Tomorrow’s NFC Title game at Seattle vs the Seahawks will mark the 5th time the Rams are playing either for the all the way NFL crown (’45 and ’55) or the NFC title and a Super Bowl berth (’75,’85 and 2025).
In the previous four such games, the Rams are (1-3) and (0-3) as the L.A. Rams.
The two NFL title games produced a Cleveland Rams victory vs a Washington team in ’45 and a resounding Cleveland Browns’ triumph led by the great Otto Graham over by then, an L.A. based Rams team.
Forty years before the Rams reversed the ’85 title tilt loss with a “div” round win last week (20-17) in overtime, surviving Caleb Williams’ (a Southern Cal QB) incredible scramble/pass essentially game tying/yielding overtime TD pass that also “exchanged” more $$ than most banks, Chi (Bears) had shutout the Rams on the way to their lone Supe crown.
Back another ten years, now 50, Preston Pearson scored 3 touchdowns in the Dallas Cowboys’ rout win at Los Angeles vs the Rams in the ’75 NFC title game.
After starting (0-4) and (1-6) in NFC title games, the Rams were victorious in their most recent four such games, (two were followed by Supe wins in truly close games vs the Tennessee Titans in ’99 and in “Falfa Alfa’s” (Al Michaels) last Supe vs the Cincinnati Bengals and two were followed by a potential this season Supe opponent the New England Patriots in ’01 N.E.’s first title and ’18 the Pats’ sixth and most recent crown).
Seattle is (3-1) in NFC Title Games, the three wins at home, the loss at the eventual champion Raiders in ’83.
The Seahawks lone earlier title tilt resulted in a victory vs the Green Bay Packers in 2014.
“Sea” lost in the subsequent Supe as Malcom Butler, mysteriously benched by Belichick 3 years later in a Pats’ Supe loss vs Philly, made an all-time play, actually the biggest in making N.E. an, if not the NFL’s all-time dynasty, intercption saved/won the title for New England.
The most versatile, clutch player, Preston Pearson, pictured above.
In Sunday’s earlier title tilt, that the AFC (Rams at Seahawks, NFC’er is the later one as after 11 seasons of ‘them’ not alternating early or late by conference, this will be the thirtieth consecutive year (’96-2025) in which it is alternated), host team Denver is a near 5 point(s) underdog vs New England (Patriots).
This perception is due almost entirely to the fact that backup Jarrett Stidham and not the injured Bo Nix after his excellent effort in the “div” round win vs Buffalo (Bills), will be the Denver starting quarterback.
These two original AFL franchises met in the first AFL “reg” game on Friday night September 9, 1960. (Pretty good odds Nantz will cite that but apparently Romo stated, at some point this post season– “I am almost sure this is 4 down territory” when it was 100 percent such).
The Broncos are (4-1) vs the Pats in ‘offs tilts, (2-0) in previous title games and the home team prevailed in all 5 games.
One of my favorite players, now 87 year old Gene Mingo is pictured above.
I knew Gene was a fine kicker, but did not realize he was a return specialist and also once threw a TD pass to Broncos’ great, Lionel Taylor.
In that first AFL tilt, Mingo had a 76 yard punt return TD, the first TD in AFL annals, that put Denver up (13-3) in an eventual (13-10) win.
Gene as is the case with ” Indiana title clinching interception player, Jamari Sharpe was born on September 22nd.
Sharpe also wears/wore #22 and is 22 years old.
I noted it days back without seeing it, (doubt Fowler did, if he did, I apologize) but below the juxtaposition of title game endings and near such, between Sharpe and his uncle Glenn is cited.
What’s wild about Sharpe’s history is his uncle, Glenn, was penalized on a game-extending play in the end zone for Miami against Ohio State in the 2003 national champion. Now, it’s Jamari stepping in front of Beck’s pass to win a title for Indiana.
