Fans of the NFL love to see the end of the regular season, as with it comes the highly anticipated playoffs. Fourteen of the best teams in the nation will enter into a single-elimination tournament, hoping to earn one of two spots at the Superbowl.
Occasionally, we’ll see some of the NFL’s worst teams of the season make it to the playoffs, thanks to a bit of luck and some fortunate circumstances. Here are nine of the worst teams to ever get to the NFL playoffs.
Buffalo Bills 2017
Scott McDermot didn’t get the season he had hoped for when he took over as head coach of the Buffalo Bills in 2017. They managed to scrape through to the playoffs with a below-average record of 9-7.
During the final week of the season, the Buffalo Bills managed to end what would have been an 18-year playoff drought. They went on to beat the Chiefs and the Falcons before succumbing to the Jaguars in a wild-card game.
St. Louis Rams 2004
The Rams were extremely fortunate to qualify for the 2004 playoffs, considering they finished the season with a record of 8-8. Mike Martz’s team was placed at number 30 on the DVOA that year, further emphasizing just how lucky they were to reach the playoffs.
The Rams lost six games by at least 17 points and finished the season with a minus-73 differential. Not only did they qualify for the playoffs, they beat the Seahawks on three separate occasions, including a 23-20 thriller in Seattle.
Chicago Bears 2020
In 2020, the Chicago Bears had a great start to the season and amassed a record of 5-1. However, disaster soon struck, and they would lose their next six games. Many fans believed their dreams of reaching the playoffs were now over.
But, after swapping out Nick Foles for Mitchell Trubisky and a win over the Houston Texans, they went on a three-game winning streak and qualified by the skin of their teeth in the final week. The Bears became the third team in history to go on a 6-game losing streak and still qualify for the playoffs.
New York Jets 1991
At the end of the 1991 season, the New York Jets managed to finish with a record of 8-8, which was enough to end their decade-long playoff drought.
However, it wasn’t a great season for the Jets. They beat no playoff teams, and pundits believed their success and playoff qualification came down to the AFC’s lack of depth.
Denver Broncos 2011
The Denver Broncos had a disastrous start to the 2011 season, going 1-4. Fans made it clear that the problems stemmed from Kyle Orton and the quarterback was eventually benched in favor of Tim Tebow.
Tebow led the team to six straight wins, and chances of reaching the playoffs were soon revived. Even though the Broncos lost their last three games, they made playoffs, much to the surprise of the fans and the rest of the league.
Seattle Seahawks 2010
The Seattle Seahawks won the 2010 NFC West with a sub-par record of 7-9. This marked the first time in history that a team with a sub-500 record made the playoffs.
But, the fans got more than they bargained for as the Seahawks went on to defeat the then-defending Superbowl champions, New Orleans Saints. The day is forever remembered as the Beast Quake game.
Carolina Panthers 2014
It’s hard to believe that in 2014, the Carolina Panthers went two months without winning a game and still made it to the playoffs.
The Panthers went on a six-game losing streak, leaving them 3-8-1 on December 6. However, thanks to a four-game win streak and a horrible division, they managed to get through to the playoffs and even went on to defeat the Arizona Cardinals.
Detroit Lions 2016
The Detroit Lions managed to sneak their way into the 2016 playoffs despite losing their final three games. The team was even ranked as the sixth-worst in 2016 by Football Outsiders DVOA metric.
The Lions finished the year without earning a victory against any playoff teams. They were outclassed when they met the Seattle Seahawks in the wild-card round.
Washington 2020
Washington had a horrific start to the 2020 season, going 2-7, and fans found a scapegoat in first-round pick Dwayne Haskins, who showed little to no development as a pro.
However, Washington managed to pull it back to 7-9 by the end of the season, which was just enough to secure their lackluster team a spot in the playoffs. This was the first time in NFL history that a team with a 2-7 start made it to the playoffs.
