Winning 13 or more games in an NFL season

Denver Broncos logo

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

For the second straight year, a pair of NFL teams won 13 games in the regular season. This year, the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks each won 13 games. For the Broncos, it was their second straight 13-win season, making them the sixth NFL team since 1960 to have back-to-back seasons with 13 or more wins (more on that in a moment).

Seattle and Denver became the 69th and 70th teams to win 13 or more games in an NFL regular season since 1960. Of those 70 teams with 13-plus wins, one team won 16 games (New England, 2007), five won 15 games (San Francisco, 1984; Chicago, 1985; Minnesota, 1998; Pittsburgh, 2004; and Green Bay, 2011), 20 teams won 14 games, and 44 teams won 13 games.

Here’s a few more interesting stats about NFL teams that won 13 or more games in a season.

* The last year that no NFL team won 13 or more games in the regular season was in 2002. Prior to that, no team won 13 or more in 1993.

* Thirty-three of the 70 teams that won 13 or more regular season games went on to play in the Super Bowl that season (we’re not sure what will happen this year with the Seahawks and the Broncos). Eighteen of those teams won the Super Bowl. The last team to win 13 or more regular season games and win the Super Bowl that same year was New Orleans in 2009. Prior to that it was the 2004 New England Patriots.

* There have been six Super Bowls where the match-up was between two teams that had both won 13 or more games in the regular season: 2004-New England/Philadelphia; 1999-St. Louis/Tennessee; 1998-Denver/Atlanta; 1991-Washington/Buffalo; 1990-New York Giants/Buffalo; 1984-San Francisco/Miami.

* Of the 26 teams that have won 14 or more games in a regular season, 10 won the Super Bowl… six lost in the Super Bowl… three lost in the Conference Championship game… seven lost in the Divisional Playoff game.

* The most teams to win 13 or more regular season games in a season is four, accomplished twice: 2007 (New England, Indianapolis, Dallas and Green Bay) and 1999 (Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Tennessee and St. Louis).

* The San Francisco 49ers have had the most seasons with 13 or more wins since 1960 with nine. They are followed by Denver with six, Green Bay, Indianapolis and New England with five.

* Eight teams have never won 13 or more games in a season. They are: Arizona, Carolina, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Houston, New York Jets and Tampa Bay.

* Of the teams that won 13-plus games in a season, none increased their total to 14 or more the following season. Two franchises, New England in 2003 and 2004, and San Francisco in 1980 and 1990, had back-to-back 14-win seasons. Four teams had back-to-back 13-win seasons: Buffalo, 1990 and 1991; Denver 2012 and 2013; Green Bay, 1996 and 1997; and Tennessee, 1999 and 2000.

* The Patriots in 2010 won 14 games and then the following year dropped to 13 victories the following season.

Follow Jerry on Twitter @StatsonTapp

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