{"id":306,"date":"2024-02-01T15:03:09","date_gmt":"2024-02-01T19:03:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/?p=306"},"modified":"2025-12-20T15:23:43","modified_gmt":"2025-12-20T19:23:43","slug":"teams-with-worst-records-in-nfl-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/2024\/02\/teams-with-worst-records-in-nfl-history\/","title":{"rendered":"Teams with the Worst Single-Season Records in NFL History"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

(last updated on December 20, 2025)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the kind of article that should come with a warning label. The following teams make you wince, laugh, and maybe even cry (depending on your rooting interests). It takes a special kind of … um … something to be this bad. So, for that, congratulations to our winners at losing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\n\t\n\t
\n\t\n\n\n\n\t
\n\t\t\"2020\n\t\t\n\t\t\t

via Sports Logos.net<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t\t

About logos<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t \n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n \n 2020<\/a><\/span>\n Jacksonville Jaguars<\/span>\n \n Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees, Injury Reports<\/span>\n <\/h2>\n
\n \n Previous Season<\/a>\n \n \n Next Season<\/a>\n \n<\/div>\n\n\n

\n Record:<\/strong> 1-15-0, 4th in\n\tAFC South Division<\/a>\n  (Schedule and Results<\/a>)\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Coach:<\/strong> \n Doug Marrone<\/a> (1-15-0)<\/p>\n\n\n

Points For:<\/strong> 306 (19.1\/g) 30th of 32<\/p>\n

Points Against:<\/strong> 492 (30.8\/g) 31st of 32<\/p>\n

Expected W-L<\/a>:<\/strong> 3.9-12.1<\/p>\n

SRS<\/strong><\/a>: -11.72 (32nd of 32), \n SOS<\/strong><\/a>: -0.10\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n\t\n\t

Offensive Coordinator:<\/strong> Jay Gruden<\/a><\/p>\n\t\n\t\n\t

Defensive Coordinator:<\/strong> Todd Wash<\/a><\/p>\n\t\n\n\n\t

Other Notable Asst.:<\/strong> Ben McAdoo<\/a> (Quarterbacks), Terry Robiskie<\/a> (Running Backs) and Tim Walton<\/a> (Cornerbacks)\n\n\n<\/p>

Stadium:<\/strong> TIAA Bank Stadium<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\t\n\t

Principal Owner:<\/strong> Shahid Khan<\/a><\/p>\n\t\n\t

General Manager:<\/strong> David Caldwell<\/a><\/p>\n\t\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t

Offensive Scheme:<\/strong> West Coast<\/p>\n\t\n\t\n\t

Defensive Alignment:<\/strong> 4-3<\/p>\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\t

Preseason Odds:<\/strong> Super Bowl +50000; O\/U: 4.5<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\t

Training Camp:<\/strong> Dream Finders Home Practice Complex (Jacksonville, Florida)<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The state of Florida might have the largest collection of bad teams in NFL history. Jacksonville’s success is partly due to the draft picks accumulated after the disaster at the start of the decade. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Jaguars won their opener<\/a>, then lost the rest of them. Of the three previous single-victory clubs, this team allowed more points than each \u2014 30.8 per game. Only the 2008 and 2009 Lions were more generous (more on the Detroit bunch later).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But it wasn’t as if the offense did many favors. That group was 30th in the league in scoring, which equaled a dreadful point differential of -186. The Jags decided to bring in Urban Meyer<\/a> as head coach the following season. So, yeah, it didn’t get much better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\n\t\n\t
\n\t\n\n\n\n\t
\n\t\t\"2007\n\t\t\n\t\t\t

via Sports Logos.net<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t\t

About logos<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t \n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n \n 2007<\/a><\/span>\n Miami Dolphins<\/span>\n \n Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees<\/span>\n <\/h2>\n
\n \n Previous Season<\/a>\n \n \n Next Season<\/a>\n \n<\/div>\n\n\n

\n Record:<\/strong> 1-15-0, 4th in\n\tAFC East Division<\/a>\n  (Schedule and Results<\/a>)\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Coach:<\/strong> \n Cam Cameron<\/a> (1-15-0)<\/p>\n\n\n

Points For:<\/strong> 267 (16.7\/g) 26th of 32<\/p>\n

Points Against:<\/strong> 437 (27.3\/g) 30th of 32<\/p>\n

Expected W-L<\/a>:<\/strong> 3.8-12.2<\/p>\n

SRS<\/strong><\/a>: -8.37 (29th of 32), \n SOS<\/strong><\/a>: 2.25\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t

Defensive Coordinator:<\/strong> Dom Capers<\/a><\/p>\n\t\n\n\n\t

Other Notable Asst.:<\/strong> George Edwards<\/a> (Linebackers), Bobby Jackson<\/a> (Running Backs), Mike Mularkey<\/a> (Tight Ends), Terry Robiskie<\/a> (Wide Receivers) and Terry Shea<\/a> (Quarterbacks)\n\n\n<\/p>

Stadium:<\/strong> Dolphin Stadium<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\t\n\t

Principal Owner:<\/strong> Wayne Huizenga<\/a><\/p>\n\t\n\t

General Manager:<\/strong> Randy Mueller<\/a><\/p>\n\t\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t

