The worst pro football losses | Syracusefan.com

The worst pro football losses

SWC75

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The Arizona Cardinals, who had been the last undefeated team in the NFL at 7-0, just lost to the Detroit Lions, who had been the last winless team at 0-10-1, 12-30. The Cardinals are now 10-4 while the Lions are 2-11-1. That’s a bad loss, both by the difference in their records and the margin of defeat. The worst loss I can remember in terms of the team’s final records was in 1963, when the Bears went 12-1-2, including winning the NFL Championship game, (in those pre-Super Bowl years). Their one loss was to the San Francisco 49ers, who went 2-12, the worst record in the NFL, 14-20. The Bears thus won 80% of all their games and lost to a team that won 14% of their games. I thus give that game -66 points based on percentage and -6 based on margin of defeat for a total of -72 points. If the NFL season ended now, (let’s hope it doesn’t), the Cardinals loss to the Lions would be 71% vs. 14% = -57 + 12-30 = - 18 = -75, making it an even worse loss than the Bear’s loss, (although if the season continues, that could change.) I decided to look back through the NFL, AFL and AAFC standings to see how often a team that won at least 2/3 of their games had lost to a team that lost at least 2/3 of their games and where those results would rank based on this system. I’ll limit it to team that played at least 10 games as, in the early NFL there were teams that played less than that. (I’ll also eliminate the ‘-‘ to save typing time.) NFL champions are in bold. I’ve noted extenuating circumstances or other interesting aspects of the loss.

The Top Ten:
12/16/62 Boston Patriots (69%) lost to the Oakland Raiders (7%) 0-20 = 82
(The 9-3-1 Patriots had been eliminated the previous day when the 11-3 Oilers won a Saturday game and, 3,000 miles from home, lost to the 0-13 Raiders.)
10/6/63 San Diego Chargers (80%) lost to the Denver Broncos (15%) 34-50 = 81
12/12/65 Cleveland Browns (73%) lost to the Los Angeles Rams (29%) 7-42 = 79
(The 11-3 Browns had already wrapped up the Eastern Division- nobody else had a winning record.)
10/14/79 Pittsburgh Steelers (79%) lost to Cincinnati Bengals (25%) 10-34 = 78
12/5/48 Philadelphia Eagles (77%) lost to the Boston Yanks (25%) 14-37 = 75
(The Eagles had wrapped up the Eastern Division.)
9/29/68 New York Jets (81%) lost to the Buffalo Bills (8%) 35-37 = 75
10/30/11 New Orleans Saints (78%) lost to the St. Louis Rams (13%) 21-31 = 75
9/6/93 Dallas Cowboys (79%) lost to the Washington Redskins (25%) 16-35 = 73
10/20/63 Chicago Bears (80%) lost to the San Francisco 49ers (14%) 14-20 = 72
(The game I thought would lead the list barely made the top ten).
12/9/73 Miami Dolphins (88%) lost to the Baltimore Colts (29%) 3-16 = 72
(The Dolphins had wrapped up the division and home field advantage)


The whole list:
11/24/27 Chicago Bears (75%) lost to Chicago Cardinals (30%) 0-3 = 48 points
10/13/28 Frankford Yellow Jackets (79%) lost to New York Yankees (33%) 0-13 = 59
10/10/37 Washington Redskins (75%) lost to Philadelphia Eagles (20%) 0-14 = 69
10/3/38 New York Giants (75%) lost to Pittsburgh Pirates (18%) 10-13 = 60
9/25/40 Chicago Bears (75%) lost to Chicago Cardinals (22%) 7-21 = 67
11/2/41 New York Giants (67%) lost to Chicago Cardinals (30%) 7-10 = 40
10/7/45 Washington Redskins (73%) lost to New York Yanks/Boston Tigers (33%) 20-28 = 48
11/23/47 Chicago Cardinals (77%) lost to Washington Redskins (33%) 21-45 = 68
11/30/47 Chicago Cardinals (77%) lost to New York Giants (20%) 31-35 = 61
(That’s right: the Cardinals were 7-1 and lost to the 2-6 Redskins by 24 points, then lost to the 0-7-2 Giants by 4 before rallying to win their last two regular season games and then beat the Eagles 28-21 for the NFL title, which they’ve never won since.)
12/5/48 Philadelphia Eagles (77%) lost to the Boston Yanks (25%) 14-37 = 75
(The Eagles had wrapped up the Eastern Division.)
11/29/53 Los Angeles Rams (73%) lost to the Chicago Bears (27%) 21-24 = 49
10/9/55 Chicago Bears (67%) lost to the San Francisco 49ers (33%) 19-20 = 35
11/22/56 Detroit Lions (75%) lost to the Green Bay Packers (33%) 20-24 = 46
10/20/57 Cleveland Browns (69%) lost to the Philadelphia Eagles (33%) 7-17 = 46
10/5/58 New York Giants (71%) lost to the Philadelphia Eagles (17%) 24-27 = 57
10/19/58 New York Giants (71%) lost to the Chicago Cardinals (17%) 6-23 = 71

