7 worst NFL offenses in the modern era feat. pre-Patrick Mahomes Chiefs, Urban Meyer's Jaguars and more

It’s tough for fans to endure their team having one of the worst NFL offenses. It’s an essential part of the winning equation, even if the roster has an elite defense. They must put enough points on the board to win.

But scoring drives were like an oasis in a desert for these teams. They rarely come by; if it does, it’s more of a consolation if they put points on the board. While some teams have turned their fortunes around, others are in the same hole.

Therefore, here are the units that were so terrible that you’d be better off watching another show. The entries on this list of worst NFL offenses are courtesy of a tweet by Boston Globe Senior NFL writer Ben Volin.

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Fans hope these worst NFL offenses won’t resurface with their favorite teams

Volin shared a screenshot of the worst NFL offenses from 2002 to 2023. He derived from a table showing team scoring leaders and sorting it in ascending order. Here are some teams that struggled to put points on the board through their season’s first 14 games.

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1) 2021 Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars hoped that Urban Meyer’s football success would help turn the tide for the better. After all, he was a three-time National Champion at Florida and Ohio State. Jacksonville was hoping for deliverance after a 1-15 2020 season.

Unfortunately, it was a memorable season for the wrong reasons. Meyer made questionable football decisions, like bringing in strength coach Chris Doyle and signing Tim Tebow. He benched James Robinson, confronted wide receiver Marvin Jones, and kicked placekicker Josh Lambo.

These issues, football-related or not, affected the Jacksonville Jaguars’ approach to offense. Despite having Trevor Lawrence at quarterback, they became one of the worst NFL offenses after averaging only 14 points per game. Meyer got fired after 13 games, and they ended the season at 3-14.

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2) 2011-2012 Kansas City Chiefs

The 2011 Chiefs finished with a respectable 7-9 record, even if they scored only 18 touchdowns and averaged 13.7 points per game in their first 14 matches. However, Todd Haley got the pink slip after 13 games, and Romeo Crennel took over as interim head coach.

Unfortunately, the coaching transition did little change in being one of the worst NFL offenses. The Kansas City Chiefs finished with a 2-14 record in 2012 despite Jamaal Charles’ 1,509 rushing yards. Through 14 games, they scored only 17 touchdowns and averaged 13.9 points per game.

Andy Reid took over a year later and led the Chiefs to an 11-5 mark. The Chiefs drafted Patrick Mahomes four years after Reid was hired, and the franchise has added two Super Bowl titles to their collection.

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3) 2008-2009 St. Louis Rams

Rams owner Georgia Frontiere passed away in January 2008. While everyone involved with the franchise mourned her passing, their offense also lost its life. Despite having Steven Jackson and Torry Holt on offense, they went 2-12 after 14 games, averaging 13.5 points per contest.

After the Rams finished the 2008 season at 2-14, they hired Steve Spagnuolo, hoping to turn things around. Things went from bad to worst when they finished the season at 1-15. After 14 games, one of the worst NFL offenses generated only 11.4 points per game. They scored only 17 points in their lone victory that season.

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4) 2006 Oakland Raiders

The Raiders didn’t have a winning season from 2003 to 2015. But the worst happened in 2006 when they finished 2-14. They ended with a nine-game losing streak after winning in Weeks 7 and 8. Worst yet, their quarterbacks threw only seven touchdown passes throughout the season.

Through 14 games, they tallied 16 touchdowns and scored only 11.1 points per game. They are at the top of the worst NFL offenses during that stretch, failing to score a touchdown in their last two regular-season games.

Art Shell was a one-and-done head coach after this season. The Raiders hired Lane Kiffin for the 2007 season, wherein they slightly improved to 4-12.

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5) 2008 Cincinnati Bengals

The 2008 Bengals became one of the worst NFL offenses, even if they had Carson Palmer, Cedric Benson, Chad Ochocinco Johnson, and T.J. Houshmandzadeh on the roster. Through 14 games, they scored only 17 touchdowns and averaged 12.4 points per game.

Surprisingly, they went 3-3-1 after their bye, finishing the season with a three-game winning streak. Even in their four victories, 21 points was the most they’ve scored.

Despite this poor performance, Marvin Lewis kept his job as Cincinnati Bengals head coach until 2018. He led the Bengals to five playoff appearances after the 2008 season but never won a postseason game.

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6) 2023 New York Giants

While rookie quarterback Tommy DeVito has led the New York Giants to three victories in their last four games, their offense has been generally terrible. They’ve scored only 20 touchdowns and averaged 13.5 points in 14 games.

The Giants have five single-digit scoring games this season, including their shutout season-opening loss to the Dallas Cowboys. As one of the worst NFL offenses, they are coming off a 24-6 loss to the New Orleans Saints.

Their passing game has taken a hit, with Darius Slayton leading the squad with 512 receiving yards. Darren Waller is still second with 424 yards, even if he hasn’t played since Week 8. Even Saquon Barkley’s production is down to 797 yards and three touchdowns with three games remaining.

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7) 2023 New England Patriots

There have been reports that long-time New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick will be fired after the 2023 season. If that holds, it will end a 24-season run featuring six Super Bowl titles and nine AFC championships.

But the Patriots turning into one of the worst NFL offenses makes his sacking inevitable. Last season, the Patriots averaged 21.4 points per game. But after 14 games this year, they are down to 13.3 points per contest, and 21 touchdowns scored.

As Volin pointed out, they were the eighth-worst-scoring team from 2002 to 2023 and the lowest-scoring team in 12 years. Their woes on offense had Belichick switching between quarterbacks Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe.

While their defense allowed only ten points or less in Weeks 10, 12, and 13, the Patriots still lost those games. They became the first team since 1938 to lose three games despite giving up only ten points or less. Worst yet, they’ve suffered two shutout losses at Gilette Stadium.