33 replies to this topic

[Broncos_Rule]

This, of course, is subjective, but in my memory, if you factor in the quality of teams playing AND the outcome, I would give the nod to the Patriots 7-2 win over the Bengals in Week 15 of 1993. Both teams were 1-11 going in. The Bengals got their two points late in the game on an intentional safety taken by New England.

[BD Sullivan]

Two additions to that list would be the last Monday night game of the 1975 season between the 3-9 Jets and the 1-11 Chargers. The Bolts won the game 24-16 as the network gods were heard crying out for flex scheduling.

Fast forward to 12/26/04 when the 3-11 Dolphins hosted the equally abysmal 3-11 Browns. In a dramatic finish (if you're a sadist), the Dolphins won 10-7 on a late FG.

Of course, back when both Green Bay and Tampa Bay were awful, Chris Berman used to refer to their games as the "Bay of Pigs."

[wcuffnyg]

I remember being at a 3-0 Jets-Redskins game in 1993. Both teams were terrible and it's the quietest game I ever saw at RFK stadium.

[LJP]

2007 week 17 Chiefs (4-11) at Jets (3-12) was originally scheduled for Sunday night but moved to an earlier slot. Jets win in OT, 13-10.

[Rupert Patrick]

2007 week 17 Chiefs (4-11) at Jets (3-12) was originally scheduled for Sunday night but moved to an earlier slot. Jets win in OT, 13-10.

It was a victim of the Flex Scheduling.

[bselig]

Let's not forget the season-ending "Stupor Bowl" with the Baltimore Colts (1-14) hosting the New England Patriots (2-13) on December 20, 1981. I first saw that label for the game in Sports Illustrated.

Colts won 23-21, so as an evenly matched contest it must not have been the worst game ever.

Because of the win, the Colts dropped from #1 to #2 in the 1982 NFL Draft order, and lost out on the race for DL Kenneth Sims. Fortunately, they still had their own #2 pick plus a #4 from some other team, and they happily picked LB Johnnie Cooks and QB Art Schlichter. (Marcus Allen stayed on the board till #10, Mike Munchak till #8. The Bears selected Jim McMahon immediately following the Schlicher pick.)

[Jagade]

The worst game from a defensive point of view was a 1966 Redskins-Giants game. Final score was Redskins 72, Giants 41. The Giants had one of the worst defensive teams ever and the Redskins did not have a very good defense.

Late in the game, Sonny Jurgeson was heard to say, "How many points do we have to score here?" Jurgeson was a little frustrated due to the fact that every time the Redskins would score to have what appeared to be a safe lead, the Giants seemed to come right back with a score of their own.

Sam Huff said that he sent in the Redskins field goal kicker at the end of the game to kick a rub it in field goal as revenge for the Giants trading him to the Redskins after the 1963 season.

To tell the truth, that was a game that I think would have been fun to watch. Like I said, a bad game defensively, but a blast otherwise. I wish I had a film of it.

[GreenRider668907]

Two additions to that list would be the last Monday night game of the 1975 season between the 3-9 Jets and the 1-11 Chargers. The Bolts won the game 24-16 as the network gods were heard crying out for flex scheduling.

What made that game even worse for ABC was Jets Head Coach Ken Shipp's suprise decision to sit Joe Namath for the entire game in favor of rookie back-up QB J.J. Jones. Namath was about the only guy on the field that night with any star quality, so I'm sure the ratings took a beating.

One of the worst games ever IMO: Dec. 1971 Chicago Bears @ Denver Broncos with Jim Turner outkicking Mac Percival 2 field goals to one for a lack luster 6-3 Denver win (and it wasn't even snowing). The Broncos finished the year 24th in the NFL in scoring with the Bears finishing 25th (out of 26 teams). Like the '70 Packers, Chicago suprisingly managed 6 wins without much offense in Head Coach Jim Dooley's final season.

[Citizen]

Of course, back when both Green Bay and Tampa Bay were awful, Chris Berman used to refer to their games as the "Bay of Pigs."

Oof, those teams played some godawful games. Actually, I think it was Pete Axthelm who came up with that phrase to describe them.

One game where I can remember literally laughing at the incompetence of the two teams was a 1983 Monday nighter between the Cardinals and the Giants. Neil O'Donoghue missed a couple (or more? I can't remember) of chip-shot field goals that would have won it for St. Louis, and they ended up playing to a tie.

[luckyshow]

< Final score was Redskins 72, Giants 41>

I recall listening to this game. I think Charlie Gogolak hit a lot of FGs and Giants missed a few, they may have had that horrid Timberlake as kicker Timbertoes, but my memory slips. It was a Giants home game so blacked out on TV

[Clark Heins]

Well, how about one from this year! Weekend number 12 saw the Steelers destroy the winless Dolphina by a 3-0 score. Not only was this the lowest scoring Monday Night game of all-time but it was the first time in 64 years that a game went so long without a single score (in 1943 the Lions and Giants battled to a scoreless tie). Jeff Reed kicked the winning FG with 17 seconds to go in regulation after Ben Roethisberger had engineered the longest drive of the game---46 yards. Roethisberger suffered five sacks and one INT. The Dolphins suffered 4 sacks, 2 fumbles, 2.1 yards per carry, 3.9 yards per pass and loss running back Ricky Williams for the rest of the season after making his first appearance in two years.
The game was played on new sod under dreadful conditions. The players were given only 9 minutes to warm up and all the markings on the field were washed away by halftime. One punt buried itself a foot deep in the mud as the field was a slippery skating rink.

