Babyfan's 10th Annual Pick'Ems Contest

Whoa. I get why Saints fans are excited, but lets get real here. lol!

The "85" Bears knew they were going to the SB before mid-season. They just overwhelmed teams with that 46 defense. Outside of one (well documented) bad night in Miami, it was pretty obvious to anyone watching that season unfold, nobody was gonna get in Chicago's way...There is no team like that in this field. Not even close.

Those Bears didn't even give up a point in the playoffs. Back to back shutouts, followed by a route of the Patriots in the SB, 46-10. Complete dominance in every way possible. They stomped teams all year in that fashion. Opposing QB's went into a shell against Buddy Ryan's defense. Maybe it's just me, but I doubt we'll ever see a team that is so confident in winning it all, they make a music video about it during the season. Like I said, that team knew nobody could stop them. Everybody knew.

2018 Saints are very good, but they aren't that....

 

If someone was likening the Saints to the '85 Bears, I missed it, but there was a comparison of this year's team to their 2009 team.

 

There wasn't, but there was something like "who can possibly beat us?" as if to imply a similar dominance over the competition. And then the 85 Bears were brought up, so....I felt the need to say that for those that might not be old enough to remember the 85 Bears....

IMO the NFL hasn't seen anything like them since...I would say that closest any team got to that level of complete domination happened the very next season. The 86 Giants were scary good.....

 

still don't understand why walter payton never got a TD in the SB and Perry did ..?

 

I've been around for every Super Bowl ever played and I would say that there have been a total of 3 teams that you absolutely knew were going to win it all from the point the season started until the end when they actually did.

The 1972 Dolphins, 1984 49ers, and the 1985 Bears. There was just do doubt for them.

There have been some other really great teams...but I can't recall any that were just such a foregone conclusion.

There definitely are no teams like that this season. It wouldn't shock me to see the Saints, Rams, Patriots, or Chiefs in the Super Bowl. But it also wouldn't shock me to see some of them lose next week either.

 

It's something Ditka still regrets.

 

FWIW, I honestly wouldn't rule out Bears, Rams, Cowboys or even Eagles from pulling an upset in New Orleans...NFC is wide open IMO. Nobody looks unbeatable. Same goes for the AFC.

 

Sure the Saints can be beaten, even at home. SoCal and I were around in the 2009 season. Heck, when they were 13-0 it didn't look like anyone could beat them. Then they lost 3 games in a row...Dallas, Tampa and Carolina. in that order. This year they've also lost 3 games, and to those same teams in a different order. So there is a distinct similarity.

I remember the 1985 Bears well, and their defense. I'm still surprised that Miami managed a win against them. That was their only loss.

The Saints were 5-11 that year. Our hopes back then were to beat the 49ers or the Rams on a given Sunday, maybe.

 

Agreed. But the Saints have an awful playoff road record so having the #1 NFC Seed, the bye and home field is very important to them.
It definitely helps their chances. The Saints have already beaten the Rams and the Eagles at home, so that's a confidence booster. It doesn't guarantee another victory but it helps nonetheless. I worry about the Bears, even in the Dome. Can't take Dallas or Seattle lightly either.

But I do like our chances.

 

Bernie Kosar was just getting started. Ernest Byner and Kevin Mack both rushed for over 1000 yards, and we won the old AFC Central that year at 8-8....The crazy thing is, we almost pulled the upset of Miami in the playoffs. We were up 21-3 in the second half before Marino came back and beat us. Had we won, Cleveland would have hosted the very beatable New England Patriots in the AFC Championship the following week. The Browns were that close to possibly being the team that the 85 Bears massacred in SB XX...

 

Bears and Chiefs are my SB picks....

 

So who was the 3rd team? Are you agreeing with me on 86 NYG?

Born in 68, so I can't quite remember all the SB's...But I can remember them all since Pittsburgh/Dallas (part 1)...I believe you on the 72 Dolphins. I've read plenty about that team, although I believe they got their biggest scare from the Cleveland Browns. Not sure if it was in the playoffs or not, but I remember reading that.

@Lyman would know.

 

Sorry, team 3 was actually the 1984 49ers.

86 Giants were great....but I think the Bears have a shot at them if Charles Martin didn't take out Jim McMahon.

Don Shula told the world immediately after the SB loss to the Cowboys that the Dolphins would come back and run the table the next season and win it all...and they did. All 3 of their post season games were close scores...but some of that was just the style of football they played on offense. The beat the Browns, the Steelers, and the Redskins to win it and I think total point differential was less than 20.

 

Know what I wouldn't mind seeing? Bears and Ravens. After all the squawking about the "future" of football following the Rams-Chiefs 54-51 video game, it'd be a nice reminder that defense still matters. Ravens #1 in yards allowed, #2 in points; Bears #3 in yards, #1 in points.

 

84 49ers were #2 in points scored and #1 in points against during the season and then steamrolled the Giants, Bears, and Dolphins to win it.

 

I like that call. Nobody talks about how good those 49ers defenses were...

I'd say there was about a three year stretch in early to mid 90's where everyone pretty much knew it was gonna be the Cowboys or the 49ers. Deion was pretty much the "it" factor that swung the tide...

Apologies to babyfan for hijacking this into SB chat thread. lol! Hope you don't mind. I know you gotta be excited about those Bears.

 

I was actually living in Miami (Homestead AFB) in 1972. And, you're right. The Browns came within a whisker of eliminating the Dolphins in the playoffs.

I just realized that I lived in areas that experienced both 16-0 and 0-16. |


{edit} The 16-0 was a helluva lot more fun.

 

Oh boy, I respectfully disagree on that. . I don't think anyone was gonna beat the New York Giants in 86. Lawrence Taylor and Carl Banks and Company were just too much. It really wasn't that unlike 85 Bears from just a pure domination perspective. Their total destruction of Montana and the 49ers in the playoffs put the stamp on that in my book...Seeing that hit on Montana still makes me wonder how he survived.

edit: btw, that was the year of "The Drive"...So once again, the Browns were that close to getting hammered in a SB.

 

Jim Mora got Coach of the Year honors.

Not for his 7-9 record, but for making the Saints have the semblance of a competitive team.

Edit: The score I posted was in error. What nfl.com showed for NYG 1986 schedule was wrong.