SWC75
Bored Historian
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2011
- Messages
- 34,010
- Like
- 65,632
Here are the teams that qualified for the NFL playoffs, their won-lost record, their points scored and allowed, their average yards gained and surrendered, the number of titles they have won and their franchises all-time and post season won-lost record. The information includes NFL titles from 1920-32 when there was no championship game, (the NFL title was just a single division pennant), the All America Conference 1946-1949, from which the NFL got the Browns, 49ers and Colts, the AFL from 1960-65 but only the Super Bowls from 1966-2010. It also includes playoffs that decided divisional ties in the days before tie-breakers. The Ravens were previously the Cleveland Browns from 1946-1995. Teams who have done well in recent decades will have more post season wins than teams from previous ears because there are far more playoff games than there used to be. Until the NFL went to four divisions in 1967, there was a single post seaosn game: the championship game, unless there had been a tie for the division title. Now a championship team wins 3-4 post season games in a year.
AFC
Patriots 13-3, points 513-342, yards 428-411, 3 titles, post season record 21-15
Ravens 12-4, points 378-266, yards 339-289, 9 titles, post season record 26-22
Steelers 12-4, points 325-227, yards 372-272, 6 titles, post season record 33-20
Texans 10-6, points 381-278, yards 372-286, 0 titles, post season record 0-0
Bengals 9-7, points 344-323, yards 320-316, 0 titles, post season record 6-9
Broncos 8-8, points 309-390, yards 317-358, 2 titles, post season record 18-16
NFC
Packers 15-1, points 560-359, yards 405-412, 13 titles, post season record 29-16
49ers 13-3, points 380-229, yards 311-308, 5 titles, post season record 26-18
Saints 13-3, points 547-339, yards 467-368, 1 titles, post season record 5-7
Falcons 10-6, points 402-350, yards 377-334, 0 titles, post season record 6-10
Lions 10-6, points 474-387, yards 396-368, 4 titles, post season record 7-9
Giants 9-7, points 394-400, yards 385-376, 7 titles, post season record 20-24
Comment: It’s amazing that the Packers were actually outgained on the season while steaming to a 15-1 record. In fact, they gave up more yards than any NFL team in history. The second most yards ever given up was by the Patriots, the top seed in the AFC. The old adage that offense sells tickets but defense wins games doesn’t seem to apply any more. But here’s a good trivia question- only one team in pro football history has ever finished last in defense and won their league championship- and they did it in a shut out, (answer: the 1964 Cleveland Browns, the favorite team of my youth). That, in fact is the only team to even make it to the ultimate game after giving up more yards than any other team in the league. The 1965 Browns and a couple of the Bills teams that lost Super Bowls finished next to last. It’s not unheard of for a team that was outgained on the season to win the championship. The 1960 Eagles and the 1964 Browns were outgained. In 1965, three of the four teams in championship games were outgained on the season, including both champions, the Packers and Bills, along with the Browns. But the only champion since then to have been outgained was the 2001 Patriots.
Still, it’s a vulnerability and the Packers and Patriots could have a game where they can’t quite outscore the other team. The Saints are another high scoring team that outgained their opponents by 99 yards per game. The Steelers are +100. The lowly Texans are pretty good, too at +86, but with all their injuries they have a rough road ahead of them.
The Packers are +201 in scoring. That’s +12.6 per game. That’s very good but not historically great. Here is the all-time top 25:
1- 1942 Chicago Bears +23.7
2- 1941 Chicago Bears +22.8
3- 1946 Cleveland Browns +19.4
4- 1923 Canton Bulldogs +18.9
4- 1946 Philadelphia Eagles +18.9
6- 1924 Cleveland Bulldogs +18.8
6- 1925 Pottsville Maroons +18.8
8- 1948 Chicago Bears +18.7
9- 1962 Green Bay Packers +18.4
10- 1921 Rock Island Independents +18.1
11- 1985 Chicago Bears +17.8
12- 1948 San Francisco 49ers +17.6
12- 1961 Houston Oilers +17.6
14- 2007 New England Patriots +17.5
15- 1968 Baltimore Colts +17.2
16- 1954 Cleveland Browns +16.9
16- 1991 Washington Redskins +16.9
18- 1949 Philadelphia Eagles +16.6
19- 1999 St. Louis Rams +16.2
20- 1948 Cleveland Browns +16.1
21- 1984 San Francisco 49ers +16.0
22- 1947 Cleveland Browns +15.7
23- 1996 Green Bay Packers +15.7
24- 1967 Oakland Raiders +15.6
25- 1968 Dallas Cowboys +15.6
(This list is from another project I’m doing and includes the results of post season games: The Packers would have to win three post season games by a total of 96 points to make the list.)
