The worst NFL teams from the 1990s

The Pats suffered through some rough days in the early 1990s before hiring Bill Parcells in the middle of the decade. They hit rock bottom with a 1-15 season in 1990, winning their only game in Week 2 and averaging a pitiful 11.3 points per game. Three different quarterbacks started at least four games, totaling 20 interceptions for the season.

Head coach Ron Meyer got the Colts franchise back on track in in the late 1980s before that stagnated in 1991, and he was fired after a 0-5 start. The team would finish the season 1-15. Second-year quarterback Jeff George started every game, and the team averaged a putrid 8.9 points per game.

The Jets had arguably their worst season in franchise history in 1996 before hiring Bill Parcells in 1997. Rich Kotite's team went 1-15, as quarterbacks Frank Reich, Neil O'Donnell, and Glenn Foley combined for 30 interceptions and the defense allowed 28.4 points per game.

Cleveland started and finished the decade in the cellar, going 2-14 in 1999 as an expansion team after the former rendition of the franchise moved to Baltimore in 1996. The hope that was rookie first overall draft choice Tim Couch was in over his head with limited talent around him, as the team scored only 13.6 points per game.

The 1990 Browns allowed the most points of the decade (462), 28.9 points per game. Cleveland finished the season 3-13, costing Bud Carson his job at midseason, a major regression season for Bernie Kosar and the Browns after going 9-6-1 the previous year.

The Colts won four games in 1993, and they were futile both offensively and defensively under Teddy Marchibroda. The season was Jeff George's final one with the Colts, going 2-9 as the starter, as the team averaged only 11.8 points per game.

After losing starting quarterback Dave Krieg in the offseason, Seattle's offense completely collapsed. They averaged only 8.8 points per game in a 2-14 season, with quarterbacks Stan Gelbaugh, Kelly Stouffer, and Dan McGwire combining to throw nine touchdowns. The lone bright spot was running back Chris Warren running for over 1,000 yards.

The 1998 season was the start of a nightmarish three-year run for the Bengals, going 3-13. The season would mark a one-year start for quarterback Neil O'Donnell, who went 2-9 as the starter. The defense was also the worst in football, allowing 28.3 points per game.

The 1998 season was defined by poor quarterback play as the Eagles went 3-13 and averaged 10.1 points per game. The trio of Bobby Hoying, Koy Detmer, and Rodney Peete each started at least four games, with 7/18 TD/INT. The terrible year would cost Ray Rhodes his job and venture in the start of Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb's tenure in 1999.

Cincinnati's struggles from 1998 continued into 1999 after selecting quarterback Akili Smith with the third overall pick in the draft. Still, it was Jeff Blake who started most of the 1999 season, as the team finished 4-12. The Bengals defense was even worse than their offense, allowing a league-worst 28.8 points per game.

Mike Ditka entered his third season with New Orleans hoping to make a splash, and that he did by trading the team's entire draft plus the team's first- and third-round picks the following year to select running back Ricky Williams fifth overall. The move turned out to be arguably the worst draft trade in NFL history, even as Williams eventually had a productive career. He contributed very little to the team's 3-13 season in 1999, while the team's four quarterbacks combined to throw 30 interceptions.

Head coach Sam Wyche had a long and successful run in Cincinnati, but it ended with a 3-13 season in 1991. Despite legendary defensive coordinator Dıck LeBeau's guidance as the defensive coordinator, the team allowed a league-worst 27.2 points per game while quarterback Boomer Esiason threw only 13 touchdowns in 14 games.

The Bucs had a remarkable 14 consecutive losing seasons from 1983-1996, and 1991 was one of their worst showings at 3-13. Vinny Testaverde started the majority of the year, going 3-9 with 15 picks in 13 games, as the offense sputtered to 12.4 points per game.

The Chargers reached the Super Bowl three years earlier, but the roster hit a rough patch in the late 1990s. New head coach Kevin Gilbride went 4-12 with the worst defense in the league (26.6 points allowed per game), while quarterback Stan Humphries would play his final season due to concussions. The team's struggles earned them the second overall pick in the 1998 draft, which they'd use on all-time bust quarterback Ryan Leaf.

The Pats went 1-15 in 1990, and were barely better two years later at 2-14. The offense was the second-worst in the NFL, averaging 12.8 points per game, with four different starting quarterbacks. The franchise would finally get on track following the season after hiring legendary head coach Bill Parcells.

The departure of quarterback Warren Moon doomed the Oilers, who went from 12-4 in 1993 to 2-14 the following year. Houston had the worst offense in the league, averaging only 14.1 points per game and head coach Jack Pardee was fired after a 1-9 start. Defensive coordinator Jeff Fisher was promoted to head coach, beginning his long tenure with the franchise that eventually moved to Tennessee three years later.

The 1997 season was the beginning of the end for head coach Dave Wannstedt, going 4-12 after hovering around .500 in his first four seasons. The Bears were near the bottom of the league on both sides of the ball, and the team's quarterbacks threw 22 picks led by Erik Kramer's 14 in 15 games.

The Rams 3-13 season in 1991 was their worst of the 1990s, and resulted in the firing of long-time head coach John Robinson. Los Angeles struggled on both sides of the ball, finishing in the bottom five in points, and starting quarterback Jim Everett threw 20 interceptions.

June Jones' team showed progress with a playoff appearance in 1995 but regressed in a big way the following year. The defense couldn't stop anyone, allowing a league-worst 28.8 points per game, while the team's quarterbacks led by Bobby Hebert threw 30 interceptions in a 3-13 season.

The 49ers were dominant in head coach Steve Mariucci's first two seasons, combining to win 25 regular-season games, but faced a rude awakening in 1999 due to Steve Young's concussion issues. Young went 2-1 as a starter, while backups Jeff Garcia and Steve Stenstrom combined to go 2-11. Despite talented offensive weapons that included Charlie Garner, Jerry Rice, and Terrell Owens, the offense failed to muster much without Young, and the defense was the second-worst in the league with 28.3 points allowed per game in a 4-12 season.