Fumbling around: The most disastrous seasons in NFL history

When things go south for an NFL team, they can pass the point of no return.

Even though the NFL has one of the shortest seasons in major professional sports, the campaign can seem awfully long for franchises that are struggling. Due to a dearth of talent, bad luck and poor execution, certain NFL teams through history have experienced Murphy’s law firsthand; what can go wrong, will go wrong. Statistics are sourced from Football Reference.

The Browns had one of the most tumultuous stretches in league history under head coach Hue Jackson. He had a 1-31 record with the franchise, inclusive of a moribund 0-16 campaign in 2017.

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When something goes this wrong, it’s hard to point the finger in one direction, but quarterback DeShone Kizer’s 11 touchdowns to 22 interceptions did not help matters.

It may be hard to fathom that a team with Hall of Fame wide receiver Calvin Johnson on it could go an entire season without winning a game, but that’s what took place for the Lions in 2008.

His 1,331 yards and 12 touchdowns looked good on paper, but weren’t enough to overcome the drubbings Detroit would receive on a near-weekly basis.

It’s never a good sign when your team is playfully referred to as “The Yucks.” The 1976 Bucs get somewhat of a pass, considering that it was their first season in existence. They didn’t necessarily fall into a bad team as much as they didn’t have the time to build one up. However, the quality of football played that season in Tampa Bay was pretty difficult to watch.

Bleacher Report believes that the 1982 edition of the Colts were well on their way to being the worst team of all time. They may have been spared that designation due to the strike shortened seasoned, which prevented them from losing more games in embarrassing fashion. This cratering happened just before the team would move to Indianapolis.

Similar to the Lions in 2008, the 1971 Bills had some talent on their roster. Running back O.J. Simpson was a force on the ground and through the air. Unfortunately, Buffalo had a difficult time stopping their opponents. They conceded 49 points to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1, which was a harbinger of things to come.

Teams usually hand the keys over to veteran quarterbacks with the idea that they will be able to put forth disciplined efforts moving forward. That was not the case for the Jets in 1996, as 35 year-old Frank Reich and 30 year-old Neil O’Donnell combined to go 1-12 that year. 26 year-old Glenn Foley went 0-3 in his starts, leaving New York with a 1-15 record.

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Stay tuned for more, as Frank Reich was actually involved with another team on this list nearly three decades later.

The 2007 Dolphins came perilously close to joining some of the other winless teams on this list. If it wasn’t for an overtime victory against the Baltimore Ravens, it’s entirely possible Miami would have been shut out of the win column. The triumph was so emotional that players and coaches were crying on the field.

Greg Camarillo caught a touchdown pass from quarterback Cleo Lemon in overtime of the Ravens game to give Miami the dramatic win in what was an otherwise forgettable campaign.

The 49ers walked a thin tightrope in 2004 as well, flirting with losing every single one of their games.  While their 2-14 campaign masks how historically bad it could’ve been, this bunch found it challenging to put up points all season.

They would end up with two victories on the season, both against the Arizona Cardinals, both of which came in overtime.

This isn't a flattering list to be a part of, but the 2023 Carolina Panthers made a strong bid to be considered as the worst of the worst. They finished the campaign 2-15, and fired head coach Frank Reich in the middle of the season. Rookie quarterback Bryce Young threw 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in an uninspiring first year.

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It's often said that misery loves company, so we'd love to know who you think should join this list of moribund teams! Let us know in the comments section.