How has the NFL's final undefeated team finished each season? originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
For 51 straight years, the 1972 Miami Dolphins have stood alone in NFL history.
Don Shula’s squad remains the only team in the Super Bowl era to run the table in the regular season and win the Super Bowl. The Dolphins went 14-0 in the 1972 regular season before winning three playoff games, capping off a perfect season with a Super Bowl VII triumph over Washington.
Some teams have come close to joining the ‘72 Dolphins in football lore. The 2007 New England Patriots famously went 16-0 in the regular season before being upset by the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII. The 2015 Carolina Panthers nearly had a perfect regular season, going 14-0 before dropping their Week 16 contest. Just three seasons ago, the Pittsburgh Steelers got off to an 11-0 start before their season began falling apart in Week 13.
There are no more unbeatens left in the 2023 NFL season. The Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers went 5-0 to start the year after facing off in last season’s NFC Championship Game, but they both lost to backup quarterbacks on the road in Week 6.
While both have a loss, the Eagles and 49ers share the title as the last unbeaten teams in the NFL. Here’s how past teams with that distinction have finished the season:
How many last undefeated NFL teams won the Super Bowl?
Twelve of the 57 Super Bowl winners were the final undefeated team that respective season. However, a bulk of those teams came prior to the 21st century, with 11 winning championships before 2000.
The most recent team to be the last unbeaten and wind up winning a title was the 2006 Indianapolis Colts. Peyton Manning and Co. started off the year 9-0, finished the regular season at 12-4 and beat the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI.
Since 2006, seven final unbeatens have reached the Super Bowl but lost: 2007 Patriots, 2009 Colts, 2010 Steelers, 2015 Panthers, 2018 Los Angeles Rams, 2019 San Francisco 49ers and 2022 Eagles.
How many last undefeated NFL teams missed the playoffs?
Eleven teams missed the playoffs after being the league’s last unbeaten team. Three of those teams failed to qualify before the playoffs expanded to eight teams in 1970. The final two unbeaten teams from the 1970 season missed the playoffs, but it then took another 23 years for the last undefeated team to fall short of the postseason.
Only three final unbeatens have missed the playoffs since 2000: the 2002 San Diego Chargers, 2014 Eagles and 2016 Minnesota Vikings.
How did each last undefeated NFL team do that season?
Here is the full list with the final undefeated team in each season during the Super Bowl era (some seasons had multiple teams), the teams’ final records and their end results:
1966 St. Louis Cardinals: Started 5-0-1, finished 8-5-1, missed playoffs
1967 Baltimore Colts: Started 11-0-2, finished 11-1-2, missed playoffs
1968 Dallas Cowboys: Started 6-0, finished 12-2, lost in divisional round
1968 Los Angeles Rams: Started 6-0, finished 10-3-1, missed playoffs
1969 Los Angeles Rams: Started 11-0, finished 11-3, lost in divisional round
1970 Detroit Lions: Started 3-0, finished 10-4, lost in divisional round
1970 Los Angeles Rams: Started 3-0, finished 9-4-1, missed playoffs
1970 Denver Broncos: Started 3-0, finished 5-8-1, missed playoffs
1971 Washington: Started 5-0, finished 9-4-1, lost in divisional round
1972 Miami Dolphins: Started 14-0, finished 14-0, won Super Bowl
1973 Minnesota Vikings: Started 9-0, finished 12-2, lost Super Bowl
1974 St. Louis Cardinals: Started 7-0, finished 10-4, lost in divisional round
1975 Minnesota Vikings: Started 10-0, finished 12-2, lost in divisional round
1976 Minnesota Vikings: Started 6-0-1, finished 11-2-1, lost Super Bowl
1977 Dallas Cowboys: Started 8-0, finished 12-2, won Super Bowl
1978 Pittsburgh Steelers: Started 7-0, finished 14-2, won Super Bowl
1978 Los Angeles Rams: Started 7-0, finished 12-4, lost in NFC Championship Game
