The Biggest NFL What If's

Fish on The Sand

Untouchable
Feb 28, 2002
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Thats assuming Bledsoe's mediocre play doesnt get Belichick fired.
It's not like Brady was anything special back then. He wouldn't have been good enough to force Bledsoe out of the lineup. If they moved on from Bledsoe they likely dontd even replace him with Brady and instead look for a veteran replacement.
 

Josepho

i want the bartkowski thread back
Jan 1, 2015
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I wonder how the legacy of Peyton Manning and careers of Flacco and Harbaugh would've been impacted by Rahim Moore breaking up that pass.
 

c9777666

Registered User
Aug 31, 2016
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49ers would have beat them too. Seattle and San Francisco was the super bowl. Seattle acknowledged this. Lol @ not thinking the 49ers defense had speed.

I don’t know. I never bought into the hyperbole that SEATTLE VS. SAN FRANCISCO IS THE ONLY GAME THAT MATTERS IN 2013

The 49ers defense was good, but not great.
 

c9777666

Registered User
Aug 31, 2016
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For all I hear about the Tuck Rule.... what if Vinatieri missed that Snow Bowl game tieing FG late in regulation against the Raiders?

That whole thing have been a footnote if that game does not go to overtime. Hell, THAT might have been its own what if.

And short term, a PIT/OAK vs the Greatest Show on Turf would have been a VERY interesting Super Bowl.

I feel that maybe the Rams might have taken Oakland/Pittsburgh more seriously. I think they just assumed they would walkover New England.

Against someone like the Raiders or Steelers, the Rams might have paid more attention because they wouldn’t have been as big a favorite.
 

member 157595

Guest
What if Lewis Billups had held onto soft lob from Montana in endzone



Might be the most costly dropped INT in NFL History


This tugs at my heartstrings far more than any sports game should.

I'll never, ever get over this game. I can still picture it so vividly; Billups dropping the INT, Stanford Jennings bringing a 3rd quarter kickoff back for a TD, Tim Krumie's angle exploding and Joe Montana shoving a football-shaped dagger to John Taylor in the left side of the EZ and straight into my heart with 34 seconds to go. I was 7 years old. This game will haunt me forever.

I didn't know or understand at the time that Mike Brown would begin to exert his iron grip of death on the franchise afterwards, making them into the league's laughingstock and preventing the Bengals from being serious competitors from the early 90's onward. I eventually stopped watching the NFL because of that; why would I invest so much time and energy into something so miserable and depressing?

I'm pretty convinced this game made me into the bitter, cynical bastard that I am today.
 
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Hasbro

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For all I hear about the Tuck Rule.... what if Vinatieri missed that Snow Bowl game tieing FG late in regulation against the Raiders?
The Raiders screwed up calling a time out to ice Vinny. The Pats spent the whole TO clearing snow off the field to give him a clean kicking surface.
 
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Hasbro

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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
My what if for that draft: the Broncos just take Marino or Kelly at #4?

I don't think things would be that different for the Broncos in the short term. Reeves would have probably squandered the '84 1st they trade for Elway. The QBs would have struggled in Reeves "system" and leaky o line.
 

Fish on The Sand

Untouchable
Feb 28, 2002
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My biggest what if is what if Nick Harper didn't run into Roethlisberger's tackle? Indy goes on to win and probably takes the Super Bowl. Do they still put it together and pull off the 18 point comeback against the Pats the next season? Does Manning's legacy change much?
 

Dont Toews Me Bro

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Mar 20, 2018
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For everyone talking about the Seahawks and running the ball....what if the Packers didnt fumble that onside kick? Probably beat NE

I doubt Green Bay beats NE.

I wonder how the legacy of Peyton Manning and careers of Flacco and Harbaugh would've been impacted by Rahim Moore breaking up that pass.

Peyton's probably wouldn't change much as they probably don't get by NE in the AFCCG. Baltimore is interesting though. I'd say Harbaugh would be gone by now without a ring and there's a good chance Flacco doesn't get a massive extension, at least not from Baltimore.
 
