Two even made it to the Super Bowl, with one winning it all. sammyias says: May 22, … The AFC North tied with the top division (we’re almost there) with three Super Bowl titles. Neither the Cowboys nor Redskins really helped or harmed the NFC East's standing much. © 2004-2021 CBS Interactive. The division did lead the way in playoff points, though, powered by the Steelers’ and Ravens’ Super Bowl runs in 2005, 2008 and 2012. But the New York Jets have won at least one playoff game under three separate coaches (Herm Edwards, Eric Mangini, Rex Ryan) and twice made wild card runs to the AFC Championship game thanks to a strong defense and just enough offense with a young Mark Sanchez. While they all struggled to have winning records, one of those teams had to win the division. In other words, the division has seen a lot of parity within itself, with highs and lows from the Saints, Panthers, Falcons and also the Buccaneers -- mostly lows in Tampa Bay, but remember they claimed the first Super Bowl title post-realignment on the strength of a potent defense under head coach John Gruden. Under the formula, every team plays 16 games as follows: Home and away against its three division opponents (6 games). Before diving into the numbers, I had assumed the AFC South would come up last but then recalled all those monster Colts seasons when The Sheriff ruled Indianapolis. Unique perspectives on the daily sports topics that matter most. Help | Viewer Feedback | Press | Advertise With Us | Jobs | FOX Cincy | RSS | Site Map Then the Panthers finally captured the division title in back-to-back years in 2014 and made it a trifecta in 2015. Seasons: 88 (1933 to 2020) Record (W-L-T): 590-619-27 Playoff Record: 23-23 Super Bowls Won: 1 (3 Appearances) Championships Won *: 4 . So there’s been contributions across the board, except from the Rams, now of Los Angeles, who are still searching for their first playoff appearance since 2004 (and first winning season since 2003). CBS Sports took a look at the history of the NFC East, coming up with a list of the worst records out of the division to make the playoffs. FS1 | FOX | FOX News | Fox Corporation | FOX Sports Supports | FOX Deportes, ™ and © 2020 Fox Media LLC and Fox Sports Interactive Media, LLC. Do Not Sell my Personal Info. The NFC North finished second-to-last in regular-season scoring and dead last in playoffs scoring. Since 2002, when the current NFL structure was put into place, multiple teams without a winning record have found themselves competing for the ultimate NFL prize. section: | slug: the-worst-nfl-teams-to-win-their-division-since-the-2002-realignment | sport: football | route: article_single.us | All-time Receiving Leader: Harold Carmichael 589 … Regular-season record points: 120 (437-457 record)Playoff points: 108. The Oakland Raiders have finally come back around after dragging down the division for a decade-plus after the Rich Gannon-led squad led the team to Super Bowl XXXVII. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc. site: media | arena: nfl | pageType: stories | After the NFC North, no division has performed worse in the playoffs than the AFC West; in fact in seven of the 14 seasons, no AFC West team won a single postseason game. But it’s not just on the Raiders -- their division-mate Kansas City Chiefs and San Diego Chargers have had some very lean years since 2002, while the Denver Broncos have buoyed the AFC West, thanks in large part to the recent seasons with the now-retired Peyton Manning and pass rushing maestro Von Miller. The … The playoffs points grid (above) is more interesting than the regular-season grid, which you can view by clicking here. Since 2002, when the current NFL structure was put into place, multiple teams without a … Five conference championships, three Super Bowl titles and a ton of regular-season wins (and counting), combined with some Jets successes, provided the decisive blow to the AFC North. Washington at 7-9 would be the third division champion with a losing record since realignment in 2002. Regular-season record points: 135 (442-454 record)Playoff points: 123. (Ties were omitted.). Regular-season record points: 210 (462-434 record)Playoff points: 214. And despite their five consecutive wild card round failures, the Bengals did contribute some points by earning playoff berths. The 1967 NFL season was the 48th regular season of the National Football League.The league expanded to 16 teams with the addition of the New Orleans Saints.. Washington at 7-9 would be the third division champion with a losing record since realignment in 2002. Under the formula, every team plays 16 games as follows: Home and away against its three division opponents (6 games). Implemented in 2002 with realignment, the NFL's scheduling formula guarantees that all teams play each other on a regular, rotating basis. Right at your fingertips. It came down to the last game of the 2020 NFL regular season, and a close game at that, but the 7-9 Washington Football Team prevailed and punched its ticket to the playoffs. Since realignment in 2002, backing NFL playoff teams to allow 30 or more points and win you are 6-10 SU and 7-9 ATS. Before we get to the ranks and observations, thanks to Pro Football Reference for making all this information so accessible. The New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys and Washington Football Team were in a down-to-the-wire competition for who can lose the most games. Inside access. Despite 14 playoff teams in the last 18 years having won their division without reaching 10 wins, the majority did defy their win percentage odds and make it past the first round. The Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills didn’t help much as the Bills are still mired in the longest postseason drought in the entire league, having failed to reach the dance since 1999. Here is a breakdown of the NFL's scheduling process: Each team plays home and away against its three division opponents, which accounts for six games on the schedule. 