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That would have been during the strike season of 1982. Only 9 games were played during the regular season and the NFL expanded to playoffs to include 8 teams per conference. This was the only season a team with a winning percentage under .500 made the playoffs (the Lions and Browns were both 4-5). Since the NFL went to a 16 game schedule in 1978, other than the 1982 strike season the fewest games a playoff team has won is 8.
In a non-strike season prior to 2010 no team below .500 has made the playoffs. In 1982, a strike wiped out 7 games of the regular season and the NFL decided to allow 8 teams from each conference to make the playoffs in the hopes that the owners could recoup some of the lost money. Both the Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions made the playoffs with a record of 4-5 and lost in the first round.
The Cincinnati Bengals have been to the playoffs 8 times: 1970, 1973, 1975, 1981, 1982, 1988, 1990, 2005
San Francisco 49ers. Made the superbowl (and won it) in 1981-1982. Next season they had a 3-6 record in a strike shortened season.
Sometimes games that are rained out are not made up if they have no bearing on the final season's standings. That would make it possible to play in 160 or 161 games in a season yet play in every game that the team played for the season.