Hitman21ST Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/insider/news/story?id=6657256 9. 1989 New York GiantsRegular season: 12-4 Playoffs: Lost 19-13 in overtime to the Rams in the divisional round These were the Bill Parcells-Lawrence Taylor-Phil Simms Giants -- they had already won one Super Bowl and would eventually win another. They were facing a Rams squad led by Jim Everett, who was legendary for his inability to take a hit. The stage was set for a typical Giants win: lots of sacks and lots of handoffs. Taylor did get to Everett twice, but those were the Giants' only sacks, and the team's grinding offense ground to a halt when Simms completed just three passes to his wide receivers. Everett threw for 314 yards, hitting Flipper Anderson for a 30-yard touchdown in overtime for a victory that completely flipped the script of late-1980s football. 7. 1988-1990 Philadelphia EaglesRegular season: 10-6; 11-5; 10-6 Playoffs: Lost 20-12 to the Bears in the divisional round; lost 31-7 to the Rams in the wild-card round; lost 20-6 to the Redskins in the wild-card round Buddy Ryan's Eagles were exciting, terrifying to opposing quarterbacks and completely incapable of playing well in the postseason. The things that made them great, like Randall Cunningham's improvisations and Ryan's jailbreak blitzes, were easy for well-prepared opponents to counteract. The 1988 Fog Bowl was certainly a disappointment to anyone who tuned in on television and hoped to see the action, but it wasn't a crippling loss for the Eagles, a young team that played well against an established powerhouse. The other two losses, though, set the pattern that doomed Ryan and the Eagles. The Rams used a three-man rush and eight-man zone defense to keep Cunningham from scrambling, so the baffled passer spent the game throwing short passes for minimal gains to his backs. Redskins coach Joe Gibbs knew how to handle Ryan's blitzes, dialing up a mixture of screen passes and max-protect bombs that made a great defense look silly. Combine No. 9 and No. 7 on this list, and you have a new definition of "disappointment": losing to Jim Everett in the playoffs. 3. 2007 Dallas CowboysRegular season: 13-3 Playoffs: Lost 21-17 to the Giants in the divisional round We all saw this one coming. The Cowboys raced out to a 12-1 record in 2007, then declared "mission accomplished" and sleepwalked through a few ugly late-season losses. Tony Romo sits to pee and some teammates then spent their playoff bye weekend in Cabo, Mexico, just in case you weren't 100 percent certain that they thought they already won the Super Bowl. The Cowboys actually held 14-7 and 17-14 leads in the playoff game, but after Brandon Jacobs scored a 1-yard touchdown near the start of the fourth quarter, the Cowboys' offense collapsed in a heap of ugly sacks and sloppy penalties. Lesson learned: Cabo is a great place for players to visit in early February, not early January. Giants, Cowboys, Eagles (x3 ). No Redskins... because we take care of business when we get to the playoffs :point2sky :giantsuck::dallasuck:eaglesuck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibbs Hog Heaven Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 ANY time the Cowboys are in the playoffs. That's a MAJOR disappointment to me. . Hail. *Edit* The Giants I'm impervious to. The Eagles I like being in the playoff's EVERY year for the limitless comedic value. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hail2skins Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 Hitman, can you publish the whole list.....at least the teams and the years? Clicking the link says that you have to be an Insider to see the whole article. The part of the article I did see listed Marty's 2006 Chargers at #10 and the section alludes that Marty shows up again, probably with one of his Chiefs teams. I would think at least one, if not multiple, of the recent Colts teams would make the list. What about the Patriots of the last couple seasons? The article mentions that it goes back 25 seasons and I would think that a couple of the teams who were involved in the mid-to-late 80s would fit the bill. The 86 Skins beat the defending-champion Bears at home who were what, 14-2? And the next year the Skins benefitted from the 13-2 Niners losing at home to the Vikings which helped us secure home field for the NFCCG. I'd have to say that of the NFC East teams mentioned, the only one that I would strongly agree with would be the '07 Cowboys. IMO, the most disappointing playoff teams should be the ones that were their conference favorites to get to the SB but lost before they even reached their conference championship game (as the article says up front, specifically alluding to the '98 Vikings). The '89 Giants were good but the 49ers were a better team. And I don't think any of those late-80s Eagles teams were favorites to reach the SB. If those teams are mentioned, are