What’s the worst combined record for the two defending conference champions? Are Denver and Atlanta in the running for that dubious honor? (So far, they’re 7-18.)
53 and 1/3 yards.
“If ignorance were corn flakes, you’d be General Mills.”
Cecil Adams
The Straight Dope
I don’t know what the record would be, but it seems to me that the Broncos and Falcons will be the lowest.
If they are 7-18 now (and by the time people read this it is very likely to be 7-19), the best they could do would be a combined 13-19 (.406).
Football teams usually don’t drop off as sharply as teams in other sports (basketball being most noticeable) because the turnover in players isn’t as damaging.
However, this year both teams lost the only two players they couldn’t afford to replace.
1999 Denver & Atlanta 7-19
1998 Denver & Green Bay 25-7
1997 New England & Green Bay 23-9
1996 Dallas & Pittsburg 20-12
1995 San Fran & San Diego 20-12
1994 Dallas & Buffalo 19-13
1993 Dallas & Buffalo 24-8
1992 Washington & Bufalo 20-12
1991 NY & Buffalo 21-11
1990 San Fran & Denver 19-13 *Den (5-11)
1989 San Fran & Cincy 22-10
1988 Washingtom & Denver 15-17
1987 NY & Denver 16-13-1 (strike year)
1986 Chicago & New England 25-7
1985 San Fran & Miami 22-10
1984 LA Raiders & Wash 22-10
1983 Washington & Miami 26-6
1982 San Fran & Cincy 10-8 (strike year)
1981 Oakland & Philly 17-15
1980 Pittsburg & LA Rams 20-12
1979 Pittsburg & Dallas 23-9
1978 Dallas & Denver 22-10 (First 16 game schedule)
1977 Oakland & Minnesota 20-8
1976 Pittsburg & Dallas 21-7
1975 Pittsburg & Minnesota 24-4
1974 Miami & Minnesota 21-7
1973 Miami & Washington 22-6
1972 Dallas & Miami 24-4
1971 Baltimore & Dallas 21-7
1970 KC & Minnesota 19-7-2
1969 NY Jets & Baltimore 18-9-1
1968 Green Bay & Oakland 18-9-1
1967 Green Bay & KC 18-9-1 (First Super Bowl)
1966 Buffalo & Green Bay 21-6-1
1965 Buffalo & Cleveland 21-6-1
1964 Chicago & San Diego 13-14-1
1963 Green Bay & Dallas Texans 16-9-3 (Texans moved to KC)
1962 Houston & Green Bay 24-4
1961 Phily & Houston 20-7-1 (First Year of the AFC)
-1960-1966 the AFL/NFL Champs did not play one another
-All seasons before 1978 teams played 14 game seasons
-1950-1960 The NFL was split into an East and West Conference which played a Championship game (1956 Cleveland and LA were 9-15, no others were below .500)
-1933-1949 The NFL was split into a East and West Division which played Championship games (1945 Giants & GB were 9-10-1 1947 Bears & Giants were 10-12-2, no others below .500)
-1932 and before had no Championship game
The worst post Super Bowl year was 1988 when the teams had a 15-17 mark for a .469 percentage. This is with two teams who won met after a strike year so that may need an *.
The worst ever was the 1956 teams Cleveland and LA Rams who combined for a .375 percentage.
The worst Single team post championship record was 5-11 by the 1990 Denver Broncos, follow by the 3-6-1 mark by the 1945 Giants.
Denver (4-9) has yet to play San Diego, Seattle, and Detroit, all with better records that Denver, and 2 in the heart of the Division title races.
Atlanta (3-10) has yet to play Tennessee, San Fransico and Arizona, Tennessee should kill them, and they are even matches against the other two struggling teams.
Based just on records Denver will lose all three remaining games, and Atlanta will also lose all three, at this pace the teams will finish 7-25 combined a .219 percentage. By far the worst in history. The teams must combine for 12 wins to tie the all time worst mark of a .375 percentage in 1956. Having only 7 wins combined so far that allows olny one team to lose one game of the remaining 6. They must both win out to stay above the previous mark. Considering the Broncos must play teams with a combined winning percentage of .564, and the Falcons must play teams with a combined winning percentage of .513 it is a safe bet that these two Defending Conference Champs will lock up the worst follow up performance ever. Chances are that both teams will not better the 1990 Broncos 5-11 individual low water point. Thats setting a standard for total letdowns in football, but even these two teams need to look down at the 1998-1999 Bulls to see a real let down.
The facts expressed here belong to everybody, the opinions to me. The distinction is
yours to draw…
Omniscient; BAG
Omniscient, what can I say? I’m in your debt, and in complete awe. Thank you!
This has been a very strange year in the NFL. Fortunately, I finished the SDMB Fantasy League in first place, and am the #1 playoff seed. WooHoo! Steve Beurelein is my mvp.