The best 1990s NFL season?

[74_75_78_79_]

I won't make this one a 'rank-them-all', just what season you thought was the best of that decade and why?

I've already opined on here numerous times that I feel it was 1998! In my opinion, the last truly great NFL season-period! Elway's Swan Song. Marino's last Marino-like year. Packers & Forty Niners breathing their last breaths as true contenders in the form of that Classic Wild Card game (TO's "coming out"-party, Holgren's last year with GB, Rice's last great year in SF, Young's last full-season of course). The 'Big 3's last year together, Cardinals' first playoff win in 51 years and against them thus fulfilling Jerry McGuire's prophesy. Doug Flutie finally breaks through in the NFL, leading Bills from 0-3 to a surprise playoff berth! Randy's Moss's Rookie Season! Randall Cunningham reviving his career! Collision-course between those 15-1-to-be Vikings and defending-Champ, Denver, who start out at 13-0! Dirty Birds and Jets (Testaverde's best year) make it to the CCs with the former actually pulling off the upset and the latter being up, 10-0, at the half! In the end, the Vikings NOT appearing in that Super Bowl ('Elway-vs-Reeves'-hype, and Falcons also being 14-2, was just enough an alternative if however barely) and the game itself being pretty dull doesn't ruin all that's already been mentioned. An exciting season I still look back fondly of!

The very beginning of the decade still involved the same '80s stalwarts with Buffalo now added to the mix. Big D and San Fran would revive their rivalry like never before, being the 'top-2' teams each year from '92-thru-'95 (though it could be argued that SF was no better than Houston, Buffalo, or maybe even KC, in '93). Pack & Broncos declare supremacy the few years after that. As myself and others have said previously, the decade's final season - and the sudden key injuries early on (some career-ending) along with Elway now retired; new faces replacing old faces in the playoffs - makes '99 quite different from the rest. Bills/Giants SB notwithstanding, the decade seemed to start out as another decade of bad Super Bowls yet (Den/Atl SB notwithstanding) it ended on a hot, promising note into the 21th Century - with the promise being overall fulfilled to this day! Very few bad SBs since #8 got that "monkey" off his back!

What season is best, and why, in what I feel (JMHO) was the last truly great decade in NFL history?

[ShinobiMusashi]

I almost posted a thread topic for this before it came up in a search so Im reviving this one instead. I actually read this post before on a search through here and it is what got me to watching through the 98 season on Youtube over this past Summer(spectacular time, so awesome what all is on Youtube as far as full games now).

I have to agree that there was a lot of special elements about 1998 that make it stand out. I'm partial to 1990 myself:

NYG vs SF Tyson vs Holyfield of the NFL type build for their MNF game and the NFCCG showdown rematch.

Buffalo Bills in general just being an awesome team. I would have to say Thurman Thomas is one of my favorite players of all time.

The whole dynamic of the AFC getting stronger, Houston, LA Raiders, Miami, Kansas City all suddenly way better and stronger looking compared to shape of AFC 84 to 89. Cincinnati after down year in 89 was back to being sharp team with Super Bowl experience in 1990 even though they had issues.

Washington vs NYG vs Philly in the NFC East, get real, Dallas was getting stronger too with good young 7-9 team. Peak NFC greatness I think. Got to be in discussion for toughest division race in NFL history.

Pretty sweet spot where there were so many legends of the 80's still at or close to their primes that year but so many future stars were there mixing it up with them. You had Bo Jackson and Joe Montana as a 49er on the field still, peak Randall Cunningham Ultimate Weapon season, something about that makes this 1990 season great to me. I feel like the great teams from later in the decade the 94 49ers, 95 Cowboys, and 96 Packers types would have struggled against some of C-level teams from 1990 NFL. Just seemed bigger stronger harder hitting football that year for some reason to me.

I really love 1992, and find 1993 to be a wildly interesting anomaly type year(if not the most interesting of those type seasons). 1991 had a lot going for it too but was also missing a lot it seemed. 1994 was great for all the 75 anny flare(that was infinitely better done than NFL 100). 1995 and 1996 seasons also had a lot going for them that stood out for this decade. Those 2 were probably my peak years of fandom actually. I dropped off through 97 and didn't watch barely anything in 98, then didn't pay attention to the NFL at all in 99(but got back into it in those playoffs big time).

[74_75_78_79_]

I almost posted a thread topic for this before it came up in a search so Im reviving this one instead. I actually read this post before on a search through here and it is what got me to watching through the 98 season on Youtube over this past Summer(spectacular time, so awesome what all is on Youtube as far as full games now).

I have to agree that there was a lot of special elements about 1998 that make it stand out. I'm partial to 1990 myself:

NYG vs SF Tyson vs Holyfield of the NFL type build for their MNF game and the NFCCG showdown rematch.

Buffalo Bills in general just being an awesome team. I would have to say Thurman Thomas is one of my favorite players of all time.

