Washington Football Team ties for the worst record ever for a NFL playoff team
The Washington Football Team edged the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys for the NFC East title. (John McDonnell/The Washington Post) By Artur Galocha
Artur Galocha Graphics reporter focusing on Sports Bio Follow It’s clear that the NFC East was particularly bad this season. But how bad was it? History books bad, it turns out.
Before this season, the 2010 Seattle Seahawks (7-9) and the 2014 Carolina Panthers (7-8-1) were the only NFL teams to make the playoffs with a losing record since 1982, when a players’ strike shortened the season and the playoffs were extended from 10 to 16 teams. That year, the Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions qualified with 4-5 records. But apart from that season, with a big asterisk attached, no other losing teams have played in the postseason since the NFL introduced playoff games. Until now.
Regular season balances
Wins and losses balance in the current playoff format (number of wins minus number of losses)
Won-
Lost
2002
2005
2010
2014
2015
‘20
Patriots (16-0)
+15
+10
Best of the regular season
+5
0
Playoff team
with worst
record
-2
WFT
(7-9)
Car.
(7-8-1)
Sea.
(7-9)
-5
-10
Worst of the
regular season
-15
Regular season balances
Wins and losses balance in the current playoff format (number of wins minus number of losses)
Won-
Lost
2002
2005
2010
2014
2015
‘20
Patriots (16-0)
+15
+10
Best of the regular season
+5
0
Playoff team
with worst
record
WFT
(7-9)
-2
Panthers
(7-8-1)
Seahawks
(7-9)
-5
-10
Worst of the
regular season
-15
Regular season balances
Wins and losses balance in the current playoff format (number of wins minus number of losses)
Won-Lost
Season
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
New England Patriots (16-0)
+15
+10
Best of the
regular season
Super Bowl
Champions
+5
Playoff team with
worst record
0
Washington
(7-9)
-2
Panthers
(7-8-1)
Seahawks
(7-9)
-5
-10
Worst of the
regular season
-15
Detroit Lions (0-16)
Cleveland Browns (0-16)
Regular season balances
Wins and losses balance in the current playoff format (number of wins minus number of losses)
Won-Lost
Season
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
New England Patriots (16-0)
+15
+10
Best of the
regular season
Super Bowl
Champions
+5
Playoff team with
worst record
0
-2
Washington
(7-9)
Carolina
Panthers (7-8-1)
Lost Divisional
Playoffs
Seattle
Seahawks (7-9)
Lost Divisional
Playoffs
-5
-10
Worst of the
regular season
-15
Detroit Lions (0-16)
Cleveland Browns (0-16)
Regular season balances
Wins and losses balance in the current playoff format (number of wins minus number of losses)
Won-Lost
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
New England Patriots (16-0)
+15
+10
Best of the
regular season
Super Bowl
Champions
+5
Playoff team with
worst record
0
Washington
(7-9)
-2
Carolina
Panthers (7-8-1)
Lost Divisional
Playoffs
Seattle
Seahawks (7-9)
Lost Divisional
Playoffs
-5
-10
Worst of the
regular season
-15
Detroit Lions (0-16)
Cleveland Browns (0-16)
The Washington Football Team (7-9) won the NFC East after defeating the Philadelphia Eagles, 20-14, in the regular season finale Sunday night. Washington’s record matches the 2010 Seahawks’ as the worst ever for a playoff team.
[NFL playoff schedule and bracket]
That Seattle team, in Pete Carroll’s first season as coach, won its first playoff game against the New Orleans Saints but was eliminated by the Chicago Bears the following week. The 2014 Panthers followed a similar script, defeating the Arizona Cardinals before falling to the Seahawks. After winning the NFC East, Washington will face Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round Saturday night.
[Pete Carroll knows 7-9 can be the start of something big]
Playoff picture
Teams qualified for the playoffs and their win-loss balance.
Win-loss balance
-2
0
+2
+4
+6
+8
+10
+12
+10
Buf
AFC EAST
+12
KC
AFC WEST
+8
Pit
+6
Bal
AFC NORTH
+6
Cle
+6
Ten
AFC SOUTH
+6
Ind
WFT
-2
nFC EAST
+8
Sea
nFC WEST
+4
LAR
+10
GB
nFC NORTH
0
Chi
+8
NO
nFC SOUTH
+6
TB
Playoff picture
Teams qualified for the playoffs and their win-loss balance.
