Joe Thomas And The Worst Adjusted Career Winning Percentages

by Chase Stuart on May 13, 2017

The only reliable thing in Cleveland

Since Joe Thomas entered the league, the Browns have a record of 48-112. That translates to a 0.300 winning percentage, the second-worst in the NFL over the last decade.

That’s bad, but not as historically bad as I would have thought. From 2000 to 2006, the Detroit Lions had a 0.295 winning percentage, the worst in the NFL. And from 2007 to 2011, the Rams had an anemic 0.188 winning percentage, the worst in the NFL. There was a common denominator for both of those teams: defensive end James Hall.

How did I find Hall? I looked at all players with 100 career games played. Then I calculated the winning percentage for his team in each season of his career, weighted by the number of games he played that season. So when calculating the adjusted career winning percentage for Hall, who played in 165 games and in 16 games for the 2008 Rams, 9.7% of his Adj Car Win% is based off of that team’s 2-14 record. The 2000 Lions went 9-7, but Hall only played in 5 games that year, so the 9-7 mark only counts for 3% of his career record. And the fact that the Lions went 3-2 in the 5 games Hall actually played is irrelevant: for calculating Adj Car Win%, I just used the team’s overall winning percentage multiplied by the number of games he played.

There are over 4,000 players who have played in 100 career games, and Hall has the lowest adjusted career winning percentage. The second-lowest? That honor belongs to John Greco, who was a teammate of Hall’s in St. Louis from 2008 to 2010, and has been a teammate of Thomas in Cleveland ever since.

Below are the 100 players with the worst adjusted career winning percentages: Thomas checks in at #35.

Rk	Player	G	First Year	Last Year	Adj Car Win%
1	James Hall	165	2000	2011	0.236
2	John Greco	111	2008	2016	0.238
3	Randy Grimes	118	1983	1992	0.246
4	Don Morrison	123	1971	1979	0.256
5	Paul Guidry	106	1966	1973	0.257
6	Joe Carter	109	1933	1945	0.267
7	Brock Gutierrez	114	1997	2005	0.269
8	Tyson Alualu	110	2010	2016	0.269
9	Nick Harris	183	2001	2012	0.270
10	Joe Federspiel	141	1972	1981	0.273
11	Rob Taylor	110	1986	1993	0.274
12	Jeff Backus	191	2001	2012	0.276
13	Rod Breedlove	101	1960	1967	0.277
14	Paul Posluszny	129	2007	2016	0.277
15	Archie Manning	151	1971	1984	0.278
16	Jerry Sturm	144	1961	1972	0.281
17	John Cannon	122	1982	1990	0.282
18	Elex Price	103	1973	1980	0.284
19	Tom Myers	136	1972	1981	0.284
20	Jim Schrader	116	1954	1964	0.285
21	Richard Neal	120	1969	1978	0.285
22	Steve Bush	118	1997	2005	0.287
23	Chuck Hinton	123	1964	1972	0.287
24	Gerald Carter	103	1980	1987	0.290
25	O.J. Atogwe	101	2005	2011	0.290
