History of the NFL’s last undefeated teams: Eagles look to buck recent trend of Super Bowl shortcomings

No team has managed to stay undefeated in 2022 longer than the Eagles.

Philadelphia is off to a hot start and has posted a record of 5-0 over the first five weeks of the season. The team is now preparing to take on its divisional rival, the Cowboys, in Week 6 in the hope of improving its record to 6-0 on the year.

The Eagles’ run has been an impressive one to start the season, but does it mean anything long-term? We’re just a year removed from seeing the Cardinals begin the 2021 campaign on a seven-game winning streak only to finish 11-5 and flame out in a wild-card blowout.

Indeed, being the last undefeated team standing in the NFL is certainly an achievement. Still, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the Eagles will definitely win the Super Bowl. Only a dozen NFL teams have been the last team to lose and the final one to win over the league’s history.

Below is a brief history of how the final remaining undefeated team has fared since the Super Bowl era began in 1966.

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When did the last remaining undefeated NFL team win the Super Bowl?

The Colts were the last NFL team to lose a game during the 2006 NFL season. They went on to win Super Bowl 41 in February of 2007. No NFL team has achieved that since, and Super Bowl 57 will mark 16 years since the Colts started and ended their season on a high note.

The 2006 Colts began the season with a 9-0 record after beginning the previous season with a mark of 14-0. Peyton Manning had a strong season at quarterback and helped All-Pro Marvin Harrison and Pro-Bowler Reggie Wayne each total 1,300-plus receiving yards. Joseph Addai had a 1,000-yard season out for the backfield while Robert Mathis, Dwight Freeney and Cato June shined on defense.

Six of the final remaining undefeated NFL teams have made it to the Super Bowl since the Colts did so during the 2007 postseason. None of them were able to earn a victory.

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How many last undefeated NFL teams have won the Super Bowl?

Since 1966, the NFL’s last remaining undefeated team has won the Super Bowl 12 times. Eagles fans should be happy with that news, as those historical trends give Philadelphia a 21.4 percent of winning Super Bowl 57 based on their current record.

Below is the full list of teams to be the final undefeated team left standing and win the Super Bowl:

Has an undefeated team ever won the Super Bowl?

Yes, an undefeated team has won the Super Bowl once. The 1972 Miami Dolphins finished the NFL’s regular season with a record of 14-0 and went on to win all three of their playoff games, including Super Bowl 7, to finish the season 17-0.

No other team has matched Miami’s perfect season in the 50 years since. The Patriots nearly were able to do it in 2007. However, after finishing the regular season 16-0 and winning their first two playoff games, they lost to the Giants in Super Bowl 42.

The Bears also made it to the NFL Championship Game undefeated twice, in 1934 and 1942. They lost both championship game appearances.

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Last undefeated team finishes by season

Standing alone as the last undefeated team doesn’t always guarantee you success. That said, you’ll make the playoffs more often than not, as 62 of the 72 last-standing undefeated teams since 1966 have qualified for the postseason. That’s good for a mark of 86.1 percent.

However, the last unbeaten team hasn’t won a Super Bowl since the Colts won Super Bowl 41 in wake of the 2006 season. The Eagles will look to break that long-standing, 16-year drought during the 2023 NFL postseason.

Below is a full recap of how each of the NFL’s final undefeated team has finished since 1966.