Offensive Scheme:<\/strong> Air Coryell<\/p>\n\t\n\t\n\t

Defensive Alignment:<\/strong> 4-3<\/p>\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\t

Preseason Odds:<\/strong> Super Bowl +6000; O\/U: 7.0<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\t

Training Camp:<\/strong> Miami Dolphins Training Facility (Davie, Florida)<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

It also went south for the team in South Beach. It took overtime and a walk-off touchdown in the extra session at home against Baltimore on December 16th<\/a> for the Dolphins to avoid a winless season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Miami gave up a franchise-record 437 points, ranking 30th in the entire league. The offense failed to keep pace with the porous defense. They used three different quarterbacks with very little success. Their signal-callers \u2014 Trent Green, Cleon Lemon, and John Beck \u2014 combined to throw for 12 touchdowns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before the Week 15 triumph over the Ravens, the Dolphins were close to breaking through \u2014 coming within three points six different times. The low point was an inconceivable 3-0 Monday Night defeat in Pittsburgh<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\n\t\n\t
\n\t\n\n\n\n\t
\n\t\t\"1976\n\t\t\n\t\t\t

via Sports Logos.net<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t\t

About logos<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t \n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n \n 1976<\/a><\/span>\n Tampa Bay Buccaneers<\/span>\n \n Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees<\/span>\n <\/h2>\n
\n \n \n \n \n Next Season<\/a>\n \n<\/div>\n\n\n

\n Record:<\/strong> 0-14-0, 5th in\n\tAFC West Division<\/a>\n  (Schedule and Results<\/a>)\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Coach:<\/strong> \n John McKay<\/a> (0-14-0)<\/p>\n\n\n

Points For:<\/strong> 125 (8.9\/g) 28th of 28<\/p>\n

Points Against:<\/strong> 412 (29.4\/g) 27th of 28<\/p>\n

Expected W-L<\/a>:<\/strong> 0.8-13.2<\/p>\n

SRS<\/strong><\/a>: -19.66 (28th of 28), \n SOS<\/strong><\/a>: .84\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n\t\n\t

Offensive Coordinator:<\/strong> John Rauch<\/a><\/p>\n\t\n\t\n\t

Defensive Coordinator:<\/strong> Abe Gibron<\/a><\/p>\n\t\n\n\n\t

Other Notable Asst.:<\/strong> Wayne Fontes<\/a> (Defensive Backs) and Dick Voris<\/a> (Linebackers)\n\n\n<\/p>

Stadium:<\/strong> Tampa Stadium<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\t\n\t

Owner\/President:<\/strong> Hugh Culverhouse<\/a><\/p>\n\t\n\t

Head Coach\/de facto General Manager:<\/strong> John McKay<\/a><\/p>\n\t\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t

Defensive Alignment:<\/strong> 4-3<\/p>\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\t

Training Camp:<\/strong> One Buc Place \/ Buccaneer Place (Tampa, Florida)<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The third Sunshine State squad clouded by ineptitude is an expansion franchise that might be the most famous bad team ever. But in fairness, Tampa’s defense was respectable with future Hall of Famer Lee Roy Selmon<\/a> patrolling at linebacker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But no amount of defense could stop what this team provided (or didn’t) on the other side of the ball. The offense was so bad that the Bucs lost eight games by at least 20 points, tied for the most by any team in a single season since the merger. Tampa was also shut out five times and averaged under nine points a game. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bucs were lucky that this was only a 14-game season. Unfortunately, they had to return for 1977<\/a>, when they dropped their first 12. No franchise has touched their 26-game losing streak to open business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\n\t\n\t
\n\t\n\n\n\n\t
\n\t\t\"2017\n\t\t\n\t\t\t

via Sports Logos.net<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t\t

About logos<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t \n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n \n 2017<\/a><\/span>\n Cleveland Browns<\/span>\n \n Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees, Injury Reports<\/span>\n <\/h2>\n
\n \n Previous Season<\/a>\n \n \n Next Season<\/a>\n \n<\/div>\n\n\n

\n Record:<\/strong> 0-16-0, 4th in\n\tAFC North Division<\/a>\n  (Schedule and Results<\/a>)\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Coach:<\/strong> \n Hue Jackson<\/a> (0-16-0)<\/p>\n\n\n

Points For:<\/strong> 234 (14.6\/g) 32nd of 32<\/p>\n

Points Against:<\/strong> 410 (25.6\/g) 31st of 32<\/p>\n

Expected W-L<\/a>:<\/strong> 3.3-12.7<\/p>\n

SRS<\/strong><\/a>: -10.95 (32nd of 32), \n SOS<\/strong><\/a>: .05\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t

Defensive Coordinator:<\/strong> Gregg Williams<\/a><\/p>\n\t\n\n\n\t

Other Notable Asst.:<\/strong> Al Saunders<\/a> (Senior Offensive Assistant\/Wide Receivers) and Chris Tabor<\/a> (Special Teams Coordinator)\n\n\n<\/p>

Stadium:<\/strong> FirstEnergy Stadium<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\t\n\t

