1. 2004 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS v. 16. Play In Winner 2013 NEW ORLEANS SAINTS v. 2006 CHICAGO BEARS
1. 2004 SUPER BOWL CHAMPION NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Pythag: 12-4
Off: 4th
Def: 2nd
d. Colts Div Rnd 20-3
d. Steelers AFC Title 41-27
d. Eagles Super Bowl 24-21
HC Bill Belichick OC Charlie Weis DC Romeo Crennel
1st Tm AP: K A.Vinatieri (32) RDE R.Seymour (25)
16. 2013 NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
Pythag: 11-5
Off: 10th
Def: 4th
d. Eagles WC 26-24
Lost Seahawks 23-15
HC: Sean Payton OC Pete Carmichael DC Rex Ryan
1st TM AP TE J.Graham (27)
16. 2006 CHICAGO BEARS
Pythag: 12-4
Off: 2nd
Def: 3rd
d. Seahawks Div Rnd 27-24
d. Saints AFC Title 39-14
lost Super Bowl Colts 29-17
HC Lovie Smith OC Ron Turner DC Ron Rivera
1st Tm AP: KR D.Hester (24) K R.Gould (24) MLB B.Urlacher (28)
The 8th overall seed is New England; this Patriots team was top 4 in offense and defense in '04 and won the SB. They'll face the winner of a play in game between a Bears squad that was top 3 in offense and defense in '06 and another of the Drew Brees teams.
8. 2012 SEATTLE SEAHAWKS v. 9. 1993 SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
8. 2012 SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
Pythag: 12-4
Off: 9th
Def: 1st
d. Redskins 24-14 WC
lost Falcons Div Rnd 30-28
HC: Pete Carroll OC Darrell Bevel DC Gus Bradley
1st TM AP: RB M.Lynch (26) LCB R.Sherman (24) FS E.Thomas (23)
9. 1993 SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
Pythag: 12-4
Off: 1st
Def: 16th
d. Giants Div Rnd 44-3
Lost Cowboys NFC Title 38-21
HC George Seifert OC Mike Shanahan DC Bill McPherson
1st TM AP: QB S.Young (32) WR J.Rice (31)
The top defense in 2012, the Seahawks, hosts the top offense from '93, the Niners.
5. 1971 BALTIMORE COLTS v. 12. 1988 MINNESOTA VIKINGS
Pythag: 12-2
Off: 5th
Def: 2nd
d. Browns Div Rnd 20-3
lost Dolphins AFC Title 21-0
HC Don McCafferty OC John Idzik
1st TM AP: FS R.Volk (26) RLB T.Hendricks (24) LDE B.Smith (26)
12. 1988 MINNESOTA VIKINGS
Pythag: 13-3
Off: 4th
Def: 2nd
d. Rams WC 28-17
Lost Niners Div Rnd 34-9
HC Jerry Burns OC Bob Schnelker DC Floyd Peters
1st TM AP: RCB C.Lee (27) RDT K.Millard (26) SS J.Browner (28)
Good battle here; the '71 Colts and '88 Vikes both top 5 in both offense and defense. Pete Carroll's on the Viking staff and is in the prior game with Seattle.
4. 1984 MIAMI DOLPHINS v. 13. 2009 SAN DIEGO CHARGERS
4. 1984 AFC CHAMPION MIAMI DOLPHINS
Pythag: 13-3
Off: 1st
Def: 7th
d. Seahawks Div Rnd 31-10
d. Steelers AFC Title 45-28
HC Don Shula DC Chuck Studley
1st TM AP: QB D.Marino (23) P R.Roby (23) C D.Stephenson (27)
13. 2009 SAN DIEGO CHARGERS
Pythag: 11-5
Off: 4th
Def: 11th
Lost Div Rnd Jets 17-14
HC Norv Turner OC Clarence Shelmon DC Ron Rivera
1st TM AP: K N.Kaeding (27)
The '84 Dolphins had the best offense in football; they'll host the first Rivers/Tomlinson Chargers team in the field.
