NFL List Week: 5 Worst Franchises in the League
NFL June 30th. 2009, 1:45pm
1. Detroit Lions:
* Last playoff appearance - 1999
* Last division title - 1993 (Barry and Mel Gray, what a tandem!)
* Who can forget the worst season in NFL history?
* For anyone who’d like to vomit, there’s the team’s recent draft history.
* Here’s one argument, though, that things are slowly turning around, and the Lions are in better shape than the Redskins.
2. Cleveland Browns:
* Last playoff appearance - 2002
* Last division title - 1989 (Kosar and Metcalfe and Slaughter, oh my!)
* Coaches this decade: Four
* Winning seasons this decade: Two
* With the tandem of Jeff Garcia and Kelly Holcomb at QB in 2003, they draft Kellen Winslow over Roethlisberger in the 2004 draft.
* Speaking of Garcia … they gave him a $25 million deal for four years; he was gone after 10 games.
* Foolishly made Andre Rison the highest paid WR in the league in 1995 ($17 million deal over five years); he was released after one disaster of a season.
* Spent No. 1 overall pick in 2000 draft on Penn State’s Courtney Brown; to put it mildly, he underwhelmed.
3. Cincinnati Bengals:
* Playoff appearances since Sam Wyche left in 1991: One (2005).
* Winning records in the last two decades: Two (1990, 2005).
* More known in the last three years for player arrests/incidents than anything the team has accomplished on the field.
* Is it something in the water in Ohio?
4. Oakland Raiders:
* Lost the Super Bowl in 2003; haven’t sniffed the playoffs since (just 24 wins in last six seasons)
* Owner Al Davis is a senile menace and the franchise won’t turn around until he departs.
* How about signing CB Larry Brown the year after he was the Super Bowl MVP? The $12.5 million over 5-years was wasted; he played in just 12 games in two seasons before being released.
* Scooped up Kerry Collins a couple years after he took the Giants to a Super Bowl, and gave him $16.8 million over three years. He won seven games in two years before getting cut.
5. Washington Redskins:
* Despite a storied history - three Super Bowl titles - the ‘Skins inclusion here is two-fold: Awful ownership decisions by Daniel Snyder and too many disastrous free agent debacles.
* USA Today called these big-money free agent signings “blunders”: “Dana Stubblefield (1998), Jeff George (2000), Deion Sanders (2000), Jeremiah Trotter (2002) and Adam Archuleta (2006).”
* Yes, we know, Snyder is among the best owners in the league at making money. Somebody should tell him that being involved in coaching searches isn’t his forte (Turner, Robiskie, Schottenheimer, Spurrier, Gibbs, Zorn).
* Just three playoff appearances since 1993.
Honorable mention: St. Louis Rams, NY Jets, San Francisco 49ers, Buffalo Bills.
201 Responses to “NFL List Week: 5 Worst Franchises in the League”
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June 30th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
spencer’s gonna flip.
June 30th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
can’t quibble with the browns at no. 2.
they suck.
i want the old browns back, damnit.
June 30th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
Browns should be #1. What a slap in the face.
June 30th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
How are the Raiders not number 2? I also love the fact that the Redskins are top five. Makes me feel all warm inside. Also worth noting, the Falcons would have likely made at least honorable mention before last season, so quick turnarounds aren’t unheard of.
June 30th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
1. Detroit
2. Oakland
3. Cleveland
June 30th, 2009 at 1:52 pm
oakland’s a mess, but it did go to a super bowl this decade.
June 30th, 2009 at 1:52 pm
The racists are going to be in an uproar about this one.
June 30th, 2009 at 1:53 pm
It’s my understanding that NFL contracts are not guaranteed like in baseball, so if they release a guy before his contract is up, he doesn’t get the whole amount. It obviously doesn’t make the signing any better, but if you’re going to throw out numbers, it’s not accurate.
June 30th, 2009 at 1:53 pm
Mel Gray was so badass
June 30th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
The Saints have two playoff wins.
/in 44 years
June 30th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
No way Rams aren’t top five.
June 30th, 2009 at 1:55 pm
so did st. louis, but that franchise is in disrepair as well.
but if the expansion browns are on the list, then why arent he texans/oilers? the texans have been awful and the oilers don’t have the browns’ history.
my only quibble with the browns is your rationale…either count their ENTIRE history, which includes a run of dominance unseen by any NFL team outside of the 60’s packers or only include their post-return history. you can’t just pick and choose here.
June 30th, 2009 at 1:55 pm
Ohio being Ohio
June 30th, 2009 at 1:56 pm
Buffalo honorable mention? gtfoh
June 30th, 2009 at 1:57 pm
We’re not #1!!
