Mike Gordan

In Week 13, the Eagles rested their starters since they had clinched homefield advantage. But they still won by the score of 23-17 against the Packers. The New Orleans Saints then defeated Oakland to clinch the NFC West. The Eagles continued to defeat the Lions the very next week by the score of 24-10 to climb up to 14-0. While none of these teams have yet to clinch a division title yet, the Chargers, Broncos, Oilers, Steelers, and Dolphins all clinched playoff spots in the AFC, while the NFC would see the Buccaneers clinching a playoff spot, but not yet the division (they are still in contention with the Bears) while the Rams, Cowboys, and Redskins are all on the cusp of making it in as wild card teams alongside the Bears. Almost the entire AFC East as well as the Oakland Raiders are in fierce competition for playoff spots as well, most notably the Buffalo Bills for the AFC East title. Edit: Week 15: The Dolphins clinched the division, and the Eagles' unbeaten streak continued against the Cowboys by the score of 24-14. And the Chargers defeated the Broncos to clinch the AFC West.

Leroy Harris came back in time for our Week 12 rematch with the Cardinals. And almost immediately, the Eagles have demonstrated just how they are the best team in the NFL by working the pass and the run, culminating in a touchdown scramble from Jaworski himself. The Cardinals went 3-and-out, and Henry returned the Punt all the way to the 40. Montgomery broke out into a deep run for a 1st down at the 30, and the rest of the quarter was devoted to pounding it in and running out the clock. The Eagles lead 7-0. After a complete pass to Fitzkee, Leroy Harris broke out and punched it in for a touchdown as the Eagles lead 14-0. The Eagles forced a Safety, and Campbell returned the kick to the Cardinals' 30. After a Montgomery run, Jaworski then scrambled it in himself for a touchdown. Another Safety, and then Jaworski completed pass to Fitzkee. Jaworski scrambled a bit for yet another touchdown to end the half, up 32-0. The Eagles then forced a 3-and-out and tackled the Punter in his own end zone for a safety. After a couple of scrambles from Jaworski, he stared down against the blitz and threw a bomb to Krepfle, who fought off all three of his defenders for a walk-in TD. Eventually, the QB connected to Tilly for a TD, only for Jaworski to return in kind, throwing a couple of downfield bombs to Krepfle for a touchdown to make it 48-7. The quarter ended with the Cardinals scoring yet another touchdown pass to the Eagles, and then kicking it off to the Eagles. In the 4th quarter, the Eagles started to run out the clock with their run game. But when Jaworski dropped back to pass, he saw Krepfle wide open deep downfield, and could not resist tossing it to him for a 1st down. The drive ended with a Leroy Harris Touchdown. The Cardinals went 4-and-out, and up 55-14, the Eagles decided to simply go for the field goal after they found themselves stuffed 3 yards away from the end zone. After Jim Hart threw a meaningless Touchdown Pass to end the quarter, the onside kick went horribly wrong for the Cardinals as Carmichael recovered it and ran it all the way down to the end zone for the final score of 65-21.

Week 11: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys Eagles are 10-0--hurting badly on offense now, but still undefeated. The Cowboys, on the other hand, are 7-3 and are looking pretty fresh. If the Eagles win this game, they will be in complete control of the NFC East and are all but guaranteed to win the division. And right out of the floodgates, Tony Dorsett had established himself as a force to be reckon with. While the Eagles were successful in limiting the run, Staubach was able to complete a screen pass over to Dorsett, who fought off half a dozen of receivers to will himself over to the Eagles' 30. But we sacked Staubach 3 consecutive times to push the Cowboys out of field goal range, and we recovered the punt for a touchback. And on the first snap, Doomsday had cornered Ron Jaworski, and he was forced to throw it away. Montgomery received the handoff for a gain of 5, and Jaworski was able to dodge Randy White and Harvey Martin and scrambled for a 1st down. But for the first time all season, the Eagled had to punt, and not wanting to have to contend with Punt Returner Johnson, the Eagles gave them a touchback. The Eagles forced a 3-and-out, and then they got the ball back at their own 40, and a little further downfield than they were in their previous drive. After a handoff to Montgomery didn't produce much of anything, Jaworski threw it to Krepfle while in coverage, and he leaped it into the air for a 1st down as the 1st quarter came to an end scoreless, and with both teams evenly matched offensively and defensively, but with the Eagles in field goal range. 1st play of the quarter, and Jaworski found Krepfle in the end zone for a touchdown to go up 7-0. But the lead wouldn't last as Cowboys' return man Butch Johnson ran it all the way to the end zone to tie it back up 7-7. Jaworski then threw another pass to Krepfle, who dropped back out of coverage and made the catch in Cowboy territory. And at 3 and 2, Jaworski threw an interception, coughing the ball back to the Cowboys. Staubach then completed a pass to Tony Hill, who ran it in for a touchdown to help the Cowboys lead 7-14 against the Eagles, and the Cowboys' kicking team buried Campbell behind the 5 with just over a minute and a half to play in the half. Krepfle caught a pass near midfield from Jaworski just in time before he could take the Safety from Randy White. He completed two more passes to Krepfle for a touchdown to tie it up. However, not wanting to kick the ball to Butch Johnson again, the Eagles kicked an onside kick, and the Eagles recovered it. The Eagles successfully kicked a very long field goal, and kicked another onside kick to close the half, up 17-14. The Eagles got the ball back to start the second half, and returned the kick to the 30. Montgomery ran for a gain of 3, while Jaworski scrambled for a 1st down. Against a mad blitz, Jaworski rushed the throw to Krepfle, who completed the pass while in coverage to take the team in field goal range. Jaworski then avoided the rush and scrambled for a small gain. Then, in an odd play from RB Montgomery, he fumbled the ball, and in the mad scramble at the 30 to get the ball, the Eagles were able to recover it and continue the drive. Backup receiver Fitzkee--who was wide open--then caught the short pass from Jaworski down the middle for a 1st down. Finally, Montgomery got open from the right flank and dived into the end zone for a touchdown. The kicking team then buried Butch Johnson at the 25, and it is now Staubach and Dorsett's turn to lead a deep drive downfield. And after stuffing up the run a couple of times, Staubach then completed a screen pass to Dorsett, who ran it all the way to the Eagles' 20. Dorsett then took the hand off and ran it into the end zone for a touchdown to close to within 3 against the Eagles. Billy Campbell then returned the kick to the 45. After Montgomery got stuffed up for no gain, Jaworski found Krepfle deep for a 1st down into Cowboys territory again as the quarter came to an end, and the Eagles are up 24-21. Jaworski then completed a pass to Scott Fitzkee, who then punched it into the end zone for a touchdown to bring the Eagles up 31-21 against the Doomsday Defense. But Butch Johnson had other plans, and he returned the ball all the way to the Eagles' 20. But after stuffing up Dorsett, Staubach completed a pass to Newhouse for a touchdown to make the score 31-28 with just under 4 minutes left in the game. Jaworski spent most of the subsequent drive scrambling away from Doomsday, or handing it off to Montgomery with the hope of running out the clock. Then with just 2 minutes left to play, Jaworski completed a pass to Fitzkee for a touchdown. Butch Johnson had nowhere to go in the following kickoff, forcing Staubach and Staubach alone to guide his team to a comeback victory from 10 down. He completed a pass down the middle to get his team to the 20, and the Cowboys used up their final timeout. And after an epic run downfield, Dorsett wound up fumbling the football at midfield where the Eagles recovered to put the game away. The Cowboys had won by the score of 41-28, and are now one game away from clinching the NFC East title.

