The Most Embarrassing Record Held By Each of the NFL Teams (Part 2)

No team is perfect, and everyone can have an off day, but there are times when things just go spectacularly wrong. Even NFL teams with a record of winning can sometimes have a duff season - which the record books never forget.

In the second of our two-part series of blogs, we take a look at the remaining NFL teams and the records that they’d rather forget.

Most penalised team in a single season

Winning games is hard enough without adding even more pressure, but the Raiders clearly thought otherwise when they had 163 penalties in the 2011 season.

Fewest rushing yards in a season

If you're not notching up rushing yards, you're going to struggle, and in 2000, the Chargers managed just 1062 yards for the whole season.

Longest losing streak at home

Between 2008 and 2010, the Rams lost 14 consecutive matches, tying them with the Cowboys for the worst-ever record.

Largest blowout loss in the playoffs

By the time teams reach the playoffs, no one really expects a blowout loss, but the Dolphins defied expectations with a horrifying 62-7 defeat in 1999.

Most playoff losses

Not only are the Vikings one of just 12 teams that have never won a Super Bowl, but they're also the team that has lost the most playoff games in history. Between 1961 and 2021, they have been eliminated from the playoffs no fewer than 30 times.

Most Super Bowl losses

The Patriots are the most successful team in Super Bowl history - but they also hold the joint record for the most losses, tying with five defeats.

Most non-winning consecutive seasons

The Saints arrived in the league in 1967, but it took them a full two decades to secure a winning season, taking top spot in 1987.

Most points allowed average per game

The Colts have the dubious honour of giving up the most points in a single season. However, in 1966, there were only 14 games in a season, so the Giants average of 35.8 per game puts them at the top of the leaderboard of shame.

Fewest rushing touchdowns

The Jets regularly endure a torrid time, but 1995 was particularly bad. They only managed two rushing touchdowns during the whole season, an embarrassingly low tally.

Most sacks given up

The quarterback needs protection from his offensive line, but the Eagles didn't quite seem to be on the right page in 1986. A total of 104 sacks were given up that season, way more than the existing record of 78 sacks in a season.

Fewest number of passing first downs per season

Purists might argue that passing was less of a feature in the early years of NFL - but the Steelers took that a little too far. In 1941 they only managed a meagre 18 passing first downs.

Highest number of turnovers in a season

1978 was not a good season for the 49ers as they had a disastrous 63 turnovers, the worst in their history.

Fewest yards gained in a season

The Seahawks haven't had the best history, but in 1992, things were particularly bad with a record of 2-14 and a paltry 3374 yards gained.

Lowest winning percentage of all time

Sport is all about winning, so an embarrassing low record is….an embarrassment. The Buccaneers haven't done so well since joining the league, with the worst win percentage of any team at .393. That translates to an overall achievement of 278 wins and 429 losses, plus one tie.

Biggest lead they blew

Throwing away a win is always painful, but when you’re 35-3 up, ending up as the losers is a memory you will be keen to keep hidden away.

Longest drought in the playoffs

Getting to the playoffs is what fans dream about every year, so having a significant drought can be hard to handle. The good news for Washington fans is that this took place a while ago, with their playoff absence stretching from 1946 to 1970.