NFL Standings for the Decade: Colts, Patriots Are the Best, Lions Are Clearly the Worst

A couple of weeks ago, the Colts execs mystifyingly tried to explain that 16-0 wasn't really that important a record, but they were quite proud of their 115 regular season wins in a decade--the most in the history of the NFL.

Setting the wins record for a decade isn't much of a case for swiping the team of the decade award away from the Patriots (who have three less regular season wins but two more Super Bowl titles with both in contention for this year's Super Bowl), but it is a pretty impressive feat. And it got me to thinking. While we all know that the Patriots and the Colts were the winningnest teams this decade, who was the best in the NFC? And how did everyone else fare this decade.

So here's a look at composite records for the 32 NFL teams (2000-2009). All teams are listed in their current division, even though the current divisional alignment didn't begin until the Texans joined the league in 2002.

AFC EAST	W	L	T	PCT	S.B. Wins	Super Bowl Appear.	Playoff Appear.
New England Patriots	112	48	0	.700	3	4	7
New York Jets	80	80	0	.500			5
Miami Dolphins	79	81	0	.494			3
Buffalo Bills	66	94	0	.413			0
AFC NORTH	W	L	T	PCT
Pittsburgh Steelers	103	56	1	.648	2	2	6
Baltimore Ravens	92	68	0	.575	1	1	6
Cincinnati Bengals	68	91	1	.428			2
Cleveland Browns	57	103	0	.356			1
AFC SOUTH	W	L	T	PCT
Indianapolis Colts	115	45	0	.719	1	1	9
Tennessee Titans	91	69	0	.569		1	5
Jacksonville Jaguars	76	84	0	.475			2
Houston Texans	49	79	0	.383			0
AFC WEST	W	L	T	PCT
Denver Broncos	93	67	0	.581			4
San Diego Chargers	85	75	0	.531			5
Kansas City Chiefs	70	90	0	.438			2
Oakland Raiders	62	98	0	.388		1	3
NFC EAST	W	L	T	PCT
Philadelphia Eagles	103	56	1	.648		1	8
New York Giants	88	72	0	.550	1	2	6
Dallas Cowboys	82	78	0	.513			4
Washington Redskins	70	90		.438			2
NFC NORTH	W	L	T	PCT
Green Bay Packers	95	65	0	.594			6
Minnesota Vikings	84	76	0	.525			4
Chicago Bears	81	79	0	.506		1	3
Detroit Lions	42	118	0	.263			0
NFC SOUTH	W	L	T	PCT
New Orleans Saints	83	77	0	.519			3
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	79	81	0	.494	1	1	3
Carolina Panthers	79	81	0	.494		1	5
Atlanta Falcons	75	84	1	.472			3
NFC WEST	W	L	T	PCT
Seattle Seahawks	82	78	0	.513		1	5
St. Louis Rams	71	89	0	.444	1	2	4
San Francisco 49ers	68	92	0	.425			2
Arizona Cardinals	62	98	0	.388		1	2

There are a lot of records in this list that probably aren't very surprising. It does sum up the job Ken Whisenhunt is doing in Arizona--his Cardinals have made back-to-back playoff appearances and they are still have the worst record in a weak division by a significant margin.

DIVISION RECORDS FOR THE DECADE
DIV	W	L	PCT
AFC SOUTH	331	277	.544
NFC EAST	343	296	.537
AFC EAST	337	303	.527
AFC NORTH	320	318	.502
NFC SOUTH	316	323	.495
AFC WEST	310	330	.484
NFC NORTH	302	338	.472
NFC WEST	283	357	.442

Seeing the standings portrayed this way demonstrates just how weak the NFC South and NFC West have been over the decade. No team in either division are more than six games over .500 over the past 10 years while three NFC North and three NFC East teams are all above .500. In their defense, three NFC West teams have made the Super Bowl while two NFC South teams have made it and the Buccaneers won it all in 2003. The NFC North and the AFC West are the divisions who made the least noise come playoff time with only one Super Bowl appearance apiece.

The best division of the past decade--it's hard to argue with the AFC South. In any other division, Tennessee would have been winning division titles on a frequent basis. Stuck in the same division with the Colts, they were usually battling for wild card spots. Jacksonville had plenty of highlights as well while the Texans have climbed to respectability in recent years. This chart also shows just how difficult their climb was, considering the talent in the rest of the division.

We can also look at the overall standings for the decade from No. 1 to No. 32. The Colts and Patriots can debate who the team of the decade is, but there is no argument about who was the worst team this decade. And if you've ever shook your fist at Matt Millen, you probably already know who it is:

	W	L	T	PCT	SB Wins	SB APP.	PLAY. APP
Indianapolis Colts	115	45	0	.719	1	1	9
New England Patriots	112	48	0	.700	3	4	7
Pittsburgh Steelers	103	56	1	.648	2	2	6
Philadelphia Eagles	103	56	1	.648		1	8
Green Bay Packers	95	65	0	.594			6
Denver Broncos	93	67	0	.581			4
Baltimore Ravens	92	68	0	.575	1	1	6
Tennessee Titans	91	69	0	.569		1	5
New York Giants	88	72	0	.550	1	2	6
San Diego Chargers	85	75	0	.531			5
Minnesota Vikings	84	76	0	.525			4
New Orleans Saints	83	77	0	.519			3
Dallas Cowboys	82	78	0	.513			4
Seattle Seahawks	82	78	0	.513		1	5
Chicago Bears	81	79	0	.506		1	3
New York Jets	80	80	0	.500			5
Miami Dolphins	79	81	0	.494			3
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	79	81	0	.494	1	1	3
Carolina Panthers	79	81	0	.494		1	5
Jacksonville Jaguars	76	84	0	.475			2
Atlanta Falcons	75	84	1	.472			3
St. Louis Rams	71	89	0	.444	1	2	4
Kansas City Chiefs	70	90	0	.438			2
Washington Redskins	70	90	0	.438			2
Cincinnati Bengals	68	91	1	.428			2
San Francisco 49ers	68	92	0	.425			2
Buffalo Bills	66	94	0	.413			0
Oakland Raiders	62	98	0	.388		1	3
Arizona Cardinals	62	98	0	.388		1	2
Houston Texans	49	79	0	.383			0
Cleveland Browns	57	103	0	.356			1
Detroit Lions	42	118	0	.263			0

The Detroit Lions not only have the worst winning percentage of the decade, they also are one of only three teams, including the expansion Houston Texans, to not make a playoff appearance this decade.

But it gets worse than that. The Bills have had a winning season this decade (a 9-7 finish in 2004) and two 8-8 seasons. Houston has also gone 8-8 twice and 9-7 this season. But since going 9-7 in 2000, Detroit has won seven games only once and has won five or less games on seven different occasions. As bad as Cleveland has been, Cleveland still has a playoff appearance and an unlucky 10-6 season that somehow failed to give it a playoff berth.