1979 Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Started 5-0, finished 10-6, lost in NFC Championship Game
1980 Buffalo Bills: Started 5-0, finished 11-5, lost in divisional round
1981 Philadelphia Eagles: Started 6-0, finished 10-6, lost in wild card round
1982 Washington: Started 4-0, finished 8-1, won Super Bowl
1983 Dallas Cowboys: Started 7-0, finished 12-4, lost in wild card round
1984 Miami Dolphins: Started 11-0, finished 14-2, lost Super Bowl
1985 Chicago Bears: Started 12-0, finished 15-1, won Super Bowl
1986 Denver Broncos: Started 6-0, finished 11-5, lost Super Bowl
1986 Chicago Bears: Started 6-0, finished 14-2, lost in divisional round
1987 Chicago Bears: Started 4-0, finished 11-4, lost in divisional round
1988 Cincinnati Bengals: Started 6-0, finished 12-4, lost Super Bowl
1989 Los Angeles Rams: Started 5-0, finished 11-5, lost in NFC Championship Game
1990 New York Giants: Started 10-0, finished 13-3, won Super Bowl
1990 San Francisco 49ers: Started 10-0, finished 14-2, lost in NFC Championship Game
1991 Washington: Started 11-0, finished 14-2, won Super Bowl
1992 Miami Dolphins: Started 6-0, finished 11-5, lost in AFC Championship Game
1993 New Orleans Saints: Started 5-0, finished 8-8, missed playoffs
1994 San Diego Chargers: Started 6-0, finished 11-5, lost Super Bowl
1995 Dallas Cowboys: Started 4-0, finished 12-4, won Super Bowl
1995 Miami Dolphins: Started 4-0, finished 9-7, lost in wild card round
1995 St. Louis Rams: Started 4-0, finished 7-9, missed playoffs
1996 Minnesota Vikings: Started 4-0, finished 9-7, lost in wild card round
1996 Indianapolis Colts: Started 4-0, finished 9-7, lost in wild card round
1996 Kansas City Chiefs: Started 4-0, finished 9-7, missed playoffs
1997 Denver Broncos: Started 6-0, finished 12-4, won Super Bowl
1998 Denver Broncos: Started 13-0, finished 14-2, won Super Bowl
1999 St. Louis Rams: Started 6-0, finished 13-3, won Super Bowl
2000 Minnesota Vikings: Started 7-0, finished 11-5, lost in NFC Championship Game
2001 St. Louis Rams: Started 6-0, finished 14-2, lost Super Bowl
2002 Oakland Raiders: Started 4-0, finished 11-5, lost Super Bowl
2002 San Diego Chargers: Started 4-0, finished 8-8, missed playoffs
2003 Kansas City Chiefs: Started 9-0, finished 13-3, lost in divisional round
2004 Philadelphia Eagles: Started 7-0, finished 13-3, lost Super Bowl
2005 Indianapolis Colts: Started 13-0, finished 14-2, lost in divisional round
2006 Indianapolis Colts: Started 9-0, finished 12-4, won Super Bowl
2007 New England Patriots: Started 16-0, finished 16-0, lost Super Bowl
2008 Tennessee Titans: Started 10-0, finished 13-3, lost in divisional round
2009 Indianapolis Colts: Started 14-0, finished 14-2, lost Super Bowl
2010 Pittsburgh Steelers: Started 3-0, finished 12-4, lost Super Bowl
2010 Chicago Bears: Started 3-0, finished 11-5, lost in NFC Championship Game
2010 Kansas City Chiefs: Started 3-0, finished 10-6, lost in wild card round
2011 Green Bay Packers: Started 13-0, finished 15-1, lost in divisional round
2012 Atlanta Falcons: Started 8-0, finished 13-3, lost in NFC Championship Game
2013 Kansas City Chiefs: Started 9-0, finished 11-5, lost in wild card round
2014 Philadelphia Eagles: Started 3-0, finished 10-6, missed playoffs
2014 Cincinnati Bengals: Started 3-0, finished 10-5-1, lost in wild card round
2014 Arizona Cardinals: Started 3-0, finished 11-5, lost in wild card round
2015 Carolina Panthers: Started 14-0, finished 15-1, lost Super Bowl
2016 Minnesota Vikings: Started 5-0, finished 8-8, missed playoffs
2017 Kansas City Chiefs: Started 5-0, finished 10-6, lost in wild card round
2018 Los Angeles Rams: Started 8-0, finished 13-3, lost Super Bowl
2019 San Francisco 49ers: Started 8-0, finished 13-3, lost Super Bowl
2019 New England Patriots: Started 8-0, finished 12-4, lost in wild card round
2020 Pittsburgh Steelers: Started 11-0, finished 12-4, lost in wild card round
2021 Arizona Cardinals: Started 7-0, finished 11-6, lost in wild card round
2022 Philadelphia Eagles: Started 8-0, finished 14-3, lost Super Bowl
