The third overall seed is the first top seed from the '90s - Brett Favre's Super Bowl Champion Packers.
1. 1996 GREEN BAY PACKERS v. 16. Play In Winner 2009 DALLAS COWBOYS v. 2003 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
1. 1996 SUPER BOWL CHAMPION GREEN BAY PACKERS
Pythag: 14-2
Off: 1st
Def: 1st
d. Niners Div Rnd 35-14
d. Panthers NFC Title 30-13
d. Patriots Super Bowl 35-21
HC: Mike Holmgren, OC: Sherm Lewis, DC Fritz Shermur
1st Team AP: QB B.Favre (27) SS L.Butler (28)
16. 2009 DALLAS COWBOYS
Pythag: 11-5
Off: 14th
Def: 2nd
d. Eagles WC 34-14
Lost Vikings Div Rnd 34-3
HC: Wade Phillips, OC: Jason Garrett
1st Team AP: ROLB D.Ware (27) NT J.Ratliff (28)
16. 2003 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
Pythag: 11-5
Off: 2nd
Def: 20th
d. Broncos WC 41-10
d. Chiefs Div Rnd 38-31
Lost AFC Title 24-14
HC: Tony Dungy, OC: Tom Moore, DC: Ron Meeks
1st team AP: QB P.Manning (27) K M.Vanderjagt (33)
A battle of 27 year olds Manning and Favre is a possible first round matchup if the Colts escape the play in game.
8. 1982 WASHINGTON REDSKINS v. 9. 1987 CLEVELAND BROWNS
8. 1982 SUPER BOWL CHAMPION WASHINGTON REDSKINS
Pythag: 7-2
Off: 12th
Def: 1st
d. Lions WC 31-7
d. Vikings Div Rnd 21-7
d. Cowboys NFC Title 31-7
d. Dolphins Super Bowl 27-17
HC: Joe Gibbs, OC: Joe Bugel, DC: Richie Petitbon
1st Team AP: P M.Moseley (34)
9. 1987 CLEVELAND BROWNS
Pythag: 11-4
Off: 3rd
Def: 2nd
d. Colts Div Rnd 38-21
Lost AFC Title Broncos 38-33
HC: Marty Schottenheimer OC Lindy Infante, DC Dave Adolph
1st Team AP: CB H.Dixon (29)
Teams from short seasons in this one; the Skins are the 5th Super Bowl Champion in the field; the Browns were top 3 in both offense and defense.
5. 2005 PITTSBURGH STEELERS v. 12. 2019 NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
5. 2005 SUPER BOWL CHAMPION PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Pythag: 12-4
Off: 9th
Def: 3rd
d. Bengals WC 31-17
d. Colts Div Rnd 21-18
d. Broncos AFC Title 34-17
d. Seahawks Super Bowl 21-10
HC: Bill Cowher, OC: Ken Wisenhunt DC Dick LeBeau
1st Team AP: SS T.Polamalu (24) LG A.Faneca (29)
12. 2019 NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
Pythag: 11-5
Off: 3rd
Def: 13th
Lost WC Vikings 26-20
HC: Sean Payton, OC Pete Carmichael, DC Dennis Allen
1st Tm AP: PR D.Harris (22) WR M.Thomas (26) LLB D.Davis (30)
A third Super Bowl Champ in Region 3 - Cowher coaches the Steelers and is on the staff for the Browns in the prior game. The Steelers face 40 year old Drew Brees.
4. 1999 ST LOUIS RAMS v. 13. 1967 KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
4. 1999 SUPER BOWL CHAMPION ST LOUIS RAMS
Pythag: 14-2
Off: 1st
Def: 4th
d. Vikings Div Rnd 49-37
d. Bucs NFC Title 11-6
d. Titans Super Bowl 23-16
HC: Dick Vermeil, OC: Mike Martz, DC: Peter Giunta
1st Tm AP: QB K.Warner (28) RB M.Faulk (26) LDE K.Carter (26)
13. 1967 KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
Pythag: 11-3
Off: 2nd
Def: 3rd
Did not make playoffs
HC: Hank Stram
1st Tm AP: RB M.Garrett (23) RDT B.Buchanan (28) RS J.Robinson (29) LLB B.Bell (27) LT J.Tyrer (28)
The upper half of Region 3 is a Super Bowl gauntlet; each game with a World Champion; the Rams have that 14-2 pythag - they'll take on another one of Stram's Chiefs squads.
