The New Jersey Red Dogs began as quite a promising franchise. They began their first year at 7-1, but lost four of their last five and dropped to a very low playoff seeding. They played at Orlando and lost, 45-37. The Red Dogs set a franchise high by scoring 91 points in their victory over the Texas Terror. In 1998, the Red Dogs lost only two road games and finished at 8-6. They got their first playoff win at Albany, 66-59 and were the only team to win on the road in the playoffs. They would lose in the semifinals to Tampa Bay, 49-23. In 1999, the Red Dogs would miss the playoffs with a 6-8 record. The team lost some close games in the early part of the year, but the margin of loss increased as the year went on. 2000 was an utter disappointmnet as the team only won four games.