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The original was posted on /r/nfl by /u/Pan_no_Kami on 2025-04-05 15:56:59+00:00.

Hello, for the next entry in my Margin of Victory (MoV) series, I’ll be looking at the opposite of my previous entry (Worst Division winners by MoV): The best teams that did not win their division post NFL-AFL merger (1970 onwards). Like last time, I will note that an acceptable flaw (to me, at least) in this list is that there were only 3 divisions per conference until 2002. And like the previous list, I did not do “Best Teams to not make the playoffs” due to the gradual change in number of playoff spots over the years.

For numerous reasons, there have been plenty of teams who were far above average, yet failed to win their division. For this list, I wanted to only list teams with double digit MoV’s (10 or higher). The total ended up being 9 teams, like my previous “Best” list. In this list, I’ll be listing the team, along with their MoV and record in parentheses [Example: 2016 Arizona Cardinals (3.5) (7-8-1)]. Then, I’ll be providing my opinion on why the team failed to win their division, followed by their final result on the season.

As a reminder: THE TEAMS ON THIS LIST AND WHERE THEY PLACE ON THIS LIST IS BASED ON STATS, NOT MY OPINION. While the commentary and honorable mentions are my own, this list is based on a static number.

Without further ado, here is the 9 Best Teams to not win their division, ranked by MoV post-merger, from “worst” to best.

9: 1976 New England Patriots (10) (11-3) - After some horrendous years in the early 70’s, the Patriots fully moved on from 1971 #1 overall pick Jim Plunkett, determining him to be a bust, and moving on to 1975 5th round pick Steve Grogan, likely the most forgotten mediocre QB who spent his entire career with one team (which is incredible considering how injury-prone he was). And to be honest, he didn’t play particularly well in 1976. 18 TD to 20 INT wasn’t terrible at the time, but a 48% completion percentage was. However, what they did have was one of the highest team rushing totals ever for a team in a 14-game season (2948). Thanks to that, they had the 2nd-ranked scoring offense, paired with a solid scoring defense (11th). They won by over 2 possessions 5 separate times, including in their final 3 games. They were also the only team to get a win over the eventual champion Raiders that year, a Week 4 48-17 thrashing at home. The reason they failed to win their division is because they shared it with the also 11-3 Colts, who won it on a tiebreaker and actually had a better MoV (12.2). The team traded wins with each other in 2 matchups, but the Colts did outscore them in total (34-41). The Colts also had their losses vs. 3 playoff teams, while the Patriots non-Colt losses were to 2 different 6-8 teams.

In the Divisional Round against those same Raiders they defeated earlier in the season, in Oakland this time, the Patriots jumped out to a 21-10 lead. However, in part due to a controversial roughing the passer call (especially by 1976 standards), the Raiders scored 2 TDs in the 4th quarter to comeback and win. The Patriots would remain competitive for multiple years after, though without a playoff win, until it all collapsed in a 2-14 1981 season.

Final Result: Lost Divisional Round (21-24) @ Oakland Raiders

8: 2009 Green Bay Packers (10.2) (11-5) (Lost Wild Card) - Though Aaron Rodgers had a successful first season starting in 2008, 2009 was when he first started playing at a Hall of Fame level, throwing 30 TDs to 7 INTs and almost 4500 yards on good efficiency. He was also blessed by a plethora of above average receivers, while Ryan Grant was still solid in the rushing game. The scoring defense improved greatly, allowing 5.2 less points per game than the previous season under new defensive coordinator Dom Capers. The two units combined to be top 10 in scoring on both sides of the ball. The packers won 6 games by over 2 possessions (though the last one was mostly versus backup QBs), and won 7 of their final 8 games following a 4-4 start (with their one loss coming by 1 point on a last second TD), and were never truly blown out. But despite having a better record down the stretch than the Vikings (and a better overall MoV), two losses to them early in the season cost them the division by 1 game, made especially bitter by the fact that it was Brett Favre leading Minnesota.

