1983/84 SB ... Had the SF 49ers played the LA Raiders

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74_75_78_79_
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Re: 1983/84 SB ... Had the SF 49ers played the LA Raiders

Post by 74_75_78_79_ »

You can never count out Joe Cool. No sure thing what happens in this hypothetical. But as for what I feel would be more likely than not, I simply think Raiders prevail.

'83 was, still to this day, the last true year of that Raider mystique and swagger. The last year, still to this day, that they were SB-win-capable. They were too intense, yet still very focused, by the time those playoffs began. They would have simply thrown everything they had at them - and more! SF would have put up quite the fight throughout, kept it still undecided into the 4th; but in the end it likely wouldn't have been enough.

You get the sense that the Raiders knew the window, which opened back in the late-'60s, was finally about to close. Some of those old players were still around wanting to win one more, another old player who "should have" been a Raiders all along - that being, of course, Lyle - still was ISO his first Ring. Hendricks and those long-time vets as well as the newbies like Millen, Howie, Marcus all had many motivating reasons to "refuse" to lose - starting with winning one for #77!

Sometime during the following year, it seemed they passed that "NFL's wild bunch" baton to da Bears - perhaps during that very Classic brutal Soldier Field slugfest between the two. They finally do something they didn't do since the '75 AFCCG, and that's lose to the Steelers; doing so at home in the finale to Mark Malone, and then go one-and-done the following week at the Kingdome. And as for '85...despite finishing 12-4 and clinching top-seed, I remember even then no longer being in awe of them. I saw them as no threat to Chicago. I actually did predict before the divisionals that New England would eliminate them. They were no longer the same; and never would be. Even that brief Gruden era and 2002 under Callahan didn't seem to recapture that old spirit.

Very belatedly realizing just now that Marcus didn't even play in that 37-35 loss at RFK only raises my stock in them all the more. No, still not up with the '80s Holy Trinity ('89 SF, '85 Bears, '84 SF), but how about instead of placing them at 4a and the '86 Giants at 4b, I now place them at a solid 4th best of the '80s with NYG a solid #5 of that decade?

So damn fitting that John Facenda's last NFL Films work was honoring that team.
Brian wolf
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Re: 1983/84 SB ... Had the SF 49ers played the LA Raiders

Post by Brian wolf »

I still believe the Raiders from 84-86 were capable of winning it all again but Davis could be annoying, trying to force Wilson into the lineup even when Plunkett was healthy and staying on Allen's bad side, though he had no choice, Allen could fumble at the worst times. Lots of distractions in LA and the team couldnt stay consistent enough. Had James Lofton or Willie Gault arrived earlier, the Raiders might have been more dynamic on offense but sometimes you have to quit adding track stars and find a receiver that can just move the chains. The Raiders got one in Tim Brown later but their winning ways were becoming more scarce ...
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