What decade or era was the NFL's best?

[NeverSurrender]

I've always thought it was the 80s.

With the passing rules newly loosened, you had a good mix of passing and running. We had some old time coaches still around, great qbs and the best rbs of any decade, and that's not even debatable.

What say you?

[FullDJacket]

Good question, don't know the answer. 00s were better than the 90s. I loved the game right before they changed the kickoff(big bummer) and made all the changes to make the game less aggressive with the head tackles and so on. was that 4-5 years ago?

[Crazy Levi]

I enjoy it now as much as I ever have. The rules changes don't bother me I don't get off on watching grown men get spinal injuries.

[Bludegeon]

90's. Followed by the 70's. I may be biased though.. hahaha

[Machado]

90's. Followed by the 70's. I may be biased though.. hahaha

THIS!

Staubach, Dorsett, Ed Jones, Aikman, Irvin, E. Smith
Landry
Jimmy Johnson

[bigbuttskinner]

In most ways, the best is right now. The only thing I would tinker with is salary cap, and maybe bring back some of the previous pass catching rules.

[Bludegeon]

90's. Followed by the 70's. I may be biased though.. hahaha

THIS!

Staubach, Dorsett, Ed Jones, Aikman, Irvin, E. Smith
Landry
Jimmy Johnson

Guess I am not the only one who is biased on this. lol

[UtahRatt]

80's........With the 70's close behind.

I have a 1992 VHS recording of a Monday Night game, even then the game was changing but holy fuck on dam near every play was "that was awesome" "and would have been a flag today"

[Gritt]

I enjoy it now as much as I ever have. The rules changes don't bother me I don't get off on watching grown men get spinal injuries.

Spot on.

[UtahRatt]

I enjoy it now as much as I ever have. The rules changes don't bother me I don't get off on watching grown men get spinal injuries.

Spot on.

It's clearly known I hate most of the rule changes but this NERF era also has other issues that turn me off. Players today, only play for money and that personally pisses me off to be honest. The NFL is ran like shit and also is all about money. The hype gives me a headache, I dug blocking out my Sunday's for football and didn't like Thursday games. Now sometimes we have two Monday Night, Thursday, Saturdays......I so miss the Pro Bowl being a real game.
Also, the media blows the fuck up over a few teams or players like the rest of the league don't matter. They'll spend a full week gawking over one good match up and skim over the rest. Like Sherman in the Superbowl, that's all they talked about was his mouth for two weeks and he didn't factor in Seattle's win.

Now there's a dozen channels, 24 hours a day of constant blabber, fantasy talk and stat this and stat that. At least that part as a viewer you can tone out. It's more like WWE but not as physical.


Disclaimer, I still like the game, I miss it more.

[bane]

I like the game as much now as I ever did. Rule changes and all. There have always been things to bitch about in the NFL. The 70's, 80's and 90's all had their share. There is always something you wish they'd do differently, but it's still football.

[Gritt]

I like the game as much now as I ever did. Rule changes and all. There have always been things to bitch about in the NFL. The 70's, 80's and 90's all had their share. There is always something you wish they'd do differently, but it's still football.

Once again, spot on.

[UtahRatt]

I like the game as much now as I ever did. Rule changes and all. There have always been things to bitch about in the NFL. The 70's, 80's and 90's all had their share. There is always something you wish they'd do differently, but it's still football.

With Hockey and Baseball I haven't paid much attention to the NFL.....
Is their talk about shorting the goal posts width? I wouldn't mind seeing shorter posts if after the miss the ball spotted at the line of scrimmage and none of this rule ABCD.123 if the kick is inside the 20 or outside the 35yd line stuff.

Anyone know what's on the table this year for rule changes? It use to be the size of a business card.

[Gritt]

The only rule change so far that I'm aware of is the extra point snapping from the 15 yard line. You can also run back a block or turnover like in college on the PAT now.

[UtahRatt]

I like the game as much now as I ever did. Rule changes and all. There have always been things to bitch about in the NFL. The 70's, 80's and 90's all had their share. There is always something you wish they'd do differently, but it's still football.

Once again, spot on.

I try, I really do but I can't watch today's game then compare them to the 70's and 80's highlights, it don't even come close to the feeling of those Dallas, Steelers and Raider SuperBowls and plays like the Catch. It's like music to me, shit was so much better. With all the great players from the past era.
I even have a hard time seeing how people enjoy it as much unless it's an age gap. If I didn't grow up watching and playing I'd problem be just as into it.
That and passion dies a bit with age, I'm not that 10 year old kid jumping up and down on the couch.