In a game I did not watch, first opting for “The House On 92nd Street” and “The Seven Year Itch,” before sleep, credit Indiana football under Cignetti, (let’s not deify him as the transfer portal and a largely upper classmen roster aided, this still incredible rise.) as they finished (16-0), (only Yale in 1894 also had that great a record), claiming a first crown (27-21) OVER Miami as a TD plus favorite.
The undefeated title season for Indiana football, once a no chance losing program in Ohio State/Michigan dominated Big Ten (by the way three straight crowns for 3 different teams for the Big Ten–elephant sans power/forum me, recalls the more than tolerable and quite talented, Sean McDonough “bad mouthing” the Big Ten, as Indiana fell at Notre Dame in the 12 to 8 round last season) comes 50 years after the last undefeated college basketball title team, also Indiana, accomplished the feat in March 1976.
Indiana led (10-0) at the half, and by scores of (10-7), (17-7 as a pair of upper classmen, Mikail Kamara blocked a Joyce punt and Isiah Jones fell on it for a touchdown), (17-14), (24-14–all everything 2025 into 2026 (we shall see him in Sin City where rain will fall, we all get some, those of us with standards get a deluge) Fernando (another Fernando title, L.A. got 2 with Fernie Valenzuela patches, and he was someone I liked) Mendoza’s brilliant 4 yard TD run on fourth down), (24-21), an Indiana “settle” to (27-21) giving Miami with 5 previous crowns, but none since ’01 by the way the same # as Indiana basketball, which also has a long title drought, their last in ’87, a year Miami also a long time college football “no chance” team, won their second), a chance.
However, on a second and 7 from the Indy (the Pacers shocked to the 7th game of the NBA final before falling to (68-14) reg, just (16-7), but double 8 was “enough,” Ok City and the Colts started (8-2) only to lose their last seven) 30, Jamari Sharpe recorded an all-time big “int.”
Oh the coincidences and my notes (doubt Fowler had them, maybe he did–I did not watch or listen) as Jam Sharpe, pictured below is a nephew of former Miami player, Glenn Sharpe.
Last night Jamari’s (see I got his first name in there) “int” wrapped an incredible Indiana first football crown–(I am so VS Fowler and Herbstreit and believe me there are worse, in fact much worse that I will not post legendary broadcaster Don Fischer’s call of Sharpe’s interception (got the full word in also), however you ought to listen)— juxtaposed with the fact Uncle Glenn was more than questionably called for pass interference in overtime vs eventual game and title winner, Ohio State in the ’02 season title, which kept Ohio State going.
Jamari Sharpe, all it entails, see above, is pictured there as well.
The bookend games went into overtime, however, excitement is/was limited by virtue of them being won by field goals.
Denver and L.A. FG’d in overtime, while New England and Seattle eased to set up first, N.E. (-4 plus) vs a Denver sans Bo Nix team to be followed by Sea about a field home favorite, vs the Rams.
Some great plays, questionable calls and non calls and I enjoyed listening to the likes of Harry Caray and Bob Wolff on old W.S. games (openers in ’67 and ’61, respectively) as the picture piped in the Chi snow. (ode to ex Rams player, Jack Snow and more details down the road.
Harry picked the great Lou Brock, pictured above to be the ’67 W.S. star.
The home team is, unofficially, a very impressive (45-10) in previous Slot 1/earlier Saturday “div” games.
Buffalo (Bills) on the road for a Saturday “div” game for the first time in 30 years, is (7-8) in previous div round tilts.
Only one of the 15 winning teams in those games won the requisite two subsequent ‘offs games to claim the NFL crown. (The ’74 Steelers, the first of their tied with N.E. for the most Supe crowns (6), were the team, doing so, in the Bills’ first NFL ‘offs game).
Of course Buffalo is (0-4) in Supes and four times the team that “title tilted”/AFL ’66 final’d “Buff,” lost in the Supe (twice in recent years, K.C. plus they lost in the first NFL/AFL Championship Game in ’66 and in ’88 Cincinnati).