(The Giants had a bad October)
11/8/59 Baltimore Colts (77%) lost to the Washington Redskins (25%) 24-27 = 55
12/16/62 Boston Patriots (69%) lost to the Oakland Raiders (7%) 0-20 = 82
(The 9-3-1 Patriots had been eliminated the previous day when the 11-3 Oilers won a Saturday game and, 3,000 miles from home, lost to the 0-13 Raiders.)
10/6/63 San Diego Chargers (80%) lost to the Denver Broncos (15%) 34-50 = 81
10/20/63 Chicago Bears (80%) lost to the San Francisco 49ers (14%) 14-20 = 72

10/31/64 Buffalo Bills (73%) lost to the Houston Oilers (29%) 17-19 = 46
11/28/65 Green Bay Packers (75%) lost to the Los Angeles Rams (29%) 10-21 = 57
12/12/65 Cleveland Browns (73%) lost to the Los Angeles Rams (29%) 7-42 = 79
(The 11-3 Browns had already wrapped up the Eastern Division- nobody else had a winning record.)
11/6/66 Green Bay Packers (88%) lost to the Minnesota Vikings (31%) 17-20 = 60
10/15/67 Green Bay Packers (71%) lost to the Minnesota Vikings (27%) 7-10 = 47
12/17/67 Green Bay Packers (71%) lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers (31%) 17-24 = 47
(The Packers had wrapped up their division and ‘home field advantage’ wasn’t a thing yet.)
9/29/68 New York Jets (81%) lost to the Buffalo Bills (8%) 35-37 = 75
10/4/70 San Francisco 49ers (69%) lost to the Atlanta Falcons (29%) 20-21 = 41
10/17/71 Dallas Cowboys (82%) lost to the New Orleans Saints (28%) 14-24 = 64
10/1/71 Washington Redskins (76%) lost to the New England Patriots (21%) 23-24 = 57
12/17/71 Washington Redskins (76%) lost to the Buffalo Bills (32%) 17-24 = 51
(The Redskins had wrapped up the sole wild card spot.)
12/9/73 Miami Dolphins (88%) lost to the Baltimore Colts (29%) 3-16 = 72
(The Dolphins had wrapped up the division and home field advantage)
10/19/75 Baltimore Colts (67%) lost to the New York Jets (21%) 10-21 = 57
10/19/75 Dallas Cowboys (71%) lost to the Green Bay Packers (29%) 17-19 = 44
11/23/75 Cincinnati Bengals (73%) lost to the Cleveland Browns (21%) 23-35 = 64
11/14/76 Washington Redskins (67%) lost to the New York Giants (21%) 9-12 = 49
11/21/76 Dallas Cowboys (73%) lost to the Atlanta Falcons (29%) 10-17 = 51
12/11/78 Los Angeles Rams (72%) lost to the Cincinnati Bengals (25%) 19-20 = 48
(The Rams had wrapped up the division but home field advent age was still an issue.)
10/7/79 Houston Oilers (68%) lost to the St. Louis Cardinals (31%) 17-24 = 44
10/14/79 Pittsburgh Steelers (79%) lost to Cincinnati Bengals (25%) 10-34 = 78
10/28/79 Philadelphia Eagles (67%) lost to the Cincinnati Bengals (25%) 13-37 = 66
(The 1979 Bengals won only 4 games but two of them were against two of the best teams in the league.)
9/28/80 Philadelphia Eagles (74%) lost to the St. Louis Cardinals (31%) 14-24 = 53
11/9/80 Dallas Cowboys (74%) lot to the New York Giants (25%) 35-38 = 52
10/12/80 Atlanta Falcons (71%) lost to the New York Jets (25%) 7-14 = 53
9/20/81 Cincinnati Bengals (74%) lost to the Cleveland Browns (31%) 17-20 = 46
10/25/81 Cincinnati Bengals (74%) lost to the New Orleans Saints (25%) 7-17 = 59
(The 1981 Bengals reached the Super Bowl despite losing to two of the worst teams in the league.)
12/26/82 Dallas Cowboys (67%) lost to the Philadelphia Eagles (33%) 20-24 = 38
1/2/83 New York Jets (67%) lost to the Kansas City Chiefs (33%) 13-37 = 58
9/8/85 Miami Dolphins (72%) lost to the Houston Oilers (31%) 23-26 = 44
12/1/85 Los Angeles Rams (67%) lost to the New Orleans Saints (31%) 3-29 = 62
10/19/86 Cleveland Browns (72%) lost to Green Bay Packers (25%) 3-9 = 53
11/9/86 Denver Broncos (68%) lost to the San Diego Chargers (25%) 14-17 = 46
9/20/87 Washington Redskins (78%) lost to the Atlanta Falcons (20%) 20-21 = 59
10/16/88 Minnesota Vikings (67%) lost to the Green Bay Packers (25%) 14-34 = 62
12/4/88 Buffalo Bills (72%) lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (31%) 5-10 = 46
12/11/88 Minnesota Vikings (67%) lost to the Green Bay Packers (25%) 6-18 = 56
(The only time a team that won 2/3 of their games lost twice in the same season to a team that lost 2/3 of their games.)
