Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

It was said last night after the Texans’ win over Miami that they are now tied for the 2nd-longest win-streak after an 0-3 start. They’re tied with the ’00 Steelers, ’86 Raiders, and...I forgot the other. As for the longest? That would the ’70 Giants at six!

As for 0-4 starts, not necessarily the longest win-streak afterward, but simply the best rally from that point? ’92 Chargers (11-1 from there) and ’13 Steelers (8-4) first come to mind.

EDIT - ’98 Bills were the other 0-3 to 5-3 team.

The 1994 Broncos rallied from an 0-4 start to a 7-6 record after 13 games, but they lost their last three to go 7-9 and end the Wade Phillips era.

The 81 Redskins finished with an 8-4 record under new coach Joe Gibbs, then won the Super Bowl the next year in the 9-game regular season.

The 1973 Ottawa Rough Riders started 0-4, then went 8-1 to finish 9-5, and won the Grey Cup.

The 2011 B.C. Lions started 0-5, won one, lost another one, then went 10-1 to finish 11-7, and won the Grey Cup.

The 2001 Washington Redskins started 0-5 in Marty Schottenheimer's only season with the team. He rallied them to an 8-8 record and was then replaced by Steve Spurrier. Dan, Dan, Dan...

In 2013 the Pittsburgh Steelers started the season 0-4 but rallied to finish the year at a respectable 8-8.

JohnH19 wrote:The 2001 Washington Redskins started 0-5 in Marty Schottenheimer's only season with the team. He rallied them to an 8-8 record and was then replaced by Steve Spurrier. Dan, Dan, Dan...

To be honest at the time I can understand that thinking. It turned out to be wrong but I can see why someone would take a shot at it. Schottenheimer was a defensive minded coach who never had a great deal of success in the post season (and never really did throughout his career). Spurrier was considered an offensive genious in the college game and the nfl was becoming an increasingly offensive minded league. We had just seen Jimmy Johnson jump from college to the nfl and win two superbowls (and the third one Dallas won was pretty much with Johnson's team).


If Jimmy Johnson could come into the nfl and have a great deal of success I can totally see why someone would think that giving Spurrier a chance would be a risk worth taking.

lastcat3 wrote:

JohnH19 wrote:The 2001 Washington Redskins started 0-5 in Marty Schottenheimer's only season with the team. He rallied them to an 8-8 record and was then replaced by Steve Spurrier. Dan, Dan, Dan...

To be honest at the time I can understand that thinking. It turned out to be wrong but I can see why someone would take a shot at it. Schottenheimer was a defensive minded coach who never had a great deal of success in the post season (and never really did throughout his career). Spurrier was considered an offensive genious in the college game and the nfl was becoming an increasingly offensive minded league. We had just seen Jimmy Johnson jump from college to the nfl and win two superbowls (and the third one Dallas won was pretty much with Johnson's team).


If Jimmy Johnson could come into the nfl and have a great deal of success I can totally see why someone would think that giving Spurrier a chance would be a risk worth taking.

Marty was a winner everywhere he went. His teams lost playoff games on a a drive, a couple on fumbles, and two more on several missed FGs. I may be forgetting one or two others. He was a tremendous coach and Snyder was a fool to let him go, especially after he went 8-3 in his last 11 games.

lastcat3 wrote:Spurrier was considered an offensive genious in the college game...

Nobody in the game of football should be called a genious. A genious is a guy like Norman Einstein...

JuggernautJ wrote:

lastcat3 wrote:Spurrier was considered an offensive genious in the college game...

Nobody in the game of football should be called a genious. A genious is a guy like Norman Einstein...

Spurrier was never shy about letting people know about his genius, which earned him the derisive nickname of "Steve Superior"