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Voight

#winning
Feb 8, 2012
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I doubt Green Bay beats NE.



Peyton's probably wouldn't change much as they probably don't get by NE in the AFCCG. Baltimore is interesting though. I'd say Harbaugh would be gone by now without a ring and there's a good chance Flacco doesn't get a massive extension, at least not from Baltimore.

Its virtually guaranteed Flacco doesn't get a massive extension/becomes one of the highest paid QBs. He did nothing aside play an amazing 4 games to earn that extension so no Super Bowl = no mega deal.
 

Daz28

Registered User
Nov 1, 2010
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What if J. Ramsey could shut up about not seeing that Josh Allen has a big arm, and get more INT than either Bills safety this year. Will either happen?
 

StreetHawk

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Sep 30, 2017
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What if the Colts had not ended up with the #1 pick in the Peyton Manning draft?

Plummer helped Colts land Manning – The Denver Post

A lot of things would have change had certain players opted to declare early for the draft.

Manning could have left Tennessee a year earlier when the NY Jets had the #1 pick, which they traded down and the Rams took Orlando Pace. Imagine the AFC East with Manning in NY and Brady in NE? Who knows how that decision would have changed the events that lead to Bledsoe being injured in the Jets game. Would have Pats have had the ball for Drew to get hurt and Brady to take over? Never know.

Leaves Leaf to Indy in 1998.

Not to mention more recent drafts with Luck opting not to declare early and go to Carolina, who took Newton a year earlier.

As for Indy who knows what they would have done for their QB in what was their Manning era with the mess that Leaf was.
 

Voight

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What if Rex Grossman had been benched and Brian Griese plays in SB?

Peyton legacy takes hit without that SB

You think the Bears still win that game? Its possible but no guarantee.



A lot of things would have change had certain players opted to declare early for the draft.

Manning could have left Tennessee a year earlier when the NY Jets had the #1 pick, which they traded down and the Rams took Orlando Pace. Imagine the AFC East with Manning in NY and Brady in NE? Who knows how that decision would have changed the events that lead to Bledsoe being injured in the Jets game. Would have Pats have had the ball for Drew to get hurt and Brady to take over? Never know.

Leaves Leaf to Indy in 1998.

Not to mention more recent drafts with Luck opting not to declare early and go to Carolina, who took Newton a year earlier.

As for Indy who knows what they would have done for their QB in what was their Manning era with the mess that Leaf was.

What if Leaf then decides hes too good to play for a middling team like Indy? Indy goes X amount of years with no QB. Probably doesn't hire Dungy.
 

Dont Toews Me Bro

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Mar 20, 2018
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Brady had a 2-4 record at Mile High at that point and they lost the AFC title game there twice and the next three years.

I thought New England had homefield that year when I wrote that. I'm still not that convinced that Denver wins against New England but who knows?
 

Blackhawkswincup

RIP Fugu
Jun 24, 2007
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You think the Bears still win that game? Its possible but no guarantee. .

Absolutely

Tiny Hands had multiple fumbles and multiple INT's including one returned for TD. Almost half of Grossman's yds in game came on a garbage time possession drive at end

His presence led to Colts putting everyone in box to stop Thomas Jones which they did after 1st half and Bears D wore out as game went along because of how futile offense was

Time of Possession
Colts 38:04
Bears 21:56
 

Troy McClure

Suter will never be scratched
Mar 12, 2002
47,589
15,478
South of Heaven
What if the Seattle ball crew hadn’t sent in a greased kicking ball for the sure to be game winning field goal attempt in the 2007 playoff game? If Romo holds it, the Cowboys win. Does that mean Parcells stays another year?
 

GarbageGoal

Courage
Dec 1, 2005
22,353
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What if Warfield, Csonka and Kiick hadn't signed with the WFL in '74? That Dolphins team was still top notch thru the 70's but just missed something extra when those guys left.
 

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