The 1997 Seattle Seahawks season was the team's 22nd season with the National Football League (NFL). This season would mark a new era for the Seahawks as they drafted two first round picks and traded quarterback Rick Mirer and signed Minnesota Vikings/Houston Oilers quarterback Warren Moon to be John Friesz's backup. Moon and Jones would go on to be selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006 and 2014, respectively. They also signed rookie quarterback Jon Kitna. After a Week 1 injury to Friesz, Moon led the Seahawks improvement from 1996's 7–9 record to finish 8–8. This would be Moon's last season making the Pro Bowl in his career, he went on to win Pro Bowl MVP.
The 1991 Seattle Seahawks season was the team's 16th season with the National Football League (NFL). The 1991 season was the last season for head coach Chuck Knox, who left to become head coach of the Los Angeles Rams while president and general manager Tom Flores replaced him.
The 1989 Seattle Seahawks season was the team's 14th season with the National Football League (NFL). The season marked the end of an era for the team, as the last remaining original Seahawk, longtime wide receiver Steve Largent, retired after playing 14 seasons in the league, all with the Seahawks. At the time of his retirement, he was the NFL's all-time reception leader.
The 1988 Seattle Seahawks season was the team's 13th season with the National Football League (NFL). The Seahawks won their first division title in the AFC West. They won the division with only a 9–7 record and finished with only a +10-point differential.
The 1986 Seattle Seahawks season was the team's eleventh in the National Football League (NFL). Despite posting a 10–6 record and having a dominant five-game win streak to close out the season, the Seahawks narrowly missed the playoffs, losing the tiebreakers with both AFC wild card teams.
The 1985 Seattle Seahawks season was the team's tenth season with the National Football League (NFL). The team finished with an 8-8 record and a 3rd place finish in the AFC West and missed the playoffs.
The 1984 Seattle Seahawks season was the team's ninth season with the National Football League (NFL). The season opener was moved from Sunday to Monday afternoon on Labor Day to avoid a conflict with a Seattle Mariners baseball game.
The 1981 Seattle Seahawks season was the team's sixth season with the National Football League (NFL). The Seahawks got off to a terrible start, losing six of their first seven games, on the way to a 6–10 season. Steve Largent would have a stellar season with 1,224 receiving yards. Seattle opened their season at Cincinnati, and held a 21–0 lead before the Bengals rallied for an improbable 27–21 win. This loss proved to be the beginning of the end for the Seahawks in 1981, as they would struggle as the season progressed.
The 1985 New York Jets season was the 26th season for the team and the 16th in the National Football League. It began with the team trying to improve upon its 7–9 record from 1984 under head coach Joe Walton. Among quarterbacks, Ken O'Brien had the lowest rate of interceptions, with only eight interceptions in 488 passing attempts. The Jets finished the season with a record of 11–5, qualifying for the top Wild Card spot in the playoffs. On October 14, during a Monday Night Halftime ceremony, the Jets retired Joe Namath's number 12, and helped inspire the Jets to a 23–7 victory over the Dolphins. In the Wild Card round of the playoffs, they fell at home to the eventual AFC champion New England Patriots 26–14.
The 1982 New York Jets season was the 23rd season for the franchise and its 13th in the National Football League. It began with the team trying to improve upon its 10–5–1 record from 1981 and return to the playoffs under head coach Walt Michaels. The season was marred by an eight-week players’ strike, cancelling eight scheduled games, and eliminating divisional play for the season; the top eight teams from each conference advanced to the playoffs. The Jets finished the season with a record of 6–3 and sixth place in the American Football Conference. They defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 44–17 and Los Angeles Raiders 17–14 in the first two rounds of the playoffs to advance to their first AFC Championship Game. There, they fell to their division rivals, the Miami Dolphins, 14–0.
The 1981 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 49th in the National Football League. After enduring an injury plagued 9–7 season the previous year and missing the playoffs for the first time since 1971, the Steelers had hoped that the 1980 season was just a small hiatus from contending for championships. However, while the Steelers had flashes of their former glory years after starting the season with 2 unimpressive losses, the 1981 season would end in an 8–8 record and eventually prove the end of the Steelers great dynasty of the 1970s. The Steelers had a chance to make the playoffs with an 8–5 start to the year but lost all of their last three games to miss the playoffs.
The 1983 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 51st season in the National Football League.
The 1984 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 52nd season as a professional sports franchise and as a member of the National Football League. This for the first time since 1969 Terry Bradshaw was not on the opening day roster.
The 1985 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 53rd season as a professional sports franchise and as a member of the National Football League. The Steelers challenged for the AFC Central most of the season, sitting at 6–5 after their first eleven games. However, losing 4 out of their final 5 games dropped the Steelers to a 7–9 overall record, their first season with a losing record in fourteen years.
The 1986 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise’s 54th season as a professional sports franchise and as a member of the National Football League. The Steelers failed to improve upon their 7–9 record from 1985: they instead finished 6–10 and failed to reach the playoffs for a second consecutive season.
The 1987 Indianapolis Colts season was the 35th season for the team in the National Football League (NFL) and fourth in Indianapolis. It was also their first full season under head coach Ron Meyer, who had taken over an 0-13 Colts team the previous season after Rod Dowhower was fired.
The 1986 San Diego Chargers season was the franchise's 17th season in the National Football League (NFL), and its 27th overall. the team failed to improve on their 8–8 record from 1985. Following a stagnant 1–7 start, Head Coach Don Coryell was fired and Al Saunders was named interim Head Coach. After the season, Saunders was named the permanent Head Coach and would hold the position through the end of the 1988 season. Leslie O'Neal was named Defensive Rookie of the Year.
The 1984 San Diego Chargers season was the franchise's 15th season in the National Football League (NFL) and its 25th overall. From a 6–10 record in 1983, the team improved to 7–9. Despite winning seven games, the Chargers failed to win a single game within their division.
The 1983 Denver Broncos season was its 24th in professional football and 14th in the National Football League (NFL). Led by third-year head coach Dan Reeves, the Broncos were 9–7, third in the AFC West, and made their first playoff appearance in four seasons.
The 1981 Denver Broncos season was the team's 22nd year in professional football and its 12th with the National Football League (NFL). Led by first-year head coach Dan Reeves, the Broncos were 10–6, tied for first in the AFC West, but failed to make the postseason again due to their loss to the Buffalo Bills, who gained the final berth.
