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Coming September, the Tecmo Football Legends Simulation


MrNFL

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1998 Denver Broncos
Record: 14-2
Points Per Game: 31.3 (Ranked 5th best among teams in sim)
Allowed Per Game: 19.3 (Ranked 23rd)
Point Differential: 12.0 (Tied for 13th)
Turnover Differential: +10 (18th)
Simple Rating System: +8.9 (19th)
ELO Rating: 1771 (2nd)
Yards Per Pass: 7.8 (15th)
Yards Per Carry: 4.7 (7th)
Yards Per Play: 5.9 (7th)
Yards Per Pass Allowed: 6.1 (18th)
Yards Per Carry Allowed: 3.6 (7th)
Yards Per Play Allowed: 4.9 (22nd)
Head Coach: Mike Shanahan, with the Broncos from 1995 to 2008, winning Super Bowls in 97 and 98.

Other Broncos teams considered: Of their Super Bowl winners, the 97 and 98 teams both have a solid case, while the 2015 team doesn't stack up.  98 gets the slight edge over 97 on a better record and playoff run, plus a slightly better differential. 

The Season:  Their second straight title, their only losses came in weeks 15 and 16 to the Giants and Dolphins, respectively.   They got revenge and demolished the Dolphins in the playoffs, then beat the Jets in the AFC final 23-10 and the Falcons 34-19 in the Super Bowl. 

Offense: It was famously the final year for QB John Elway, who put up solid numbers.   But the offense was about Terrell Davis, rushing for 2008 yards and 21 TDs, the best among backs in the sim and among the best rushing seasons ever.  When they needed to pass, Rod Smith, Ed McCaffrey, and Shannon Sharpe were all excellent targets.  Three of their five lineman made the Pro Bowl as well.

Defense: Weak by the sim's standards and above average by 98's standards, their lone Pro Bowlers were LB Bill Romanowski and hard hitting safety Steve Atwater.  Guys like DE Trevor Pryce, LB John Mobley, and CB Darrien Gordon were also sturdy players.

Special Teams: Jason Elam and Tom Rouen both were among the better kicker/punters that year, with strong returning from Vaughn Hebron and Gordon.

Overall Chances in the Sim: The Broncos boast one of the best offenses in the sim, with maybe the best running game and a very strong passing game.   Special teams is strong as well, although their defense is pretty unremarkable.  Even without a powerful D, they should factor in among the top AFC teams. 

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1999 St. Louis Rams
Record: 13-3
Points Per Game: 32.9 (Ranked 2nd among teams in sim)
Allowed Per Game: 15.1 (13th)
Point Differential: 17.8 (3rd)
Turnover Differential: +5 (Tied for 26th)
Simple Rating System: +11.9 (12th)
ELO Rating: 1656 (21st)
Yards Per Pass: 9.0 (3rd)
Yards Per Carry: 4.8 (5th)
Yards Per Play: 6.5 (3rd)
Yards Per Pass Allowed: 5.9 (15th)
Yards Per Carry Allowed: 3.5 (6th)
Yards Per Play Allowed: 4.7 (18th)
Head Coach: Dick Vermeil, only with the Rams from 97-99, but got a ring.   Took Philadelphia to the Super Bowl in 1980 and spent the early/mid 2000s in Kansas City.

Other Rams teams considered: The only other champion came in 1951, a largely forgettable team.   Some might argue the 2001 team was more talented, but they fell to the Patriots in the Super Bowl.

The Season:  The Rams had stunk the previous years and prized free agent QB Trent Green went down to injury in the preseason.  Despite things looking rough, they rattled off a 13-3 season, outracing Minnesota and surviving Minnesota to get to the Super Bowl, where they held on by a yard over Tennessee.

Offense: From nobody to league MVP, Kurt Warner put up stellar numbers in 1999, although his supporting cast certainly helped.   Marshall Faulk had 1000+ yards rushing and receiving, Isaac Bruce was a solid receiver, and the line was led by All-Pro left tackle Orlando Pace.   They were "Greatest Show on Turf" for good reason.

