When September rolls around, NFL fans are champing at the bit for the season to start. They've already gotten a taste from the preseason, read up on their team's draft picks, and made predictions about how the season should go with their team's roster. Adrenaline is high during Week 1 and often doesn't wear off until Week 18. A tough loss could end in tears, for both the team and its fans.
It's hard for people who aren't fanatics to wrap their heads around how a sport could evoke so much emotion, but there's a psychological explanation for fandom.
For many, a team association ties into self-esteem and identity. It has been proved that people receive a self-esteem boost from associating with successful individuals or groups, which is why fans are more likely to wear team gear the day after a win than the day after a loss, and die-hards speak about team successes in first person and failures in third person. Shared fandom also provides a sense of connection, whether it be with friends who follow the same team or via strangers bonding at a game, and all humans have a need for connectedness.
A Super Bowl win, the pinnacle of the sport, can bring a city together and give fans a personal sense of pride and satisfaction. Conversely, when a team has a particularly disappointing season or loses in the playoffs, it can feel like a gut punch.
For the 2023 Carolina Panthers, that gut punch came after ending the season with the worst record in the league despite having traded up to select quarterback Bryce Young as the #1 pick of the draft. For the 2017 Cleveland Browns, it was a 0-16 season. For the 2013 Houston Texans, projected to be one of the best teams in the league, it was finishing as one of the worst.
Sqore compiled a list featuring the most disappointing season for every NFL team in the 21st century using data from Pro Football Reference. Each season was selected based on the number of wins by which the team underperformed its preseason over/under. Ties were broken via the highest preseason win total.
- Preseason over/under: 8.5 wins
- Season record: 4-13 (4.5 games under)
Before this season began, the Arizona Cardinals had hopes of playing a home Super Bowl at State Farm Stadium. Instead, they won only one game on their turf. The lackluster campaign was plagued by suspensions, injuries, and star quarterback Kyler Murray's worst statistical season.
- Preseason over/under: 10 wins
- Season record: 4-12 (6 games under)
An underperforming season can sting even more when expectations are high, and that's exactly what happened to these Atlanta Falcons. The team was coming off a trip to the NFC Championship Game, but injuries hit hard. Atlanta lost four close contests in its first five games and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2009.
- Preseason over/under: 10 wins
- Season record: 6-10 (4 games under)
Many thought the Baltimore Ravens could be in the Super Bowl at the end of the 2005 season, but injuries—namely to Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis—combined with poor play by quarterback Kyle Boller resulted in a sub-.500 record. They finished 0-8 on the road, adding insult to injury.
- Preseason over/under: 8 wins
- Season record: 3-13 (5 games under)
The Buffalo Bills fired head coach Wade Phillips after the 2000 season despite their 29 victories during his three-year tenure. During Gregg Williams' first season, the team went 3-13, which was reminiscent of the 1984 and 1985 squads that had back-to-back 2-14 records.
- Preseason over/under: 7.5 wins
- Season record: 2-15 (5.5 games under)
The Carolina Panthers had high hopes for the 2023 season. They traded up to the #1 spot in the draft and selected Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Bryce Young of Alabama, and they signed veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen. However, they still ranked at the bottom of the NFL in total offense. After going 1-10 in their first 11 games, the Panthers fired head coach Frank Reich even though they'd just hired him in the offseason.
- Preseason over/under: 7.5 wins
- Season record: 3-13 (4.5 games under)
The Chicago Bears' 2016 season marked the second-worst in the storied franchise's history, bettering only the 1969 campaign in which the team went 1-13. They did have a good excuse, though. Nineteen players ended up on injured reserve, and the club had more adjusted games lost than any team since 2000, when Football Outsiders began tracking the metric.
- Preseason over/under: 7 wins
- Season record: 2-14 (5 games under)
Nothing went right for these Cincinnati Bengals. They were plagued by injuries; their defense was lacking; their offense was lacking; their special teams were lacking. Cincinnati went 0-7 before finally winning a game, and that was against the Houston Texans expansion team. Their abysmal record was the worst in franchise history.
- Preseason over/under: 4.5 wins
- Season record: 0-16 (4.5 games under)
The Cleveland Browns made history in 2017 when they became the second team to go 0-16 (the first is farther down this list). This was their second straight disastrous season under head coach Hue Jackson, who had presided over a 1-15 mark in his first year, but the front office didn't fire him until midway through the 2018 season.
- Preseason over/under: 9.5 wins
- Season record: 4-12 (5.5 games under)
Two of the Dallas Cowboys' best seasons of the 21st season came in 2014 and 2016, so why did 2015 turn out so poorly? It started well, with the Cowboys winning their first two games. But, quarterback Tony Romo broke his collarbone, and the team skidded into a seven-game losing streak.
