Best '80s post-season game? Best '80s post-season, period?

[74_75_78_79_]

I would guess that ’80 & ’89 be ‘tied’ for ‘2nd’-place. Neither WC game for the former were good, but three of the four divisionals almost made it a clean sweep for that weekend considering that well enough into the 4th Q, it was still close between Minn & Philly before Eagles pulled away. From there, you have the AFCCG being the remaining good game of that post-season making it four total. This all said, the fact that Dallas was known for being a comeback team (‘Dixie’ just a week old) and they being down by less than two TDs the entire 4th Q, may cause one to consider the other CC as being a good game as well. IMO, I lean in the other direction.

Four is also my amount of good games for ’89. Andrew Toney scoring that 4th Q TD to make it Rams up by just a TD? I’ll still consider it a ‘no’ to the NFC WCG being a good game or not. The following WC game that day of course a yes (1) along with the other Steeler game the following week (2). Bills/Browns and that OT affair in the Meadowlands makes it three and four. The AFCCG at Mile High I’d consider almost-good but thanks to Broncos pulling away (as the case with Minn/Phi in ’80), it disqualifies itself.

Tie-breaker? Simply considering that 1980 produced such an even-keel of playoff participants - nine of ten teams either 11-5 or 12-4, each looking like team to possibly win-it-all - and the AFC being its weakest yet (just one double-digit winner), I’d have to give the nod to ’80.

[CSKreager]

1980 was a terrible postseason. All that regular season excitement just for the smoke and mirrors Raiders team to basically steal a SB and basically prolong the 70s for one more year

[Brian wolf]

Sorry CS, but youre wrong ... a great 1980 postseason, with Atlanta allowing Dallas to comeback and win. The Bills defense was heroic against SD, despite their QB. The Vikings stayed with the Eagles before Kramer lost his poise. The Browns-Raiders game was also a tight struggle. If Rucker and Logan catch their TD drops, the Browns go on to SD. The Chargers made a great comeback against the Raiders but Jefferson dropped two TD passes that might have given the Chargers the lead?

For pure drama ... No game tops the Cowboys-49ers 1981 NFC Championship game but the 1986 and 1987 AFC Championship games come close. Kosar and the Browns were also in great games against the Jets in 1986 and especially the Bills in 1989.

I disagree with Bryan ... I watched the 1983 NFC Championship game between SF and Wash and felt it was a great game and comeback by SF, especially without Dwight Clark. The Niners had played another tough game against Detroit the week before. Back then, 21-point leads were nearly impossible to come back from but the 49ers did it before losing on bad calls that allowed the Redskins to run out the clock. Ironically, the Dolphins and Jets came back from 24 point deficits in the 1981 postseason games but like the 49ers from 1983, eventually, lost.

[7DnBrnc53]

Jeff Pearlman did an episode on John Jefferson recently:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfSV2TFBTzw

I made a comment about the NBC Broadcast of the 1980 AFC Title, and how you see the pain in John Jefferson's eyes right before they are getting ready to cut to commercial at the 2:00 warning.

It was a sad moment. We see an athlete whose career was getting ready to go downhill, and we see a team that didn't have too many more chances left to get that ring.

[Brian wolf]

Thanks, 7D ... it didnt have to be that way. Klein needed to pay his players and lost some key ones. This team should have won a SB.
On the other thread about the Chargers defense, it was like Rupert Patrick said, prolific offenses will put pressure on their defense unless there are minimal turnovers and more time of possession.
Like the Sid Gillman Chargers of the late 60s and Dolphins with Marino, without more of a running game, the defenses will be exhausted and bend too much.

As for John Jefferson, we can sympathize but he could have been a great player in GB and simply wasnt. Alot different than balmy SD. He lost his competitive edge while not staying in peak shape.
With Lofton, you would think he have kept that edge but just didnt.

At least Wes Chandler benefitted. Imagine going from NO to SD?
Air Coryell didnt miss a beat. He had a great career and just misses the HOF, with Fouts getting more injured from 1983-86.

[Brian wolf]

Haha ... in away, Kreager was right though ... the Raiders win officially ended the 70s decade for that team. Castoffs, rejects and underestimated veterans got redemption.

--Bob Chandler goes from a bad team and cold weather to getting a ring. RB Kenny King couldnt believe he raced with him during the 80 yrd SB TD.

--One of the best pass rushers of the 70s finally gets a ring. Cedrick Hardman

--MVP Rod Martin was falling in the draft when Madden asked John Robinson about him. Robinson assured him he would make the team.

--Todd Cristensen gets dumped by Dallas before becoming an All-Pro pass catcher. Chester had been sent to the Colts before coming back to replace the departed Dave Casper.

--Dave Browning was an underrated pass rusher for the team. Willie Jones would also help before injury ended his career in 1981. Even Tooz got to the passer that year, though I felt he was overrated.

-- Cliff Branch showed how big he was in huge games, which helped get him elected to the HOF

--Burgess Owens had some decent seasons with the Jets before helping the Raiders

-- Without injury to Pastorini, no cinderella story for Plunkett.

[7DnBrnc53]

1984 - Steelers beating Broncos was a big upset, especially in retrospect considering how bad Mark Malone was at QB. Rest of the postseason was a yawn.

The game earlier that day was memorable as well. First playoff win for Da Coach and those 80's Bear teams.

[Brian wolf]

Steelers' fans in 1984 had to have been disappointed seeing local legend, Marino, lead the Dolphins to victory over them twice that season.

Like 7D said, it was fun watching the Bears dismantle the Hogs in RFK. In hindsight though, the Skins would have given the 49ers a better championship game in the Stick.