Thus, the Packers were locked into a Wild Card Weekend matchup with the defending NFC champion Cardinals, and the pair left their defenses at home, combining for the highest total points scored in one postseason game. Both QBs, Rodgers and Kurt Warner, threw the ball up and down the field with little resistance, including a game-tying TD for the Packers with 1:52 left in the game to put the score at 45-45. Then, the Packers won the coin toss to start OT, seemingly guaranteeing their victory. However, Rodgers missed Greg Jennings on a long pass, then a holding penalty further set the drive back. On 3rd down, at the Green Bay 24, Rodgers dropped back only to get sacked by Michael Adams. Whether it was a fumble or actual pass, Karlos Dansby grabbed the ball out of the air and ran it back for the game-winning defensive TD. Much as it pains me to admit this as a Cardinals fan, the play should’ve been called back due to a clear facemask on Adams. It didn’t affect the play necessarily, but that’s usually still called. However, it was not called, and the Packers were eliminated. Would they have beat the Saints the following week? I’m inclined to say no, but it’s not out of the question. Ultimately, the Packers’ strength as a team would continue shining, resulting in a Super Bowl victory the following year, and a 15-1 regular season in 2011.

Final Result: Lost Wild Card (45-51) @ Arizona Cardinals

7: 1970 Detroit Lions (10.4) (10-4) - This team barely made the list chronologically, and frankly, you could be forgiven for not knowing about them 55 years later. But it was significant for a big reason: The Lions won their division (and the NFL Championship) in 1957. They would not win their division again until 1983. Between those times, this was the only Lions team to make the playoffs under a standard playoff format (since 1982 was wonky). Not only that, but they were statistically an elite team. They ranked 2nd out of 26 teams in both scoring offense and defense. They didn’t exactly run up and down the field yard-wise (13th in the league in yards gained), but they made their successful drives count, ranking top 10 in both passing and rushing TDs. They had multiple lesser-known Hall of Famers, including the CB tandem of Lem Barney and Dick Lebeau, plus TE Charlie Sanders. They won 8 of 14 games by double-digits, compared to 2 losses by double-digits. The majority of their wins came against teams with winning records, but for the 2nd straight entry, 2 losses to the Vikings, the only team with a higher MoV than them that year, cost them the division, as Minnesota finished 12-2.

In the Divisional Round, in arguably the most bizarre final score in playoff history, the Lions were shutout 0-5 against the Cowboys in Dallas. This wasn’t necessarily a bad loss, as Dallas would make the Super Bowl that year, then win it the next, but as previously mentioned, the Lions wouldn’t sniff the postseason in any capacity again until 1982, and not in a full season until 1983.

Final Result: Lost Divisional Round (0-5) @ Dallas Cowboys

6: 2020 Baltimore Ravens (10.4) (11-5) - Despite a shocking playoff loss to the Titans in 2019 following an incredible regular season, expectations were still high for the Ravens for 2020. While they weren’t quite the world beaters from the previous year, they still performed quite well. 6 of their wins came by over 2 possessions, while they never lost by more than 14. The offense and defense both remained in the top 10 in scoring. The defense was stacked with 4 Pro-Bowlers, plus 3rd place DROY candidate Patrick Queen. Lamar Jackson put up great stats again (26-9 TD/INT ratio, 64% completion percentage + 1005 rushing yards), but failed to make a Pro Bowl. The team beat multiple playoff opponents, including 2 wins against the also 11-5 Browns (granting them the tiebreaker), but if they won either game against the 12-4 Steelers, they would’ve clinched the division.

After ending on a 5-game win-streak, including 3 blowouts, the Ravens faced off again against the Titans, this time in Tennessee. In a somewhat subdued affair from a gameplay standpoint, and a fiery one between plays, Baltimore earned a 20-13 Wild Card win. However, in Buffalo the next week against the upstart Bills, the offense fell silent, resulting in elimination. Jackson would be hampered by injuries the following 2 years, resulting in 0 playoff wins, but he and the Ravens have gone through a renaissance over the last 2 years. Yet, nothing is inevitable in the star-studded QB-heavy AFC.

Final Result: Lost Divisional Round (3-17) @ Buffalo Bills

5: 2012 Seattle Seahawks (10.5) (11-5) - Just two years after topping the list as the worst team to win their division (by MoV), the Seahawks also made it onto this one. Turns out great drafting can go a long way. To start the year, and this may sound unbelievable in hindsight, a 3-way QB competition existed in Seattle between ineffective veteran Tavaris Jackson, Matt Flynn, who’d had one incredible game before the Seahawks signed him to a sizeable deal, and their 3rd round draft pick, Russell Wilson. In fact, the pick …

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