# NFL: losing team in the playoffs?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-losing-team-in-the-playoffs/385784>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [December 27, 2006, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-losing-team-in-the-playoffs/385784 "2006-12-27T20:18:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\
**Post date:** [December 27, 2006, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-losing-team-in-the-playoffs/385784/1 "2006-12-27T20:18:05Z")

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It’s possible (if not likely) that an NFC team with a 7-9 record will make the playoffs this year. Has it ever happened that a losing NFL team got into the playoffs? How did they do? 🙂

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**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\
**Post date:** [December 27, 2006, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-losing-team-in-the-playoffs/385784/2 "2006-12-27T20:39:39Z")

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I read today in the paper that no team with a losing record has ever made the play-offs in a non-strike shortened year. No other details.

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**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\
**Post date:** [December 27, 2006, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-losing-team-in-the-playoffs/385784/3 "2006-12-27T20:53:52Z")

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8-8 teams make it every so often and that is guaranteed to happen this year. A losing team has not made it in the past.

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**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\
**Post date:** [December 27, 2006, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-losing-team-in-the-playoffs/385784/4 "2006-12-27T21:40:09Z")

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[QUOTE=hajario]  
8-8 teams make it every so often and that is guaranteed to happen this year. A losing team has not made it in the past.  
[/QUOTE]

Except, as stratocaster noted, during a strike shortened season. In 1982 Cleveland made the playoffs with a 4-5 record.