70s AFC- Deep superior conference or top heavy carried by 3?

[CSKreager]

In the 70s, we all know about the dominance of the AFC (save for Dallas in 1971/1977).

But with most of the damage done by MIA/OAK/PIT (70 Colts and 77 Broncos the exceptions), how much of it was total conference superiority and how much of the AFC riding the coattails of the Dolphins/Raiders/Steeler?

Hypothetically, how many of the other good AFC teams of that era besides the big 3 could have held their own vs the NFC? Or was the conference basically riding the coattails of these 3 teams?

I sometimes wonder if NFC struggles were moreso because of always running into 3 super AFC teams or if it would have been similar vs other AFC teams.

Could some of the other AFC teams have done damage if they were playing in the other conference? Could they have hypothetically been good enough to win the NFC?

1970- Would the raiders and cowboys have combined for fewer blunders if OAK got out of the Baltimore dust?

1971- What if stenerud makes that FG? Or the Patriots don’t shock the colts in the regular season finale? Could Dallas have finally won the big one against a Colt or Chief team with more experience than the young Dolphins?

1973- Cincinnati had a great team that got screwed by the playoff format. How truly good were they and could they have held their own vs MIN? If they played in the NFC, could they have fared better out of the shadow of what many consider Shula’s greatest team (while OAK got to host a playoff game despite a worse record in a weak AFC West.)

1974- this was the peak of MIA/OAK/PIT dominance, but there was a 9-5 Bills team that made the playoffs. Do they hold their own vs NFC?

1975- there were 2 very good 10+ win Oiler/Bengal teams and a Buffalo Bills squad that scored the most points in the decade . Hypothetically, could they have fared well against the dirty dozen cowboys? Or win the NFC?

1976- the Patriots. could they have won the NFC if they played different teams?

All 3 division winning Bert jones Colts teams.

How many of these other teams could have held their own vs a MIN/DAL? If they didn’t have to deal with the AFC’s big three? Could they have won the NFC?

It's a chicken/egg thing- Was the whole conference top to bottom better than the NFC or did they just ride the coattails of 3 great teams?

[lastcat3]

I honestly think the conference was riding on the coattails of the Steelers alone. The Dolphins and Raiders had a season or two during the decade where they were dominant but in most instances weren't any better than what the NFC had to offer. The Steelers were really the only AFC team during the 70's that really stood apart from the NFC. Without the Steelers the two conferences are probably about even during the decade in terms of victories. Dallas probably had a good shot of beating any other AFC team in both '75 and '78 and the Vikings probably could have beaten any other AFC team in '74 (the Steelers by far had the best defense in the AFC in '74).

[Todd Pence]

It looks like you started the same thread twice:

http://www.profootballresearchers.org/f ... f=5&t=5690