June 30th, 2009 at 1:57 pm
You forgot about the Browns following up drafting Courtney Brown with that fat grease fire Gerrard Warren.
What an a-hole he turned out to be.
June 30th, 2009 at 1:58 pm
Hold your horses, cowboy. There are far worse franchises than the dirty birds, even before last season. We have actually won the division a couple times in the last decade (1998 and 2004) which is better than many other frnachises.
Now that’s list-worthy.
June 30th, 2009 at 1:59 pm
Where’s San Fran? They also reside very deep in this ditch. St Louis and San Fran are both worse than Washington, but I don’t care, because I hate Washington.
June 30th, 2009 at 1:59 pm
browns should be number one…their medical facilities end players careers
June 30th, 2009 at 1:59 pm
?
June 30th, 2009 at 2:00 pm
polishing
knobtheir 5 super bowl trophies.June 30th, 2009 at 2:00 pm
Buffalo honorable mention? gtfoh
irish: actually lucky we’re not on the list itself, although those top 5 are pretty solid. no playoffs in 10 years sucks big time
June 30th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
I could go on:
*traded an entire draft for a pothead
*took Heath Shuler off the Redskins’ hands
*traded three draft picks for Steve Walsh
*let benchwarmer Jake Delhomme go to Carolina and kept Aaron Brooks
*traded two first round draft picks in 2003 to move up and take a player who was out of the NFL in four years
*drafted a punter in the first round
*ended the Buccaneers’ 26-game losing streak
/feel free to join in. I’m not afraid to address our mediocrity
June 30th, 2009 at 2:04 pm
Mediocrity would probably be a welcome change in New Orleans.
June 30th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
Forgot one
*winningest coach in team history never won a playoff game
June 30th, 2009 at 2:06 pm
@Jay The Saints are definitely my #5.
June 30th, 2009 at 2:06 pm
@ Jay: I too was wondering where our Saints — the team SO BAD it led to the creation of the “Bag Over Head” fan protest — fell.
Historically, I’d disagree with adding Oakland, San Fran, the Rams or DC — since they have won SBs. Meanwhile one SB appearance later and we’re forgiving the Cardinals’ tradition of suckitude.
June 30th, 2009 at 2:06 pm
i can understand St. Louis and San Fran … the Rams also went to a Super Bowl this decade … San Fran, outside of the Alex Smith pick, has made some strides in recent years
June 30th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
+1
June 30th, 2009 at 2:09 pm
What have the Jets accomplished since Namath?
June 30th, 2009 at 2:10 pm
Good list, but I think if we are going overall here, we plug the Saints and Falcons in there somewhere.
June 30th, 2009 at 2:13 pm
What have the Jets accomplished since Namath?
Trained Pete Carroll for his job at USC?
/Rich Kotite gets no love
June 30th, 2009 at 2:13 pm
But I thought Andre Rison was the best receiver in history and Jerry Rice paled in comparison?
June 30th, 2009 at 2:13 pm
So Houston has a better franchise than Buffalo? Kansas Shitty has a better franchise than Buffalo?
June 30th, 2009 at 2:14 pm
They won the Super Bowl last year with Favre. Oops no they didn’t.
June 30th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
No way the Falcons, Arthur Blank’s a pretty damn good owner….minus the whole Mike Vick thing,
June 30th, 2009 at 2:17 pm
Dude, your coach left midseason to go coach in college. Also the face of your franchise was sent to federal prison. 1998 might as well have been 1798 before last season.
June 30th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
How many commenters are named Jay here?
June 30th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
you could only buy the niners being one of the worst franchises if you count only the past 15 years or so.
the top 5 shouldn’t have a super bowl title in their resume considering there’s quite a few teams who have never even made it there and are absolutely terrible.
Seattle should be included in the honorable mention.
Cardinals should be top 5.
Jets suck.
June 30th, 2009 at 2:20 pm
I wouldn’t mind seeing the Chargers on honorable mention either.
June 30th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
100 percent agree with Jay on this about the Saints. As a fan, I first learned the phrase “mediocre at best” when hearing people talk about the Saints, and that’s when we even had the Dome Patrol on defense.
June 30th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
fucking begals. mf’er
/playoffs this year baby!!
//yeah, yeah, i know. not happening
June 30th, 2009 at 2:25 pm
when is NBA list week?
June 30th, 2009 at 2:25 pm
If you take the superbowl run from last year away the cardinals are easily top 3 so they deserve to be in the top 5
June 30th, 2009 at 2:28 pm
Saints first round draft picks
Not listed there:
*Burrough, Muncie, Chandler, Rogers, and Williams all traded at or before their peak
*1983 pick traded away for a washed up Richard Todd
*1984 pick traded away for a washed up Earl Campbell
*2000 first round pick used by Redskins to take Lavar Arrington
*1973 first round pick used by Colts to take Bert Jones
*gave up first-ever draft pick, Colts use it to take Bubba Smith
June 30th, 2009 at 2:37 pm
Ah, good ol’ Russell Erxleben, Mr. Hey-will-you-sign-my-license-plate-which-you-just-stamped?
