Denbrnc
12-17-2008, 12:13 AM
For those of you who don't have a clue who Joe Roth was, let me fill you in: He was a great QB at Cal in the Mid 70's who was projected to go high in the 77 NFL Draft. He almost led the Bears to the 75 Rose Bowl, and was one of the leading Heisman contenders in 76. Things were going great for Joe, but then, fate intervened. The cancer that he thought he had defeated came back during the 76 season. He was diagnosed with Melanoma, and it turned out to be terminal. He died in February, 1977. That day, a possibly great Hall-of-Fame and SB-winning career died with him.
But what if Joe had lived? What if he would have overcame his cancer and played in the NFL? Here is what I think would have happened, at least for the first few years of his career. I don't want to go too far with this, because it would take too long.
77 NFL Draft: The Bucs had the first pick, and they select Ricky Bell because of McKay and his USC connections. Seattle has the second pick. The Bengals, who have the third and eighth picks in the first round, decide to make a move. Paul Brown used to coach a guy named Greg Cook in 1969, who was going to be great, but tore his rotator cuff. He sees Roth as a second chance at Cook, so he trades those two picks to the Seahawks, as well as their second rounder that year, to get Roth(blocking the Boys from gettting Tony Dorsett). After the Seahawks take OT Marvin Powell with the third pick, the Jets take Dorsett with the fifth pick, and the Seahawks take DT Wilson Whitley from Houston with the other first-rounder.
1977 season: Roth sits on the bench and learns behind Ken Anderson, and the Bengals end up at 8-6, second in the Central behind the Steelers.
1978(#1 Pick: Ross Browner, DE, Notre Dame)
(#2 Pick: Ray Griffin, CB, Ohio St.)
Roth is named the starter on opening day, and Anderson is kept as the backup and his mentor. Joe plays pretty well in his first season as the starter. He leads them to wins over KC in the first week and Cleveland in the second week. They then give the Steelers a run for their money in week 3 before losing in OT 24-21. After the Steelers OT loss, they end up winning eight of their last 11 games and get a Wild Card berth. Joe QB's them to an upset over Miami in the Wild Card, and then over the Patriots in the AFC Playoffs before finally losing a tough one at Pittsburgh, 34-17. He ends up throwing for 3,000 yards, 25 TD's, and makes the Pro Bowl along with Terry Bradshaw.
1979(#1 pick: Jerry Robinson, OLB, UCLA)
(#2 pick: William Andrews, RB, Auburn)
Before the season, Bill Walsh, who just took over as Niner's head coach, works out a trade with the Bengals for Ken Anderson, who he used to coach when he was with the Bengals, and they pass over a certain Notre Dame QB named Joe Montana, who gets selected by the Packers when they trade back into the third round to get him after passing him up. Cincinnati starts the season 0-2, losing tough ones to Denver and Buffalo on the road, and then win 9 of their last 14 but miss the playoffs. Roth has a shakier second season, missing 2 games to injury, but still throws for 2,900 yards and 20 TD's.
1980(#1 pick: Art Monk, WR, Syracuse)
#2 pick: Irv Pankey, T, Penn St.)
With Roth and a good supporting cast of Art Monk, Don Bass, Dan Ross, Isaac Curtis, William Andrews, Archie Griffin, and new LT Irv Pankey, the Bengals are ready to take that next step. They start the season 7-0 before losing to Snake and the Oilers in Houston. They then win six of their last eight games to go 13-3 and have home field. After beating San Diego in the first round, they hold off the Raiders in a thrilling AFC Championship, and then win their first SB against the Eagles. Roth, William Andrews, and Isaac Curtis make the Pro Bowl, and Art Monk wins Rookie of the Year. Roth wins SB MVP.
1981(#1 Pick: Mike Singletary, LB, Baylor)
(#2 Pick: Frank Warren, DE, Auburn)
Fresh off of the franchise's first SB win, and picking 28th, the Bengals add more defense to the team to compliment a potent offense, taking Mike Singletary and Frank Warren. They go 14-2 and bowl through the playoffs, beating Buffalo and San Diego to get to their second straight Super Bowl. Their opponent: The Ken Anderson-led 49ers. Coming off of a 8-8 year in 1980, Walsh entirely re-built the defense with CB's Hanford Dixon(they would be picking lower, so Ronnie Lott would be gone) and Eric Wright and S Carlton Williamson, as well as MLB Hacksaw Reynolds and DE/OLB Fred Dean. In this matchup, Roth, the former understudy, beats the guy that helped tutor him, Ken Anderson, and the Bengals win back-to-back Super Bowls.
