Trivia of the obscure

[ChrisBabcock]

New question: this team entered Week 14 of the season with a 4-9 record...yet were still in contention to win their division! Name the team (and the season).

The 2010 Cardinals would qualify. However that would technically be week 15 because of the bye week involved. Because of that I think you've probably got a different team in mind.

[74_75_78_79_]

New question: this team entered Week 14 of the season with a 4-9 record...yet were still in contention to win their division! Name the team (and the season).

The 2010 Cardinals would qualify. However that would technically be week 15 because of the bye week involved. Because of that I think you've probably got a different team in mind.

Hint: It was indeed pre-bye-week era and the team that ended up winning the division ended up in the CCG. Right, Bryan (smirk)?

[Bryan]

New question: this team entered Week 14 of the season with a 4-9 record...yet were still in contention to win their division! Name the team (and the season).

The 2010 Cardinals would qualify. However that would technically be week 15 because of the bye week involved. Because of that I think you've probably got a different team in mind.

The 2010 Cardinals were not the team I had in mind, and my team was pre-bye week; but I am always amazed when other things meet bizarre criteria.

[74_75_78_79_]

Also, this team had a coaching change mid-season!

[Bryan]

Hint: It was indeed pre-bye-week era and the team that ended up winning the division ended up in the CCG. Right, Bryan (smirk)?

Yes, I think if I did the math correctly, the 1984 Browns were 4-9 but had their last three games against divisional opponents. If the Browns won those three games and the 7-6 Steelers lost their last three games (one of which was against Cleveland), then the 7-9 Browns would have won the division tiebreaker over the 7-9 Steelers. Considering how bad the AFC Central was and how the Steelers had Mark Malone at QB, it really wasn't THAT farfetched of a scenario. But the Browns immediately lost to the Bengals in Week 14, with the Bengals tying the game on the last play of regulation with a TD pass to Anthony Munoz, and the Browns eventually finished at 5-11.

[74_75_78_79_]

Hint: It was indeed pre-bye-week era and the team that ended up winning the division ended up in the CCG. Right, Bryan (smirk)?

Yes, I think if I did the math correctly, the 1984 Browns were 4-9 but had their last three games against divisional opponents. If the Browns won those three games and the 7-6 Steelers lost their last three games (one of which was against Cleveland), then the 7-9 Browns would have won the division tiebreaker over the 7-9 Steelers. Considering how bad the AFC Central was and how the Steelers had Mark Malone at QB, it really wasn't THAT farfetched of a scenario. But the Browns immediately lost to the Bengals in Week 14, with the Bengals tying the game on the last play of regulation with a TD pass to Anthony Munoz, and the Browns eventually finished at 5-11.

Yes, Steelers already lost at Cleveland earlier that year. The Bengals were 5-8 going into that week. Cincy would have at least had to lose another game besides the one to Cleveland. Didn’t matter. Bengals won-out, finishing 8-8. Rutigliano got fired mid-season, enter Schottenheimer. AFC Central would be weak yet again in ’85!

[Bryan]

This is more of an open-ended question because I don't know the exact answer or how to research it...but here goes:

*This QB once threw 18 straight incompletions in one game. I assume this is some type of record, as single-wing/T Formation QBs didn't really throw it that often, and other teams wouldn't just keep letting the same guy throw incompletion after incompletion. First, name the QB. Second, let me know if there is a QB who throw more consecutive incompletions in one game.

[Brian wolf]

Haha ... Sounds like Vince Evans with the Bears. He was lucky to ever complete ten passes in a game.

[Todd Pence]

This is more of an open-ended question because I don't know the exact answer or how to research it...but here goes:

*This QB once threw 18 straight incompletions in one game. I assume this is some type of record, as single-wing/T Formation QBs didn't really throw it that often, and other teams wouldn't just keep letting the same guy throw incompletion after incompletion. First, name the QB. Second, let me know if there is a QB who throw more consecutive incompletions in one game.

Would that be Dave Wilson of the New Orleans Saints, in their 1985 opener versus the Chiefs?

Name a game in which a time played three different quarterbacks who each had at least fifteen pass attempts in the game (I believe there is only one such game).

[Bryan]

This is more of an open-ended question because I don't know the exact answer or how to research it...but here goes:

*This QB once threw 18 straight incompletions in one game. I assume this is some type of record, as single-wing/T Formation QBs didn't really throw it that often, and other teams wouldn't just keep letting the same guy throw incompletion after incompletion. First, name the QB. Second, let me know if there is a QB who throw more consecutive incompletions in one game.

Would that be Dave Wilson of the New Orleans Saints, in their 1985 opener versus the Chiefs?

Dave Wilson is correct! Found that to be a very weird stat. Wilson went to my alma mater (U of Illinois). He got hurt his rookie year in the NFL, lost his mobility, and never really was consistently good. When he went to Illinois, he was coached by Mike White who was kind of a renegade. Wilson had minimal academic qualifications as a California JUCO transfer and eventually was kicked out of school. That said, he had a game where he threw for 621 yards against Ohio State, which was beyond comprehension at the time and was a record that stood for almost the entire decade. Perhaps the most underrated achievement in college football history, IMO, considering the context and the opponent. Wilson had some bad luck in the NFL. I read a story where Wilson's grandmother was sitting above the tunnel at the Superdome, and at the end of the game after coach Bum Phillips benched Wilson, the grandma dumped a beer on Phillips's head and got arrested. Not sure if true, but...