Week 10: Philadelphia Eagles @ Cleveland Browns The first few plays, Ron Jaworski was forced to scramble in order to get a 1st down. And after a short carry from Leroy Harris, Jaworski found a wide open Krepfle deep at the Browns' 10. Jaworski then scrambled it in himself for a touchdown. After forcing a 3-and-out, the Eagles' QB scrambled and handed off, looking for whatever receiver he can find to get open. He completed only one pass to Charlie Smith, and with 1 second remaining in the quarter, he handed the ball off to Leroy Harris, who rushed for a gain of 12. Jaworski handed it off to Harris for a touchdown to start the 2nd quarter. But the subsequent kickoff was returned to the Eagles' 20. And then Hill ran it in for a touchdown. And Billy Campbell was only able to return the kickoff to the Eagles' 10. And then Lyle Alazo forced a fumble from Jaworski and recovered it for a touchdown to tie it up 14-14. After Campbell was able to return the kickoff to midfield, Jaworski stared down the blitz and completed a deep pass to an open Carmichael for a go-ahead score. Charlie Johnson then sacked Sipes for a safety, and Campbell went down returning the kick into field goal range. Harris had also suffered a game-ending injury, as the Browns had disposed of the threat of their return teams and their ground attack. Luckily, Krepfle got open, and Jaworski completed a pass to him for a touchdown to end the half. After forcing a Safety to start the second half, the Browns' backup returnman, Fitzkee, returned the ball to midfield, and Montgomery rushed for a gain of 10. Jaworski's scramble would wind up being wasted as Giammona fumbled the ball over to the Browns. And the Browns' running attack was able to capitalize on the turnover with a touchdown to close within 32-21. But after scrambling for his live, Jaworski found Krepfle again for another touchdown to make the score 39-21, and buried the Browns back in their own 2. But in spite forcing fumbles twice, eventually, Receiver Reggie scooped it up at their own end zone and outran all of the Eagles' defenders for a touchdown to close within 39-28 to close the 3rd quarter. The Eagles were then buried at their own 5. But Jaworski found Charlie Smith and completed a pass to him for a 1st down. After a scramble for a gain of 6, Jaworski found Carmichael deep downfield for a touchdown. But the Browns wouldn't give up on their upset of the last undefeated team in the NFL; Pruit ran for a gain of 30 to near midfield, and then on 4th and long, Sipes completed a pass to Logan for a 1st down to come within field goal range. Hill scored the touchdown, and the Browns recovered the onside kick at midfield. Sipes completed another pass to close within 4 at the high score of 46-42. The Browns kick another onside kick, but the Eagles were able to recover it with 1:30 to go. But after a scramble from Jaworski and a 1st down conversion from Charlie Smith, Smith had went down to injury yet again. The Eagles were staying undefeated, but the Browns were determined to bloodlet the Eagles however way possible. But Montgomery fumbled the football at the hand out, and the Browns recovered it at midfield with 19 seconds remaining! But then the Eagles forced another fumble off of QB Sipes, and while the Browns were able to recover it, it ultimately didn't matter as time expired. And the Eagles just barely hung on to their undefeated streak by the score of 46-42. It's just a question now concerning what's to happen next. With Henry, Campbell, and Smith all injured, the running game and the return teams have been compromised, and Jaworski is now limited in options to scrambles and deep passes.

Week 9: Philadelphia Eagles @ Cincinnati Bengals This game, the Eagles had quickly established the run under power runner Leroy Harris, and with some assistance from Montgomery and a scramble from Jaworski. The opening drive ended with a short touchdown pass to Charlie Smith. In spite the Bengals returning their kick to midfield, the Eagles forced a 3-and-out, and the Eagles ran out the clock in the first quarter with their meticulous attention to detail as they ran the ball all the way downfield for a Jaworski touchdown scramble. Ken Anderson did eventually complete a deep pass into the red zone, but had to settle for a field goal. Leroy Harris then broke out into a massive run from the Eagles' 30 to the Bengals' 9, and Montgomery punched it in for a touchdown to make the score 21-3. After stuffing the run and a Charlie Johnson sack, Anderson then threw an interception. And Jaworski immediately capitalized with a touchdown pass to Krepfle. The half ended with a safety to make the score 30-3. The Eagles forced a 3-and-out, and then the return team tackled the punter for a safety. The Eagles were unable to take to the air, but Jaworski had no troubles scrambling, and while Leroy Harris has yet to find the end zone, he was able to set up Montgomery for the go-ahead score to climb up 39-3. Another Safety, and the Eagles have the ball back at midfield. After a short pass to Smith and a couple of runs, Krepfle was able to get open, and Jaworski connected with him for an easy touchdown to close the gap to 48-3. The Eagles' defense forced a fumble, and ran out the clock in the 3rd quarter. On the 1st play of the 4th quarter, Leroy Harris finally found the end zone for a touchdown. The Eagles forced a Safety, and Jaworski recovered the onside kick inside field goal range. A quick pass to Charlie Smith and a couple scrambles from Jaworski later, and the score is now 64-3. On the subsequent blitz, Bengals RB Johnson fumbles the football, and Tuatalo recovers it for a touchdown to make it 71-3. Eventually, Ross connected with Anderson for a 1st down near midfield. And then the Eagles' defense forced the Bengals to turn the ball over on downs. Jaworski completed a few more passes and scored a touchdown pass to Krepfle to end the game 78-3.

Week 8: Philadelphia Eagles @ Washington Redskins After a quick scramble from Jaworski, he completed a deep pass to an open Charmichael for a touchdown. The Eagles defense led by Nose Tackle Charlie Johnson buried Joe Theisman and John Riggins into their own endzone for a safety. This repeated twice more to close out the first quarter with the Eagles up 27-0. Charlie Johnson continues to shut down the Redskins' offense as they continuously rotate between touchdowns and safeties--although the Eagles have made efforts to establish the run more--handing the ball off to Leroy Harris, and Ron Jaworski scrambling. Eventually, Harris scored another touchdown to make the score 34-0. The next drive, from the Eagles' 23, Jaworski completed a deep bombshell to Charmichael for a touchdown to make the score 43-0. After another Safety, the Eagles took their kick returnman out of the game, and forced a sack to close out the half with the Eagles leading 52-0. The Eagles quickly forced another safety and got the ball back into field goal range. And the rest of the game was basically one big bore fest after another. Jaworski completed a deep pass to the end zone, safety. Rinse, repeat. The score was 88-0 heading into the 4th quarter, and the Eagles force yet another safety. But the Redskins recovered the onside kick, so the Eagles had to force a 4-and-out. And Jaworski ran it in himself for a touchdown. The rest of the quarter was devoted entirely to the run, and the Eagles forced one last safety to make the final score 99-0.

Week 7: Philadelphia Eagles vs. St. Louis Cardinals The Cardinals' kicking team were eventually successful in boxing in Billy Campbell at the Eagles' 15-yard line (he is quite the fighter), but Jaworski was able to connect deep to Krepfle to take the Eagles all the way to Cardinals' territory. Jaworski then handed the ball off to Montgomery twice for a gain of 5, and then Jaworski scrambled for a gain of 12. He scrambled again for a gain of 15 at the Cardinals' 6. He handed the ball off to Harris for the touchdown. The Cardinals then returned the kick passed the Eagles' 30. But we forced a 3-and-out, and we returned the punt to the 25. The quarter ended with a short pass to Charlie Smith and a 1st down conversion from Harris, as the Eagles lead 7-0. Immediately, Jaworski connected to Krepfle for a touchdown. And the Eagles had no problem whatsoever forcing a safety. But instead of padding out their already bloated pass attack, they devoted themselves purposefully to the run, as a mixture of Jaworski scrambles, as well as the occasional burst from Harris or even Montgomery--who appears to be a bust at this point, anyways. And Leroy Harris eventually went for the go-ahead score to make it 23-0. But Cardinals' RB Wayne Morris then proceeded to humiliate the Eagles' defensive line by running straight down the middle and all the way down into the endzone for a touchdown to close in within 16 points. Billy Campbell then responded by returning the kickoff into field goal range with just over a minute to go. A Leroy Harris run and a couple short passes later, and the half ended with a Jaworski-to-Krepfle touchdown. The score now reads 30-7. First play of the half, and it was Otis Anderson's turn to run it all the way down for a touchdown. And then on our kickoff return, Campbell was buried in the Eagles' own 5. Jaworski scrambled in a first down, and then he proceeded to hand it off to Harris some more, giving it to Montgomery every once in a while. Eventually, Leroy Harris broke out into an epic run all the way to the end zone for a touchdown, making the score 37-14 heading into the 4th quarter, after a couple of defensive stops of course. In the 4th quarter, we completed the 4-and-out, and now we are in ball-protection mode. Leroy Harris, however, didn't take long before he found the end zone again to make it 44-14. Two consecutive blitz calls resulted in a safety, and Jaworski recovered the onside kick well into field goal range. And Leroy Harris continues to prove himself nigh untouchable as he led the Eagles to yet another touchdown immediately. Meanwhile, Charlie Johnson continues to make Otis Anderson, Wayne Morris, and QB Jim Hart's lives a living hell, as they forced yet another safety. The Eagles recovered the onside kick again, and their running attack had methodically ran out the clock, and took apart the Cardinals at the final score of 64-14 (the game ended with Jaworski scrambling it in himself for a touchdown, and then finally a safety).

