3 longest losing streaks in NFL history: Jaguars tied for second-longest after loss to Bengals
The Jacksonville Jaguars are on the brink of recording the longest losing run in NFL history – but Urban Meyer's team were oh-so close to breaking the streak.
Rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence delivered his best NFL performance yet, leading his team to a 14-0 half-time advantage. Were it not for a goalline stop by the Cincinnati Bengals defense, it would have been 21-0 at the interval.
But after a Joe Burrow-inspired second-half comeback, it was the Bengals celebrating victory at the Paul Brown Stadium, while the Jaguars headed back to the drawing board following a record-equalling loss.
The @Jaguars lead the Bengals 14-0 at halftime on TNF
The last time JAX shut out its opponent in the 1st half of a game was Week 3, 2019 vs the Titans (also on TNF, JAX won 20-7)
The last time JAX shut out its opponent in the 1st half on the road was Week 7, 2017 at the Colts
It was a galling result to take for Meyer, Lawrence and company, which sent Jacksonville to 0-4 for the year. The Jaguars' last win came in Week 1 of the 2020 season, a 27-20 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, but the campaign ended in a 1-15 record and coach Doug Marrone being fired. The franchise has now fallen to 19 straight losses and sits on the brink of an unwanted piece of history.
Where are the Jaguars in the NFL's longest-ever losing streaks?
The Jaguars are now equal with three teams for the second longest-ever losing streak in the history of the NFL: the 1942-1945 Chicago Cardinals, the 1961-62 Oakland Raiders and, more memorably, the 2007-2008 Detroit Lions.
Despite leads of 14-0 and 21-14, the #Jaguars fell to the Bengals tonight to put them past the Houston Oilers (1972-73) & into a tie with the Oakland Raiders (1961-62) + Lions (2007-09) for the 2nd longest losing streak by an AFL/NFL franchise (19. Longest: 26- Bucs from 1976-77)
The Lions lost the last game of the 2007 season against the Green Bay Packers before their ignominious 0-16 campaign in 2008. They kicked off 2009 with back-to-back defeats before rookie QB and number one overall pick Matthew Stafford recorded his first career victory against Washington, 19-14, at Ford Field.
Will the Jaguars set the longest losing streak in NFL history?
The Jaguars host the Tennessee Titans in an AFC South divisional clash in Week 5, and will start as underdogs to snap the streak and avoid a 20-match losing skid. A fifth-straight loss in 2021 would put them outright second on the losing-streak charts.
The only team in NFL history that has lost more consecutive games are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with a 26-game winless stretch. After entering the league as an expansion team in 1976, the Bucs went 0-14 in their inaugural campaign. They were 0-12 in 1977 before claiming their first win in franchise history, 33-14, against the New Orleans Saints.
After facing the Titans in Week 5, Jacksonville comes up against the Miami Dolphins in London, England, at Seattle Seahawks, Buffalo Bills, at Indianapolis Colts, San Francisco 49ers and Atlanta Falcons, then Los Angeles Rams on the road in what could theoretically be a history-making 27th loss.