June 30th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
The skins decision making has been woeful under Snyder. They have been selling low and buying high. With the amount of money that they have dished out over the years they should have a lot more to show for it. There depth has been horrendous and they spend big on the glamour positions instead of spreading the money around.
Howver, they are certainly in better shape then Detroit. Skins have built what should be one of the top defenses in the NFL this year. If and it is a big if the Campbell/Zorn offense can be better in year two of the experiment they will be a competitive team.
However, with all the talk around here about what the NBA 2010 free agent class is going to look like, a more insteresting story may be what happens if the NFL goes to an uncapped year. It will be a bonanza for the owners like Snyder. Not just because they can sign anyone but more importantly he can cut all of the players who he has signed to terrible contracts. (Paging Clinton Portis.)
June 30th, 2009 at 2:40 pm
Had the Browns existed from 96-98, the city would have multiple rings
June 30th, 2009 at 2:46 pm
I’m really shocked to see that the Jets are not on this list…and I’m a Jets fan.
/vacation over’d
June 30th, 2009 at 2:47 pm
Umm, you are talking about a franchise that’s never posted back to back winning seasons, right?
Yeah, Saints and Falcons definitely need to go on list somewhere.
June 30th, 2009 at 2:55 pm
of course the brownies drafted the soldier over big ben. big ben is terrible, just ask spence. he’ll tell you, over and over again.
June 30th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
When this happened on draft day I said it would set the Browns back 10 years. I may have underestimated.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
you really think big ben would’ve done shit with that supporting cast? no line, no targets, no defense? NO QB would’ve survived that at all.
and big ben sucks…there you go sir spicious.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
Whew, I’m relieved to see the Bucs are finally off the list.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
1998 was a long time ago, but they won division titles and went to the playoffs 3 times since 2000 I think. The list is talking about franchises as thy stand now, not last year. The Falcons should be a solid team for the next 5-8 years as long as Ryan is there.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:05 pm
Not just because they can sign anyone but more importantly he can cut all of the players who he has signed to terrible contracts. (Paging Clinton Portis
take away Portis from that Skins offense and what do you have?
June 30th, 2009 at 3:05 pm
Spencer can’t help the fact that Big Ben is the most overrated player in the league. He simply tells the truth on the subject. Dude is the luckiest QB in the history of the league.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:06 pm
to add houston to that list is ridiculous. we were a young team that got better every season and then had 1 horrible year and have been on the rise since.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:06 pm
Agree Gods. My point was that the Falcons would have been in this discussion before last season, and that’s just how fast things can turn around. That is, unless your team is run by Al Davis or Dan Snyder.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
everyone called us a fucking joke when we drafted williams over bush and now look at it
June 30th, 2009 at 3:08 pm
and yes the fucking bills and browns are worse than houston.
/no homer
June 30th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
bs. If it wasn’t for Andre Johnson, nobody would even talk about that team
June 30th, 2009 at 3:12 pm
maybe so but thats not the point
June 30th, 2009 at 3:12 pm
worse now…but not in history. include the oilers and what do you have in houston? a legacy of suck.
having a “team on the rise” doesn’t erase years of early postseason flameouts and the biggest choke job in the history of the NFL.
the browns history is rich and the bills are a bedrock of the AFL and NFL and are the only team to go to 4 straight super bowls. what does houston have? earl campbell and warren moon’s run-n-shoot offenses?
June 30th, 2009 at 3:14 pm
The Browns not drafting Ben was probably the bigest mistake in franchise history. Everyone assumed the Browns would take him. Pretty much the perfect fit. Amazing in college, unreal talent, from OH, smart. Taking a TE (tight end, really?) with lets call it “attitude problems” over a franchise QB is really one of the more hilarious things ever done in NFL history.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:14 pm
you really think big ben would’ve done shit with that supporting cast? no line, no targets, no defense? NO QB would’ve survived that at all.
Exactly why Tim Couch got a raw deal in Cleveland.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:17 pm
well i didnt know the 80s and 90s meant more than this decade. my apologies.