Defense: Often forgotten because of the sexy offense, the D actually put up pretty solid numbers, 4th that year in points allowed.   They didn't have much name value outside of All-Pro DE Kevin Carter.  The only other Pro Bowler was CB Todd Lyght.

Special Teams: Jeff Wilkins had a middle-of-the-road year and they had two punts split time with limited luck.  Their return game was great, Tony Horne had two KR TDs and Az-Zahir Hakim had a punt return TD.

Overall Chances in the Sim: They have possibly the most dangerous offense in the sim, which makes them dangerous on its own.   The defense isn't crazy strong, but is a respectable unit that shouldn't weigh them down too much.   The Rams should be in the thick of things in the NFC. 

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The new millennium.   Counting 2000 to present, there are six remaining teams to discuss. 

2000 Baltimore Ravens
Record: 12-4
Points Per Game: 20.8 (Last among teams in simulation)
Allowed Per Game: 10.3 (2nd in sim)
Point Differential: 10.5 (18th)
Turnover Differential: +23 (Tied for 2nd)
Simple Rating System: +8.0 (24th)
ELO Rating: 1678 (18th)
Yards Per Pass: 6.2 (Last)
Yards Per Carry: 4.3 (15th)
Yards Per Play: 4.7 (26th)
Yards Per Pass Allowed: 5.7 (11th)
Yards Per Carry Allowed: 2.7 (1st)
Yards Per Play Allowed: 4.3 (9th)
Head Coach: Brian Billick, with the Ravens from 1999-2007, picking up the lone title in 2000.

Other Ravens teams considered: In the short Ravens history, they've made two Super Bowls.  The 2012 team was pretty unremarkable, the 2000 squad has them beat in most spots.

The Season: The Ravens 12-4 mark netted them a wild card, but their defense went on a roll in the postseason, allowing 3, 10, 3, and 7.   They knocked off division champion Tennessee and easily won the Super Bowl 34-7 over the Giants.

Offense: Rookie RB Jamal Lewis and Priest Holmes provided a solid rush attack with All-Pro LT Jonathan Ogden anchoring things.  The pass game had an aging TE Shannon Sharpe as a nice target, but otherwise things were rough.  Trent Dilfer took over at QB at midseason and managed not to screw things up too much.

Defense: Arguably the best defense of all time, they only actually had one first-team All-Pro (LB Ray Lewis) and two Pro Bowlers (DT Sam Adams, FS Rod Woodson).  But they were strong top to bottom, especially up front.   Their 2.7 yards per run average is a half yard better than any other sim team.  Guys like DE Rob Burnett, LB Peter Boulware, and CB Chris McAlister helped complete an impressive unit.

Special Teams: Matt Stover was an All-Pro kicker with Jermaine Lewis doing impressive work returning punts.  Kick returner Corey Harris and punter Kyle Richardson were forgettable.

Overall Chances in the Sim: You could argue they have both the best defense and worst offense in the sim, which makes them a tough one to predict.  Certainly with that D, they'll always have a shot, but having such a lackluster passing game won't help their odds. 

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2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Record: 12-4
Points Per Game: 21.6 (Ranked 27th among teams in simulation)
Allowed Per Game: 12.2 (Ranked 6th)
Point Differential: 9.4 (23rd)
Turnover Differential: +17 (10th)
Simple Rating System: +8.8 (20th)
ELO Rating: 1700 (16th)
Yards Per Pass: 6.5 (27th)
Yards Per Carry: 3.8 (26th)
Yards Per Play: 4.9 (25th)
Yards Per Pass Allowed: 4.9 (2nd)
Yards Per Carry Allowed: 3.8 (13th)
Yards Per Play Allowed: 4.2 (7th)
Head Coach: Jon Gruden, came to Tampa in 2002 via a trade with Oakland and won it all in year one, although the rest of his tenure was unremarkable.

Other Buccaneers teams considered: No other team is even close, this was a simple choice.

