ESPN: Jaguars Are Least Competitive Team Since 1970
Something is rotten in the state of Florida, and it's not just Richie Incognito. Tampa Bay and Jacksonville are winless, but the Buccaneers have blown four fourth-quarter leads compared to the Jaguars holding four leads the entire season -- none coming after the 12-minute mark of the second quarter.
At Insider we look at the DVOA for all 0-8 teams since 1989, verifying the notion that the Buccaneers are the best 0-8 team and the Jaguars are the worst.
The lack of competitiveness from the Jaguars is astonishing as even the worst teams like the 1976 Buccaneers (expansion year) were still usually good enough to keep the game close late. They may continuously fail to make plays to win games, but at least they still put up a fight.
There have been 34 teams to start 0-8 since the merger. I've included a table that shows how many fourth-quarter comeback and game-winning drive opportunities each had while starting 0-8 (games 9-16 not considered). It also lists how many fourth-quarter leads they held.
0-8 Teams: 4QC/GWD Opportunities (Games 1-8) | |||||||||
Team | Year | 4QC Rec. | GWD Rec. | 4Q Leads | Team | Year | 4QC Rec. | GWD Rec. | 4Q Leads |
BUF | 1971 | N/A | N/A | 0 | CIN | 1991 | 0-4 | 0-4 | 2 |
SD | 1975 | N/A | N/A | 1 | NE | 1992 | 0-5 | 0-5 | 2 |
CLE | 1975 | N/A | N/A | 1 | CIN | 1993 | 0-5 | 0-6 | 3 |
TB | 1976 | 0-5 | 0-5 | 1 | CIN | 1994 | 0-4 | 0-4 | 0 |
NYG | 1976 | N/A | N/A | 1 | NYJ | 1996 | 0-5 | 0-5 | 1 |
TB | 1977 | 0-2 | 0-2 | 0 | ATL | 1996 | 0-4 | 0-4 | 2 |
CIN | 1978 | N/A | N/A | 2 | IND | 1997 | 0-5 | 0-5 | 1 |
SLC | 1978 | N/A | N/A | 1 | SD | 2000 | 0-5 | 0-6 | 4 |
NO | 1980 | N/A | N/A | 1 | DET | 2001 | 0-5 | 0-5 | 1 |
HOU | 1983 | 0-4 | 0-4 | 1 | MIA | 2007 | 0-1 | 0-2 | 1 |
TB | 1983 | 0-5 | 0-6 | 2 | STL | 2007 | 0-4 | 0-4 | 1 |
BUF | 1984 | 0-5 | 0-5 | 1 | DET | 2008 | 0-5 | 0-5 | 3 |
HOU | 1984 | 0-3 | 0-3 | 0 | CIN | 2008 | 0-6 | 0-6 | 2 |
TB | 1985 | 0-5 | 0-5 | 1 | BUF | 2010 | 0-5 | 0-5 | 1 |
IND | 1986 | 0-2 | 0-2 | 0 | IND | 2011 | 0-5 | 0-5 | 2 |
DAL | 1989 | 0-2 | 0-2 | 1 | JAC | 2013 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 |
IND | 1991 | 0-3 | 0-3 | 0 | TB | 2013 | 0-3 | 0-4 | 4 |
Tampa Bay's blown four leads (ties 2000 Chargers) while the Jaguars are the only team yet to even have an opportunity. Every other team, even the old ones without clear-cut data, had at least two opportunities. The other teams not to hold a fourth-quarter lead at least had a second-half lead, or in the case of the 1986 Colts, a second-half tie.
The 2013 Jaguars are the only team since the merger to not have a tie or lead after halftime through eight games.
It wouldn't surprise me if both teams got their first win this weekend, but through half a season, how they've played to produce that 0-8 record has been historical.
1 Re: ESPN: Jaguars Are Least Competitive Team Since 1970
It seems like 2000 San Diego edges out 2013 Tampa as the flukiest 0-8 start. The Jags seem to have been the least flukey, though.
2 Re: ESPN: Jaguars Are Least Competitive Team Since 1970
Ryan Leaf was involved, so 2000 SD's record makes more sense.
Seriously, that team was 1-8 in one-score games. 6 losses by 3 or less. If clutchness truly exists, they possessed its exact opposite.
3 Re: ESPN: Jaguars Are Least Competitive Team Since 1970
I recall the 2000 Chargers taking me a long time to put in the database with all their close losses. For the season they finished 1-15 overall and 1-9 at GWD opportunities. Amazingly, they blew 7 fourth-quarter leads and registered 3 lost comebacks.
Yes, Ryan Leaf involved, but Jim Harbaugh was the QB for 4 of those GWD losses.
4 Re: ESPN: Jaguars Are Least Competitive Team Since 1970
I'm a bit shocked to see that the 2008 Lions aren't on the list, but it is true that their big failure was defense, not offense.
It would be interesting to see the converse-- which teams blew the most 4Q leads over the same span. I bet the Lions show up at least once on that list.
5 Re: ESPN: Jaguars Are Least Competitive Team Since 1970
They're on the right. Every 0-8 team since the merger's there. I just decided to split table in half and stretch it instead of a longer vertical one. 2008 Lions were 0-5 at 4QC and blew three 4Q leads on their way to 0-8.
6 Re: ESPN: Jaguars Are Least Competitive Team Since 1970
Thanks, I missed that. The tables get a little crowded when they're packed that way, and my eyes are a bit old.
7 Re: ESPN: Jaguars Are Least Competitive Team Since 1970
"It wouldn't surprise me if both teams got their first win this weekend"
Wait. What?
It wouldn't surprise you, if both win?
Even Jax fans aren't that optimistic.
8 Re: ESPN: Jaguars Are Least Competitive Team Since 1970
Well there's one in the books. The tougher one too. I really do like Tampa Bay enough to outright pick them.
9 Re: ESPN: Jaguars Are Least Competitive Team Since 1970
Would you happen to have the data offhand to say which games the jaguars held leads in/for how long?
10 Re: ESPN: Jaguars Are Least Competitive Team Since 1970
They led for a total of 22 minutes and 26 seconds heading into today where they led for almost the entire game.
Comments
10 comments, Last at 10 Nov 2013, 5:22pm