What Was The Worst Record In The NFL?
Since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970, only three NFL franchises have finished their regular season campaign with a zero in their win column. This gives these three teams the worst regular season records in NFL history. Let’s find out who these teams are.
1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Founded in 1974, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers started playing in the NFL in the 1976 season, which was the last one with 14 regular-season games. Like most expansion franchises, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were expected to struggle in their inaugural season. However, the 1976 Bucs, led by John McKay, did not win a single game, finishing with a record of 0-14.
Despite the winless regular season that saw the team being held scoreless on five different occasions, the Bucs were able to start developing rookie Lee Roy Selmon. The first overall pick in the 1976 NFL Draft would become a cornerstone of the Buccaneers’ defense through his retirement in 1984.
2008 Detroit Lions
After losing 31-21 to the Green Bay Packers in Week 17, the 2008 Detroit Lions became the first team in NFL history to finish a 16-game regular season winless. This was the team’s eighth consecutive season with a losing record and the ninth-straight season without making it to the playoffs.
In 2008, the Lions were undergoing a drastic rebuild, and, despite having drafted star wide receiver Calvin Johnson in 2007, they were still looking for a reliable starting quarterback. The team went through four different starting quarterbacks who combined for just 18 touchdowns and picked up 19 interceptions.
2017 Cleveland Browns
The Lions and Browns share a similar history, as they have a losing record in their history, and they are two of the four franchises to have never played in a Super Bowl. The Cleveland Browns finished the 2017 season with a 0-16 record, becoming only the second team to lose every game in a 16-game regular season.
The team struggled all year on offense as quarterbacks DeShone Kizer, Kevin Hogan, and Cody Kessler put up 15 touchdowns and 28 interceptions together. However, the 2017 number one overall pick, defensive end Myles Garrett, showed glimpses of the talent that led him to become the leader of the Browns’ defense in the following seasons.
FAQ
What NFL team has the worst season record?
The Cleveland Browns and the Detroit Lions hold the worst record over a 16-game regular season, while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hold the worst record over a 14-game regular season. The Lions and the Browns respectively finished the 2008 and the 2017 seasons with a 0-16 record, while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ended the 1976 season winless.
Has an NFL team ever gone 0-16?
The 2017 Cleveland Browns and the 2008 Detroit Lions are the only two teams in the history of the NFL to have finished a 16-game regular season without winning a single game. Both teams were undergoing a rebuild in those seasons, hoping for a high draft pick to fix their quarterback woes. In both cases, the team kept on alternating starting quarterbacks, who eventually ended their season throwing more interceptions than touchdowns.