Week 6: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Washington Redskins First play of the game, and Leroy Harris had bursted out for a massive sprint to the Redskins' 20. Jaworski then completed a pass to Krepfle for a touchdown. The Eagles' defense then forced a 3-and-out, and returned the punt to the Eagles' 30 before punt returner Henry was carted off, forcing Giammo to back him up. But Jaworski had no trouble taking apart the Redskins' secondary as they quickly scored another touchdown to make the game 14-0 before burying the Redskins in their own 5. The Eagles forced Riggins to fumble, and Howard scooped it up for an easy touchdown to make it 21-0. We continued boxing in Riggins, and eventually, we got the sack at their own endzone for a safety. Campfield returned the kick to the Eagles' onw 40, and Jaworski completed a deep pass to Krepfle for an easy touchdown to go up 30-0 at the end of the 1st quarter. We forced another safety, and made our way to midfield. Krepfle kept getting open, so Jaworski kept throwing deep verticals to him for touchdowns. We continued to rotate between safeties and touchdowns for the rest of the quarter. While the Eagles' second possession tried to establish the run, they still continued to the air. And with the final seconds of the quarter, Jaworski threw a deep one to Krepfle while he was in coverage for a go-ahead score. The half ended with the Eagles up 66-0. The Eagles immediately went for the safety and returned the ball all the way to their own 30. The Redskins' defense have tightened a bit against the pass, so the Eagles ran the ball, and Jaworski completed short passes to Charlie Smith. Until Krepfle eventually got wide open again, and he caught the deep pass to the Redskins' 2. Jaworski then ran it in himself for the touchdown, and the Eagles kicked the ball to the Redskins' 12. We forced another safety, and Jaworski wasted no time finding Krepfle again. Joe Theisman then threw an interception to the Eagles to close out the 3rd quarter, with the Eagles up 84-0. Jaworski threw one last bomb to Krepfle for yet another touchdown to make the score 91-0. The Eagles then forced a safety and recovered the onside kick. The Eagles ran three straight times before they kicked a field goal. They then kicked the ball back to the Redskins, and they went 4-and-out. The Redskins ran out the clock and scored another field goal to close out the game 99-0. Krepfle is the game's MVP, and the Eagles now move up to 6-0 with a commanding lead in the NFC East.

I have been blowing everybody out so far this season--steamrolling to a 4-0 lead having a massive scoring differential of 311! As in, in four weeks, the Eagles have demonstrated themselves as the single greatest team in the NFL by scoring 338 points and surrendering 17 points--10 of which to the Saints while the other 7 from a fumbled punt against the Falcons. By far the best offense in the NFL led by passing leader Ron Jaworski and his dynamic receivers (although their running attack is ranked 7th) and the best defense all across the board--even better than Doomsday, the Jets, and the Steel Curtain. And speaking of which, now we get to really be pushed to the test against said Steel Curtain. Week 5: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Montgomery is back in the Eagles roster. And Ron Jaworski figured out just how lethal the Steel Curtain really was, as the run was immediately stuffed, and his receivers were covered. Though Jaworski eventually found a chink in the armor--down the middle to Charlie Smith, in fact. And in case they do cover him, Jaworski was able to run for a few yards himself. He eventually connected to Charlie Smith for a touchdown, but the PAT was blocked, so the score was up 6-0 against the Steelers. In spite a couple good passes from Terry Bradshaw, the Steelers were forced to punt. The Eagles then ran a couple of run plays and Smith caught a couple more passes--Krepfle eventually got open and Jaworski completed a deep one to him before the end of the first quarter, at 1st and 6. On the first play of the half, Leroy Harris ran down the middle for a touchdown to climb up to a 13-0 lead. The Eagles' defense forced a 3-and-out, and the Eagles continued their step-by-step dissection of the vaulted Steelers' defensive line in order to score yet another touchdown from Leroy Harris. The final play of the half was a handoff to Thorton for a 1st down for a middling gain of 11. The Eagles lead 20-0. In spite a good kick return from Bliar, Franco Harris wound up coughing up the ball for the Eagles to recover in Steelers' territory. The Eagles continued to chip away at the fading Steel Curtain defense, but eventually, their drive stalled and they had to kick a field goal to go up 23-0. But Bliar had a 99-yard return and was tackled just before he could cross over to the end zone. Sidney Thorton then punched it in down the middle for the go-ahead score, but their PAT was blocked so the score remains 23-6 Eagles. Eventually, Jaworski threw an interception, and it was Franco Harris' turn to punch it in. Once again, the PAT was blocked, so the score is 23-12, and the rest of the quarter revolved around the Eagles working their way back to midfield. The Eagles' quarterback continued to work his magic downfield, with some assistance from Leroy Harris, William Montgomery, and even the very legs of Jaworski himself. Eventually, he connected to Kepfle for the touchdown to put the game away with under 2 minutes left to play. Bradshaw completed a deep pass for a touchdown of his very own, and once again, the PAT was blocked. So the Eagles were up 30-18. We recovered the onside kick, and ran out the clock as best we could before kicking the field goal to make the final score 33-18 Philadelphia. Jaworski was the game's MVP, as he threw for 194 yards, 2 touchdowns, and ran for 75 yards--he was essentially the team's leading rusher in that game. And the Eagles improved to 5-0 with a statement game.

Week 4: Philadelphia Eagles vs. New York Giants The Giants came this time prepared to shut down the Eagles' run game and to blitz Ron Jaworski. But the Eagles QB had no trouble guiding his team downfield for an opening touchdown. The Eagles' defense would then shut down the Giants and force a safety. Following the subsequent kickoff, Jarowski then completed a deep pass to Charmichael for yet another touchdown, and once again forced a safety. The Eagles' running attack continued to struggle, but Jaworski was able to find his deep threat wide open consistently--may it be Krepfle or Charmichel--and he scored yet another touchdown. The Eagles forced a 3-and-out, but the return team broke through the protection to tackle the punter down for a safety, and then Jaworski worked his way downfield for another touchdown to end the half 34-0. Phil Simms fumbled the ball at his own endzone, but the Giants were able to recover it in order to salvage a safety. The Eagles returned the kick inside the Giants' 40. And immediately scored another touchdown. The Eagles continued to rotate between touchdowns and interceptions all throughout the half, and with 18 seconds to go and up 54-0, the Eagles recovered the kick and ran it out of bounds with just 3 seconds left to play. Jaworski then completed a deep pass to Krepfle, who caught it in the end zone for another touchdown to lead the Giants 61-0 at the half--and just like before, limiting the Giants to exactly 0 yards of total offense, and without a single pass attempted from Phil Simms. The second half continued where the first half had finished--with the Giant's kick returner unable to escape their own end zone and was tackled for a safety immediately. And as typical, the Eagles continued to rotate between touchdowns and safeties another four times--that is, four more touchdowns and four more safeties--and won the game in resounding fashion, took Phil Simms out of the game, and once again, the Eagles won 99-0.

