Whatever happens with the Bears today, they have nowhere to go but up. Hamstrung by 9 sacks, they finished with only 47 total yards of offense last week in their loss at Cleveland.
Only eight times in the Super Bowl era has a team finished with fewer total yards of offense. That includes only two teams in the last 40 years (the expansion Browns in their first game, and Cleveland again in 2004, in a blowout loss at Buffalo.
Two teams have finished with negative total yards in a game (in the Super Bowl era): the Seahawks, losing 24-0 in the Kingdome against a Rams team that went on to play in the Super Bowl. And the 1967 Denver Broncos, losing 51-0 at Oakland (against another team that went on to play in the Super Bowl).
Of the 11 teams that have finished with fewer than 50 yards, the expansion Houston Texans are the most unusual. They managed to win their game at Pittsburgh, and by 18 points. Despite that setback, the Steelers won the inaugural AFC North title that year.
As for the 2021 Bears, I wouldn’t be surprised if they bounced back and finished with above-average overall numbers today. The Lions have a lesser defense, and Chicago has consistently moved the ball against them in recent years – the Bears have gone 5-1 against them over the last three years.
Overall in the Super Bowl era, 98 teams have finished with fewer than 100 total yards of offense in games.
TEAMS FINISHING WITH FEWER THAN 100 YARDS | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Team | Opp | Result | Ply | Yds |
1979 | Seattle | LAR | L 0-24 | 35 | -7 |
1967 | Denver | at OAK | L 0-51 | 47 | -5 |
1981 | Chicago | DET | L 7-23 | 54 | 24 |
2004 | Cleveland | at BUF | L 7-37 | 46 | 26 |
1966 | Denver | at HOU | L 7-45 | 37 | 26 |
1976 | Green Bay | at CIN | L 7-28 | 54 | 36 |
1999 | Cleveland | PIT | L 0-43 | 28 | 40 |
1976 | Atlanta | at SF | L 0-15 | 65 | 44 |
2021 | Chicago | at CLE | L 6-26 | 42 | 47 |
2002 | Houston | at PIT | W 24-6 | 40 | 47 |
1971 | Buffalo | BAL | L 0-43 | 41 | 49 |
2000 | Cleveland | at JAC | L 0-48 | 42 | 53 |
1989 | Pittsburgh | CLE | L 0-51 | 45 | 53 |
1982 | New England | NYJ | L 7-31 | 44 | 57 |
1967 | Atlanta | at GB | L 0-23 | 50 | 58 |
1988 | Detroit | MIN | L 0-23 | 33 | 60 |
1975 | Atlanta | at MIN | L 0-38 | 44 | 60 |
1975 | New Orleans | MIN | L 7-20 | 53 | 60 |
1971 | Cleveland | DEN | L 0-27 | 46 | 60 |
1992 | Seattle | at DAL | L 0-27 | 48 | 62 |
1973 | Green Bay | at DET | L 0-34 | 46 | 63 |
1973 | Green Bay | at LAR | L 7-24 | 41 | 63 |
1971 | Buffalo | at MIN | L 0-19 | 45 | 64 |
1988 | Seattle | at NE | L 7-13 | 41 | 65 |
1985 | Tampa Bay | at GB | L 0-21 | 41 | 65 |
1971 | Chicago | at DEN | L 3-6 | 59 | 66 |
2010 | Kansas City | at SD | L 0-31 | 41 | 67 |
1973 | Atlanta | at LAR | L 0-31 | 33 | 70 |
1969 | San Diego | at DEN | L 0-13 | 56 | 70 |
2009 | Cincinnati | at NYJ | L 0-37 | 40 | 72 |
1976 | N.Y. Jets | CIN | L 3-42 | 64 | 72 |
1978 | Atlanta | at LAR | L 0-10 | 47 | 73 |
1973 | Buffalo | at MIA | L 6-27 | 59 | 76 |
