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Couple interesting choices, IMO:

4. Minnesota Vikings, 1998 (15-1) Lost: 30-27 (OT) to Atlanta in NFC Championship Pro Bowlers: 10

This team scored at an alarming rate. Led by Randall Cunningham at quarterback and a trio of playmakers in Robert Smith, Cris Carter and Randy Moss, the Vikings paced the NFL at 34.8 points per game. As well as owning the top offense in the league, Minnesota boasted the No. 6-rated scoring defense and No. 13-rated total defense. One loss to Tampa Bay in the middle of the year was the only regular season blemish and these Vikings came one missed Morten Andersen field goal away from playing in the Super Bowl.


8. Green Bay Packers, 2007 (13-3) Lost: 23-20 (OT) to NY Giants* in NFC Championship Pro Bowlers: 5

Three teams finished 13-3 in 2007 (Dallas, Indianapolis) but none came as close to unseating the eventual champs than the Packers. On a frigid night at Lambeau Field, the Giants outlasted this stacked Packers team in overtime. This team was second in total offense and 11th in total defense while finishing fourth in scoring offense and sixth in scoring defense. It was the last time that Brett Favre would ever suit up for Green Bay.


IMO, that Viking team should have been number 1 with a bullet. I really don't remember a team dominating all year like that team did. I really think that NFC Championship game loss to the Birds was maybe the biggest upset I can remember.

Also, IMO, that Packer team wasn't as good as it's record. That had several nail biters and a couple bounces of the ball could have dramatically changed that season. I will note that the NFC Championship game performance was dreadful (especially by one certain player) and still haunts me to this day but I wouldn't put this team even in the top ten.

Linkaroo...
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I agree Boris last years team to me could have been the best not to play in the SB.

I remember the 1998 loss by the Vikings really well. I refused to watch the game because I had this sinking feeling they would win because I thought they were that good. I wish I had watched it because the misery it caused that team still makes me smile.
I think the '98 Vikings are about where they should be. Their offense was awesome, but their defense was susceptible (sound familiar?). Their D was in tatters during that Atlanta game -- I think they were down to their third-string linebackers by the time it was over.

Note #14 -- didn't know GB made it to the NFC championship game last year.
The '98 Vikings finished sixth in points allowed, which is very impressive for a team with a fast strike video game offense like they had. The 2011 Packers for the sake of comparison, were 19th in the league. I have very few fond memories of that 2011 Packers team. I kept hoping for that Keystone Kops defense to turn the corner week after week, and it never happened. Even before the Chiefs game, I had a really bad feeling that things weren't going to work out well for them in the playoffs. Although though they also were killed in the playoffs, I hold the 2012 team in much higher esteem. They were a team that fought through a ton of adversity before being exposed in the end by a vastly superior team, a lot of teams would have just panicked and fallen apart after the disasters in Seattle and Indianapolis early in the season. The 2011 team were riding a wave that came crashing down to Earth when they ran into someone who was able to punch them in the mouth. And when they went down, that was the kind of team that stayed down. Honestly, there are lots of 9-7 and 10-6 Packers teams that I hold in higher regard than that 15-1 2011 team.
quote:
Honestly, there are lots of 9-7 and 10-6 Packers teams that I hold in higher regard than that 15-1 2011 team


They lost for one reason & one reason only....they didn't show up. They were all still back at the funeral 2 days prior although to their credit not one of them admitted it.

As bad as the defense was....and yes it was bad, the offense made up for it. EVERY. SINGLE. WEEK.

They could play that overrated Giants team 10 times & win at least 9 of them if not all 10. Minus a funeral. The Giants would have no answer for the firepower they possessed.

I'll always believe that.
I don't buy that. Sure, the players felt bad for their OC, but it's going to be out of mind for most of those guys the moment they left the church and got in their cars. Did it shake up preparations? Probably, but I'm guessing Mike and the rest of his staff picked up the slack while he was away. Without Philbin, they were basically just using the same staff they had this year. They just ran into a team that was able to sock them in their sissy, finesse, Air Coryell mouth, and they stayed down after taking a couple good licks.
Even if that's true, it still doesn't explain why they played THAT bad when they hadn't played like that all season long, not once....not even in their 1 loss to K.C.

I guess you forgot when all the talk was about "how tough" the Giants are/were in December of 2010. Or even the game earlier in 2011 when they beat the Giants by 3. They didn't "wilt" during that game & the Giants were punching!
If anything, Mike's decision to sit key starters in week 17 was what did the most damage. Not even letting Rodgers play a quarter and resting a fully healthy Jennings (who looked really, really bad against the Giants, it was his first game in over a month) was a case of epic stupidity. Guys were fumbling and dropping the ball all over the place because they hadn't had any contact in 3+ weeks. Furthermore, the Packers were a completely different team defensively in 2010. They still had Collins and Jenkins, the rest of the unit was healthy (the only real loss on that side of the ball was Burnett being replaced by Peprah) and they were hitting their stride. In the first game against them in 2011, the Giants tried to beat the Packers in a track meet with lots of deep balls, and it came up just short (Matthews's TD off of a Manning INT won it for the Packers). There were more rushing attempts and a lot more short, safe passes (anything a team wanted to try worked against that defense, so it was just a matter of choice there) that helped them cut their punt total in half (2 punts, vs 4 in the first game) and wear out the that team's rotten defense.
From McCarthy after the loss to the NYG last year.

quote:

Wilde: When you see a team like yours that doesn't play to its identity, fumble 3 times on offense, what goes through your mind on that though, because that’s not the team you’re used to, is there sometimes days that just don’t make any sense? How do you view it when that happens and it just doesn't fit the profile?

