Football Wondering the Playoff inclusion rate of the NFL's final unbeaten team

**alnorth** · 10-04-2010, 05:01 PM

I was curious whether this happened more than once, so I went back all the way to the NFL-AFL merger in 1970.

1992 - Dolphins 6-0 - AFC East Champs and #2 seed, lost AFC championship
1991 - Redskins 11-0 - NFC East Champs and #1 seed, won Super Bowl XXVI
(tie in 1990, two teams made it to week 12 and lost the early sunday game, I didn't bother to try to figure out how long each game lasted to break the tie)
1990 #1 - 49'ers 10-0 - NFC West Champs and #1 seed, lost NFC championship
1990 #2 - Giants 10-0 - NFC East Champs and #2 seed, won Super Bowl XXV
1989 - Rams 5-0 - NFC Wild Card and #5 seed, lost NFC championship
1988 - Bengals 6-0 - AFC Central Champs and #1 seed, lost Super Bowl XXIII
1987 - Bears 4-0 - NFC Central Champs and #2 seed, lost in Divisional round
1986 - Broncos 6-0 - AFC West Champs and #2 seed, lost Super Bowl XXI
1985 - Bears 12-0 - NFC Central Champs and #1 seed, won Super Bowl XX
1984 - Dolphins 11-0 - AFC East Champs and #1 seed, lost Super Bowl XIX
1983 - Cowboys 7-0 - NFC Wild Card and #4 seed, lost in Wild Card round
1982 throwing this year out because of the craziness of no divisions and 8 seed format. Redskins were last undefeated at 4-0
1981 - Eagles 6-0 - NFC Wild Card and #4 seed, lost in Wild Card round
1980 - Bills 5-0 - AFC East Champs and #3 seed, lost in Divisional round
1979 - Buccaneers 5-0 - NFC Central Champs and #2 seed, lost NFC championship
1978 - Steelers 7-0 - AFC Central Champs and #1 seed, won Super Bowl XIII
1977 - Cowboys 9-0 - NFC East Champs and #1 seed, won Super Bowl XII
1976 - Cowboys 5-0 - NFC East Champs and #2 seed, lost Divisional round
1975 - Vikings 10-0 - NFC Central Champs and #2 seed, lost Divisional round
1974 - Cardinals 7-0 - NFC East Champs and #3 seed, lost Divisional round
1973 - Vikings 9-0 - NFC Central Champs and #1 seed, lost Super Bowl VIII
1972 - Dolphins 14-0 - AFC East Champs and #1 seed, won Super Bowl VII
1971 - Redskins 5-0 - NFC Wild Card and #4 seed, lost Divisional round
(3-way tie in 1970, three teams made it to week 4 and lost the early sunday game, I didn't bother to try to figure out how long each game lasted to break the tie)
1970 #1 - Lions 3-0 - NFC Wild Card and #4 seed, lost Divisional round
1970 #2 - Rams 3-0 - Missed Playoffs, but would have been the #5 seed in today's format (finished 9-4-1)
1970 #3 - Broncos 3-0 - Missed playoffs (finished 5-8-1)

So, there you go. 42 data points, and 2 missed the playoffs (under today's format), once in 1993, and perhaps once in 1970 if you consider Denver to be one of the last undefeated teams. That is roughly 1 in 20 teams. Will the Chiefs be the 3rd last undefeated team to miss the playoffs in 2010?

10-04-2010, 05:01 PM	#27
alnorth . Join Date: Dec 2002 Casino cash: $57156239	I was curious whether this happened more than once, so I went back all the way to the NFL-AFL merger in 1970. 1992 - Dolphins 6-0 - AFC East Champs and #2 seed, lost AFC championship 1991 - Redskins 11-0 - NFC East Champs and #1 seed, won Super Bowl XXVI (tie in 1990, two teams made it to week 12 and lost the early sunday game, I didn't bother to try to figure out how long each game lasted to break the tie) 1990 #1 - 49'ers 10-0 - NFC West Champs and #1 seed, lost NFC championship 1990 #2 - Giants 10-0 - NFC East Champs and #2 seed, won Super Bowl XXV 1989 - Rams 5-0 - NFC Wild Card and #5 seed, lost NFC championship 1988 - Bengals 6-0 - AFC Central Champs and #1 seed, lost Super Bowl XXIII 1987 - Bears 4-0 - NFC Central Champs and #2 seed, lost in Divisional round 1986 - Broncos 6-0 - AFC West Champs and #2 seed, lost Super Bowl XXI 1985 - Bears 12-0 - NFC Central Champs and #1 seed, won Super Bowl XX 1984 - Dolphins 11-0 - AFC East Champs and #1 seed, lost Super Bowl XIX 1983 - Cowboys 7-0 - NFC Wild Card and #4 seed, lost in Wild Card round 1982 throwing this year out because of the craziness of no divisions and 8 seed format. Redskins were last undefeated at 4-0 1981 - Eagles 6-0 - NFC Wild Card and #4 seed, lost in Wild Card round 1980 - Bills 5-0 - AFC East Champs and #3 seed, lost in Divisional round 1979 - Buccaneers 5-0 - NFC Central Champs and #2 seed, lost NFC championship 1978 - Steelers 7-0 - AFC Central Champs and #1 seed, won Super Bowl XIII 1977 - Cowboys 9-0 - NFC East Champs and #1 seed, won Super Bowl XII 1976 - Cowboys 5-0 - NFC East Champs and #2 seed, lost Divisional round 1975 - Vikings 10-0 - NFC Central Champs and #2 seed, lost Divisional round 1974 - Cardinals 7-0 - NFC East Champs and #3 seed, lost Divisional round 1973 - Vikings 9-0 - NFC Central Champs and #1 seed, lost Super Bowl VIII 1972 - Dolphins 14-0 - AFC East Champs and #1 seed, won Super Bowl VII 1971 - Redskins 5-0 - NFC Wild Card and #4 seed, lost Divisional round (3-way tie in 1970, three teams made it to week 4 and lost the early sunday game, I didn't bother to try to figure out how long each game lasted to break the tie) 1970 #1 - Lions 3-0 - NFC Wild Card and #4 seed, lost Divisional round 1970 #2 - Rams 3-0 - Missed Playoffs, but would have been the #5 seed in today's format (finished 9-4-1) 1970 #3 - Broncos 3-0 - Missed playoffs (finished 5-8-1) So, there you go. 42 data points, and 2 missed the playoffs (under today's format), once in 1993, and perhaps once in 1970 if you consider Denver to be one of the last undefeated teams. That is roughly 1 in 20 teams. Will the Chiefs be the 3rd last undefeated team to miss the playoffs in 2010? __________________ how many emo kids does it take to change a lightbulb? HOW MANY?! none they just sit in the dark and cry Last edited by alnorth; 10-04-2010 at 06:36 PM..
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