1 would be far from the first subpar team to advance. Because 14 seasons times 15 points (the Super Bowl award) equals 210, that number was designated as the score given to the winningest regular season division since the realignment. The NFC East earned its spot in the upper half of divisions with a group effort -- a lot of strong Eagles seasons, division-wide avoidance of sustained dreadfulness and the New York Giants' two epic Super Bowl runs culminating with victories over the favored New England Patriots. Regular-season record points: 180 (453-431 record)Playoff points: 174. Overall the Packers have been strong since 2002, providing the division with its only Super Bowl title in 2010 (all divisions have won at least one Super Bowl), but the Pack has disappointed in the playoffs since then. Most were won by nine- and eight-win teams, while a few saw sub.-500 teams represent them in the postseason. In order to reflect the playoffs in the, a division earned 15 points when one of its teams won the Super Bowl, 10 points for a conference championship, 7 points for a divisional round win, 5 points for a wild card round win and 3 points for a team earning a wild card round berth. The final rankings below reflect the order of finish in “Division Power Points.” I attempted to account for playoffs successes (and failures) and the regular season equally by tabulating the collective division record in the 2002-15 seasons (14 years), while leaving out 2016 records since the season is only partially completed. Perhaps the final small surprise is that the AFC North didn’t finish first given the top-to-near-bottom strength of the division with the Steelers, Ravens and Bengals. Compete to win the $1,000,000 jackpot & more cash prizes on Sunday. Regular-season record points: 165 (445-450 record)Playoff points: 164. The same goes for the 7-9 Dallas Cowboys or 6 … I think MW accidentally posted this to the ProFootballTalk WordPress account instead of the 2000-2002 section of the NFL Wikipedia page. Basically, the Colts almost single-handedly lifted the AFC to sixth place, but mediocrity has again taken hold of the Colts and the division as a whole. All-time Rushing Leader: LeSean McCoy 1,461 att, 6,792 yds, 44 TD . 12:50 pm ET, worst records out of the division to make the playoffs, Former Gatorade exec reveals how color is picked, The Weeknd previews Super Bowl LV halftime show, Super Bowl LV: All our experts' picks, best bets. The scheduling formula implemented in 2002 with realignment guarantees that all teams play each other on a regular, rotating basis. Without the Broncos’ recent resurgence, the AFC West likely would have finished last. This season has potential to mark the worst team to ever clinch a playoff spot, or at least one of the worst, but whoever takes No. The league went back to an even number of teams, expanding to 32 teams with the addition of the Houston Texans; the league has remained static with 32 teams since.The clubs were then realigned into eight divisions, four teams in each. They have won the division 12 times out of 14 since the realignment, the exceptions coming in 2002 (Jets) and 2008 (Dolphins, when Brady tore his ACL in Week 1 … We begin with a surprise. Regular-season record points: 150 (443-453 record) Playoff points: 136. But remember the San Francisco 49ers had a nice run under Jim Harbaugh, contributing a big chunk of wins and playoff points when the lights went out at Super Bowl XLVII, plus the Cardinals took the Steelers to the brink in Super Bowl XLIII. The league sent the Seahawks from the AFC West to NFC West, among other changes. 4. Below is a ranking of the 10 most terrible divisions dating back to realignment in 2002. Other teams might be a little bitter, as an NFC East team will get to host a playoff game with what we are all guessing will be a worse record than the other teams in the postseason, but that's how the NFL goes. Also keep in mind the figures considered didn’t include the Patriots’ 2001 (January 2002) Super Bowl, which occurred just prior to realignment. The first of the four consecutive Eagles NFC Championship game appearances precedes the realignment, but the sole Super Bowl appearance in XXXIX is included, as well as their more unexpected NFC Championship trip in 2008 when the Cardinals prevailed. The two 8-team conferences were split into two divisions each: the Eastern Conference divisions were Capitol (Dallas, New Orleans, Philadelphia, and Washington) and Century (Cleveland, New York, Pittsburgh, and St. … The Sean Payton and Drew Brees-era Saints added a second Super Bowl title to the NFC South showcase with a commanding win over the Colts in 2009, while the Falcons have mostly been competitive throughout, owing to the Michael Vick and Matt Ryan years (a pair of 13-win seasons). There’s a possibility that the NFL playoffs expand with another wild card team in the coming years, but we’re now in the 15th season since the realignment. In capturing their fourth consecutive NFC South division title, becoming only the third team in the conference since 2002 realignment to win four straight division titles. Covering the impact of coronavirus on the sports world. Since no once could agree on the realignment of the NFC after the AFL/NFL merger, the five best plans were put into a vase and Pete Rozelle’s secretary selected one at random.. 