Who Are The Worst NFL Teams To Make The Playoffs? NFC South Has A Candidate Or 2 Today

Welcome to the Super Bowl of Parity. It's the last day of the NFL regular season, and even flat bad teams have a chance to make the playoffs.

It's what NFL commissioner Roger Goodell loves - virtually all 32 teams still in the hunt over the last month. Entering Sunday games, 19 teams carried in chances of reaching the playoffs - 11 in the NFC and eight in the AFC. Of those, eight are 9-7 or worse, six are .500 or below.

Everybody doesn't get a trophy. But many get to pretend they might until very late.

NFL Playoffs Are Parity Parties Where Average Is Rewarded

Sometimes, though, part of the fan base doesn't want its team to reach the playoffs, because it will save the coach's job. That's what's happening with the New Orleans Saints, where the fans have been basically pissed all year. If the Saints reach the playoffs at 9-8 today, surely they will keep struggling second-year coach Dennis Allen, who was 7-10 last year. If the Saints finish 8-9, at least the fans will have a better chance of getting a new coach. But it will likely not happen either way.

The NFC South with the Saints (8-8) Tampa Bay (8-8) and Atlanta (7-9) is literally crawling to the finish line. Remember the scene in "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" in which two racers exit their crashed and burned vehicles and run to the line? The NFC South is worse than that.

Unfortunately, one South team will reach the playoffs, and amazingly, maybe two.

New Orleans Saints Actually Have 2 Paths To NFL Playoffs

If the Saints (3-point favorites) beat Atlanta in New Orleans (1 p.m., CBS), and Carolina (2-14) wins at home against Tampa Bay (5.5-point favorites), the Saints will advance as 9-8 South champions. The Saints can also go as a wild-card team if it beats Atlanta, Tampa Bay beats Carolina, Chicago (7-9) wins at Green Bay (8-8) as a 3-point underdog, and Arizona (4-12) wins at home against Seattle (8-8) as a 2.5-point underdog.

If Tampa Bay beats Carolina, it will be in, period, as 9-8 South champions.

The Falcons could actually make the playoffs as an 8-9 NFC South champion if they beat New Orleans, and Carolina beats Tampa Bay. Atlanta, New Orleans and Tampa Bay would all be 8-9, and Atlanta would win by virtue of the tiebreaker. In that scenario, Atlanta would have the best record in head-to-head games against the other two tied teams at 3-1.

Atlanta would not be the first sub-.500 team to reach the postseason. There have been several. Before we find out the bottom of this season's NFL playoff barrel, let's take a look at the five worst teams in NFL history to reach the playoffs:

The 5 Worst NFL Teams To Reach The Playoffs

5. The 1981 Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Tampa finished a decent 9-7, but it beat no teams with winning records. And the Bucs lost five games by double figures, including four to teams that did not reach the playoffs. Then they lost 38-0 to Dallas in the wild-card round.

4. The 2010 Seattle Seahawks - Seattle became the first team in NFL history to qualify for the playoffs and win a division title with a losing record (7-9) since the schedule went to 16 games from 14 in 1978. Because Seattle won the NFC West, it got to host defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans, which finished 11-5 for second behind the 13-3 Falcons in the NFC South. And Seattle beat the Saints, 41-36 behind one of the greatest runs in NFL history. Running back Marshawn Lynch broke a tackle by nearly every Saints player and one twice for a 67-yard touchdown and 41-30 lead late in the fourth quarter. Seattle lost the next week at Chicago, 35-24, to finish 8-10. The only way Seattle could have finished above .500 that season was to win the Super Bowl to finish 11-9.

3. The 2022 Tampa Bay Buccaneers - It's funny that quarterback Tom Brady recently pointed out just how mediocre the NFL is becoming. He should know from his final season in the NFL when he led the Bucs to an 8-9 finish and NFC South title. The Saints, Panthers and Falcons each finished 7-10. Brady should've stayed retired after announcing that following the 2021 season. Dallas eliminated Tampa Bay in the wild-card round, 31-14, in Brady's last game.

2. The 2014 Carolina Panthers: On Dec. 6 that year, Carolina stood at 3-8-1 after six straight losses. Somehow it got in at 7-8-1 by winning the NFC South. Hey, maybe the NFC South should have play-in games. The Saints finished second at 7-9, followed by 6-10 Atlanta and 2-14 Tampa Bay. Somehow again, Carolina won a playoff game, 27-16, over 11-5 Arizona. But the Cardinals were down to third string quarterback Ryan Lindley after injuries to Carlson Palmer and Drew Stanton. Carolina lost the next week to Seattle, 31-17.

1. The 2020 Washington Football Team: The former Washington Redskins became just the third team in NFL history to win a division with a losing record at 7-9 after Seattle in 2010 and Carolina in 2014. Amazingly, Ron Rivera coached the 7-9 Panthers and these 7-9 no-names, not to be confused with the No Name Defense of the 17-0 Miami Dolphins of 1972. The nameless NFC East "champion" also became the first team in league history to start off 2-7 and reach the playoffs. Washington lost in the wild-card round to eventual Super Bowl LV champion Tampa Bay by 31-23. There may be playoff teams worse than this one, but at least they had names. If you go two whole season unable to come up with a name, you're the worst.

Should the Saints somehow qualify for the NFL Playoffs today, look for their addition to this ranking. Have a great Sunday, and enjoy your Parity Super Bowls.