Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

What happens in the 1987 NFC playoffs if New Orleans had beaten Minnesota? I get the feeling there would be an entire new Super Bowl champion.

#1 San Francisco vs. #3 Chicago
#2 Washington vs. #4 New Orleans

If the teams with better records win, then it’s SF/NO in the championship game. And there’s no major upset with Minnesota. It’s very possible there was a different Super Bowl winner - and maybe a three-peat.

I still cant believe the Redskins came back to beat the Bears. Give Pettibon credit for shutting down their offense in the second half.
I felt bad for Walter going out like that ...

Actually, the Bears were the #2 seed, and they would have hosted NO, with Washington going to San Francisco.

In the WAS@SF game, I actually believe that the Redskins would have pulled it out. They were more together that year than most other teams because they didn't have any strike breakers, and it just seemed like their year. Also, SF wasn't as good in 1987 as they were in late 1988 and 89.

As for NO@CHI, the veteran Bears probably pull that out since they had McMahon, and NO really doesn't have the exprience.

I also see the Redskins beating Chicago and Denver to win the Super Bowl. I just think that 1987 was their year.

I dont feel the Redskins would have beaten the 49ers. The Vikings pass rush gave SF fits but I feel they would have executed better against the Redskins defense. The Green-Rice matchup would have been must-see tv, but I feel the Niners would have shut down Timmy Smith.

Oops! Yeah, I did get the seedings wrong. That would completely change everything. I still think San Francisco wins it all, though.

What about the AFC Playoffs that year? What if Fredd Young doesn't have that INT taken away from him in OT, and the Seahawks go down and beat the Oilers in the WC Game?

The playoff matchups would have been Seattle@Cleveland and Indianapolis@Denver.

In reality, both AFC Divisional Round matchups were decided by 17 or more points. I don't think we see that here. The road teams have a decent shot at an upset.

What if Minnesota doesn't even MAKE the playoffs and we get Cardinals/Saints instead of that mediocre 8-7 Vikings team having two randomly insanely good games?

CSKreager wrote: ↑Wed Dec 11, 2024 11:51 pm What if Minnesota doesn't even MAKE the playoffs and we get Cardinals/Saints instead of that mediocre 8-7 Vikings team having two randomly insanely good games?

In the Wild Card game, I see the Saints winning before losing to Chicago the next week.

As for the Vikings, do they still trade for Herschel Walker two years later without that run to the NFC Title Game?

CSKreager wrote: ↑Wed Dec 11, 2024 11:51 pm What if Minnesota doesn't even MAKE the playoffs and we get Cardinals/Saints instead of that mediocre 8-7 Vikings team having two randomly insanely good games?

The Vikings were 0-3 in replacement games. At 8-4 in other games they were better than an 8-7 team though their playoff success was still unexpected.

The Vikings hosted Washington in the season finale. Non-scab-wise, Minny was 8-3 going into that game with the Champs-to-be at just 7-4. The result was a Redskins 27-24 OT victory. Funny thing is...had Vikings turned that OT loss into an actually WIN, it wouldn't have made any difference. Washington still is 3rd-seed and Vikings still go to the Superdome.

The '98 Vikings were at just one loss going into their Thanksgiving Day affair at Dallas. Non-scab-wise, so were the '87 version in their Turkey date, same location. They were '6-1' going in. Said it more than once before and I'll say it again - the '87 Vikings had a significant better chance beating Denver in SBXXII than they would vs Denver in XXXIII (Denver simply wins IMO). '87 Vikes a better chance than '09 Vikes vs Colts as well thus Burnsie's Bunch having the best chance of any Vikings team to actually hoist a Lombardi even if they wouldn't have actually been as strong as the two other teams mentioned; or especially their Super Bowl Bud Grant teams!

No real disrespect to them, but the '87 Broncos are the much lesser SB-obstacle than the '98 version, or the '09 Colts; OR the '69 Chiefs, '73 Dolphins, '74 Steelers, '76 Raiders, etc.

Imagine DJ Dozier scoring a TD against Denver in a hypo-SB-win - a year after scoring a TD in that famous Fiesta Bowl a year earlier!


PS - A Vikings/Browns SBXXII? Pretty interesting!