There have been some legitimately fluky teams throughout NFL history, but which were the flukiest? Chris Roling of Bleacher Report recently set out to answer that very question and his list of 10 had some interesting additions.
The 2008 Arizona Cardinals, who made the Super Bowl after posting a regular season record of 9-7, topped the list and were joined by the 2008 Miami Dolphins, who rode the wildcat to an unexpected 11-5 record, near the top.
The 2011 New York Giants, who defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI, also made the list.
8. 2011 New York Giants
It’s hard to get flukier than the 2011 New York Giants, who went on a miracle run to a Lombardi Trophy.
They finished the regular season with a 9-7 record and needed a Week 17 win just to get into the playoffs. They also got swept by a five-win Washington team and had only one win against a team that finished above .500.
While Eli Manning threw for 4,933 yards during the regular season, he also posted a paltry 29-to-16 touchdowns-to-interceptions ratio, and the running game behind him mustered only 3.5 yards per carry. Despite winning the NFC East, the Giants finished the season with a negative point differential.
The Giants were stuck in the mud for much of the 2011 regular season, but were spurred forward by an exciting victory over the New York Jets on Christmas Eve. What happened after that, as they say, is history.
Unfortunately, what has happened since then is, well… not wonderful.
The 2007 Giants, who likewise beat the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl that year, finished the regular season with a 10-6 record and a positive point differential.
Since the triumph over the Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI, the Giants have made only one playoff appearance and have posted losing records in six of the ensuing eight seasons.
The Giants were a talented team in 2011 and it just took some time to put it all together. Does that make them fluky? That’s certainly up for debate and it’s hard to knock Roling for adding them to his list.
