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With a two-game losing streak, losing their star quarterback for four to six weeks, and a post-season appearance very much in question, the Green Bay Packers badly need a win this weekend against the New York Giants. A road win would not only put them back in the playoff picture, but it would also help them avoid something that hasn’t happened to the team since 2008… a three-game losing streak.

Prior to the start of the 2013 season, the Packers were one of three NFL teams that had not had a three-game losing streak in a season since 2008 and beyond. One of the teams, the Atlanta Falcons, who had not had a three-game losing season since 2007, quickly saw their streak end when they lost three straight after splitting the first two games to start the 2013 season. (They have since had another three-game losing streak this season.) The other team, the New England Patriots, keeps sailing along; they have a 7-2 record and still have not had a three-game losing streak since 2002. (More on that in a minute.)

The Packers in 2008 had both a three-game and five-game losing streak that season. Since then, the longest losing streak has been two games. The last time they had a two-game losing streak was in 2010. They lost consecutive games in mid-December before defeating the New York Giants 45-17 to avert the third straight loss. Can they perform the same magic this year with the Giants next on the schedule?

Let’s get to the Patriots. After a loss to Arizona in Week 2 and a defeat at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens in Week 3 last season, the Patriots went into their game September 30 at Buffalo hoping to avoid a 1-3 start. But there was another reason the Pats needed a win over their division rivals: They were looking to avoid a three-game losing streak, something that had not happened to the franchise since 2002.

Fortunately for the Pats, they came out of Buffalo with a 52-28 win and avoided a three-game losing streak for yet another year.

The last time New England lost three consecutive games in a season was 2002 when they lost four straight games to San Diego, Miami, Green Bay and Denver. They then defeated Buffalo on November 3, 2002 to end the streak. Since then, they have lost two straight on five occasions, but have not lost a third straight since October, 2002.

Following is a look at the last season each of the 32 NFL teams lost three consecutive games.

2002: New England
2008: Green Bay
2010: Dallas, San Francisco
2011: Denver, Indianapolis, Seattle
2012: Arizona, Carolina, Chicago, Cincinnati, Detroit, Kansas City, New Orleans, New York Jets, Oakland, San Diego
2013: Atlanta, Baltimore, Buffalo, Cleveland, Houston, Jacksonville, Miami, Minnesota, New York Giants, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Tampa Bay, Tennessee, Washington

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