Norv's 2009 Chargers on his list? True that you say that we've historically taken care of business when we've entered the playoffs as a favorite. Unfortunately, over the past 20 years, that is a problem that I wish we would've had Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scruffylookin Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 Ah the 90 playoff game against the Eagles. Fun times. It's sad that it seems more people can remember the "Body Bag" game rather than remember that those two teams met again a few months later, in the same stadium and the Redskins pounded the crap out of them..........when it actually meant something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hail2skins Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 Ah the 90 playoff game against the Eagles.Fun times. It's sad that it seems more people can remember the "Body Bag" game rather than remember that those two teams met again a few months later, in the same stadium and the Redskins pounded the crap out of them..........when it actually meant something. Yeah Scruffy I bet you encyclopedic knowledge of Skins games can let you go back and remember every play from that game. I know the Skins won 3 SBs and a big NFCCG against the Cowboys in the 80s (I was too young for the 70s one), but I still don't know if I've ever been as pumped after a Skins win than as I was for the Body Bag revenge game. Recalling the excerpt from an old WaPo magazine article about Gibbs when he said a Post reporter had a private conversation with Gibbs about Buddy before that game and the reporter had Gibbs screaming that he "lived to play guys like that" gives me chills. Rex Ryan mentions in his book that his father really wanted to get Lachey in 88 but the Eagles FO wouldn't do it. I edited my post in this thread to say that there's no way those Eagles teams should count as most disappointing. There were better NFC teams in all of those years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hitman21ST Posted June 15, 2011 Author Share Posted June 15, 2011 Hitman, can you publish the whole list.....at least the teams and the years? Clicking the link says that you have to be an Insider to see the whole article. Here you go, in all its glory: 10. 2006 San Diego ChargersRegular season: 14-2 Playoffs: Lost 24-21 to the Patriots in the divisional round It's hard being Marty Schottenheimer. There are only so many ways to lose a playoff game, but like Madonna, he spent more than 20 years reinventing himself, finding new calamities to befall his overachieving teams each and every time they reached the postseason. The 2006 Chargers entered the playoffs on a 10-game winning streak, took a 21-13 lead on the Patriots, and intercepted a Tom Brady pass with 6:53 left in the fourth quarter. Game over, right? Not in the Schottenverse. Marlon McCree fumbled while returning the interception. The Patriots recovered, scored a touchdown, stopped a drive, got the ball back, kicked a field goal and won the game. If you think this is the last time you will read the name "Marty Schottenheimer" on this list, then you haven't watched much football in the past three decades. 9. 1989 New York GiantsRegular season: 12-4 Playoffs: Lost 19-13 in overtime to the Rams in the divisional round These were the Bill Parcells-Lawrence Taylor-Phil Simms Giants -- they had already won one Super Bowl and would eventually win another. They were facing a Rams squad led by Jim Everett, who was legendary for his inability to take a hit. The stage was set for a typical Giants win: lots of sacks and lots of handoffs. Taylor did get to Everett twice, but those were the Giants' only sacks, and the team's grinding offense ground to a halt when Simms completed just three passes to his wide receivers. Everett threw for 314 yards, hitting Flipper Anderson for a 30-yard touchdown in overtime for a victory that completely flipped the script of late-1980s football. 8. 2007 Indianapolis ColtsRegular season: 13-3 Playoffs: Lost 28-24 to the Chargers in the divisional round Peyton Manning and the Colts were the defending champions in 2007, so all that talk of Manning's inability to win big games had finally been silenced … and that's what made this loss so surprising. The Chargers were without running back LaDainian Tomlinson, and quarterback Philip Rivers was knocked out of the game with his team trailing midway through the fourth quarter. But Billy Volek led a 78-yard touchdown drive, capping it with a 1-yard touchdown sneak, and Manning's counter drive stalled at the Chargers' 7-yard line. As you will see in a few paragraphs, this was only the second most disappointing game of that particular afternoon. 7. 