gollum
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Rumor has it there is a rather large sporting event happening this Thursday night...but it's hard to get anyone to spill the beans and let us in on what it is. 
Seriously, while this may not be the game of the century that Pats/Colts was a few weeks back, I think more die hard NFL fans will be interested in Dallas/GB...old school renewed, grizzled future Hall of Fame vet vs. young, up and coming phenom.
I try not to get caught up too much in the future, just enjoy the journey. I got to wondering just how special what we are witnessing really is. Obviously, Cowboy fans (and Packer fans) are stoked about being 10-1. How difficult is that accomplishment? Well, this is the best start we've ever had to start a season and this is our 48th year in the league. The Packers have been playing for 75 years and this is there 4th time to lose only one game or less after the first 11 games.
I'll break this into three categories...
Category A: 1933 - 1959
Category B: 1960(year Cowboys started) - 1965
Category C: 1966 - 2007(from the merger until now).
How many times have teams been 10-1 or better?
Category A: 12 teams out of a possible 284 or 4.2%
Category B: 5 teams out of a possible 131 or 3.8%
Category C: 42 teams out of a possible 1,166 or 3.6%
Overall: 59 teams out of 1,581 or 3.7% have lost one or fewer games ten games 11 games into the season.
As you can see, with more teams, it becomes more difficult to achieve supremacy.
How often seasonally did teams go at least 10-1? :
Category A: In only 8 of 27 years did at least one team accomplish this feat.
Category B: In 5 of 7 years, at least one team accomplished this feat.
Category C: In 25 of 42 years, at least one team accomplished this feat.
This averages to:
Category A: 0.44 teams per year
Category B: 0.71 teams per year
Category C: 1.00 teams per year
This seems to contradict that it is harder to achieve this record, but remember, the number of teams in the league increased, thus making it more likely to happen, if if the odds of each team doing so decreased due to competition.
Between 1933 - 1959, the NFL averaged between 8 and 13 teams who played at least 11 games. 12 years had 10 teams and 9 years had 12 teams in the league.
Here's how the league grew(combining NFL and AFL teams together):
1960 21 teams
1961 22 teams
1966 24 teams
1967 25 teams
1968 26 teams
1976 28 teams
1995 30 teams
1999 31 teams
2002 32 teams
In the following years, at least three teams had this record or better:
1967, 1969, 1984, 2004, and 2007
These teams have never started out 10-1 or better:
Titans(Oilers), Falcons, Saints, Bengals, Buccaneers, Seahawks, Panthers, Ravens, or Texans.
Quick start award: Jaguars went 13-1 to start the season in 1999 after joining the league in 1995.
Futility award: Lions best start since 1960 has been 5-1, achieved in 1970, 1981, and 1991.
Best late season matchups of teams with less than 2 losses:
1934 Chicago Bears(11-0) won @ Detroit Lions(10-1)
1941 Chicago Bears(10-1) beat Green Bay Packers(10-1)...playoffs
1942 Washington Commanders(10-1) beat Chicago Bears(11-0)...playoffs
1948 Chicago Cardinals(11-1) won @ Chicago Bears(10-1)
1967 LA Rams(10-1-2) beat Baltimore Colts(11-0-2)
1969 Minnesota Vikings(10-1) won @ LA Rams(11-0)
1990 SF 49ers(10-1) beat NY Giants(10-1)
2007 Dallas Cowboys(10-1) vs Green Bay(10-1)
Since 1960, the Colts have lost fewer than two games this late in the season five times(1964,1967,1968,2005,2006).
The Vikings & Broncos have done it four times;
The Bills, Rams, Raiders, 49ers & Dolphins three times each.
Since 1966(through last year), 20 of 39 teams have played in the Super Bowl, going 10-10 in the big game.
Since 1966, 21 teams in the NFC have had this good of a start...the same number as in the AFC.
Seriously, while this may not be the game of the century that Pats/Colts was a few weeks back, I think more die hard NFL fans will be interested in Dallas/GB...old school renewed, grizzled future Hall of Fame vet vs. young, up and coming phenom.
I try not to get caught up too much in the future, just enjoy the journey. I got to wondering just how special what we are witnessing really is. Obviously, Cowboy fans (and Packer fans) are stoked about being 10-1. How difficult is that accomplishment? Well, this is the best start we've ever had to start a season and this is our 48th year in the league. The Packers have been playing for 75 years and this is there 4th time to lose only one game or less after the first 11 games.
I'll break this into three categories...
Category A: 1933 - 1959
Category B: 1960(year Cowboys started) - 1965
Category C: 1966 - 2007(from the merger until now).
How many times have teams been 10-1 or better?
Category A: 12 teams out of a possible 284 or 4.2%
Category B: 5 teams out of a possible 131 or 3.8%
Category C: 42 teams out of a possible 1,166 or 3.6%
Overall: 59 teams out of 1,581 or 3.7% have lost one or fewer games ten games 11 games into the season.
As you can see, with more teams, it becomes more difficult to achieve supremacy.
How often seasonally did teams go at least 10-1? :
Category A: In only 8 of 27 years did at least one team accomplish this feat.
Category B: In 5 of 7 years, at least one team accomplished this feat.
Category C: In 25 of 42 years, at least one team accomplished this feat.
This averages to:
Category A: 0.44 teams per year
Category B: 0.71 teams per year
Category C: 1.00 teams per year
This seems to contradict that it is harder to achieve this record, but remember, the number of teams in the league increased, thus making it more likely to happen, if if the odds of each team doing so decreased due to competition.
Between 1933 - 1959, the NFL averaged between 8 and 13 teams who played at least 11 games. 12 years had 10 teams and 9 years had 12 teams in the league.
Here's how the league grew(combining NFL and AFL teams together):
1960 21 teams
1961 22 teams
1966 24 teams
1967 25 teams
1968 26 teams
1976 28 teams
1995 30 teams
1999 31 teams
2002 32 teams
In the following years, at least three teams had this record or better:
1967, 1969, 1984, 2004, and 2007
These teams have never started out 10-1 or better:
Titans(Oilers), Falcons, Saints, Bengals, Buccaneers, Seahawks, Panthers, Ravens, or Texans.
Quick start award: Jaguars went 13-1 to start the season in 1999 after joining the league in 1995.
Futility award: Lions best start since 1960 has been 5-1, achieved in 1970, 1981, and 1991.
Best late season matchups of teams with less than 2 losses:
1934 Chicago Bears(11-0) won @ Detroit Lions(10-1)
1941 Chicago Bears(10-1) beat Green Bay Packers(10-1)...playoffs
1942 Washington Commanders(10-1) beat Chicago Bears(11-0)...playoffs
1948 Chicago Cardinals(11-1) won @ Chicago Bears(10-1)
1967 LA Rams(10-1-2) beat Baltimore Colts(11-0-2)
1969 Minnesota Vikings(10-1) won @ LA Rams(11-0)
1990 SF 49ers(10-1) beat NY Giants(10-1)
2007 Dallas Cowboys(10-1) vs Green Bay(10-1)
Since 1960, the Colts have lost fewer than two games this late in the season five times(1964,1967,1968,2005,2006).
The Vikings & Broncos have done it four times;
The Bills, Rams, Raiders, 49ers & Dolphins three times each.
Since 1966(through last year), 20 of 39 teams have played in the Super Bowl, going 10-10 in the big game.
Since 1966, 21 teams in the NFC have had this good of a start...the same number as in the AFC.
