Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

CSKreager wrote: ↑Thu Nov 27, 2025 1:21 pm 1979

What if Washington beats Dallas in week 16?

The Redskins win the East, shoot up to a #1 overall seed, Chicago misses the playoffs, and the Cowboys have to go on the road to Philly for a wild card game against a team they barely escaped 2 weeks earlier at the Vet.

Because of the “no divisional round division games” stipulation, Cowboys/Eagles would have been for a trip to Tampa while the Rams instead of Texas are RFK bound.

Even if the Redskins hold on in 1979 Week 16, I think they lose to the Rams as well (in the divisional round), and the Rams still end up in SB XIV.

If they make the playoffs, that affects the Redskin future going forward. John Riggins will probably be back, and Pardee won't be fired after the 1980 season, so no Gibbs era (although they still would have Bobby Beathard, so who knows what happens).

Also, if the 1979 Cowboys miss the playoffs, does it make Roger change his mind, and come back for one more year in 1980?

74_75_78_79_ wrote: ↑Thu Nov 27, 2025 10:28 am

ShinobiMusashi wrote: ↑Wed Nov 26, 2025 8:49 pm What if in 1993 instead of the Super Bowl being in the Georgia Dome the NFL went back to the old way where the team with the best record hosted the title game in their home stadium? Could the Cowboys have beat Buffalo in Buffalo in this scenario? Were the 90 Giants, 91 Redskins, (92 the Bills beat the Dolphins in Miami in AFCCG, but hell swap the Oilers out with the 92 Cowboys in that Wild Card game in that stadium on that day), 93 Cowboys good enough to beat the Bills in Buffalo?

It, actually, used to be each conference champ 'taking turns' hosting the League Championship Game. Since the 1970 merger, the NFC champ is the designated 'home' team in even numbered years, the AFC champ in odd years. In Super Bowl V, Dallas was made to wear their blue jerseys because they were the 'home' team; they couldn't choose what jerseys to wear as normal. But the League backed off from that sometime shortly after - Dallas got to play in white 'at home' against Pittsburgh at the Orange Bowl on Sunday, January 21, 1979.

As for your mentioned SBXXVIII what-if scenario...Bills are the 'home' team anyway given the odd-numbered year at hand. Bills host Washington two years prior as well. They were such a superior team at home during that era, but we never got to see them host an NFC power in a high-stakes game. IMO, Bills still lose both these games at Rich. Maybe they play a little better than they did IRL at both neutral sites, but neither game at all a nail-biter either. Also, IMO, the Steelers and especially Raiders win at Minny in Jan '75 & Jan '77 respectively.

Interesting to think of all those hypo SBs with NFC (even) and AFC (odd) taking turns hosting the Big Game.

Ones that come to mind first-and-foremost are Rams AT Tennessee and Pats AT Seahawks. Both very close games which may have (or maybe not anyway) have yielded a different result in such a scenario. Steelers AT Seahawks and Rams AT Bengals also are very worthy bring-ups.

As for the Forty Niners playing AT Riverfront outside instead of inside the Pontiac Silverdome? The weather wasn't necessarily like anything two Sundays prior, but the temp on January 24, 1982 was a high of 23 in Cincy; not far from Detroit which WAS real bitter as well so no surprise. I think San Fran still wins anyway. Gregg would still create that uptight atmosphere going into the game, Walsh loosening things up (still dressing as a bellhop giving his players their luggage), and Bengals likely having a false sense-of-security that the weather would assist them.

Admittedly, IMO, Dallas still wins at Three Rivers in SBXXX. Colts still win at Soldier Field thus Peyton still gets his Ring.


PS - If da '85 Bears play at Foxboro, and San Fran at Mile High four years later, both lose - just kidding.

EDIT - my mistake with the Steelers “AT” Seahawks. They in their white jerseys (because they chose to) fooled me for a sec.

On NFL Live before the 1989 Steelers@Broncos playoff game, Bobby Beathard and Ralph Wiley were talking with Bob Costas about coaching hires.

Beathard said that the Falcons were looking at Mike Holmgren as well as Joe Bugel and Jerry Glanville. Also, Ralph Wiley said that the Oilers (who just fired Glanville) were looking at then-Broncos DC Wade Phillips to replace him.

The Falcons would have been wise to go with either of those options over Glanville. Though maybe the 91 season isn't as fun without him. I didn't know that about Wade going to the Oilers being a thing. I know when the Texans were launching they were considering Wade Phillips and Gary Gubiak that early, either one of those would have been a better option than running a straight to video sequel of the Panthers collapse(without the big blockbuster playoff run).

Also watching the 1992 Redskins vs 49ers playoff game they talked about Skins DC Ritchie Petitbon taking over the Bears as HC in 1993. Instead he stays in Washington for a terrible year as head coach in 1993, Dave Wanndstedt takes over the Bears after the Cowboys Super Bowl win in 92 with him as DC.

ShinobiMusashi wrote: ↑Sun Nov 30, 2025 7:52 pm The Falcons would have been wise to go with either of those options over Glanville. Though maybe the 91 season isn't as fun without him. I didn't know that about Wade going to the Oilers being a thing. I know when the Texans were launching they were considering Wade Phillips and Gary Gubiak that early, either one of those would have been a better option than running a straight to video sequel of the Panthers collapse(without the big blockbuster playoff run).

Also watching the 1992 Redskins vs 49ers playoff game they talked about Skins DC Ritchie Petitbon taking over the Bears as HC in 1993. Instead he stays in Washington for a terrible year as head coach in 1993, Dave Wanndstedt takes over the Bears after the Cowboys Super Bowl win in 92 with him as DC.