The Saints actually outscored their opposition by more than the Packers, (+13.0). The Patriots (+10.7) and 49ers, (+10.1) also did a good job of leaving their opponents in the rear view mirror. 59 of the 101 Super Bowl, NFL, AFL and AAFC champions have beaten their opposition by at least 10 points per game, (58%).
AFC
Patriots 13-3, points 513-342, yards 428-411, 3 titles, post season record 21-15
Ravens 12-4, points 378-266, yards 339-289, 9 titles, post season record 26-22
Steelers 12-4, points 325-227, yards 372-272, 6 titles, post season record 33-20
Texans 10-6, points 381-278, yards 372-286, 0 titles, post season record 0-0
Bengals 9-7, points 344-323, yards 320-316, 0 titles, post season record 6-9
Broncos 8-8, points 309-390, yards 317-358, 2 titles, post season record 18-16
NFC
Packers 15-1, points 560-359, yards 405-412, 13 titles, post season record 29-16
49ers 13-3, points 380-229, yards 311-308, 5 titles, post season record 26-18
Saints 13-3, points 547-339, yards 467-368, 1 titles, post season record 5-7
Falcons 10-6, points 402-350, yards 377-334, 0 titles, post season record 6-10
Lions 10-6, points 474-387, yards 396-368, 4 titles, post season record 7-9
Giants 9-7, points 394-400, yards 385-376, 7 titles, post season record 20-24
Comment: It’s amazing that the Packers were actually outgained on the season while steaming to a 15-1 record. In fact, they gave up more yards than any NFL team in history. The second most yards ever given up was by the Patriots, the top seed in the AFC. The old adage that offense sells tickets but defense wins games doesn’t seem to apply any more. But here’s a good trivia question- only one team in pro football history has ever finished last in defense and won their league championship- and they did it in a shut out, (answer: the 1964 Cleveland Browns, the favorite team of my youth). That, in fact is the only team to even make it to the ultimate game after giving up more yards than any other team in the league. The 1965 Browns and a couple of the Bills teams that lost Super Bowls finished next to last. It’s not unheard of for a team that was outgained on the season to win the championship. The 1960 Eagles and the 1964 Browns were outgained. In 1965, three of the four teams in championship games were outgained on the season, including both champions, the Packers and Bills, along with the Browns. But the only champion since then to have been outgained was the 2001 Patriots.
Still, it’s a vulnerability and the Packers and Patriots could have a game where they can’t quite outscore the other team. The Saints are another high scoring team that outgained their opponents by 99 yards per game. The Steelers are +100. The lowly Texans are pretty good, too at +86, but with all their injuries they have a rough road ahead of them.
The Packers are +201 in scoring. That’s +12.6 per game. That’s very good but not historically great. Here is the all-time top 25:
1- 1942 Chicago Bears +23.7
2- 1941 Chicago Bears +22.8
3- 1946 Cleveland Browns +19.4
4- 1923 Canton Bulldogs +18.9
4- 1946 Philadelphia Eagles +18.9
6- 1924 Cleveland Bulldogs +18.8
6- 1925 Pottsville Maroons +18.8
8- 1948 Chicago Bears +18.7
9- 1962 Green Bay Packers +18.4
10- 1921 Rock Island Independents +18.1
11- 1985 Chicago Bears +17.8
12- 1948 San Francisco 49ers +17.6
12- 1961 Houston Oilers +17.6
14- 2007 New England Patriots +17.5
15- 1968 Baltimore Colts +17.2
16- 1954 Cleveland Browns +16.9
16- 1991 Washington Redskins +16.9
18- 1949 Philadelphia Eagles +16.6
19- 1999 St. Louis Rams +16.2
20- 1948 Cleveland Browns +16.1
21- 1984 San Francisco 49ers +16.0
22- 1947 Cleveland Browns +15.7
23- 1996 Green Bay Packers +15.7
24- 1967 Oakland Raiders +15.6
25- 1968 Dallas Cowboys +15.6
(This list is from another project I’m doing and includes the results of post season games: The Packers would have to win three post season games by a total of 96 points to make the list.)
The Saints actually outscored their opposition by more than the Packers, (+13.0). The Patriots (+10.7) and 49ers, (+10.1) also did a good job of leaving their opponents in the rear view mirror. 59 of the 101 Super Bowl, NFL, AFL and AAFC champions have beaten their opposition by at least 10 points per game, (58%).