The great John Stallworth, pictured above, was a rookie wide receiver on that ’74 Steelers’ title team.
By the way, you know about another great, Mr. Brady and others drafted late, “Stall” who wore #82 was the 82nd pick in the ’74 NFL draft. which was a bonanza for the Steelers.
The Saturday, late afternoon slot 1 tilt matching original AFL’ers, Buffalo (Bills) at Denver, vs the Broncos will mark just the second time Denver has hosted a slot 1 game. (i.e. the first of the four divisional round games).
Six times before Denver was the scene for the later Saturday “slots” game, only once at night, that in ’05, when they eliminated a Patriots’ team that had won the Super Bowl in 3 of the last 4 seasons. One late afternoon (Eastern Time) tilt resulted in a win vs the Pittsburgh Steelers, in their first ever ‘offs game, which did not occur until ’77, Denver’s 18th, the first 10 in the A.F.L.
In slots and title tilts, Denver has a stellar (18-8) record. (10-6 in div rd games and a mighty impressive (8-2) in title games, one of the losses, at Buffalo in ’91.
The record is not so good in Supes and wild card round games, their most recent of the latter, a rout, more or less expected, loss, at Buffalo, last season, (2-7 in w/cd/rd and (3-5) in Supes, that after losing more than decisively in their first four).
Denver has never hosted a slot 3 (earlier Sunday game) but 7 times has been at home for a slot 4 (later Sunday) game, posting a (5-2) record in such games.
That is the late Denver offensive lineman, Paul Howard pictured above.
A tale of two Joe Greenes/Joe Green’s as “Mean Joe” Greene did punch Howard in the stomach during the ’77 ‘offs tilts.
My friend the late Joe Green ?’d and minimum discredited (Franco Harris and Rock Bleier did not play) the ’76 Oak win and gave “reason?” to Greene’s frustration in the ’77 loss in slot 1.
Sadly Paul died at age 70 and below another side of “Mean Joe” in a classic, great commercial.
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Last Sunday, both the San Francisco 49ers and New England Patriots, the two franchises with the most ‘offs wins, added to their leads with victories.
S.F. has 39 such wins (though I respect the old All American Football Conference–after all it produced the great Cleveland Browns, who split in 6 consecutive NFL title tilts upon entering the league in 1950, I do not count the Niners’ 1949 special ‘offs win in the AAFC) while N.E. has 38.
It has been 31 years since the last San Francisco Super Bowl win. They had won 4 crowns in 9 seasons per their nickname (check out the fine narrator of old NFL tilts, Jim Leaming calling them “The Prospectors”) and that was the number of years from S.F. NFL entry in 1950 until their first title, coached by Bill Walsh, achieved in 1981.
Since a slot 3 loss at Tampa Bay (Buccaneers) (national radio: Bob “Wide open is Tyree” Papa yet…) in ’02, S.F. has won 9 consecutive “slots”/”div” round games, by definition making the title game/semis all 9 and advancing, but losing the subsequent Supe thrice (they won in their first 5 such games and are (5-3) in Supes/NFL final round games, very similar to the NHL Edmonton Oilers, who are (5-4) in final round entities, also once having won 5 straight such, those after a loss. Subsequent to the non Gretzky crown in ’90, Edmonton has lost twice in 7 and once in 6 in final round series).
Seattle (Seahawks), who “title tilted” S.F. , en route to their lone title in ’13, and won 2 weeks ago, also in a Saturday night game, to clinch ‘el’ NFC ‘1,’ are TD plus faves vs S.F.
The Niners will be in their 27th “slots” game (18-8) in previous), and a nineteenth Saturday such game.
Bill Walsh, who guided S.F. to three crowns, (George Seifert guided the other two such wins), is pictured above.
The world, already in the hands of the minimum, unsavory, has also been infected by this entity artificial intelligence. (Not a big fan of Iverson, but would rather cite him with those initials).
