Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

An 8-8 team that did reach the playoffs were the 1985 Browns with their season predictably a rollercoaster: A win in Week 2 sandwiched around two losses. Three straight wins followed by four straight losses followed by three straight wins. A week in Win 15 sandwiched around two losses. In their playoff game, they jumped out to a 21-3 lead-and lost 24-21.

Another team which is always a first choice in lists such as these, the 1981 Patriots. 2-14 with a PD of a mere -48.

The 1985 Dallas Cowboys. Lost at home 44-0 to Chicago (the eventual Super Bowl champions) and 50-24 at CIncinnati, (sandwiched by two convincing victories at Texas Stadium against the Eagles and Cardinals) yet manage to win all 4 division games against the favored Redskins and Giants (Washington and NY were favored in three of those games) to win the NFC East. Then they lost 20-0 to the Rams with Eric DIckerson running for nearly 250 yards. The Cowboys-Giants SNF game at the Meadowlands is also one of the most bizarre games I've ever seen: Danny White was intercepted 4 times, but with the GIants leading by 2 late in the game, Phil Simms fumbled deep in NY terrtory and Dallas won 30-29 with a Rafael Septien FG. I believe White has the best winning percentage by a QB in a game with at least 4 interceptions (he won 4 of 6 4-pick games).

Here's another weird one I found: the 1982 Seahawks were 27th in the league in points scored, fifth in fewest points allowed, but the 1983 Seahawks were sixth in the league in points scored and 24th in the league in fewest points allowed. Go figure.

Rupert Patrick wrote:

Bryan wrote:

Rupert Patrick wrote:The 1950 KC Chiefs

Very weird, indeed!

Two of the weirdest teams met in the playoffs...1986 Jets vs. 1986 Chiefs.

I fixed that post, I meant the 1963 Chiefs.

The 1986 Chiefs were weird mainly for the week 16 win over Pittsburgh, and also for getting rid of their coach after their first playoff appearance in 15 years. They replaced John Mackovic with Special Teams Coach Frank Gansz, the team fell apart and Gansz was gone after two seasons.

What can I say about the 1986 Jets? I've never seen a team who I thought looked so good fall apart so quickly, but Paul Maguire had it all figured out.

Not quite. They did win their playoff game against KC after the 10-1 to 10-6 freefall. Mostly because the defense lost some key contributors around week 10/11. Lance Mehl, Gastineau, Lyons, and Klecko all missed time. And it all seemed to hit at once

2001 Chicago Bears. 13-3. Jim Miller(mostly) and Shane Matthews at QB. Anthony Thomas with 1,100 yards in only 14 games with James Allen backing him up (who rushed for 1000 yards the previous year) Marty Booker with 100 catches looking like he'd be one of the up and coming dominant receivers. An outstanding defense, first in the league, that aside from Urlacher (2nd year player at that point) was lacking in big names.

sheajets wrote:2001 Chicago Bears. 13-3. Jim Miller(mostly) and Shane Matthews at QB. Anthony Thomas with 1,100 yards in only 14 games with James Allen backing him up (who rushed for 1000 yards the previous year) Marty Booker with 100 catches looking like he'd be one of the up and coming dominant receivers. An outstanding defense, first in the league, that aside from Urlacher (2nd year player at that point) was lacking in big names.

Two absurd back-to-back midseason overtime victories as well.

The 86 Jets should have been in Denver for the 86 AFC Championship, but found a way to blow the playoff game against the Browns, largely due to Gastineau's late hit.

I'm surprised no Cardinal teams have been mentioned yet! Plenty of 'weird' ones. Here's a few...

1970: Sweep SB-bound Dallas yet get swept by non-playoff Giants. Look like a juggernaut Wks #7-thru-#9 by a combined 113-0 (last of those three 38-0 over Dallas at Cotton Bowl, MNF) yet after going another two weeks without a loss (6-6 tie at KC, then win over Eagles; now 8-2-1), they suffer the 0-3 collapse - no playoffs - and finish the following year with the same record that they finished with the year prior, 4-9-1.

1983: Minus-54 point-differential yet finish 8-7-1. 1-5 start, 5-1 finish. So many lopsided losses, even to a bad KC team. In addition to getting blown-out twice by Dallas, they also get blown-out by both NFCC-participants - twice vs Wash, once vs SF. Yet they beat both AFCC-participants down the stretch, Seahawks and at Raiders! Their tie was midseason vs a real bad Giants team (Tuna's first year) and in their next meeting with them (during that very 5-1 finish), they barely get it done. Two winning seasons sandwiched this unspectacular one.

1993: 7-9 but, with the help of a +57PD, statistically better than the previous or next example given. Most lopsided loss by just 14 to SF although, yes, Cards rallied from 28 down to make it that very final score (sort of the same in their close on-the-scoreboard losses to Dallas). Still, Cards split with playoff-bound Giants, split with a no longer playoff-caliber but still respectable Eagles, and gave NFC Central-winner Detroit a good game in both their affairs that year (both finished 5th year prior).

1998: Minus-53. Basically a 'twin' of '83; only they actually made playoffs. Get blown out both times to Dallas and also get swept by 8-8 Giants. Didn't even beat a .500 team all season. All nine wins were strictly against teams that finished with losing records (6 wins or less). Most lopsided of them was by 14, second-most-lopsided by 13; all the (7) remaining was by either 3 or 2 pts (again, all vs teams 6-10 or less). Yet they blugeon Dallas at Dallas in the 'Big 3's final playoff game and then - FWIW - were still in the game at 15-1 Minnesota one week later after three quarters.

2008: 9-7, just +1PD. 6-0 in a bad division, 3-7 outside it. After starting 7-3 (beating playoff-bound Miami and 9-7-to-be Dallas early, but getting blasted at Jets), they lose by 8 at home to Giants and then lose three more games down the stretch by a combined 130-41, the final of those blowouts penultimate week at Foxboro to Cassel's Pats, 47-7! Then comes the post-season and...well, you know the rest!

Yes, plenty of weird Cardinal teams. Who else?

sheajets wrote:2001 Chicago Bears. 13-3. Jim Miller(mostly) and Shane Matthews at QB. Anthony Thomas with 1,100 yards in only 14 games with James Allen backing him up (who rushed for 1000 yards the previous year) Marty Booker with 100 catches looking like he'd be one of the up and coming dominant receivers. An outstanding defense, first in the league, that aside from Urlacher (2nd year player at that point) was lacking in big names.

Was that the season when Mike Brown had pick 6s in back to back weeks to win in overtime?