Principal Owner:<\/strong> Dee Haslam<\/a><\/p>\n\t\n\t

Principal Owner:<\/strong> Jimmy Haslam III<\/a><\/p>\n\t\n\t

Executive VP of Football Operations:<\/strong> Sashi Brown<\/a> (Fired on December 7, 2017)<\/em><\/p>\n\t\n\t

General Manager:<\/strong> John Dorsey<\/a> (Hired on December 7, 2017)<\/em><\/p>\n\t\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t

Offensive Scheme:<\/strong> West Coast<\/p>\n\t\n\t\n\t

Defensive Alignment:<\/strong> 4-3<\/p>\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\t

Preseason Odds:<\/strong> Super Bowl +10000; O\/U: 4.5<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\t

Training Camp:<\/strong> Cleveland Browns Training Facility (Berea, Ohio)<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

In the era of the 16-game season, which lasted from 1978 through 2020, 11 teams went 1-15. The 2016 Browns are among them, avoiding infamy with a Week 16<\/a> win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Somehow, Cleveland outdid itself a year later. Similar to the ’76 Bucs, these Browns were more than competent on defense. Specifically, in stopping the run. This unit ranked seventh at 97.9 yards allowed per contest and second with 3.4 yards allowed per carry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was on offense where Cleveland was truly hampered. Browns QBs threw only 15 touchdowns all year and regularly put their defense in uncompromising spots. As it turned out, they allowed more points than all but two other teams. And as you can imagine, they scored the second least. The Browns’ attempt to salvage a completely lost year failed in an OT defeat in Pittsburgh to close the season<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\n\t\n\t
\n\t\n\n\n\n\t
\n\t\t\"2008\n\t\t\n\t\t\t

via Sports Logos.net<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t\t

About logos<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t \n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n \n 2008<\/a><\/span>\n Detroit Lions<\/span>\n \n Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees<\/span>\n <\/h2>\n
\n \n Previous Season<\/a>\n \n \n Next Season<\/a>\n \n<\/div>\n\n\n

\n Record:<\/strong> 0-16-0, 4th in\n\tNFC North Division<\/a>\n  (Schedule and Results<\/a>)\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Coach:<\/strong> \n Rod Marinelli<\/a> (0-16-0)<\/p>\n\n\n

Points For:<\/strong> 268 (16.8\/g) 27th of 32<\/p>\n

Points Against:<\/strong> 517 (32.3\/g) 32nd of 32<\/p>\n

Expected W-L<\/a>:<\/strong> 2.8-13.2<\/p>\n

SRS<\/strong><\/a>: -13.11 (31st of 32), \n SOS<\/strong><\/a>: 2.46\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n\t\n\t

Offensive Coordinator:<\/strong> Jim Colletto<\/a><\/p>\n\t\n\t\n\t

Defensive Coordinator:<\/strong> Joe Barry<\/a><\/p>\n\t\n\n\n\t

Other Notable Asst.:<\/strong> Kippy Brown<\/a> (Assoc. HC\/Passing Game), Joe Cullen<\/a> (Defensive Line) and Phil Snow<\/a> (Linebackers)\n\n\n<\/p>

Stadium:<\/strong> Ford Field<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\t\n\t

Principal Owner\/Chairman:<\/strong> William Clay Ford Sr.<\/a><\/p>\n\t\n\t

Senior VP\/General Manager:<\/strong> Martin Mayhew<\/a><\/p>\n\t\n\t

President\/General Manager:<\/strong> Matt Millen<\/a> (fired after Week 3)<\/em><\/p>\n\t\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t

Offensive Scheme:<\/strong> West Coast<\/p>\n\t\n\t\n\t

Defensive Alignment:<\/strong> 4-3<\/p>\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\t

Preseason Odds:<\/strong> Super Bowl +8500; O\/U: 6.5<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\t

Training Camp:<\/strong> Detroit Lions Training Facility (Allen Park, Michigan)<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Only these Lions know the feeling of a winless 16-game campaign. Before ’08, many said it couldn’t be done. But Detroit proved them all wrong. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

All wrong would be a good way to describe the defense. The Lions’ 32.31 points per game allowed is the third worst of any NFL team since the 1960s. The 517 total points given up was only 16 shy of the 1981 Colts record. These Lions were 30th in yards produced and 27th in scoring at 16.8 per game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of the many embarrassments of the year, a humiliating 47-10 loss on Thanksgiving Day<\/a> offered an unappealing appetizer to a national TV audience. Detroit completed the 0-fer in Green Bay: a 31-21 defeat to the Packers<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\n\t\n\t
\n\t\n\n\n\n\t
\n\t\t\"2009\n\t\t\n\t\t\t

via Sports Logos.net<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t\t

About logos<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t \n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n \n 2009<\/a><\/span>\n St. Louis Rams<\/span>\n \n Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees, Injury Reports<\/span>\n <\/h2>\n
\n \n Previous Season<\/a>\n \n \n Next Season<\/a>\n \n<\/div>\n\n\n

\n Record:<\/strong> 1-15-0, 4th in\n\tNFC West Division<\/a>\n  (Schedule and Results<\/a>)\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Coach:<\/strong> \n Steve Spagnuolo<\/a> (1-15-0)<\/p>\n\n\n

