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Every dog has its day, they say, but for these NFL teams that posted some of the longest losing streaks in history, such days were a long time coming. From being downright awful across multiple statistical parameters, to losing streaks that stretched across three seasons, here is a look at the longest of the lot.
Longest losing streaks in NFL history
(Note: This list only includes losing streaks after the 1970 AFL-NFL merger.)
#1 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 26 games
The current Super Bowl champions hold the record for the longest losing streak in NFL history, with their 26 games losing streak being the only one that is over 20 games. It began in 1976 with a loss of 20 points without a reply to the Houston Oilers. It went downhill from there as they lost all 14 games that season. They also went on to lose the next 12 games in the subsequent season. That winless run finally ended with a 33-14 win against the New Orleans Saints. It marked the first time the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had won an NFL game and contributed to Saints head coach Hank Stram losing his job.
#2 - Detroit Lions, 19 games
The Detroit Lions come second on this list of of longest losing streaks. Their record is the only one spread across three different seasons. In 2007, they lost 34-13 to the Green Bay Packers. They lost the entire 2008 season, losing 16 games along the way. They finally beat the Washington Redskins 19-14 in the 2009 season to end their losing streak.
#3 - Houston Oilers, 18 games
The Houston Oilers are the only team appearing twice in this list. They went 1-13 in back-to-back seasons in 1972 and 1973. Save for a close 31-27 win against the Baltimore Colts, they could have surpassed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers record. But it was not to be.
#4 - Houston Oilers, 17 games
A full decade on from their debacle above, the Houston Oilers again embarked on a losing streak that thankfully did not equal their franchise record by one game. They lost seven straight games in the 1982 season and another 10 in 1983. They eventually prevailed 27-17 against the Detroit Lions to end this streak.
#5 - St. Louis Rams, 17 games
The St. Louis Rams had two miserable seasons in 2008 and 2009. They lost 10 games to end the 2008 season and then lost a further seven in the 2009 season. But it seems the Detroit Lions are the lucky cards when a team have lost 17 straight games. The Rams defeated them 17-10 to end the streak.
Honorable Mention - Cleveland Browns, 2015 - 2017
While they did not make the top five list for the longest losing streak since between 2015 and 2017, the Cleveland Browns were abysmally bad as they went 3-13, 1-15 and 0-16 in three seasons. This period included two 17 games losing streaks to equal the Rams and the Oilers. Except for a close 20-17 victory against the San Diego Chargers in 2016, the Browns would have had a losing streak of 35 straight games, by far the longest.
