9 of the Worst Teams in NFL History
"Competition breeds excellence." This expression often appears in the business world, making the implication that a lack of competition can result in failure. When competition exists, a particular group must strive to remain one "step" ahead of the competition. This phenomenon exists not only in the business world, but also in the world of sports.
In the sports world, fierce competition motivates teams as they battle for supremacy. Only three NFL teams have won five Super Bowls: the Cowboys, Steelers, and the 49ers. However, sometimes competition produces, shall we say, the opposite of excellence. Here are some of the worst teams within a single NFL season:
1. 1973 Houston Oilers (1-13-0)
This season was slightly worse than the 1-13 record that the team had in 1972. Opponents outscored the Oilers 199-447 during the season, to the dismay of Oilers fans wearing nfl stuff. Although the Oilers did not break any records for a losing percentage in a season, QB, Dan Pastorini broke one of his records in 1973. For the third season in a row, he broke the NFL record for being on the receiving end of the most sacks in a single season. Oh, and his ribs also broke in ‘73.
2. 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-14-0)
Any team that loses every single regular season game deserves to be on any list of the worst NFL teams ever. Okay, we should note that this was the Bucs first season in the NFL. In addition, the situation could have been worse if the Buccaneers had to play in the current 16-game format. Nevertheless, here is the nitty-gritty about the ‘76 Bucs: They averaged fewer than nine points each game, and lost by an average of 20 points each game. In fact, the Bucs scored zero points in nine contests! Steve Spurrier, the starting quarterback for the Bucs, tossed seven touchdown passes during the entire season!
3. 1980 New Orleans Saints (1-15-0)
Saints’ fans referring to the Saints as "Aints," spoke volumes about the season. The essence of the problem was the Saints’ lack of a running game. Their leading rusher for the season, Jimmy Rogers, rushed 366 yards during the entire year (average of nearly 23 yards per game)! Nobody can blame quarterback Archie Manning for trying to overcome the Saints’ abomination of a rushing game. Manning averaged nearly 32 passes per game, but to no avail.
4. 1982 Baltimore Colts (0-8-1)
The big break for the Colts was that they only played nine games instead of 16 games, due to a players’ strike. This season was a waterloo, though Colts fans waving nfl pennants still cheered on their team. The Colt’s quarterback, Mike Pagel had twice as many interceptions (10) as touchdown passes (5). The team’s total offense and points scored (113) ranked 28th in the NFL. How bad was the team? In one game, the Colts lost 20-0 to the Buffalo Bills. However, that is understandable, considering that they failed to cross mid-field during the whole contest! Given the opportunity of a full 16-game season, the 1982 Colts could have arguably become the worst NFL team in history.
5. 1990 New England Patriots (1-15-0)
The good news for the Patriots was that they did not have the worst defense in the NFL. The bad news is that they had the 2nd worst defense and the worst defense in the entire league. Their defense was worse than all other teams, including the one that 49ers merchandise represented. Here are some of the "highlights" of the season:
• They lost all of their home games.
• They scored seven points or fewer, in five games.
• The maximum points they scored in a single game was 24.
• Their single victory was by a margin of just two points.
6. 2000 San Diego Chargers (1-15-0)
The Chargers team needed a jump-start after this season. The performance of Ryan Leaf, quarterback of the Chargers, epitomized the season’s outcome. He actually threw more interceptions (18) than touchdowns (11). In addition, the top rusher was Jermaine Fazande, who racked up a mere 358 yards during the season (about 22 yards per game). The defense was better, right? In short, the answer is: no. Each week, opposing teams scored an average of 27.5 points against the Chargers.
7. 1991 Baltimore Colts (1-15-0)
The good news is that the Colts broke two 16-game season records. The bad news is that the records were for: A) the fewer points scored, at 143 (less than 9 per game), and the fewest touchdowns scored, at 14. The Colts may have wished they were wearing any other NFL team’s helmet, such as a broncos helmet. Then in week 11, they did manage to win a game against the New York Jets. However, it certainly was not convincing, with the final score being 28-27.
8. 2001 Carolina Panthers (1-15-0)
On the plus side, the Panthers defeated the Vikings 24-13 in the first game of the season. However, they would lose the next 15 games. If you always see a glass as being half full, rather than half empty, then you might argue that the Panthers’ offense and defense were equally bad. In five games, the Panthers scored a maximum of seven points. Meanwhile, opponents never scored fewer than 10 points against the big cats.
9. 2007 Miami Dolphins (1-15-0)
It is somewhat ironic that the only Super Bowl winner to have an undefeated season also had a 1-15 season in 2007. In the Dolphins’ defense, six of their losses were by a margin of three points. After becoming the head coach of the Dolphins, Cam Cameron sacked seven of 11 Dolphins coaches, and released many key players. The Dolphins averted a winless season by defeating the Baltimore Ravens. Interestingly, the Dolphins had to win in overtime.
Using sports memorabilia, we cheer on our favorite sports teams, through the good and bad times. Though sometimes our teams hit rock bottom, the good news is that there will always be next season!
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