The NFL season is set to kickoff this Thursday night and with it, 32 teams are hopeful that this is going to be the year they turn it around. While many may scoff that teams such as the Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions and St Louis Rams could turn their mediocrity into a winning season, history shows that it can be done. Below are the top 5 teams that have done what those teams are looking to do, go from worst to first.
1. 1999 St. Louis Rams (13-3, Won SuperBowl)
The 1998 St. Louis Rams finished a dismal 4-12 and fifth in the NFC West, so expectations were low entering the 1999 season even though they had went out and traded for the talented Marshal Faulk from Indianapolis. But even the Rams low expectations took a huge hit during preseason when starting quarterback Trent Green went down to injury, leaving St. Louis with a little known former Arena League quarterback and grocery store stocker named Kurt Warner.
What happened next is pure football gold as the Rams would go on to go to put up one of the greatest team offensive performances in NFL history en route to a 13-3 regular season record. They would breeze through the playoffs and beat the Tennessee Titans 23-16 in a memorable game that came down to the final play, thus cementing their great turnaround.
2. 2001 New England Patriots
The 2001 New England Patriots came into the season looking to turn things around after a disappointing 5-11 record under first year coach Bill Belichick. They finished last in the AFC East and after an 0-2 start that saw starter Drew Bledsoe lost for the season and a little heralded backup replacing him, things looked grim for the Pats.
But the backup was named Tom Brady and the Pats went a stunning 11-3 to finish the season. They then went on to narrowly beat the Oakland Raiders in the infamous 'Tuck rule game' and won in dramatic fashion over the St. Louis Rams, 20-17, in the SuperBowl, on Adam Vinatieri's 48-yard field goal kick as time expired. .
3. 1988 Cincinnati Bengals
Coming on the heals of a strike shortened 4-11 season that saw the Bengals star quarterback, Boomer Esiason, openly feud with head coach Sam Wyche, not much was expected from the 1988 Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals, however, weren't going to lie down and admit defeat two seasons in a row and ended up placing a 12-4 record behind a renewed dedication to winning from both their starting quarterback and head coach that was forged in the offseason.
The Bengals would go to represent the AFC in SuperBowl XXIII, where they would lose a tight 20-16 game to the San Francisco 49ers.
4. 1979 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
An expansion team that entered the league in 1976, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were perennial losers who dropped the first 26 games they played in the NFL, a streak that included the only 0-14 season in NFL history in 1976. This losing mentality is why when the Bucs opened the 1979 season 5-0, there was a Super buzz going throughout Florida. The Bucs would finish 10-6 and advance to the NFC Championship, where they would lose to the Los Angeles Rams 9-0.
5. 1981 Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals ended the 1980 season at 6-10 and looked to rebound from that disappointing season with a solid outing in '81. To get rid of the stench of losing seasons past, Cincinnati unveiled new uniforms for this season, going with tiger-striped helmets, jerseys and pants. The change worked as the Bengals exploded to a 12-4 season that saw them first in the AFC. They would go on to face the San Francisco 49ers in the SuperBowl where they wound up going down 20-0 before clawing their way back into the game. Tough they ended up losing 26-21, the Bengals showed a lot of guts and heart in the defeat.
Top 5 Tuesday: NFL Worst to First Teams
These five teams show that when it's a new season, the past doesn't matter.