QBvikings: Of course I'll try. Though whether or not I'll get them to win the Super Bowl is up in the air since my number 1 concern involves a specific set of teams winning the Super Bowl in each year. Basically, the ten teams during that 16-year period that, to this day, have never even won a Super Bowl as of yet, are able to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. But, I have to do this without denying the franchises that have won their Super Bowls their Lombardi's (meaning while the Raider and Steelers already won their Super Bowls so I don't need to worry about them, I cannot deny the 49ers, Redskins, Bears, Giants, or Cowboys at least one Trophy--although I may switch around their championships as need be). The Philadelphia Eagles I know were a playoff team and a pretty darn good one too in 1979. So it is kind of awesome knowing that I took a Vikings team that was originally 9-7 and barely a division champion and a mere shell of what they once were, and not only clinch home field advantage throughout the playoffs, but also defeat the Cowboys and Steelers to win Super Bowl XIII. Trust me; the Steelers were very, very tough to deal with on both sides of the ball. So I'll get the Bucs to the playoffs, but I'm still reserving the Super Bowl for the New York Giants. Any other challenges? I've already gotten done with 1978 so I'm not going to do that year yet. But I am working on 1979 as we speak. Anyways, as a reminder, here are the years I am going by: 1978: Minnesota Vikings: Because this would be Fran Tarnkenton's final season, and as such, I wanted to help him ride off into the sunset with one last shot at glory. 1979: Philadelphia Eagles: I originally had them for 1980 when they actually reached the Super Bowl, but decided to pick them for the season prior since the Atlanta Falcons failed to reach the playoffs that year. But the Eagles were still a really good football team, even though they failed to reach the Championship game altogether. They are clearly a vastly superior football team to the Vikings of the previous year. 1980: Atlanta Falcons: Not only did they reach the playoffs, but they got homefield advantage throughout. Okay, so they were one-and-done against the Cowboys. Doesn't matter since it gives them a realistic shot at winning the Super Bowl during this period without getting in the way of the dreams of other football teams. 1978-1980 as it turned out were the final three years I had to figure out since the rest of this era was pretty easy to sort out. 1981: San Diego Chargers: While the Chargers led by Dan Foutes were vastly superior football teams in the 1979 and 1980 seasons as far as records were concerned (and admittedly, I probably could have picked the Eagles to win the Super Bowl in 1981 while the Chargers won in 1979, so there's that, actually). I only went with the Chargers for 1981, however, because of the episode of America's Game: The Missing Rings, which were about this specific season, as well as the Epic in Miami. And since it was essentially the very last shot at glory Dan Foutes and his crew had at reaching a Super Bowl, I figured I'd close out on the most touching of finales I could think of. 1982: St. Louis Cardinals: Because this was the only season during this period the Cardinals made the playoffs. Due to the strike-shortened year of course, but still. They were just plain awful this decade, so it ought to be fun trying to overcome teams like the Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, or even the Killer Bees using without a doubt the single worst NFL team ever during this time period. 1983: Washington Redskins: This was a particularly odd exception to the rule, since instead of winning one of the Super Bowls the team had already won, I decided to win Super Bowl XVIII using the team that was humiliated by Marcus Allen and the Raiders in a failed attempt to defend a title. It made sense in hindsight because had the Redskins won that Super Bowl, they would have been regarded as the greatest team in franchise history. 1984: Miami Dolphins: Yes, the Dolphins had already won two Super Bowls. But strangely enough, all ten playoff teams that year have all won at least one Super Bowl during the last 50 years at least (and most likely close to all of them up to that point in time). Besides, we got to give Dan Marino a ring; he would have wanted it. 1985: Chicago Bears: Technically, I did defeat the '85 Bears before using the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl, but come on, now! Their only Super Bowl in franchise history cannot be denied, and through all intents and purposes, likely cannot be denied even if Dan Marino actually did show up in Super Bowl XX anyways (instead of the Patriots). 1986: New York Giants: I know they did eventually win two more with Eli Manning. And as much as I love to help the Denver Broncos (or just shy of that, the Cleveland Browns), rectify whatever wrongs they could to actually win this thing, it would be wrong to deny the Giants what was so obviously their most deserving of all of Vince Lombardi Trophies. 1987: Cleveland Browns: To be fair, they would have gone to the Super Bowl had that running back not fumble the ball at the goal line against the Broncos, which in turn sent the Broncos to a second straight Super Bowl. Now the Browns get to enjoy the pleasures of a World Championship. 1988: Cincinnati Bengals: You know just how close the Bengals actually came to pulling the upset win against the 49ers, right? It made better sense for Boomer to win Super Bowl MVP in this alternate reality where Joe Montana actually did throw that interception. 1989: San Francisco 49ers: Come on, now. After denying Joe Montana a Super Bowl Ring three times prior, am I gonna continue denying him a Ring when he was at his most unstoppable? I doubt it. 1990: Buffalo Bills: This time, the field goal is going to be good. And the Bills will become World Champions. Sorry, Otis Anderson and Jeff Hostetler. 1991: Detroit Lions: This pretty much goes without saying. It was the Lions' only playoff victory in the Super Bowl era, as well as their best franchise record ever for the Lions. Now, they're gonna win a Super Bowl. 1992: Dallas Cowboys: Even though the Cowboys already won two Super Bowls, that was in the previous regime. Now, it's the new Cowboys' turn. 1993: Houston Oilers: The last team to talk about, the very team ownership put a stiff warning on--win this thing this year, or else. We wound up getting the Titans due to their repeat failures, so now the Oilers actually get to change their fate.

Week 3: Philadelphia Eagles vs. New Orleans Saints The Saints got the opening kickoff, and Archie Manning completed a deep pass down the middle to Chandler for a 1st and goal at the Eagles' 10. In spite of this, the Eagles stopped the Saints, and limited them to a field goal. Campbell then returned the kick all the way into field goal range, and Jaworski began dissecting the Saints' defense; first with a sprint for a gain of 7 after finding all of his receivers covered. Then he handed the ball off to Harris who converted for a 1st down. Another pass to Smith for another 1st down at the Saints' 6-yard line, and Jaworski ran it in himself for a touchdown. After burying the Saints deeper and deeper into their own territory, Archie Manning threw a boneheaded interception in their own red zone with just under a minute to play in the first quarter. Montgomery converted on a 1st down before going down to injury, and being replaced by Giammona. Avoiding the blitz, Jaworski completed a pass to Charlie Smith for a touchdown, to go up 14-3 at the end of the quarter. After stuffing up Muncie for a mere gain of 2, Archie Manning completed another deep pass to Harris, who ran it all the way into the Eagles' red zone. Another run stuff later, and it was Archie Manning who would run it in for a touchdown to close within 14-10. In spite Billy Campbell getting buried in the Eagles' on 35, Jarowski easily completed a deep throw to a wide open Keith Krepfle, who unopposed ran it all the way to gain a 21-10 lead. Having figured out the Saints' offensive pattern, I stuffed the run, then blitzed Archie Manning's vertical. Then I successfully blitzed the run play for a safety to go up 23-10, when Billy Campbell returned the kick to the Saints' 40. The rest of the half was devoted to the run; first a scramble from Jaworski; then a run from Harris; then a handoff to backup Giammona; and final, a touchdown run from Leroy Harris to climb up to a 30-10 lead. The final play of the half was a QB sack in the Saints' own endzone for a safety, and the half closes with the Eagles up 32-10. The second half began with the Saints marching down the field tacticfully, as Ron Jaworski eventually completes a short pass down the middle to Charlie Smith for a touchdown. In spite the Saints switching over from the pass to the rush, the Eagles' defense eventually clamped down and forced the Saints to punt. The Eagles only ran a couple more plays before the quarter came to an end with the Eagles up 39-10. First play of the 4th quarter, Jaworski completed a deep pass to Charmichael for a touchdown. The Eagles then forced a safety to go up 48-10, and recovered the onside kick in field goal range. Jarowski then completed another deep pass to Keith Krepfle for a touchdown, and the Eagles forced yet another safety. After running a couple of plays down midfield, Jarowski then completed a deep pass to a wide open Charmichael for a touchdown. Another safety, and then another touchdown pass to Krepfle, and the game came to an end with a whopping 73-10 victory from the Eagles. Ron Jaworski is the game's MVP.

