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You know the feeling when your team is sitting pretty and you know that barring a spectacular collapse in the middle of the NFL season, they are destined for the playoffs. But there are those teams that have done just that: collapsed so spectacularly that defeat has snatched the jaws of victory.
It makes for a harrowing watch for fans who would like to forget such collapses. But they were so unbelievable in nature that we had to chronicle them.
Here's our list of the best single-season collapses in NFL history.
NFL collapses after 2000
#1 - 2003 Minnesota Vikings
In the new millennium, the team that first set the bar for the most spectacular collapse was the Minnesota Vikings in 2003. Randy Moss was on fire as the Minnesota Vikings started the season 6-0.
Not only were they being discussed as playoff contenders, they were being dubbed as favorites for the Super Bowl.
But what happened next is the stuff of nightmares for any Vikings fan. They would only win three more games and collapse to a 9-7 record at the end of the season.
But it was the final game that made this collapse so painful to remember. The Vikings led 17-6 in the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Falcons and a win would grant them a wild-card spot.
But they gave up two consecutive touchdowns, including Nate Poole's catch in the last second, to lose the game and miss out on the postseason.
#2 - 2012 Chicago Bears
Staying with the NFC North, we recount the spectacular collapse of another franchise nearly a decade later. In this millennium, many teams have begun with a 7-1 record.
Only the Chicago Bears in 2012 have missed out on the playoffs.
What began as a 7-1 record finished as a 10-6 record after a 3-5 collapse late in the season. That still does not look too bad on paper, but the issue was that it was not enough to even secure a wild-card berth.
They lost the wild-card tiebreaker to the Minnesota Vikings.
They had a truly spectacular defense, perhaps the best in the NFL at the time, but the inefficiency of the offense precipitated the collapse. Why this also features on our list is because this collapse culminated in the firing of Lovie Smith and the Chicago Bears themselves would not go on to have a winning season in six more years.
NFL collapses before 2000
#3 - 1994 Philadelphia Eagles
If the Chicago Bears collapsed from 7-1 in the 2012 season, the Philadelphia Eagles were no better in 1994. The only difference is they had begun the season 7-2.
But what followed next was an utter and complete collapse. Seven straight defeats meant they finished the season with a losing 7-9 record.
By the time the regular season's final game rolled around, the Eagles were already out of playoff contention. All they were playing for was pride and a chance to stem the collapse and recover to a .500 record against the lowly Cincinnati Bengals.
But when things collapse, it is very difficult to stop the bleeding and they lost that game as well.
#4 - 1993 Miami Dolphins
Dan Marino famously never won the Super Bowl. The1993 Miami Dolphins season serves as a microcosm of what went wrong in the legendary quarterback's career.
Things were going pretty well and the Dolphins had a 9-2 record. Even though they lost Marino in Week 5, deputy Scott Mitchell came on in relief and led them within an arm-shot of the playoffs.
However, he also succumbed to injury and the Miami Dolphins lost five straight to end 9-7, their final loss coming in overtime to the New England Patriots.
The Miami Dolphins remain the only NFL team to ever reach a 9-2 record and miss out on the playoffs altogether.
#5 - 1996 Kansas City Chiefs
The final team on this list is the Kansas City Chiefs of the early 1990s.
Much like the Miami Dolphins above, the Kansas City Chiefs began the season with a 8-3 record. However, the team eventually collapsed and ended with a record of 9-7.
Much like the Miami Dolphins in 1993, they would go on to miss the playoffs altogether.
And that completes our list of the most iconic collapses in a single season in NFL history. What do you make of it?
Do you think there are others that deserve a mention? Please share your comments with us.
In the NFL, nothing is guaranteed. Even this season, when many fans are certain that their teams will be there come postseason, they would do well to have the humility to recognize that a collapse is always possible and not everything always goes to plan.