- Preseason over/under: 10.5 wins
- Season record: 5-12 (5.5 games under)
After five straight losing seasons, Denver Broncos fans thought things were looking up when the team brought in head coach Nathaniel Hackett and made a blockbuster trade for quarterback Russell Wilson. Neither worked out, and the Broncos suffered an extremely disappointing season. Hackett was fired before the end of the year, and Wilson was released following the 2023 season.
- Preseason over/under: 6.5 wins
- Season record: 0-16 (6.5 games under)
The Detroit Lions hold the unfortunate title of the first team to go 0-16. They couldn't get anything going offensively while alternating three quarterbacks (Daunte Culpepper, Jon Kitna, and Dan Orlovsky). In Week 6, Orlovsky infamously ran out of the back of the end zone against the Minnesota Vikings, resulting in a safety in a two-point loss.
- Preseason over/under: 10 wins
- Season record: 6-9-1 (4 games under)
The Green Bay Packers thought their 100th year would be a successful one, as they were a favorite to win the NFC when the season began. Instead, head coach Mike McCarthy was fired three-quarters of the way through his 13th season. The lowlights included terrible special teams and a poor defense, including subpar seasons by linebackers Clay Matthews and Nick Perry, the latter of whom finished the year on injured reserve.
- Preseason over/under: 10 wins
- Season record: 2-14 (8 games under)
In 2013, the Houston Texans were hoping to continue the momentum from a franchise-best season the year before. Things were looking good when the team won its first two games, but it was all downhill from there, as it spun into a 14-game losing streak—the worst in franchise history. Though Gary Kubiak was the only head coach who had led them to the playoffs, the Texans fired him after falling to 2-11.
- Preseason over/under: 9.5 wins
- Season record: 4-12-1 (5.5 games under)
The Indianapolis Colts had postseason hopes in 2022 after trading for quarterback Matt Ryan, but three straight losses that dropped them to 3-5-1 made it clear that wasn't happening. The team fired head coach Frank Reich as a result. The Colts won their first game with interim coach Jeff Saturday, a shock hire, but ended the season with a seven-game losing streak.
- Preseason over/under: 10 wins
- Season record: 5-11 (5 games under)
After an 11-5 season in 2007, the Jacksonville Jaguars hoped to strengthen their team by signing notable free agents. However, wide receiver Jerry Porter proved to be injury-prone, and cornerback Drayton Florence was a bust. Despite having spent tens of millions of dollars on them, the Jags cut both after the season.
- Preseason over/under: 8 wins
- Season record: 2-14 (6 games under)
The 2012 campaign was the worst in Kansas City Chiefs history, and what's perplexing about it is the roster—because the players were actually good. The team was equipped with six Pro Bowlers yet never even led a game until its ninth contest; it didn't take the lead in its first win until the game ended with a field goal in overtime. Many blame head coach Romeo Crennel for the disastrous season, and he was fired at the end of the year, just his first full season at the helm.
- Preseason over/under: 9.5 wins
- Season record: 4-12 (5.5 games under)
While they were still in Oakland, the Raiders endured many bad seasons in the 21st century (some worse record-wise), but 2003 was the most disappointing because they were supposed to be good. Things took a turn for the worst when quarterback Rich Gannon—who won the MVP award in 2002—suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 7. This marked the first time the Raiders missed the postseason since 1999, and they didn't play another postseason game until 2016.
- Preseason over/under: 6.5 wins
- Season record: 1-15 (5.5 games under)
The 2000 season was by far the worst in Chargers franchise history. At the time, they were still in San Diego, and they began the season by losing 11 straight games. Their only win came when they edged Kansas City 17-16 on a long, late field goal. The offense was abysmal with Ryan Leaf under center, and the Chargers rushed for a record-low 1,062 yards.
- Preseason over/under: 10.5 wins
- Season record: 5-12 (5.5 games under)
The Los Angeles Rams were high off a Super Bowl win in 2022, but injuries to key players kept them from mounting much of a title defense (or even making back-to-back postseason appearances). Quarterback Matthew Stafford and wide receiver Cooper Kupp, the Super Bowl LVI MVP, played just nine games each.
- Preseason over/under: 7 wins
- Season record: 1-15 (6 games under)
The 2007 Miami Dolphins came very close to taking the dubious title of the first team to go 0-16, but an overtime win in Week 15 saved them. Cam Cameron helmed the team and was fired after his first year as a head coach. The Dolphins turned things around with the Wildcat in 2008, going 11-5 and making the postseason.
- Preseason over/under: 9 wins
- Season record: 5-11 (4 games under)
The 1984 season is considered to be the worst in Minnesota Vikings history, and fans had to relive that disappointment in 2011; both squads finished 3-13 and endured a six-game losing streak. The 2011 Vikings had talent, including running back Adrian Peterson and defensive end Jared Allen, but problems on defense (including an injury to cornerback Antoine Winfield) resulted in their giving up the most passing touchdowns in the NFL.
