Worst ONE-AND-DONE playoff teams ever

[JohnH19]

The Vikings fought hard right to the end of the Colts playoff game scoring two 4th period TDs. Joe Kapp was a warrior in that game and I believe it was the never-say-die spirit that he exhibited which played a big role in launching the team to their dominant 1969 season.

[BD Sullivan]

The Vikings fought hard right to the end of the Colts playoff game scoring two 4th period TDs. Joe Kapp was a warrior in that game and I believe it was the never-say-die spirit that he exhibited which played a big role in launching the team to their dominant 1969 season.

Kapp had finished the 1968 regular season ranked 13th in passing, yet was 26-44 for 287 yards passing and also ran for 52 yards on a sloppy day that had both rain and sleet coming down throughout the game. Part of the reason the Vikings only trailed 7-0 at the half was their pass rush, which sacked Morrall four times. Shula & Co. obviously adjusted at halftime, since they had zero after the break.

The Colts led 14-0 after John Mackey caught a pass at the Viking 30 and shook off Paul Krause to score in the third, with the ball just going over Roy Winston's hands. Baltimore then essentially put the game away later that quarter by putting a huge rush on Kapp, who fumbled in Colts territory. Mike Curtis ran the ball back for a 60-yard TD. It was 24-7 when Minny scored in the closing seconds.

[sheajets]

1991 Jets. 7-8 going into Miami who was 8-7 at the time. And they needed a miracle just to squeak by the Dolphins. IIRC Miami scored a TD on a 4th and 1 with like 36 seconds left to go up by a FG. Jets had a miraculous last second charge to set up Raul Allegre's tying kick, won it in OT, and then were beaten by Houston in what was a competitive game, but Houston was the better team.

The 1991 Jets needed OT to beat the 4-12 Packers. They lost 6-3 to the 6-10 Patriots. They blew a 14-0 lead gave the 1-15 Colts their only win.

Basically did not beat a winning team all year

[CSKreager]

1991 Jets. 7-8 going into Miami who was 8-7 at the time. And they needed a miracle just to squeak by the Dolphins. IIRC Miami scored a TD on a 4th and 1 with like 36 seconds left to go up by a FG. Jets had a miraculous last second charge to set up Raul Allegre's tying kick, won it in OT, and then were beaten by Houston in what was a competitive game, but Houston was the better team.

The 1991 Jets needed OT to beat the 4-12 Packers. They lost 6-3 to the 6-10 Patriots. They blew a 14-0 lead gave the 1-15 Colts their only win.

Basically did not beat a winning team all year

Hell, they only got their shot at Miami because the Dolphins blew a big lead against an utterly mediocre San Diego team in week 16

[74_75_78_79_]

Thought I reintroduce this old thread. No, not because of who got eliminated at Jax today (I certainly don’t see them as ‘worst’ in this category), but just to revisit the irony that some of your weakest playoff participants of all-time actually won their first game.

Yes, I didn’t place Bills in my ’17 reg season power rankings (simply opined that non-playoff Chargers and 11 others were better), but I have enough respect for their D and running game and especially the way they fought today. Kind of like the reason why I didn’t mention ’83 Lions OP. Both teams aren’t too unsimilar. Each coming off multiple seasons of respectability, making playoffs at 9-7 (yes, Lions did make ‘tournament’ in ’82 FWIW) and giving a 10-6 team that many saw as ‘better than their record’ all they could handle. Whereas ’84, sadly, marked the end of Monte Clark’s time with Detroit along with respectability, I see what happened with this year’s Bills likely the beginning of not just a further run of respectability, but further improvement/multiple playoff berths. If the organization does it right, they should have a bright enough immediate-future at least.

Now the ’48 Bills? They ought to get the ‘title’ with me. Worst AFL one-and-done? ’69 Oilers. NFL?...(yes, CSK & Shea)...’91 Jets.

[nicefellow31]

1986 Chiefs: Had a solid defense, but the mediocre Bill Kenney at QB, and practically no running game whatsoever. Were blasted by the Jets in the WC round.

At the time, I was happy for KC, but I believe to this day that if the Seahawks were there instead of KC, they beat the Jets and Browns, and they may have defeated the Broncos in the AFC Title Game.

That's a good selection because the Chiefs were like the Loch Ness monster. They hadn't done anything (for years) prior to '86 and then sink back into the loch until Marty arrived in 90.

[CSKreager]

1986 Chiefs: Had a solid defense, but the mediocre Bill Kenney at QB, and practically no running game whatsoever. Were blasted by the Jets in the WC round.

At the time, I was happy for KC, but I believe to this day that if the Seahawks were there instead of KC, they beat the Jets and Browns, and they may have defeated the Broncos in the AFC Title Game.

The 86 Bengals are the real AFC what if. They actually beat those Seahawks that season. If you remember that final MNF between NE/MIA, it was Cincinnati, not Seattle, whose WC fate hung in the balance.

86 CIN was the opposite of KC: great offense but a defense that was anything but solid

[7DnBrnc53]

The 86 Bengals are the real AFC what if. They actually beat those Seahawks that season. If you remember that final MNF between NE/MIA, it was Cincinnati, not Seattle, whose WC fate hung in the balance.

Can't argue with that. They had quality wins @CLE, SEA, MIN, @NE, and the season finale against the Jets. Also, after falling down 34-14 @DEN in Week 13, they closed the gap with two Esiason TD passes to Collinsworth to make it 34-28, and they had a late drive that started on their own 20 with about six minutes left.

However, after a 23-yard pass to Collinsworth, and two runs by Stanley Wilson (that gained 20 yards total), they moved the ball to Denver's 37. After that, they went away from the run. Esiason had two incompletions, and Eddie Brown recovered a fumble. They had to punt, and the Broncos were able to run out the clock after a 17-yard Elway run to the Bengal 29 (and three kneel downs).

[CSKreager]

1995 Falcons

At one point they had the worst pass defense in NFL history (4,541 yards allowed), a record that stood until the 2010s

They had a lot of volume yards (4000 yard passer, 1000 yard rusher, 3 1000 yard receiver) but unlike the Run and shoot oilers didn’t finish top 10 in scoring

And yet somehow in week 17 got in by beating the 49ers who were playing for homefield advantage

What really irks me about ATL getting in is how close we were to a Bears/Packers playoff game at Lambeau, a rematch of arguably 1995’s most exciting game

Instead we had to see this fluke Falcons team basically not even compete vs GB

[7DnBrnc53]

Not only do the 1995 Falcons belong in this thread, but the 95 Chiefs do as well.

They somehow had seven Pro Bowlers, but Steve Bono was an alternate, and Kimble Anders made it as a FB. Besides that, they only had one offensive Pro Bowler (Will Shields). Defense was the strength of this team (first in points, second in yards, and a +12 turnover ratio). The offense was lacking. They were 12th in points, 14th in yards, and 25th in passing yards.

Also, they were able to get breaks in several key games that led to victory (Giants, Raiders, Chargers, Oilers). And, when they played the Raiders on the road in December, Hoss was hurt, and Vince Evans (with Billy Joe Hobert) played QB. In the playoffs, the luck ran out, which it usually does when you aren't for real.