Post by TheShadow on Jan 24, 2008 19:29:34 GMT -5
www.insidebayarea.com
1983 Raiders, '89 49ers would have thrashed New England
Column by Carl Steward
IT'S REALLY going to be sickening when the New England Patriots wallop the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII. You just know the talking heads will be bleating the notion ad nauseam that the Pats could be the greatest team of all-time.
Look, these Patriots will go down as one of the greatest. We give them that. But going unbeaten presents an inflated picture of a team's dominance at the moment. With historical perspective, does anyone believe the 1972 Miami Dolphins were heretofore the greatest team of all time? Maybe those old Dolphins still do, and perhaps a few others, but they're in a distinct minority.
What's more, as a case in point, if you were going to make a mythical match with these Patriots against the greatest 49ers and Raiders Super Bowl teams of yore, it's unlikely you would select their teams that lost the least.
The 1976 Raiders and 1984 49ers both lost just once during their respective runs to Super Bowl glory. The Raiders went 16-1 in '76, and their lone loss was a Week 4 drubbing at the hands of New England that was avenged in the playoffs. The 49ers '84 team went 18-1 and came within three points of perfection.
But would those be the best Raiders and 49ers teams to match against the '07 Patriots? Nope. My choices are the 1983 Los Angeles Raiders and the 1989 49ers. Both would have beaten these Patriots, in my estimation, perhaps with ease.
The '83 Raiders are the more debatable pick, of course. You may recall that when the NFL Network aired a series on the top Super Bowl teams ever, this group came in at No. 20. Tom Flores, who coached that team, was incensed, remarking that he would have matched that club against any of the great teams ranked higher.
I agree with Flores. The '83 Raiders were downgraded because they lost four games during the regular season and gave up 34 or more points in each, but three of those defeats predated Al Davis' brilliant acquisition of cornerback Mike Haynes — from New England — in November. Haynes had sat out the first 11 games of that season in a contract dispute with the Patriots.
Haynes made that Raiders defensive unit arguably the best in the franchise's history. The defensive line was nasty, with Howie Long, Lyle Alzado and rookie Greg Townsend up front. The linebackers were Matt Millen, Rod Martin and Ted Hendricks — no slouches there. Lester Hayes and Haynes at the corners. In short, it was a marvelous alchemy of pass rushing, run stuffing and Hall-of-Fame caliber coverage that reached its crescendo that postseason.
The '83 Raiders outscored their three playoff foes 108-33, including a 38-9 squashing of the favored defending Super Bowl champion Washington Redskins 38-9 in Super Bowl XVIII. Like this year's Patriots, those Redskins were loaded with a multitude of offensive weapons and a decorated offensive line. They led the league with a record 541 points scored.
But head to head, the Raiders dismantled the Redskins. Against these Patriots, a similar scenario would have unfolded. Haynes, one of the greatest shutdown corners who ever lived, would have blanketed Randy Moss. Then that front line would have gone after Tom Brady with a vengeance.
Offensively, the '83 Raiders weren't dominant, but they had more than enough to get the job done. Quarterback Jim Plunkett was the efficient leader of a group that included Hall of Fame tailback Marcus Allen and a receiving corps led by Todd Christensen, who had a record 92 catches at tight end that year.
The '89 Niners, selected in an ESPN evaluation as the greatest Super Bowl team ever (the NFL Network poll picked those overrated Dolphins), were much like these Patriots only better, a frightening machine on both sides of the ball. Even though Bill Walsh had retired, that club was his ultimate creation. While it's tough not at least to consider the '84 team, the deciding factor is that it did not include Jerry Rice, John Taylor or Brent Jones, who would have devastated New England's secondary.
Former coach and commentator Bill Parcells proffered a view this fall that while the '89 49ers club was formidable, he thinks New England would have won a mythical matchup. Doubtful. The Niners went 14-2 that year — losing by one and four points — in a division much stronger than what the Patriots played in this year. In fact, seven NFC teams won 10 or more games that season, and the defensively stout New Orleans Saints went 9-7.
In the playoffs, the 49ers were awesome and indomitable — 41-13 over Minnesota, 30-3 over the Rams, a whopping 55-10 over John Elway and the Broncos in the Super Bowl. Composite score: 126-26. By contrast, the Patriots have had their hands full with both Jacksonville and San Diego so far.
Those '89 Niners were ultraloaded. Montana at the peak of his powers. Roger Craig, Rice, Taylor, Jones, Tom Rathman and a veteran O-line. Mike Holmgren calling the plays as offensive coordinator. On defense, Ronnie Lott was at his very best that year. Add Charles Haley, Eric Wright, Michael Carter, Millen, a young Bill Romanowski. The '07 Pats are a great team, but lined up against this bunch, they look a bit pale beyond Brady and Moss.
Give the Patriots tremendous credit when they go unbeaten. Great feat. But please, no greatest team ever nods. The Raiders and 49ers have had better teams. So have Dallas, Pittsburgh, Chicago and Green Bay. The '72 Dolphins in a mythical match? The Pats might win that one.