Points For:<\/strong> 175 (10.9\/g) 32nd of 32<\/p>\n

Points Against:<\/strong> 436 (27.3\/g) 31st of 32<\/p>\n

Expected W-L<\/a>:<\/strong> 1.6-14.4<\/p>\n

SRS<\/strong><\/a>: -17.44 (32nd of 32), \n SOS<\/strong><\/a>: -1.12\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n\t\n\t

Offensive Coordinator:<\/strong> Pat Shurmur<\/a><\/p>\n\t\n\t\n\t

Defensive Coordinator:<\/strong> Ken Flajole<\/a><\/p>\n\t\n\n\n\t

Other Notable Asst.:<\/strong> Sylvester Croom<\/a> (Running Backs), Jonathan Gannon<\/a> (College Scout) and Steve Loney<\/a> (Offensive Line)\n\n\n<\/p>

Stadium:<\/strong> Edward Jones Dome<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\t\n\t

Co-Owner:<\/strong> Lucia Rodriquez<\/a> (Presided over estate of Georgia Frontiere until buyer could be found for franchise)<\/em><\/p>\n\t\n\t

Co-Owner:<\/strong> Chip Rosenbloom<\/a> (Presided over estate of Georgia Frontiere until buyer could be found for franchise)<\/em><\/p>\n\t\n\t

General Manager:<\/strong> Billy Devaney<\/a><\/p>\n\t\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t

Offensive Scheme:<\/strong> West Coast<\/p>\n\t\n\t\n\t

Defensive Alignment:<\/strong> 4-3<\/p>\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\t

Preseason Odds:<\/strong> Super Bowl +10000; O\/U: 5.5<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\t

Training Camp:<\/strong> Rams Park Training Center (Earth City, Missouri)<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

A year later, the Rams made it known in the first half of the schedule they were fully capable of challenging the ’08 Lions \u2014 with early season losses of 28-0, 36-17, 35-0, 38-10, and 42-6. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

St. Louis was a collective immovable object on offense, with 175 points for the year. That total easily eclipsed what the 1992 Seattle Seahawks<\/a> had done to become the worst offense in NFL history. The Rams were blanked twice, scored 10 or fewer points nine times, and were outscored by 261 points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Week 8<\/a>, they put it all together and found a way to scrap together a victory: 17-10. Who was the team on the wrong end of that total? The Detroit Lions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\n\t\n\t
\n\t\n\n\n\n\t
\n\t\t\"1991\n\t\t\n\t\t\t

via Sports Logos.net<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t\t

About logos<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t \n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n \n 1991<\/a><\/span>\n Indianapolis Colts<\/span>\n \n Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees<\/span>\n <\/h2>\n
\n \n Previous Season<\/a>\n \n \n Next Season<\/a>\n \n<\/div>\n\n\n

\n Record:<\/strong> 1-15-0, 5th in\n\tAFC East Division<\/a>\n  (Schedule and Results<\/a>)\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Coach:<\/strong> \n Ron Meyer<\/a> (0-5-0) and Rick Venturi<\/a> (1-10-0)<\/p>\n\n\n

Points For:<\/strong> 143 (8.9\/g) 28th of 28<\/p>\n

Points Against:<\/strong> 381 (23.8\/g) 26th of 28<\/p>\n

Expected W-L<\/a>:<\/strong> 1.4-14.6<\/p>\n

SRS<\/strong><\/a>: -17.26 (28th of 28), \n SOS<\/strong><\/a>: -2.39\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n\t\n\t

Offensive Coordinator:<\/strong> Leon Burtnett<\/a>, Milt Jackson<\/a><\/p>\n\t\n\t\n\t

Defensive Coordinator:<\/strong> Rick Venturi<\/a><\/p>\n\t\n\n\n\t

Other Notable Asst.:<\/strong> Leon Burtnett<\/a> (Running Backs), Sylvester Croom<\/a> (Running Backs) and Bill Muir<\/a> (Offensive Line)\n\n\n<\/p>

Stadium:<\/strong> Hoosier Dome<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\t\n\t

Principal Owner:<\/strong> Robert Irsay<\/a><\/p>\n\t\n\t

Vice President\/General Manager:<\/strong> James Irsay<\/a><\/p>\n\t\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t

Defensive Alignment:<\/strong> 3-4<\/p>\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\t

Preseason Odds:<\/strong> Super Bowl +8000; O\/U: 7.5<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\t

Training Camp:<\/strong> Anderson University (Anderson, Indiana)<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

When asked about the appeal of the ’91 Colts, a man said, “Personally, I wouldn’t come out and watch a game.” That man was Eric Dickerson<\/a>, who just happened to be Indy’s running back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Colts set NFL records at the time for the lowest points (143) and fewest touchdowns (14) in a 16-game season. Head coach Ron Meyer was put out of his misery after opening with five straight defeats and interim coach Rick Venturi couldn’t fare much better. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lone victory came against the New York Jets by a single point in Week 11<\/a>. Indianapolis is one of three 1-15 teams to win their lone game by one point. Seems like Dickerson was right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\n\t\n\t
\n\t\n\n\n\n\t
\n\t\t\"1952\n\t\t\n\t\t\t

via Sports Logos.net<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t\t

About logos<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t \n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n \n 1952<\/a><\/span>\n Dallas Texans<\/span>\n \n Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees<\/span>\n <\/h2>\n
\n \n \n \n \n \n \n<\/div>\n\n\n

