What was the last team to miss the NFL playoffs as good as SD?
Seriously...looking at the schedule, it's difficult to see the Chargers making the playoffs. But they are a REALLY good football team (and I'm not just basing this on beating the Colts).
Edit to add: Even while playing one of the toughest schedules in football, the Chargers have: 5 losses by an average of 2.8 points/loss 9 wins by an average of 16.55 points/win The Chargers have lost some heartbreakers and have played an absolutely grueling schedule -- this combined with the relative ease of Jacksonville and Pittsburgh's schedules will likely work to cause SD to miss the playoffs. But at this point in the season, I'd say the Chargers are easily a top 5 team in the entire league. Only the Seahawks are better than SD from the NFC...and only the Colts and (maybe) the Bengals and Broncos are better than them in the AFC...IMO. So -- when was the last time a team this good didn't make the dance? |
Re: What was the last team to miss the NFL playoffs as good as SD?
The seahawks definately are not better then the chargers, and neither are the bengals. Im not sure about the Broncos.
Its been a long time since a team has missed the playoffs at even 10-6 let alone 11-5. Mediocre teams have been getting into the playoffs from both conferences every year, so I dont think anyone can think of a non playoff team that is on the same level of this same charger team unless it was like in the 70s. Dont sleep on Jax losing one of their last 2 games though they play to their competition every week,. |
Re: What was the last team to miss the NFL playoffs as good as SD?
The Seahawks might not be better than the top 7 teams in the AFC.
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Re: What was the last team to miss the NFL playoffs as good as SD?
Oh, come on. Give them more credit than that. The Seahawks can take on Jacksonville, Pittsburgh, Kansas City.
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Re: What was the last team to miss the NFL playoffs as good as SD?
Since the playoffs expanded to 12 teams in 1990, the teams that went 10-6 that did not make it;
2003 Miami, 10-6 1991 Philladelphia, 10-6 1991 San Fransisco, 10-6 If San Diego goes 11-5 and does not make it, it would be the first time an 11-5 team does not make it. In the Sagarin Ratings, San Diego is ranked 4th right now. IF they win out, the Chargers should at least mantain that rating. The highest ranked teams in the Sagarin ratings to not make the playoffs; 2004, Baltimore, 6th, 9-7 2003, Miaimi, 7th, 10-6 2002, Miami, 5th, 9-7 2000, Jets, 8th, 9-7 1999, Kansas City, 6th, 9-7 In 2001, the top 12 made the playoffs. In 1998, the top 11 made the playoffs, and lo and behold, the Arizona Cardinals, ranked 20th were the other team. |
Re: What was the last team to miss the NFL playoffs as good as SD?
If they are so good, why are they losing games? I can see losing 1 or 2 games to inferior teams, but 5?
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Re: What was the last team to miss the NFL playoffs as good as SD?
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Oh, come on. Give them more credit than that. The Seahawks can take on Jacksonville, Pittsburgh, Kansas City. [/ QUOTE ] KC is probably the 8th best team in the AFC, but I like where you are going. I revise my statement to say the Seahawks are not as good as the top 8 teams in the AFC. |
Re: What was the last team to miss the NFL playoffs as good as SD?
The 1985 Denver Broncos are the only 11-5 team to ever miss the playoffs. It's possible that fate will happen to an AFC team this year.
Among the Broncos losses that year were a 20-16 loss to the Rams, 30-26 loss to the Dolphins, 31-28 loss to the Raiders in overtime, and a 17-14 loss to the Raiders in overtime. 1985 AFC Standings (Two wildcard teams) AFC East W L T % PF PA Miami Dolphins 12 4 0 .750 428 320 New York Jets 11 5 0 .688 393 264 New England Patriots 11 5 0 .688 362 290 Indianapolis Colts 5 11 0 .313 320 386 Buffalo Bills 2 14 0 .125 200 381 AFC Central W L T % PF PA Cleveland Browns 8 8 0 .500 287 294 Cincinnati Bengals 7 9 0 .438 441 437 Pittsburgh Steelers 7 9 0 .438 379 355 Houston Oilers 5 11 0 .313 284 412 AFC West W L T % PF PA Los Angeles Raiders 12 4 0 .750 354 308 Denver Broncos 11 5 0 .688 380 329 Seattle Seahawks 8 8 0 .500 349 303 San Diego Chargers 8 8 0 .500 467 435 Kansas City Chiefs 6 10 0 .375 317 360 |
Re: What was the last team to miss the NFL playoffs as good as SD?
