Every NFL franchise has had its forgettable and regrettable performances.
With the good sometimes comes the bad. And with every one of the 32 NFL teams, that have been some less-than wonderful experiences. There has already been a look at each franchise’s greatest moment. Now it’s time to flip the switch and focus (for not too long) on the other side of the coin. From heartbreaking losses to embarrassing performances to a play that continues to haunt a fan base, here are the all-time worst moments for each of the league’s teams.
Arizona Cardinals: 2015 NFC Championship Game
Bruce Arians’ team won the NFC West with a 13-3 record and the Cardinals set a franchise record for victories in a season. Arizona outlasted Green Bay in overtime in the divisional round but were no match for the Panthers in Charlotte. Quarterback Carson Palmer committed six turnovers and the Cards were dealt a humbling 49-15 defeat.
Atlanta Falcons: Super Bowl LI
It’s still somewhat shocking that the Falcons squandered a 28-3 third-quarter lead on Super Sunday at Houston. Dan Quinn’s team appeared to be in control of the game but New England would roll up 546 total yards on 93 offensive plays by game’s end as Matt Ryan and company fell in the first Super Bowl to go to overtime, 34-28.
Baltimore Ravens: 2019 AFC Divisional Playoffs
The franchise owns two Super Bowl trophies. And the club was primed for another as the Ravens owned the league’s best record at 14-2, scored an NFL-high 531 points and set a record for rushing yards in a season. But NFL MVP Lamar Jackson had a long night and Baltimore couldn’t stop Titans’ workhorse Derrick Henry in a 28-12 loss.
Buffalo Bills: Super Bowl XXVII
Marv Levy’s club lost a heartbreaker in Super Bowl XXV and were dominated by Washington one year later. But the Bills became completely unglued at the Rose Bowl against the Dallas Cowboys on the verge of becoming the team of the ‘90s. Buffalo committed a Super Bowl record nine turnovers in a humbling and embarrassing 52-17 setback.
Carolina Panthers: 2001 season
The team got off to a great start that season with a road win at Minnesota. But the Panthers then dropped their final 15 games and wound up earning the first overall pick in the 2002 NFL Draft. Head coach George Seifert was dismissed after the season. The team would wind up in the Super Bowl two years later but 2001 was humbling.
Chicago Bears: 1961, Week 1 vs. Minnesota Vikings
The proud franchise was under the guidance of legendary head coach George Halas and would take on the expansion Vikings and quarterback Fran Tarkenton in the franchise’s first-ever game. The future Hall of Fame signal-caller threw four touchdown passes, the Bears committed five turnovers and went down by a 37-13 count.
Cincinnati Bengals: 2015 AFC Wild Card Playoffs
Marvin Lewis’ team won the AFC North that year and took a late lead on the visiting Steelers. But a fumble by Bengals’ running back Jeremy Hill opened the door for Pittsburgh. A high hit on Antonio Brown by Vontaze Burfict drew a flag and so did a personal foul by “Pacman” Jones. And a late field goal resulted in an 18-16 Cincinnati loss.
Cleveland Browns: 1957 NFL Championship Game
The current Browns’ franchise went 0-16 in 2016 but Cleveland’s humbling at the hands of the Lions in the ’57 title game stands out more given the team’s history at that time. The franchise won three NFL titles in the 1950s but they were never in this contest as Detroit rolled to a 59-14 triumph as the Browns committed seven turnovers.
Dallas Cowboys: 1970, Week 5 vs. Minnesota Vikings
Tony Romo’s mishandling of a field goal snap in the 2006 playoffs at Seattle would probably qualify as well, as would a 44-0 home loss in 1985 to the powerful Bears in on the list as well. William N. Wallace of the New York Times documents a 54-13 setback in 1970, the worst ever (41 points) for a team that reached a Super Bowl (V).
Denver Broncos: Super Bowl XLVIII
This franchise has been humbled in Super Sunday more than once. In 2013, quarterback Peyton Manning threw an NFL-record 55 TD passes and the Broncos set a new league record for points scored in a season (606). But in Super Bowl XLVIII vs. the Seahawks, John Fox’s club was completely overwhelmed in all facets, 43-8, at MetLife Stadium.
