None. Before 1978, the NFL regular season was 14 games long. Two teams prior to 1978 had 11 wins in an NFL season and failed to make the playoffs. The 1967 Baltimore Colts went 11-1-2 and lost the Coastal Division title to the Los Angeles Rams on a head-to-head competition tie breaker and the 1963 Green Bay Packers went 11-2-1 and lost the Western Conference title to the Chicago Bears who went 11-1-2. In the 1968 American Football League season, the Kansas City Chiefs went 12-2 and failed to make the playoffs, losing a tie breaker game to the Oakland Raiders who had also gone 12-2 in the regular season. In all three instances above, the playoffs only accepted division or conference winners. There were no wild card teams in playoff competition until the AFL-NFL merger in 1970.
Since the Habs won the Stanley Cup in 1978, I doubt the Leafs beat them in a series.
Through the 2008 season, since the NFL went to a 16 game regular season in 1978, the 2008 San Diego Chargers and the 1985 Cleveland Browns are the only two teams to have won a division title with an 8-8 record. Incredibly, since 1978 there have only been two 11-5 teams that did not make the playoffs. They were the 2008 New England Patriots and the 1985 Denver Broncos. The two seasons that have seen an 8-8 team win a division are also the two seasons that have seen an 11-5 team not make the playoffs.
Since the NFL went to a 16 game regular season in 1978, the 1985 Denver Broncos and the 2008 New England Patriots are the only 11-5 NFL team to not have made the postseason through the 2008 season.
That would have been during the strike season of 1982. Only 9 games were played during the regular season and the NFL expanded to playoffs to include 8 teams per conference. This was the only season a team with a winning percentage under .500 made the playoffs (the Lions and Browns were both 4-5). Since the NFL went to a 16 game schedule in 1978, other than the 1982 strike season the fewest games a playoff team has won is 8.
The 2010 season was the last time the New York Jets went to the playoffs. They defeated the Indianapolis Colts and the New England Patriots, before losing in the AFC Championship game to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
1978 Redskins and the 2003 Vikings
In 1978 it was just four teams. It was doubled to eight teams in 1981. In 1982 it expanded to twelve. Expanded to sixteen in 1986. In 2010 it expanded to include twenty. In 2013, the FCS playoffs will expand to 24 teams.
The Canadiens won the cup. Other than that, what about the '78 playoffs???
The Leafs did not verse the Islanders in the 1978 playoffs but the New York Islanders did end up winning the championship.
16 teams.
1974 - 26 teams 1975 - 26 teams 1978 - 28 teams 1979 - 28 teams
In the 1978 NBA playoffs the Eastern Conference champion Washington Bullets defeated the Western Conference champion Seattle SuperSonics 4 games to 3. Wes Unseld was named NBA Finals MVP.
Since the Habs won the Stanley Cup in 1978, I doubt the Leafs beat them in a series.
Through the 2008 season, since the NFL went to a 16 game regular season in 1978, the 2008 San Diego Chargers and the 1985 Cleveland Browns are the only two teams to have won a division title with an 8-8 record. Incredibly, since 1978 there have only been two 11-5 teams that did not make the playoffs. They were the 2008 New England Patriots and the 1985 Denver Broncos. The two seasons that have seen an 8-8 team win a division are also the two seasons that have seen an 11-5 team not make the playoffs.
Since the NFL went to a 16 game regular season in 1978, the 1985 Denver Broncos and the 2008 New England Patriots are the only 11-5 NFL team to not have made the postseason through the 2008 season.
1978 Seattle SuperSonics 3-4 Washington Bullets
I think it was 24.