Good to see the Buffalo Bills capturing the AFC East title for the first time since 1995. Always nice to see somebody new having some success – both for the team and the long-suffering fans.
Going a quarter century between division titles, that’s a long wait.
I played around with the numbers some on this. Only 16 teams have gone 20-plus years between division titles.
That includes two teams that have been waiting longer than the Bills. The Browns won their last division title in 1989. That’s 31 years (and 28 seasons, since the franchise went on hiatus for three years in the late ‘90s). And the Lions last won a division title in 1993.
The Cardinals are the kings of this category, with three different long runs of futility, including the longest in league history. The St. Louis Cardinals won an NFC East title in 1975, then became the Phoenix Cardinals and Arizona Cardinals before finally winning another division crown in 2008.
YEARS BETWEEN DIVISION TITLES | |||
---|---|---|---|
Team | Start | End | Years |
St.L./Ariz. Cardinals | 1975 | 2008 | 33 |
• Cleveland Browns | 1989 | -- | 31 |
New York Jets | 1969 | 1998 | 29 |
• Detroit Lions | 1993 | -- | 27 |
Washington | 1945 | 1972 | 27 |
Detroit Lions | 1957 | 1983 | 26 |
Chi./St.L. Cardinals | 1948 | 1974 | 26 |
Buffalo Bills | 1995 | 2020 | 25 |
Pittsburgh Steelers | 1947 | 1972 | 25 |
Houston Oilers | 1967 | 1991 | 24 |
New Orleans Saints | -- | 1991 | 24 |
New York Giants | 1963 | 1986 | 23 |
Kansas City Chiefs | 1971 | 1993 | 22 |
Chicago Cardinals | 1925 | 1947 | 22 |
Chicago Bears | 1963 | 1984 | 21 |
Philadelphia Eagles | 1960 | 1980 | 20 |
—Ian Allan