Using the whatifsports simulation engine, I've done two long historical tournaments for baseball (worked out really well, couldn't really ask for more) and basketball (a little more challenging, the games aren't quite as compelling to recount and there was a heavy weight toward ultramodern teams).
Football time. I think it's likely a little in the middle in terms of what kind of read its likely to be; these things evolve on their feet, but I'm likely to go series by series as opposed to play by play. This is single elimination, unlike the other tournaments I've done, so will move more quickly. I think it's likely offense and probably ultramodern offense will have a disproptionate weight and probably heavily so. I'm not sure how competitive a Lombardi Packers team will be with Patrick Mahomes. But we'll see.
I've got 16 regions of 16 teams each, so that's 256, just like basketball, and also just like basketball there's a play in round for the 16th seeds. Also like basketball, I'm just doing 1950-forward.
We'll set up the brackets for each region. Starting here with Region 1 and the top overall seed in the tournament, the 2007 New England Patriots.
1. 2007 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS v. 16. Play In Winner: 1983 DALLAS COWBOYS v. 1974 MINNESOTA VIKINGS
1. 2007 AFC CHAMPION NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Pythagorean Record (not actual record) 14-2
Offense: 1st
Defense: 4th
d. Jags Divisional Rnd 31-20
d. Chargers AFC Title 21-12
Lost Super Bowl Giants 17-14
HC: Bill Belichick, OC: Josh McDaniels, DC Dean Pees
1st Team All Pro: QB T.Brady (30) WR R.Moss (30) LOLB M.Vrabel (32) CB A.Samuel (26)
1983 DALLAS COWBOYS
Pythag: 11-5
Offense: 2nd
Defense: 20th
Lost WC Rams 24-17
HC: Tom Landry, DC: Ernie Staunter
1st Team All Pro: RDT R.White (30) LCB E.Walls (24)
1974 NFC CHAMPION MINNESOTA VIKINGS
Pythag: 11-3
Off: 5th
Def: 3rd
d. Cards 30-14 Division Rnd
d. Rams 14-10 NFC Title
Lost Super Bowl Steelers 16-6
HC: Bud Grant, OC: Jerry Burns, DC: Neill Armstrong
1st Team All Pro: RDT A.Page (29)
The nearly unbeaten Patriots will rev up the tournament against the play in winner.
8. 2010 PITTSBURGH STEELERS v. 9. 2015 KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
8. 2010 AFC CHAMPION PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Pythag: 12-4
Off: 12th
Def: 1st
d. Ravens Div Rnd 31-24
d. Jets AFC Title 24-19
Lost Super Bowl Packers 31-25
HC: Mike Tomlin, OC: Bruce Arians, DC: Dick LeBeau
1st Tm All Pro: ROLB J.Harrison (32) SS T.Polamalu (29)
9. 2015 KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
Pythag: 11-5
Off: 9th
Def: 3rd
d. Texans WC 30-0
Lost Div Rnd Patriots 27-20
HC: Andy Reid, OC: Doug Pedersen, DC: Bob Sutton
1st Tm AP: FS E.Berry (27)
2015 is heavily represented in Region 1
5. 1977 DENVER BRONCOS v. 12. 2014 GREEN BAY PACKERS
5. 1977 AFC CHAMPION DENVER BRONCOS
Pythag: 11-3
Off: 10th
Def: 3rd
d. Steelers Div Rnd 34-21
d. Raiders AFC Title: 20-17
Lost Super Bowl Cowboys 27-10
HC: Red Miller, DC: J.Collier
1st Tm AP: RDE L.Alzado (28) RILB R.Gradishar (25) ROLB T.Jackson (26) SS B.Thompson (31)
12. 2014 GREEN BAY PACKERS
Pythag: 11-5
Off: 1st
Def: 13th
d. Cowboys Div Rnd 26-21
Lost Seahawks NFC Title 28-22
HC: Mike McCarthy, OC: Tom Clements DC: Dom Capers
1st Tm AP: QB: A.Rodgers (31) FB J.Kuhn (32)
The Orange Crush defense meeting Aaron Rodgers.