/sarcasm
June 30th, 2009 at 3:18 pm
but what good is a “franchise” QB if they get pummelled like a rag doll?
the expansion browns have been an ongoing project (under construction since 1868…sorry, cleveland tourism vid song stuck in my head) and a QB would be a waste of a draft pick at that time.
and don’t forget…ben sucks. he can’t put that many points on the board for a team with a great D, yet you think he’d be able to get the browns out of 30 point holes? no way.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:18 pm
I’m no Chefs fan, but yeah, better franchise than Buffalo. Sorry. Up until the Herm era they were working on 20 years of solid-to-exceptional teams…if Denver didn’t beat ‘em in the ‘97 divisional round, they would have taken it to both Pittsburgh and Green Bay. That team was fucking solid.
They also won a Super Bowl. Admittedly, the pyramids weren’t quite built, but still…
June 30th, 2009 at 3:20 pm
killing me Gerard
June 30th, 2009 at 3:20 pm
In retrospect it looks bad, but Winslow was a can’t miss prospect. He was supposed to be the guy to revolutionize the position.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
that’s kind of the problem with this list…what’s the criteria? because the cards def should be on here, even with their recent success and the redskins should not. id argue the jets and seahawks should be on there too. and of course the oilers/texans.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:22 pm
I’m glad there isn’t quibbling about Detroit being number one. That is undoubtedly accurate.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
Irish, the skins like almost any team in the NFL can find a replacement running back. However, the Skins better hope for an uncapped year so they can get rid of Portis before his contract completely kills there cap. He is owed 12+ million in 2010, 12+ million in 2011, 10+ million in 2012 and 10+ million in 2013. They certainly could cut him to get rid of these numbers but he has been paid enough bonus money up front that it would be a huge cap hit to cut him before 2012. Not to sound cynical but running backs tend to start breaking down when they take the amount of punishment that Portis has taken the past few years. So he very well could have a terrible contract and be broken down at the same time.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:27 pm
please dont put the oilers/texans. bud adams took every record of the oilers to tennessee so its like they never existed in houston. besides, they are now the titans. division rivals.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:28 pm
you lucked out spencer. you got an expansion team with the same name. we didnt
June 30th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
@J.searsBeverlyHills- Portis had one of his best years last year. And he was hurt for half the season
June 30th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
texans…we didn’t luck out, the city fought tooth and nail to get the name, colors and history back from satan modell.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
As a Bronco fan I’d give my thumbs to have the Chefs take the Bills’ spot on this list permanently.
Every year I go to Arrowhead with some buddies for the Bronco game, and every fucking year–except for two years ago, which was a total anomaly–they lose. It’s written on some tablet somewhere that Denver must eternally suck in the land of barbecue and big-assed midwestern girls.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:32 pm
Why aren’t the Texas franchises even mentioned? Houston? Dallas?
So what if Dallas made the playoffs? They haven’t won a post season game in over ten years and they may as well put a tent up over that circus.
Houston is getting better, but they still haven’t drafted a QB worth a damn. Just because Mario Williams is panning out doesn’t give them a pass.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:33 pm
nfl records since 2002.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:33 pm
The Redskins at #5 is such a joke it’s not even funny. Making the playoffs twice in the last 4 years is evidence alone that they have zero business on this list.
Ths Skins have been mismanaged, and chronically underachieved, but they aren’t one of the 5 worst NFL franchises. PERIOD.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
Always hated the pick, especially b/c it was over Ben. But I agree that most Browns fans convinced themselves that the pick made sense.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
if we are going to go by records, i stand corrected.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:36 pm
This is true. Also, add my voice to the chorus wondering where the Cardinals are. One Super Bowl appearance doesn’t wash away the stink of 60+ years of Bidwill.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:36 pm
Jacksonville has to be in the discussion. Sure they made the playoffs a few times but when your team is constantly brought up in the Relocation talks, can’t sell out, pay in a podunk city and wear teal, you are a bad organization.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
I wish I had a blog at the time because I was screaming at the TV when people would rip the Texans for passing on Bush. Though the bulk of my anger was directed at Colin Cowherd, who described Bush as a “lock for the hall of fame.”
June 30th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
i took the stance of wait & see
June 30th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
Good call Spence. Didn’t even think about it.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
Take it back. Commenter Rule #1: Never admit you’re wrong.
Just change the argument slightly so you’re still right.
/That’s rule #2.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
LOL
June 30th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
It’s kind of hard to debate this list because everyone is using different criteria to make their points.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
The Redskins at #5 is such a joke it’s not even funny. Making the playoffs twice in the last 4 years is evidence alone that they have zero business on this list.
Ths Skins have been mismanaged, and chronically underachieved, but they aren’t one of the 5 worst NFL franchises. PERIOD.
