Weakest above-500 team to NOT make the playoffs?
Posted: Wed May 15, 2024 5:22 pm
There's the question of who the weakest ever playoff teams were. But considering that a handful of them at least won at least one of their playoff games, there then is the question as to who the weakest playoff teams who went one-and-done; it's a thread I started not too long ago. And then there's this other thread that I'm now starting as to who the weakest above-500 teams were who didn't make the post-season? I'll start off with a couple which very may - or maybe not - be the top two candidates...
1992 Colts, 9-7
A minus-86 PD they were as well as a minus-706 in total yardage. Because of their fifth-place schedule based on the year before, they avoided the NFC West thus the 14-2 Forty Niners and the 12-4 Saints. Not only did they get swept by their '91 fifth-place conterpart, San Diego, but they get blown out both times. Yes, the Chargers would go on to win their division at 11-5, Bobby Ross's debut with them, but still.
There were other real lopsided defeats like 38-0 at Buffalo in Wk#3. Following that second loss to the Chargers in Wk#9, which was a 26-0 shutout, they get shutout again to Miami, 28-0. The week after that, they would lose at home to the win-less Patriots in OT, and then get romped at Three Rivers, 30-14. That loss dropped them to 4-7. The following week they beat Buffalo in OT.
And five weeks earlier they did win their first game against the Dolphins which was in Miami. I actually remember that game. Rookie Steve Emtman scored that 90-yard INT-return for a TD to ice the game, 31-20, as time expired. That very win brought their record to 4-3 before, then, losing four-straight going into that just-mentioned OT win over the Bills.
Anyways, the Colts were now at 5-7 with that win over Buffalo; and they would also win the rest of their games from there to make it a 5-0 finish thus 9-7 record. Yes, a win is a win, but each of those remaining wins were close ones with each opponent being weak. First, at Foxboro, they just barely avenge their previous aforementioned loss to the Pats, 6-0. Then at the Jets the following week by just a score of 10-6 (in their previous meeting, Colts beat them 6-3 in OT). They beat the Cards penultimate week, 16-13, and beat David Shula's Bengals at Cincy, 21-17, in the finale.
Football Outsiders do not have a kind take on this team. They call them the 2nd-worst team in the league statistically that very season. Their 1,102 in rushing yards that year is the lowest single-season team total of the 1990s.
But what should at least be mentioned is that this was Ted Marchibroda's return to the Colts, starting his second stint with them as HC. He took over a team that finished 1-15 the year prior under Ron Meyer (0-5)/Rick Venturi (1-10) albeit they being at least, FWIW, respectable in the years leading right up to that debacle. Again, a win is a win and that 8-game improvement from the year before - and, at least, splitting with Miami & Buffalo - ought to account for something. Despite changes in the roster by then, this very campaign being a winning one may have served as a hint of their '95 run to the AFCCG (and extra playoff year in '96) to come.
'83 Cardinals, 8-7-1
Yes, the minus-54 PD but at least they gained more total yards than they allowed. But at Y/P, both they and their opponents were even at 4.9 whereas with the '92 Colts, Y/P favored their opponents at 5.1 to 4.5. Lopsided losses they sure did suffer as well. They lose to SF at home, 42-27, and get blasted both times each to Washington & Dallas by a four-game total score of 152-55 (basically an average final score of 38-14)! Even a bad Kansas City team got in on the act by beating them...38-14. As the case with '92 Colts beating Mia & Buf, the '83 Cards' "saving grace", along with posting that very winning season at 8-7-1, would be they beating both AFCCG-participants-to-be, Seattle at home and Raiders...in LA (quite the feather-in-cap)!! Sgt Rock getting his guys to put up 59 sacks not a bad notable for this team either. I guess you can call this team the non-playoff precursor of their '98 installment!
Well, anyways, thoughts? Better candidates, perhaps, than these two? Or close to it?
1992 Colts, 9-7
A minus-86 PD they were as well as a minus-706 in total yardage. Because of their fifth-place schedule based on the year before, they avoided the NFC West thus the 14-2 Forty Niners and the 12-4 Saints. Not only did they get swept by their '91 fifth-place conterpart, San Diego, but they get blown out both times. Yes, the Chargers would go on to win their division at 11-5, Bobby Ross's debut with them, but still.
There were other real lopsided defeats like 38-0 at Buffalo in Wk#3. Following that second loss to the Chargers in Wk#9, which was a 26-0 shutout, they get shutout again to Miami, 28-0. The week after that, they would lose at home to the win-less Patriots in OT, and then get romped at Three Rivers, 30-14. That loss dropped them to 4-7. The following week they beat Buffalo in OT.
And five weeks earlier they did win their first game against the Dolphins which was in Miami. I actually remember that game. Rookie Steve Emtman scored that 90-yard INT-return for a TD to ice the game, 31-20, as time expired. That very win brought their record to 4-3 before, then, losing four-straight going into that just-mentioned OT win over the Bills.
Anyways, the Colts were now at 5-7 with that win over Buffalo; and they would also win the rest of their games from there to make it a 5-0 finish thus 9-7 record. Yes, a win is a win, but each of those remaining wins were close ones with each opponent being weak. First, at Foxboro, they just barely avenge their previous aforementioned loss to the Pats, 6-0. Then at the Jets the following week by just a score of 10-6 (in their previous meeting, Colts beat them 6-3 in OT). They beat the Cards penultimate week, 16-13, and beat David Shula's Bengals at Cincy, 21-17, in the finale.
Football Outsiders do not have a kind take on this team. They call them the 2nd-worst team in the league statistically that very season. Their 1,102 in rushing yards that year is the lowest single-season team total of the 1990s.
But what should at least be mentioned is that this was Ted Marchibroda's return to the Colts, starting his second stint with them as HC. He took over a team that finished 1-15 the year prior under Ron Meyer (0-5)/Rick Venturi (1-10) albeit they being at least, FWIW, respectable in the years leading right up to that debacle. Again, a win is a win and that 8-game improvement from the year before - and, at least, splitting with Miami & Buffalo - ought to account for something. Despite changes in the roster by then, this very campaign being a winning one may have served as a hint of their '95 run to the AFCCG (and extra playoff year in '96) to come.
'83 Cardinals, 8-7-1
Yes, the minus-54 PD but at least they gained more total yards than they allowed. But at Y/P, both they and their opponents were even at 4.9 whereas with the '92 Colts, Y/P favored their opponents at 5.1 to 4.5. Lopsided losses they sure did suffer as well. They lose to SF at home, 42-27, and get blasted both times each to Washington & Dallas by a four-game total score of 152-55 (basically an average final score of 38-14)! Even a bad Kansas City team got in on the act by beating them...38-14. As the case with '92 Colts beating Mia & Buf, the '83 Cards' "saving grace", along with posting that very winning season at 8-7-1, would be they beating both AFCCG-participants-to-be, Seattle at home and Raiders...in LA (quite the feather-in-cap)!! Sgt Rock getting his guys to put up 59 sacks not a bad notable for this team either. I guess you can call this team the non-playoff precursor of their '98 installment!
Well, anyways, thoughts? Better candidates, perhaps, than these two? Or close to it?