What Is The Longest Losing Streak In Nfl History?
Contents
The longest losing streak in NFL history is 20 games, set by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1976 to 1977.
Introduction
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). The NFL is one of the four major North American professional sports leagues, the highest professional level of American football in the world.
The Longest Losing Streak in NFL History
As of the 2019 NFL season, the longest losing streak is held by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who lost 26 consecutive games from 1977 to 1978. The streak began with a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on December 11, 1977 and ended with a loss to the New Orleans Saints on December 10, 1978.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers entered the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team. The team struggled in its early years, posting a record of just 24-76 in its first six seasons. But the Bucs caught fire in the early 1980s under head coach John McKay, reaching the NFC Championship Game in 1979 and 1980 and winning their first division title in 1981.
The team’s success was short-lived, however, as they suffered through a 14-year stretch from 1983 to 1996 in which they failed to make the playoffs. During that time, they had some memorable moments, such as upsets of playoff-bound teams late in the season that cost those teams home-field advantage, but those were far outweighed by the low points. Among those low points was a streak of 26 straight losses from December 7, 1986 to December 13, 1987, which is the longest losing streak in NFL history.
The Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions have the longest losing streak in NFL history. They have lost 26 games in a row. This streak began on December 7, 2008 and ended on January 3, 2010.
Conclusion
The Indianapolis Colts currently hold the record for the longest losing streak in NFL history, having lost 20 consecutive games during the 2011 and 2012 seasons.
