List of National Football League longest losing streaks

The Chicago Cardinals have the longest regular season losing streak, losing 29 consecutive games from 1942 through 1945. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have the longest losing streak since the 1970 AFL–NFL merger, losing 26 straight in 1976 and 1977. The Detroit Lions hold the record for the longest postseason losing streak, dropping nine consecutive playoff games starting in 1991 – a streak which is still active.

This article contains two lists:

  • The longest losing streaks in the regular season in NFL history
  • The longest losing streaks in the postseason in NFL history

Key
^ Denotes streaks that occurred before the AFL–NFL merger (1970 season)
Denotes streaks that are currently in progress

Streaks

Regular season
Rank Games Team Season(s) Season
record(s)		 Date Score Opponent Date Score Opponent
Beginning (first defeat) End (first victory or tie)
1 29 Chicago Cardinals^ 1942
1943
1944[lower-alpha 1]
1945		 3–8
0–10
0–10
1–9		 October 25, 1942 3–7 Cleveland Rams October 14, 1945 16–7 Chicago Bears
2 26 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1976
1977		 0–14
2–12		 September 12, 1976 0–20 Houston Oilers December 11, 1977 33–14 New Orleans Saints
T3 19 Oakland Raiders^ 1961
1962		 2–12
1–13		 November 11, 1961 12–23 New York Titans December 16, 1962 20–0 Boston Patriots
T3 19 Detroit Lions 2007
2008
2009		 7–9
0–16
2–14		 December 30, 2007 13–34 Green Bay Packers September 27, 2009 19–14 Washington Redskins
5 18 Houston Oilers 1972
1973		 1–13
1–13		 October 9, 1972 0–34 Oakland Raiders November 4, 1973 31–27 Baltimore Colts
T6 17 Dayton Triangles^ 1927
1928
1929		 1–6–1
0–7
0–6		 October 9, 1927 0–7 Chicago Cardinals team folded after 1929 season
T6 17 Washington Redskins^ 1960
1961		 1–9–2
1–12–1		 October 30, 1960 10–31 Cleveland Browns November 19, 1961 28–28 Dallas Cowboys
T6 17 Houston Oilers 1982
1983		 1–8
2–14		 November 21, 1982 10–24 Pittsburgh Steelers November 13, 1983 27–17 Detroit Lions
T6 17 St. Louis Rams 2008
2009		 2–14
1–15		 October 26, 2008 16–23 New England Patriots November 1, 2009 17–10 Detroit Lions
T6 17 Cleveland Browns 2015
2016		 3–13
1–15		 December 20, 2015 13–30 Seattle Seahawks December 24, 2016 20–17 San Diego Chargers
T6 17 Cleveland Browns 2016
2017[lower-alpha 2]		 1–15
0–16		 January 1, 2017 24–27 Pittsburgh Steelers September 9, 2018 21–21 Pittsburgh Steelers
T12 16 Rochester Jeffersons^ 1922
1923
1924
1925		 0–4–1
0–4
0–7
0–6–1[lower-alpha 3]		 October 15, 1922 0–7 Chicago Bears October 4, 1925 0–0 Buffalo Bisons
T12 16 Pittsburgh Steelers^ 1969
1970		 1–13
5–9		 September 28, 1969 27–41 Philadelphia Eagles October 11, 1970 23–10 Buffalo Bills
T12 16 Miami Dolphins 2006
2007		 6–10
1–15		 December 17, 2006 0–21 Buffalo Bills December 16, 2007 22–16 Baltimore Ravens
T12 16 Oakland Raiders 2013
2014		 4–12
3–13		 November 24, 2013 19–23 Houston Texans November 20, 2014 24–20 Kansas City Chiefs
T16 15 Buffalo Bills 1970
1971		 3–10–1
1–13		 November 22, 1970 13–31 Chicago Bears November 28, 1971 27–20 New England Patriots
T16 15 Carolina Panthers 2001[lower-alpha 2] 1–15 September 23, 2001 16–24 Atlanta Falcons September 8, 2002 10–7 Baltimore Ravens
T18 14 Philadelphia Eagles^ 1936
1937		 1–11
2–8–1		 September 20, 1936 3–26 Boston Redskins September 26, 1937 6–6 Chicago Cardinals
T18 14 Buffalo Bills 1976
1977		 2–12
3–11		 October 10, 1976 14–17 New York Jets October 16, 1977 3–0 Philadelphia Eagles
T18 14 New Orleans Saints 1980 1–15 September 7, 1980 23–26 San Francisco 49ers December 14, 1980 21–20 New York Jets
T18 14 Baltimore Colts 1981 2–14 September 13, 1981 3–35 Buffalo Bills December 20, 1981 23–21 New England Patriots
T18 14 New England Patriots 1990[lower-alpha 2] 1–15 September 23, 1990 7–41 Cincinnati Bengals September 1, 1991 16–7 Indianapolis Colts
T18 14 Houston Texans 2013[lower-alpha 2] 2–14 September 22, 2013 9–30 Baltimore Ravens September 7, 2014 17–6 Washington Redskins
T24 13 Buffalo Bills 1983
1984		 8–8
2–14		 December 11, 1983 10–23 San Francisco 49ers November 18, 1984 14–3 Dallas Cowboys
T24 13 Indianapolis Colts 1986 3–13 September 7, 1986 3–33 New England Patriots December 7, 1986 28–13 Atlanta Falcons
T24 13 Detroit Lions 2000
2001		 9–7
2–14		 December 24, 2000 20–23 Chicago Bears December 16, 2001 27–24 Minnesota Vikings
T24 13 Indianapolis Colts 2011 2–14 September 11, 2011 7–34 Houston Texans December 18, 2011 27–13 Tennessee Titans
T24 13 Jacksonville Jaguars 2012
2013		 2–14
4–12		 December 2, 2012 18–34 Buffalo Bills November 10, 2013 29–27 Tennessee Titans
T24 13 San Francisco 49ers 2016 2–14 September 18, 2016 27–46 Carolina Panthers December 24, 2016 22–21 Los Angeles Rams
T24 13 Cincinnati Bengals 2018
2019		 6–10
2–14		 December 23, 2018 18–26 Cleveland Browns December 1, 2019 22–6 New York Jets
  1. In 1944, the Chicago Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers combined rosters and competed as Card-Pitt due to the loss of players to World War II military service.
  2. Losing streak carried into next season, but team won or tied their first game.
  3. Record against NFL opponents.

