NFL Teams That Went Winless are Dallas Cowboys (1960), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1976), Baltimore Colts (1982), Detroit Lions (2008) and Cleveland Browns (2017).
The five football teams with no wins since 1960 are typically the NFL teams mentioned most when this conversation arises.
The two of the famous NFL teams on this portion of the list, Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, failed to pick up a victory in their respective debut NFL seasons.
As mentioned above on the list, Baltimore Colts having no wins in the strike-shortened NFL season in 1982. Just two NFL teams, Detroit Lions (2008) and Cleveland Browns (2017) have ever finished a season with an 0-16 record.
The NFL season ended when the Green Bay Packers defeated the New York Giants in the NFL championship game.
NFL Teams With No Wins
| Teams | Record |
| Dallas Cowboys | (0-11-1) |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | (0-14) |
| Baltimore Colts | (0-8-1) |
| Detroit Lions | (0-16) |
| Cleveland Browns | (0-16) |
Cleveland Browns – 2017
The 2017 season was the NFL team Cleveland Browns’ 65th in the NFL and their second under head coach Hue Jackson and final season under general manager Sashi Brown.
The team failed to improve on their 1–15 record from the previous season, as they instead joined the 2008 Detroit Lions as the only teams in NFL history to finish a season 0–16 since the season was expanded to 16 games in 1978.
Moreover, the last due to the NFL expanding its regular season schedule to 17 games in 2021. They extended a losing streak that began in the final game of the previous season.
The NFL team Browns’ became the 12th NFL team to have gone winless playing eight games or more and the fourth since the merger in 1970.
In going 0–16, they became the first NFL franchise in history to have multiple seasons with 15 or more losses and the first to start consecutive seasons with at least 14 losses.
Not only that but Browns were mathematically eliminated from the AFC North title contention early in Week 11, extending an active NFL record drought of 28 consecutive seasons without a division title.
They finished with a losing record for the 10th consecutive year and last in the division for the 7th consecutive year. For the first time of history since 1999, the Browns are 0-8 in home games and also their road losing streak increased to 21 games.
Browns were losing streak within the AFC North increased to 17 games and their losing streak in road games against the Pittsburgh Steelers increased to 10 games.
Detroit Lions – 2008
The 2008 Detroit Lions season was the franchise 79th season in the NFL, and their 75th as the Lions.
They made history by becoming the first team since the schedule was expanded to 16 games to finish winless.
Not only that but it is one of only four winless seasons since the merger. 2008 was the third season under head coach Rod Marinelli, and the season began going undefeated in the pre-season.
They were hoping to improve upon their 7–9 record the year before, their best since the 2000 season. They instead suffered one of the worst seasons in NFL history.
Furthermore, the Lions finishing 0–16 and joining the expansion 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers as only the second team since the AFL–NFL merger to finish a full-length season winless and the first under the 16-game schedule in place from 1978 to 2020.
Roy Williams was dealt by the Lions 5 losses into the 2008 season and the former receiver was not surprised they ended up becoming the NFL first 0-16 team.
Baltimore Colts – 1982
The 1982 Baltimore Colts season was the 30th season for the team in the NFL.
The Colts finished the NFL 1982 season with a record of 0 wins, 8 losses and 1 tie. Moreover, they finished fifth in the AFC East division and they were the last winless club in the entire NFL until the 2008 Detroit Lions.
It was their first under former Arizona State coach Frank Kush who was hired to replace Mike McCormack after he recorded a 2-14 record in 1981. They finished the NFL’s strike-shortened 1982 season without a victory, finishing with eight losses and one tie in their nine respective matches.
Not only that but the Colts became the 3rd NFL team since the league expansion era began in 1960 after the 1960 Dallas Cowboys and the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the second team since the AFL-NFL merger to finish a regular season winless since then.
The 2008 Detroit Lions and the 2017 Cleveland Browns have posted winless seasons and the Colts are the only one of these five teams that did not do so in a full.
1982 Baltimore Colts NFL Draft
- Johnie Cooks (Linebacker) – Mississippi State
- Art Schlichter (Quarterback) – Ohio State
- Leo Wisniewski (tackle) – Penn State
- Jim Burroughs (Defensive back) – Michigan State
- Mike Pagel (Quarterback) – Arizona State
- Terry Crouch (Guard) – Oklahoma
- Pat Beach (Tight end) – Washington State
- Fletcher Jenkins (Defensive tackle) – Washington
- Tony Loia (Guard) – Arizona State
- Tony Berryhill (Center) – Clemson
- Tom Deery (Safety) – Widener
- Lamont Meacham (Defensive back) – Western Kentucky
- Johnnie Wright (Running back) – South Carolina
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 1976
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers was the first season in the NFL franchise league. They played their home games at Tampa Stadium and their head coach was John Mckay.
The Buccaneers gained negative fame as the first team to play an entire 14-game season without winning a match. Not only that but it remains one of the only four winless seasons since the merger happened.
The team did not score a point until their third game and did not score a touchdown until their fourth match. Furthermore, they lost the match by more than a touchdown eleven times.
Tampa Bay went on to lose an NFL record 26 consecutive games before their first win against the New Orleans Saints on 11 December 1977.
They were the last in the NFL league points scored, touchdowns, and rushing touchdowns. Moreover, this is the only season in which the Buccaneers were not members of the NFC.
| Player | College/ Pick |
| Lee Roy Selmon (DE) | Oklahoma, 1 |
| Jimmy DuBose (RB) | Florida, 30 |
| Dewey Selmon (LB) | Oklahoma, 60 |
| Steve Young (T) | Colorado, 61 |
| Steve Maughan (LB) | Utah State, 91 |
| Richard Appleby (WR) | Georgia, 121 |
| Everett Little (G) | Houston, 124 |
| Michael Kelson (DB) | West Texas State, 125 |
| Steve Wilson (T) | Georgia, 154 |
| Curtis Jordan (DB) | Texas Tech, 158 |
| Parnell Dickinson (QB) | Mississippi Valley State, 183 |
| Bruce Welch (G) | Texas A&M, 238 |
| Sid Smith (LB) | BYU, 267 |
Dallas Cowboys – 1960
The 1960 Dallas Cowboys season was the debut season for the franchise in the National Football League.
In that single NFL season, the Cowboys finished their first debut season with zero wins, 11 losses and one tie. Not only that but finishing the season last in the Western Conference and in the NFL for that season.
Due to game ties not counting as a win/ loss at the time, the Cowboys became the first post World War II team in NFL history to have a .000 winning percentage and being equaled since by the 1976 Buccaneers, 2008 Lions, and 2017 Browns.
Furthermore, their win/loss record was also worse than Dallas’ previous entry into the NFL, the Dallas Texans who finished 1–11 in their only season in 1952 and relocated after that season to Baltimore.