Factoid

October 03, 2021

Bad News Bears

Chicago looking to bounce back from Cleveland nightmare

Whatever happens with the Bears today, they have nowhere to go but up. Hamstrung by 9 sacks, they finished with only 47 total yards of offense last week in their loss at Cleveland.

Only eight times in the Super Bowl era has a team finished with fewer total yards of offense. That includes only two teams in the last 40 years (the expansion Browns in their first game, and Cleveland again in 2004, in a blowout loss at Buffalo.

Two teams have finished with negative total yards in a game (in the Super Bowl era): the Seahawks, losing 24-0 in the Kingdome against a Rams team that went on to play in the Super Bowl. And the 1967 Denver Broncos, losing 51-0 at Oakland (against another team that went on to play in the Super Bowl).

Of the 11 teams that have finished with fewer than 50 yards, the expansion Houston Texans are the most unusual. They managed to win their game at Pittsburgh, and by 18 points. Despite that setback, the Steelers won the inaugural AFC North title that year.

As for the 2021 Bears, I wouldn’t be surprised if they bounced back and finished with above-average overall numbers today. The Lions have a lesser defense, and Chicago has consistently moved the ball against them in recent years – the Bears have gone 5-1 against them over the last three years.

Overall in the Super Bowl era, 98 teams have finished with fewer than 100 total yards of offense in games.

TEAMS FINISHING WITH FEWER THAN 100 YARDS
Year	Team	Opp	Result	Ply	Yds
1979	Seattle	LAR	L 0-24	35	-7
1967	Denver	at OAK	L 0-51	47	-5
1981	Chicago	DET	L 7-23	54	24
2004	Cleveland	at BUF	L 7-37	46	26
1966	Denver	at HOU	L 7-45	37	26
1976	Green Bay	at CIN	L 7-28	54	36
1999	Cleveland	PIT	L 0-43	28	40
1976	Atlanta	at SF	L 0-15	65	44
2021	Chicago	at CLE	L 6-26	42	47
2002	Houston	at PIT	W 24-6	40	47
1971	Buffalo	BAL	L 0-43	41	49
2000	Cleveland	at JAC	L 0-48	42	53
1989	Pittsburgh	CLE	L 0-51	45	53
1982	New England	NYJ	L 7-31	44	57
1967	Atlanta	at GB	L 0-23	50	58
1988	Detroit	MIN	L 0-23	33	60
1975	Atlanta	at MIN	L 0-38	44	60
1975	New Orleans	MIN	L 7-20	53	60
1971	Cleveland	DEN	L 0-27	46	60
1992	Seattle	at DAL	L 0-27	48	62
1973	Green Bay	at DET	L 0-34	46	63
1973	Green Bay	at LAR	L 7-24	41	63
1971	Buffalo	at MIN	L 0-19	45	64
1988	Seattle	at NE	L 7-13	41	65
1985	Tampa Bay	at GB	L 0-21	41	65
1971	Chicago	at DEN	L 3-6	59	66
2010	Kansas City	at SD	L 0-31	41	67
1973	Atlanta	at LAR	L 0-31	33	70
1969	San Diego	at DEN	L 0-13	56	70
2009	Cincinnati	at NYJ	L 0-37	40	72
1976	N.Y. Jets	CIN	L 3-42	64	72
1978	Atlanta	at LAR	L 0-10	47	73
1973	Buffalo	at MIA	L 6-27	59	76
2008	Oakland	ATL	L 0-24	34	77
1977	Tampa Bay	ATL	L 0-17	47	78
1966	Pittsburgh	at STL	L 3-6	54	78
1983	Philadelphia	NYG	L 0-23	40	79
1973	Chicago	at DET	L 7-40	49	79
1980	New Orleans	STL	L 7-40	31	80
1979	Kansas City	at TB	L 0-3	38	80
1970	Boston	at NYJ	L 3-17	43	80
1966	Philadelphia	DAL	W 24-23	49	80
1976	Atlanta	at LAR	L 0-59	49	81
1974	Houston	DAL	L 0-10	52	81
1992	Denver	at PHI	L 0-30	40	82
1973	New Orleans	at SF	L 0-40	49	82
1969	Boston	KAN	L 0-31	41	82
1973	Houston	at PIT	L 7-33	42	83
1971	Cincinnati	at HOU	L 6-10	60	83
1967	Boston	OAK	L 14-48	65	83
1981	Green Bay	at NYJ	L 3-28	57	84
1974	Pittsburgh	HOU	L 10-13	49	84
1972	New Orleans	SF	L 2-37	56	84
2009	Tampa Bay	NYG	L 0-24	36	86
1977	Baltimore	at NE	L 3-17	46	86
1969	Pittsburgh	at CHI	L 7-38	52	86
1992	Seattle	PHI	L 17-20(OT)	60	87
1971	Minnesota	GB	W 3-0	45	87
1982	Baltimore	at BUF	L 0-20	38	88
1980	Miami	at NE	L 0-34	60	88
1976	San Francisco	LAR	L 3-23	61	88
2018	Washington	PHI	L 0-24	44	89
1995	Seattle	at KAN	L 3-26	54	89
1991	Philadelphia	at WAS	L 0-23	42	89
1988	Detroit	at MIN	L 17-44	41	89
1976	Tampa Bay	at BAL	L 17-42	47	89
1972	Houston	OAK	L 0-34	51	89
1968	Buffalo	at HOU	L 6-35	64	89
1991	Dallas	PHI	L 0-24	50	90
1982	New Orleans	at ATL	L 0-35	60	91
1972	Chicago	at MIN	L 10-23	43	91
1992	Chicago	at DAL	L 14-27	40	92
1979	New England	at DEN	L 10-45	57	92
1978	Tampa Bay	at CHI	L 3-14	43	92
1977	New Orleans	at DET	L 19-23	45	92
1997	Oakland	at KAN	L 0-30	39	93
1975	San Diego	OAK	L 0-6	47	93
2000	Cincinnati	at BAL	L 0-37	44	94
1992	New England	IND	L 0-6	60	94
1982	Pittsburgh	at BUF	L 0-13	50	94
1966	Chicago	GB	L 0-17	55	94
2000	Dallas	at TEN	L 0-31	53	95
1992	Cincinnati	DET	L 13-19	51	95
1987	Cincinnati	CLE	L 0-34	38	95
1976	New Orleans	at SF	L 3-33	51	95
1967	Chicago	at PIT	L 13-41	35	95
2003	San Diego	at DEN	L 8-37	40	96
1995	Arizona	at CAR	L 7-27	44	96
1980	New Orleans	LAR	L 7-27	54	96
1969	Chicago	DET	L 3-20	58	96
1969	L.A. Rams	at DET	L 0-28	34	96
1977	San Francisco	at ATL	W 10-3	55	97
1967	Atlanta	at SF	L 7-38	48	97
2006	Oakland	PIT	W 20-13	49	98
2006	Tennessee	JAC	W 24-17	34	98
1973	Green Bay	CHI	L 17-31	52	98
1992	Indianapolis	at SD	L 0-26	48	99

Statistics compiled using search tools at Pro-Football-Reference.com

—Ian Allan

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