"The Curse of Flutie: We have to watch for this because Houston right now is 5-3 and they are probably going to win the AFC South. Except there is one big problem. Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips has done an incredible job turning around that defense. But the Texans are doomed to failure because Wade Phillips benched Doug Flutie before the playoffs in (1999) .... Every team that employs Wade Phillips is doomed to misery forever more."Sarà un caso...questi andavano come dei treni, ma prima l'infortunio a Williams, poi a Johnson, adesso Schaub out fino all'anno prossimo...
Here's the Phillips career timeline since he foolishly unleashed the Curse of Flutie upon Planet Pigskin in 1999:
• Defensive coordinator in Atlanta (2002-03)
• Defensive coordinator in San Diego (2004-06)
• Head coach in Dallas (2007-10)
• Defensive coordinator in Houston (2011)
All four organizations have been defined by high hopes followed by miserable and unexpected failure -- the two signatures of the Curse of Flutie.
For example: Since hiring Phillips, the Chargers, Cowboys and Falcons have all produced top-seeded playoff teams. All three of these No. 1 seeds failed to win even a single playoff game: the 2006 Chargers, 2007 Cowboys and 2010 Falcons. And Houston, of course, was on pace for the AFC's top seed before losing Schaub this week.
1999 Bills, Birth of the Curse -- With a playoff spot wrapped up, Phillips sits Flutie for the final game of the regular season, under the devious ruse of giving him some rest and backup Rob Johnson some reps. But Phillips then installs Johnson as the starter for a playoff game in Tennessee, unleashing forces beyond the control of mere mortals.
The Bill lose to the Titans via the "Music City Miracle." The loss is made possible after a poor day by Johnson (10 of 22, 131 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 64.8 passer rating.)
1999-2010 Bills -- Zero playoff appearances since Phillips benched Our Aggrieved Hero.
2004 Chargers -- Match a franchise record with 12 regular season victories but fail to win a playoff game after losing to the Jets in the wild card round. QB Drew Brees actually plays well (31 of 42, 319 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT). But the Curse of Flutie was just having a little fun at his expense: It blows in an ill wind that forces Chargers kicker Nate Kaeding to miss an easy 39-yard field goal in overtime. The underdog Jets pull out a shocking 20-17 victory in San Diego.
2006 Chargers -- Post a franchise-best 14-2 record, lead the NFL in scoring (492 points) and capture the AFC's No. 1 seed. Fail to win a single playoff game. Quarterback Philip Rivers plays poorly (14 of 32, 230 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT) as the Chargers lose at home to the Patriots, 24-21.
2007 Falcons -- Lose face-of-the-franchise quarterback Michael Vick in a shocking dog-fighting scandal that rocked the sports world.
2007 Chargers -- Reach the AFC title game for just the second time in 25 years -- but draw miserable fate. They must travel cross-country to face the 16-0 Patriots. The Chargers lose, 21-12, behind injured QB Philip Rivers (0 TD, 2 INT) and fail to score a single touchdown. The Curse of Flutie laughs a maniacal laugh.
2007 Cowboys -- Match a franchise record with 13 victories and capture the NFC's No. 1 seed. Fail to win a playoff game. It was the first divisional playoff loss by an NFC No. 1 seed after 17 straight wins. Quarterback Tony Romo plays poorly, completing just half his passes and suffers key sacks late in the game, a loss to the Giants.
2008 Chargers -- Made the playoffs after an 8-8 season, the Curse's vindictive little way of filling the organization with false hopes. Playing without injured star LaDainian Tomlinson, the Chargers rush 11 times for 15 yards in a 35-24 playoff loss at Pittsburgh.
2009 Chargers -- Close out the regular season with 11 straight wins to go 13-3 -- the Curse of Flutie merely setting up San Diego like little bowling pins of pigskin.
The Chargers earn a first-round bye and a home playoff game against the 9-7 wild card Jets. Rivers passes for 298 yards, compared to just 100 for Mark Sanchez. But the Chargers lose 17-14 thanks to an 0-for-3 effort by kicker Nate Kaeding -- a particularly tragic victim of the Curse of Flutie.
2009 Cowboys -- Win the NFC East with an 11-5 record, a talented offense and the league's No. 2 defense (15.6 PPG). Lose to Brett Favre and the Vikings 34-3 in the divisional playoffs behind an ineffective effort from Romo and a career playoff performance by Brett Favre (4 TD, 0 INT). The Curse of Flutie did a little jig at the irony of one of the league's best defenses suffering so miserably at the hands of the aging, mistake-prone gunslinger Favre.
2010 Chargers -- The Chargers finish the year No. 1 in total offense and No. 1 in total defense. Win only nine games and fail to reach playoffs. The Curse of Flutie celebrates with fish tacos and a bottle of Stone Ruination IPA.
2010 Cowboys -- A season of high hopes, followed by miserable failure. Dallas fires Phillips after a 1-7 start; go 5-3 the rest of the way. The Curse of Flutie brushes up Phillips' resume and sends it via Pony Express to Houston.
2011 Bills -- Began the season 3-0, highlighted by a signature win over the dominant division rival Patriots. But success is never meant to be again in Buffalo, not as long as the Curse of Flutie roams the earth: the Bills are now 5-4 and sinking fast after a crushing 44-7 Week 10 loss to the Cowboys.
Remorseful Bills fans suffer nightmarish visions of Rob Johnson and his Olivia Newton-John-style 1980s headband trotting out onto the field for the final seven games.
2011 Chargers -- Everybody's preseason favorite to win the AFC West is 4-5 and has suffered four straight losses after a strong start. The Curse of Flutie offers the SI Cover Curse a course on weaving false hopes.
2011 Cowboys -- The typical high hopes in Dallas have been met yet again by underachievement on the field. The Cowboys began the season 5-4 -- though they did lay waste to Buffalo 44-7 in Week 10.
Forced to make a choice between one of its victims for another, the Curse of Flutie will always hand Buffalo the cruelest outcome. The 44 points were the most scored by the Cowboys since Week 1 of the 2007 season -- the team's first game with Phillips as head coach. Yes, the Curse of Flutie works in mysterious ways.
2011 Falcons -- The Curse of Flutie forces Atlanta management to foolishly mortgage the future and trade five draft picks for wide receiver Julio Jones, when the team had tons of holes on defense.
The 13-3 Falcons of 2010 have responded with a disappointing 5-4 record through Week 10 and Atlanta QB Matt Ryan has taken a step back with Jones in the lineup (91.0 rating in 2010; 83.0 in 2011). Even fellow Boston College alumni are not immune to the vindictive retribution of the Curse of Flutie.
2011 Texans -- On pace for their best season in franchise history and the No. 1 seed in AFC. Lose QB Matt Schaub after Week 10. The Curse of Flutie celebrates with a road trip to Galveston and a fried seafood platter at Gaido's.
Indice 
Gio 17 Nov 2011, 14:16
