What-if there were never any WILD CARD qualifiers??

[74_75_78_79_]

Counter-pointing CSK's recent interesting topic, when if strictly division-winners only ever made the playoffs all this time? This means going straight to a Jets at Raiders AFLCG after the '69 regular season. From the merger thru '01, it would be the top-seeds getting a bye with the 2nds hosting the 3rds for the conference 'semifinals'. Of course the first few years of the merger, whatever division's 'turn' it was would get the bye.

No "Hail Mary" in '75! Who do Eagles, Bears, and Cowboys play against in SBs XV, XX, and XXVII respectively? Broncos/Packers SB a year earlier instead? Rams/Jags in '99 (Dan not having to suffer that 62-7 send-off; Peyton's playoff debut vs 9-7 Hawks in the AFC Semifinal)? Does Jeff Fisher hoist up that Lombardi in 2000 (with Ravens going down as the "best defense ever to not make the post-season")?

2002-and-beyond basically that 'CCCC' NFL '67-thru-'69 pre-merger set-up. NE@Ind/Cin@Den divisional-round in '05 a nice example to start with. For the past dozen years, do the '72 Dolphins still have that yearly 'ritual'? ARodg would still be ISO his first Lombardi.

Further thoughts?

[Jay Z]

To be fair, I think you need to take another look at games that would be affected by the lack of a wild card.

In 1970 the Lions beat the Cardinals in week 12 to start the Cardinals' 3 game slide out of playoff contention. In your scenario, they'd have already been eliminated from the playoffs due to Minnesota winning on Saturday and holding the tiebreaker over the Lions. So the Cardinals manage to beat the dispirited Lions, also win Week 14 against the Redskins, and the Cowboys are out of the playoffs.

In 1971 the Colts were accused of "throwing" their last regular season game, against the Patriots. The wild card existed and seedings were not yet determined by W/L record. So the East division champion went on the road to the West Division Champion, the Chiefs, while the Colts had what figured to be an easier game in Cleveland.

So in 1970 you'd have the Cardinals playing the 49ers and the winner playing the Vikings. In 1971 the Browns would go to Kansas City with the winner going to Baltimore.

[IrishJimmy]

'80 I think the Eagles play San Diego. Would have been a good match-up. Bills vs. Cleveland at CLE - I like the Browns but I think the road trip to San Diego nips the Browns Super Bowl dreams. I think the Eagles win - better defense and Montgomery.

[Todd Pence]

In the three years from 1975-77, there were four teams that missed the playoffs with 10-4 records.

The 1975 Dolphins
The 1975 Oilers
The 1976 Cardinals
The 1977 Dolphins