NFL
Which NFL teams have the worst post-season record over the last 25 years?
After edging out the Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card Round, there’s a chance for the Detroit Lions to shake an unwanted distinction.
There are eight teams still in contention in the NFL playoffs, eight sets of players hoping to make history in Super Bowl LVIII.
But, with the eyes of the world watching, teams can also find themselves in the history books for the wrong reasons. Many supporters will claim that their team struggles in the playoffs, but which NFL side has the worst record in post-season fixtures?
From January 1999 to January 2023, two teams have a post-season win percentage of less than .250: the Detroit Lions and the Miami Dolphins. Here’s the ten worst playoff records of the past quarter of a century...
Worst NFL playoff records: 1999-2023
- Detroit Lions (1-4), .200
- Miami Dolphins (2-7), .222
- Celeveland Browns (1-3), .250
- Washington Commanders (2-6), .260
- Dallas Cowboys (4-11), .267
- Chicago Bears (3-6), .333
- cincinnati Bengals (5-9), .357
- Minnesota Vikings (6-10), .375
- Los Angeles Chargers (5-8), .385
- Atlanta Falcons (6-9), .400
Detroit Lions can improve playoff record
Last weekend was a historic one for Detroit sport as the Lions won a playoff game for the first time in 32 years. It had been 30 years since Motor City hosted a post-season match and Detroit star Eminem was in attendance to watch a hard-fought victory over the Los Angeles Rams.
Detroit went into the playoff in impressive form after going 13-5 in the regular season. Dan Campbell’s team have been transformed by the introduction of Jared Goff in 2021, joining from the Rams.
That victory brought the longest win-less streak in playoff history to a close and set up a Divisional Round clash against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
With the Dolphins falling to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Wild Card Round, they are unable to improve their 2-7 record over the past 25 years. A win for the Lions next weekend would leave them with a record of 2-4, and a playoff win percentage of .333.
Even if they then lose in the NFL Conference Championship, their prospective .286 playoff win percentage (2-5) would be higher than that of the Dolphins, Browns, Commanders and Cowboys.