Jesus Christ… It took me scanning all 85 comments before someone raised shit about this. Totally agreed, Jay V. How the fuck are the Skins on this list with their history? TBL wake the fuck up and stop focusing on the last 15 years to make your argument. Unreal…
June 30th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
SC - Nobody mentioned Dallas because it’s the one of the richest franchises in the league, and have a storied history. If you’re really advocating that they be in the top five worst franchises in the NFL, pee in this cup, please. I agree with spencer. This is a bit confusing without knowing the criteria. As a franchise, the Cowboys are top five in the NFL. Their on the field product has underperformed the last few years, but that’s only one component of a franchise. The franchise is the business as a whole, and for the Cowboys, that’s been pretty damn good.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
Do you think Cowherd ever gets tired of being so fucking wrong about, well, everything? That some mornings he wakes up, looks at his beta-douche visage in the mirror and thinks, “Jesus–I’m just awful.”
June 30th, 2009 at 3:45 pm
Take it back. Commenter Rule #1: Never admit you’re wrong.
Just change the argument slightly so you’re still right.
/That’s rule #2.
+1 NickP
June 30th, 2009 at 3:46 pm
He probably looks at his paycheck to motivate himself to suck again.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
I’d fail.
And, we don’t have a criteria list. I’m just looking at on the field performance and personnel management. The Cowboys have been one of the worst franchises at both in the last 10 years. Look at the trades they’ve made, the free agents they’ve signed.
Sure they make money. But they just squander it away on a new stadium or poor player investments.
/get off my lawn’d
June 30th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
oh, and there’s no way dallas belongs anywhere near this list…they just went 13-3 the year before last. they have 5 rings. they have HoF’ers out the ass. their OL in the mid-90’s was the greatest collection of offensive line talent in the game’s history. they had the fucking white house.
the cowboys are in the top 5 if anything.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
I’d be interested in seeing TBL’s list of the top five franchises. The top three are pretty easy, but numbers four and five are debatable. I’d probably go Giants and Eagles, though.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:50 pm
serenity now…serenity now….serenity now
The Skins should be on the list for no reason other than their shitty stadium. Dumpy place far away from the city in the middle of a swamp with jumbotrons so small you cant even see them.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:52 pm
Indy shouldn’t be top 5
June 30th, 2009 at 3:53 pm
Good point.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:53 pm
The Skins should be on the list for no reason other than their shitty stadium. Dumpy place far away from the city in the middle of a swamp with jumbotrons so small you cant even see them.
Fail. RFK was one of the best places to watch a game in the NFL.
/agreed FedEx sucks
June 30th, 2009 at 3:55 pm
top 5
1. New England
2. Shittsburgh
3. Dallas
4. Philly
5. New York G-men or Indy
June 30th, 2009 at 3:55 pm
One of the highest TV rating teams in the league, sell out every home game, second-most wins in the last decade, a Super Bowl title, six straight 12-win seasons, new stadium, etc. Definitely not top 5.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:55 pm
If you’re looking at the entire history of a franchise, then fine, Dallas is a top franchise. But do you want to put my Chicago Bears in the top 10 because of their history?
I don’t. The McCaskey family has destroyed what was built years ago.
How are the Bills honorable mentions then too? They have hall of famers, AFC titles and history. Ralph Wilson is a pillar of football. The Jets have a ring. They have one of the most recognizable names in football (for better or worse).
Same with the Redskins. There’s only 5 franchises in the NFL that have yet to participate in the Super Bowl. Detroit, Cleveland, Houston, St. Louis and New Orleans.
There’s your top 5 if that’s the criteria.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:57 pm
St. Louis won a super bowl souvenir
June 30th, 2009 at 3:58 pm
top 5:
1. steelers
2. pats
3. colts
4. cowboys
5. giants
June 30th, 2009 at 3:58 pm
Back to the criteria argument. If this list only goes back a decade, then yes, certainly.
If it has more historical depth, then no fucking way in hell.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:58 pm
Ralph Wilson is a pillar of football
damn right
June 30th, 2009 at 3:58 pm
i still think it should be based off this decade. Patriots were a shit franchise before feb 02…not all 32 teams were in the league…you have a team with 5 rings thats been a shit franchise this decade…
June 30th, 2009 at 3:58 pm
Ever? Or more recently?
June 30th, 2009 at 3:59 pm
ummm, St Louis was in 2 straight super bowls. greatest show on turf, god’s quarterback, all that stuff.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:00 pm
Did I dream the greatest show on turf?
Dallas belongs nowhere in the discussion of worst franchise.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:00 pm
Pretty annoying isn’t it? Last year especially. But at least it’s a fun tailgating environment.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:00 pm
Marshall Faulk in his prime was beautiful to watch
June 30th, 2009 at 4:01 pm
top 5? again, if we’re talking right now … based on recent history …
tough to argue against NE, Indy as absolute locks.
I’d slot Pitt at 3.