\n Record:<\/strong> 1-11-0, 6th in\n\tNFL National Division<\/a>\n  (Schedule and Results<\/a>)\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Coach:<\/strong> \n Jimmy Phelan<\/a> (1-11-0)<\/p>\n\n\n

Points For:<\/strong> 182 (15.2\/g) 11th of 12<\/p>\n

Points Against:<\/strong> 427 (35.6\/g) 12th of 12<\/p>\n

Expected W-L<\/a>:<\/strong> 1.4-10.6<\/p>\n

SRS<\/strong><\/a>: -17.99 (12th of 12), \n SOS<\/strong><\/a>: 2.42\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\t

Other Notable Asst.:<\/strong> Cecil Isbell<\/a> (Backfield Coach)\n\n\n<\/p>

Stadium:<\/strong> Cotton Bowl<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\t\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\n\n\t

Training Camp:<\/strong> Schreiner Institute (Kerrville, Texas)<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

There’s a story that before the winless Texans played their Thanksgiving game<\/a> against the Chicago Bears before a sparse crowd in Hershey, PA, head coach Jimmy Phelap suggested the players go up into the stands and introduce themselves man-to-fan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those who made it out saw a borderline miracle: the Texans defeated the Bears after Chicago coach George Halas<\/a> used his second team. The former New York Yankees moved to the Lone Star State but found no success when it came to attendance, which prompted the league to take them over and move them back east.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They failed at scoring, too. Dallas’s margin of defeat was 20 points. Here’s a stat that seems inconceivable today … the club didn’t kick a field goal all season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\n\t\n\t
\n\t\n\n\n\n\t
\n\t\t\"1973\n\t\t\n\t\t\t

via Sports Logos.net<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t\t

About logos<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t \n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n \n 1973<\/a><\/span>\n Houston Oilers<\/span>\n \n Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees<\/span>\n <\/h2>\n
\n \n Previous Season<\/a>\n \n \n Next Season<\/a>\n \n<\/div>\n\n\n

\n Record:<\/strong> 1-13-0, 4th in\n\tAFC Central Division<\/a>\n  (Schedule and Results<\/a>)\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Coach:<\/strong> \n Bill Peterson<\/a> (0-5-0) and Sid Gillman<\/a> (1-8-0)<\/p>\n\n\n

Points For:<\/strong> 199 (14.2\/g) 23rd of 26<\/p>\n

Points Against:<\/strong> 447 (31.9\/g) 26th of 26<\/p>\n

Expected W-L<\/a>:<\/strong> 1.8-12.2<\/p>\n

SRS<\/strong><\/a>: -16.76 (26th of 26), \n SOS<\/strong><\/a>: .95\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t

Defensive Coordinator:<\/strong> Burnie Miller<\/a><\/p>\n\t\n\n\n\t

Other Notable Asst.:<\/strong> Lew Carpenter<\/a> (Receivers), King Hill<\/a> (Quarterbacks) and Larry Peccatiello<\/a> (Linebackers)\n\n\n<\/p>

Stadium:<\/strong> Houston Astrodome<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\t\n\t

Founder\/Owner\/Chairman\/President\/CEO:<\/strong> Bud Adams<\/a><\/p>\n\t\n\t

Executive VP\/General Manager:<\/strong> Sid Gillman<\/a><\/p>\n\t\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t

Defensive Alignment:<\/strong> 4-3<\/p>\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\t

Training Camp:<\/strong> Schreiner Institute (Kerrville, Texas)<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

What makes this worse is that the Oilers preceded this one-win<\/a> season with another one-win season. The ’73 performance is slightly worse thanks to the combined efforts of inept point-scoring ability (199), low rush yardage (1,388), and a Swiss cheese defense (447 points allowed) that yielded the most points in the post-merger era for a 14-game season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quarterback Dan Pastorini<\/a> eventually saw better days at the end of the decade, but the early part was rough. After setting the record for most times sacked in ’72, he broke it again in ’73. The football version of the flak jacket was later invented and used on Pastorini. He could have used it here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\n\t\n\t
\n\t\n\n\n\n\t
\n\t\t\"1990\n\t\t\n\t\t\t

via Sports Logos.net<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t\t

About logos<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t \n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n \n 1990<\/a><\/span>\n New England Patriots<\/span>\n \n Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees<\/span>\n <\/h2>\n
\n \n Previous Season<\/a>\n \n \n Next Season<\/a>\n \n<\/div>\n\n\n

\n Record:<\/strong> 1-15-0, 5th in\n\tAFC East Division<\/a>\n  (Schedule and Results<\/a>)\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Coach:<\/strong> \n Rod Rust<\/a> (1-15-0)<\/p>\n\n\n

