Tecmo Bowl Seasons 1, 2, & 3

The Inaugural Tecmo Bowl season had an interesting random alignment, with good teams spread to both conferences.  See image below for conference breakdowns. 
The different level of skill between the 4 human players would be a factor.  The 2 most inexperienced players received the top picks in each round of the draft in an effort to help them compete against the better players.

Season 1

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Seahawks LB Fredd Young

NFC recap

  • Seattle was the top team in the AFC, with a potent offense.  Linebacker Fredd Young won defensive player of the year honors. 
  • Walter Payton & Eric Dickerson were 2 of the top rushers. These backs positioned their teams to make a run at the championship.  The Bears as the 3 seed, and Colts as the 4 
  • Cleveland had a blue collar season and ended up with the 2 seed in AFC.
  • The Giants started slow, but gained momentum entering the playoffs.
  • Washington had a decent defense, but the offense failed to score many points.

AFC Recap

  • Danny White & Herschel Walker led a potent Cowboys offense that masked the issues of a slow & aging defense
  • The Raiders & 49ers racked up points all year, and overwhelmed many of the defenses they faced, while getting the 2 & 3 seeds
  • Chris Doleman was an all pro Defensive End, and Minnesota was surprisingly one of the more balanced teams in the league
  • Dan Marino & John Elway had their struggles this year, as the Denver & Miami finished 5th and 6th in NFC ​
Playoff Recap
  • Seattle won their 3 playoff games by a combined 34 points, leaving no doubt in the 4th qtr of those games.    
  • The Raiders started strong in games against Miami & Denver, but had to hold on late to win.  
  • Cleveland played well eliminating Chicago, but the season ended in the conference title game at the King Dome.
  • Denver pulled off 2 big upsets advancing to the AFC title game, but the Raiders offense proved to be too much.
  • The 49ers suffered a big upset in the playoffs, as Miami's defense held them in check all game.  
  • The Giants headed into the playoffs expecting to make some noise.  Indy's ground attack kept the New York offense on the sideline, and wore out the Giant defense.  

Season 2

Season 2 implemented divisions into each conference. 
Seattle faced long odds to a repeat as champion.  They would likely have to beat the 49ers or Bears in the playoffs.
The elite teams played at a high level this season as the Giants, Bears, & 49ers all won division titles.
The Raiders, Browns, & Cowboys were contenders to win Tecmo Bowl 1, but had far different fortunes this season.

AFC Recap

  • The Giants & Broncos were the 2 dominant teams in the AFC. Denver had the 2nd rated offense, & the Giants were 2nd in scoring defense.  It appeared one of them would represent the AFC in Tecmo Bowl 2.
  • If not  for a 4th qtr goal line stand by the Giants in the finale, Miami would have been 9-3 and won the division.  Miami led the league in scoring, which aided their middle of the pack defense.
  • Washington had a surprising 7 win season as they took advantage of a favorable schedule.  
  • Even more surprising was how the league had somewhat figured out the Raiders offense.  Time and time again L.A. failed to win close games.     

NFC Recap

  • The Bears were the class of the NFC with the most wins in the league (10), and had won 8 straight heading into the playoffs.  By season's end, Chicago was the odds on favorite to win Tecmo Bowl 2.
  • The defending champion Seahawks faced off with the 49ers in the season finale.  The 49ers won the game and the division title.  The loss for Seattle was the difference between getting the 2 or the 4 seed. 
  • Minnesota followed up last season with another 7 win performance, & the 6th best scoring defense.
  • Cleveland & Dallas had 2 of the worst defenses in the league.  That was evident in the loss column for each team.

Season 2 Playoffs

AFC wildcard & division round

  • The Raiders upset Washington and advanced to play New York, who had not lost a home game all year.  Bo Jackson and the Raiders offense ran all over the Giants.  Simms was not sharp, and the Raiders held on for a decisive 14-6 win in a major upset.
  • Miami as the 3 seed went to Denver and pulled off a hard fought  9-6 win in overtime.  With the Giants knocked out, the Dolphins would host the Raiders in the conference championship game.   

