Okay, I’m watching the Green Bay at Philadelphia game right now, and was just thinking how if the Packers win this one, then it will mean that both of the “First Round Bye” teams in the NFC (#1 and #2 seeds in the playoffs) would both be losing their divisional round game and not make it to the Conference Championship game.
And I cannot recall whether that scenario has even happened before. Or if it has, when it last happened. Obviously, it is not a common occurrence.
So, my question: Anybody know of a situation where this has happened before in the NFL? The #1 and #2 seeds both losing in their first round and missing the conference championship game? If so, what year, conference, and teams?
Sorry that went through twice, but at least I will add that I went through all the years of NFL playoffs where there has been seeding and 1987 is the only year when #1 and #2 in a conference lost their first games.
Washington’s only home playoff game was the NFC championship game that year.
However, 1987 was a strike year and Washington lost all four of its replacement games and it’s likely (if not self-evident since they won the Super Bowl) that they were a much better team than their record indicated.
Announcers just said that since the format changed to 6 teams per conference in 1990, the NFC has sent a #1 or #2 seed to the Super Bowl each time. Don’t know about AFC, but I doubt they’ve ever had BOTH #1 and #2 losing in the divisional round.
Your example was probably the most recent occasion.
The Ravens were a #4 team when they won the Super Bowl in 2000 (2001 by the time the game was played). The Titans were a #4 the year before. The Broncos were a #4 in 1997.
There are more examples from the AFC, which has had more wide-open playoffs.