Points For:<\/strong> 181 (11.3\/g) 28th of 28<\/p>\n

Points Against:<\/strong> 446 (27.9\/g) 27th of 28<\/p>\n

Expected W-L<\/a>:<\/strong> 1.7-14.3<\/p>\n

SRS<\/strong><\/a>: -14.58 (28th of 28), \n SOS<\/strong><\/a>: 1.99\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n\t\n\t

Offensive Coordinator:<\/strong> Jimmy Raye<\/a><\/p>\n\t\n\t\n\t

Defensive Coordinator:<\/strong> Charlie Sumner<\/a><\/p>\n\t\n\n\n\t

Other Notable Asst.:<\/strong> Don Blackmon<\/a> (Linebackers), Steve Crosby<\/a> (Special Teams), Dale Lindsey<\/a> (Defensive Line) and Dick Wood<\/a> (Receivers)\n\n\n<\/p>

Stadium:<\/strong> Foxboro Stadium<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\t\n\t

Principal Owner:<\/strong> Victor Kiam<\/a><\/p>\n\t\n\t

General Manager:<\/strong> Pat Sullivan<\/a><\/p>\n\t\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t

Offensive Scheme:<\/strong> Air Coryell<\/p>\n\t\n\t\n\t

Defensive Alignment:<\/strong> 3-4<\/p>\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\t

Preseason Odds:<\/strong> Super Bowl +5000; O\/U: 7.0<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\t

Training Camp:<\/strong> Bryant College (Smithfield, Rhode Island)<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The roster still had several players who were contributors to their best times in the 80s. But the Pats aged fast and couldn’t prevent an incredible downfall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just like the Colts a year later, these Patriots provided no reason for the home crowd to come and watch. They lost all games in Foxboro. Watching them anywhere was a risk to the eyes. The 24 points they put up in the season opener<\/a> was the high-water mark for the offense. New England scored a touchdown or less in five games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After beating Indianapolis<\/a> to even its record at 1-1 under new head coach Rod Rust, New England dropped the final 14. The new head coach soon became the ex-head coach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

FAQs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Who was the worst team in NFL history?<\/strong>

Determining the worst team is very subjective. Since the AFL and NFL merged in 1970, three teams have gone winless: the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the 2008 Detroit Lions, and the 2017 Cleveland Browns. <\/p> <\/div>

Which NFL team has the worst single-season record of all time? <\/strong>

Five teams have gone winless since World War II. The 1960 Dallas Cowboys (0-11-1) and the 1982 Baltimore Colts (0-8-1) had the benefit of a tie and shorter schedules. Tampa Bay’s winless season came in a 14-game season. The only teams to lose 16 times in a season are the 2008 Lions and the 2017 Browns. Since the schedule expanded to 17 games, no team has yet to lose every game. <\/p> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Join our Sports Reference Community<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

Of Statheads:<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n

Subscribe to Stathead<\/a>, the most powerful research tools in sports, and find any player, team, season, game, and any play. With over 80 different search tools for baseball, basketball, football, and hockey, you\u2019ve got infinite answers at your finger tips.<\/p>\n\n

\"Purple<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n

With Our Email Newsletters:<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n

Sign up for our newsletter and get curated stats, recaps, and more from the Pro Football Reference to your inbox every morning. No commitment, unsubscribe at any time.<\/p>\n\n

\"Green<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

On Social Media:<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n

Stay connected with Pro Football Reference on social media! Bringing you stats, trivia, and more on all our channels daily.<\/p>\n\n