[wcuffnyg]

1983 Packers-Bucs week 15, Monday Night Football. Pack 12 Bucs 9 in OT. The game had no appeal and was so bad that ABC spent the whole night showing shots of the Bucs cheerleaders on the sideline.

[Jagade]

Bob Timberlake made one field goal in 15 attempts during the 1965 season, according to Total Football II.

It didn't seem to hurt the Giants very much, because the Giants lost 7 games in 1965, and none of their losses were in close games. The scores of the Giants losses in 1965 were: 31 to 2, 40 to 14, 38 to 14, 23 to 7, 34 to 21, 35 to 14, and 38 to 20.

[Steviek]

What made that game even worse for ABC was Jets Head Coach Ken Shipp's suprise decision to sit Joe Namath for the entire game in favor of rookie back-up QB J.J. Jones. Namath was about the only guy on the field that night with any star quality, so I'm sure the ratings took a beating.

I believe Namath was benched by Shipp because his missed curfew at some point during the week before the game. My question is, was that really an unusual thing for a "superstar" like Namath back in the day?

[Broncos_Rule]

I believe Namath was benched by Shipp because his missed curfew at some point during the week before the game. My question is, was that really an unusual thing for a "superstar" like Namath back in the day?

In the America's Game series on the '77 Cowboys Drew Pearson said that he and a lot of his teammates frequented the Dallas night life back in those days and sometimes were involved in things that today would get them in serious trouble with the league. This coming from a guy who played for Tom Landry.

[conace21]

1987 Strike game. Buffalo 6, NYG 3. The game featured nine turnovers, a bunch of missed field goals, and general ineptitude. This was despite the fact that several regulars had crossed the picket line including:
Bills RB Carl Byrum ran for a career high 122 yards.
TE Keith McKeller, who was an underrated part of the K Gun offense in the early 1990's, caught a career high 9 passes for 80 yards.
Longtime backup Jeff Rutledge was playing QB for NY.
LT crossed the line, and even played some TE on offense. LT generally wrecked havouc on defense and made it impossible for the Bills to get anything going on offense.

Marv Levy anecdote about that game: Former Bills center Will Grant had been coaxed out of retirement during the strike, and had his hands full with LT rushing up the middle. At halftime, Levy confronted him about several holding penalties. Grant replied "Coach, that's not too bad, because I've been holding him on every play!"

[Clark Heins]

I believe Namath was benched by Shipp because his missed curfew at some point during the week before the game. My question is, was that really an unusual thing for a "superstar" like Namath back in the day?

If I recall correctly, Namath claimed that he was back in the hotel in time for curfew and was very upset with his benching. He did play much of the game however---a 24-16 loss to the Chargers who only won one other game that year. There is a bit of a mystery involved with this game. The Jets scored the final TD, but did not attempt an extra point. What happened? Did the team simply walk off the field? Has there ever been an incident whereby a team refused to kick an extra point?

This was not the first time that Namath missed curfew. As a Junior at Alabama, Bear Bryant benched Namath for two games---including the Sugar Bowl---for missing curfew. But, then again, what would you expect of someone whose favorite line was, "I like my Johnnie Walker Red and my women blonde."

[Citizen]

Has there ever been an incident whereby a team refused to kick an extra point?

I couldn't cite a specific example, but I seem to remember a few games where the home team scored the winning TD on the last play, fans got on the field, and they just bagged the PAT and headed to the locker room.

[BD Sullivan]

According to the NYT, the Jets scored on the final play of the game and with fans quickly taking over the field, the officials and teams essentially said the hell with any PAT. Ironically, this game was the Chargers' best-attended game of 1975--52,446.

Regarding Namath, he entered the game early in the second quarter and the Jets trailing 7-3. He ended up 15-29 for 181 yards and two interceptions. He was also sacked once, which came soon after he entered the game. His backup J.J. Jones was removed for the game fairly quickly due to these numbers: 1-5 for 13 yards and one interception.

Namath's excuse was that he was in the hotel bar. Shipp's main reasons for the punishment were that Carl Garrett had been fined and benched after blowing off a practice, coupled with the fact that Sunday night was the third night for the team in SD, with the first two nights having no curfew. Those non-curfew nights came after the request of a player--Joe Namath.

[GreenRider668907]

Thank you Mr. Sullivan and Mr. Heins for the refresher. I was 13 when this game originally aired and my recollection of Namath not playing was incorrect. Thanks also for the info. on the game's conclusion which I probably missed due to my parents own late night tv curfew. I do remember being very dissapointed when my #1 sports hero Namath did not start the game. Though the '75 season had been a miserable one for New York I still had my teeth set on seeing them clean up on the woeful Chargers, but of course the Jets blew that one too. Apparently they let Al Woodall go a year too early. I saw Namath on a Dean Martin celebrity roast (go figure) the following year and he commented on how bad the Jets '75 season was. For Joe and the Jets I think 1976 was even worse. A banner hung from the stands at Shea Stadium during a '76 mid season game against Tampa Bay which read, "Welcome to the NFL Game of the Weak." The Jets won 34-0 which tells you just how bad the Buccaneers were!