Road Rash: The 10 Worst Road Teams in the NFL Since 2009
My last slideshow focused on the best road teams in the NFL since the start of the 2009 season. That got me to thinking, which teams have been the worst on the road in that time span?
As I said before, winning games on the road is the toughest task to do in the National Football League. With all the travel and short weeks of practice late in the season, winning football games in the opposing team's stadium gets even more difficult.
There are 20 NFL teams that have losing records on the road since 2009, but the 10 teams I listed have stood out as being just plain awful. So without further ado, here are the most futile road teams in the NFL.
10. San Francisco 49ers
1 of 10Road Resume
2009: 2-6
2010: 1-7
2011: 3-0
Overall Road Record: 6-13 (.315 win percentage)
The 49ers struggled on the road under former head coach Mike Singletary, but with the hiring of Jim Harbaugh the culture has changed. The 49ers are 3-0 on the road this season, already matching their win total from the two previous seasons combined. By the end of the year, San Francisco will not be considered one of the worst road teams in the National Football League.
9. Buffalo Bills
2 of 10Road Resume
2009: 3-5
2010: 2-6
2011: 1-2
Overall Road Record: 6-13 (.315 win percentage)
The Buffalo Bills have played more games away from their home field than any other team in the NFL. Along with their eight road games, the Bills have played one home game in Toronto every season since 2008. Playing home games in Canada has been unsuccessful for the Bills with a 1-3 record since its inception. The Bills play teams tough, but have been on the losing side more times than not.
8. Denver Broncos
3 of 10Road Resume
2009: 4-4
2010: 1-7
2011: 1-2
Overall Road Record: 6-13 (.315 win percentage)
The Broncos not only have struggled on the road, but at home as well. The Broncos even had the embarrassing "Spy Gate Two" controversy in London just over a year ago that lead to Josh McDaniels being fired as head coach. With the Broncos in full-fledged rebuilding mode, more road losses are inevitably on the horizon for this once-proud franchise.
7. Detroit Lions
4 of 10Road Resume
2009: 0-8
2010: 2-6
2011: 4-0
Overall Road Record: 6-14 (.300 win percentage)
The Lions have been one of the worst teams in the NFL, let alone just on the road. At one point, Detroit had lost 26 consecutive road games, including the only winless regular season in NFL history in 2008. Times are finally changing in the Motor City after drafting Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson and Ndamukong Suh. The culture has changed and the Lions are 4-0 on the road in 2011.
6. Washington Redskins
5 of 10Road Resume
2009: 1-7
2010: 4-4
2011: 1-3
Overall Road Record: 6-14 (.300 win percentage)
The Redskins every year win the offseason with all their big free-agent signings, but most of their big contracts and acquisitions haven’t panned out. It seems as if the Skins have used more starting quarterbacks in the past two-and-a-half years than they have road wins. With the erratic play from John Beck and Rex Grossman, Washington is likely to have yet another losing record on the road and overall.
5. Cleveland Browns
6 of 10Road Resume
2009: 2-6
2010: 2-6
2011: 1-2
Overall Road Record: 5-14 (.263 win percentage)
Is there a sports city worse than Cleveland? The Browns have struggled to even be a competitive team since they returned to the NFL in 1999. Draft bust after draft bust has set the franchise back for several years. There are three guarantees in life: death, taxes and the Cleveland Browns going 5-11 every year with a 2-6 road record.
4. Jacksonville Jaguars
7 of 10Road Resume
2009: 2-6
2010: 3-5
2011: 0-4
Overall Road Record: 5-15 (.250 win percentage)
The Jaguars are losing and their fans (yes, they have fans) don’t even notice. Jacksonville is the worst market for football, so you would think the Jags would get excited to play on the road. Unfortunately, wins have been hard to come by. By the time the Jaguars are back to being a respectable team, they’ll probably be in Los Angeles.
3. Seattle Seahawks
8 of 10Road Resume
2009: 1-7
2010: 2-6
2011: 1-3
Overall Road Record: 4-16 (.200 win percentage)
The Seahawks have been one of the worst road teams in the league, but managed to win the lowly NFC West last year with a 7-9 record. Seattle did upset the New Orleans Saints in the Wild Card last year, but that was at home in arguably the loudest stadium in the NFL. When the Seahawks are away from CenturyLink Field, they are a completely different team.
2. St. Louis Rams
9 of 10Road Resume
2009: 1-7
2010: 2-6
2011: 0-3
Overall Road Record: 3-16 (.157 winning percentage)
When you see the Rams are visiting your favorite team, you can rest assure that the odds are in your team’s favor. The Rams have a franchise quarterback in Sam Bradford, but thus far in his second year road wins are far and few between.
1. Carolina Panthers
10 of 10Road Resume
2009: 3-5
2010: 0-8
2011: 0-3
Overall Road Record: 3-16 (.157 winning percentage)
Things are looking up for the Carolina Panthers as Cam Newton is having a stellar rookie season. The emergence of Newton can’t erase the fact that the Panthers have been almost every team's homecoming game the past two-and-a-half years. The Panthers haven’t won a road game since December 27, 2009. Carolina beat the New York Giants, 41-9, in a Week 16 matchup.
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