Week 2: Philadelphia Eagles @ Atlanta Falcons On the opening kickoff, Billy Campbell returned the ball all the way to the Falcons' red zone, and Jaworski completed a short pass to Charlie Smith for an easy touchdown. And while RB Andrews has proven to be a much tougher cookie than anybody from the New York Giants, we eventually forced them to punt, and we tackled the ball handler at the Falcons' 6. Montgomery punched it in for a touchdown. The same exact same thing happened again, and we continued to climb up to 21-0 before the half. The second half was a bit more problematic since the Falcons' punting team had clamped down, and my punt returner fumbled the ball, which was recovered by the Falcons for a touchdown. But the rest of the second half was devoted to dissecting the Falcon's defense scoring two more touchdowns--one from Charlie Smith and another from Montgomery. The Falcons were shut down the rest of the half, and the Eagles now lead 35-7. We forced a 3-and-out and continued further down the field for another touchdown. We got a Safety, then Campbell worked our way into Falcon territory and the Eagles offense scored yet another touchdown. Not much to talk about; we kicked off to the Falcons, and the quarter came to an end. Eagles are up 51-7. The 4th quarter, we forced a 4-and-out and punched it in for yet another touchdown. Then, we forced a safety, and the Eagles recovered the onside kick. We ran out the clock, and scored our final touchdown, and kicked an onside kick in order to end the game immediately. The final score was 67-7 Philadelphia.

Time to take on the 1979 season as the Philadelphia Eagles. Week 1: Philadelphia vs. New York Giants Man, is Nose Tackle Charlie Johnson a beast against the QB! Billy Campbell is also a pretty big beast at Kick Returns as well. As I immediately got in a safety and returned the subsequent kickoff to the 50. RB Montgomery then ran it down the middle all the way down to the Giants' 10. Plus, I took out their KR and RB Kotar out of the game in the subsequent Kickoff. After getting another sack, Humphrey and Campbell tag-teamed the QB and forced a fumble in the endzone, which Humphrey recovered for a touchdown. And after a couple more runs from Montgomery, the quarter ended with the Eagles up 16-0, with neither team having thrown a pass yet. Rob Jaworski then completed the first pass of the game on the first play of the quarter to Keith Krepfle for a touchdown. The score is now 23-0 Eagles. Another Safety, and Campbell ran it all the way back down into field goal range. Jaworski only threw one pass to Smith in the subsequent possession and then handed the ball off to Montomery in every other play, eventually scoring a touchdown. Unfortunately, Bobby Hammon returned the kickoff all the way into Eagles' territory. Unfortunately for rookie Phil Simms, there was no escape and no relief; they were pushed all the way to their own 50, and their field goal kick went no good. Jaworski wasted no time and completed a deep pass to a wide open Keith Krepfle for a touchdown. Another Safety, and Campbell returned the kickoff to midfield with 13 seconds to go. But instead of killing the clock, Jaworski took advantage of the Giants' sudden leniency towards the run and completed another deep pass to Krepfle for an easy touchdown. The score now stands as 48-0 Eagles at the half. The second half kickoff was returned back to midfield, and the Eagles reestablished the threat of their run game before Jaworski connected to Keith Krepfle yet again for another touchdown. While we were successful in forcing a 3-and-out, the Eagles never got the chance to Punt the ball away before the ball was knocked past the endzone for a safety. Jaworski immediately capitalized to go up 64-0 with his favorite target, Keith Krepfle. Another Safety, and the Eagles dissected the Giants' defense bit by bit on both sides of the ball, culminating in a Montgomery Touchdown run. With 6 seconds to go, however, the Eagles forced another Safety, and returned the subsequent kickoff all the way down to field goal range as time expired in the 3rd quarter, with the Eagles up 75-0. First play of the quarter, and Jaworski completed a pass to Smith for a touchdown to go up 82-0. We forced a 4-and-out at the Giants' 1-yard line, and Montgomery punched it in for another touchdown to go up 89-0. I then kicked an onside kick and made absolutely sure that Phil Simms never attempted a pass, and the Giants never gained a yard. And Jaworski continued handing the ball to Montgomery to run out the clock and burn the Giants' timeout, then kicked a field goal to go up 92-0. We recovered the onside kick, dissected the Giants' defense, and Jaworski completed a touchdown pass to Charlie Smith to make the final score 99-0.

Yes, I did. I am admittedly having trouble actually posting images on here. That Snap.0001 at the end is supposed to be the definitive proof that the Vikings defeated the Steelers in a shootout, but for whatever reason, I can't post any images here.

There's another interesting quirk with the Tecmo Super Bowl rom, and that's the fact that no matter what, it seems that the better offensive football teams are going to be winning games and making it to the Super Bowl. Specifically when it comes to the passing game. This is why the Tecmo rom is constantly predicting teams like the San Diego Chargers or Chicago Bears to at least make the playoffs. This also explains why the teams that win almost entirely on defense--like the Denver Broncos--as well as more balanced sets (Cincinnati Bengals, Kansas City Chiefs, Arizona Cardinals, Minnesota Vikings) tend to see such low results. Although it does appear that the AI behaves in a rather erratic manner and simply favors some teams over others. The Lions, for example, only ever reached the playoffs once as division champions where the results of their season (as well as their record) were lost by my own error; but the Redskins, 49ers, and Rams were portrayed as the only football teams never to reach the playoffs. Admittedly, I at least have the 49ers as one of the four worst teams in all of football--in fact, I think they may even rival the Browns for worst team in football.