Detroit Lions: 2008 season
The head coach was Rod Marinelli and the Lions became the first team since the 1976 Buccaneers (0-14) to finish a season without a win or a tie (as documented by Michael Rosenberg of SI.com). The Lions were outscored by a combined 249 points (517-268), allowing 31 or more points in 11 of their 16 outings during their forgettable year.
Green Bay Packers: 1980, Week 14 vs. Chicago Bears
The Packers were in the midst of a 5-10-1 campaign and had knocked off the Bears in Week 1 after Green Bay kicker Chester Marcol had a field goal blocked in overtime but he scooped up the ball and ran it in for a touchdown in overtime. There was no suspense in this tilt at Soldier Field as Chicago embarrassed their longtime rivals, 61-7.
Houston Texans: 2019 AFC Divisional Playoffs
Nothing like a little recent history but it’s hard to ignore what happened to Bill O’Brien’s club in this past season’s playoffs. The Texans won at Arrowhead Stadium earlier in the season and quickly owned a 24-0 second-quarter lead in this rematch. But Houston was outscored a combined 51-7 the rest of the way and lost by 20 points.
Indianapolis Colts: Super Bowl III
Don Shula’s Baltimore Colts finished 13-1 and took on the AFL’s New York Jets at the Orange Bowl. It was a forgettable outing by NFL MVP Earl Morrall as he and the team fell, 16-7. But nearly 50 years later on a Sunday night at Indianapolis, Chuck Pagano’s 4th-and-3 call vs. the Patriots in 2015 deserves strong consideration as well.
Jacksonville Jaguars: 1999 AFC Championship Game
Tom Coughlin’s club was an NFL-best 14-2 but both losses came at the hands of the division-rival Titans. Off a 62-7 rout of the Dolphins in the divisional round, the Jaguars would host Tennessee for the rights to appear in Super Bowl XXXIV. But Jacksonville once again couldn’t solve Jeff Fisher’s squad and went down by a 33-14 count.
Kansas City Chiefs: 2013 AFC Wild Card Playoffs
These days, there are much happier times in Kansas City. But seven years ago during head coach Andy Reid’s first season with the franchise, the Chiefs owned a 38-10 lead early in the third quarter at Indianapolis. But everything that could go wrong would and the Reid’s club fell, 45-44, despite 513 yards of total offense and four takeaways.
Las Vegas Raiders: Super Bowl XXXVII
Jon Gruden had led the Silver and Black to the playoffs in 2000 and ’01. Now the Raiders would face him and his Tampa Bay Buccaneers in San Diego for the Lombardi Trophy. NFL MVP Rich Gannon had an absolutely forgettable day as he was picked off five times and had three of those thefts returned for scores in a humbling 48-21 defeat.
Los Angeles Chargers: 1979 AFC Divisional Playoffs
Don Coryell’s club was loaded on both offense and defense and earlier in the season humbled the defending and then-eventual Super Bowl champion Steelers at San Diego, 35-7. The club would host an undermanned Oilers’ team in the divisional playoffs but Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Fouts was picked off four times in a 17-14 loss.
Los Angeles Rams: 1975 NFC Championship Game
The Rams won seven straight division titles from 1973-79 but made only one Super Bowl appearance and that came in the final year of that span. They hosted the wild card Dallas Cowboys in the NFC title game but were crushed by Tom Landry’s young team, 37-7, and outgained 441-118 in total yards at the Los Angeles Coliseum
Miami Dolphins: 1999 AFC Divisional Playoffs
It would prove to be the final game for a pair of Pro Football Hall of Famers in quarterback Dan Marino and head coach Jimmy Johnson. Miami was down 24-0 after 15 minutes of play and 41-0 in the second quarter in an eventual 62-7 loss. The Dolphins allowed a disturbing 520 total yards and Marino (1 TD) was picked off twice.
Minnesota Vikings: 1998 NFC Championship Game
Dennis Green’s team was 15-1, set a then-NFL record for points scored in a season and boasted rookie sensation Randy Moss. The Vikings would host the Atlanta Falcons in the conference title game but the defense couldn’t protect a late fourth-quarter lead and the Purple Gang were stunned in overtime, 30-27, at the Metrodome.