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If they are so good, why are they losing games? I can see losing 1 or 2 games to inferior teams, but 5? [/ QUOTE ] I think you're seriously underestimating the variance involved each week in football...and things that can be inferred from margin of victory/defeat. The Chargers have lost 5 games (which is not, you know, too bad...they're playing almost .660 football). Those games are: 28-24 to Dallas (a team in the playoff hunt) 20-17 at Denver (a team that's squarely in the playoffs) 24-22 to Pittsburgh (a team in the playoff hunt) 20-17 at Philadelphia (when TO was still there and before Donovan got so hurt that he required surgery...ie- when they played Philly, they were a playoff-bound team -- AND they lost on a fluke) 23-21 to Miami (and this is SINCE the Dolphins have been playing well) So, five losses, ALL by 4 points or less, against five teams who are either in the playoffs, in the playoff hunt, or at the time of their game PLAYING like a playoff team. That doesn't exactly scream "bad team" to me -- maybe you can say "not clutch"...but not untalented. And since this thread is about if there's ever been a team as GOOD as the Chargers to miss the playoffs...this distinction is warranted. Now, the nine wins: 45-23 vs. NYG (demolishing a virtual lock playoff team) 41-17 at New England (demolishing a playoff team, defending champs, on the road) 27-14 at Oakland (lackluster, yet comfortable win on the road over a mediocre-to-bad team 28-20 vs. KC (solid win vs. division rival and a team in the playoff hunt) 31-26 at NYJ (maybe their only decidedly unimpressive win) 48-10 vs. Buffalo (sure, the Bills are bad...but you beat an NFL team by 38 and you're doing something right) 23-17 at Washington (good road win vs. playoff contender) 34-10 vs. Oakland (waxing the floor with bad team at home) 26-17 at Indianapolis (probably the most impressive, gutsy win by any team this season over the super-dominant, previously-undefeated, undisputed best team in the NFL at their place) That examination of their schedule ought to tell you all you need to know. First of all, their record is not at all bad. Second of all, when you factor in margin of victory/defeat, it's easy to see that this is a very good team. Moreover, there's the strength of schedule. Jeff Sagarin has San Diego playing THE toughest schedule in the NFL. Compare that to the teams they're in direct competition with for the playoffs: Pittsburgh (playing the 5th-toughest) Denver (playing the 12th-toughest) Jacksonville (playing the 16th-toughest) Or even more of the lock AFC playoff teams: Indianapolis (playing the 27th-toughest) Cincinatti (playing the 19th-toughest) New England (playing the 14th-toughest) These things, when viewed from the standpoint of trying to assess a team's true talent level, have a major impact. You might see it as a simple matter of "if they're so good, why have they lost 5 games," but I'm sorry - that's a very sophomoric look at the Chargers' true worthiness of being involved in the playoffs. I'm glad it's about record in the NFL instead of BS stuff like power ratings, polls, and schedule strength...but in this isolated case, it'd be somehow wrong if a team of San Diego's caliber failed to get in. Just as a sidenote...I don't, nor have I ever, even so much as lived in California. This isn't a homer-based view...I'm a Texans fan. While I appreciate the Chargers, I have nothing more tied to them than any other NFL team save Houston. |
Re: What was the last team to miss the NFL playoffs as good as SD?
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1991 Philladelphia, 10-6 [/ QUOTE ] That Philly team was very good. Unfortunately for them they played in a division with the previous season champion (Giants), current season champion (Redskins), and next season champion (Cowboys). Yikes! |
Re: What was the last team to miss the NFL playoffs as good as SD?
2005 has been very, very weird. We've got some of the luckiest and unluckiest teams in history, one of the worst I've ever seen (San Fran), two of the best 4-team divisions ever (NFC East, AFC West)... and two of the worst (AFC East, NFC West).
Why has SD lost 5 games? Luck doesn't care who you are. |
Re: What was the last team to miss the NFL playoffs as good as SD?
Sammy,
The Dallas loss also ocurred w/out Gates, one of their most important offensive weapons. In retrospect that is one of the worst management moves I can remember. |
Re: What was the last team to miss the NFL playoffs as good as SD?
I like the Chargers a lot and hope they get in, but if they don't, well I stopped feeling sorry for them after they lost to Miami at home. What evidence is there that Miami is "playing well" if you take away the Chargers game? The weeks before & after that game they barely escaped the Bills & Jets at home. They're 2 plays away from getting swept by those God awful teams.
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Re: What was the last team to miss the NFL playoffs as good as SD?
I'd agree with you if they played more consistently.