About Glanville, I agree, but I think I know why Holmgren may have turned them down (if Falcon GM Ken Herock actually talked to him): Mike had two daughters in HS in 11th grade (that's why he turned down the Jets offer that off-season). Also, it appears that the Cards were after him as well:

https://www.deseret.com/1990/2/4/188452 ... and-cards/

Also, not only were the Jets interested in Holmgren, but this article indicates that they were into Wade Phillips as well:

https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1990/0 ... ching-job/

Wade wasn't a great HC, but he may have been better than the laid-back Pardee was. And, the Oilers' defense would have been better (although they would have ran a 3-4, which probably would have squeezed William Fuller into a situational role).

As for Petitbon, I think I remember hearing that at the time. He used to play for the Bears.

Speaking of coaches "what ifs", I am watching the pre-game of the Dolphins-Bills 1992 AFC Title game. On NFL Live, Will McDonough said that the Bears were looking hard at Dave Wannstedt, and that the Pats hadn't offered the job to anyone at that time (their short list included Parcells, Ditka, Buddy Ryan, and Ray Rhodes).

McDonough said that Ryan and Ditka already interviewed at that point, and that Ditka may wait until expansion (he actually waited until 1997, when he took the Saint job).

Also, since Elway was a guest host, they talked about the Broncos. They thought that Shanahan was a lock at that time, but for some reason, he decided to stay at SF (I think it was because he didn't want to succeed Reeves), and they hired Phillips for two years.

7DnBrnc53 wrote: ↑Sat Jan 17, 2026 3:37 pm Speaking of coaches "what ifs", I am watching the pre-game of the Dolphins-Bills 1992 AFC Title game. On NFL Live, Will McDonough said that the Bears were looking hard at Dave Wannstedt, and that the Pats hadn't offered the job to anyone at that time (their short list included Parcells, Ditka, Buddy Ryan, and Ray Rhodes).

McDonough said that Ryan and Ditka already interviewed at that point, and that Ditka may wait until expansion (he actually waited until 1997, when he took the Saint job).

Also, since Elway was a guest host, they talked about the Broncos. They thought that Shanahan was a lock at that time, but for some reason, he decided to stay at SF (I think it was because he didn't want to succeed Reeves), and they hired Phillips for two years.

Yeah, it might have helped Ditka to get right back into coaching and you wonder had he gotten the NE job, if he would have chosen Mirer over Bledsoe? Without Parcells though, there would be no dynasty under Belichick. I think Ditka could have done well in Carolina or Jax, but they also got immediate returns from Capers and Coughlin. As for Shanahan, I felt he also wanted to learn how the WCO thrived so much in SF with his opportunity to coach Steve Young.

John Fox took Carolina to the SB and was a good coach, who probably didnt deserve to be fired in Denver before Manning's last season but his tenure with the Bears makes him forgotten on the HOF radar. Who else would have won playoff games with Delhomme and Tebow at QB? Manning was still under-achieving in postseason games until Phillips put together a great postseason run with his defense to win it all for Kubiak in 2015/16.

7DnBrnc53 wrote: ↑Thu Nov 27, 2025 5:57 pm

CSKreager wrote: ↑Thu Nov 27, 2025 1:21 pm 1979

What if Washington beats Dallas in week 16?

The Redskins win the East, shoot up to a #1 overall seed, Chicago misses the playoffs, and the Cowboys have to go on the road to Philly for a wild card game against a team they barely escaped 2 weeks earlier at the Vet.

Because of the “no divisional round division games” stipulation, Cowboys/Eagles would have been for a trip to Tampa while the Rams instead of Texas are RFK bound.

Even if the Redskins hold on in 1979 Week 16, I think they lose to the Rams as well (in the divisional round), and the Rams still end up in SB XIV.

If they make the playoffs, that affects the Redskin future going forward. John Riggins will probably be back, and Pardee won't be fired after the 1980 season, so no Gibbs era (although they still would have Bobby Beathard, so who knows what happens).

Also, if the 1979 Cowboys miss the playoffs, does it make Roger change his mind, and come back for one more year in 1980?

The 79 Cowboys had already clinched a playoff spot the previous Saturday at Philadelphia

Losing to Washington would have resulted in round 3 at the Vet

What if...da Bears LOSE Super Bowl XX to the Patriots??

Tomorrow's National Champiosnship Game inspires this thread in that, I think, if Indiana loses, it'll seem like such an event.

As far as legacy is concerned, how would you look back on it all had that 17-1 Juggernaut going in would, actually, Historically disappoint? I would have been sad, and still to this day. This was simply a case of me not just rooting for the favorite, but rooting heavily! Just the whole season Story leading up, the characters on that team, the simple Imagination that was captured by everyone leading up, including non-sports-fans...sure-enough the 'Super Bowl Shuffle' video (filmed after their MNF loss at Miami, mind you) would be seen as a culprit. More-so, the Ditka/Buddy feud!

How would the Eason-led Pats be looked back as? How close to Clay-over-Liston/SBIII/'69 Mets/VIllanova-over-Georgetown/Douglas-over-Tyson/Giants-over-18-0-Pats would this be to?

Bears' immediate future after this?

The Pats' immediate future after this?


PS - Chargers beating San Fran in SBXIX wouldn't be far behind at all.

The 79 Cowboys had already clinched a playoff spot the previous Saturday at Philadelphia

Losing to Washington would have resulted in round 3 at the Vet

Oh, yeah. That's right.

If Dallas loses, I don't think they win Round 3 at the Vet.