McCarthy: Well, we had a week of things that probably didn't make a whole lot of sense.
quote:
Originally posted by Hungry5:
From McCarthy after the loss to the NYG last year.

quote:

Wilde: When you see a team like yours that doesn't play to its identity, fumble 3 times on offense, what goes through your mind on that though, because that’s not the team you’re used to, is there sometimes days that just don’t make any sense? How do you view it when that happens and it just doesn't fit the profile?

McCarthy: Well, we had a week of things that probably didn't make a whole lot of sense.


I was at the game and it just didn't make sense. You could feel everything was just off in some way.
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They were a team that fought through a ton of adversity before being exposed in the end by a vastly superior team


That's oversimplifying it. SF is not "vastly superior" and yes, they finally exposed the weakness of the Packer's D. But those weaknesses layed mostly at the positions that had 2nd and 3rd stringers playing. But something I don't think gets enough consideration is how much energy they expended vs. MIN two weeks in a row, mostly in the the last regular season game trying to keep AP in check and not allowing him to break that record. And suffering that loss I think took more than a physical blow on a team that was trying to ramp up into the playoffs. On top of playing 2nd and 3rd stringers at critical positions, that D was playing it's second short week in a row AT sf - who was coming off a bye.

I think it's clear SF is a better team than GB at this point, even with all their starters, but there was more at play 2 weeks ago.
quote:
Originally posted by chickenboy:

8. Green Bay Packers, 2007 (13-3) Lost: 23-20 (OT) to NY Giants* in NFC Championship Pro Bowlers: 5

Three teams finished 13-3 in 2007 (Dallas, Indianapolis) but none came as close to unseating the eventual champs than the Packers. On a frigid night at Lambeau Field, the Giants outlasted this stacked Packers team in overtime. This team was second in total offense and 11th in total defense while finishing fourth in scoring offense and sixth in scoring defense. It was the last time that Brett Favre would ever suit up for Green Bay.





Mad


That might be one of my all time favorites - thanks lambeausouth!

Living in Mpls at the time that 1998 Vikes team was one of the best I remember that didn't win the Superbowl. As we all know that was a painful year for us as Packer fans because it represented a changing of the guard and GB got embarassed by Randy Moss twice. Then we had to listen over and over how good the Vikings were until ATL came to town and flat out dominated them physically.

I'll never forget the postgame interviews (Brian Billick in particular) where everyone was in shock and Denny going into bunker mode. That offseason might have been the best I can recall other than early 1997 when the Pack defeated the Big Tuna and the Pats.

I also think the BrINT pick against the Saints in the NFCCG was classic but that MN team was not nearly as good as the 1998 team IMO. Still, the result was excellent and it was redemption for all those playoff games he threw away for GB (watch the video)
I can laugh at that video now--sorta. If Favre had 1/2 of the discipline that Rodgers has, we could have easily won another Super Bowl or two. Can you imagine how lethal our offense now would be if Rodgers had Ahman Green in the backfield? How do you defend that?

I will, however, give Favre a pass on that pick in Super Bowl XXXII. I will go to my grave claiming that Robert Brooks got mauled. The video doesn't present the clearest picture, but if you go back and look at it, Brooks is getting spun around.
quote:
Originally posted by Hungry5:
Not just Ahman in the backfield, but the OLine as well. One thing Sherman could do was build a top OL.


Every player on the 2003 OLine was a Wolf draft pick...although Clifton and Tausch were both drafted in 2000, so Sherman may have had a hand in those selections.

2003 should have been Favre's 2nd SB victory IMO. They were the best team going into the playoffs. Sherman playing scared not going for 4th and inches, which led to 4th and 26 and that inexplicable INT in OT. What could have been.
quote:
Originally posted by Hungry5:
Thanks Fon Du. I sit corected, Sherman sucked balls at everything.


I never said he sucked at everything. I basically agree with your post...just pointing out he wasn't really the "architect" that built it. Emphasizing a smash mouth mentality on the Oline and featuring a strong running attack...that was all Sherman, and he did a good enough job of it where I believe he should have won a championship.
Favre's lack of discipline certainly cost us another SB or two. It was interesting to note that Driver was bringing down at least three of those guys who made the interceptions.

I was upset in '98 when Andersen lined up for that 32-yarder that would seal the game, then I stared in disbelief when De-knee took a knee, and then it was off to cheer in jubilation to see the Falcons win it. But to see Favre destroy the Queens' hopes once again was the topper. Big Grin
Right

I'm sure you think Scott Pioli should get all the credit for Tom Brady's success too.

More than you can shake a stick at is more like it

I forgot about all those NFL head coaching or GM opportunities that Shermy got after getting canned by TT. Stick to painting pictures or whatever it is you do CB because you're one of the only ones around that think he got hosed.
quote:
Originally posted by Boris:
You vastly underestimate the 2007 team. Especially if Rodgers is playing


My concern is really on the other side of the ball. The Giants won that game because of their ability to generate pressure on Brady that I don't think the Packers had.

phaedrus-

I never liked what I felt was Sherman's scapegoating of Donatell and that just confirms that's what it was.

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