It is just a very unlucky season for them. But they can get in if Jax loses one [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]. |
Re: What was the last team to miss the NFL playoffs as good as SD?
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23-21 to Miami (and this is SINCE the Dolphins have been playing well) [/ QUOTE ] the same Miami team that just almost lost to the Jets, and managed to beat the Bills by one point. ok the Chargers are a fairly solid team, but ESPN and the rest of the world should stop hyping them up like they are gods gift to football. If they don't make the playoffs this year that is fine, it makes up for last year when they got in because their schedule that year was a joke. |
Re: What was the last team to miss the NFL playoffs as good as SD?
Nevermind. Deleted.
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Re: What was the last team to miss the NFL playoffs as good as SD?
Chargers get outcoached most weeks.
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Re: What was the last team to miss the NFL playoffs as good as SD?
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Oh, come on. Give them more credit than that. The Seahawks can take on Jacksonville, Pittsburgh, Kansas City. [/ QUOTE ] Didn't the seahawks lose to jacksonville already this year? b |
Re: What was the last team to miss the NFL playoffs as good as SD?
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[ QUOTE ] Oh, come on. Give them more credit than that. The Seahawks can take on Jacksonville, Pittsburgh, Kansas City. [/ QUOTE ] KC is probably the 8th best team in the AFC, but I like where you are going. I revise my statement to say the Seahawks are not as good as the top 8 teams in the AFC. [/ QUOTE ]Quick, get a job with ESPN.com, because you need to be writing their power rankings [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img] |
Re: What was the last team to miss the NFL playoffs as good as SD?
And Denver lost to Miami.
So? |
Re: What was the last team to miss the NFL playoffs as good as SD?
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And Denver lost to Miami. So? [/ QUOTE ]and the Giants! HA! OMGH~!@!!@! |
Re: What was the last team to miss the NFL playoffs as good as SD?
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it makes up for last year when they got in because their schedule that year was a joke. [/ QUOTE ] 1 Sun, Sep 12 at Houston W 27-20 2 Sun, Sep 19 NY Jets L 28-34 3 Sun, Sep 26 at Denver L 13-23 4 Sun, Oct 3 Tennessee W 38-17 5 Sun, Oct 10 Jacksonville W 34-21 6 Sun, Oct 17 at Atlanta L 20-21 7 Sun, Oct 24 at Carolina W 17-6 8 Sun, Oct 31 Oakland W 42-14 9 Sun, Nov 7 New Orleans W 43-17 10 BYE WEEK 11 Sun, Nov 21 at Oakland W 23-17 12 Sun, Nov 28 at Kansas City W 34-31 13 Sun, Dec 5 Denver W 20-17 14 Sun, Dec 12 Tampa Bay W 31-24 15 Sun, Dec 19 at Cleveland W 21-0 16 Sun, Dec 26 at Indianapolis L (OT) 31-34 17 Sun, Jan 2 Kansas City W 24-17 Mind showing me where the joke of a schedule is? Tenn, Oak, and No. Those games I guess you could call a joke. Cleveland, was away and in the snow, not easy when your a team used to 70 degree weather all year round. One thing no one has pointed out is the way the chargers schedule was set up. They play 3 teams in a row to come off their bye weeks, and then the following week they played KC who get a couple extra days when they had to play Miami early cause of the hurricane that was coming. I look at the ones they gave up and the big one was Miami. The two wins that stand out above the rest are the NE and Indy games. Both on the road, both with "records" on the line. NE up until that point hadn't lost at home in like 22(?) straight games, and the chargers just dominated them. Indy, well we know how the Chargers D just manhandeled the colts. One other fact that you should know about the colts game. The only time Indy scored a TD was when they got the ball starting inside the 5 and on the like 22 i think it was. Unless they had an extremely short field they couldn't score a TD. Yes I live in San Diego, and yes I am a Charger Homer. |
Re: What was the last team to miss the NFL playoffs as good as SD?
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[ QUOTE ] 1991 Philladelphia, 10-6 [/ QUOTE ] That Philly team was very good. Unfortunately for them they played in a division with the previous season champion (Giants), current season champion (Redskins), and next season champion (Cowboys). Yikes! [/ QUOTE ] 91 Philly, was a very good team, but should not be included in this conversation. Their 10th win was the last game of the regular season against Washington who had already locked up home field advantage, and Gibbs rested all of their starters (and if I remember correctly, Philly still only won by less than a td). IMO, the best team to not make the playoffs since 1990 is the Patriots, when they missed the playoffs that one year during their current Super Bowl run (was it '02?). |
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