Win-loss balance
-2
0
+2
+4
+6
+8
+10
+12
+10
Buf
AFC EAST
+12
KC
AFC WEST
+8
Pit
+6
Bal
AFC NORTH
+6
Cle
+6
Ten
AFC SOUTH
+6
Ind
WFT
-2
nFC EAST
+8
Sea
nFC WEST
+4
LAR
+10
GB
nFC NORTH
0
Chi
+8
NO
nFC SOUTH
+6
TB
Playoff picture
Teams qualified for the playoffs and their win-loss balance.
Win-loss balance
+12
+12
+10
+10
+10
+8
+8
+8
+8
+6
+6
+6
+6
+6
+6
+4
+4
+2
WFT
0
0
Buf
KC
Pit
Bal
Cle
Ten
Ind
Sea
LAR
GB
Chi
NO
TB
-2
-2
EAST
WEST
NORTH
SOUTH
EAST
WEST
NORTH
SOUTH
AFC
NFC
Playoff picture
Teams qualified for the playoffs and their win-loss balance.
Win-loss balance
+12
+12
+10
+10
+10
+8
+8
+8
+8
+6
+6
+6
+6
+6
+6
+4
+4
+2
WFT
0
0
Buf
KC
Pit
Bal
Cle
Ten
Ind
Sea
LAR
GB
Chi
NO
TB
-2
-2
EAST
WEST
NORTH
SOUTH
EAST
WEST
NORTH
SOUTH
AFC
NFC
Playoff picture
Teams qualified for the playoffs and their win-loss balance.
Win-loss balance
+12
+12
+10
+10
+10
+8
+8
+8
+8
+6
+6
+6
+6
+6
+6
+4
+4
+2
Washington
0
0
Buffalo
Bills
Kansas City
Chiefs
Pittsburgh
Steelers
Baltimore
Raven
Cleveland
Browns
Tennessee
Titans
Indianapolis
Colts
Seattle
Seahawks
L.A.
Rams
Green Bay
Packers
Chicago
Bears
New Orleans
Saints
Tampa Bay
Buccaneers
-2
-2
AFC EAST
AFC WEST
AFC NORTH
AFC SOUTH
NFC EAST
NFC WEST
NFC NORTH
NFC SOUTH
Washington’s record never had the look of a typical playoff team, but poor performances by the Dallas Cowboys (6-10), Eagles (4-11-1) and New York Giants (6-10) gave it an unexpected opening. The playoffs were historically easy to reach this year in the NFC East. Washington took advantage.
The road to the playoffs
Wins over .500 week by week.
Weeks
1
5
10
15
17
+15
+12
KC
Washington won the first game.
+10
But they won five of the last seven games and qualified as Division winner.
+5
0
-2
WFT
-4
Dal.
NYG
-5
It lost its next five games.
-7
Phi.
-10
-15
The road to the playoffs
Wins over .500 week by week.
Weeks
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
+15
KC
+12
Washington had a winning record once this season: after Week 1.
+10
+5
But they won five of the last seven games and qualified as Division winner.
0
-2
WFT
-4
Dal.
NYG
-5
It lost its next five games.
-7
Phi.
-10
-15
The road to the playoffs
Wins over .500 week by week.
Weeks
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
+15
+12
Chiefs
+10
Washington had a winning record once this season: after Week 1.
Washington defeated the Eagles in the regular season finale to make the playoffs as a division winner.
+5
0
-2
Washington
-4
Cowboys
Giants
-5
It lost its next five games.
Washington won four games in a row but lost in Weeks 15 and 16.
-7
Eagles
-10
-15
The road to the playoffs
Wins over .500 week by week.
Weeks
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
+15
+12
Chiefs
+10
Washington had a winning record once this season: after Week 1.
Washington defeated the Eagles in the regular season finale to make the playoffs as a division winner.
+5
0
-2
Washington
-4
Cowboys
Giants
-5
It lost its next five games.
They won four games in a row but lost in Weeks 15 and 16.
-7
Eagles
-10
-15
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