Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Pretty much the opposite of Saints/Colts of 2009, what IS the longest that two (or even more) teams have been winless into a season?

74_75_78_79_ wrote:Pretty much the opposite of Saints/Colts of 2009, what IS the longest that two (or even more) teams have been winless into a season?

It's happened a few times:

1944 Chi/Pit "Carpets" and Brooklyn Tigers both finished the season 0-10. Obviously did not play each other.

1975 SD Chargers start out 0-11, finish 2-12. Cleveland Browns start out 0-9, finish 3-11.

1976 TB Bucs go 0-14, NY Giants start out 0-9, finish 3-11.

1978 Stl Cardinals go 0-8, finish 6-10. Bengals go 0-8, finish 4-12.

1983 Hou Oilers start 0-10, finish 2-14. TB Bucs start 0-9, finish 2-14. These teams did play each other, but after both had already won games.

1984 Hou Oilers start 0-10, finish 3-13. Buf Bills start 0-11, finish 2-14.

1991 Indy Colts start 0-11, finish 1-15. Cin Bengals start 0-8, finish 3-13. Colts played the 2-13 Buccaneers in the last game of the season in a truly lousy game. Should have been for the 1st pick in the NFL draft, but it wasn't, because the Bucs had already traded their first pick to the Colts for Chris Chandler, who was already released by the time of the game.

1996 NY Jets start 0-8, finish 1-15. Atl Falcons start 0-8, finish 3-13.

2007 Mia Dolphins start 0-13, finish 1-15. Stl Rams start 0-8, finish 3-13.

2008 Det Lions go 0-16. Cin Bengals start 0-8, finish 4-11-1.

49ers and Browns don't play each other this year. Record for a winless matchup is 0-6 apiece, set in 1943 with the Dodgers against the Cardinals, and 1968 with the Eagles against the Steelers. The 1968 game gets my vote for the worst NFL game of all time.

But the 49ers play the one win Giants this weekend. Maybe a 'Futility Bowl' candidate?

Jay Z wrote: 1968 with the Eagles against the Steelers. The 1968 game gets my vote for the worst NFL game of all time.

Known as the O.J. Bowl going into the game, since the expectation was that the loser would get the top pick and choose Orenthal...

Actually, a worse Eagles game in 1968 (quality-wise) came on Thanksgiving, when they managed to win their first game of the year. They defeated the Lions in the slop at Tiger Stadium--by scoring one field goal in each quarter and holding Detroit scoreless.

BD Sullivan wrote:

Jay Z wrote: 1968 with the Eagles against the Steelers. The 1968 game gets my vote for the worst NFL game of all time.

Known as the O.J. Bowl going into the game, since the expectation was that the loser would get the top pick and choose Orenthal...

Actually, a worse Eagles game in 1968 (quality-wise) came on Thanksgiving, when they managed to win their first game of the year. They defeated the Lions in the slop at Tiger Stadium--by scoring one field goal in each quarter and holding Detroit scoreless.

Funny thing was the Eagles lost and still didn't get O.J. since they later won two games. I wonder what would have happened if the Steelers had somehow ended up with the first choice and drafted O.J. Simpson instead of Joe Greene?

BD Sullivan wrote:

Jay Z wrote: 1968 with the Eagles against the Steelers. The 1968 game gets my vote for the worst NFL game of all time.

Known as the O.J. Bowl going into the game, since the expectation was that the loser would get the top pick and choose Orenthal...

Actually, a worse Eagles game in 1968 (quality-wise) came on Thanksgiving, when they managed to win their first game of the year. They defeated the Lions in the slop at Tiger Stadium--by scoring one field goal in each quarter and holding Detroit scoreless.

The Lions started a backfield of Nick Eddy, Tom Nowatzke, and Greg Landry in the game. Landry was a backup that year and threw three picks. The Lions blew it that year, starting 3-2-1 and with the Central winnable that year.

The 0-6 Eagles versus Steelers game was won 6-3 by the Steelers on a late field goal. The field goal was set up when the Eagles failed on 4th and 1 on THEIR OWN 10 YARD LINE. I don't know which would be worse, that coaching decision, or a 3-3 tie between two 0-6 teams.

As far as Sunday's 49ers/Giants game, there have been eight occasions in NFL history where a winless team of 8 games or more faced a team with 1 victory or fewer. Two of these are games in the 1920s where the other team had only played 1 or 2 games. I'm going to throw those out. The remaining games are:

1) 1939 Thanksgiving game between the 0-7-1 Eagles and 0-8-1 Pittsburgh Pirates.
2) The same two teams played again 4 days later after the Eagles won on Thanksgiving. Yes, they played the Sunday after a Thursday game. Wonder what the ratings were.
3) In 1947, the winless AAFC Chicago Rockets played the 1-6-1 Brooklyn Dodgers.
4) After losing to the Dodgers, the Rockets played the 1-7-1 Baltimore Colts the next week.
5) In 1966, the 1-7-1 Giants played the 0-9 Falcons. This would be the first win in Falcons history as Randy Johnson threw 3 touchdown passes.
6) In 1984, the 0-9 Buffalo Bills lost to the 1-8 Cleveland Browns.

I am going to count the ties as half wins in the modern method. By that counting, there have only been 3 NFL games to compare to the 49ers/Giants matchup on Sunday. Futility Bowl 2017!!!!!