Teams that benefited from the 2002 realignment

[74_75_78_79_]

I've opined this a few times already my always wishing that each conference would have stayed at three divisions apiece (whilst, of course, having never added an extra playoff team per conference in 2020). And keep the Colts, Hawks, Cards, and Bucs with their division foes regardless of geography with the latter. And add the Texans to the NFC East (they and Big D together, and twice a year). And I still LOVE and MISS that very short-lived BIG 6-team AFC Central from '99-thru-'01! Crammed with rivalries - old and new!

But the 2002 realignment simply DID happen! And that's that.

The 2008 Cardinals heavily benefited from 2002! As we know, they were 3-7 outside of their division while feasting off a real weak NFC West that they finished 6-0 within. Yes, they beat a Dolphins team early on that won their division, finishing at 11-5. They beat 9-7 Dallas early on as well, in OT, which leads us to the hypo of they still being in the NFC East instead - a division that was the total opposite of the NFC West. It was TOUGH.

The Cards lost at home convincing-enough to NYG. I imagine they lose to them a second time in 2008 as well; the defending-Champs were the best team that regular season IMO (Steeler-fandom aside, they "should have" repeated). 'Zona did lose convincingly at Philly. Maybe they split with them considering they did beat them in that NFCCG, but sure-enough Dallas splits with them as well. And Washington, who finished in last place, finished with an 8-8 record while also beating the Cards in 2008. I see 'Zona going 4-4 in the division at absolute best! And simply seeing just how bad they were outside their division in real-time as a NFC West member...(also getting blown-out by the likes of the Jets, Vikings, and Pats)...

There is no definite as to who within their conference they would have actually played. It all would have depended on how the 2007 standings playout. But, cross-conference, the NFC East would have actually been matched up with the AFC East as the NFC West was in real-time in '08. Now once the real-time 2008 NFC playoffs began, yes, the Cards were suddenly a Super Bowl team. But they would have simply had to have made it to the dance in the first place! And considering just now poor they actually were outside their division during that regular season, they making the playoffs hypothetically in a real tough NFC East would have been, to me, un-doable for them.

The Seahawks in 2010, of course, benefited as well. Winning their division at 7-9/hosting a playoff game which they'd win while - in their former division - the Chiefs, Chargers, and Raiders finish at 10-6, 9-7, 8-8 respectively. Oh, and yes, Hawks played all four of their former foes that season going 1-3 vs them; beating only SD with the other three defeats each lopsided and by a combined 106-41 margin! Yes, it doesn't look like they make the playoffs either had things stayed as-is thus they also benefited from the realignment in Carroll's first year with them.

And considering the Vikings', Lions' and Packers' respective 13-4, 9-8, and (also) 8-9 finishes (Packers beat them in TB), it looks like Brady..."benefited" by FWIW (again, FWIW) at least making the playoffs in his final season!

There are other examples to give, but it IS the '08 Cards who have to be the biggest benefactors of the realignment being that it, indeed, essentially took them all the way to a Super Bowl (and coming razor-close to winning it, mind you)!


2011 G-men? Well, considering that they, of course, are still in the NFC East anyway in this scenario, and the Cardinals elsewhere finished 8-8, and the G-men did beat them early in 'Zona, its safe-enough to assume with me that they still win the division anyway (then "get HOT"). While we also wouldn't be sure who'd play who within their conference had Cards still been a member, or if the Giants beat them a second time (both East divisions pitted against each other once again as WAS actually the case in real-time), I'm sure-enough, down-the-stretch, those infamous G-men would have won any important games they would have had to win in order to still take the division - and then the rest!

[CSKreager]

2002 Bucs

No more GB/CHI cold weather trips, new division, got to play ATL/CAR/NO, won SB in year 1 of said realignment

[SeahawkFever]

I've opined this a few times already my always wishing that each conference would have stayed at three divisions apiece (whilst, of course, having never added an extra playoff team per conference in 2020). And keep the Colts, Hawks, Cards, and Bucs with their division foes regardless of geography with the latter. And add the Texans to the NFC East (they and Big D together, and twice a year). And I still LOVE and MISS that very short-lived BIG 6-team AFC Central from '99-thru-'01! Crammed with rivalries - old and new!

But the 2002 realignment simply DID happen! And that's that.

The 2008 Cardinals heavily benefited from 2002! As we know, they were 3-7 outside of their division while feasting off a real weak NFC West that they finished 6-0 within. Yes, they beat a Dolphins team early on that won their division, finishing at 11-5. They beat 9-7 Dallas early on as well, in OT, which leads us to the hypo of they still being in the NFC East instead - a division that was the total opposite of the NFC West. It was TOUGH.

The Cards lost at home convincing-enough to NYG. I imagine they lose to them a second time in 2008 as well; the defending-Champs were the best team that regular season IMO (Steeler-fandom aside, they "should have" repeated). 'Zona did lose convincingly at Philly. Maybe they split with them considering they did beat them in that NFCCG, but sure-enough Dallas splits with them as well. And Washington, who finished in last place, finished with an 8-8 record while also beating the Cards in 2008. I see 'Zona going 4-4 in the division at absolute best! And simply seeing just how bad they were outside their division in real-time as a NFC West member...(also getting blown-out by the likes of the Jets, Vikings, and Pats)...

There is no definite as to who within their conference they would have actually played. It all would have depended on how the 2007 standings playout. But, cross-conference, the NFC East would have actually been matched up with the AFC East as the NFC West was in real-time in '08. Now once the real-time 2008 NFC playoffs began, yes, the Cards were suddenly a Super Bowl team. But they would have simply had to have made it to the dance in the first place! And considering just now poor they actually were outside their division during that regular season, they making the playoffs hypothetically in a real tough NFC East would have been, to me, un-doable for them.

The Seahawks in 2010, of course, benefited as well. Winning their division at 7-9/hosting a playoff game which they'd win while - in their former division - the Chiefs, Chargers, and Raiders finish at 10-6, 9-7, 8-8 respectively. Oh, and yes, Hawks played all four of their former foes that season going 1-3 vs them; beating only SD with the other three defeats each lopsided and by a combined 106-41 margin! Yes, it doesn't look like they make the playoffs either had things stayed as-is thus they also benefited from the realignment in Carroll's first year with them.

And considering the Vikings', Lions' and Packers' respective 13-4, 9-8, and (also) 8-9 finishes (Packers beat them in TB), it looks like Brady..."benefited" by FWIW (again, FWIW) at least making the playoffs in his final season!

There are other examples to give, but it IS the '08 Cards who have to be the biggest benefactors of the realignment being that it, indeed, essentially took them all the way to a Super Bowl (and coming razor-close to winning it, mind you)!


2011 G-men? Well, considering that they, of course, are still in the NFC East anyway in this scenario, and the Cardinals elsewhere finished 8-8, and the G-men did beat them early in 'Zona, its safe-enough to assume with me that they still win the division anyway (then "get HOT"). While we also wouldn't be sure who'd play who within their conference had Cards still been a member, or if the Giants beat them a second time (both East divisions pitted against each other once again as WAS actually the case in real-time), I'm sure-enough, down-the-stretch, those infamous G-men would have won any important games they would have had to win in order to still take the division - and then the rest!

Not sure how much the realignment plays a role here, but most of the success of my Seahawks comes after that point.