4. 2002 TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS v. 13. 2015 CINCINNATI BENGALS
4. 2002 SUPER BOWL CHAMPION TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
Pythag: 13-3
Off: 18th
Def: 1st
d. Niners Div Rnd 31-6
d. Eagles NFC Title 27-10
d. Raiders 48-21 Won Super Bowl
HC: Jon Gruden, OC: Bill Buir, DC: Monte Kiffin
1st Tm AP: RLB D.Brooks (29) RDE S.Rice (28) RDT W.Sapp (30)
13. 2015 CINCINNATI BENGALS
Pythag: 12-4
Off: 7th
Def: 2nd
Lost WC Steelers 18-16
HC: Marvin Lewis, Off: Hue Jackson, DC: Paul Guenther
1st Tm AP: RDT G.Atkins (27)
The only World Champion in Region 1 - Gruden's defensive minded Bucs.
3. 1967 OAKLAND RAIDERS v. 14. 2015 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
3. 1967 AFL CHAMPION OAKLAND RAIDERS
Pythag: 12-2
Off: 1st
Def: 2nd
d. Oilers AFC Title 40-7
Lost Super Bowl Packers 33-14
HC: John Rauch
1st Tm AP: QB D.Lamonica (26) LCB K.McCloughan (27) RDE B.Davidson (27) RDT T.Keating (25)
TE B.Cannon (30)
14. 2015 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Pythag: 12-4
Off: 3rd
Def: 10th
d. Chiefs Div Rnd 27-20
Lost AFC Title Broncos 20-18
HC: Bill Belichick OC: Josh McDaniels DC: Matt Patricia
1st Tm AP: TE R.Gronkowski (26) K S.Gostkowski (31)
The Patriots have two teams in Region 1 - they'll face the losers of SB2 in Oakland.
6. 2015 ARIZONA CARDINALS v. 11. 1975 MIAMI DOLPHINS
6. 2015 ARIZONA CARDINALS
Pythag: 12-4
Off: 2nd
Def: 7th
d. Packers Div Rnd 26-20
Lost NFC Title Panthers 49-15
HC: Bruce Arians, OC: Harold Goodwin, DC: James Bettcher
1st Tm AP: LCB Patrick Peterson (25) FS Tyrann Mathieu (23)
11. 1975 MIAMI DOLPHINS
Pythag: 11-3
Off: 6th
Def: 4th
Did not make playoffs
HC: Don Shula, OC: Howard Schnellenberger
1st Tm AP: RG L.Little (30)
Not every team in the field of 256 made the postseason; the Dolphins will meet Bruce Arians' who is also in this Region as the Steelers OC.
7. 2012 SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS v. 10. 1950 PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
7. 2012 NFC CHAMPION SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
Pythag: 11-5
Off: 11th
Def: 2nd
d. Packers Div Rnd 45-31
d. Falcons NFC Title 28-24
Lost Super Bowl Ravens 34-31
HC: Jim Harbaugh, HC Greg Roman, DC Vic Fangio
1st Tm AP: FS D.Goldson (28) P A.Lee (30) LILB N.Bowman (24) RILB P.Willis (27) ROLB A.Smith (23)
10. 1950 PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
Pythag: 10-2
Off: 7th
Def: 1st
Did not make playoffs
HC: Greasy Neale
1st TM AP: RLB: C.Bednarik (25)
If the seeding holds, we'll get a round 2 Harbaugh v. Harbaugh battle; the Niners taking on the oldest possible team in the field, the '50 Eagles.
2. 2019 BALTIMORE RAVENS v. 15. 2008 NEW YORK GIANTS
2. 2019 BALTIMORE RAVENS
Pythag: 13-3
Off: 1st
Def: 3rd
Lost in Div Rnd Titans 28-12
HC: John Harbaugh, OC: Greg Roman, DC: Wink Martindale
1st Tm AP: QB L.Jackson (22) K J.Tucker (30) LCB M.Humphrey (23) CB M.Peters (26)
15. 2008 NEW YORK GIANTS
Pythag: 11-5
Off: 3rd
Def: 5th
Lost in Div Rnd Eagles 23-12
HC: Tom Coughlin, OC: Kevin Gilbride, DC: Steve Spagnuolo
1st Tm AP: LDE J.Tuck (25)
And Region 1, Round 1 concludes here; a couple of teams that were top 5 in both offense and defense but lost in round one of the playoffs.
Region 1 - it'll all kick off here after all 16 regions have been similarly previewed.
