Is it worse to lose almost everything or to win almost everything? If you’re a fan of the New England Patriots, chances are you’re familiar with the 2007 Pats season. You probably know that they were one game away from playing a perfect season. Here’s some news to cheer you up: The Patriots’ worst regular season record was 1-15. Some of the worst records in NFL history include:
1. 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-14)
The good news for the Bucs was that the NFL played a 14-game regular season, instead of the current 16-game format. Of course, this was the Buccaneers’ first season in the league. However, they got more than their hurt feelings on the field. The Bucs averaged fewer than nine points per game and scored a goose egg in five games during the season. Steve Spurrier, the Bucs’ starting quarterback, threw an average of .5 touchdowns per game. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay’s defense would “outmatch” the offense, losing each game by an average of 20 points.
2. 1980 New Orleans Saints (1-15)
Saints fans referred to the team as “ants” and covered their heads with paper bags at games. Those are definitely not positive signs. How bad was the season? Their best running back, Jimmy Rogers, averaged less than 23 yards PER GAME! Meanwhile, Saints quarterback Archie Manning tried to make up for it with passes — 509 attempts, to be exact. The only win of the season was a win over the New York Jets, by a whopping ONE point (21-20).
3. 1990 New England Patriots (1-15)
You could say the Pats’ record added up, considering they had the second-worst defense in the NFL and the worst offense. Here are some of the “highlights” (or lowlights) of the season:
o In five games, the Pats have scored a touchdown or fewer points
o 24 was the most points they scored in a game (ironically, in a 27-24 loss)
o They won their only game, by just two points (16-14 against the Colts)
o Fall behind the Redskins 9-0 before the Skins ran an offensive play
4. 2001 Carolina Panthers (1-15)
Their season-opening win over the Vikings (24-13) would be the highlight of the season. Subsequently, they lost 15 games in a row. In five games, the offense has amassed a touchdown or fewer points. Meanwhile, opposing offenses scored 10 or more points during each game. In defense of the Panthers, they lost six of their games by a margin of three points or less. However, that feat is not worth bragging about. The Panthers actually lost two of those games in overtime. Additionally, his losses broke an NFL record: the most consecutive losses (15), in a single NFL season.
The aforementioned four NFL teams representing four decades demonstrate that a team usually gets worse before it gets better. So if your favorite NFL team is having a rough season, keep cheering with NFL merchandise and remind yourself that next year is another season!
