16 teams to go. Well, 17, with the play in. Actually 20 - we're going to find homes for the last 3 SB Champs who aren't in the field.
The 16th overall seed...
1. 1976 PITTSBURGH STEELERS v. 16. Play In Winner 1983 MIAMI DOLPHINS/2011 NEW YORK GIANTS
1. 1976 PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Pythag: 13-1
Off: 5th
Def: 1st
d. Colts Div Rnd 40-14
lost Raiders AFC Title 24-7
HC Chuck Noll DC Bud Carson
1st TM AP: MLB J.Lambert (24) LLB J.Ham (28)
16. 1983 MIAMI DOLPHINS
Pythag: 12-4
Off: 7th
Def: 1st
lost Div Rnd Seahawks 27-20
HC Don Shula DC Bill Arnsparger
1st TM AP LDE D.Betters (27) NT B.Baumhower (28)
16. 2011 SUPER BOWL CHAMPION NEW YORK GIANTS
Pythag: 8-8
Off: 9th
Def: 25th
d. Falcons WC 24-2
d. Packers Div Rnd 37-20
d. Niners NFC Title 20-17
d. Packers Super Bowl Title 21-17
HC Tom Coughlin OC Kevin Gilbride DC Perry Fewell
1st TM AP RDE J.Pierre-Paul (22)
Easy to find a spot for the '11 Giants; it belonged to the '10 Jets, but they didn't reach the floor. They'll face the best defense from '83, Shula's Dolphins for the right to take on the last number one seed in the field, the '76 Steelers.
8. 2008 BALTIMORE RAVENS v. 9. 1975 MINNESOTA VIKINGS
8. 2008 BALTIMORE RAVENS
Pythag: 12-4
Off: 11th
Def: 3rd
d. Dolphins WC 27-9
d. Titans Div Rnd 13-10
lost Steelers AFC Title 23-14
HC John Harbaugh OC Cam Cameron DC Rex Ryan
1st TM AP FB L.McClain (24) FS E.Reed (30) LILB R.Lewis (33)
9. 1975 MINNESOTA VIKINGS
Pythag: 12-2
Off: 3rd
Def: 3rd
lost Div Rnd Cowboys 17-14
HC Bud Grant OC Jerry Burns DC Neill Armstrong
1st TM AP: QB F.Tarkenton (35) RB C.Foreman (25) FS P.Krause (33) RDT A.Page (30)
One more Bud Grant team in the field, the '75 Vikes were 3rd in offense and defense and they go to Baltimore where the '08 Ravens had the third best defense in football.
5. 2005 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS v. 12. 1997 KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
5. 2005 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
Pythag: 13-3
Off: 2nd
Def: 2nd
lost Div Rnd Steelers 21-18
HC Tony Dungy OC Tom Moore DC Ron Meeks
1st TM AP QB P.Manning (29) FS B.Sanders (24) RDE D.Freeney (25) C J.Saturday (30)
12. 1997 KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
Pythag: 12-4
Off: 5th
Def: 1st
lost Div Rnd 14-10
HC Marty Schottenheimer OC Paul Hackett DC Gunther Cunningham
1st TM AP None
The last Chiefs team in the field is the '97 squad that had the best defense in football - they go to Indianapolis to face a Colts team that was second in both offense and defense in 2005.
4. 2013 SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS v. 13. 1970 DALLAS COWBOYS
4. 2013 SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
Pythag: 12-4
Off: 11th
Def: 3rd
d. Packers WC 23-20
d. Panthers Div Rnd 23-10
lost Seahawks NFC Title 23-17
HC Jim Harbaugh OC Greg Roman DC Vic Fangio
1st TM AP LILB N.Bowman (25)
13. 1970 NFC CHAMPION DALLAS COWBOYS
Pythag: 9-5
Off: 10th
Def: 4th
d. Lions Div Rnd 5-0
d. Niners NFC Title 17-10
lost Super Bowl Colts 16-13
1st TM AP RLB C.Howley (34)
The last Cowboy team to make the field was the 1970 squad with the 4th best defense in football; the third best defense in 2011 was the 49ers, and the Cowboys head to San Francisco here.