The Season: 12-4 was good for the #2 seed for the Buccaneers, missing out on the #1 because of a week 7 loss to Philadelphia.  They avenged that loss in the NFC Championship game 27-10, then smacked the Raiders 48-21 in the Super Bowl

Offense: Brad Johnson was an efficient QB who wasn't going to screw things up for you, although outside of Keyshawn Johnson, his weapons were lackluster.   Their run game and offensive line are bottom-tier by the sim's standards, at least.

Defense: An excellent group with three first-team All Pros (DE Simeon Rice, DT Warren Sapp, OLB Derrick Brooks).  Guys like Sapp and Rice provided great pressure and players like Brooks, CB Ronde Barber and SS John Lynch took advantage of that to make plays.  1st in points and yards allowed that year.

Special Teams: Martin Gramatica put up pretty solid kicking numbers that year with solid punting as well from Tom Tupa.  PR Karl Williams and KR Aaron Stecker were respectable returners.
 
Overall Chances in the Sim: Similar to the Ravens, fantastic defense and a relatively weak offense.   That D will always give them a chance to win, but the offense will struggle to keep up in higher scoring games.  

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Record: 14-2
Points Per Game: 27.3 (Ranked 17th among sim teams)
Allowed Per Game: 16.2 (16th)
Point Differential: 11.1 (16th)
Turnover Differential: +9 (Tied for 19th)
Simple Rating System: +12.8 (9th)
ELO Rating: 1792 (1st)
Yards Per Pass: 7.7 (17th)
Yards Per Carry: 4.1 (20th)
Yards Per Play: 5.5 (15th)
Yards Per Pass Allowed: 6.3 (21st)
Yards Per Carry Allowed: 3.9 (16th)
Yards Per Play Allowed: 5.0 (24th)
Head Coach: Bill Belichick, four titles and two more Super Bowl appearances since joining the Patriots in 2000, only one losing season in his first year. 

Other Patriots teams considered: One of the toughest ones and perhaps most controversial ones.  Of the Super Bowl winners, the 2004 team has a solid edge on the rest, but it's the 2007 team that will garner an argument.   In terms of pure talent and raw stats, the league has never seen a team like that, but it's hard to justify picking a non-champion, even with the unbeaten record up to that point.  Plus, it's not like the 04 team was a weak winner, 538's ELO rating has the 04 team ahead of all others in the sim. 

The Season: The third Super Bowl of the Belichick era, their losses came to Miami and Pittsburgh, with the Steelers actually taking the #1 seed at 15-1 that year.  It was no matter, the Patriots dropped the Steelers 41-27 and the Colts before that, advancing to the Super Bowl for a 24-21 win over the Eagles. 

Offense: Tom Brady wasn't quite "OMFG TOM BRADY" in 2004, but was still a very efficient and effective quarterback.  He made the most of a forgettable group of receivers, although it was a veteran Corey Dillon who made that offense click, putting up 1635 rushing yards. 

Defense: Despite the defense's skill, they didn't have much for individual accolades.  DE Richard Seymour was a first-team All Pro and LB Tedy Bruschi a Pro Bowler, but that's it.   However, this team has talent at each spot, with guys like SS Rodney Harrison, OLB Willie McGinest, and CB Asante Samuel.

Special Teams: Adam Vinatieri was first-team All-Pro in 04 with okay punting from Josh Miller.  Bethel Johnson was a solid kick returner with decent punt returning between two guys.

Overall Chances in the Sim: They aren't as sexy or wowing as some other Patriot teams and not one that's amazing at any one spot.   However, they're good to very good everywhere, and their defense is one without any holes.  Add in a strong running back and a smart QB, and they should definitely factor in the AFC's playoff battle. 