NYG work at 4.
in the mix at 5 … philly, Chargers …
* didn’t look closely at all of the, just off the cuff
June 30th, 2009 at 4:01 pm
In the last decade:
1. Pats
2. Steelers
3. Colts
4. Giants
5. Eagles
All time? Fuck if I know for sure, but Dallas, Pittsburgh, Green Bay, Chicago, Cleveland and the Giants all have compelling arguments.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:02 pm
all time- pitts, dallas, sfran, cleve, green bay
now- neng, phil, pitts, ind, nyg
June 30th, 2009 at 4:02 pm
@ruckmaker, i would probably say over the past 15-20 years
June 30th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
I just fell out of my chair. Whats next, Ben at the top of your QB list?
June 30th, 2009 at 4:04 pm
really? i must have missed those super bowls where they went back to back.
/being a jack ass.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:04 pm
enjoy it while you can Bsanders. The window is closing in Indy
June 30th, 2009 at 4:05 pm
i can’t imagine how much spence hated writing that.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:05 pm
It’s been closing for the past three seasons. I’ll believe it when it actually happens.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:06 pm
coop…id be a fool not to recognize the steelers as the best.
that org, from top to bottom is as solid as it gets. that’s why such a mediocre QB like big ben can make it work because he has such a strong support system.
but that defense, coaching staff and scouting dept is as good as it gets. even a born steelers hater can’t deny that.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:07 pm
I thought San Francisco was already listed
June 30th, 2009 at 4:07 pm
One of these is not like the others.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:08 pm
if you’re doing all time (after the merger since that makes sense):
Pitt
SF
Dallas
Green Bay
New England…maybe? it gets very close at this point.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:08 pm
Nice backhand.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:10 pm
How is there so much love for the NYG? Anyone remember 2003 and 2004? They’re 68-60 this decade.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:12 pm
Quick bit of (homer) trivia: which AFC team not named the Steelers or Patriots has been to six Super Bowls? And sold out every home game since 1972? And until likely this next year, has had no Top 10 draft pick since the early ’90s?
And yet somehow has only two (!) players in the Hall, one of whom spent the majority of his career elsewhere?
June 30th, 2009 at 4:12 pm
Well, based on NickP’s rules, I was in a coma in 2000, 2001.
Ok, 4 franchises. Come up with the 5th on your own.
I hope the Steeler backers can tell us how Terry Bradshaw was a great QB next, though….
June 30th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
not NE willhelm. other than the last 8 years or so, they’ve generally been pretty mediocre. Steelers, Dallas, SF, Giants, GB. i’d have put Oakland 5th if it hadn’t been for their most recent history.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
Irish. Agreed he had a good year but he played half the season. I don’t think Portis has many productive years left. He takes too many hits to play at an elite level for much longer.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
Denver would probably be right outside of my top 5
June 30th, 2009 at 4:17 pm
broncos.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:17 pm
/truth’d
June 30th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
I agree, it’s a toss up. might as well just call it top 4 teams and call it a day at this point, we could go on and on about who should be number 5 when it could be 4 or 5 different teams.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
Terry Bradshaw was a good QB, and was surrounded by hall of famers on offense (harris, stallworth, swann, webster). Ben has who? Hines is a marginal case, and he had a few seasons of Faneca.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:19 pm
Atwater is being screwed by the hall. So are a lot of players from the 80’s teams.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:20 pm
Steroids?
Indy’s window is far from closed. Peyton had his best season last year (he was injured, entire offense was beat up). Tenn was a fluke last year, Jax/Hou are bottom feeders. They’ve still got 4-5 years of contender left in them.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
Terry Bradshaw was a good QB, and was surrounded by hall of famers on offense (harris, stallworth, swann, webster). Ben has who? Hines is a marginal case, and he had a few seasons of Faneca.
When you consistently run the football well every single year, you don’t exactly need Randy Moss running routes to be successful
June 30th, 2009 at 4:23 pm
Coop: Indy’s window is about as closed as San Diego’s, which is to say as long as they still have their core group of players and a competant general manager drafting they will be fine for years to come. may not be 12-4 again, but I don’t see a losing record in Indy until Peyton retires or gets seriously hurt.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:24 pm
Agreed he had a good year but he played half the season. I don’t think Portis has many productive years left
Portis started all 16 games last year. He played half the year hurt. true warrior
June 30th, 2009 at 4:24 pm
Pitt rushing rank last year, 23, FAIL.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:24 pm
thing is they haven’t been able to consistently run the football the last few seasons. willie parker is a feast or famine runner, he doesn’t bull into the line for 4 yards. and the o-line has been spotty at best.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
The window for a Super Bowl is generally regarded as about three to five years. Thus, one would think that with Indy winning the Super Bowl three years ago, and being touted as contenders for a couple of years before that, their window is closed
no?
