Greatest Team Tournie: Round 1, Day 2

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Another day, another set of polls. I think 48 hours is a reasonable amount of time to run these.

Here are the matches for today:

57. 1974 Oakland Raiders
vs.
72. 1969 Minnesota Vikings

40. 1995 Dallas Cowboys
vs.
89. 2009 Minnesota Vikings

56. 1986 Chicago Bears
vs.
73. 1990 Buffalo Bills

41. 1997 Denver Broncos
vs.
88. 2009 Indianapolis Colts

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and a bit of data:

57. 1974 Oakland Raiders
Record 12-2 (13-3 postseason)
Number 1 Scoring Offense, Number 9 Scoring Defense
Lost in the Conference Championship to the Pittsburgh Steelers 24-13
Pro Bowlers: Ken Stabler, Fred Biletnikoff, Cliff Branch, Art Shell, Gene Upshaw, Otis Sistrunk, Phil Villapiano, Jack Tatum, Ray Guy
All Pros: Ken Stabler, Cliff Branch, Art Shell, Gene Upshaw
MVP: Ken Stabler

72. 1969 Minnesota Vikings
Record 12-2 (14-3 Postseason)
Number 1 Scoring Offense, Number 1 Scoring Defense
Lost in the Super Bowl to the Kansas City Chiefs, 23-7
Pro Bowlers: Joe Kapp, Gene Washington, Grady Alderman, Mick Tingelhoff, Carl Eller, Gary Larsen, Alan Page, Jim Marshall, Paul Krause
All Pros: Gene Washington, Grady Alderman, Mick Tingelhoff, Carl Eller, Alan Page, Fred Cox

40. 1995 Dallas Cowboys
Record 12-4 (15-4 Postseason)
Number 3 Scoring Offense, Number 3 Scoring Defense
Won in the Super Bowl against the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-17
Pro Bowlers: Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin, Jay Novacek, Mark Tuinei, Nate Newton, Ray Donaldson, Larry Allen, Charles Haley, Darren Woodson
All Pros: Emmitt Smith, Nate Newton, Darren Woodson

89. 2009 Minnesota Vikings
Record 12-4 (13-5 Postseason)
Number 2 Scoring Offense, Number 10 Scoring Defense
Lost in the Conference Championship to the New Orleans Saints 31-28 (OT)
Pro Bowlers: Brett Favre, Adrian Peterson, Percy Harvin, Sidney Rice, Bryant McKinnie, Steve Hutchinson, Jared Allen, Kevin Williams, Antoine Winfield
All Pros: Adrian Peterson, Steve Hutchinson, Kevin Williams

56. 1986 Chicago Bears
Record 14-2 (14-3 Postseason)
Number 13 Scoring Offense, Number 1 Scoring Defense
Lost in the Divisional Round to the Washington Redskins 27-13
Pro Bowlers: Walter Payton, Jimbo Covert, Jay Hilgenberg, Steve McMichael, Mike Singletary, Wilber Marshall, Dave Duerson
All Pros: Jimbo Covert, Mike Singletary, Wilber Marshall

73. 1990 Buffalo Bills
Record 13-3 (15-4 Postseason)
Number 1 Scoring offense, Number 6 Scoring Defense
Lost in the Super Bowl to the Giants 20-19
Pro Bowlers: Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, Andre Reed, Will Wolford, Kent Hull, Bruce Smith, Shane Conlan, Darryl Talley
All Pros: Thurman Thomas, Ken Hull, Bruce Smith

41. 1997 Denver Broncos
Record 12-4 (16-4 Postseason)
Number 1 Scoring Offense, Number 6 Scoring Defense
Won in the Super Bowl against the Green Bay Packers 31-24
Pro Bowlers: John Elway, Terrell Davis, Shannon Sharpe, Tom Nalen, Neil Smith
All Pros: Terrell Davis, Shannon Sharpe, John Mobley

88. 2009 Indianapolis Colts
Record 14-2 (16-3 Postseason)
Number 7 Scoring Offense, Number 8 Scoring Defense
Lost in the Super Bowl to the New Orleans Saints 31-17
Pro Bowlers: Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark, Jeff Saturday, Dwight Freeney, Robert Mathis, Antoine Bethea
All Pros: Peyton Manning, Dallas Clark, Dwight Freeney
MVP: Peyton Manning

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And my thoughts:

The first match is really close, the Raiders were at the peak of their dynasty, Ken Stabler had his best season and that defense was stout. The Vikings don't match up in the skill positions in level of talent, but their trenches were insane on both sides, and that's how they walked into a super bowl berth. I took the Vikings cause I love me some trench warfare.

The Cowboys may have been starting their decline in 1995, but they still had more raw talent than every other team in the league, and that's why they won a super bowl. The 09 Vikings were a really strong team, they had good balance on both sides of the ball, and they were an overtime period away from being the NFC reps in the 2009 super bowl. I think these Cowboys edge out the Vikings.

So fun fact about the 1986 Bears, they actually gave up less points per game than their 1985 counterparts. The big difference in the results? Healthy Jim McMahon, and they played an actual QB in the 86 playoffs. Their defense was stellar, but their offense was all on Walter Payton. Compared to the balanced 1990 Bills, I don't think they stand a chance. Even if the Bears were to hold them to 17, the Bears couldn't score that many on that Bills team. Not with Bruce Smith and that front seven providing disruption.

And for the last one, well the Colts by the Jim Caldwell days were carried by how far Peyton Manning could drag them on his tired old back. Which turned out to be pretty far, as they made the Super Bowl, and were in it until an untimely pick six at the end. The Broncos were a more balanced team, with a healthy running game, stout defense, and just a more physical squad overall. Plus they sealed the deal, even after being a wild card team.

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Alright, day two is closed.

The 1969 Vikings, 1995 Cowboys, 1986 Bears, and the 1997 Denver Broncos will be moving on to the next round.