Why Not? “Slots/NFL ‘Offs Notes Continued

Last week, the Buffalo Bills scored a (31-17) victory Over the Pittsburgh Steelers, squaring the team’s all-time ‘offs record vs each other, at 2 games apiece.

I note that the winner of the three previous (before last “postponed from Sunday’s,” Monday Bills’ win, there had been three such games), Bills/Steelers ‘offs tilts, all played in Pittsburgh, won at least, their next ‘offs game.

In the case of the ’74 Steelers, who “slot 3’d” the Bills, in one O.J. Simpson’s lone ‘offs tilt, two wins followed, yielding the team’s first of six (tied with the Patriots of New England for the most such wins) Super Bowl crowns.

After a slot 1 win (then with the early Saturday afternoon start, I recall listening to Al “Grampa Munster” Lewis on WBAI “during”) vs Buffalo, the ’95 Steelers survived a near desperation/”Hail Mary” pass by the Colts’ Jim Harbaugh, he who finally titled as he coached 2023 Michigan, in the subsequent AFC Title game, before losing (covering the spread in defeat), vs the Dallas Cowboys in the Supe.

At that point, the Dallas team had won 3 of the previous 4 Super Bowls. This point in time relays they have not won as much as a “div round game since that ’95 season, going 28 seasons sans such a victory (’96-2023).

Conversely, from 1967-1995, a period of just one more season (29), Dallas achieved all 15 of their “slots”/div round victories, three coming in all 3 years the pre NFC/AFC configuration NFL had “quarters” (1967-1969).

In ’92, Buffalo won a slots 1 tilt at Pittsburgh and followed that with an AFC Title tilt win at Miami. They were obliterated (52-17) by you guessed it, Dallas in the subsequent Supe.

Quickly, tonight’s Green Bay at San Francisco clash will be the tenth ‘offs game contested between the Packers and 49ers. Only once after the previous nine, (the Pack in ’96) did the winner of such a game go on to a Super Bowl victory.

Also only two other times, hence three out of 9 with G.B. winning 2 subsequent games in ’96 making the teams (4-6) in ‘offs tilts subsequent to their ‘offs meeting, did the G.B./S.F. playoff game winner, prevail in its next game. (G.B. title tilted second year team Carolina (Panthers) and then New England coached by Bill Parcells in the ’96 ‘offs, the latter dropping Parcells to (2-1) in Super Bowl games. In ’12, S.F. under Jim Harbaugh, that man again, “slot 2’d” the Pack after Jim’s brother John, still in and the coach of the current AFC top seed, Baltimore Ravens pulled off a miracle win at Denver in slot 1, and followed that with a win at Atlanta (Falcons) in the title tilt/NFL “semi.” In the Supe that season John Harbaugh’s Ravens defeated Jim Harbaugh’s Niners. Finally in ’13, after S.F. “wild card rounded” G.B. they slot 3’d Carolina before losing the title tilt/semi at Seattle vs the Seahawks. All three SF ’13 season ‘offs tilts were played on the road).

Each team’s title game win vs the other, (Green Bay at S.F. in ’97 and S.F. vs G.B. in ’19) as well as one “slots” (Green Bay in ’95 and S.F. in 2021) and wild card game (S.F. on Young’s pass to Ter Owens with “Super” Summerall, i.e. Pat Summerall or is it AKA Pat Summerall? in ’99 and G.B. in overtime in ’02, the first year sans Mr. Summerall on NFC broadcasts) were followed by losses in said team’s next ‘offs tilt.

Alas, the Ravens/Niners Supe/ “Harbaugh Bowl” is maybe best known for the fact a power outage at the New Orleans Superdome, the game’s venue caused a delay.

Thus click above, to view the immensely talented Vicki Lawrence sing “The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia.”

I could “say” more, but to “R.E.M.” it, I have “said too much,” but “maybe not enough.”

The collapse by Atlanta (located in Georgia) in the Supe 4 years later and Colin Kaepernick, the S.F. “Q.B.” vs the Ravens, anyone?!!