1988-1990 Philadelphia EaglesRegular season: 10-6; 11-5; 10-6 Playoffs: Lost 20-12 to the Bears in the divisional round; lost 31-7 to the Rams in the wild-card round; lost 20-6 to the Redskins in the wild-card round Buddy Ryan's Eagles were exciting, terrifying to opposing quarterbacks and completely incapable of playing well in the postseason. The things that made them great, like Randall Cunningham's improvisations and Ryan's jailbreak blitzes, were easy for well-prepared opponents to counteract. The 1988 Fog Bowl was certainly a disappointment to anyone who tuned in on television and hoped to see the action, but it wasn't a crippling loss for the Eagles, a young team that played well against an established powerhouse. The other two losses, though, set the pattern that doomed Ryan and the Eagles. The Rams used a three-man rush and eight-man zone defense to keep Cunningham from scrambling, so the baffled passer spent the game throwing short passes for minimal gains to his backs. Redskins coach Joe Gibbs knew how to handle Ryan's blitzes, dialing up a mixture of screen passes and max-protect bombs that made a great defense look silly. Combine No. 9 and No. 7 on this list, and you have a new definition of "disappointment": losing to Jim Everett in the playoffs. 6. 2010 Atlanta FalconsRegular season: 13-3 Playoffs: Lost 48-21 to the Packers in the divisional round Some teams on this list "had it coming" -- they were too arrogant, rested their starters too soon, spent their bye weeks on the beach or all of the above (see No. 3). The Falcons did none of those things: They were smooth, professional, disciplined and confident without being ****y. They just weren't built for comebacks, meaning they were in trouble if an opponent mounted a lead on them. A back-and-forth playoff game turned suddenly into a rout when Tramon Williams returned an end-of-half Matt Ryan interception 70 yards for a touchdown. Instead of going to the half tied or down by four, the Falcons faced a 28-14 deficit. The Packers scored on their first two possessions of the third quarter, and that was that -- a sloppy loss to end an otherwise tight season. 5. 2002 Green Bay PackersRegular season: 12-4 Playoffs: Lost 24-7 to the Falcons in the divisional round By 2002, Brett Favre was firmly entrenched as an Eternal Champion, and we were all obligated to act surprised when he laid an egg in the playoffs, even after he ended the Packers' 2001 postseason with a six-interception meltdown against the Rams. The Falcons traveled to Lambeau to face the Packers, who we all know are unbeatable at home in January (especially against a dome team). But Atlanta scored a touchdown on the opening drive, scored again on a blocked punt, opened a 24-0 halftime lead and waited for Favre magic to happen. Instead, Favre turned the ball over three times in the fourth quarter while the Falcons played run-and-punt. The Packers kept making the playoffs for years after this game, announcers kept swooning over Favre's playoff magnificence and the results kept looking pretty much like this. 4. 1996 Detroit LionsRegular season: 10-6 Playoffs: Lost 58-21 to the Eagles in the divisional round Losing in the playoffs was a way of life for the run-'n'-shoot Lions of the early 1990s, but the 1996 team seemed different. Scott Mitchell looked like the real deal (seriously), Barry Sanders rushed for 1,500 yards and both Herman Moore and Brett Perriman caught more than 100 passes for more than 1,400 yards. The Eagles team they faced in the first round was nothing special: ex-Lion Rodney Peete, their starting quarterback, threw just eight touchdowns in the regular season. The wild-card game was actually tied at 7 at the end of the first quarter, but the Eagles then went on an improbable 41-point run. Four Mitchell interceptions accounted for 24 Eagles points, with a fumbled kickoff leading to another seven and a 43-yard touchdown on the last play before halftime adding seven more. When the smoke cleared, Mitchell was benched and humiliated, and all of the talk of the run-'n'-shoot being a terrible playoff strategy appeared to be validated. 3. 2007 Dallas CowboysRegular season: 13-3 Playoffs: Lost 21-17 to the Giants in the divisional round We all saw this one coming. The Cowboys raced out to a 12-1 record in 2007, then declared "mission accomplished" and sleepwalked through a few ugly late-season losses. Tony Romo sits to pee and some teammates then spent their playoff bye weekend in Cabo, Mexico, just in case you weren't 100 percent certain that they thought they already won the Super Bowl. The Cowboys actually held 14-7 and 17-14 leads in the playoff game, but after Brandon Jacobs scored a 1-yard touchdown near the start of the fourth quarter, the Cowboys' offense collapsed in a heap of ugly sacks and sloppy penalties. Lesson learned: Cabo is a great place for players to visit in early February, not early January. 2. 