Okay, so I got done with 10 of these things, and let me tell you the teams that actually have a shot at winning the Super Bowl this year according to this Tecmo simulator: AFC East: New England Patriots (5 division titles out of 7 appearances), and is guaranteed to win the Super Bowl should they get homefield advantage throughout (still, they made it in three times, winning only once). Still, this doesn't really take into account Tom Brady's suspension or his age, but it's still relatively proof that the Patriots are as solid a pick to win the division and reach the AFC Championship game like always. But the Jets and Bills won the division twice apiece in 3 and 4 appearances respectively, while the Dolphins make up the rear with one division title in two appearances. But the Patriots are the most sure thing right now, and while it is interesting to note that this simulation really likes Buffalo's chances at actually making the playoffs, they never won a single playoff game in all four of their tries. Same thing for the Jets. This means the Patriots are, of course, the team to beat still in the division. AFC North: Pittsburgh Steelers not only reached the playoffs in every single solitary scenario, but they won the division 8 times out of 10, with the only two times they actually failed to clinch the division were when either the Cincinnati Bengals won the division at 12-4 (still one-and-done though) out of 3 playoff appearances, and when the Cleveland Browns unexpectedly reached the AFC Championship game with a 14-2 record (they still lost though to the Pittsburgh Steelers, though they failed to win it that time) in their only trip to the playoffs. Still, the Steelers managed to win in only the second simulation against the Packers of all teams. But surprisingly enough, while it's winning average isn't as bad as the Browns when taking that 14-2 out of the equation, the Ravens' only playoff berth was as a mere 6th seed. Still of all the teams in this division, the Steelers by far stands the best shot at making the playoffs at the very least, and at best, winning the Super Bowl. AFC South: A ton of mediocrity in this division. The Titans only won the division twice (in three appearances), but never got there. The Jaguars also made 3 appearances, netting a 9-7 record each time, and only ever winning the division once during the final simulation. It's basically a contest between the Texans and Colts with 5 playoff spots apiece, and while the Texans holds a slight edge in ranking with 3 division titles versus the Colts' 2, Colts fans ought to feel content in knowing that should they reach the Super Bowl, they will most certainly win it. AFC West: The Broncos--while they won the division once and even a playoff game, never came close to reaching the Super Bowl, and never made it back to the playoffs after that one time (which makes me a bit sad, btw). The middle two teams, however, are quite different; the Chiefs, surprisingly enough, only ever reaches the playoffs three times, winning the division once. But they never won a playoff game. Meanwhile, the lone playoff appearance the Raiders made, they not only won the division, but managed to reach the Super Bowl as well (only to get killed by the Cardinals). So I suppose the good news for Raiders' fans is that should they get there, they stand a good shot at actually getting there. That just leaves us with the San Diego Chargers, in which the emulator seems to really love in spite the problems said team are currently facing. They won the division 7 times in 8 appearances, and reached the Super Bowl twice (both times when the Chargers got the 2 seed--the 1 seed was heavily dominated by the Steelers, a bit by the Patriots, and by the one Super Bowl victory by the Colts). Unfortunately, they lost badly both times. So in the AFC, here are the best teams in accordance to Tecmo Super Bowl: 1. Pittsburgh Steelers 2. New England Patriots 3. Indianapolis Colts 4. San Diego Chargers 5. Houston Texans 6. Buffalo Bills Now for the NFC: NFC East: The Redskins--sadly--appear to be the one team that will wind up having absolutely 0 playoff appearances according to this simulation. Even the Eagles--as bad as they appear to be--made the playoffs at least once. In spite not taking into account Tony Romo's injury (or even his subsequent injuries), the Cowboys has won the division 8 times in 9 appearances. But, they never even so much as reach the Super Bowl. In stark contrast, the Giants only made the playoffs twice, both times as either the 6th seed or the 1st seed. And in both 1st seed appearances, the Giants have split their Super Bowl winnings with the Patriots, going 1-1. So I suppose the best shot at reaching the playoffs (provided Romo starts every game) is the Cowboys, but the Giants are the only NFC East team that has what it takes to even reach a Super Bowl and win it. And in both appearances against the Patriots of all things. NFC North: Another instance of a team that never even comes close to making the playoffs would be the Detroit Lions (although there was a simulation where they do manage to win the division, I have no data on how their quest for a Lombardi had went since I accidentally restarted to the last save state by mistake). The Vikings made it in half of their appearances, winning the division exactly once. But they never even got to the Super Bowl. The Bears, meanwhile, made it in thrice, winning the division in only the first simulation. And as I said, they actually managed to upset the Patriots in the Super Bowl. So good news for Bears fans is that should their team actually get there, they not only could they feasibly win, but they could essentially end the current Super Bowl dynasty. That pretty much leaves us with the Packers, who had managed to win the division 8 times in 9 appearances (the lone time they didn't win the division was due to the Bears winning the Super Bowl), and had reached the Super Bowl three times, winning twice (including a split between them and the Steelers). Their other Super Bowl victory happened to have occurred against the Chargers, btw. NFC South: The Buccaneers managed to earn playoff seeding twice, but they had unfortunately, never won the division. Next up is the Atlanta Falcons, who won the division in both their appearances, but saw quick exits from the playoffs both times. The Saints have also won the division 3 times in 4 appearances. This just leaves us with the Carolina Panthers, who won their division 5 times in 8 appearances. Unfortunately, they only ever reached the Super Bowl once, and the team that beat them happened to be the Indianapolis Colts. NFC West: Neither the 49ers nor the Rams ever reached the playoffs, and even then, this division seems to be so brutal that both of Seattle's Super Bowl victories happened when they were a 9-7 4th seed (once against the Steelers and another against the Chargers). But the Seahawks are show to have won their division 7 times in 9 appearances, while the Cardinals won the division 3 times in 4 appearances. Still, the Cardinals did beat the Chargers in their only Super Bowl appearance, so there's that. Which means the best NFC teams happen to be: 1. Green Bay Packers 2. Seattle Seahawks 3. Carolina Panthers 4. New York Giants 5. Arizona Cardinals 6. Chicago Bears I removed the Dallas Cowboys because in spite this simulation apparently all but guaranteeing them a spot in the playoffs, if not as division champions, Tony Romo is hurt, and quite frankly, it remains to be seen if he can even stay healthy. Through all intents and purposes, I say his career is all but finished at this point. But at least the above six teams had all reached the Super Bowl at least once. And the ten teams with the absolute best shot at winning a Vince Lombardi Trophy? 1. Green Bay Packers 2. Seattle Seahawks 3. Pittsburgh Steelers 4. New England Patriots 5. New York Giants 6. Arizona Cardinals 7. Indianapolis Colts 8. Arizona Cardinals 9. Carolina Panthers/San Diego Chargers 10.Chicago Bears

Okay, so I completed the first simulation, and this is the first playoff bracket: AFC NFC 1. New England Patriots (12-4) 1. Seattle Seahawks (12-3-1) 2. Pittsburgh Steelers (11-5) 2. Carolina Panthers (11-5) 3. Tennessee Titans (11-5) 3. Dallas Cowboys (11-5) 4. San Diego Chargers (11-5) 4. Chicago Bears (10-6) 5. Buffalo Bills (9-6-1) 5. Green Bay Packers (9-7) 6. Kansas City Chiefs (9-7) 6. Arizona Cardinals (8-8) The Patriots defeat the Steelers in the AFC Championship game while the Carolina Panthers and Seattle Seahawks were both upset by the Chicago Bears, who would then go on to defeat the Patriots by the score of 31-24 in Super Bowl LI. So, according to the first sim, Cutler is going to have a Mark Rypien-type season and become Super Bowl MVP. I'm guessing League MVP will probably be something like Tom Brady or Russell Wilson, but who knows? Coach of the Year will probably wind up being Rex Ryan for ending the Bills' postseason drought. But, that's only the 1st simulation. I'll probably wind up running a hundred of these and will only go over the interesting tidbits.

Next time, I'm going to be doing the 1979 season, and the team I'm gonna go with is the Philadelphia Eagles.