11/25/90 San Francisco 49ers (83%) lost to the Los Angeles Rams (31%) 17-28 = 63
11/10/91 Detroit Lions (72%) lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (19%) 21-30 = 62
11/1/92 San Francisco 49ers (83%) lost to the Phoenix Cardinals (25%) 14-24 = 68
12/6/92 Buffalo Bills (70%) lost to the New York Jets (25%) 17-24 = 52
9/6/93 Dallas Cowboys (79%) lost to the Washington Redskins (25%) 16-35 = 73
9/26/93 Houston Oilers (71%) lost to the Los Angeles Rams (31%) 13-28 = 55
9/24/95 Kansas City Chiefs (76%) lost to the Cleveland Browns (31%) 17-35 = 63
10/8/95 Pittsburgh Steelers (67%) lost to Jacksonville Jaguars (25%) 16-20 = 46
11/3/96 Carolina Panthers (72%) lost to the Falcons (19%) 17-20 = 56
10/19/97 Denver Broncos (80%) lost to the Oakland Raiders (25%) 25-28 = 58
11/16/97 Green Bay Packers (79%) lost to the Indianapolis Colts (19%) 38-41 = 63
10/11/98 New York Jets (76%) lost to the St. Louis Rams (25%) 10-30 = 71
11/15/98 New York Jets (76%) lost to the Indianapolis Colts (19%) 23-24 = 58
9/26/99 Tennessee Titans (80%) lost to the San Francisco 49ers (25%) 22-24 = 57
1/2/00 St. Louis Rams (84%) lost to the Philadelphia Eagles (31%) 31-38 = 60
(The Rams had wrapped up the division and home field advantage.)
10/14/01 Green Bay Packers (72%) lost to the Detroit Lions (13%) 26-31 = 64
12/30/01 San Francisco 49ers (71%) lost to the Dallas Cowboys (31%) 21-27 = 46
(The Niners had already wrapped up one of the two wild cards. But it was the Cowboys.)
9/15/02 Tennessee Titans (67%) lost to the Dallas Cowboys (31%) 13-21 = 44
9/7/03 St. Louis Rams (72%) lost to the New York Giants (25%) 13-23 = 57
11/2/03 Carolina Panthers (68%) lost to the Houston Texans (31%) 10-14 = 47
11/9/03 Indianapolis Colts (74%) lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars (31%) 23-28 = 48
12/4/04 Atlanta Falcons (67%) lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (31%) 0-27 = 63
12/20/04 New England Patriots (89%) lost to the Miami Dolphins (25%) 28-29 = 64
1/1/06 Seattle Seahawks (79%) lost to the Green Bay Packers (25%) 17-23 = 60
9/30/07 San Diego Chargers (68%) lost to the Kansas City Chiefs (25%) 16-30 = 57
9/21/08 Indianapolis Colts (71%) lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars (31%) 21-23 = 42
11/2/08 Baltimore Ravens (67%) lost to the Cleveland Browns (25%) 27-37 = 52
12/19/09 New Orleans Saints (84%) lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (19%) 17-20 = 68
9/19/10 Baltimore Ravens (72%) lost to the Cincinnati Bengals (25%) 10-15 = 52
10/16/11 New Orleans Saints (78%) lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (25%) 20-26 = 59
10/24/11 Baltimore Ravens (74%) lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars (31%) 7-12 = 48
10/30/11 New Orleans Saints (78%) lost to the St. Louis Rams (13%) 21-31 = 75
9/9/12 Seattle Seahawks (67%) lost to the Arizona Cardinals (31%) 16-20 = 40
10/27/14 Dallas Cowboys (72%) lost to the Washington Redskins (25%) 17-20 = 50
10/23/16 Atlanta Falcons (68%) lost to the San Diego Chargers (31%) 30-33 = 40
9/24/17 Pittsburgh Steelers (79%) lost to the Chicago Bears (31%) 17-23 = 54
9/9/18 New Orleans Saints (78%) lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (31%) 40-48 = 55
9/16/18 New England Patriots (74%) lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars (31%) 20-31 = 54
12/2/18 Chicago Bears (71%) lost to the New York Giants (31%) 27-30 = 43
11/3/19 Green Bay Packers (78%) lost to the San Diego Chargers (31%) 11-26 = 62
12/29/19 New England Patriots (71%) lost to the Miami Dolphins (31%) 24-27 = 43
(The Patriots had wrapped up the division and could not get home field advantage.)
11/15/20 Pittsburgh Steelers (71%) lost to the Cincinnati Bengals (28%) 17-27 = 53
12/13/20 New Orleans Saints (72%) lost to the Philadelphia Eagles (28%) 21-24 = 47
12/27/20 Cleveland Browns (67%) lost to the New York Jets (13%) 16-23 = 61
 

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