1996 Denver BroncosRegular season: 13-3 Playoffs: Lost 30-27 to the Jaguars in the divisional round The 1996 Broncos are remembered as "The team that rested too much." They clinched home-field advantage with three games to play, snoozed through a month of backups and bye weeks and then were stunned by a second-year expansion team. The truth is more complicated: John Elway and other starters played frequently when healthy after the Broncos clinched the playoffs, and Mike Shanahan actually took unnecessary risks to keep players in football shape (Mark Schlereth and other starters suffered significant injuries in meaningless games). The playoff game was a wild affair full of big plays, dubious calls and a near-Elway comeback. But a playoff loss is a playoff loss, and while the Broncos went on to win Super Bowls in two straight years, the 1996 team showed there is no right answer to the "who do you rest" question if you can't make it through your first game. 1. 1995, 1997 Kansas City ChiefsRegular season: 13-3 both years Playoffs: Lost 10-7 to the Colts in the divisional round; lost 14-10 to the Broncos in the divisional round Schottenheimer nearly got the Chiefs to the Super Bowl with Joe Montana at quarterback in 1993. After Montana retired, Schottenheimer hoisted off-brand Montana knockoffs Steve Bono and Elvis Grbac into the saddle and hoped opponents didn't notice the switch. Amazingly, they didn't, and the Chiefs' records actually improved, despite the absence of 1,000-yard rushers or receivers. These were vintage Schottenheimer teams -- meaning they were utterly, helplessly doomed come playoff time. The defensive-oriented 1995 Chiefs held five opponents to a touchdown or less and won their season finale 26-3. But Bono was no Montana in the playoffs: He threw three interceptions and got benched in the loss to the Colts. Schottenheimer's 1997 team was even better: they won their final six games, including three straight by a combined 106-16 margin. In the playoff game, the Chiefs held a three-point lead over the Broncos as the fourth quarter started, but when Schottenheimer faces John Elway in the playoffs, the results are inevitable. The only reason these epic failures are not perceived as bigger disappointments by most fans is that we saw them coming: these were just two more examples of life with Schottenheimer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tr1 Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 If only the pukes didn't have to play in December....:rotflmao: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warhead36 Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 The 2010 Falcons were a bit of a mirage. They were a good team but they weren't dominant at any one area and they got lucky to win a lot of games. I wouldn't really list them as a disappointment because they, in my mind, were not a real contender. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Califan007 The Constipated Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 3. 2007 Dallas CowboysRegular season: 13-3 Playoffs: Lost 21-17 to the Giants in the divisional round We all saw this one coming. Oh, bull**** lol :ols:... Lesson learned: Cabo is a great place for players to visit in early February, not early January. If that's the "lesson learned" by the Cowboys that season, no wonder they've gone 26-22 since then, only made the playoffs once and fired their head coach mid-season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweedr01 Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 If only the pukes didn't have to play in December....:rotflmao: you're such a homer tr1 /BS reply Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brdawk20 Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 That Eagles game against the Lions in 1996 was not 58-21, but 58-37. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjfootballer Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 That Eagles game against the Lions in 1996 was not 58-21, but 58-37. 58-37. http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/199512300phi.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skinfan2k Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 when we do get in the playoffs we do work. Unfortunately it has been only 3 times in my lifetime of watching the skins :/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tr1 Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 Ah the 90 playoff game against the Eagles.Fun times. It's sad that it seems more people can remember the "Body Bag" game rather than remember that those two teams met again a few months later, in the same stadium and the Redskins pounded the crap out of them..........when it actually meant something. I remember. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doncherry Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 I remember. I watched the America's Game episode on the '91 Skins last night. Charles Mann was a dominating player for the Skins. I had forgotten how good he was.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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