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Power Ranking The Decade: The Final Poll #32-21
by Chris Brophy
20/2/2010
As Tracey Porter ran back that interception and helped seal a victory for the Saints we saw the end of another decade of NFL football. How did your team perform over the course of the past ten years and 160 regular season games? The Diner countdown enables you to look at those details and just for fun, we’ve ranked how we feel each team has performed power ranking style over the course of the 00’s. Agree or disagree? You’d best read on first to see where you will stand on that question. Up first, the rubbish that can’t be recycled as we count down 32 to 21.
 32, Detroit Lions
Record: 42 – 118 (0.263);
Play-off Appearances: None
Division Titles: None
Super Bowl Appearances: None
The worst team of the decade and it’s not even close as they posted only one winning season (9-7 in 2000) in the decade. The infamous 0-16 season of 2008 is the ultimate low point to go along with the eight double-digit losing seasons. Congratulations Matt Millen, such a winner as a player, such a loser as a General Manager!
31, Buffalo Bills
Record: 66 – 94 (0.413)
Play-off Appearances: None
Division Titles: None
Super Bowl Appearances: None
The 90’s were good to the Bills in so many ways except for been denied at the final hurdle every time. That pain must have been hard to bear but the dull ache that is the past decade can’t have been any easier to handle as the franchise has gone through a consistent period of poor performance. The AFC East has featured the Patriots and their sustained success but at the end of the day, in the words of Bill Parcells you are what you are and the Bills have been bad. If you want more proof then how is this for a stat: they have had the same amount of winning seasons as the Lions (one) and with the same record in that lone winning season (9-7).
30, Houston Texans
Record: 51 – 79 (0.392)
Play-off Appearances: None
Division Titles: None
Super Bowl Appearances: None
The Texans at least have the excuse of not having completed the whole decade but they are hardly the benchmark for any future expansion franchises to aim for. Gary Kubiak is already the franchises’ leader in coaching victories although Andre Johnson is setting receiving marks that will prove tough for anyone to catch in the future.
29, Cleveland Browns
Record: 57 – 103 (0.356)
Play-off Appearances: One (0-1)
Division Titles: None
Super Bowl Appearances: None
They started the decade in-effect as an expansion franchise due to been reformed in 1999 but things got going quickly enough and by 2002 under Butch Davis they were in the play-offs again giving their old foes the Steelers all they could handle. They never built on that though and the Quarterback position has proven to be cursed over the past ten years it seems. High draft picks, career back-ups, grizzled veterans and undrafted youngsters alike have all failed to deliver consistency throwing the ball for the franchise.
 28, Cincinnati Bengals
Record: 65 91 – 1 (0.406)
Play-off Appearances: Two (0-2)
Division Titles: One (2009)
Super Bowl Appearances: None
They started the decade like the Bungals of the 1990’s but under Marv Lewis they have climbed back to respectability which peaked with a divisional title this past season. They have enjoyed some offensive playmakers in the likes of Carson Palmer and Chad *insert surname* through the air and Corey Dillon, Rudi Johnson and now Cedric Benson on the ground. Despite been a better decade than the 90’s in a lot of ways they can’t boast a play-off win which is never an achievement to be proud of.
27, Washington Redskins
Record: 70 – 90 (0.438)
Play-off Appearances: Two (1-2)
Division Titles: None
Super Bowl Appearances: None
All the dollars in the world hasn’t brought Dan Snyder success. From the veteran coach (Marty Schottenheimer) to the hot college guy (Steve Spurrier) to the legend (Joe Gibbs) to the left-field choice (Jim Zorn) nothing has really worked. He goes into the new decade with a new set-up. If this doesn’t work will Snyder finally fire himself?
 26, San Francisco 49ers
Record: 68 – 92 (0.425)
Play-off Appearances: Two (1-2)
Division Titles: One (2002)
Super Bowl Appearances: None
The team of the 80’s managed not to bad in the 90’s but the 00’s has been tough. Several questionable drafts meant the rebuilding job never really took off and the division has seen all the other teams except the 49ers make it to the big dance.
25, Kansas City Chiefs
Record: 70 – 90 (0.438)
Play-off Appearances: Two (0-2)
Division Titles: One (2003)
Super Bowl Appearances: None
Dick Vermeil appeared to pull off the trick of taking his high-octane offense from St Louis down the road to Kansas City but despite some ultra-productive years from that unit and the likely addition to the Hall of Fame in time of the left side of the offensive line (Willie Roaf & Will Shields) the Chiefs defense struggled to contain opponents and then everyone aged at the same time leaving a collapse and hard times to follow.
24, Jacksonville Jaguars
Record: 76 – 84 (0.475)
Play-off Appearances: Two (1-2)
Division Titles: None
Super Bowl Appearances: None
The Jaguars have never been a bad team over the decade but at the same time, they have had to swim in the Colts and Titans slipstream most of those ten seasons. Still, Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew have been fun to watch.
23, Atlanta Falcons
Record: 75 – 84 – 1 (0.469)
Play-off Appearances: Three (2-3)
Division Titles: One (2004)
Super Bowl Appearances: None
So many ups and downs for this team: rebuilding behind Michael Vick, the win at Lambeau Field, failure to take that further forward followed by Vick’s fall from grace and Bobby Petrino’s stab in the front to Arthur Blank. Things look more positive now with Mike Smith and Matt Ryan looking to bring better success to the new decade but the past ten years could have brought so much more if a couple of individuals had acted less rashly.
 22, Arizona Cardinals
Record: 62 – 98 (0.388)
Play-off Appearances: Two (4-2)
Division Titles: Two (2008, 2009)
Super Bowl Appearances: One (2008)
Who would have ever thought the Cardinals would have ever tasted any success? Well they have, led by a hungry young head Coach and an aging gunslinger they almost pulled off the impossible before been outlasted by the Steelers a year ago. Even this year they conjured up some of that play-off magic again to win a shootout against the Packers but despite these late decade heroics there is no escaping the past and before Ken Whistenhunt’s arrival six of the first seven seasons of the decade featured double-digit losing seasons.
21, Oakland Raiders
Record: 62 – 98 (0.388)
Play-off Appearances: Three (4-3)
Division Titles: Three (2000, 2001, 2002)
Super Bowl Appearances: One (2002)
Ever since that thrashing by the Buccaneers in Super Bowl XXXVII it all seems to have gone downhill for the Raiders. Mad Al hires and fires rashly and drafts players with even less consideration and unless things change drastically in Oakland the coming decade promises more of the same. Still, they have at least made a Super Bowl and got an MVP year from Rich Gannon.
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