No fan base is happy after a loss, but there are different levels of disappointment. Determining who are the worst feeling fanbases is a combination of what their expectations were for the team and how they had performed recently. It is not just about a team’s record, as a fanbase that expected their team to lose would not feel as down as a fanbase that thought their team had an easy win and lost. Injuries can also be a factor, if your team had a crushing injury that could propel that team on the list. Also how you lose is very important, getting blown out or losing by a hail mary are both crushing losses, much more than losing by 10. Ultimately, the worst thing is the feeling that your team’s season just ended, losses or injuries that lean a fanbase into thinking that way, are the teams at the top of the list.
Honorable Mention
Texans: 15-30 loss to the Dolphins. Yes, no Texan fan actually expected to beat the Dolphins but I am sure they expected to at least be competitive at least for a little bit. Instead the Dolphins just murdered the Texans 30-0 by halftime and coasted to the win. The Texans started Kyle Allen hoping for a spark, and it did not work as the Texans had only 32 yards in their first 25 plays. The team doesn’t seem to have anything going for them, even rookie running back Dameon Pierce, who has been a bright spot for most of the year, was dismal with just five carries for eight yards.
#3 Colts
17-24 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Leading up to the week, there was reason for optimism! Since the surprising firing of Frank Reich and the more surprising hiring of Jeff Saturday, the Colts had won against the Raiders, 25-20, and nearly beat the NFL leading Eagles 16-17. This is about as good of a start as any Colts fans could have hoped under Saturday, and now they get to play a Steelers team who were 3-7 and just lost 3 of their last 4 games. At 4-6-1, the Colts can get right back in the thick of the playoff race! Instead, they lost a close matchup which very easily could have been determined by one crucial play. Down 10-16, the Colts had the ball first and goal with four minutes left in the 3rd quarter. In just a simple handoff to star running back Jonathan Taylor, Taylor dropped the exchange and the Steelers recovered, abruptly ending a very good drive. The seven point swing was a massive difference at the end of the game when the Colts down by seven, on the Steelers 26, were forced to go for a fourth and three, instead of kicking a game winning field goal. This loss knocks the Colts three games out of the seven seed. While the team is still looking solid under Saturday, they were just dealt a loss in a very winnable game which craters the team’s chances of making the playoffs. All of which adds up to a very disappointed fan base.
#2 Broncos
10-23 loss to the Carolina Panthers. If Broncos fans were hoping an easier matchup against the 3-8 Panthers, who were starting their third different starting quarterback for the year, would bring about a win and temporary aleve from their season long suffering; they were sorely mistaken. The Panthers absolutely controlled the entire game going up by as much as 23-3 before a garbage time touchdown by the Broncos with 3 minutes left made the score less embarrassing. The Broncos have now lost 7 out of their last 8 games and while not mathematically eliminated yet, they have virtually no chance. It is more of the same story, the defense is good and the offense is just horrible. The Broncos are currently the lowest scoring team in the NFL at just 14.3 points per game, and just lost to the team tied for the worst record in the NFC. If there were any Broncos believers who still felt they could turn it around before the week, there might not be any more now after they were dominated by one of the worst teams in the league.
#1 Seahawks
34-40 overtime loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. Oh man what a rough rough loss for the Seahawks. Firstly, let’s start with the fact that their defense which started the year looking terrible, letting up 30.8 points per game over their first 5 games was playing really well only letting up 17.4 points over their most recent five games, completely reverted back to the beginning of the year. Josh Jacobs shredded them for 303 total yards and two touchdowns, this is one player! As a team the Raiders had 576 total yards compared to 372 for the Seahawks. Of course more than just the performance of the defense, the loss in general was absolutely crushing. The Seahawks led at three different times throughout the game, including in the fourth quarter against a 3-7 Raiders team and still lost in overtime. This was a very winnable game for the Seahawks, which had huge implications on playoff seeding. Instead of being tied with the 49ers for the division lead and having a wild card spot, they are a game behind and currently on the outside of the playoffs looking in. With the Niners winning their fourth straight game this week, shutting out the Saints, and currently looking like potentially the hottest team in the NFL, the Seahawks need every win they can get to keep up. Two weeks ago, the Seahawks had sole possession of the division with thoughts of making a deep playoff run, now they are losing their division and don’t even have a wild card spot, all because of a close, heartbreaking overtime loss against the 3-7 Raiders.