Super Bowl XIII: Minnesota Vikings (13-2-1) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (14-2) Fran Tarkenton is the lead NFL passer and is the league's MVP. He has thrown for over 3000 yards (the only QB to have done so), and completed 128 passes out of 160 total attempts. Sammy White was also the leagues' leading receiver in receptions (1223) and in touchdowns (20), while Bob Tucker leads the leagues in average yards per catch at 31.5. RB Chuck Foreman is ranked 8th in rushing at 1455 yards in 255 attempts, but is the lead scorer among all players at 38 TD's and punting (for an average of 62.8 yards). Mark Mullaney leads the league in sacks at 96 (in stark contrast, Harvey Martin and Bethea are tied for 2nd at 26 apiece), while Matt Blair is 5th at 18. Mullaney has more sacks than the three tacklers between the two Vikings combined. Kevin Miller is the league's best Punt Returner in attempts (31), yardage (491), and average (15.3), although San Diego's Owens is the only Punt Returner ever to score a touchdown (against the Vikings, ironically enough). And while half the league has far better yardage than Kevin Miller in Kick Returns, he still ranks 3rd in average attempts at 21.4 yards while also being the best scoring Kick Returner by far, having returned 9 kicks for touchdowns. The Vikings rival the Dolphins for best total offense in all of football at 5033 yards (the Dolphins are just 11 yards better), but ranked 4th in passing behind the Bills, Chargers, and Raiders at 3066 yards, and are 12th in running at 1967 yards. However, across the board, the Vikings are the single best defensive unit in all of football; the only region their secondary is sorely lacking in is interceptions, but they are the only football team to tally well over 80 sacks combined. They must defeat one of the greatest teams of all time if they wish to shed the notion that they cannot win the big one. The Steelers got the opening kickoff, and Thorton returned the kick to the Steelers 10. Terry Bradshaw completes his 1st completion to Lynn Swann for a gain of 20, then the Vikings defensive line closes in on Bradshaw for a sack. On the Franco Harris blitz, he fumbles the ball and Jim Marshall recovers the ball and runs it downfield for a touchdown. The Vikings are up 7-0. Bradshaw ran the ball for a gain of 2, and then Franco Harris was restricted to a gain of 2. Then Bradshaw completed a pass to Stallworth deep down field for a touchdown, tying the score back up 7-7. Joe Greene quickly sacks Tarkenton on his opening possession, and then Joe Greene forces a Tarkenton fumble and ran it in for a touchdown of his very own. The Steelers take the lead 7-13 (the PAT was blocked). Tarkenton then completes a pass down the middle to Sammy White for a 1st down at midfield. Tarkenton then completes another pass to Sammy White into field goal range, and completed another to White for a gain of 9. Chuck Foreman than ran the ball all the way down near the Steelers' 10 with seconds to go in the 1st quarter. Another pass completed to Sammy White, and the quarter came to an end with the Steelers still up 7-13. After a pass attempt fell incomplete, Tarkenton then ran the ball down the field himself for a touchdown to go up 14-13. After shutting down Franco Harris, Bradshaw connected with Rocky Bleier for a 1st and goal. But Mullaney shut down Harris and sacked the QB, forcing the Steelers to settle for a field goal to climb back up 14-16. Miller then returned the kickoff to the 20-yard line. Tarkenton completed a pass to Sammy White for a gain of 15, then another for a gain of 9. Tarkenton continues completing passes to Sammy White for more and more yardage, while doing everything he can to avoid the Steel Curtain rush. The Vikings ran out the clock, and kicked a field goal to take a 17-16 halftime lead, as we prepare for the 2nd half kickoff. Kevin Miller returned the kickoff to the Vikings 40, then Tarkenton completed a pass to Rashad for a 1st down against the blitz. Then Tarkenton found Bob Tucker wide open after the Steelers blew their coverage for an easy touchdown to go up 24-16. The Vikings kicking team then limited the Steelers to their own 5, and forced a safety to go up 26-16. Kevin Miller then returned the kickoff to the Vikings 40. After Foreman fidgeted around for a couple of yards, Tarkenton then attempted a pass play and ran the ball in himself. It was a 4th down, but the Vikings kicked another field goal to climb up 29-16. After bottling up Franco Harris, Mullaney then ran in for a sack-safety, and the Vikings recovered the kick to their own 35. And Tarkenton ran out of the way of the Steel Curtain and threw another deep pass to a wide open Bob Tucker for an easy touchdown. But Bradshaw had shown that the game hasn't been won yet as on the last play of the quarter, he throws a pass to Stallworth who ran it all the way down for a touchdown, to close in within 38-23. The Steelers quite easily recovered the onside kick with a huge burst of energy at midfield. Bradshaw then completed another pass to Grossman for a touchdown. The score is now 38-30 Minnesota. Kevin Miller recovered the kick to the 30. But Tarkenton threw an interception to Mel Blount in Steelers territory, attempting to complete another pass to Bob Tucker. And Tarkenton immediately responded by completing another touchdown pass to Stallworth, and burying Kevin Miller to the Vikings' 9. The score now stands at 38-37 with over 3 minutes to go. But Bob Tucker caught another deep pass into Steeler territory for a 1st down. Foreman then ran for 6 while Tarkenton ran for another 6. But the Vikings ran the clock down to 49 seconds left and were forced to kick the field goal to go up 41-37, with one final stop needed to be crowned Super Bowl Champions. On the final play of the game from the Steelers' 5, Bradshaw completed another pass to Stallworth, who attempted to make it all the way to the endzone, and with time running out, the blitz play that I called accurately hurried him on down and tackled Stallworth--who was untouched the entire game--and made the tackle as time expired. In spite both defenses having shut down the run all game long, and in spite Terry Bradshaw having thrown for 448 yards and only 1 incompletion (versus Tarkenton's 274 yards, a fumble and an interception), the Vikings were finally Super Bowl champions by the score of 41-37! snap0001.bmp

The AFC championship between Denver and Pittsburgh has been won by the Pittsburgh steelers in a thrilling overtime game 27-24, so now the Steelers get to face the winner of the NFC championship in Super Bowl XIII! Between two teams that were so evenly matched when they faced each other, who will prove victorious? Will it be Doomsday? Or the Purple People Eaters? First play of the game, Tarkenton completed a deep pass to Bob Tucker for a 1st down. After completing a pass to Sammy White, Tarkenton handed the ball to Foreman who ran it in for another 1st down. But against Doomsday, the drive stalled, and the Vikings kicked the field goal to go up 3-0. Then on the Cowboys' first play, Roger Staubach completed a short pass to Dupree who ran it all the way down to the Vikings' 10. Staubach was sacked twice, and in spite Tony Dorsett finding a deep opening against the blitz, the Cowboys were also forced to kick a field goal. Kevin Miller returned the subsequent kick down midfield, and Foreman completed a deep run of his own for a 1st down into field goal range. An incomplete pass intended for Rashad and a run from Foreman later, and the quarter came to an end, with the game tied 3-3. After another run play, Tarkenton scrambled away from Harvey Martin and Randy White in order to complete a pass down the middle to Sammy White for a 1st down with 9 yards to go. Tarkenton avoided the rush and threw a touchdown pass to Sammy White. But Tony Dorsett continues to be troubling as he ran twice to convert on a 1st down past the 30-yard line. Even with the blitz, Dorsett proves to be nearly unstoppable as he converts yet another 1st down in 3 runs as the Cowboys approach midfield. After another blitz on Dorsett, Staubach threw an interception, and the Vikings have the ball inside their own 40 with just under 2:30 to go. Tarkenton then completed a deep pass to Bob Tucker for a 1st down inside the Cowboys' 30. After a 3-and-out with 49 seconds to go, the Vikings have a difficult decision to go for it or kick the field goal. So Tarkenton handed the ball to Foreman who ran down the right side for a 1st down. Tarkenton then threw a pass to Sammy White, and with 1 second to go, the Vikings kick the field goal to go up 13-3 at the half (barely). After a short gain from Tony Dorsett, Staubach was able to complete a deep pass to Preston Pearson for a 1st down inside the red zone. But the Vikings smothered the run (seriously, Matt Blair saw Staubach's QB run coming a mile away), and the Cowboys botched the field goal attempt. And immediately, Tarkenton threw a deep pass to Tucker for a 1st down inside the Cowboys' 40. But the drive stalled, and the Vikings kicked another field goal to go up 16-3. The Vikings were able to force a 3-and-out, and Miller recovered the Punt near midfield. But Randy White sacked Tarkenton for a loss of 11, and the Vikings switched over to a field position play and gave the ball to Foreman twice before punting for the touchback, and the quarter came to an end. Staubach's deep pass was blocked, then Dorsett recovered a Staubach fumble and ran it all the way down to the endzone for the first touchdown of the day for the Cowboys. The score is now 16-10 Minnesota. Kevin Miller then returned the kick all the way down to the Vikings' 40, only to fumble it out of bounds for a loss of 5. Tarkenton then completed a pass to Bob Tucker for a 1st down at the Cowboys' 40. Randy White then sacked Tarkenton again with assistance from Harvey Martin, burying Tarkenton back to the 50. Tarkenton then threw an incomplete pass to Bob Tucker, and the Vikings were once again forced to punt. At 4-and-18, instead of punting, the Vikings opt to simply go for it by handing it off to Foreman. The Vikings then turned the ball over on downs, but it saved us a great deal of time just in case Staubach and Dorsett find their way back in the endzone. The Vikings smothered Dorsett, and the Cowboys opted to punt it away to our end zone instead. After an incomplete pass, Tarkenton then threw it away, only for Sammy White to catch it for a first down. Another complete pass to Sammy White puts the Vikings into field goal range with 40 seconds to go. Foreman then ran out the clock, and the game was over, 19-10. The Vikings ousted the defending world champions and are heading back to the Super Bowl to face the Steelers.

