Sunday’s Redskins-Lions game (1 p.m., FOX) isn’t exactly must-see TV. In fact, thanks to the NFL’s blackout rule, it will be no-see TV in the greater Detroit area. But the media buzz this week has been that the Lions, owners of a 19-game losing streak, might end the skid against an underwhelming Redskins team. Regardless, Detroit certainly fits into our Pantheon of NFL losers.
10. 2003 Giants (8 games)
Jim Fassel’s G-Men were 4-4 on Nov. 2 after a 31-28 win over the cross-town Jets. Then the bottom fell out. A slew of injuries (including a season-ender to quarterback Kerry Collins) derailed New York’s season. The Giants scored 54 points over a seven-week stretch en route to losing eight straight.
9. 1952 Texans (9 games)
We had to jump into our time machine for this one, but the data was too good to pass up. The Texans, located in Dallas, lost nine straight games to start the season and were outscored 427-182. They missed seven of 27 extra point attempts and didn’t make a field goal all year.
8. 2000 Chargers (11 games)
Remember Ryan Leaf? He quarterbacked this team to a 1-8 record, or exactly one more win than Jim Harbaugh and Moses Moreno combined. These Chargers were masters of the close loss, dropping six games by three points or fewer. Their only win of the season (Week 13 against the Chiefs) was by a single point.
7. 1989 Cowboys (7 and 8 games)
They’d be higher on this list had they not broken up their season-long skid with a win in Week 9 over the Redskins. This team was so bad it hurt to watch. Rookie quarterback — and future Hall of Famer — Troy Aikman threw nine touchdowns, 18 interceptions and was 0-11 as a starter.
6. 2006-07 Dolphins (16 games)
Before the Lions, there were the Fish, who were legit threats to go winless in 2007 until a 22-16 overtime victory in Week 15. An injury to offseason acquisition Trent Green thrust the offense into the capable hands of … Cleo Lemon. And a mid-season trade of receiver Chris Chambers turned the Dolphins into a walking punching bag.
5. 1990 Patriots (14 games)
The Rod Rust-led Pats were 1-1 after Week 2, then apparently signed a non-compete agreement with every other team on their schedule. New England, behind the superb quarterback play of Marc Wilson, Tom Hodson and Steve Grogan, averaged 11 points per game. Seven of their losses were blowout margins (34, 23, 28, 20, 30, 21, 35).
4. 1980 Saints (14 games)
Ah yes, the Aints. We were wondering when they’d show up. This team was so bad that fans came to games with paper bags over their heads. Archie Manning was serviceable (3,700 passing yards, 23 TDs) but the running game was nonexistent, with Jimmy Rogers (366 yards total) leading the way. No wonder they finished 1-15.
3. 2001 Panthers (15 games)
Former Heisman Trophy winner Chris Weinke threw for 223 yards and a touchdown in a season-opening win over the Vikings. Too bad the Panthers didn’t clone the effort. Carolina lost its next 15, costing George Seifert his job. They wouldn’t win again until the 2002 opener, 364 days later.
2. 2008-09 Lions (19 games)
This franchise’s recent bumbling is hard to quantify in a unique way, so we’ll go with an anecdotal approach. In Week 5 against the Vikings last year, quarterback Dan Orlovsky fielded a snap in shotgun, rolled out … and accidentally ran out of the back of the end zone for a safety. The Lions lost by two.
1. 1976-77 Buccaneers (26 games)
On this Mount Olympus of futility, the Buccaneers are Zeus. They were shut out 10 times during their 26-game introduction to the NFL and were outscored 635-228 in their first two seasons. Take the 2008 Lions, the 1974-75 Capitals and the 1962 Mets and throw them into a bag. Then light it on fire. That’s the Bucs.
