Not sure that they were even good, but the 1963 Jets, under new coach Weeb Ewbank, ended up 5-8-1, just two games behind the Patriots and Buffalo.
The 1978 Buccaneers might have had a chance to win the weak NFC Central if they had any offense. They lost seven games when they allowed 17 points or less and finished 5-11. The division champion Vikings had an 8-7-1 record, winning a tiebreaker with the Packers after winning one game between them and tying the other.
The 1983 Falcons ended up 7-9, three games behind the division champ 49ers. What killed them was a 2-5 start in which all five losses were by an average of less than four points. Of course, they did beat the Packers in OT on a Hail Mary to Billy White Shoes.
Best ever division cellar-dwellers
Re: Best ever division cellar-dwellers
1991 Chargers
They had SO many close losses- 6 pts to Pittsburgh, 3 pts to playoff bound Atlanta (their first road win in eons), Chiefs swept them but by a combined 4 pts (one of them in OT), 17-14 vs. the Broncos in week 17 (and at Mile High is was only 27-19). A pair of 30-24 losses to the Rams/Browns). Only the Jets/49ers really blew them out.
They were 4-12, but those wins had a big effect- Seattle, Miami (kept them both out of the playoffs- people forget Seattle actually beat the 8-8 Coslet Jets head-to-head) and the Dolphin game had a stunning 4th quarter offensive explosion, Raiders (a rare LA Coliseum loss for Art Shell) and a big shocker over a loaded Saints team (by far their worst loss of the year whereas their others were against 10+ win teams) whom would have gotten a 2 seed and bye had they not somehow lost this one
They had SO many close losses- 6 pts to Pittsburgh, 3 pts to playoff bound Atlanta (their first road win in eons), Chiefs swept them but by a combined 4 pts (one of them in OT), 17-14 vs. the Broncos in week 17 (and at Mile High is was only 27-19). A pair of 30-24 losses to the Rams/Browns). Only the Jets/49ers really blew them out.
They were 4-12, but those wins had a big effect- Seattle, Miami (kept them both out of the playoffs- people forget Seattle actually beat the 8-8 Coslet Jets head-to-head) and the Dolphin game had a stunning 4th quarter offensive explosion, Raiders (a rare LA Coliseum loss for Art Shell) and a big shocker over a loaded Saints team (by far their worst loss of the year whereas their others were against 10+ win teams) whom would have gotten a 2 seed and bye had they not somehow lost this one