Twitter<\/a> – Instagram<\/a> – Facebook<\/a> – TikTok<\/a> – YouTube<\/a> – Reddit<\/a> – LinkedIn<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Follow the rest of the Sports Reference sites on social here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(last updated on December 20, 2025) This is the kind of article that should come with a warning label. The following teams make you wince, laugh, and maybe even cry (depending on your rooting interests). It takes a special kind of … um … something to be this bad. So, for that, congratulations to our […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[18,8,21,13],"class_list":["post-306","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-top-lists","tag-football-history","tag-nfl","tag-nfl-history","tag-nfl-stats"],"yoast_head":"\nTeams with the Worst Single-Season Records in NFL History - Pro Football Reference<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Want to know which teams have the worst NFL records? Read this blog to find out more on pro-football-reference.com\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/2024\/02\/teams-with-worst-records-in-nfl-history\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Teams with Worst Records in NFL History\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Want to know which teams have the worst NFL records? Read this blog to find out more on pro-football-reference.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/2024\/02\/teams-with-worst-records-in-nfl-history\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Pro Football Reference\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-02-01T19:03:09+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-12-20T19:23:43+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/PFR-Social-Preview-Images-Evergreen-Blog-Posts-2.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"630\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Brian Wright\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/PFR-Social-Preview-Images-Evergreen-Blog-Posts-2.png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Brian Wright\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"14 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pro-football-reference.com\\\/pfr-blog\\\/2024\\\/02\\\/teams-with-worst-records-in-nfl-history\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pro-football-reference.com\\\/pfr-blog\\\/2024\\\/02\\\/teams-with-worst-records-in-nfl-history\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Brian Wright\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pro-football-reference.com\\\/pfr-blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/36fa89cb84538c498d40255954a5ecb2\"},\"headline\":\"Teams with the Worst Single-Season Records in NFL History\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-02-01T19:03:09+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-12-20T19:23:43+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pro-football-reference.com\\\/pfr-blog\\\/2024\\\/02\\\/teams-with-worst-records-in-nfl-history\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":2610,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pro-football-reference.com\\\/pfr-blog\\\/2024\\\/02\\\/teams-with-worst-records-in-nfl-history\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cdn.ssref.net\\\/req\\\/202312151\\\/tlogo\\\/pfr\\\/jax-2020.png\",\"keywords\":[\"football history\",\"nfl\",\"nfl history\",\"nfl stats\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Top Lists\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":[\"WebPage\",\"FAQPage\"],\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pro-football-reference.com\\\/pfr-blog\\\/2024\\\/02\\\/teams-with-worst-records-in-nfl-history\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pro-football-reference.com\\\/pfr-blog\\\/2024\\\/02\\\/teams-with-worst-records-in-nfl-history\\\/\",\"name\":\"Teams with the Worst Single-Season Records in NFL History - Pro Football Reference\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pro-football-reference.com\\\/pfr-blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pro-football-reference.com\\\/pfr-blog\\\/2024\\\/02\\\/teams-with-worst-records-in-nfl-history\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pro-football-reference.com\\\/pfr-blog\\\/2024\\\/02\\\/teams-with-worst-records-in-nfl-history\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cdn.ssref.net\\\/req\\\/202312151\\\/tlogo\\\/pfr\\\/jax-2020.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-02-01T19:03:09+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-12-20T19:23:43+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pro-football-reference.com\\\/pfr-blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/36fa89cb84538c498d40255954a5ecb2\"},\"description\":\"Want to know which teams have the worst NFL records? Read this blog to find out more on pro-football-reference.com\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pro-football-reference.com\\\/pfr-blog\\\/2024\\\/02\\\/teams-with-worst-records-in-nfl-history\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"mainEntity\":[{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pro-football-reference.com\\\/pfr-blog\\\/2024\\\/02\\\/teams-with-worst-records-in-nfl-history\\\/#faq-question-1702059651780\"},{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pro-football-reference.com\\\/pfr-blog\\\/2024\\\/02\\\/teams-with-worst-records-in-nfl-history\\\/#faq-question-1702059718724\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pro-football-reference.com\\\/pfr-blog\\\/2024\\\/02\\\/teams-with-worst-records-in-nfl-history\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pro-football-reference.com\\\/pfr-blog\\\/2024\\\/02\\\/teams-with-worst-records-in-nfl-history\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cdn.ssref.net\\\/req\\\/202312151\\\/tlogo\\\/pfr\\\/jax-2020.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/cdn.ssref.net\\\/req\\\/202312151\\\/tlogo\\\/pfr\\\/jax-2020.png\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pro-football-reference.com\\\/pfr-blog\\\/2024\\\/02\\\/teams-with-worst-records-in-nfl-history\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pro-football-reference.com\\\/pfr-blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Teams with the Worst Single-Season Records in NFL History\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pro-football-reference.com\\\/pfr-blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pro-football-reference.com\\\/pfr-blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"Pro Football Reference\",\"description\":\"Just another WordPress site\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pro-football-reference.com\\\/pfr-blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pro-football-reference.com\\\/pfr-blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/36fa89cb84538c498d40255954a5ecb2\",\"name\":\"Brian Wright\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/188d2778398043cfe660fff5c8907f2b7227ea4bd2d2b0edadaacda6329d9f17?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/188d2778398043cfe660fff5c8907f2b7227ea4bd2d2b0edadaacda6329d9f17?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/188d2778398043cfe660fff5c8907f2b7227ea4bd2d2b0edadaacda6329d9f17?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Brian Wright\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pro-football-reference.com\\\/pfr-blog\\\/author\\\/bwright\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pro-football-reference.com\\\/pfr-blog\\\/2024\\\/02\\\/teams-with-worst-records-in-nfl-history\\\/#faq-question-1702059651780\",\"position\":1,\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pro-football-reference.com\\\/pfr-blog\\\/2024\\\/02\\\/teams-with-worst-records-in-nfl-history\\\/#faq-question-1702059651780\",\"name\":\"Who was the worst team in NFL history?