Pro Football Hall of Fame: Previewing 2021 finalists, Brady's ugly Super Bowl first quarter history, Watson to Raiders? Under the formula, every team plays 16 games as follows: Home and away against its three division opponents (6 games). Regular-season record points: 165 (445-450 record)Playoff points: 164. Also keep in mind the figures considered didn’t include the Patriots’ 2001 (January 2002) Super Bowl, which occurred just prior to realignment. 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 four teams from another division within its conference on a rotating three-year cycle (4 games) Since 2002, when the current NFL structure was put into place, multiple teams without a … And then there’s the Browns. 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. 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. Regular-season record points: 105 (419-477)Playoffs points: 189. 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. 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. The 2002 NFL season was the 83rd regular season of the National Football League.. 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). 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. 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. Philadelphia Eagles Franchise Encyclopedia. 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. Help | Viewer Feedback | Press | Advertise With Us | Jobs | FOX Cincy | RSS | Site Map Regular-season record points: 210 (462-434 record)Playoff points: 214. 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. 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. As the NFL playoffs move into their penultimate act, ... a winning percentage of .500 and the highest amount of wins since the NFL's most-recent realignment in 2002. Under the formula, every team plays 16 games as follows: Home and away against its three division opponents (6 games). Overall the realignment provided nice and even lines, allowing four division winners and two wild card teams in each conference into the playoffs. 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. All-time Passing Leader: Donovan McNabb 2,801/4,746, 32,873 yds, 216 TD . And despite their five consecutive wild card round failures, the Bengals did contribute some points by earning playoff berths. The scheduling formula implemented in 2002 with realignment guarantees that all teams play each other on a regular, rotating basis. 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 dominance for the Bill Belichick-Tom Brady era of New England Patriots thrust the AFC East past the AFC North by a narrow margin. The … 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. sammyias says: May 22, … The same goes for the 7-9 Dallas Cowboys or 6 … 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 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.. section: | slug: the-worst-nfl-teams-to-win-their-division-since-the-2002-realignment | sport: football | route: article_single.us | Compete to win the $1,000,000 jackpot & more cash prizes on Sunday. Unique perspectives on the daily sports topics that matter most. 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. 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. 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. The same goes for the 7-9 Dallas Cowboys or 6 … 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. 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. 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 NFC North finished second-to-last in regular-season scoring and dead last in playoffs scoring. Inside access. 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 . The AFC North tied with the top division (we’re almost there) with three Super Bowl titles. 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 | Implemented in 2002 with realignment, the NFL's scheduling formula guarantees that all teams play each other on a regular, rotating basis. All rights reserved Before we get to the ranks and observations, thanks to Pro Football Reference for making all this information so accessible. 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. 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. 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. While they all struggled to have winning records, one of those teams had to win the division. The NFC East was, to put it as nicely as possible, a disaster this season. (Ties were omitted.). There’s now a lot of history to reflect on to see how the divisions stack up. 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. FS1 | FOX | FOX News | Fox Corporation | FOX Sports Supports | FOX Deportes, ™ and © 2020 Fox Media LLC and Fox Sports Interactive Media, LLC. Neither the Cowboys nor Redskins really helped or harmed the NFC East's standing much. 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). Right at your fingertips. Regular-season record points: 135 (442-454 record)Playoff points: 123. Washington at 7-9 would be the third division champion with a losing record since realignment in 2002. 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. The NFC West managed to leap into the middle of the pack thanks in large part to the Legion of Boom, Russell Wilson, Pete Carroll and Marshawn Lynch-led Seahawks and their shutdown defense from 2012 to present. Washington at 7-9 would be the third division champion with a losing record since realignment in 2002. Regular-season record points: 150 (443-453 record) Playoff points: 136. 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. 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 … All-time Receiving Leader: Harold Carmichael 589 … Did Watson leak the one team he wants to play for? The playoffs points grid (above) is more interesting than the regular-season grid, which you can view by clicking here. 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. 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. Use of this website (including any and all parts and components) constitutes your acceptance of these TERMS OF USE and UPDATED PRIVACY POLICY. 4. All Rights Reserved. Since the realignment that moved the NFL to an eight-division league, the scheduling format has recently become quite simple. The Patriots didn’t do it alone, though. 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). All-time Rushing Leader: LeSean McCoy 1,461 att, 6,792 yds, 44 TD . 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. 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. 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. 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. Washington at 7-9 would be the third division champion with a losing record since realignment in 2002. 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. Also Andrew Luck helped deliver the Colts to the three 11-5 win seasons since his arrival in 2012 and three postseason appearances, plus three playoff victories. The division's windfalls came courtesy the Giants in 2007 and 2011, when they racked up a combined 80 playoff points, with many of those victories coming on the road. 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. 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. Then the Panthers finally captured the division title in back-to-back years in 2014 and made it a trifecta in 2015. No NFC South champion has swept the division — that is, twice defeated each of the three other division foes in the same season — since 2002 realignment. Gruden discusses possibility, Ex-MVP QB on why he'd take Wilson over Lawrence. 6-keys: media/spln/nfl/reg/free/stories, at The league sent the Seahawks from the AFC West to NFC West, among other changes. The second winningest division earned 15 points fewer (195) and down the line to 120 for the division with the fewest combined wins. 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. 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. I think MW accidentally posted this to the ProFootballTalk WordPress account instead of the 2000-2002 section of the NFL Wikipedia page. Each division has its ugly duckling(s) but Cleveland’s prolonged downturn put a heavy drag on the division’s regular-season record. May 22: The NFL announces its realignment plan for the 2002 season at league meetings in Chicago. We begin with a surprise. The NFC South produced a new division winner every single season from 2002-13. 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. 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. Covering the impact of coronavirus on the sports world. Most were won by nine- and eight-win teams, while a few saw sub.-500 teams represent them in the postseason. Regular-season record points: 120 (437-457 record)Playoff points: 108. Regular-season record points: 195 (458-435 record)Playoff points: 222. © 2004-2021 CBS Interactive. Still, the story here is the Patriots’ dominance. The division did lead the way in playoff points, though, powered by the Steelers’ and Ravens’ Super Bowl runs in 2005, 2008 and 2012. (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.). Two even made it to the Super Bowl, with one winning it all. Below is a ranking of the 10 most terrible divisions dating back to realignment in 2002. Without the Broncos’ recent resurgence, the AFC West likely would have finished last. 1 would be far from the first subpar team to advance. Regular-season record points: 180 (453-431 record)Playoff points: 174. The league will realign into eight four-team divisions. This one was the most surprising. 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. Do Not Sell my Personal Info. 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. Nine- and eight-win teams, while a few saw sub.-500 teams represent them in the.! Previewing 2021 finalists, Brady 's ugly Super Bowl titles Playoff berths 83rd. 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