffrey as well as Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe. They were first in the NFL in offense in 1997 with 472 points (29.5 points per game) and 2nd in offense in 1998 with 501 points (31.1 per game). While they had good defenses with tough veterans like linebacker Bill Romanowski, the offense was clearly the signature of these teams.
In the 1997 playoffs, the Broncos were 12-4 but a Wild Card Team. They avenged their heartbreaking playoff loss in the previous season by beating the Jacksonville Jaguars 42-17 in the Wild Card Round. In the next round, Elway lead his team for a game winning 4th quarter drive that ended with a Terrell Davis touchdown run as they beat the Kansas City Chiefs 14-10. The Broncos would go on to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 24-21 in the AFC Championship Game to advance to Super Bowl XXXII against the Mike Holmgren and Brett Favre led Green Bay Packers. The defending Super Bowl champion Packers were heavy favorites at 11 ½ points. The NFC also won the previous 13 Super Bowls. It was a dramatic Super Bowl. In the second half, John Elway made the signature play of his career. On a 3rd and 8, he ran for a first down that would eventually set up a Terrell Davis touchdown. It gave the Broncos a 24-17 lead. On the play, Elway jumped in the air and was hit by two Packer defenders who caused him to spin. Accordingly, it is known as the “the Helicopter” play and symbolized how much Elway wanted to win that Super Bowl. It is a play and moment I remember watching live and it is a very vivid memory. The game is also remembered for Mike Holmgren instructing his defense to allow the Broncos to score once the Broncos drove to the goal line with 1:45 left in the game. As a result, Terrell Davis ran it in for the touchdown that gave the Broncos a 31-24 lead. It was absolutely the correct call by Holmgren as it saved as much time as possible for Brett Favre and the Packer offense to drive for a game tying touchdown. Terrell Davis was the MVP of the game rushing for 157 yards and 3 touchdowns. Elway only threw for 123 yards and an interception but did rush for a touchdown. His stats in the win prove that it is a team game and ridiculous to only attribute losses or wins to a quarterback. The Broncos were even better in 1998. They started the season 13-0 and there was talk about an undefeated season until the New York Giants beat them in Week 15. In the playoffs, they destroyed the Miami Dolphins 38-3 in the Divisional Round. In the AFC Championship Game, they were down 10-0 against the Bill Parcells coached New York Jets early in the third quarter. As a Jets fan, I remember the game well as I was starting to get excited at the thought that the Jets could actually play in the Super Bowl once they had that lead. Unfortunately, the Broncos responded by scoring 23 unanswered points and the Jets blew their best chance to win the Super Bowl in my lifetime. In Super Bowl XXXIII, the Broncos easily defeated the overmatched Atlanta Falcons 34-19. Elway became the oldest player to win the Super Bowl MVP throwing for 336 yards, a touchdown, and an interception while running for a touchdown.
Those Broncos were great teams. With John Elway at the helm, you would need to give them a chance against any team especially with the great offensive weapons he had at his disposal.
6. Marv Levi’s Buffalo Bills (1990-1993)
The Buffalo Bills are the only team in my fantasy Super Bowl bracket that did not win a Super Bowl. Nevertheless, they deserve credit for being the only team to play in 4 consecutive Super Bowls. The run included the largest postseason comeback in NFL history when the Bills rallied from a 35-3 deficit in the Wild Card Round against the Houston Oilers to win the game 41-38. Unfortunately, it has become more of a joke that they lost all 4 than recognized for how difficult it was to accomplish. As far as I am concerned, their first Super Bowl against the New York Giants was the only one they should have won. They had an elite offense going against a Giants team playing a backup quarterback. However, the Giants had a Hall of Fame head coach in Bill Parcells and a future Hall of Fame coach in Bill Belichick as their defensive coordinator. They came up with a perfect game plan that kept the ball away from the Bills offense. The Bills still gave their kicker a chance to win the game at the end of regulation. In the following three Super Bowls, the Bills never had a chance against the Washington Redskins then the Dallas Cowboys twice as reflected by the lopsided scores. Those teams are among the best in NFL history. In my opinion, the Bills were simply beat and did not choke. During the trips to the Super Bowl, the Bills used a no huddle, hurry up offense. As they were in the shotgun a lot of the time, it was known as the “K-gun”. They had a great trio of offensive players: Hall of Famers, quarterback Jim Kelly and running back Thurman Thomas, and receiver Andre Reed. They also boasted a great offensive line. On defense they were led by Hall of Fame defensive end Bruce Smith who registered 200 career sacks.
While the Bills get criticized for losing 4 straight Super Bowls, I still recognize them as one of the best teams in history. I am also giving them another chance at winning that elusive Super Bowl. If you wanted to be funny about it, you can pick them to get to the Super Bowl then lose it.
About Pat Wong
Patrick is a contributor for Rookerville. He is an avid sports fan. Before joining Rookerville, he was part of a defunct New York Yankees message board, NYYankeefans, where he was its top poster and was inducted in its Hall of Fame for his contributions. Patrick is also a passionate fan of movies. He has enjoyed reading movie reviews over the years and is excited about the opportunity to review movies.