The Biggest NFL What If's

le_sean

Registered User
Oct 21, 2006
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The Dez catch/no-catch is the most overblown thing in recent years. Even if it was ruled at catch, the Cowboys probably lose that game. Even if they squeak by the Packers, they probably lose the next week. I know Cowboys homers want to pretend that call cost them a Super Bowl, but they weren't going anywhere with that defense.

Rodgers would have had 4 mins and need just a FG. Even if that is ruled a catch they would have lost on the ensuing possession.
 
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Troy McClure

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Mar 12, 2002
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What if Drew Bledsoe didn't get injured in 2001?
I think it would have cost them one Super Bowl by delaying Brady taking over, but maybe only by a year or two at the very most. Even if injury didn't cost him the job, Bledsoe's mediocre play would have soon enough.
 

TNT87

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What if the Steelers wouldn't have passed on hometown boy Dan Marino?
 

Memento

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Sep 12, 2011
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What if Steven Jackson had a better offensive line during his prime years? Can you imagine the stats that he would've put up? He'd be regarded in the same breath as AP.
 

Sports Enthusiast

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What if the Steelers wouldn't have passed on hometown boy Dan Marino?

or Jim Kelly. Interesting to think. Steelers were a joke in the 80s after the roid heads were gone. For much of the 90s they were nothing special. Maybe they would have beat Dallas. They would have had a better chance. During the Bills 4 year run they played Miami twice and Pit once. Would much really have changed? Even in the late 90s the Bills and Dolphins were still going at it minus Kelly, Maybe they beat Denver in 97 in the AFC Title game. NFC dominated the 90s though. The Broncos had the only two titles.
 

Blackhawkswincup

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or Jim Kelly. Interesting to think. Steelers were a joke in the 80s after the roid heads were gone. For much of the 90s they were nothing special. Maybe they would have beat Dallas. They would have had a better chance. During the Bills 4 year run they played Miami twice and Pit once. Would much really have changed? Even in the late 90s the Bills and Dolphins were still going at it minus Kelly, Maybe they beat Denver in 97 in the AFC Title game. NFC dominated the 90s though. The Broncos had the only two titles.

Jim Kelly was drafted 14th overall while Steelers picked 21st overall. The Steelers never had a chance to select Jim Kelly

The Steelers were far from a joke in 80's

1980 = 9-7
1981 = 8-8
1982 = 6-3 (Lost in AFC Wildcard)
1983 = 10-6 (Lost in AFC Divisional)
1984 = 9-7 (Lost in AFC Champ)
1985 = 7-9
1986 = 6-10
1987 = 8-7
1988 = 5-11
1989 = 9-7 (Lost in AFC Divisional)

They were shell of former self but far from a joke

And in 90's they were actually pretty darn good in AFC

1990 = 9-7
1991 = 7-9
1992 = 11-5 (Lost in AFC Divisional)
1993 = 9-7 (Lost in AFC Wildcard)
1994 = 12-4 (Lost in AFC Champ)
1995 = 11-5 (Lost in Super Bowl)
1996 = 10-6 (Lost in AFC Divisional)
1997 = 11-5 (Lost in AFC Champ)
1998 = 7-9
1999 = 6-10


Bills = 112-48
Chiefs = 102-58
Dolphins = 95-65
Broncos = 94-66
Steelers = 93-67

You seem to talk up the Dolphins while discounting the one win less Steelers in AFC of that era. I would also point out the furthest Dolphins of 90's advanced in playoffs was one AFC Champ game a feat the Steelers performed three times during same era while advancing to SB during on of those games

Also in Steelers defense on Marino they had used a 1st round pick on Malone a few years earlier and thought he still had potential after injuries cost him early years
 

Sports Enthusiast

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Jim Kelly was drafted 14th overall while Steelers picked 21st overall. The Steelers never had a chance to select Jim Kelly

The Steelers were far from a joke in 80's

1980 = 9-7
1981 = 8-8
1982 = 6-3 (Lost in AFC Wildcard)
1983 = 10-6 (Lost in AFC Divisional)
1984 = 9-7 (Lost in AFC Champ)
1985 = 7-9
1986 = 6-10
1987 = 8-7
1988 = 5-11
1989 = 9-7 (Lost in AFC Divisional)

