Best One-Year Wonder in NFL History?

[BD Sullivan]

The 1966 Eagles, who had their only winning season between 1962-77, finishing 9-5 to reach the worthless Playoff Bowl. In that miserable stretch, they had 11 seasons in which they won five games or less.

[7DnBrnc53]

1986 Chiefs: The best special teams unit in NFL History. Their only playoff team from 1972-89.

[74_75_78_79_]

I think the Falcons hold the 'record' for the most 'one-year-wonders'. It did take Mike Smith to finally lead the franchise to two straight winning seasons.

[JameisLoseston]

No 2015 Panthers mention? They stick out the most to me simply due to the sheer number of wins. Previous year they were one of the worst playoff teams ever from by far the worst division ever, wrecked poor Ryan Lindley's stuff in the wild-card game, and promptly lost to... Not Ryan Lindley. Then 15-1 and one of the best teams ever. Year after, back to 6-10. The Falcons have also done this arc a couple times recently, including the 28-3 year. In other words, the NFC South is weird.

[sheajets]

Have to include the 2015 Jets.

4-12, 10-6, 5-11, 5-11, 4-12, 3-7 (so far)

[Rupert Patrick]

While not a one-year wonder, here's an oddity that has always puzzled me - the 1987-1991 Cincinnati Bengals annual divisional finishes (with the benefit of tiebreakers) for each season:

1987, last place finish in the AFC Central Division
1988, AFC Central Division champion
1989, last place finish in the AFC Central Division
1990, AFC Central Division champion
1991, last place finish in the AFC Central Division

[Citizen]

1989 Packers with Majkowskis big year going 10-6. They won a lot of close games.

they were 4-12 in 1988, 6-10 in 1990, and 4-12 in 1991

Similar story in 1972: 10-4 and division title, bracketed by 4-8-2 and 5-7-2. The odd thing about the '72 squad is that they were 6-3 against winning teams, so it's not like they only beat up on patsies.

[Oszuscik]

1989 Packers with Majkowskis big year going 10-6. They won a lot of close games.

they were 4-12 in 1988, 6-10 in 1990, and 4-12 in 1991

Similar story in 1972: 10-4 and division title, bracketed by 4-8-2 and 5-7-2. The odd thing about the '72 squad is that they were 6-3 against winning teams, so it's not like they only beat up on patsies.

I'm really looking forward to Joe Zagorski's book on the '72 Packers. I love the '89 Packers but their 10-6 record was a little fluky. The '72 Packers I believe were legit good, if only for that season. I can't wait to read about, well, how that was possible.

[74_75_78_79_]

The '72 Packers were, indeed, clearly a legit playoff team. Nothing fluke-like about them. In a previous '72 NFL regular season Power Rankings thread, I rated them #3 behind Miami & Washington. They did beat the Browns on the road in the opener. Beat both Dallas & San Fran along with sweeping 8-5-1 Detroit. And their losses vs both Raiders & Redskins...real close ones. Why they weren't anything like that the previous nor following year is beyond me.

However, two years later in '74 (Devine's last year at helm), they were 6-5 going into Week #11 doing so by winning their last three. They just got done bludgeoning SD, 34-0; and the week prior avenging their opening loss (at home) to Minnesota by beating them on the road, 19-7. Yes, even if they would have won-out they still wouldn't have gotten in considering that all NFC playoff teams finished 10-4 anyway. But that wasn't known yet at the time. The Pack was still very much in it as they were just one game out of 1st to 7-4 Minn. Was anyone around at the time thinking that the Pack may rally? They did beat the Rams earlier that year as well, 17-6.

[7DnBrnc53]

The '72 Packers were, indeed, clearly a legit playoff team. Nothing fluke-like about them. In a previous '72 NFL regular season Power Rankings thread, I rated them #3 behind Miami & Washington. They did beat the Browns on the road in the opener. Beat both Dallas & San Fran along with sweeping 8-5-1 Detroit. And their losses vs both Raiders & Redskins...real close ones. Why they weren't anything like that the previous nor following year is beyond me.

However, two years later in '74 (Devine's last year at helm), they were 6-5 going into Week #11 doing so by winning their last three. They just got done bludgeoning SD, 34-0; and the week prior avenging their opening loss (at home) to Minnesota by beating them on the road, 19-7. Yes, even if they would have won-out they still wouldn't have gotten in considering that all NFC playoff teams finished 10-4 anyway. But that wasn't known yet at the time. The Pack was still very much in it as they were just one game out of 1st to 7-4 Minn. Was anyone around at the time thinking that the Pack may rally? They did beat the Rams earlier that year as well, 17-6.

The Pack had a solid football team back then. I wonder what would have happened if they found the right QB (they did get Lynn Dickey, but that was in 1976 after they weren't as good).