1983 Raiders, '89 49ers would have thrashed New England
Column by Carl Steward
IT'S REALLY going to be sickening when the New England Patriots wallop the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII. You just know the talking heads will be bleating the notion ad nauseam that the Pats could be the greatest team of all-time.
Look, these Patriots will go down as one of the greatest. We give them that. But going unbeaten presents an inflated picture of a team's dominance at the moment. With historical perspective, does anyone believe the 1972 Miami Dolphins were heretofore the greatest team of all time? Maybe those old Dolphins still do, and perhaps a few others, but they're in a distinct minority.
What's more, as a case in point, if you were going to make a mythical match with these Patriots against the greatest 49ers and Raiders Super Bowl teams of yore, it's unlikely you would select their teams that lost the least.
The 1976 Raiders and 1984 49ers both lost just once during their respective runs to Super Bowl glory. The Raiders went 16-1 in '76, and their lone loss was a Week 4 drubbing at the hands of New England that was avenged in the playoffs. The 49ers '84 team went 18-1 and came within three points of perfection.
But would those be the best Raiders and 49ers teams to match against the '07 Patriots? Nope. My choices are the 1983 Los Angeles Raiders and the 1989 49ers. Both would have beaten these Patriots, in my estimation, perhaps with ease.
The '83 Raiders are the more debatable pick, of course. You may recall that when the NFL Network aired a series on the top Super Bowl teams ever, this group came in at No. 20. Tom Flores, who coached that team, was incensed, remarking that he would have matched that club against any of the great teams ranked higher.
I agree with Flores. The '83 Raiders were downgraded because they lost four games during the regular season and gave up 34 or more points in each, but three of those defeats predated Al Davis' brilliant acquisition of cornerback Mike Haynes — from New England — in November. Haynes had sat out the first 11 games of that season in a contract dispute with the Patriots.
Haynes made that Raiders defensive unit arguably the best in the franchise's history. The defensive line was nasty, with Howie Long, Lyle Alzado and rookie Greg Townsend up front. The linebackers were Matt Millen, Rod Martin and Ted Hendricks — no slouches there. Lester Hayes and Haynes at the corners. In short, it was a marvelous alchemy of pass rushing, run stuffing and Hall-of-Fame caliber coverage that reached its crescendo that postseason.
The '83 Raiders outscored their three playoff foes 108-33, including a 38-9 squashing of the favored defending Super Bowl champion Washington Redskins 38-9 in Super Bowl XVIII. Like this year's Patriots, those Redskins were loaded with a multitude of offensive weapons and a decorated offensive line. They led the league with a record 541 points scored.
But head to head, the Raiders dismantled the Redskins. Against these Patriots, a similar scenario would have unfolded. Haynes, one of the greatest shutdown corners who ever lived, would have blanketed Randy Moss. Then that front line would have gone after Tom Brady with a vengeance.
Offensively, the '83 Raiders weren't dominant, but they had more than enough to get the job done. Quarterback Jim Plunkett was the efficient leader of a group that included Hall of Fame tailback Marcus Allen and a receiving corps led by Todd Christensen, who had a record 92 catches at tight end that year.
The '89 Niners, selected in an ESPN evaluation as the greatest Super Bowl team ever (the NFL Network poll picked those overrated Dolphins), were much like these Patriots only better, a frightening machine on both sides of the ball. Even though Bill Walsh had retired, that club was his ultimate creation. While it's tough not at least to consider the '84 team, the deciding factor is that it did not include Jerry Rice, John Taylor or Brent Jones, who would have devastated New England's secondary.
Former coach and commentator Bill Parcells proffered a view this fall that while the '89 49ers club was formidable, he thinks New England would have won a mythical matchup. Doubtful. The Niners went 14-2 that year — losing by one and four points — in a division much stronger than what the Patriots played in this year. In fact, seven NFC teams won 10 or more games that season, and the defensively stout New Orleans Saints went 9-7.
In the playoffs, the 49ers were awesome and indomitable — 41-13 over Minnesota, 30-3 over the Rams, a whopping 55-10 over John Elway and the Broncos in the Super Bowl. Composite score: 126-26. By contrast, the Patriots have had their hands full with both Jacksonville and San Diego so far.
Those '89 Niners were ultraloaded. Montana at the peak of his powers. Roger Craig, Rice, Taylor, Jones, Tom Rathman and a veteran O-line. Mike Holmgren calling the plays as offensive coordinator. On defense, Ronnie Lott was at his very best that year. Add Charles Haley, Eric Wright, Michael Carter, Millen, a young Bill Romanowski. The '07 Pats are a great team, but lined up against this bunch, they look a bit pale beyond Brady and Moss.
Give the Patriots tremendous credit when they go unbeaten. Great feat. But please, no greatest team ever nods. The Raiders and 49ers have had better teams. So have Dallas, Pittsburgh, Chicago and Green Bay. The '72 Dolphins in a mythical match? The Pats might win that one.