3. 1978 DALLAS COWBOYS v. 14. 1989 DENVER BRONCOS
3. 1978 NFC CHAMPION DALLAS COWBOYS
Pythag: 13-3
Off: 1st
Def: 3rd
d. Falcons Div Rnd 27-20
d. Rams NFC Title 28-0
Lost Steelers Super Bowl 35-31
HC: Tom Landry OC: Dan Reeves, DC: Ernie Stautner
1st Tm AP: RDT R.White (25) FS C.Harris (30)
14. 1989 AFC CHAMPION DENVER BRONCOS
Pythag: 12-4
Off: 8th
Def: 1st
d. Steelers Div Rnd 24-23
d. Browns AFC Title 37-21
Lost Super Bowl 49ers 55-10
HC: Dan Reeves, OC: Chan Gailey, DC: Wade Phillips
1st Tm AP: LILB K.Mecklenburg (29)
The bottom half of Region 3 starts with this all Dan Reeves battle of SB losers; he's the OC for the Dallas team with the top offense (and third defense) in '78 and the HC for Denver 11 years later; they have the top defense in '89.
6. 1954 DETROIT LIONS v. 11. 1990 SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
6. 1954 DETROIT LIONS
Pythag: 10-2
Off: 1st
Def: 3rd
Lost NFL Title Browns 56-10
HC: Buddy Parker, DC Buster Ramsey
1st Tm AP: LHB D.Walker (27) LS J.Christiansen (26) LLB J.Schmidt (22) MG L.Bingaman (28) LT L.Creekmur (27)
11. 1990 SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
Pythag: 12-4
Off: 8th
Def: 2nd
d. Skins Div Rnd 28-10
Lost NFC Title Giants 15-13
HC: George Seifert, OC: Mike Holmgren, DC Bill McPherson
1st Tm AP: QB J.Montana (34) WR J.Rice (28) LOLB C.Haley (26) FS R.Lott (31)
Mike Holmgren's at the top of Region 3, HC of the top seeded Packers; he's also here as the OC of the Niners team that fell short in the attempt to three-peat. They'll face a 1950s Lions team that lost the NFL Title to the Browns dynasty.
7. 2003 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS v. 10. 1960 CLEVELAND BROWNS
7. 2003 SUPER BOWL CHAMPION NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Pythag: 11-5
Off: 12th
Def: 1st
d. Titans Div Rnd 17-14
d. Colts AFC Title 24-14
d. Panthers Super Bowl 32-29
HC: Bill Belichick, OC: Charlie Weis, DC Romeo Crennel
1st TM AP: SS R.Harrison (31) RDT R.Seymour (24) LCB T.Law (29)
10. 1960 CLEVELAND BROWNS
Pythag: 9-3
Off: 1st
Def: 4th
Did not make playoffs
HC: Paul Brown
1st Tm AP: RB J.Brown (24) LG JR Smith (28)
Super Bowl Champion 5 in Region 3 is another New England team; they'll face the first Paul Brown coached team in the field.
2. 1970 MINNESOTA VIKINGS d. 15. 2013 CAROLINA PANTHERS
2. 1970 MINNESOTA VIKINGS
Pythag: 12-2
Off: 3rd
Def: 1st
Lost Div Rnd 49ers 17-14
HC Bud Grant, OC Jerry Burns DC: Bob Hollway
1st Tm AP: RDT A.Page (25) LDE C.Eller (28)
15. 2013 CAROLINA PANTHERS
Pythag: 12-4
Off: 18th
Def: 2nd
Lost Div Rnd 49ers 23-10
HC Ron Rivera, OC Mike Shula, DC Sean McDermott
1st Tm AP: FB M.Tolbert (28) MLB M.Kuechly (22)
And here's the second seed in the region - one of those Vikings teams of the era; top 5 in offense and defense - they lost to the Niners in the playoffs, as did their opponent, the '13 Panthers.