One thing I can say, is I still love the AFC and NFC championship games. They're always great.

[bane]

That and passion dies a bit with age, I'm not that 10 year old kid jumping up and down on the couch.

Having a 10 year old of my own jumping up and down on the couch made a difference for me. My youngest LOVES the game. He can recite stats for almost anyone in the game and is really into the history of it etc. His interest in it has rekindled my own. Having a local team to follow helps too. My kid and I were watching some YouTube clips of receivers going across the middle in the 90's (guys like Givens, Reed and Irvin) Those hits were like car wrecks. It's kind of surprising none of those guys died out there. They had to legislate that out. Guys are too big and too fast now. Somebody was gonna leave the field in a body bag.

[UtahRatt]

The only rule change so far that I'm aware of is the extra point snapping from the 15 yard line. You can also run back a block or turnover like in college on the PAT now.

I like it. In the NFL you can't run back onside kicks anymore right?

[bane]

The only rule change so far that I'm aware of is the extra point snapping from the 15 yard line. You can also run back a block or turnover like in college on the PAT now.

I like it. In the NFL you can't run back onside kicks anymore right?

I don't know if that's a rule or not. I've never seen anybody try it in an NFL game.

[Gritt]

The only rule change so far that I'm aware of is the extra point snapping from the 15 yard line. You can also run back a block or turnover like in college on the PAT now.

I like it. In the NFL you can't run back onside kicks anymore right?

I don't know if that's a rule or not. I've never seen anybody try it in an NFL game.

The only time I remember it was Jason Sehorn ran an onside kick back in the playoffs the year the Giants went to the super bowl against Baltimore.

[UtahRatt]

Having a 10 year old of my own jumping up and down on the couch made a difference for me. My youngest LOVES the game. He can recite stats for almost anyone in the game and is really into the history of it etc. His interest in it has rekindled my own. Having a local team to follow helps too. We were watching some clips of receivers going across the middle in the 90's (guys like Givens, Reed and Irvin) Those hits were like car wrecks. It's kind of surprising none of those guys died out there. They had to legislate that out. Guys are too big and too fast now. Somebody was gonna leave the field in a body bag.

Ok I totally get that, your kid being into it would be an enjoyable bond that has to be a kick. I love pads, some of the most brutal hits I received I hardly felt.

Hit's to the head: I fully believe if LB's, FB's and lineman still wore cowboy collars we wouldn't be in this major panic today. There would be a noticeable drop with concussions and neck injuries. It's sucks they didn't have the new designs back then but with all the rule changes now it's less of an issue to bring them back so it's almost moot, we've panicked and changed the rules.....But they do work considerably well. They fazed out because the younger gen in the 90's didn't like the fucking style just as much as complaining about vision but they were also fazed out long before the new designs came in. It's Horse shit. The new designs are sweet and work and if they were used I believe we wouldn't be in a guilt trip of injuries and rules. They'll never come back now since the panic of rules have been changed but I'd like to see some FB's use them. Just my opinion, I was late to wearing them but once I did I can say they saved me a good number of times.

---------------------------------------------

Onsides were ran back forever but it changed sometime in the last 5+ years I guess.

**A kickoff is illegal unless it travels 10 yards OR is touched by the receiving team. Once the ball is touched by the receiving team or has gone 10 yards, it is a free ball. Receivers may recover and advance. Kicking team may recover but NOT advance UNLESS receiver had possession and lost the ball.

So no, you can't run back onsides kicks unless the kicking team recovers and fumbles....I prefer to make the risk like it was and watch the return team pick it up and run it back to close the door on the game.

[bane]

From what you posted, it sounds like the receiving team can advance it. I'd guess most coaches don't want them to for fear of a strip. Once you've got the ball in that situation it's usually pretty close to victory formation time.

[UtahRatt]

From what you posted, it sounds like the receiving team can advance it. I'd guess most coaches don't want them to for fear of a strip. Once you've got the ball in that situation it's usually pretty close to victory formation time.

Correction, you're right. It's the kicking team that can't advance unless the receiving team has possession and fumbles....Sounds odd. I was just trying to recall an onsides kick last year where they said they couldn't advance. Got the sides wrong.