5. And then there’s the Browns. All-time Passing Leader: Donovan McNabb 2,801/4,746, 32,873 yds, 216 TD . The Bears and Vikings have seen ups and downs and combined for five playoff wins over the span, two of them coming just before Rex Grossman quarterbacked Chicago in a rainy Super Bowl against Peyton Manning and the Colts. When the Houston Texans joined the NFL as an expansion franchise in 2002, the league took the opportunity to reshape the AFC and NFC into four divisions instead of three while keeping rivalries alive and some geographic integrity intact. May 22: The NFL announces its realignment plan for the 2002 season at league meetings in Chicago. (Note: If you’re not interested in the details of the methodology, just skip down to the rankings below, starting with 8 down to 1.). 6-keys: media/spln/nfl/reg/free/stories, at Overall the realignment provided nice and even lines, allowing four division winners and two wild card teams in each conference into the playoffs. The same goes for the 7-9 Dallas Cowboys or 6-10 New York Giants, who play Sunday afternoon, with the winner only capturing the NFC East if the Eagles ruin Washington’s night. The main drag on the regular-season scoring was the Detroit Lions, who’ve lost 10 games in all but four years and suffered through that famously horrific 0-16 campaign in 2008. The NFC East was, to put it as nicely as possible, a disaster this season. This one was the most surprising. Each division has its ugly duckling(s) but Cleveland’s prolonged downturn put a heavy drag on the division’s regular-season record. Use of this website (including any and all parts and components) constitutes your acceptance of these TERMS OF USE and UPDATED PRIVACY POLICY. Regular-season record points: 105 (419-477)Playoffs points: 189. They have won the division 12 times out of 14 since the realignment, the exceptions coming in 2002 (Jets) and 2008 (Dolphins, when Brady tore his ACL in Week 1 but managed 11-5 with Matt Cassel). Still, the story here is the Patriots’ dominance. They are only the third team in NFL history to make the playoffs with a losing record, ... Washington [7-9] is just the 3rd division champion with a losing record since realignment in 2002. Gruden discusses possibility, Ex-MVP QB on why he'd take Wilson over Lawrence. The Patriots didn’t do it alone, though. Pro Football Hall of Fame: Previewing 2021 finalists, Brady's ugly Super Bowl first quarter history, Watson to Raiders? The NFC South produced a new division winner every single season from 2002-13. Still, the Colts won only one championship as the Titans (12 wins in 2003 and 13 in 2008), Jaguars (12 wins in 2005) and Texans (12 wins in 2012) have mostly floundered in mediocrity with some successful seasons mixed in. Regular-season record points: 195 (458-435 record)Playoff points: 222. NFC West teams had by far the worst aggregate regular-season record, dragged down by some brutal Rams seasons and plenty of 7-9 bull****, rocky seasons in San Francisco and in Seattle and Arizona as well. Washington at 7-9 would be the third division champion with a losing record since realignment in 2002. The league will realign into eight four-team divisions. The second winningest division earned 15 points fewer (195) and down the line to 120 for the division with the fewest combined wins. Did Watson leak the one team he wants to play for? There’s now a lot of history to reflect on to see how the divisions stack up. The AFC West was actually the last of the divisions to secure a championship with the Broncos’ victory over the Panthers in Super Bowl 50. The dominance for the Bill Belichick-Tom Brady era of New England Patriots thrust the AFC East past the AFC North by a narrow margin. Here is a look at those teams, ranked by their win percentage, starting with the lowest: Result: TBD, scheduled to play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card round, Record: 7-9 Win percentage: 0.438Result: Beat New Orleans Saints in Wild Card round, lost to Chicago Bears in Divisional round, Record: 7-8-1Win percentage: 0.469Result: Beat Arizona Cardinals in Wild Card round, lost to Seattle Seahawks in Divisional round, Record: 8-8 Win percentage: .500Result: Beat Pittsburgh Steelers in Wild Card round, lost to New England Patriots in Divisional round, Record: 8-8 Win percentage: .500Result: Beat Indianapolis Colts in Wild Card round, lost to Pittsburgh Steelers in Divisional round, Record: 8-7-1Win percentage: 0.531Result: Lost to San Francisco 49ers in Wild Card round, Record: 9-7Win percentage: 0.563Playoff result: Lost to Seattle Seahawks in Wild Card round, Record: 9-7 Win percentage: 0.563Playoff result: Beat raiders in Wild Card round, Lost to New England Patriots in Divisional round, Record: 9-7Win percentage: 0.563Result: Lost to Green Bay Packers in Wild Card round, Record: 9-7Win percentage: 0.563Result: Lost to Kansas City Chiefs in Wild Card round, Record: 9-7 Win percentage: 0.563Result: Beat Atlanta Falcons in Wild Card Round, beat Green Bay Packers in Divisional round, beat San Francisco 49ers in NFC Championship, beat New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI, Record: 9-7 Win percentage: 0.563Result: Beat Atlanta Falcons in Wild Card round, beat Carolina Panthers in Divisional round, beat Philadelphia Eagles in NFC Championship, lost to Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII, Record: 9-7 Win percentage: 0.563Result: Lost to New York Giants in Wild Card round, Record: 9-7 Win percentage: 0.563Result: Beat Dallas Cowboys in Wild Card round, lost to Chicago Bears in Divisional round, Record: 9-7 Win percentage: 0.563Result: Lost to St. Louis Rams in Wild Card round, Record: 9-7 Win percentage: 0.563Result: Beat Indianapolis Colts in Wild Card round, lost to in Oakland Raiders Divisional round. 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