26	Mike Tilleman	149	1966	1976	0.291
27	John Pitts	115	1967	1975	0.293
28	Kalimba Edwards	101	2002	2008	0.293
29	Chris Hetherington	126	1996	2006	0.294
30	Henry Childs	103	1974	1984	0.295
31	Mel Tom	117	1967	1975	0.297
32	Freddie Jones	123	1997	2004	0.298
33	Tyler Brayton	141	2003	2011	0.298
34	Dick James	117	1956	1965	0.300
35	Joe Thomas	160	2007	2016	0.300
36	Danny Abramowicz	111	1967	1974	0.300
37	Jared DeVries	120	1999	2008	0.301
38	Scot Brantley	114	1980	1987	0.301
39	Wali Rainer	110	1999	2005	0.301
40	Kirk Morrison	112	2005	2012	0.304
41	Bob Pollard	154	1971	1981	0.305
42	Rod Jones	145	1986	1996	0.305
43	Ernie Sims	109	2006	2013	0.306
44	Lee Calland	101	1963	1972	0.307
45	Chad Stanley	116	1999	2006	0.308
46	Maurice Hurst	105	1989	1995	0.308
47	Goose Gonsoulin	108	1960	1967	0.309
48	Robert Gallery	104	2004	2011	0.311
49	Billy Lothridge	104	1964	1972	0.311
51	Michael Bankston	144	1992	2000	0.313
50	Marv Cook	112	1989	1995	0.313
52	Tony McGee	156	1993	2003	0.313
53	Doug Pelfrey	111	1993	1999	0.314
54	Nnamdi Asomugha	157	2003	2013	0.314
55	Ralph Heck	120	1963	1971	0.315
56	Brian Orakpo	103	2009	2016	0.315
57	Damion McIntosh	125	2000	2009	0.315
58	Gene Mingo	130	1960	1970	0.315
59	Mark Nordquist	111	1968	1976	0.315
60	David Logan	112	1979	1987	0.316
61	John Copeland	107	1993	2000	0.317
62	Tommy Nobis	133	1966	1976	0.317
63	Matt Joyce	122	1995	2004	0.318
64	Stanford Routt	119	2005	2012	0.318
65	John Paluck	105	1956	1965	0.318
66	Roy Miller	112	2009	2016	0.318
67	Bob Scarpitto	102	1961	1968	0.318
68	James Wilder	129	1981	1990	0.318
69	Daylon McCutcheon	103	1999	2005	0.319
70	Ervin Randle	105	1985	1992	0.319
71	Adam Goldberg	112	2004	2011	0.319
72	Don Talbert	103	1962	1971	0.320
73	Tom Carter	118	1993	2001	0.320
74	Tim Goad	141	1988	1996	0.320
75	Steve Tovar	121	1993	2000	0.320
76	Chris Dressel	111	1983	1992	0.321
77	Harvey Salem	126	1983	1992	0.321
78	Dominic Raiola	219	2001	2014	0.321
79	Jerry Simmons	106	1965	1974	0.321
80	Mike Gann	118	1985	1993	0.321
81	Brian Kelley	143	1973	1983	0.322
82	Errol Linden	134	1961	1970	0.322
83	O.J. Simpson	135	1969	1979	0.323
84	Billy Bajema	120	2005	2013	0.323
85	Al Cowlings	101	1970	1979	0.324
86	Earl Little	107	1998	2005	0.324
87	L.J. Shelton	146	1999	2008	0.324
88	Steven Jackson	160	2004	2015	0.324
89	Jacob Bell	109	2004	2011	0.325
90	Ian Beckles	126	1990	1998	0.325
91	John Hill	177	1972	1985	0.325
92	Richard Wood	146	1975	1984	0.325
93	Fran O'Brien	124	1959	1968	0.326
94	Darren McFadden	103	2008	2016	0.326
95	Marty Carter	161	1991	2001	0.326
96	Willie Broughton	111	1985	1996	0.327
97	Kevin Murphy	116	1986	1993	0.327
98	Paul Butcher	134	1986	1996	0.327
99	Ryan Pontbriand	134	2003	2011	0.327
100	Bern Brostek	105	1990	1997	0.328