June 30th, 2009 at 4:26 pm
for the Saints, yes he was.
Surprised the Saints didn’t make the list. One average decade out of five ain’t bad, I guess.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
Pitt’s defense was #1 or #2. That is why they won the title. I think Pitt’s offense was no better than 17th in the league wasn’t it?
/too lazy to look that up.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:33 pm
either that or the officials, it was pretty much equal.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:33 pm
pit’s offense was 20th in overall effiency. their defense was no. 1 by a large margin.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:33 pm
i don’t even understand why the have playoffs. everyone knows that the team with the number 1 defense wins the super bowl every year.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
oh, and big ben was the 23rd most efficient QB according to football outsiders.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:35 pm
speaking of the argument that i refuse to let die…
cutler was 4.
but yea, big ben totally > cutler.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:38 pm
Well, F it, here we go again. Gods, I KNOW their defense was great, wouldnt have the ring without it. The reason Steeler fans so feverishly defend Ben is because he literally carried the offense last year, they had NOTHING.
Willie was injured most of the season, they played the majority of the year with fullbacks and guys they signed off the street playing running back. Their receivers are average at best, as great as Santonio played in the postseason, he spent most of the regular season running the wrong routes and generally sucking. The offensive line was one of the worst in football, couldnt run block, couldnt protect Ben, just dreadful Oline play.
In short, Ben literally carried the entire offensive load for a Super Bowl winning team. Yes, he had plenty of f’ing help from the defense, but he literally won 6-8 games by himself offensively last year, like last minute huge pressure drives (as in 90 yards in 2 min in the SB).
I know his stats werent great, I know it wasnt always pretty, but if you watched every game…he was brilliant.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:39 pm
who was most effective? brees?
June 30th, 2009 at 4:39 pm
I know this probably has been hashed out over the course of the last 150+ comments but I just had a chance to throw my own onto the fire: Of course New Orleans deserves to be on a list of one of the worst franchises in the history of the NFL, but this appears to be a list of the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately variety.
In which case, I think the bottom five are pegged pretty well.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:40 pm
June 30th, 2009 at 4:40 pm
yep…followed by peyton, rivers, cutler and kurt warner.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:44 pm
actually…flip cutler and warner. cutler was 5…my mistake, i was reading the non-defense adjusted column where cutler was 4.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:45 pm
Yeah, I think I’d take all those guys over Big Ben. I don’t think Ben sucks by any means, I just think those guys are better QB’s.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:46 pm
coop, give it up. you’re never going to convince spence, gods, etc.
spence, in 2007 football outsiders said anderson was better than ben. you have eyes, do you really believe that?
June 30th, 2009 at 4:46 pm
roethlisberger behind the browns offensive line last year is top 5 most efficient QB no doubt..
June 30th, 2009 at 4:47 pm
June 30th, 2009 at 4:47 pm
*Once had their head coach proclaim “we suck” on SNL
*Once had a different head coach say we couldn’t do “diddly-poo”
*Lost to a expansion Browns team led by Tim Couch. On a hail mary from a QB with no arm.
/still pissed
June 30th, 2009 at 4:48 pm
Big Ben >> Kurt Warner
Ask me how I know…
June 30th, 2009 at 4:51 pm
oh god no.
that’s why i take FO with a grain of salt. you have to watch as well as look at the numbers.
that said, statistically, DA was very impressive in the first 2/3 of 2007. he even occassionally passed the eyeball test.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:52 pm
Isnt spencer the one on here who loves Vick? Would love to hear that argument while trying to justify thinking Ben sucks (outside of being a Steeler).
June 30th, 2009 at 4:52 pm
And I fully agree with Mak/Hazeen, one lucky run to the NFC title game does not remove 30 years of dreadful, NO is #2 with a case for #1.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:52 pm
Actually, that would certainly eliminate Washington, who has made the playoffs twice in 4 years, including one playoff win.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:56 pm
Nope that’s bigben…MATTRYAN.
/same dude that owns a #21 Falcons throwback jersey with the name “Hall” on the back…disgraceful
June 30th, 2009 at 4:57 pm
vick was a product of a bad environment. he was a round peg trying to get shoved into a square hole by that fucking moron jim mora jr. vick was also brutally efficient running the ball.
and ive always said vick was the best QB prospect, not that best QB. if he had a smart org behind him, he wouldve succeeded no doubt in my mind.
all i know is vick was must-see theater.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:58 pm
The Arizona Cardinals also still need to be near the top of this list. They made a great run no doubt but that does not excuse the last 50 years. Also the fact that Bill Bidwell still owns them.
