NFL: Most Games against Undefeated Teams to Open the Season
Posted by Andrew McKillop on September 27, 2011
From time to time I frequent the Pro Football Researchers Association message board. Today Mike Barnes posted an interesting question. He asked what teams have opened their season with four straight games against undefeated teams. The question was brought up, because by Sunday the Dallas Cowboys will have opened their season playing four undefeated teams; as mentioned in his post, it’s usually given that a team would play an undefeated team in their first game of the season.
To answer Mike’s question, I found that a handful of teams have opened their season’s playing four undefeated NFL teams, and a few even opened their season’s playing five undefeated NFL teams.
Five Straight Games Against Undefeated Teams to Start a Season
Legend: W/L/T (The record of the team’s opponent when entering the game)
| 1921 | Akron Pros | ||||
| W | L | T | Score | ||
| vs | Columbus Panhandles | 0 | 0 | 0 | W 14-0 |
| vs | Cincinnati Celts | 0 | 0 | 0 | W 41-0 |
| at | Cardinals | 1 | 0 | 0 | W 23-0 |
| at | Detroit Tigers | 1 | 0 | 1 | W 20-0 |
| at | Canton Bulldogs | 0 | 0 | 2 | W 3-0 |
| 1922 | Chicago Bears | ||||
| W | L | T | Score | ||
| at | Racine Legion | 0 | 0 | 0 | W 6-0 |
| at | Rock Island Independents | 1 | 0 | 0 | W 10-6 |
| vs | Rochester Jeffersons | 0 | 0 | 0 | W 7-0 |
| vs | Buffalo All-Americans | 2 | 0 | 0 | W 7-0 |
| vs | Canton Bulldogs | 3 | 0 | 1 | L 6-7 |
| 1926 | Chicago Cardinals | ||||
| W | L | T | Score | ||
| vs | Columbus Panhandles | 0 | 0 | 0 | W 14-0 |
| vs | Los Angeles Buccaneers | 0 | 0 | 0 | W 15-0 |
| vs | Racine Legion | 1 | 0 | 0 | W 20-0 |
| at | Packers | 1 | 0 | 2 | W 13-7 |
| vs | Bears | 3 | 0 | 1 | L 0-16 |
| 1926 | New York Giants | ||||
| W | L | T | Score | ||
| at | Hartford Blues | 0 | 0 | 0 | W 21-0 |
| at | Providence Steam Roller | 1 | 0 | 0 | W 7-6 |
| at | Bears | 2 | 0 | 1 | L 0-7 |
| at | Frankford Yellow Jackets | 3 | 0 | 1 | L 0-6 |
| vs | Frankford Yellow Jackets | 3 | 0 | 1 | L 0-6 |
| 1927 | Cleveland Bulldogs | ||||
| W | L | T | Score | ||
| at | Packers | 1 | 0 | 0 | L 7-12 |
| vs | Giants | 1 | 0 | 0 | T 0-0 |
| vs | New York Yankees | 1 | 0 | 0 | L 7-13 |
| at | Giants | 2 | 0 | 1 | W 6-0 |
| at | Bears | 3 | 0 | 0 | L 12-14 |
| 1979 | Chicago Bears | ||||
| W | L | T | Score | ||
| vs | Packers | 0 | 0 | 0 | W 6-3 |
| vs | Vikings | 1 | 0 | 0 | W 26-7 |
| at | Cowboys | 2 | 0 | 0 | L 20-24 |
| at | Dolphins | 3 | 0 | 0 | L 16-31 |
| vs | Buccaneers | 4 | 0 | 0 | L 13-17 |
| 1986 | Philadelphia Eagles | ||||
| W | L | T | Score | ||
| at | Redskins | 0 | 0 | 0 | L 14-41 |
| at | Bears | 1 | 0 | 0 | L 10-13 |
| vs | Broncos | 2 | 0 | 0 | L 7-33 |
| vs | Rams | 3 | 0 | 0 | W 34-20 |
| at | Falcons | 4 | 0 | 0 | W 16-0 |
| 2009 | New England Patriots | ||||
| W | L | T | Score | ||
| vs | Bills | 0 | 0 | 0 | W 25-24 |
| at | Jets | 1 | 0 | 0 | L 9-16 |
| vs | Falcons | 2 | 0 | 0 | W 26-10 |
| vs | Ravens | 3 | 0 | 0 | W 27-21 |
| at | Broncos | 4 | 0 | 0 | L 17-20 |
One Last Note
This is the first season in Dallas Cowboys history that they will open their season playing four straight undefeated teams.
Reference: Pro-Football-Reference.com