They were shell of former self but far from a joke

And in 90's they were actually pretty darn good in AFC

1990 = 9-7
1991 = 7-9
1992 = 11-5 (Lost in AFC Divisional)
1993 = 9-7 (Lost in AFC Wildcard)
1994 = 12-4 (Lost in AFC Champ)
1995 = 11-5 (Lost in Super Bowl)
1996 = 10-6 (Lost in AFC Divisional)
1997 = 11-5 (Lost in AFC Champ)
1998 = 7-9
1999 = 6-10


Bills = 112-48
Chiefs = 102-58
Dolphins = 95-65
Broncos = 94-66
Steelers = 93-67

You seem to talk up the Dolphins while discounting the one win less Steelers in AFC of that era. I would also point out the furthest Dolphins of 90's advanced in playoffs was one AFC Champ game a feat the Steelers performed three times during same era while advancing to SB during on of those games

Also in Steelers defense on Marino they had used a 1st round pick on Malone a few years earlier and thought he still had potential after injuries cost him early years

Maybe not a joke if you want to get literal but they werent relevant. But this is mostly nitpicking.. They werent really in the conversation but an odd year.

The Mid 90s they were good. The conference also saw a bit of a landscape change. Houston lost Warren Moon, Jim Kelly retired in 96 and Montana retired in like 95 or something. Elway and Marino were getting older. Terrell Davis saved Elway's career and made a difference late. This helped a lot. Neil O'Donnell and Kordell Stewart were far from being real franchise QBs. In Stewart's case though he was a bit of a dual threat. While the AFC in the 90s had the QBs top to bottom they werent good. Itt was mostly Denver, Oakland, KC, Houston and Buffalo early on with Miami sprinkled in. The Patriots had a lucky year in 96 and snuck in. Miami was the best team in the East in the 2nd half of the 90s. Tennessee emerged, then Denver and Pitt were around. Outside of that year in 94 neither the Browns or Bengals did too much. Dallas was the only NFC winner to repeat. But the NFC still went 7-2
 
Mar 1, 2002
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What if Greg Cook hadn't hurt his shoulder? If Bill Walsh was right about him, he would have been an HOF quality QB playing for the Bengals when the Steelers went on their run in the 70's

Also, Walsh probably would have gotten a head coaching job before the 49ers job, so that could have affected up to 10 Super Bowls. Could.
 

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What if Greg Cook hadn't hurt his shoulder? If Bill Walsh was right about him, he would have been an HOF quality QB playing for the Bengals when the Steelers went on their run in the 70's

Also, Walsh probably would have gotten a head coaching job before the 49ers job, so that could have affected up to 10 Super Bowls. Could.
Ken Anderson stepped in during the 1974 season and he was no slouch.
 
Mar 1, 2002
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Ken Anderson stepped in during the 1974 season and he was no slouch.

True, he is always underrated. But the Bengals never won a playoff game until 1981. And they probably wouldn't have drafted him in 1971 if Cook hadn't been hurt for 1970.
 

Evincar

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I think it would have cost them one Super Bowl by delaying Brady taking over, but maybe only by a year or two at the very most. Even if injury didn't cost him the job, Bledsoe's mediocre play would have soon enough.

Thats assuming Bledsoe's mediocre play doesnt get Belichick fired.
 
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Blitzkrug

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What if the Steelers wouldn't have passed on hometown boy Dan Marino?

A better question is actually what if the Jets didn't pass on him? in 85 and 86 they might have been legit Super Bowl contenders with him instead of O'Brien.
 

Blackhawkswincup

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A better question is actually what if the Jets didn't pass on him? in 85 and 86 they might have been legit Super Bowl contenders with him instead of O'Brien.

O'Brien wasn't a bad QB and it was not a bad pick at time

Its not like Dan Marino some one in a million QB prospect just sitting there

To me the Dan Marino stuff is always a bit overrated as it was easy to justify taking Eason or O'Brien over him at that draft. Its not like Eason/O'Brien were scrubs in college

I believe O'Brien is a college football HOF

The real shocker was Blackledge being drafted so high especially as he himself expected to go in mid/late 1st round
 

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