June 30th, 2009 at 5:00 pm
We can’t knock off Detroit for the top spot. Hell, other than the Superbowl last year, the Cards have a MUCH worse history than the Saints. Top five worst all-time, no doubt. This decade? We’re ahead of the Cowboys and the 49ers.
June 30th, 2009 at 5:02 pm
that for deangelo? guy was awesome at va tech
June 30th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
Easy there big fella. I’ll give you the Niners, but I’m not so sure about Dallas.
June 30th, 2009 at 5:04 pm
Yes and Id still take him over either Browns QB. Easily.
June 30th, 2009 at 5:04 pm
Further to that point, 16 teams have playoff wins in the last 4 years. 14 do not. 15 teams have made 2 or more playoff appearances in the last 4 years, 15 have 1 or less.
The Skins have zero business on this list, it’s not even arguable that they belong under ANY standard.
June 30th, 2009 at 5:05 pm
And he sucked ass for the Falcons, and was captain of the All Mouth Team. How they let him wear Primetime’s number, I’ll never know.
June 30th, 2009 at 5:05 pm
The Georgia Tent is the house that Deion built.
/Falcons suck
June 30th, 2009 at 5:06 pm
it wasn’t so much as a ‘last 5 years’ but recent meaning last 10-15 ish years.
The Redskins have sputtered badly from 1994-2008. Massive bad decisions all around. A long list of horrible FA moves. Questionable draft picks.
in that time from (94-08) the Rams and 49ers have been to a super bowl. the 49ers, in that time frame, have 7 playoff apps to washington’s 4.
i know … expand it to 91 and the Skins have a SB … well yeah, expand it that far and the 49ers conquests improve, too.
very recently the 49ers and Rams have sucked; SKins have sputtered. purely a judgment call on my part, surely there are room for other opinions
June 30th, 2009 at 5:09 pm
Haha yes! I’m waiting for number one superfan bigbenmynameiswaytoofuckinglongMATTRYAN to show up. I know he’s around somewhere.
June 30th, 2009 at 5:12 pm
You have no choice.
Playoff wins this decade
Saints: 2
Cowboys 0
Saints haven’t lost to the Cowboys this decade with the last game, 42-17 whuppin’ at Texas Stadium.
June 30th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
Vick was best used by Dan Reeves. Should have never fired him.
/Falcons have NEVER had back to back winning season
//they suck
June 30th, 2009 at 5:17 pm
No one has mentioned Miami at all for best or worst
June 30th, 2009 at 5:19 pm
Congrats. Enjoy LA
June 30th, 2009 at 5:19 pm
too average , Ruck. Definition of middle of the pack. Great in the 70’s, tho.
June 30th, 2009 at 5:20 pm
I’ll freely admit there’s no statistical measurement to back up what I say. I do know that the 13-3 Dallas team from season before last is better than any team in the history of the N.O. franchise though.
/agree with you on Reeves
//Arthur Blank even admitted as much
June 30th, 2009 at 5:20 pm
I live in Texas, YYSA.
June 30th, 2009 at 5:23 pm
The team that lost in the first round to Seattle? I’ll pick last years defense-less team to beat those scrubs.
June 30th, 2009 at 5:25 pm
No the cowboys team that failed to beat the superbowl champions 3 times in one season
June 30th, 2009 at 5:28 pm
No one has mentioned Miami at all for best or worst
thats cuz Miami is middle of the pack, right where they should be and will stay
June 30th, 2009 at 5:53 pm
Romo still the QB, so they suck.
/expert opinion’d
June 30th, 2009 at 6:06 pm
romo does indeed suck.
/expert opinion second’d
June 30th, 2009 at 6:13 pm
Atwater is being screwed by the hall. So are a lot of players from the 80’s teams.
It’s a travesty that Dennis Smith doesn’t get any play, either–but how about Randy flippin’ Gradishar? Or Louis Wright? Rod Smith will be deserving and won’t even get a sniff.
The veterans/seniors/whatever sent a tight end from the ’70s-era Lions in two seasons back. The Chefs have practically every member of their Super Bowl team in. Paul Zimmerman used to say shit like “well, guess they didn’t have anyone good enough” and smoke would come out of my ears.
June 30th, 2009 at 6:13 pm
Gah, quote should be in itals. Editor plz
June 30th, 2009 at 7:01 pm
The 1987 12-3 Saints team (with one of the 3 losses in replacement games) would disagree……
/Mora’s Saints were to San Fran what the Oilers were to Pittsburgh in the 70s
July 1st, 2009 at 1:24 am
Well unless you go back to before the AFL-NFL merger in the Jim Brown era, those “old Browns” suck like their town always has too.
July 1st, 2009 at 1:27 am
Yes at least in Cleveland, the recurring Mistake By The Lake, of course!
/Fixed