Thomas has a career AV of 82; what if we limit our list to players with career AVs of at least 75? Thomas has the second lowest adjusted career winning percentage.

Rk	Player	G	AV	First Year	Last Year	Adj Car Win%
1	Archie Manning	151	75	1971	1984	0.278
2	Joe Thomas	160	82	2007	2016	0.300
3	O.J. Simpson	135	98	1969	1979	0.323
4	Norm Snead	178	87	1961	1976	0.353
5	Calvin Johnson	135	78	2007	2015	0.370
6	Takeo Spikes	219	84	1998	2012	0.376
7	Steve DeBerg	206	79	1978	1998	0.389
8	La'Roi Glover	193	91	1996	2008	0.391
9	Jim Everett	158	87	1986	1997	0.406
10	Dick Butkus	119	78	1965	1973	0.406
11	Ray Donaldson	244	77	1980	1996	0.409
12	Mike Kenn	251	95	1978	1994	0.410
13	Mike Stratton	156	79	1962	1973	0.412
14	Chris Chandler	180	77	1988	2004	0.415
15	Willie Anderson	195	90	1996	2008	0.416
16	Wes Chandler	150	80	1978	1988	0.419
17	Vinny Testaverde	233	97	1987	2007	0.422
18	Joe DeLamielleure	185	87	1973	1985	0.423
19	Julian Peterson	158	75	2000	2010	0.426
20	Cortez Kennedy	167	101	1990	2000	0.428
21	Daunte Culpepper	105	86	1999	2009	0.430
22	Karlos Dansby	196	79	2004	2016	0.431
23	Aeneas Williams	211	104	1991	2004	0.432
24	Fred Smerlas	200	81	1979	1992	0.433
25	Bruce Armstrong	212	82	1987	2000	0.436
26	Jeff Van Note	246	77	1969	1986	0.436
27	Chris Hinton	177	79	1983	1995	0.437
28	Andre Johnson	193	95	2003	2016	0.442
29	Herschel Walker	187	79	1986	1997	0.445
30	Andre Tippett	151	90	1982	1993	0.446
31	Boomer Esiason	187	106	1984	1997	0.446
32	Leslie O'Neal	196	88	1986	1999	0.447
33	Doug Wilkerson	204	86	1970	1984	0.450
34	Simeon Rice	174	88	1996	2007	0.450
35	Gino Cappelletti	153	79	1960	1970	0.453
36	Joe Ferguson	186	81	1973	1990	0.454
37	Bert Jones	102	81	1973	1982	0.455
38	Joe Fields	186	80	1975	1988	0.455
39	Harold Carmichael	182	79	1971	1984	0.455
40	Willie Roaf	189	107	1993	2005	0.457
41	Jim Zorn	140	76	1976	1987	0.459
42	David Harris	154	81	2007	2016	0.460
43	Marvin Powell	133	76	1977	1987	0.460
44	Mo Lewis	200	91	1991	2003	0.461
45	Ray Brown	262	82	1986	2005	0.461
46	Tamba Hali	172	77	2006	2016	0.461
47	Warren Sapp	198	120	1995	2007	0.461
48	Lomas Brown	263	95	1985	2002	0.462
49	Matthew Stafford	109	75	2009	2016	0.462
50	Derrick Johnson	167	80	2005	2016	0.464
51	Joey Galloway	198	77	1995	2010	0.464
52	Henry Ellard	228	96	1983	1998	0.466
53	Roger Wehrli	193	82	1969	1982	0.468
54	Greg Landry	146	80	1968	1984	0.469
55	Chad Johnson	166	87	2001	2011	0.469
56	Charley Johnson	165	79	1961	1975	0.471
57	Irving Fryar	255	79	1984	2000	0.471
58	Jimmy Johnson	213	100	1961	1976	0.472
59	London Fletcher	256	97	1998	2013	0.473
60	Rob Burnett	202	81	1990	2003	0.473
61	Harry Carson	173	91	1976	1988	0.474
62	Eddie Meador	163	83	1959	1970	0.474
63	Brandon Marshall	167	83	2006	2016	0.475
64	Mike Munchak	159	91	1982	1993	0.475
65	Deron Cherry	148	75	1981	1991	0.476
66	Chester McGlockton	179	79	1992	2003	0.477
67	Jay Cutler	139	84	2006	2016	0.477
68	Mario Williams	158	76	2006	2016	0.479
69	Russ Washington	200	85	1968	1982	0.479
70	Eric Moulds	186	76	1996	2007	0.480
71	Clay Matthews	278	94	1978	1996	0.480
72	Bill Bergey	159	84	1969	1980	0.481
73	Barry Sanders	153	121	1989	1998	0.482
74	Matt Forte	134	78	2008	2016	0.482
75	Dan Dierdorf	160	77	1971	1983	0.483
76	Albert Lewis	225	80	1983	1998	0.484
77	John Gilliam	151	76	1967	1977	0.485
78	Jim Harbaugh	177	78	1987	2000	0.485
79	Lawyer Milloy	234	79	1996	2010	0.485
80	Steve Largent	200	103	1976	1989	0.485
81	Freeman McNeil	144	78	1981	1992	0.485
82	Dan Fouts	181	122	1973	1987	0.486
83	Jake Plummer	143	77	1997	2006	0.486
84	Larry Grantham	175	85	1960	1972	0.487
85	Joe Namath	140	94	1965	1977	0.487
86	Steve Smith	219	103	2001	2016	0.487
87	Joe Nash	218	76	1982	1996	0.487
88	Junior Seau	268	130	1990	2009	0.488
89	Brian Waters	186	85	2000	2013	0.488
90	Kerry Collins	198	81	1995	2011	0.489
91	Bobby Mitchell	148	88	1958	1968	0.490
92	Deion Sanders	188	117	1989	2005	0.490
93	Jeff Garcia	125	89	1999	2009	0.491
94	Brian Sipe	125	75	1974	1983	0.491
95	Lincoln Kennedy	169	77	1993	2003	0.492
96	James Hasty	206	81	1988	2001	0.493
97	Larry Fitzgerald	202	85	2004	2016	0.494
98	Darrelle Revis	140	89	2007	2016	0.494
99	Jared Allen	187	99	2004	2015	0.495
100	Larry Wilson	169	85	1960	1972	0.496
101	Bruce Matthews	296	135	1983	2001	0.496
102	Clyde Simmons	236	87	1986	2000	0.496
103	Ronde Barber	241	111	1997	2012	0.496
104	Deacon Jones	191	91	1961	1974	0.496
105	Jessie Armstead	176	81	1993	2003	0.497
106	Jim Hart	201	99	1966	1984	0.497
107	Isaac Bruce	223	102	1994	2009	0.498
108	James Brooks	162	84	1981	1992	0.498
109	Keith Fahnhorst	193	75	1974	1987	0.500

As always, please leave your thoughts in the comments.

Tagged as: Joe Thomas

{ 12 comments }