Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Most of the time a 10-6 record will be good enough to get a team into the post season. It does occasionally happen though at times so what are some 10-6 or better teams to miss the playoffs. Probably wouldn't have to go that far back to find a 10-6 team to miss it but I know 11-5 teams to miss the playoffs are extremely rare. I think one of the Patriots teams missed the playoffs with an 11-5 record (believe it was the year Brady was hurt) and not sure if there has been another 11-5 team to miss the post season.

1986 Seattle Seahawks, a team which was very cyclical. Won its last five games by a combined score of 167 to 74, but was outscored in its previous four 21 to 99.

The 1985 Broncos went 11-5 and missed the postseason.

The 1979 Redskins were quite possibly the strongest 10-6 team to miss the postseason. If they had beaten Dallas in the regular season finale, they would have went into the playoffs with the number one seed in the NFC, but a 35-34 loss along with a lopsided Bears win over the Cardinals kept them home for the playoffs.

The Patriots missed the playoffs the year Tom Brady was hurt (2008) despite an 11-5 record. They also missed out in 1980 with a 10-6 record, as they faltered down the stretch when QB Steve Grogan couldn't play with a damaged knee.
The 1976 Cincinnati Bengals finished at 10-4 but lost out on the tie-breaker to the Steelers who beat them twice. The year before The Houston Oilers went 10-4 but finished behind BOTH the 12-2 Steelers and the 11-3 Bengals. Tough division!!

Rupert Patrick wrote:The 1985 Broncos went 11-5 and missed the postseason.

The 1979 Redskins were quite possibly the strongest 10-6 team to miss the postseason. If they had beaten Dallas in the regular season finale, they would have went into the playoffs with the number one seed in the NFC, but a 35-34 loss along with a lopsided Bears win over the Cardinals kept them home for the playoffs.

Were the '85 Broncos virtually the same exact team as the '86 version was with the only difference being that the records in the AFC were a little better in '85 than they were in '86?

The 1979 Redskins were quite possibly the strongest 10-6 team to miss the postseason. If they had beaten Dallas in the regular season finale, they would have went into the playoffs with the number one seed in the NFC, but a 35-34 loss along with a lopsided Bears win over the Cardinals kept them home for the playoffs.

I've wondered how the 1979 NFC playoffs would have unfolded should the Redskins have held on and won that regular season finale. It would have been Dallas (instead of Chicago) at Philadelphia in the WC game, with the winner facing Tampa Bay in the divisional round. Los Angeles at Washington in the other divisional round game.

RRMarshall wrote:The Patriots missed the playoffs the year Tom Brady was hurt (2008) despite an 11-5 record. They also missed out in 1980 with a 10-6 record, as they faltered down the stretch when QB Steve Grogan couldn't play with a damaged knee.
The 1976 Cincinnati Bengals finished at 10-4 but lost out on the tie-breaker to the Steelers who beat them twice. The year before The Houston Oilers went 10-4 but finished behind BOTH the 12-2 Steelers and the 11-3 Bengals. Tough division!!

Also from ’76, you had the 10-4 Cards in the NFC. The year after that, both the 10-4 Dolphins & 9-5 Pats. My guess is if NE wins finale over Bert Jones’ Colts, they still don’t get in. Miami gets in instead, as AFC East winner, due to better division record (6-2 to 5-3).

The year after that, both the 10-4 Dolphins & 9-5 Pats. My guess is if NE wins finale over Bert Jones’ Colts, they still don’t get in. Miami gets in instead, as AFC East winner, due to better division record (6-2 to 5-3)

Exactly right...the Colts losing the week before on a blocked punt by the Lions ended the Patriots chances. Had all 3 teams wound up at 10-4 the Patriots would have won the 3-way tie breaker, but would have lost out to Miami in a 2-way tie. Kind of par for the course for the Patriots of that era!! Forgot about the 1976 Cards...Coryell's last really good St. Louis squad..

Miami missed twice with a 10-4 record, in '75 and again in '77.

Jets most recently in 2015. 10-6 and missed the playoffs.