Playoffs
Rank Games Team Seasons Date Score Opponent Date Score Opponent
Beginning (first defeat) End (first victory)
1 9 Detroit Lions 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2011, 2014, 2016 January 12, 1992 10–41 Washington Redskins
T2 8 Cincinnati Bengals 1990, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 January 13, 1991 10–20 Los Angeles Raiders
T2 8 Kansas City Chiefs 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2003, 2006, 2010, 2013 January 23, 1994 13–30 Buffalo Bills January 9, 2016 30–0 Houston Texans
T4 6 New York Giants^ 1939, 1941, 1943, 1944, 1946, 1950 December 10, 1939 0–27 Green Bay Packers December 30, 1956 47–7 Chicago Bears
T4 6 Cleveland Browns 1969, 1971, 1972, 1980, 1982, 1985 January 4, 1970 7–27 Minnesota Vikings January 3, 1987 23–20 New York Jets
T4 6 Seattle Seahawks 1984, 1987, 1988, 1999, 2003, 2004 December 29, 1984 10–31 Miami Dolphins January 14, 2006 20–10 Washington Redskins
T4 6 Minnesota Vikings 1988, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996 January 1, 1989 9–34 San Francisco 49ers December 27, 1997 23–22 New York Giants
T4 6 Buffalo Bills 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2017, 2019 January 6, 1996 21–40 Pittsburgh Steelers
T4 6 Dallas Cowboys 1996, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2006, 2007 January 5, 1997 17–26 Carolina Panthers January 9, 2010 34–14 Philadelphia Eagles
T10 5 Los Angeles Rams^ 1952, 1955, 1967, 1969, 1973 December 21, 1952 21–31 Detroit Lions December 22, 1974 19–10 Washington Redskins
T10 5 New York Giants^ 1958, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1963 December 28, 1958 17–23 Baltimore Colts December 27, 1981 27–21 Philadelphia Eagles
T10 5 Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts 1971, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1987 January 2, 1972 0–21 Miami Dolphins December 31, 1995 35–20 San Diego Chargers
T10 5 Denver Broncos 1977, 1978, 1979, 1983, 1984 January 15, 1978 10–27 Dallas Cowboys January 4, 1987 22–17 New England Patriots
T10 5 Philadelphia Eagles 1980, 1981, 1988, 1989, 1990 January 25, 1981 10–27 Oakland Raiders January 3, 1993 36–20 New Orleans Saints
T10 5 Indianapolis Colts 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2002 January 14, 1996 16–20 Pittsburgh Steelers January 4, 2004 41–10 Denver Broncos
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See also

References
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