The 1976 Buccaneers Would Like to See the Lions Win a Game

The now 0-14 Lions have many believing that a winless season is not only possible, but probable. This is 0for08, FanHouse's eye on the Detroit Lions and their quest for a winless season.

Every year, the 1972 Dolphins, owners of the only perfect season in NFL history, get together and celebrate when the final undefeated team in the NFL suffers its first defeat. The event is basically a bunch of retired football players drinking champagne, and Mercury Morris talking smack on the Patriots.

On the other end of the spectrum, we have the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the last team to finish an entire NFL season without a win, and they've taken some interest -- as we all have -- in the 2008 Detroit Lions who have already matched the '76 Bucs (and 1980 Saints) as the only teams to go 0-14.

Worst Teams in NFL History

Team: 2008 Detroit Lions | Record: Currently 0-14
The Lions are rapidly closing in on immortality and an 0-16 record. Dating back to last year, Detroit is 1-21 in its last 22 games. Click through to see how these Lions stack up to the worst teams in NFL history.

Christian Petersen, Getty Images

Team: 1980 New Orleans Saints | Record: 1-15
This team gained a cult following of fans known as "The Aints" - who came to every home game wearing paper bags over their heads. The Saints beat the Jets, 21-20, in their 15th game.

Manny Rubio, NFL Photos/Getty Images

Team: 1989 Dallas Cowboys | Record: 1-15
Things would improve for Troy Aikman eventually, but in '89, America's Team only won once - at Washington in Dallas' ninth game. The 'Boys were shut out three times.

Allen Dean Steele, Getty Images

Team: 1991 Indianapolis Colts | Record: 1-15
Like the 1980 Saints, only a one-point win over the Jets kept Indianapolis from a winless season. The Colts set a record for least touchdowns (14) in a 16-game season and scored seven points or less in 11 games.

Don Larson, NFL/Getty Images

Team: 1981 Baltimore Colts | Record: 2-14
Baltimore managed to beat 2-14 New England twice - in the season opener and season finale, by a combined three points. The Colts allowed an average of 33.3 points per game.

Al Messerschmidt, Getty Images

Team: 1996 New York Jets | Record: 1-15
The J-E-T-S were A-W-F-U-L in 1996, with their lone win coming at Arizona in Week 9. New York had three turnovers or more in eight of 16 games.

Andy Lyons, Getty Images

Team: 2000 San Diego Chargers | Record: 1-15
Highly-touted Ryan Leaf was the poster child for this miserable bunch of losers. The Chargers managed only a one-point win over Kansas City in Week 13, and Leaf finished the season with an abysmal 56.2 QB rating.

Stephen Dunn, Getty Images

Team: 2001 Carolina Panthers | Record: 1-15
Things started so well. The Panthers opened the year with an 11-point win at Minnesota - and then lost 15 straight, scoring in single figures five times.

Eliot Schechter, Getty Images

Team: 2007 Miami Dolphins | Record: 1-15
This bunch was close to 0-16 - real close. Miami started 0-13 before sneaking past Baltimore in overtime, but only after the Ravens kicked a game-tying field goal from the Miami 1-yard line late in the fourth.

Al Messerschmidt, Getty Images

Team: 1976 Tampa Bay Bucs | Record: 0-14
Was this the worst team in NFL history? The Bucs certainly have a great case. Under QB Steve Spurrier, they lost all 14 games by an average of 20 points and suffered through five shutouts.

NFL Photos/Getty Images

With two games to play this season, the Lions are hoping to avoid the first 0-16 season in NFL history, and members of that infamous Tampa Bay team are rooting for them to win a game. Any game. Just one. For the love of all that is holy, just win one game!

From John Niyo of the Detroit News:

Richard Wood, a former NFL linebacker, was on the phone explaining exactly why Monday. He played for the 1976 Tampa Bay Bucs, whose 0-14 season is the standard for futility by which all others are measured in pro football. And with the Lions sitting glumly at 0-14, trying to avoid becoming the first 0-16 team in history, there is empathy, yes. "I saw the highlights yesterday and I thought, 'Oh, my God. Again? I mean, just give 'em one win, can't you?' " said Wood, 55, now semi-retired and living in Tampa. "It's tough, it really is. I don't wish it on anybody."

A couple of weeks ago, I asked in one of our game chats if the '76 Buccaneers sat around and cheered when the final winless team claimed victory, and if they had anybody as insufferable as Mercury Morris. This, apparently, answers my question. No, no they do not. And, to be honest, it's impossible to find anybody else as insufferable as Mercury Morris.

I'm still a little stunned the Lions are this historically awful. I mean, yeah, they were a mediocre a team a year ago, but they still won seven games after starting 6-2. I guess that's the power of Matt Millen.

Still, regardless of what the Lions do over their final two games, there's two things they have going for them that the '76 Buccaneers didn't have.

1. The Lions, as bad as they may be, probably won't be starting next season 0-12 as the Buccaneers did following their winless campaign.

2. They could probably beat the 1972 Dolphins.

The Lions host New Orleans this Sunday, and as mentioned above, the 1980 Saints also started 0-14, before beating the New York Jets in their week 15 game.