In the divisional round, the Broncos defeated the Chargers 17-14, but lost Jon Keyworth for the season. The Cowboys have also won the narrowest of victories against the Atlanta Falcons by the score of 28-27. And the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Houston Oilers 26-21 for the opportunity to host the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship. Meanwhile, the Vikings must overcome the Rams--who had upset them earlier in the season--for the chance to settle the tie with the Dallas Cowboys once and for all. Rams got the opening kickoff, and made it just passed the 10. Pat Haden then made a pass, whose receiver ended up fumbling the ball. The Vikings recovered at the Rams' 30. But their defense is just as revved up and juiced up as they were when they defeated us earlier in the season. So Tarkenton wasted no time completing a pass to Sammy White for a first down at the 8-yard line. Tarkenton then found an opening and ran down it for a gain of 6. Chuck Foreman then ran it down for a touchdown. Vikings up 7-0. Cullen Bryant is feeling hot, so I have to contain the run at all costs. As a result, Haden completed a deep pass down the middle to Willie Miller into field goal range. Still, the Vikings stymied the Rams' offense, and buried them close to midfield, so they were forced to punt it away. After a gain of 1, Tarkenton completed a pass to a wide open Sammy White for another 1st down and close to midfield. Tarkenton then ran the ball himself for a gain of 10 and barely got the 1st down. After a couple run attempts have netted very little results, Tarkenton then fought off a Rams' defender and completed another pass to Sammy White, and the 1st quarter came to an end. Tarkenton fought off another defender and completed a screen pass to Chuck Foreman, who ran it all the way close to a touchdown. Foreman then scores another touchdown to go up 14-0. Still, KR Jim Jodat was able to return the ball all the way down close to their 40. And Pat Haden then completed a pass to Ron Jessie, who ran it all the way down for a touchdown. And Vikings' KR Kevin Miller was buried at their own 5-yard line with 3 minutes to go. But Tarkenton stared down the rush and completed a pass to Bob Tucker for a first down near midfield. Tarkenton then gave the ball to Foreman and Rickey Young to pound it in as far as they could before bringing out the field goal unit to make the score 17-7 at the half. Miller returned the 2nd half kickoff passed the Viking 40. Then, Tarkenton handed the ball to Foreman a couple of times, then completed a pass to Bob Tucker for a 1st down in the red zone. Foreman continued pounding it in until he hit the 1-yard line when they got the 1st down. After getting stuffed up for no gain, Foreman ran it in for another touchdown, making the score 24-7. After forcing a 3-and-out, Tarkenton continued to dissect the Rams' defense and steadily headed passed midfield until time ran out for the 3rd quarter. Tarkenton continued to hand the ball to Foreman until the Vikings were well into the red zone. He completed a pass to Sammy White for a 1st and 3, and Foreman completed the scoring drive, putting away the Rams at 31-0 with just over 3 minutes to go. After a couple of sacks, Pat Haden completed a pass to Willie Miller for a first down at midfield. And then Mark Mullaney rushed the QB while the rest of the Vikings continued blitzing the Rams' left flank, forcing a 4-and-out in midfield, and ending the game. The Vikings ran out the clock, and kicked a final field goal to make the final score 34-7, and now the Vikings have earned the right to face the Dallas Cowboys for an opportunity to break the tie between the two of them.

Wild Card Round: Miami Dolphins vs. San Diego Chargers: San Diego won 24-27 Philadelphia Eagles vs. Atlanta Falcons: Atlanta won 30-28 New England Patriots vs. Houston Oilers: Houston won 27-21 Los Angeles Rams vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: LA won 17-14 Great because now in the divisional round, it's time for a rematch against the only other team (besides the Jets in a meaningless season finale) all year to beat me. The matchups are as follows: Denver Broncos vs. San Diego Chargers Dallas Cowboys vs. Atlanta Falcons Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Houston Oilers Los Angeles Rams vs. Minnesota Vikings

Okay, so in the final two weeks, the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Denver Broncos in order to clinch homefield advantage throughout the playoffs, while the Broncos settled for the 2 seed. The New England Patriots defeated the Miami Dolphins in order to clinch the AFC East, while the Dolphins and Chargers wound up tying at 11-5 apiece. However, since the Chargers defeated the Oilers, the Raiders were eliminated from playoff contention (the Oilers were 10-4-1 and had already clinched a playoff spot versus the 9-6 Raiders). However, because the Cowboys had narrowly lost to the Jets, the Vikings decided to rest their starters against the Raiders and lost 28-24 (in other words, I skipped the final week of the regular season altogether). Meanwhile, the Falcons, Bucs, and Eagles had already clinched playoff spots while the Vikings, Cowboys, and Rams were locked in as division champions. As such, the final playoff seeding is as follows: 1. Pittsburgh Steelers (14-2) and Minnesota Vikings (13-2-1) 2. Denver Broncos (13-3) and Dallas Cowboys (12-3-1) 3. New England Patriots (12-4) and Los Angeles Rams (10-5-1) 4. Miami Dolphins (11-5) and Philadelphia Eagles (11-5) 5. San Diego Chargers (11-5) and Atlanta Falcons (10-6) 6. Houston Oilers (10-5-1) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-8) Eliminated: Cleveland Browns (10-6), Oakland Raiders (10-6), New Orleans Saints (7-9), Detroit Lions (6-10), Phoenix Cardinals (6-10) And now for the tournament Wild Card Round will pair up the Miami Dolphins with the San Diego Chargers, Houston Oilers @ New England Patriots, Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Los Angeles Rams, and the Atlanta Falcons @ Philadelphia Eagles.

Week 15: Minnesota Vikings @ Detroit Lions With the Cowboys' loss to the Eagles, the Vikings now have to win against a Lions team they humiliated a few weeks earlier 99-0 in order to secure home field advantage throughout the playoffs. But on the opening kickoff, Kevin Miller finally went down to injury, leaving it up to the Vikings offense and defense to win this game against the Lions on their own. Tarkenton threw a deep pass to Bob Tucker for a quick first down into Lions territory. Foreman then pounded it into the Lions' red zone for yet another 1st down. Unable to establish the pass, Tarkenton turned to Chuck Foreman to get the 1st downs while he ran through the lanes whenever he spotted an opening. Foreman ran it in for the first touchdown of the game. And the Vikings kicking team restricted the Lions to their own 5-yard line. But Kevin Miller's replacement, McClanahan proved immediately inadequate on the kicking team, forcing the Vikings to make a quick roster change for backup RB Miller instead. Tarkenton threw another deep pass to Bob Tucker, who took it all the way near midfield. Didn't matter since Tarkenton was stripped by the Lions. But the Vikings forced a 3-and-out and the Lions missed the field goal. Foreman ran for close to a 1st down and the clock ran out. The Vikings lead 9-0. Foreman was then able to cross midfield for a 1st down. After a couple more run plays from Foreman, Tarkenton--who was battered and bruised all day long, threw deep to Bob Tucker, who caught it in coverage inside the Vikings' 10. Foreman ran it in for another touchdown, and once again, the Lions were buried inside of their own 10. But a screen pass to Bussey allowed him to run it all the way downfield to the Vikings' 40. He then threw another pass for another 1st down. Hill caught the Lions' touchdown pass. After Foreman ran for a 1st down, Tarkenton found a wide open Rickey Young for a 1st-and-goal with 6 yards to go. Foreman ran out the clock and scored his third touchdown of the day to make the halftime score 23-7. On the opening play of the second half, Danielson connected to Hill who ran it all the way down for yet another touchdown, making the score 23-13 (the PAT was blocked). But the Miller the Vikings have was no substitute for the injured Kevin Miller, and he could only take the ball to the Vikings' 12. Tarkenton's first pass attempt was blocked. Still, Tarkenton barely broke free of some defensive tackles and barely completed a pass to Rickey Young while he was in deep coverage, and barely got the 1st down. After a couple more runs from Foreman, Tarkenton then completed another pass downfield to Sammy White, who got the 1st down at midfield. Foreman continuing to demonstrate his position as the game's MVP kept fighting for the 1st downs in consecutive run attempts. And Bob Tucker caught the touchdown pass from Tarkenton. Blair then tackled Thompson for a Safety, and the 3rd quarter was at an end. The score is 32-13 Minnesota. After a couple of run plays fell short of a 1st down, Tarkenton then threw a deep pass to Bob Tucker in coverage, and Tucker caught it, fought off the defenders, and ran 30+ yards downfield after the catch to ice the game at 39-13. Danielson then connected to Scott for a first down. Freddie Scott then caught another pass for a touchdown, though as the game had already been lost, they opted to kick it away to the Vikings, which Miller returned to their own 36. Tarkenton handed the ball off to Foreman for the rest of the game to run out the clock, and kick one final field goal. The subsequent onside kick ensured the Lions couldn't possibly reach the endzone. And the final score was 42-20 Vikings.