Will the Miami Dolphins or the St. Louis Rams Go 0-16 This Year?

Since the New England Patriots defeated the Indianapolis Colts during week nine they are now the only team seeking to break the 1972 Dolphins record for an undefeated season. We are also on the verge of another record. No team has gone 0-16 for the season. The closest was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who finished with a 0-14 season in 1976. Could the Rams or the Dolphins take that record from them?

The 1976 season for the Buccaneers was their first in the NFL. It was also a series of first. Their first pick, first overall, in the draft was Lee Roy Selmon, who would go into the Hall of Fame in 1995. They also made a trade to pick up former Heisman Trophy winner Steve Spurrier. The Bucs didn't score their first points of the season until week 3 with three field goals against the Buffalo Bills. They didn't score their first touchdown until week four against the Colts. The Buccaneers averaged 9 points a game and gave up an average of 29 points a game in that first season. Their offense was terrible, Spurrier threw for seven touchdowns and 12 interceptions. The leading rusher was Louis Carter who had 521 yards and one touchdown. The Buccaneers didn't get their first win until week 13 of 1977.

Since the NFL went to a 16 game schedule in 1978 we have had seven one win teams but no zero win teams. The closest team to finish without any wins was the New Orleans Saints of 1980; they didn't get their first win until week 15. Are we on the verge of a new record?

The Dolphins are 0-8, and being outscored by their opponents by an average of 31-21. They have given up more than 40 points twice, 41 to Cleveland and 49 to New England. One positive from the season so far is that their lowest point total in a game was ten against the Giants in London. That game was very sloppy due to the weather and the Dolphins lost 13-10. The biggest problem for the Dolphins right now is injuries. They have lost Ronnie Brown, Zach Thomas, Trent Green and Vonnie Holliday for a significant amount of time.

The first half of the season the Dolphins played four of the top seven offenses. In the second half they will face top seven offenses only twice, Pittsburg and New England. Taking the London game out of the equation the Dolphin offense has been much improved over the last four games. They averaged 26 points a game. The Dolphins will win at least one game in the second half. The reason why is that their offense is starting to gel. Cleo Lemon is improving every week at quarterback, and Jesse Chatman is starting to prove himself as the starting running back in the absence of Ronnie Brown. The Dolphin defense is starting to come around. They play some pretty dismal offenses in the second half of the season, four games against teams that are in the bottom 10 of the league in points scored (Bills twice, Jets, and the Ravens).

The Rams are in rougher shape than the Dolphins. They Rams are averaging 12 points a game. They have been held under ten points four times and held without a touchdown in three games. Injuries are also killing the Rams, they have lost six linemen. The losses on the line have hurt their run game significantly, they have been held to under to under 70 yards rushing in four of their eight losses. The passing game hasn't been much better. Quarterbacks Marc Bulger and Gus Frerotte have been sacked 25 times and thrown a combined 16 interceptions so far this year.

The Rams defense hasn't done too badly. They are giving up an average 335 yards and 27 points a game. The problem is that they haven't faced great offenses. They faced the Cowboys and the Browns, who are both in the top ten overall offenses in the NFL. In the second half of the season they are facing the Bengals, Packers and Steelers, who are in the top ten. They also face the improved Saints, who have won four games in a row, and a very good Seahawk defense, and a Cardinals team that is much better than their 3-5 record.

Between the Dolphins and Rams, the Dolphins should finish with a better record. The Rams have the better chance of finishing at 0-16. If they suffer any more injuries, the Rams are going to be in for a longer second half of the season then the 0-8 first half. One potential good thing for the Rams is that they should beat the Dolphins in a battle to see who can take the first pick in the draft.