The NFL, the Beaten, and the Unbeaten

The Philadelphia Eagles were the last of the NFL’s unbeatens in 2022, starting off 8-0, and wound up in the Super Bowl. There are nine teams still unbeaten two weeks into the 2023 season: the Eagles again, plus Atlanta, Baltimore, Dallas, Miami, New Orleans, San Francisco, Tampa Bay and Washington, all at 2-0.

So we decided to make that the subject of this week’s NFL Power Poll. We asked our panel of former players, coaches, officials, talent evaluators, writers and broadcasters which of those nine teams would be the last of the unbeatens in 2023. Only five of the teams received votes -- Baltimore, Dallas, Miami, Philadelphia and San Francisco.

And it was the 49ers who won the voting, receiving 76 of the 174 ballots cast. The Cowboys were next with 53 votes, followed by the Eagles with 30, the Dolphins with nine and the Ravens with six.

The moment of truth could come in Week 5 when the two top vote-getters play each other. The Cowboys visit the 49ers in a Sunday night game Oct. 8.

“I like the 49ers because they get the Cowboys at home and have had their number in the last two playoff meetings,” said Gene Frenette, a sports columnist with the Florida Timas Union.

Added Gregg Bell of the Tacoma News Tribune: “If the 49ers beat the Cowboys at home, San Francisco's schedule suggests the loaded Niners may remain unbeaten into November.”

The Eagles reached the Super Bowl last season but didn’t win it. In the Super Bowl era, only 12 times has the last team to go unbeaten advanced – and won – the championship. The last to pull off that double was the New Orleans Saints, who 13-0 in 2009 on the way to a 13-3 finish and a Super Bowl victory over the Indianapolis Colts.

In our second question, we looked at the bottom of the standings. The are nine teams still winless two weeks into the NFL season – Arizona, Carolina, Chicago, Cincinnati, Denver, Houston, the Chargers, Minnesota and New England. So we asked our panel which of those team would be the last to post a victory in 2023. Five of the teams received votes: the Cardinals, Panthers, Bears, Bengals, Broncos and Texans.

Even though the Panthers and Texans are starting rookie quarterbacks, Arizona won the vote. Ninety-one of the 174 voters predicted the Cardinals to be the last team to win a game in 2023. The Texans were next with 38 votes, followed by the Bears with 31, the Panthers 12 and the Bengals and Broncos one apiece.

As was the case in the first poll question, the moment of truth for the second poll question could come Nov. 19 when the top two vote-getters square off. The Cardinals visit the Texans on Nov. 19.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if those two are the only two winless teams when that game takes place,” said Frenette.

“Arizona does not look like they are tanking,” said Vito Stellino, a former Hall of Fame voter, “but they aren't very good and could be winless when they play Houston. If they lose that one, they could go

winless … but the odds are they will find a way to way a game against a team that is not very motivated.”

Only two teams in NFL history have gone a full season without a win or a tie – Tampa Bay in its inaugural season in 1976 and the Detroit Lions in 2008.

“Arizona would seem the prime candidate to keep falling short,” said Barry Wilner, a Hall of Fame voter, “but Chicago, Houston and Carolina certainly are capable of keeping that 0 in the win column well into autumn.”