CaptainAmerica
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...with all the hand wringing by some posters about who we will play in the playoffs and who they are most scared of playing, I got to thinking about a playoff scenario from years gone by that was a classic "What Should the HC Do" scenario?
The year was 1976 and the much hated Steelers, (by Cowboy fans), were fighting for their playoff lives. Due to injuries during the season, the defending 2 time SB Champions had lost more games than expected and were left fighting to secure the final playoff seed in the AFC playoffs. The Steelers finally had everyone healthy and were playing their best football of the season. They looked very formidable and scary if they could somehow make it into the playoffs.
On the next-to-final Monday Night Game of the season, the Bengals were playing the Raiders in Oakland. The Raiders had already secured home field advantage throughout the playoffs and had nothing to play for in the game. The Bengals, on the other hand, could grab the last playoff spot and eliminate the Steelers, if they could beat the Raiders.
For those not old enough to remember those days and to add some historical perspective to this story, it must be noted that the Raiders' arch-rivals during those years were the Steelers, who had narrowly beaten the Raiders in the playoffs in the previous few seasons. So from the Raiders perspective, the easy thing for John Madden to do would have been to rest his starters and allow the Bengals to win the game and thus, eliminate the Steelers, who, along with the Patriots that season, were the Raiders foremost competition for the AFC Championship.
What did John Madden do? He played his starters and the Raiders beat the Bengals 35-20, thus giving the Steelers the final playoff spot. After the game, Madden said it never entered his mind to rest his players since he always played to win the game.
The Steelers were in the playoffs and I was sick to my stomach! I could just see the Steelers making it 3 SB wins in a row.
As fate would have it, the Raiders and the Steelers met in the AFC Championship Game in Oakland and the Raiders crushed the Steelers 24-7. Interestingly, the Steelers played most of the game without Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier, (their two best RBs, who sustained injuries in the previous playoff game that limited their availability for the AFC Championship Game).
Years later Madden said of all the games he coached, he was proudest of his team and their play in that Monday Night Game.
The year was 1976 and the much hated Steelers, (by Cowboy fans), were fighting for their playoff lives. Due to injuries during the season, the defending 2 time SB Champions had lost more games than expected and were left fighting to secure the final playoff seed in the AFC playoffs. The Steelers finally had everyone healthy and were playing their best football of the season. They looked very formidable and scary if they could somehow make it into the playoffs.
On the next-to-final Monday Night Game of the season, the Bengals were playing the Raiders in Oakland. The Raiders had already secured home field advantage throughout the playoffs and had nothing to play for in the game. The Bengals, on the other hand, could grab the last playoff spot and eliminate the Steelers, if they could beat the Raiders.
For those not old enough to remember those days and to add some historical perspective to this story, it must be noted that the Raiders' arch-rivals during those years were the Steelers, who had narrowly beaten the Raiders in the playoffs in the previous few seasons. So from the Raiders perspective, the easy thing for John Madden to do would have been to rest his starters and allow the Bengals to win the game and thus, eliminate the Steelers, who, along with the Patriots that season, were the Raiders foremost competition for the AFC Championship.
What did John Madden do? He played his starters and the Raiders beat the Bengals 35-20, thus giving the Steelers the final playoff spot. After the game, Madden said it never entered his mind to rest his players since he always played to win the game.
The Steelers were in the playoffs and I was sick to my stomach! I could just see the Steelers making it 3 SB wins in a row.
As fate would have it, the Raiders and the Steelers met in the AFC Championship Game in Oakland and the Raiders crushed the Steelers 24-7. Interestingly, the Steelers played most of the game without Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier, (their two best RBs, who sustained injuries in the previous playoff game that limited their availability for the AFC Championship Game).
Years later Madden said of all the games he coached, he was proudest of his team and their play in that Monday Night Game.