NFC wildcard & division round

  • The Browns got revenge for last season's playoff loss to Seattle, by knocking the defending champs out.  In the next game, Chicago put a beatdown on Cleveland 42-3. Unlike the Giants, Chicago lived up to expectations as a championship contender.
  • The 49ers took a 9-0 lead on the Vikings, but needed a late field goal to escape with a 12-10 win.  The 49ers were headed to Chicago to play the Bears.  
The Browns beat the champs in the wildcard game
A week later the Bears pummeled the Browns
LT dealt with the shocking loss to the Raiders
  • The Raiders playoff run came to abrupt end in Miami, as they had no answer for the high powered Dolphin offense.  Marino led the Miami to a 23-6 win, as they pulled away in the 2nd half.  
  • In Chicago, the Bears got out to a 14-0 lead.  From there the defense became exceedingly aggressive & Joe Montana fell victim to a landslide of interceptions in the 2nd half.  The Bears rolled 31-0 and were headed to Tecmo Bowl 2 as a heavy favorite over Miami.   Chicago had won 2 playoff games by a score of 73-3.  Miami reached Tecmo Bowl 2 with the defense playing incredibly well. 
This was a frequent scene for the Raiders defense.  Miami rolled to a 23-6 victory.
CBS thought they had the makings of a great Conference Championship Game...
But instead they got a blowout, as the Bears
beat up the 49ers by a score of 31-0.

Tecmo Bowl II


​In Tecmo Bowl II, Miami converted two 4th downs on the opening drive culminating in a Marino touchdown pass to Duper.  Singletary blocked the extra point.  The Bears countered with a long drive resulting in a field goal.  The Dolphins led 6-3 at halftime in a defensive battle.  The Miami defense sat on the run game and forced Chicago to work with short passes all game.  The strategy worked effectively slowing down the Bears attack that had throttled the Browns & 49er in the playoff games. 

A field goal late in the 3rd gave Miami a 9-3 lead.  Chicago answered with a long touch down drive to take a 10-9 lead midway in the 4th.  In the most important game of his career, Dan Marino lead the Dolphins down for the game winning field goal as time expired.  The culprit for the winning drive was a breakdown in coverage by Mike Singletary on 3rd & 12.  His blown coverage led to a key 1st down pass that kept Miami alive near midfield.  
The Singletary miscue was critical to the outcome, but it was the Miami defense that took center stage in the championship run.  The no-name Dolphins defense shut down their opponents in the playoffs.  Miami held Denver & L.A. to 6 points each, and only allowed 10 against Chicago.  Marino took advantage of those performances as he won his first Tecmo Bowl championship.    
Chicago came after Marino early on, but couldn't seize control
Mike Singletary would have to live with this loss all offseason
Don Shula got the ride of his life in the moments following Tecmo Bowl II

Season 3

Miami was in very favorable situation to repeat as champion as the Giants, Bears, & 49ers were all together in the NFC.
AFC Recap
  • Miami took advantage of a weak conference slate and rolled to 9 wins with their quest to repeat as champs. 
  • The Colts rode the legs of Eric Dickerson and had the 4th rated offense, & 2nd rated defense in the league.
  • L.A. somewhat rebounded from the previous year, but the defense finished 2nd to last in the league.
  • Seattle and Dallas were just 2 years removed from both capturing the 1 seed, but met in the season finale with no playoff implications on the line.

NFC Recap

  • The 1 seed Broncos, posted a 2nd consecutive 9 win season, & was the only undefeated team at home.
  • Washington set a season record for points allowed (26), and entered the playoffs on a 7 game win streak.
  • The 49ers set the season scoring mark (228), and won 6 straight heading into the playoffs
  • The Bears & Giants had their struggles all season.
  • New York started the year 4-1, then collapsed late.
  • Chicago started 0-3 before finishing 6-3.
The Redskins defense looked like this to their opponents...
and the 49ers offense looked like this to defenses around the league...
But the Dolphins were still the odds on favorite to win Tecmo Bowl 3...

Season 3 Playoffs

AFC Wildcard & Divisional round

  • Dallas prevailed over Seattle 19-7, as Dave Krieg was picked off twice in the 2nd half of the wildcard game.
  • Indy's 3 methodical scoring drives stuck Bo Jackson  on the sidelines for most of the 17-0 win. 
  • Miami shut down Herschel Walker and rolled to an 17-0 victory, as they reach the conf. title game again.
  • The AFC title game would pit the 2nd best defense (Indy) vs the 3rd best offense (Miami).

