Streaks in the NFL

The undisputed king of professional football in terms of streaks for a winning season is the Dallas Cowboys. They have a streak for consecutive winning seasons that is beyond compare. The next closest active streak: the Denver Broncos with 7 and for that streak to stay alive in 2007, they will need to win their last 4 games.

20 consecutive seasons above .500. The next closest? The San Francisco 49ers with 16.

From 1966-1985, the Dallas Cowboys went 226-89-2.

Their least impressive season during that run was the 1984 campaign where they went 9-7, but during that run there were six 12-win seasons - two of which (1968, 1977) came in a regular season of 14 games. 5 times, they finished first in the NFL in points.

During that streak, they had two other significant streaks - consecutive years in the playoffs. They own the longest streak in football for making the playoffs - 9 years - and share the second longest - 8 years - with the Steelers, 49ers, and Rams. The closest active streak is 5 years which belongs to the Indianapolis Colts, and will in all likelihood extend to 6 years.

Equally impressive - defined as making or tending to make a marked impression, although not necessarily a positive impression - is the longest streak for seasons under .500. That dubious distinction belongs to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. From 1983 - 1996, the Bucs failed to win as many games as they lost. 14 consecutive years. The next closest is the 12 years between 1967-1978 the New Orleans Saints were known as the "ain'ts." A longer streak was prevented by a 10-6 season in 1979, a 9-7 performance in 1981 and a strike shortened 1982 when they went 5-4.

During that stretch, the Bucs went a dreadful 64-159 for a winning percent of .286. Included in there are three 2-win seasons, two of which were consecutive (1985, 1986). The turning point? Tony Dungy, who has since gone on to coach the Indianapolis Colts to their league leading playoff appearance streak, lead the Bucs to the last of their consecutive sub-.500 seasons in his first year.

Then, of course are two of the most interesting active streaks in the 2007 NFL - The New England Patriots have won their first 11 games of the year, the Miami Dolphins have lost their first 12. The Dolphins could become the only team to have a perfect season on both sides of the ledger in their team history. Meanwhile, if the Patriots can have a perfect season, they would supplant the 1972 Dolphins as the best team in league history.

Perhaps one of the most interesting "streaks" in NFL history happened at the start of the second half of Super Bowl XXXVIII. No sooner had we just recovered from a Janet Jackson "wardrobe malfunction," a naked man ran onto the field in Houston, crossed the NFL shield on the field and was forearmed by Patriots linebacker Matt Chatham.