National Football League

NFL's top 10 streaks and droughts

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The NFL has some wild streaks that are either ongoing or finally came to end. Which are the 10 craziest? Let’s take a look.

Bills break losing streak vs. Miami Dolphins

Imagine being completely dominated on national television for a decade. That’s exactly happened with the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills from 1970-1979. Yes, for an entire decade the Miami Dolphins beat the Buffalo Bills.

In all fairness, the Dolphins decade of the 1970s was one of the most dominant in NFL History. I mean, this is what they did in just the first half of the decade….

Meanwhile for the Bills there was, well nothing.

All of that changed on September 8, 1980 when the Bills finally got one over on the Dolphins, beating Miami 17-7. The fans rushed the field after the game. Yes, fans in an NFL game rushed the field. Shut up and let them be happy.

Oct 20, 2013; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Detail shot of a Buffalo Bills helmet and gatorade towel in the second quarter of a game at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports

Kansas City Chiefs finally clinch a divisional title 

In the long, storied history of the Kansas City Chiefs, the franchise had seen success in the 1960s and early 70s but all of that went away starting in 1971. For 22 years, the Chiefs only saw one playoff appearance but no division titles.

In 1993, that streak ended when Joe Montana and Marty Schottenheimer fought off the Raiders and Broncos to clinch the AFC West. That run in ’93 set off a decade of success for the Chiefs as they won three division titles in the 90s.

Dec 14, 2014; Nashville, TN, USA; New York Jets logo prior to the game against the Tennessee Titans at LP Field. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

Jets are beasts of the AFC East after 29 seasons 

Aside from Super Bowl III victory in 1968, the Jets have not had much success since then. Even when they’ve had success, it’s come with a backhanded slap of reality that reminds the Jets and their fans they are still the Jets.

After taking over in 1997, Bill Parcells brought winning ways back to New York’s other team. In 1998, he brought them the AFC East title. That season ended with an appearance in the AFC Title Game against the Broncos. New York hadn’t seen that success since “the big tuna” coached the Giants.

Giants are kings of the football world again

In 1956, the New York Giants won the NFL Championship while the city was at it’s most powerful. Frank Gifford and company helped usher in the TV age but the 1960s and 70s were cruel times for the Giants as they moved from Yankee Stadium to Giants Stadium.

Thirty years later, the Giants ferocious defense dismantled opponents on the way to a Super Bowl XXI victory over the Denver Broncos. What made this victory so important is that the city of New York, the most important market for the NFL was the top dog once again.

TAMPA, FL – NOVEMBER 08: Tampa Bay Buccaneers former logo Bucco Bruce flys over Raymond James Stadium during the game against the Green Bay Packers on November 8, 2009 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images)

The Bucs finally win a game

In 1976, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were one of two new entrants to the NFL. By 1977, they were the NFL’s laughing stock by a country mile. Fumbles, bumbles and just sheer ineptitude clouded the franchise only until late 1977 when the Bucs took on a team that was probably just as bad or even worse than them, the New Orleans Saints.

In a game that most thought would be close, the Bucs actually kicked the Saints butts and won in very convincing fashion 33-14. We may never see anything like this again, a team that’s just constantly bad week to week without any sight of improvement, OK, we do have the Browns to fall back on.

The Steelers make good on their first playoff appearance since 1947

Before 1970, the history of the Pittsburgh Steelers was Bobby Layne and a lot of losing seasons. After 1970 is a much happier story. With just a few years of game planning along with trial and error, the Steelers finally make the playoffs after 25 seasons away.

Their 1972 playoff appearance will go down as one of the greatest ever, in the franchise’s first game against the Oakland Raiders they pulled together one of the most amazing plays in history with the controversial “Immaculate Reception.” Their season ended with a loss to the Miami Dolphins in the AFC Title Game. Although it was just two games, those game brought the feel of importance back to the steel city and stays there to this very day.

CHICAGO, IL – CIRCA 1984: Quarterback Ron Jaworski #7 of the Philadelphia Eagles throws a pass against the Chicago Bears circa 1984 during an NFL football game at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois.. Jaworski played for the Eagles from 1977-86. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)

Eagles are winners again

Ever since the Eagles won that classic 1960 NFL Title Game on Christmas Day, the fortunes of the franchise for about 20 seasons was filled with laughs and snowballs (especially thrown at Santa) but in 1980, after a few seasons under coach Dick Vermeil the Eagles won a conference championship.

Doing it against the hated Dallas Cowboys was even better in the eyes of Eagles fans who had to sit by and watch Dallas run the NFC for the entire decade of the 70’s. The Eagles have yet to win an NFL title since 1960 but 1980 will always hold a special place in the hearts of Eagles fans, forever.

Atlanta’s march to the West

When the Atlanta Falcons won the NFC West title in 1980, nobody saw it coming. The next 18 seasons were much more obvious as the Falcons struggled to keep pace with the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers. It took the franchise almost 20 years to break through that glass ceiling and with the Atlanta “Dirty Bird” Falcons winning the west, it help start a trend of parity in the NFC West that existed into realignment starting in 2002.

In some ways, we can thank the Atlanta Falcons for that run in 1998 because it would’ve been just another season with the 49ers ruling the west.

Sep 3, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; General view of Arizona Cardinals tackle Jared Veldheer (not pictured) helmet during the fourth quarter of a preseason game against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Cardinals defeated the Broncos 22-20. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Cardinals stun Cowboys for first playoff win since 1947

In some ways, the Arizona Cardinals have always been at the cusp and it just kind of ended there. While they reached the postseason in the 1970s and 80s for a time, they always lost. Add in the fact they were always the team on the outside looking in playing in one of the toughest divisions in the NFL, the NFC East. Life was never easy for the Cardinals.

All of that changed in 1998 when the Arizona Cardinals traveled to Texas Stadium and stunned the Dallas Cowboys, those same Cowboys who were by most estimations the “Team of the 90s” Can you imagine Twitter being around for that game? The headlines, the jokes. My goodness, it would’ve been amazing.

Saints win first playoff game in team History

Ever since the Saints entered the league in 1967, there were few good moments. OK, there was one, and was Tom Dempsey kicking a 63-yard field goal to beat the Detroit Lions back in 1970. The Saints had gone to the playoffs a few times in the late 80’s and early 90’s but they always ended with losses.

In 2000, against the reigning Super Bowl champions St. Louis Rams, the Saints pulled off one of the more underrated playoff wins in all of league history as they beat the Rams. An entertaining fourth quarter saw both reach the end zone a combined total of five times. However, the final image from this game is Tom Benson dancing as his Saints finally won a playoff game, it made it even sweeter to be done in the Superdome. A place that had seen too many losses up to that point.

Have a drought that didn’t make the list? Leave it in the comments or head to Twitter or Facebook to let the world know your thoughts.

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