The whole dynamic of the AFC getting stronger, Houston, LA Raiders, Miami, Kansas City all suddenly way better and stronger looking compared to shape of AFC 84 to 89. Cincinnati after down year in 89 was back to being sharp team with Super Bowl experience in 1990 even though they had issues.

Washington vs NYG vs Philly in the NFC East, get real, Dallas was getting stronger too with good young 7-9 team. Peak NFC greatness I think. Got to be in discussion for toughest division race in NFL history.

Pretty sweet spot where there were so many legends of the 80's still at or close to their primes that year but so many future stars were there mixing it up with them. You had Bo Jackson and Joe Montana as a 49er on the field still, peak Randall Cunningham Ultimate Weapon season, something about that makes this 1990 season great to me. I feel like the great teams from later in the decade the 94 49ers, 95 Cowboys, and 96 Packers types would have struggled against some of C-level teams from 1990 NFL. Just seemed bigger stronger harder hitting football that year for some reason to me.

I really love 1992, and find 1993 to be a wildly interesting anomaly type year(if not the most interesting of those type seasons). 1991 had a lot going for it too but was also missing a lot it seemed. 1994 was great for all the 75 anny flare(that was infinitely better done than NFL 100). 1995 and 1996 seasons also had a lot going for them that stood out for this decade. Those 2 were probably my peak years of fandom actually. I dropped off through 97 and didn't watch barely anything in 98, then didn't pay attention to the NFL at all in 99(but got back into it in those playoffs big time).

Damn, I'm flattered, lol. Glad to have been the one to inspire you to truly roll up your sleeves and explore that '98 season. Sure-enough you know, and remember, more of it than I do.

Whether sports, pop-culture, politics, world events, society-in-general, etc, 1998 is not the 'typical' 1990s year. You'd likely think of an earlier year in the decade when thinking what year best epitomizes the decade itself. But I still consider it the best NFL season of that decade with no other season since being as good, IMO.

You can say the same for the NBA/Bulls being it was Jordan's 'last dance' with them. There was a strike-shortened season in '98/'99, Jordan and practically everyone else were gone from the Bulls, and the following season and beyond it was really different from then on for sure.

[JWL]

1998

[ShinobiMusashi]

I almost posted a thread topic for this before it came up in a search so Im reviving this one instead. I actually read this post before on a search through here and it is what got me to watching through the 98 season on Youtube over this past Summer(spectacular time, so awesome what all is on Youtube as far as full games now).

I have to agree that there was a lot of special elements about 1998 that make it stand out. I'm partial to 1990 myself:

NYG vs SF Tyson vs Holyfield of the NFL type build for their MNF game and the NFCCG showdown rematch.

Buffalo Bills in general just being an awesome team. I would have to say Thurman Thomas is one of my favorite players of all time.

The whole dynamic of the AFC getting stronger, Houston, LA Raiders, Miami, Kansas City all suddenly way better and stronger looking compared to shape of AFC 84 to 89. Cincinnati after down year in 89 was back to being sharp team with Super Bowl experience in 1990 even though they had issues.

Washington vs NYG vs Philly in the NFC East, get real, Dallas was getting stronger too with good young 7-9 team. Peak NFC greatness I think. Got to be in discussion for toughest division race in NFL history.

Pretty sweet spot where there were so many legends of the 80's still at or close to their primes that year but so many future stars were there mixing it up with them. You had Bo Jackson and Joe Montana as a 49er on the field still, peak Randall Cunningham Ultimate Weapon season, something about that makes this 1990 season great to me. I feel like the great teams from later in the decade the 94 49ers, 95 Cowboys, and 96 Packers types would have struggled against some of C-level teams from 1990 NFL. Just seemed bigger stronger harder hitting football that year for some reason to me.

I really love 1992, and find 1993 to be a wildly interesting anomaly type year(if not the most interesting of those type seasons). 1991 had a lot going for it too but was also missing a lot it seemed. 1994 was great for all the 75 anny flare(that was infinitely better done than NFL 100). 1995 and 1996 seasons also had a lot going for them that stood out for this decade. Those 2 were probably my peak years of fandom actually. I dropped off through 97 and didn't watch barely anything in 98, then didn't pay attention to the NFL at all in 99(but got back into it in those playoffs big time).

Damn, I'm flattered, lol. Glad to have been the one to inspire you to truly roll up your sleeves and explore that '98 season. Sure-enough you know, and remember, more of it than I do.

Whether sports, pop-culture, politics, world events, society-in-general, etc, 1998 is not the 'typical' 1990s year. You'd likely think of an earlier year in the decade when thinking what year best epitomizes the decade itself. But I still consider it the best NFL season of that decade with no other season since being as good, IMO.

You can say the same for the NBA/Bulls being it was Jordan's 'last dance' with them. There was a strike-shortened season in '98/'99, Jordan and practically everyone else were gone from the Bulls, and the following season and beyond it was really different from then on for sure.

The monoculture definitely went through major shift in 97 and the 90's just took on a whole different feel around that time for some reason looking back.