3. 1955 CLEVELAND BROWNS v. 14. 1950 LOS ANGELES RAMS
3. 1955 NFL CHAMPION CLEVELAND BROWNS
Pythag: 9-3
Off: 1st
Def: 1st
d. Rams NFL Title 38-14
HC Paul Brown
1st TM AP: QB O.Graham (34) LT/K L.Groza (31)
14. 1950 LOS ANGELES RAMS
Pythag: 9-3
Off: 1st
Def: 9th
d. Bears Div Rnd 24-14
Lost Browns NFL Title 30-28
HC: Joe Stydahar
1st TM AP: LE T.Fears (28)
The '55 Browns beat the Rams to win the NFL Title; the '50 Rams lost to the Browns in the NFL Championship - those two teams match up here in the bottom half of Region 8.
6. 2005 DENVER BRONCOS v. 11. 2018 KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
6. 2005 DENVER BRONCOS
Pythag: 12-4
Off: 7th
Def: 3rd
d. Patriots Div Rnd 27-13
Lost AFC Title Steelers 34-17
HC Mike Shanahan OC Gary Kubiak DC Larry Coyle
1st TM AP: LCB C.Bailey (27)
11. 2018 KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
Pythag: 11-5
Off: 1st
Def: 24th
d. Colts Div Rnd 31-13
Lost AFC Title Patriots 37-31
HC Andy Reid OC Eric Bieniemy DC Bob Sutton
1st TM AP: QB P.Mahomes (23) WR T.Hill (24) TE T.Kelce (29)
Mike Shanahan's the Niners OC in the front half of the region; he's here with Jake Plummer facing the top offense in '18, the Chiefs.
7. 1997 GREEN BAY PACKERS v. 10. 1986 CHICAGO BEARS
7. 1997 NFC CHAMPION GREEN BAY PACKERS
Pythag: 12-4
Off: 2nd
Def: 5th
d. Bucs Div Rnd 21-7
d. Niners NFC Title 23-10
Lost Broncos Super Bowl 31-24
HC Mike Holmgren OC Sherm Lewis DC Friz Shurmur
1st TM AP: QB B.Favre (28) SS L.Butler (29)
10. 1986 CHICAGO BEARS
Pythag: 13-3
Off: 13th
Def: 1st
Lost Div Rnd Redskins 27-13
HC Mike Ditka OC Ed Hughes DC Vince Tobin
1st TM AP RLB W.Marshall (24) MLB M.Singletary (28) LT J.Covert (26)
The '85 Bears are the second overall seed; here are the '86 Bears, still the top defense in football. The '96 Packers are the third overall seed; here are the '97 Packers, top 5 in offense and defense.
2. 1998 MINNESOTA VIKINGS v. 15. 1996 CAROLINA PANTHERS
2. 1998 MINNESOTA VIKINGS
Pythag: 13-3
Off: 1st
Def: 6th
d. Cards Div Rnd 41-21
Lost NFC Title Falcons 30-27
HC Dennis Green OC Brian Billick DC Foge Fazio
1st TM AP: QB R.Cunningham (35) WR R.Moss (21) K G.Anderson (39) RDE J.Randle (31)
15. 1996 CAROLINA PANTHERS
Pythag: 12-4
Off: 7th
Def: 2nd
d. Cowboys Div Rnd 26-17
Lost NFC Title Packers 30-13
HC Dom Capers OC Joe Pendry DC Vic Fangio
1st TM All Pro: KR M.Bates (27) LILB S.Mills (37) LOLB K.Greene (34)
Region 8 wraps up with the 2nd best defense in '96, the Panthers, in Minnesota against the top offense from 1998.The third team to get bounced with the Top 5/Title Game floor we've set was originally in this slot, the '81 Cowboys. It could be those three teams taken out by that rule return; I don't know what the back half of the bracket looks like with teams in that cohort.