3. 1967 GREEN BAY PACKERS v. 14. 2015 PITTSBURGH STEELERS
3. 1967 SUPER BOWL CHAMPION GREEN BAY PACKERS
Pythag: 11-3
Off: 9th
Def: 3rd
d. Rams Div Rnd 28-7
d. Cowboys NFC Title 21-17
d. Raiders Super Bowl 33-14
HC Vince Lombardi DC Phil Bengsten
1st TM AP RS W.Wood (31) LLB D.Robinson (26) RCB B.Jeter (30) LDE W.Davis (33) RT F.Gregg (34) RG J.Kramer (31)
14. 2015 PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Pythag: 11-5
Off: 4th
Def: 11th
d. Bengals WC 18-16
lost Broncos Div Rnd 23-16
HC Mike Tomlin OC Todd Haley DC Keith Butler
1st TM AP WR A.Brown (27)
Last Packer team in the field is the winner of Super Bowl 2, the '67 Packers, they host the last Steelers team in the field, the 2015 squad had the 4th best offense.
6. 2009 NEW ORLEANS SAINTS v. 11. 1953 SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
6. 2009 SUPER BOWL CHAMPION NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
Pythag: 12-4
Off: 1st
Def: 20th
d. Cards Div Rnd 45-14
d. Vikings NFC Title 31-28
d. Colts Super Bowl 31-17
HC Sean Payton OC Pete Carmichael DC Gregg Williams
1st TM AP FS D.Sharper (34)
11. 1953 SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
Pythag: 9-3
Off: 1st
Def: 6th
Did not make playoffs
HC Buck Shaw
1st TM AP RB H.McElhenny (25) FB J.Perry (26) RDT L.Nomellini (29)
The Saints team that won the Super Bowl is here; they had 2009's best offense - they host the team with 1953s best offense, the Niners.
7. 1990 BUFFALO BILLS v. 10. 1968 LOS ANGELES RAMS
7. 1990 AFC CHAMPION BUFFALO BILLS
Pythag: 12-4
Off: 1st
Def: 6th
d. Dolphins Div Rnd 44-34
d. Raiders AFC Title 51-3
lost Super Bowl Giants 20-19
HC Marv Levy OC Ted Marchibroda DC Walt Corey
1st TM AP: RB T.Thomas (24) RDE B.Smith (27)
10. 1968 LOS ANGELES RAMS
Pythag: 10-4
Off: 5th
Def: 3rd
Did not make playoffs
HC George Allen
1st TM AP RS E.Meador (31) RDT M.Olsen (28) LDE D.Jones (30)
The only one of those Bills Super Bowl losing teams in the field is the first one; the '90 squad had the best offense in football. They'll host a Rams team that was top 5 in offense and defense in '68.
16 SB losers did not make the field:
1975 Cowboys
1979 Rams
1986 Broncos
1988 Bengals
1991 Bills
1992 Bills
1993 Bills
1994 Chargers
1995 Steelers
1996 Patriots
1999 Titans
2000 Giants
2003 Panthers
2004 Eagles
2008 Cards
2021 Bengals
One game left.
2. 1989 SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS v. 16. Play In Winner: 1984 LOS ANGELES RAIDERS/2007 NEW YORK GIANTS/1970 BALTIMORE COLTS
2. 1989 SUPER BOWL CHAMPION SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
Pythag: 13-3
Off: 1st
Def: 3rd
d. Vikings Div Rnd 41-13
d. Rams NFC Title 30-3
d. Broncos Super Bowl 55-10
HC George Seifert OC Mike Holmgren DC Bill McPherson
1st TM AP: QB J.Montana (33) WR J.Rice (27) K M.Cofer (25) FS R.Lott (30)
16. 1984 LOS ANGELES RAIDERS
Pythag: 11-5
Off: 9th
Def: 4th
lost Seahawks WC 13-7
HC Tom Flores
1st TM AP LDE H.Long (24) ROLB R.Martin (30) RCB M.Haynes (31)
16. 2007 SUPER BOWL CHAMPION NEW YORK GIANTS
Pythag: 9-7
Off: 14th
Def: 17th
d. Bucs WC 24-14
d. Cowboys Div Rnd 21-17
d. Packers AFC Title 23-20
d. Patriots Super Bowl 17-14
HC Tom Coughlin OC Kevin Gilbride DC Steve Spagnuolo
1st TM AP None
16. 1970 SUPER BOWL CHAMPION BALTIMORE COLTS
Pythag: 10-4
Off: 6th
Def: 7th
d. Bengals Div Rnd 17-0
d. Raiders AFC Title 27-17
d. Cowboys Super Bowl 16-13
HC Don McCafferty OC John Idzik
1st TM AP
And that's a wrap.
The Colts will meet the Giants in a battle of the last two SB winners yet to be placed in the field; the winner will then play the Raiders in the play in game --- and that winner advances to round one to take on the 17th seed in the tournament, the 1989 Super Bowl Champion 49ers.
Good people, one and all. Time to play the games.