To make a long story short, in 82, the strike hit, injuries hit, and Cincinnati lost to the Jets in the first round. They bounced back in 83 with an 11-win campaign, but lost to the Raiders in the AFC Divisional playoff. They then would go on to win more SB's in 84, 87, and 88, and establish themselves as the Team of the 80's. Oh, what could have been for the Bengals.
But what if Joe had lived? What if he would have overcame his cancer and played in the NFL? Here is what I think would have happened, at least for the first few years of his career. I don't want to go too far with this, because it would take too long.
77 NFL Draft: The Bucs had the first pick, and they select Ricky Bell because of McKay and his USC connections. Seattle has the second pick. The Bengals, who have the third and eighth picks in the first round, decide to make a move. Paul Brown used to coach a guy named Greg Cook in 1969, who was going to be great, but tore his rotator cuff. He sees Roth as a second chance at Cook, so he trades those two picks to the Seahawks, as well as their second rounder that year, to get Roth(blocking the Boys from gettting Tony Dorsett). After the Seahawks take OT Marvin Powell with the third pick, the Jets take Dorsett with the fifth pick, and the Seahawks take DT Wilson Whitley from Houston with the other first-rounder.
1977 season: Roth sits on the bench and learns behind Ken Anderson, and the Bengals end up at 8-6, second in the Central behind the Steelers.
1978(#1 Pick: Ross Browner, DE, Notre Dame)
(#2 Pick: Ray Griffin, CB, Ohio St.)
Roth is named the starter on opening day, and Anderson is kept as the backup and his mentor. Joe plays pretty well in his first season as the starter. He leads them to wins over KC in the first week and Cleveland in the second week. They then give the Steelers a run for their money in week 3 before losing in OT 24-21. After the Steelers OT loss, they end up winning eight of their last 11 games and get a Wild Card berth. Joe QB's them to an upset over Miami in the Wild Card, and then over the Patriots in the AFC Playoffs before finally losing a tough one at Pittsburgh, 34-17. He ends up throwing for 3,000 yards, 25 TD's, and makes the Pro Bowl along with Terry Bradshaw.
1979(#1 pick: Jerry Robinson, OLB, UCLA)
(#2 pick: William Andrews, RB, Auburn)
Before the season, Bill Walsh, who just took over as Niner's head coach, works out a trade with the Bengals for Ken Anderson, who he used to coach when he was with the Bengals, and they pass over a certain Notre Dame QB named Joe Montana, who gets selected by the Packers when they trade back into the third round to get him after passing him up. Cincinnati starts the season 0-2, losing tough ones to Denver and Buffalo on the road, and then win 9 of their last 14 but miss the playoffs. Roth has a shakier second season, missing 2 games to injury, but still throws for 2,900 yards and 20 TD's.
1980(#1 pick: Art Monk, WR, Syracuse)
#2 pick: Irv Pankey, T, Penn St.)
With Roth and a good supporting cast of Art Monk, Don Bass, Dan Ross, Isaac Curtis, William Andrews, Archie Griffin, and new LT Irv Pankey, the Bengals are ready to take that next step. They start the season 7-0 before losing to Snake and the Oilers in Houston. They then win six of their last eight games to go 13-3 and have home field. After beating San Diego in the first round, they hold off the Raiders in a thrilling AFC Championship, and then win their first SB against the Eagles. Roth, William Andrews, and Isaac Curtis make the Pro Bowl, and Art Monk wins Rookie of the Year. Roth wins SB MVP.
1981(#1 Pick: Mike Singletary, LB, Baylor)
(#2 Pick: Frank Warren, DE, Auburn)
Fresh off of the franchise's first SB win, and picking 28th, the Bengals add more defense to the team to compliment a potent offense, taking Mike Singletary and Frank Warren. They go 14-2 and bowl through the playoffs, beating Buffalo and San Diego to get to their second straight Super Bowl. Their opponent: The Ken Anderson-led 49ers. Coming off of a 8-8 year in 1980, Walsh entirely re-built the defense with CB's Hanford Dixon(they would be picking lower, so Ronnie Lott would be gone) and Eric Wright and S Carlton Williamson, as well as MLB Hacksaw Reynolds and DE/OLB Fred Dean. In this matchup, Roth, the former understudy, beats the guy that helped tutor him, Ken Anderson, and the Bengals win back-to-back Super Bowls.
To make a long story short, in 82, the strike hit, injuries hit, and Cincinnati lost to the Jets in the first round. They bounced back in 83 with an 11-win campaign, but lost to the Raiders in the AFC Divisional playoff. They then would go on to win more SB's in 84, 87, and 88, and establish themselves as the Team of the 80's. Oh, what could have been for the Bengals.