Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

We already have a thread for non playoff teams that finished hot, so why not do the opposite?

The 1986 Jets are the undisputed champion of this list (10-1, 5 straight losses, the closest margin was 13!)

But let's not forget a few others:

1999 Seahawks (8-2, win only 1 game after that- but it was a big one vs.KC in the reg. season finale at the Kingdome and only getting in when KC spit the bit at home vs. the Raiders)

1999 Lions (8-4, don't win again. And go figure, that last win was against Washington, the first time Detroit won ANY game vs. the Redskins since the 60s! Luckily for them, they had tiebreakers over Carolina/Dallas)

1997 Vikings- This one flies under the radar. They were 8-2, then lost 5 straight games (all against teams that finished .500 or better, one of them the last Lions win at the Metrodome until 2011). Righted the ship against Indy in week 17 (the last Colts game without Peyton Manning until......... 2011)

1969 Rams: Start out 11-0, then lose their last three games. Then, they blow a lead in Minnesota in their playoff game.

1970 Raiders: Start out 6-2-2 and then lose on Thanksgiving at Detroit. They then need a last second Hail Mary to Warren Wells to beat the Jets and clinch their division with a 20-6 win over the Chiefs. That results in them letting the Niners blow them out, 38-7. They beat Miami, then lose to Baltimore in the playoffs.

1977 Colts: 9-1 record before losing at Denver, at Miami on MNF and then inexplicably not taking a safety against Detroit and getting their blocked punt returned for the score in the closing seconds. Then, in the season finale, they should have lost to New England after Bert Jones fumbled in the closing minutes--if not for the magic whistle. They lose in OT to the Raiders on the Ghost to the Post.

1997 Vikings- This one flies under the radar. They were 8-2, then lost 5 straight games (all against teams that finished .500 or better, one of them the last Lions win at the Metrodome until 2011). Righted the ship against Indy in week 17 (the last Colts game without Peyton Manning until......... 2011)

That may be why Dennis Green was allegedly on the verge of getting fired if the Vikes didn't beat the Giants in the WC game.

1981 Eagles - After leading the division at 9-2, go into a four-game skid which puts playoff hopes in jeopardy. Rout Cards in finale to save their bacon, but then lose WC game to a Scott Brunner-led Giants team.

1983 Cowboys - Demoralized by loss to Washington in week 15 in one of the biggest games of the year, Cowboys are blown out by Niners in finale and meekly bow to a beatable Rams team in WC.

1989 Oilers - Has a team ever had a worse three weeks in a row? 61-7 blowout at the hands of rival Cincy, last minute heartbreaking loss to Cleveland which costs them divisional title, and then OT loss to Pitt in WC.

1993 Broncos - Lose in week 15 to TAMPA BAY, dropping them out of divisional title hunt, then in finale Wade Phillips mismanages game allowing the Raiders to steal a last minute win. Routed by Raiders in WC rematch the following week.

Some more:

1964 Chargers: Coasting with a 7-2-1 record in the lousy AFL West. They then lose at home on Thanksgiving to the Bills, rout the Jets at home, then get routed at home by the Chiefs before losing the regular season finale versus Oakland. They then travel to Buffalo and fall apart after Keith Lincoln gets injured.

1978 Vikings: Holding a 7-4 mark, they lose at home to San Diego and tie GB on the road. They need a big comeback to beat the Eagles at home by a point and then get routed by the Lions before closing out the regular season with a loss at Oakland. Small wonder that they got routed when facing the Rams.

1979 Bucs: With four weeks to go, they have a 9-3 record and lead the Bears by two games. They lose their next three, then have to beat the Chiefs in a monsoon, 3-0. Yet they bounce back against the Eagles in the playoffs before the Rams shut them down.

7DnBrnc53 wrote:

1997 Vikings- This one flies under the radar. They were 8-2, then lost 5 straight games (all against teams that finished .500 or better, one of them the last Lions win at the Metrodome until 2011). Righted the ship against Indy in week 17 (the last Colts game without Peyton Manning until......... 2011)

That may be why Dennis Green was allegedly on the verge of getting fired if the Vikes didn't beat the Giants in the WC game.

I was ready to fire Denny during that playoff game against the Giants.

The Vikings deserved to lose that game. I remember being incredibly frustrated watching the Purple casually huddle and take their time getting plays off when they were down 22-13 late in the game. It was a miracle victory that wasn't at all deserved.

JohnH19 wrote:

7DnBrnc53 wrote:

1997 Vikings- This one flies under the radar. They were 8-2, then lost 5 straight games (all against teams that finished .500 or better, one of them the last Lions win at the Metrodome until 2011). Righted the ship against Indy in week 17 (the last Colts game without Peyton Manning until......... 2011)

That may be why Dennis Green was allegedly on the verge of getting fired if the Vikes didn't beat the Giants in the WC game.

I was ready to fire Denny during that playoff game against the Giants.

The Vikings deserved to lose that game. I remember being incredibly frustrated watching the Purple casually huddle and take their time getting plays off when they were down 22-13 late in the game. It was a miracle victory that wasn't at all deserved.

It was amazing that they punted with less than 4 minutes left and trailing by 9. I remember that I was on vacation at the time and never saw even the highlights of any of the wildcard games, until now that I'm reading the gamebook I realice what a improbable win it was!

2009 SAINTS (and '09 Colts)?

Saints were the best team that year to me (Vikes just a hair behind) despite that very 0-3 finish; and the rap that their D was simply...'opportunistic'. I do see them as one of the better teams so far this century. However, if I were a fan, that 0-3 skid would irk me just a bit; put a slightly bad taste in my mouth. Yes, a title is a title, it all goes down the same, but still.

I don't play fantasy ball anymore, but had a team (in '09 actually) in an 8-team (no divisions) league that started 9-2 but lost its last 3 yet still was a top-seed bye, clinching a title game berth awaiting the winner of #2 (8-6) vs #3 (7-7). The 3-seed (defending-Champs, actually) won vs #2 and our championship game finished initially in a tie. A tie that I had to rally for btw! I was down by 33pts going into that Week #16 Monday Nighter between Vikings & Bears. My opponent had no one playing in that game but I had AP & Greg Olsen who both saved me! In a league-wide vote, the owners voted to have the game determined by applying decimals to determine the tie-breaker instead of both of us being awarded co-champs. Turns out I won by a single (1.0) point! Rules were changed the following year to have ALL games determined by the ugly yet very fair and sensible decimal system.

Anyway, back to my original point, that 0-3 skid (along with just barely beating that 7-7 team) still made me feel a little squeamish; and this was the only FF title I ever won. Perhaps I'm just too nit picky. Come on! A title is a title, get over it!

The 2011 Denver Tebows lost their last three games against NE, Buffalo, and KC before backing into the playoffs with an 8-8 record. Then, after beating Pittsburgh, they got blown out in New England.

The 1975 Vikings started out 10-0, lost 2 of their last 4 to finish 12-2, lost to Dallas at home in the Hail Mary game.

The 2005 Colts started out 13-0, lost 2 of their last 3 and lost at home to Pittsburgh in that crazy Divisional game that ended with Vanderjagt shanking the last second FG which would have tied the game. However, several days after the week 15 loss against San Diego to put them at 13-1, Tony Dungy's son James committed suicide, which certainly devastated the team.