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Which team has been the unluckiest in the NFL so far? Cowboys slot in just outside top 5 with surprise team at #2

The Dallas Cowboys have evidently been one of the most unlucky teams in the NFL. Despite that, they're 8-3 and in prime position to make the playoffs.

It is impossible to deny that luck does factor into winning and losing a football game pretty often. Mistakes on the opponent's part are lucky for a winning team. Coin flips, especially in overtime, are luck-based and often translate directly into wins.

The NFL set out to discover which teams had benefitted the most from these types of plays. They determined that a dropped interception, dropped pass, missed kicks and fumble recoveries (all by an opponent) are the luckiest things that can happen to a team.

As a result, certain teams have been more fortunate than others. Based on all the events of the season, this is how the league stacks up in terms of luck (from luckiest to unluckiest):

  1. Pittsburgh Steelers
  2. New York Giants
  3. Washington Commanders
  4. Philadelphia Eagles
  5. Atlanta Falcons
  6. Houston Texans
  7. Las Vegas Raiders
  8. Los Angeles Chargers
  9. New York Jets
  10. Miami Dolphins
  11. Arizona Cardinals
  12. Kansas City Chiefs
  13. Baltimore Ravens
  14. Minnesota Vikings
  15. Los Angeles Rams
  16. San Francisco 49ers
  17. Jacksonville Jaguars
  18. Seattle Seahawks
  19. Denver Broncos
  20. New Orleans Saints
  21. Detroit Lions
  22. Tennessee Titans
  23. Indianapolis Colts
  24. Chicago Bears
  25. Green Bay Packers
  26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  27. Cowboys
  28. New England Patriots
  29. Cleveland Browns
  30. Buffalo Bills
  31. Cincinnati Bengals
  32. Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers have been the unluckiest team
Carolina Panthers have been the unluckiest team

The Steelers have been the luckiest team in football and the Panthers have been the unluckiest, based on the formula here.


Surprisingly lucky or unlucky teams like the Dallas Cowboys

Surprisingly, two playoff contenders have been very unlucky. The Bengals have been the second unluckiest team in football, yet they're 7-4 and tied atop the AFC North.

The Bills are 8-3 and tied for the AFC East lead, but they've been the third unluckiest team in the NFL.

The Cowboys have marched to a 8-3 record, too, and they've been pretty unlucky. Despite their poor luck, the Cowboys are in prime position to make a deep playoff run and perhaps steal the division from the 10-1 Eagles.

It's important to note that this isn't an exact science. While there's no way to fully realize the impact of luck on a game, this is still a very good metric to determine it.

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