New England Patriots: Super Bowl XLII
They became the first team and still only club to finish a regular season 16-0. They bested the Jacksonville Jaguars and then-San Diego Chargers in the AFC playoffs. And the Patriots owned a 7-3 third-quarter lead over the Giants at Arizona. But 18-0 turned into 18-1 as New England melted a bit in the fourth quarter in a 17-14 setback.
New Orleans Saints: 2017 NFC Divisional Playoffs
Sean Payton’s club has currently captured three straight NFC South titles but has yet to parlay that into another Super Bowl appearance. His team owned a one-point lead at Minnesota with 10 seconds to play and the Vikings on their own 39-yard line. But Stefon Diggs broke the Saints’ hearts, 29-24, with a 61-yard score as time expired.
New York Giants: 1978, Week 12 vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Big Blue was still five years away from Bill Parcells becoming the franchise’s head coach. All the Giants had to do was hang onto the ball and a 17-12 lead over the Birds at the Meadowlands. But Joe Pisarcik botched the handoff to Larry Csonka, Herm Edwards took back the fumble and New York went down, 19-17, in inexplicable fashion.
New York Jets: 2010, Week 13 vs. New England Patriots
It would be easy to simply mention quarterback Mark Sanchez’s infamous “Butt Fumble” and leave it at that. Rex Ryan’s club headed to Foxborough for a Monday night clash with the Pats and left on the very short end of a 45-3 score. But the humiliated Jets would return to New England and knocked off the Pats in the divisional playoffs.
Philadelphia Eagles: Super Bowl XV
Dick Vermeil’s team got big years from quarterback Ron Jaworski, running back Wilbert Montgomery and a solid defense. The Eagles would win 12 regular-season games, including a 10-7 victory over the Raiders. But when the clubs clashed in Super Bowl XV in the yellow ribbon-clad Superdome, the Birds were simply overwhelmed, 27-10.
Pittsburgh Steelers: 1989, Week 1 vs. Cleveland Browns
It was 30-plus years ago and in the mid and late-1980s, the Browns were the team to beat in the AFC Central. Chuck Noll’s team was overmatched, 51-0, at home in a game that saw the Steelers gain 53 total yards and commit eight turnovers. There would be a 41-10 loss at Cincinnati in Week 2. And Pittsburgh would still reach the playoffs.
San Francisco 49ers: 1972 NFC Divisional Playoffs
The Niners and Dallas Cowboys squared off in the playoffs three straight years from 1970-72. Dallas won the first two times and went onto Super Bowls V and VI, respectively. The third time finally looked like the charm for the 49ers, who owned a 28-13 fourth-quarter lead. But San Francisco’s heart was broken as the team collapsed, 30-28.
Seattle Seahawks: Super Bowl XLIX
The Seahawks were in prime position to repeat as Super Bowl champions and owned a 24-14 fourth-quarter lead over the Patriots in Arizona. New England forged ahead but Pete Carroll’s club was primed to take the lead late in the game. But Russell Wilson’s surprise pass wound up in the hands of Malcolm Butler and the ‘Hawks fell, 28-24.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 2003, Week 4 vs. Indianapolis Colts
Yes, this franchise born in 1976 lost its first 26 games. But in 2003, the Bucs were defending Super Bowl champions and dominating the visiting Colts on Monday night. Tampa owned a 35-14 lead with under four minutes to play but watched Peyton Manning and company score 24 straight points and Jon Gruden’s team fell in overtime, 38-35.
Tennessee Titans: 1992 AFC Wild Card Playoffs
Jack Pardee’s Houston Oilers had squandered a 21-6 lead at Denver in the 1991 playoffs. But this time around at Orchard Park, Warren Moon and company owned a 35-3 third-quarter advantage over Marv Levy’s shorthanded squad. But Houston had a problem holding a lead again, falling 41-38 in overtime to the Super Bowl bound Bills.
Washington Football Team: 1940 NFL Championship Game
It remains the worst loss in the 100-year history of the National Football League, regular-season or postseason. And Washington’s 73-0 loss to the Chicago Bears saw the team allow the most points ever as well as an NFL postseason record 382 yards rushing. Three Washington quarterbacks combined to throw eight interceptions.