USA TODAY
NOVEMBER 8, 2024
MONTANA BISONS SHOOT FOR HISTORY
BUTTE, MT
The 'Boys of Butte' will attempt to be the first team in NFL history to win a game after defeating two undefeated teams, on back-to-back weekends, after game # 6 of the season.
This venture in futility began two decades ago when the Steelers of Pittsburgh, defeated the Los Angeles Eagles, formerly of Philadelphia, by a score of 27- 3.
The Eagles traveled to Pittsburgh, and became victim # 2, as Pitt had dismantled the previously undefeated New England Patriots, the previous Sunday.
The Steelers, understandably exuberant after becoming the first team in NFL history to accomplish this amazing fete, were asked to leave the friendly confines of the house Teresa built and travel to Cleveland, Ohio, to take on the lowly 3- 5 Browns.
That Cleveland team was fresh off a loss in front of a national TV audience, to a revenge motivated team that previously played on the field where the Newport Ravens once proudly called home -- Baltimore, MD.
It was an ESPN, Sunday night affair, which is still memorable, because of the record setting interception return of 105 yards, which occurred in the waning seconds of the game, as Cleveland was about to tie the game 20-20. That record remains intact 20 years later.
Baltimore was a six point favorite in that game and the record setting interception return had Cleveland supporters throwing their remotes through their TV screens. An overtime game seemed inevitable and that would have guaranteed them a win or a push.
It wasn't to be, as the final score was 27-13.
The Browns had opened their season by shutting down the then Baltimore Ravens, 20- 3, on opening day of that 2004 NFL season.
As luck would have it, the schedule maker appeared to have an issue with the Browns, as they were now being asked to deal with, not only a team that defeated them just a month earlier, but the hottest team in the NFL -- The Pittsburgh Steelers.
The headlines around the country, when speaking of that Pittsburgh team, read like a Superman comic book --
THE MAN OF STEEL
BEST ON THE PLANET
THIS KID CAN'T LOSE
IT'S GREAT TO BE KING
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You all know the shocking results of that game, which was the very first attempt by one of the 11 member fraternity of teams, asked to do this seemingly impossible task of winning a game after knocking off the final two undefeated NFL teams, on
back-to back weekends.
This week, twenty years later to the day, the seemingly invincible Bisons, who are starting a rookie QB, fresh from his National Championship winning season with the Richmond Spiders, will be in a similar situation as that old Steeler team found themselves in, back on Nov 7, '04.
The Mighty Bisons will be on the road, against a losing team (South Dakota Outlaws), starting a rookie QB who has won 19 straight games, dating back to his days as a 'Spider' and playing just their second road game in seven long weeks.
Can the Bisons complete this seemingly ‘Impossible Mission’? We think not and we'll look for the same score as that first attempt, back in ‘04, when the Browns took
out the mighty men of steel 23 - 19.
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-- THE PICK --
We actually remember an NFL system we used back on that eventful November day, back in 2004. We remember it because we use it every season.
Here is how it plays out --- If you were to play against any NFL road favorite, that was outrushing their opponents by 40 or more yards/game and they just finished outrushing their last opponent by 100 or more yards, your money winning spread record would be an amazing 108 - 18 ATS the previous 30 years.
At the time, in 2004, when the mighty Steelers were traveling to Cleveland, the system was 36- 6 ATS for the previous 10 years (28-14 S/U) and 12- 0 the previous three years, including 3- 0 that current season.
I remember one of those three wins had occurred just a couple of weeks earlier, as the Broncos of Denver, traveled to Cincinnati, to take on the lowly Bengals, as a six point road favorite. Fresh off their blowout win over their arch enemy, the Oakland Raiders, 31- 3, Denver got blasted 23-10.
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-- OUR FINAL SCORE PREDICTION --
We'll look for the same final score as that Cleveland over Pittsburgh result was, 20 years earlier, to the day.
Montana Bisons 19 -- South Dakota Outlaws 23
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