Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

74_75_78_79_ wrote:Not sure you can find a negative PD with a better win-%age than ’86 Jets either.

I remember the Falcons with Vick games where Vick was absolutely terrible and the team got blown out. The 2004 Falcons went 11-5 and had some ugly losses like 56-10 to the 1-4 Chiefs and 27-0 to a Tampa team that ended up 5-11...but those Falcons ended up on the positive point differential of 340-337.

The 1985 Redskins matched the Jets 10-6 record and had a 297-312 point differential. Big losses to the Cowboys (44-14) and Bears (45-10) early in the year when Theismann was still the QB skewed their total.

The 1957 Niners had a better win% than the Jets (or Redskins) and were within one game (one half?) of playing in the title game, yet they had a 260-264 point differential.

Going back further in the time machine, you had a similar situation with Jock Sutherland's single wing Steelers of 1947. An 8-4 record, one game away from playing in the title game, and a point differential of 240-259.

Bryan wrote:1971 Bengals didn't really come close to finishing .500 (4-10), but had a 284-265 point differential.

71 Falcons were 7-6-1 and were 274-277

From the opposite end, some near-misses:

The 70 Raiders won their division with an 8-4-2 record and had a +7 margin: 300-293

The 71 Browns were 9-5, yet only had a +12 difference (285-273), thanks to a second straight mid-season rut. In 72, they had a lousy October, but got the WC with a 268-249 edge. In '73, they finished 7-5-2 and were 234-255. They then fell off the map in 74.