- Preseason over/under: 7.5 wins
- Season record: 4-13 (3.5 games under)
The New England Patriots' 2023 season marked the end of an era. After the campaign, Bill Belichick parted ways with the team following a 24-year career in Foxborough. The legendary coach's last season also ended with the worst record during his tenure, mainly because the offense never jelled. Interestingly enough, the defense was one of the better units in the NFL.
- Preseason over/under: 7.5 wins
- Season record: 3-13 (4.5 games under)
Going 3-13 is never fun, but this lousy season comes with a huge asterisk. The New Orleans Saints evacuated their city ahead of Hurricane Katrina and spent the year playing home games in San Antonio, Texas; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and even New York. When they returned to the Superdome in 2006, their dominant victory was triumphant. They finished that next season 10-6, three wins better than their over/under. In 2009, they won the Super Bowl.
- Preseason over/under: 9 wins
- Season record: 3-13 (6 games under)
The 1966 New York Giants were infamously bad, going 1-12-1, but the 2017 team set the franchise record for most losses in a season. There were a lot of factors at play, including wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.'s fractured ankle; quarterback Eli Manning's benching, and head coach Ben McAdoo and general manager Jerry Reese's getting jointly fired.
- Preseason over/under: 9 wins
- Season record: 4-12 (5 games under)
The New York Jets' bad 2005 season was sandwiched between two 10-win playoff campaigns, and this one would've been better if it weren't for injuries. Quarterback Chad Pennington suffered a shoulder injury in the third game, and wide receiver Wayne Chrebet's NFL career ended in Week 9 with another concussion, which he suffered when his head hit the turf as he was tackled following a catch. These injuries led to the Jets' dismal record, which included an 0-8 mark in away games.
- Preseason over/under: 10 wins
- Season record: 4-12 (6 games under)
Expectations were high for the Philadelphia Eagles, and the pressure was on for longtime head coach Andy Reid going into the 2012 season. After going 8-8 in 2011, Reid was told he had to do better if he wanted to keep his job. Things were looking good when the team started 3-1, but then it lost eight straight games for the first time under Reid. Needless to say, Reid's 14-year career in Philadelphia came to an end that offseason.
- Preseason over/under: 9.5 wins
- Season record: 6-10 (3.5 games under)
From 2001 to 2005, the Pittsburgh Steelers made the postseason four times (and even won the Super Bowl in 2005), but there was a disappointing season sandwiched between the excitement. The team had high hopes in 2003, but quarterback Tommy Maddox was unable to replicate the magic he possessed during his 11 starts the year prior. He struggled in part because the offensive line was decimated by injuries, and that also led to the team's ranking 31st in the league in rushing.
- Preseason over/under: 10.5 wins
- Season record: 6-10 (4.5 games under)
It's true that the San Francisco 49ers have endured a pair of two-win seasons in the 21st century (in 2004 and 2016), but 2020 was more disappointing because they were expected to win lots of games. The Bay Area team was coming off a Super Bowl appearance and eager to make it back to the promised land. Instead, a staggering amount of injuries that began before Week 1 turned their "revenge season" into one the team (and fans) would rather forget.
- Preseason over/under: 8.5 wins
- Season record: 4-12 (4.5 games under)
The Seattle Seahawks were flying high coming into the 2008 season, having topped the NFC West for four years in a row. But, injuries and age quelled their chances of making the playoffs for a sixth straight year. They also closed the team's Super Bowl window under Mike Holmgren, who chose to leave his post as head coach at the end of the season.
- Preseason over/under: 7 wins
- Season record: 2-14 (5 games under)
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers weren't supposed to be great in 2014, but they ended up with the worst record in the NFL and their worst record since the frustrating 1986 season. To make matters worse for fans, the team failed to win a single home game. But it wasn't all bad. The atrocious season led to the Bucs choosing quarterback Jameis Winston as the first pick of the 2015 draft—a position the team reached by all but intentionally losing its final game of the season.
- Preseason over/under: 7 wins
- Season record: 2-14 (5 games under)
Arguably, the Tennessee Titans' 2014 season was even more disappointing than the Bucs' because they finished with the same record but only received the #2 pick in the 2015 draft. The Titans fanbase had been feeling hopeful when first-year head coach Ken Whisenhunt arrived to turn things around after predecessor Mike Munchak delivered three mediocre seasons. Instead, he was at the helm for one of the worst seasons in franchise history.
- Preseason over/under: 8 wins
- Season record: 3-13 (5 games under)
Robert Griffin III was supposed to be the Washington Commanders' franchise quarterback, but after suffering a knee injury during the team's 2012 wild-card playoff loss, the Offensive Rookie of the Year was never himself again. He ended the 2013 season backing up Kirk Cousins, and the team lost its last eight games.
Data reporting by Karim Noorani. Story editing by Mike Taylor. Additional editing by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Robert Wickwire. Photo selection by Clarese Moller.
This story originally appeared on Sqore and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.