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2009 New Orleans Saints
Record: 13-3
Points Per Game: 31.9 (3rd best among teams in sim)
Allowed Per Game: 21.3 (Last in sim)
Point Differential: 10.6 (17th)
Turnover Differential: +11 (17th)
Simple Rating System: +10.8 (15th)
ELO Rating: 1709 (15th)
Yards Per Pass: 8.5 (8th)
Yards Per Carry: 4.5 (12th)
Yards Per Play: 6.3 (4th)
Yards Per Pass Allowed: 6.6 (25th)
Yards Per Carry Allowed: 4.5 (27th)
Yards Per Play Allowed: 5.5 (Last)
Head Coach: Sean Payton, joined the Saints in 2006 with their lone Super Bowl to date in 2009. 

Other Saints teams considered: With only one champion, this was pretty easy.

The Season: The Saints jumped out to a 13-0 start before dropping the final three games of the regular season.  It was no matter, they pounded the Cardinals, then survived the Vikings in overtime of the NFC Championship to advance to the Super Bowl, where they beat Indianapolis 31-17.

Offense: Drew Brees had perhaps his finest season, posting a 70.6% (!) completion percentage despite a largely forgettable set of receivers, save Marques Colston.   The running game was decent enough with the three backs they split.  A very potent offense despite the lack of stars aside from Brees.  The line had three Pro Bowlers and one first-team All Pro in RG Jahri Evans. 

Defense: Below average even by 2009 standards, the team did have three Pro Bowlers in LB Jonathan Vilma and safeties Roman Harper and Darren Sharper.   Despite being a horrible, horrible human, Sharper was a tremendous safety in 09 and was first-team All-Pro.   Their front seven overall though isn't great.

Special Teams: Garrett Hartley and John Carney both spent time kicking with unimpressive numbers.  Thomas Morstead was a decent enough punter, they did have a strong kick returner in Courtney Roby.

Overall Chances in the Sim: They're like the anti-Ravens or ani-Bucs, great offense but terrible defense.  Despite the tallies, they don't have that big-time option for Brees, although he'll still be able to complete passes.   The weak defense, maybe the worst in the sim, will definitely set them back against the better teams. 

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2013 Seattle Seahawks
Record: 13-3
Points Per Game: 26.1 (Ranked 22nd among teams in sim)
Allowed Per Game: 14.4 (Ranked 11th)
Point Differential: 11.7 (15th)
Turnover Differential: +20 (Tied for 5th)
Simple Rating System: +13.0 (8th)
ELO Rating: 1742 (12th)
Yards Per Pass: 8.4 (10th)
Yards Per Carry: 4.3 (16th)
Yards Per Play: 5.6 (13th)
Yards Per Pass Allowed: 5.8 (13th)
Yards Per Carry Allowed: 3.9 (19th)
Yards Per Play Allowed: 4.4 (11th)
Head Coach: Pete Carroll, joined Seattle in 2010 with the lone Super Bowl win in 2013, made it in 2014 as well.

Other Seahawks teams considered: Having only one champion makes it easy, plus even if they lost the Super Bowl, they'd still have the edge on the 2014 and 2005 teams.

The Season: 13-3 was good for the top seed in the NFC and tied for the best record in the league.  They avenged one of their losses to the 49ers in the NFC Championship game, then demolished a record-setting Broncos offense 43-8 in the Super Bowl.

Offense: A young Russell Wilson was a very efficient QB who was a major threat with his legs as well.   His targets are overall forgettable, it's not a big-play pass game.   Marshawn Lynch was a sturdy workhorse running back. 

Defense: The "Legion of Boom" secondary was stellar, led by All-Pros CB Richard Sherman and FS Earl Thomas, along with Pro Bowl SS Kam Chancellor.   The front 7 isn't star-heavy, but solid enough for the top D in points and yards allowed in 2013.

Special Teams: Steven Hauschka had an excellent kicking season with okay punting from Jon Ryan and nice punt returning from Golden Tate.

Overall Chances in the Sim: Having a strong defense always gives you a shot and that secondary will make passing tough for even the best offenses.   The Seahawk offense won't blow anyone out, but is efficient and effective.   Seattle should be in the NFC hunt.

