Alternate NFL Playoff History

[kenyan_cheena]

Come on, Bengals!

[kenyan_cheena]

Something that still amazes me to this day...

During my early years of following the NFL (the late '80s through to the mid '90s), the Houston Oilers and Kansas City Chiefs were regular contenders in the AFC. I've just had a look at their season-by-season records during the period and it is a terrible story of postseason futility and heartache.

From the '87 season through the '95 season inclusive (that's nine seasons):

Combined record

HOUSTON OILERS 79-64
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS 80-61-2

Playoff appearances

HOUSTON OILERS 7
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS 6

In both instances, these playoff appearances took place in unbroken, consecutive seasons. The Chiefs missed the playoffs in '87, '88 and '89 and the Oilers missed out in '94 and '95, when they started going down hill.

Playoff records

HOUSTON OILERS 3-7
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS 3-6

There was a four-year period, from '90 to '93, when they were both in the playoffs every season. But somehow, they only managed to cross paths ONCE. That was in '93, when the Joe Montana-led Chiefs went to Houston for the divisional playoffs and won 28-20 after the Oilers had led 10-0 going into the 2nd quarter.

That loss was the conclusion of three straight soul destroying playoff trips for Houston, starting with a 26-24 loss to the Broncos in '91 (a game they were leading 21-6 in the 2nd quarter) and followed by the horror of '92 against Buffalo. I'm a Bengals fan but I had a soft spot for Warren Moon and it tore me up seeing him lose like that in the playoffs every year.

It's just incredible to me that during this period, the two teams combined for THIRTEEN playoff appearances and between them, they only made it to the Conference Championship game ONCE. And standing in KC's way? The Buffalo Bills!

Sorry if I'm thread-jacking, Hurkman, but this was something I was reflecting on today.