[Furnier]

I started watching in 1970. IMO the era from 1970-1994 (the NFL's 75th anniversary) was the golden era. Competition was fierce. The league was loaded with talent, great coaches and scholars of the game. Even the teams that were considered also rans of that era were no pushovers.

1995 is when it began to go south with the addition of Carolina and Jacksonville which was the point I feel the league began to become diluted with too many mediocre players in starting positions. That's also the year franchise relocation fucked shit up with the Oilers going to Tennessee and the whole Cleveland fiasco later that year.

For me, the NFL has never been as fun as it was in those 25 years between 70-94. I still watch. I still go to games and I still enjoy it to a degree but the bloom is definitely off the rose...IMO.

[Crazy Levi]

80's........With the 70's close behind.

I have a 1992 VHS recording of a Monday Night game, even then the game was changing but holy fuck on dam near every play was "that was awesome" "and would have been a flag today"

Yep. For me it's painful to watch - I wince on almost every play I see in highlights of the Redskins 1991 season.

Barbaric I tell ya!

Glad they have been legislating that stuff out of the game.

[Machado]

80's........With the 70's close behind.

I have a 1992 VHS recording of a Monday Night game, even then the game was changing but holy fuck on dam near every play was "that was awesome" "and would have been a flag today"

Yep. For me it's painful to watch - I wince on almost every play I see in highlights of the Redskins 1991 season.

Barbaric I tell ya!

Glad they have been legislating that stuff out of the game.

The horse collar tackle now seems like such a vicious play. They were so prevalent in the 80's and 90's.
How many ball carriers suffered a broken leg from a legal horse collar tackle? Besides that play I notice when the NFL Network broadcasts games from those 2 decades how many times the D-Line literally punches the O-Line upside the head with their first move. Reggie White was very good with that move

[Crazy Levi]

80's........With the 70's close behind.

I have a 1992 VHS recording of a Monday Night game, even then the game was changing but holy fuck on dam near every play was "that was awesome" "and would have been a flag today"

Yep. For me it's painful to watch - I wince on almost every play I see in highlights of the Redskins 1991 season.

Barbaric I tell ya!

Glad they have been legislating that stuff out of the game.

The horse collar tackle now seems like such a vicious play. They were so prevalent in the 80's and 90's.
How many ball carriers suffered a broken leg from a legal horse collar tackle? Besides that play I notice when the NFL Network broadcasts games from those 2 decades how many times the D-Line literally punches the O-Line upside the head with their first move. Reggie White was very good with that move

Deacon Jones lays it out for ya:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lm2l0pxYw-4

[UtahRatt]

80's........With the 70's close behind.

I have a 1992 VHS recording of a Monday Night game, even then the game was changing but holy fuck on dam near every play was "that was awesome" "and would have been a flag today"

Yep. For me it's painful to watch - I wince on almost every play I see in highlights of the Redskins 1991 season.

Barbaric I tell ya!

Glad they have been legislating that stuff out of the game.

The horse collar tackle now seems like such a vicious play. They were so prevalent in the 80's and 90's.
How many ball carriers suffered a broken leg from a legal horse collar tackle? Besides that play I notice when the NFL Network broadcasts games from those 2 decades how many times the D-Line literally punches the O-Line upside the head with their first move. Reggie White was very good with that move

Ten's of thousands of horse collars and one changes the game.

Getting hurt more about bad luck. The horse collar wasn't as bad when pads road high, neck braces and cowboy collars. Look at Bo Jacksons ending tackle, Joe Theisman......Getting pulled down from behind is painful but you can bend a leg on any play. The part that hurts getting yanked from behind was going face first after landing on your knees. I never seen a horse collar yank a joint in 30 years. Ever watch a foot dislocate clean off the ankle joint? Picture the bottom of a foot bending back and laying flat on his calf muscle.

[DEATH ROW JOE]

Until someone goes undefeated it's the 70s.

[NeverSurrender]

I enjoy it now as much as I ever have. The rules changes don't bother me I don't get off on watching grown men get spinal injuries.

They have spinal injuries. Lots of them.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2176 ... ut-the-nfl

Lots.

These rules are only there to save the NFL's ass when players sue them again.

God, you're dumb.

[Crazy Levi]

Truther, you know as well as I do that it's IMPOSSIBLE to eliminate injuries in any sport.

Are you seriously suggesting that the rules changes have not made the game safer in regards to spinal injuries? I don't really care WHY the NFL did it (only morons like you really care about motivation).

Also, will you vote for Donald Trump if given the chance?