NFC Wildcard & divisional round

  • The Giants limped into the playoffs, but were carted out on a stretcher.  The Bears won 28-0 in Chicago.
  • Denver's playoff run was short lived, as Chicago rolled to a decisive victory in Mile High stadium.
  • The 49ers/Redskins game was decided by a late field goal.  San Fran won 6-3.  Washington's 7 game win streak was snapped, while the 49ers extended theirs to 7.  Washington had previously shut out 6 opponents in a row. 
The Raiders defense couldn't get off the field to let these guys do much damage against Indy.
The Bears beat the Giants 28-0, & completed the Giant's 2nd half of the season collapse. 
Despite all the star players on both sides, this guy was the one who decided it.
  • The Dolphins returned to the conference title game and jumped out to a quick 14-0 lead on Indy, as Marino sliced up the Colts defense.  The Colts responded in the 3rd qtr with a drive inside the Miami 5, but Jack Trudeau was intercepted in the endzone.  That basically ended the game.  Marino led 2 more scoring drives and the Dolphins rolled 28-0.  Miami was 1 win away from successfully defending their championship.
  • The 49ers & Bears faced off in a rematch of last season's conference championship game.  This time it would be played in San Francisco, and the 49ers were slight favorites.  Leading 7-0,  Joe Montana was intercepted in the endzone by Mike Singletary.  The opportunity to tilt the game in Chicago's favor was short lived, as the 49ers defense put the clamps on McMahon and Payton.  The 49ers added 17 points and won 24-0, avenging last year's 31-0 loss to the Bears at this same juncture of the season.  
Marino shredded a good Colts defense in front of the home crowd at the Orange Bowl
Eddie Debartolo was all smiles. His 49ers would finally get to play for a title
A dejected Walter Payton had one goal this year, and the Bears came up 2 wins short

Tecmo Bowl III

The dream QB match-up in Tecmo Bowl 3 turned into a nightmare for Miami
Marino led an early scoring drive giving Miami a 3-0 lead.  Miami failed to score again, but controlled the clock and led late in the 2nd qtr when the SF offense came alive.  Montana engineered a quick TD drive to lead 7-3 at the half. Until the 49er's scored, the game felt eerily similar to Tecmo Bowl II between Miami & Chicago.  Miami was set to receive the 2nd half kickoff.  

Unfortunately a 2nd half ambush awaited the Dolphins, as the sun began to set. 
Marino threw 5 INTs in the 2nd half and the 49ers racked up 21 points in the 3rd qtr. San Fran added another 14 in the 4th.  Montana was intercepted in the endzone late in the game, preventing even more carnage. The 49ers pummeled Miami 42-3. Midway in the 2nd qtr, Miami was in complete control then the wheels feel off.  The win capped off a spectacular season for the 49ers as they finished with 9 straight wins. The Dolphins failed to defend the title.

Season notes:

  • After the 49ers were defeated at LA by a score of 20-7 they dropped to 3-3.  Getting a good seed in the playoffs was in doubt.  Road games at New York & Chicago loomed in weeks 7 & 9.  Then fortunes of the 49ers, Raiders, & Giants all went in different directions.  San Fran destroyed the Giants 32-6, beat the Raiders 42-0 in the rematch, then got by the Bears in O.T. en route to winning 6 straight to end the season.  The 49ers also set the season scoring record.
  • The 32-6 loss to the 49ers sent the Giants into a nose dive & they finished the season going 1-5 down the stretch.  The Raiders were blown out in 3 straight games, and their 5-1 start was a distant memory.  Neither the Giants or Raiders recovered from the demolition they suffered at the hands of the 49ers.
  • SF’s efforts during the season were surprisingly equaled by Washington.  The Redskin defense shut out their final 6 opponents, and they posted 7 shutouts in 12 games.  Washington easily set the points allowed record, and won 7 in a row heading into the playoffs.
  • Miami had the look of a champion throughout the season.  They rattled off a 4 game win streak on 2 separate occasions, and were one of the most consistent team in the league.  The Colts however had positioned themselves with a chance to take the #1 seed from Miami in the finale.  The Bears were too much for Indy, as the Colts lost 10-0 in week 12, ensuring Miami would lock up the AFC's top seed.   ​
Do the 49ers repeat as champs in season 4?
Does Miami make it back to the championship game for a 3rd consecutive year?  
Click HERE to find out.