Latest inaccuracy as I looked for Bears/Rams playoffs history.
The Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Rams have faced each other twice in the playoffs, with the Bears holding a 1-1 record against the Rams.
Playoff Matchups
- First Meeting: The first playoff encounter between the Bears and Rams occurred in the 1985 NFC Championship Game, where the Bears won decisively, advancing to Super Bowl XX.
- Second Meeting: Their second playoff matchup took place in the 2018 NFC Wild Card Round, where the Rams emerged victorious, eliminating the Bears from the postseason.
Sorry, whatever you are, but there was no 2018 wild card round game between the two teams. There was an unscheduled playoff game, won by the Rams vs the Bears for the NFL Western crown in 1950. Unlike the ’85 Bears, not mentioned by it, who “rammed” (pun intended) N.E. in the NBC telecast Supe, the “first year in the NFL, after All American Football Conference domination,” Cleveland Browns, edged the Rams in the ’50 title game.
Below is worse!! There have been, as cited above just 2 previous ‘offs games between the two teams.
Rams Bears Playoffs History
Also not to be confused with Mr./Dr.? Salk and the polio vaccine (has Mr. Rodgers finally really left the “neighborhood?”), however, a practical truly giving invention (could record say Ed Sullivan and watch Bonanza though I think the former CBS’d at 8 and the Latter NBC’d at 9, but you get the idea), the idea of recording television entities ( VHS tapes pictured below) was helpful. This all things computer, I and as an opinion: we could have lived without!!)
Four of the 5 wild card round games played thus far Pittsburgh (Steelers) hosts the Houston Texans tonight, to complete the round) were down to the wire, thrilling entities.
When the proverbial “dust cleared” the “slots”/divisional round is almost set. One Saturday tilt will match the NFC top seed Seattle Seahawks, just under a TD “fave” and the San Francisco 49ers for the second time in three weeks, perhaps again on a Saturday night.
Yesterday the Niners eliminated the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles, holding on to a 4 point lead as there were 4 straight Eagles no gains, once they reached the Niners’ 21, in the closing minute or so.
Also on Saturday, in what appears to be a scintillating matchup, (again one never knows but surely the largely, high scoring NFL delivered quite an array of close w/cd/rd games), AFC top seed Denver (Broncos) will host the Buffalo Bills, the latter riding a key push on a Josh Allen “sneak,” to a last minute, go ahead to stay, TD in a (27-24) win at Jacksonville (Jaguars).
Perhaps they will clash in the upcoming Supe, a day shy of 4 weeks hence, both the above mentioned Allen and the day before Matthew Stafford, each directed winning touchdown drives for decisive scores sans the safety net of a tying FG in back pocket.
Stafford’s 21 yard TD toss to Colby Parkinson lifted the 10 point “fave” Rams (34-31) over (call it 3-1-1, likely all 10’s and all but the Eagles and Chargers (that next and last), 7’s yet “live” fear and …..) Carolina (Panthers) and into Chicago, forty years later as the great Bears defense stymied Brock Dieter and L.A. in that year’s semi/NFC title tilt.
Chi, down by the comeback score (21-3) (see many examples but I watched none as it was Amazon Prime, which dominates and also delivered a “grabber” that day), again overcame the Packers, winning (31-27) and opened 4 plus point(s) underdogs, albeit at home vs the Rams, some time next Sunday.
Finally, the intense Mike Vrabel (somehow Michigan 2023 title coach Jim Harbaugh, also an excellent one did not seem “as,”) coached, AFC “2” seed New England Patriots won the least competitive of the 5 thus far, (16-3) vs the L.A. Chargers.
Next either a ’96 Sunday slots redux vs the Steelers or a stretch but vs the city whose then Oilers “slotted” N.E. in their first home game in that round.
Since that ’78 season slot 3 home loss to the Houston Oilers, N.E. has gone (13-1) in home slots/div round games. (The only loss to the Jets, yes the Jets in 2010).
Andy B Sports 