2008 | Oakland | ATL | L 0-24 | 34 | 77 |
1977 | Tampa Bay | ATL | L 0-17 | 47 | 78 |
1966 | Pittsburgh | at STL | L 3-6 | 54 | 78 |
1983 | Philadelphia | NYG | L 0-23 | 40 | 79 |
1973 | Chicago | at DET | L 7-40 | 49 | 79 |
1980 | New Orleans | STL | L 7-40 | 31 | 80 |
1979 | Kansas City | at TB | L 0-3 | 38 | 80 |
1970 | Boston | at NYJ | L 3-17 | 43 | 80 |
1966 | Philadelphia | DAL | W 24-23 | 49 | 80 |
1976 | Atlanta | at LAR | L 0-59 | 49 | 81 |
1974 | Houston | DAL | L 0-10 | 52 | 81 |
1992 | Denver | at PHI | L 0-30 | 40 | 82 |
1973 | New Orleans | at SF | L 0-40 | 49 | 82 |
1969 | Boston | KAN | L 0-31 | 41 | 82 |
1973 | Houston | at PIT | L 7-33 | 42 | 83 |
1971 | Cincinnati | at HOU | L 6-10 | 60 | 83 |
1967 | Boston | OAK | L 14-48 | 65 | 83 |
1981 | Green Bay | at NYJ | L 3-28 | 57 | 84 |
1974 | Pittsburgh | HOU | L 10-13 | 49 | 84 |
1972 | New Orleans | SF | L 2-37 | 56 | 84 |
2009 | Tampa Bay | NYG | L 0-24 | 36 | 86 |
1977 | Baltimore | at NE | L 3-17 | 46 | 86 |
1969 | Pittsburgh | at CHI | L 7-38 | 52 | 86 |
1992 | Seattle | PHI | L 17-20(OT) | 60 | 87 |
1971 | Minnesota | GB | W 3-0 | 45 | 87 |
1982 | Baltimore | at BUF | L 0-20 | 38 | 88 |
1980 | Miami | at NE | L 0-34 | 60 | 88 |
1976 | San Francisco | LAR | L 3-23 | 61 | 88 |
2018 | Washington | PHI | L 0-24 | 44 | 89 |
1995 | Seattle | at KAN | L 3-26 | 54 | 89 |
1991 | Philadelphia | at WAS | L 0-23 | 42 | 89 |
1988 | Detroit | at MIN | L 17-44 | 41 | 89 |
1976 | Tampa Bay | at BAL | L 17-42 | 47 | 89 |
1972 | Houston | OAK | L 0-34 | 51 | 89 |
1968 | Buffalo | at HOU | L 6-35 | 64 | 89 |
1991 | Dallas | PHI | L 0-24 | 50 | 90 |
1982 | New Orleans | at ATL | L 0-35 | 60 | 91 |
1972 | Chicago | at MIN | L 10-23 | 43 | 91 |
1992 | Chicago | at DAL | L 14-27 | 40 | 92 |
1979 | New England | at DEN | L 10-45 | 57 | 92 |
1978 | Tampa Bay | at CHI | L 3-14 | 43 | 92 |
1977 | New Orleans | at DET | L 19-23 | 45 | 92 |
1997 | Oakland | at KAN | L 0-30 | 39 | 93 |
1975 | San Diego | OAK | L 0-6 | 47 | 93 |
2000 | Cincinnati | at BAL | L 0-37 | 44 | 94 |
1992 | New England | IND | L 0-6 | 60 | 94 |
1982 | Pittsburgh | at BUF | L 0-13 | 50 | 94 |
1966 | Chicago | GB | L 0-17 | 55 | 94 |
2000 | Dallas | at TEN | L 0-31 | 53 | 95 |
1992 | Cincinnati | DET | L 13-19 | 51 | 95 |
1987 | Cincinnati | CLE | L 0-34 | 38 | 95 |
1976 | New Orleans | at SF | L 3-33 | 51 | 95 |
1967 | Chicago | at PIT | L 13-41 | 35 | 95 |
2003 | San Diego | at DEN | L 8-37 | 40 | 96 |
1995 | Arizona | at CAR | L 7-27 | 44 | 96 |
1980 | New Orleans | LAR | L 7-27 | 54 | 96 |
1969 | Chicago | DET | L 3-20 | 58 | 96 |
1969 | L.A. Rams | at DET | L 0-28 | 34 | 96 |
1977 | San Francisco | at ATL | W 10-3 | 55 | 97 |
1967 | Atlanta | at SF | L 7-38 | 48 | 97 |
2006 | Oakland | PIT | W 20-13 | 49 | 98 |
2006 | Tennessee | JAC | W 24-17 | 34 | 98 |
1973 | Green Bay | CHI | L 17-31 | 52 | 98 |
1992 | Indianapolis | at SD | L 0-26 | 48 | 99 |
Statistics compiled using search tools at Pro-Football-Reference.com
—Ian Allan