Strongest 500 or below team to NOT make the playoffs

[CSKreager]

Going for an opposite of the recent 75_75_78_79 thread about weakest teams above-500 teams that didn't make the playoffs.

In other words, this thread is about teams that DID NOT finish with a winning record but were anything but weak.

The poster boys for this would be the 1989 Cincinnati Bengals: +119 PD, the highest ever for any team that didn't finish with a winning record. When they won, they won in style: 41-10, 56-23, 42-7, 21-0, and of course 62-7! But 4 losses by 7 points or less (including B2B at home to non-playoff Indy and Miami) did them in.

Others worth a look:

1981 Lions- Their NFL yearbook was titled 'A Matter of Seconds' for a reason. +75 PD, best in the NFC Central, but lost 6 games by a combined 25 points. Some believe they were a better team than DET's 83 squad that did make the playoffs.

1985 Chargers- 4th most points in team history, behind only 2006/1981/2021. Yes, they scored more points than their #1 seeded squads of 1979 and 1980! But oh how they found ways to lose- giving up 35 2nd half points in week 2 to Seattle and that last minute triple whammy on the road (Vikings, Broncos, Oilers). Basically 3 plays away from 11-5. Heck even if they won at MIN/HOU, the original Kick 6 might have left them in the ;10-6 and nowhere to go club' ala 85 Washington. They had a 5th place schedule (avoiding the 49ers/Rams) but it still did them no good

2019 Cowboys- +113 PD, 4 losses by a combined 12 points, had a chance to clinch NFCE but somehow scored only 9 points at Philly against an Eagles team that basically had the worst WR core for a playoff team in eons.

2002 Chiefs: #1 scoring offense, but went 8-8 thanks to a horrendous defense. Other than the week 17 finale in the Oakland mud, all their other setbacks were by a touchdown or less. Football Outsiders stated the 02 Chiefs had the second-largest Offense-Defense imbalance behind only 92 Seattle

[Brian wolf]

Had Dallas faced anyone but Philly to end the 1990 season--Troy would be done in that game, making the Atlanta game and easy loss-- they would have been a hot but undeserving playoff team. With pure young talent, Johnson might have made a run but losing to Philly was actually better ... The 1991 season and Norv Turner taking over for David Shula was underway ...

[7DnBrnc53]

1993 Patriots: Bledsoe and Tuna's first year.

They lost six games by three points or less, including two in OT (Week 2 against Detroit and Week 10 against Buffalo).

After the loss to the Steelers in Week 14 (on a goal line stand), they won their last four games, including an OT thriller against Miami that knocked them out of the playoffs.

[CSKreager]

Had Dallas faced anyone but Philly to end the 1990 season--Troy would be done in that game, making the Atlanta game and easy loss-- they would have been a hot but undeserving playoff team. With pure young talent, Johnson might have made a run but losing to Philly was actually better ... The 1991 season and Norv Turner taking over for David Shula was underway ...

You can’t tell me the Saints were more “deserving”

Heck even when Aikman got injured they still would have gotten if New Orleans lost at SF

[Brian wolf]

Had Dallas made the playoffs in 1990/91 with or without Aikman, David Shula might have kept his job, so I am glad they fizzled out to open the door for Norv Turner in 1991. It was painful to me at the time but Philly was the bully on the block and until Dallas learned to beat them, and finally did the next year to knock them out of the playoffs, this team would never know how good they could be ...

Still, say Aikman stays healthy and they beat the Falcons, could they have upset the Giants or Bears, assuming they beat the Saints? No way they beat the 49ers ...

[7DnBrnc53]

I mentioned the 1993 Patriots in this thread. I would also like to mention the 1991 Pats as well.

The 1990 Pats, as we all know, are one of the worst teams ever, and HC Rod Rust was fired after only one year. So, they hired Syracuse's Dick MacPherson to be the new HC, and they hired Joe Collier (ex-Bronco DC) as their DC.

The team vastly improved from 1-15 to 6-10. The defense went from 27th to 15th in points allowed, and the offense, despite some improvement, did have some standout years by TE Marv Cook and WR Irving Fryar. Also, rookie RB Leonard Russell provided some stability in the ground game with 959 yards rushing.

At QB, Hugh Millen threw twice as many picks (18) as TD's (9), but he was better than the people that they had been playing the past few years.

Also, they beat the playoff-bound Oilers, Bills, and Jets, and should have defeated Denver at home.

A one-year improvement that foreshadowed better times ahead, although it would have to get worse again in 92 before it got better.

[Brian wolf]

On paper, the Vikings in 1972 may have been the strongest despite going 7-7 in Tarkenton's first year coming back. This team had seven HOF members counting Bud Grant ...