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Does winning in the NFL preseason matter? Sort of…

The 2007-2008 New York Giants were the last Super Bowl-winning team with a losing preseason record.
Credit: AP
A view of the line of scrimmage during an NFL preseason game.

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While results of the NFL preseason don’t mean much, a pattern has developed in the last decade between preseason play and winning the Super Bowl.

For the past 11 years, no Super Bowl champion has finished the preseason with a losing record.

Preseason record of past 11 Super Bowl champions:

2018: Patriots (3-1)

2017: Eagles (2-2)

2016: Patriots (3-1)

2015: Broncos (3-1)

2014: Patriots (2-2)

2013: Seahawks (4-0)

2012: Ravens (2-2)

2011: Giants (2-2)

2010: Packers (2-2)

2009: Saints (3-1)

2008: Steelers (3-1)

The 2007-2008 New York Giants were the last Super Bowl-winning team with a losing preseason record. The Giants had a 1-3 preseason record that year.

The season before, the Indianapolis Colts also won the Super Bowl with a 1-3 preseason record.

Going undefeated in the preseason doesn’t ensure a team's success in the regular season either. Both the 2017 Cleveland Browns and the 2008 Detroit Lions finished 0-16 in the regular season despite having 4-0 preseason records.

In the last 50 years, the 1982 Washington Redskins are the only one team that has won the Super Bowl after going 0-4 in the preseason.

The 1990 Buffalo Bills and 2000 New York Giants went winless in the preseason, went to the Super Bowl and ultimately lost in the big game.

Related: How to watch the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the preseason

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