\",\"answerCount\":1,\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Determining the worst team is very subjective. Since the AFL and NFL merged in 1970, three teams have gone winless: the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the 2008 Detroit Lions, and the 2017 Cleveland Browns. \",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pro-football-reference.com\\\/pfr-blog\\\/2024\\\/02\\\/teams-with-worst-records-in-nfl-history\\\/#faq-question-1702059718724\",\"position\":2,\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pro-football-reference.com\\\/pfr-blog\\\/2024\\\/02\\\/teams-with-worst-records-in-nfl-history\\\/#faq-question-1702059718724\",\"name\":\"Which NFL team has the worst single-season record of all time?\",\"answerCount\":1,\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Five teams have gone winless since World War II. The 1960 Dallas Cowboys (0-11-1) and the 1982 Baltimore Colts (0-8-1) had the benefit of a tie and shorter schedules. Tampa Bay's winless season came in a 14-game season. The only teams to lose 16 times in a season are the 2008 Lions and the 2017 Browns. Since the schedule expanded to 17 games, no team has yet to lose every game. \",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Teams with the Worst Single-Season Records in NFL History - Pro Football Reference","description":"Want to know which teams have the worst NFL records? Read this blog to find out more on pro-football-reference.com","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/2024\/02\/teams-with-worst-records-in-nfl-history\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Teams with Worst Records in NFL History","og_description":"Want to know which teams have the worst NFL records? Read this blog to find out more on pro-football-reference.com","og_url":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/2024\/02\/teams-with-worst-records-in-nfl-history\/","og_site_name":"Pro Football Reference","article_published_time":"2024-02-01T19:03:09+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-12-20T19:23:43+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":630,"url":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/PFR-Social-Preview-Images-Evergreen-Blog-Posts-2.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Brian Wright","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_image":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/PFR-Social-Preview-Images-Evergreen-Blog-Posts-2.png","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Brian Wright","Est. reading time":"14 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/2024\/02\/teams-with-worst-records-in-nfl-history\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/2024\/02\/teams-with-worst-records-in-nfl-history\/"},"author":{"name":"Brian Wright","@id":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/#\/schema\/person\/36fa89cb84538c498d40255954a5ecb2"},"headline":"Teams with the Worst Single-Season Records in NFL History","datePublished":"2024-02-01T19:03:09+00:00","dateModified":"2025-12-20T19:23:43+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/2024\/02\/teams-with-worst-records-in-nfl-history\/"},"wordCount":2610,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/2024\/02\/teams-with-worst-records-in-nfl-history\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/cdn.ssref.net\/req\/202312151\/tlogo\/pfr\/jax-2020.png","keywords":["football history","nfl","nfl history","nfl stats"],"articleSection":["Top Lists"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":["WebPage","FAQPage"],"@id":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/2024\/02\/teams-with-worst-records-in-nfl-history\/","url":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/2024\/02\/teams-with-worst-records-in-nfl-history\/","name":"Teams with the Worst Single-Season Records in NFL History - Pro Football Reference","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/2024\/02\/teams-with-worst-records-in-nfl-history\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/2024\/02\/teams-with-worst-records-in-nfl-history\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/cdn.ssref.net\/req\/202312151\/tlogo\/pfr\/jax-2020.png","datePublished":"2024-02-01T19:03:09+00:00","dateModified":"2025-12-20T19:23:43+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/#\/schema\/person\/36fa89cb84538c498d40255954a5ecb2"},"description":"Want to know which teams have the worst NFL records? Read this blog to find out more on pro-football-reference.com","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/2024\/02\/teams-with-worst-records-in-nfl-history\/#breadcrumb"},"mainEntity":[{"@id":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/2024\/02\/teams-with-worst-records-in-nfl-history\/#faq-question-1702059651780"},{"@id":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/2024\/02\/teams-with-worst-records-in-nfl-history\/#faq-question-1702059718724"}],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/2024\/02\/teams-with-worst-records-in-nfl-history\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/2024\/02\/teams-with-worst-records-in-nfl-history\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/cdn.ssref.net\/req\/202312151\/tlogo\/pfr\/jax-2020.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/cdn.ssref.net\/req\/202312151\/tlogo\/pfr\/jax-2020.png"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/2024\/02\/teams-with-worst-records-in-nfl-history\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Teams with the Worst Single-Season Records in NFL History"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/","name":"Pro Football Reference","description":"Just another WordPress site","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/#\/schema\/person\/36fa89cb84538c498d40255954a5ecb2","name":"Brian Wright","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/188d2778398043cfe660fff5c8907f2b7227ea4bd2d2b0edadaacda6329d9f17?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/188d2778398043cfe660fff5c8907f2b7227ea4bd2d2b0edadaacda6329d9f17?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/188d2778398043cfe660fff5c8907f2b7227ea4bd2d2b0edadaacda6329d9f17?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Brian Wright"},"url":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/author\/bwright\/"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/2024\/02\/teams-with-worst-records-in-nfl-history\/#faq-question-1702059651780","position":1,"url":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/2024\/02\/teams-with-worst-records-in-nfl-history\/#faq-question-1702059651780","name":"Who was the worst team in NFL history?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Determining the worst team is very subjective. Since the AFL and NFL merged in 1970, three teams have gone winless: the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the 2008 Detroit Lions, and the 2017 Cleveland Browns. ","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/2024\/02\/teams-with-worst-records-in-nfl-history\/#faq-question-1702059718724","position":2,"url":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/2024\/02\/teams-with-worst-records-in-nfl-history\/#faq-question-1702059718724","name":"Which NFL team has the worst single-season record of all time?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Five teams have gone winless since World War II. The 1960 Dallas Cowboys (0-11-1) and the 1982 Baltimore Colts (0-8-1) had the benefit of a tie and shorter schedules. Tampa Bay's winless season came in a 14-game season. The only teams to lose 16 times in a season are the 2008 Lions and the 2017 Browns. Since the schedule expanded to 17 games, no team has yet to lose every game. ","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/306","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=306"}],"version-history":[{"count":30,"href":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/306\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1489,"href":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/306\/revisions\/1489"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=306"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=306"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=306"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}