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2015 Carolina Panthers
Record: 15-1
Points Per Game: 31.2 (Ranked 6th among teams in sim)
Allowed Per Game: 19.2 (Ranked 22nd)
Point Differential: 12.0 (Tied for 13th)
Turnover Differential: +20 (Tied for 5th)
Simple Rating System: +8.1 (23rd)
ELO Rating: N/A
Yards Per Pass: 7.7 (16th)
Yards Per Carry: 4.3 (17th)
Yards Per Play: 5.5 (20th)
Yards Per Pass Allowed: 5.8 (12th)
Yards Per Carry Allowed: 3.9 (14th)
Yards Per Play Allowed: 4.9 (23rd)
Head Coach: Ron Rivera, joined the Panthers in 2011 with the lone Super Bowl appearance to date in 2015.

Other Panthers teams considered: Their only other Super Bowl appearance was a pretty unremarkable 2003 team, making this choice easy.

The Season: The Panthers went unbeaten up to week 16, where they fell to Atlanta. They downed Seattle and Arizona to get to the Super Bowl, where they were upset 24-10 by Denver.

Offense: QB Cam Newton won league MVP, beating teams with both his arm and his legs. Jonathan Stewart was a sturdy running back with tight end Greg Olsen serving as Newton's favorite target. The line features All-Pro center Ryan Kalil.

Defense: Their D earned three first-team All-Pro selections in linebackers Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis, plus cornerback Josh Norman. Overall, the unit was 6th in points and yards allowed in 2015.

Special Teams: Graham Gano and Brad Nortman had pretty good kicker/punter production with fairly solid punt returning from Ted Ginn.

Overall Chances in the Sim: Cam Newton's a very dynamic quarterback which could give other defenses from trouble. His targets aren't amazing, but respectable enough The defense isn't outstanding, but pretty balanced overall. They should be competitive throughout despite being one of the non-champions in the sim.

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The Teams Left Out

Because the SNES version of Tecmo had only 28 teams, two teams per conference had to be left out.   I picked who I deemed to be the weakest teams, I've got a bit about those franchises below.

Houston Texans: The short history of the Texans made it a fairly easy choice, especially since they've never made a deep playoff run.   So far, their best has been either the 2011 or 2012 teams, both made it to the divisional round.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Similar in having a fairly short history with no really deep playoff runs.   Their best is easily the 1999 team that made it to the AFC final and went 14-2. 

Arizona Cardinals: The NFC's two picks were a bit tougher.  Despite a lengthy history, the Cardinals have been bad for most of their history.  Their lone titles came in 1925 and 1947 and with limited info available from that far back, they're out of consideration.  In recent history, the best choices were either last year's team (13-3, lost in NFC final), or the 2008 team that made the Super Bowl despite a 9-7 record. 

Atlanta Falcons: Before the 2015 Panthers season, the Falcons were the last team in with a fairly solid 14-2 NFC champ in 1998.  That team is the only one in franchise history to get that far. 

Tough to have to leave teams out but ultimately these ones (especially the Texans/Jags) would have been among the bottom tier anyhow.

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Getting closer to the start, the first video of the season is on Thursday 9/8, a full game between the 1975 Pittsburgh Steelers and the 2004 New England Patriots.   The following Sunday will have the week one "Week in Review," recapping each game from the first week. 

Games in week one:
1975 Pittsburgh Steelers vs 2004 New England Patriots

1885 Chicago Bears vs 1986 New York Giants

1972 Miami Dolphins vs 1963 San Diego Chargers

1984 San Francisco 49ers vs 2015 Carolina Panthers

2000 Baltimore Ravens vs 1964 Cleveland Browns

1999 St. Louis Rams vs 1991 Washington Redskins

1990 Buffalo Bills vs 1961 Houston Oilers

2013 Seattle Seahawks vs 1969 Minnesota Vikings

1968 New York Jets vs 1969 Kansas City Chiefs

1992 Dallas Cowboys vs 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

1958 Baltimore Colts vs 1988 Cincinnati Bengals

2009 New Orleans Saints vs 1960 Philadelphia Eagles

1976 Oakland Raiders vs 1998 Denver Broncos

1962 Green Bay Packers vs 1952 Detroit Lions

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