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| For some teams, the Vince Lombardi Trophy was kept locked away. |
Some franchises have been lucky where they have to put together runs where they won multiple Super Bowls such as the 1970s Pittsburgh Steelers, the 1980s San Francisco 49ers, and the New England Patriots of the 21st Century.
But other franchises have not been so fortunate as some teams have put together streaks of consecutive winning seasons and playoff appearances, but have failed to win the Lombardi Trophy.
With that in mind, I have come up with a list of what I think are the 25 greatest multi-year team runs in NFL history where a team did not win the Super Bowl during that period.
An example would be the current Kansas City Chiefs, who have had six straight winning seasons and made the playoffs five times, but have yet to reach the Super Bowl.
All the teams on this list had to put together more multiple years of success but never come away with the Lombardi trophy to be "nominated" for this list.
Now that's explained, here is the list:
25. New Orleans Saints(1987-92)
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| The Saints linebacking corps(from left to right) of Pat Swilling, Vaughn Johnson, Sam Mils, and Rickey Jackson of the late 80s and early 90s. |
That changed in 1987 as the Saints went 12-3 to earn their first playoff appearance in team history.
The '87 season was the start of a six-year run where the Saints never finished below .500 and had five winning seasons, with four of those seasons featuring 10 or more wins plus their first division title in 1991.
But despite making the playoffs four times and hosting three playoff games, the Saints never won a playoff game going 0-4 in the postseason.
24. Cincinnati Bengals(2009-15)
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| Marvin Lewis had a 131-122-3 record during his 16 years as the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals. |
Things began to change when Marvin Lewis became the team's head coach in 2003 and the arrival of Carson Palmer at quarterback as the team made the playoffs in 2005 losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Then from 2009-15, the Bengals made the playoffs every year, with the exception of 2010 where they went 4-12, and won the AFC North division three times.
But despite making the playoffs six times, the Bengals never won a playoff game, with three of those coming at home, the most heartbreaking coming in 2015 when the Bengals self-destructed in the final minutes, allowing for the Steelers to kick the game-winning field goal and come away with a 18-16 win.
23. Philadelphia Eagles(1988-92)
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| The Gang Green defense: Clyde Simmons(96), Eric Allen(21), Jerome Brown(99), Seth Joyner(92), and Reggie White(92) |
That expectation came to fruition as the Eagles' defense became one of the best in the league led an awesome defensive line that featured end Clyde Simmons, tackle Jerome Brown, and pass rusher extraordinaire Reggie White.
The defense combined with the electrifying Randall Cunningham at quarterback, the Eagles would win at least 10 games for five straight seasons and make the playoffs all but once(1991) to go along with a NFC East division title in 1988.
Ironically, the Eagles' only playoff win during this time came with Rich Kotite as the head coach after Ryan was fired following the 1990 season, as the Eagles defeated the Saints 36-20 in their 1992 NFC Wild Card game.
However, White would leave the team via free agency and with the death of Brown in a car accident before the 1992 season, plus the decline of Cunningham, the Eagles' run as Super Bowl contenders would come to an end.
22. Atlanta Falcons(2008-12)
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| Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan started all but two games in his first five seasons with the Falcons. |
But with the hiring of Mike Smith as head coach and selection of quarterback Matt Ryan in the first round of the 2008 Draft, the Falcons put together their most successful period in franchise history as they had five winning seasons in a row(the franchise had never had back-to-back winning seasons before Ryan and Smith's arrival), with Atlanta winning at least 10 games in four of those seasons and making the playoffs all four times they won 10 games.
Atlanta won two division titles and finished with the best record in the NFC twice could only muster only playoff victory, a 30-28 win in the 2012 divisional playoffs against the Seattle Seahawks, which was followed by a 28-24 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game where the Falcons blew a 17-point lead and were stopped on 4th & 4 at the 10-yard line in the final minutes of that game.
21. Jacksonville Jaguars(1996-99)
Usually it takes a few years for an expansion team to get into Super Bowl contention, but for the Jacksonville Jaguars it only took til their second season as the team went on a five-game winning streak to end the regular season to finish 9-7 and earn a Wild Card berth as the Jags would upset the Buffalo Bills and the Denver Broncos, before falling to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.
The Jaguars would prove their run in '96 was no fluke as the team would win 10 or more games the following three seasons and win their division in 1998 + 1999.
But the Jaguars were unable to make it to the Super Bowl, with their best chance coming in 1999 as the team finished with the league's best record at 14-2, only to fall to the Tennessee Titans in the AFC Championship Game.
After this loss, Jacksonville would not return to the playoffs until 2005.
20. Los Angeles Rams(1983-89)
Following two straight losing seasons, the Los Angeles Rams hired USC head coach John Robinson to become its head coach before the 1983 season.
The hiring of Robinson and the arrival of running back Eric Dickerson, who would run for nearly 7,000 years over the next four seasons, helped the Rams to four straight playoff appearances including a trip to the 1985 NFC Championship Game which the Rams lost 24-0 to the eventual world champion Chicago Bears.
Following a 6-9 season in 1987 which saw Dickerson traded to the Indianapolis Colts, the Rams would make the playoffs the next two years, transitioning from a run-first team to a pass-happy offense as quarterback Jim Everett would throw for over 8,000 yards over the 1988 and 1989 seasons, leading the Rams to another trip to the NFC Championship Game, only to lose to the San Francisco 49ers 30-3.
After their loss in the '89 NFC Title game, the Rams would not make the playoffs for a decade.
19. Seattle Seahawks(2003-07)
Before the Seahawks went to back-to-back Super Bowls, winning one in 2013, the team's most successful period came between the years 2003 and 2007, where the team made the playoffs five years in a row, winning 4 AFC West division titles, and having three seasons of 10 or more wins.
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| Jaguars quarterback Mark Brunell was selected to the Pro Bowl three times between the years of 1996 + 1999. |
The Jaguars would prove their run in '96 was no fluke as the team would win 10 or more games the following three seasons and win their division in 1998 + 1999.
But the Jaguars were unable to make it to the Super Bowl, with their best chance coming in 1999 as the team finished with the league's best record at 14-2, only to fall to the Tennessee Titans in the AFC Championship Game.
After this loss, Jacksonville would not return to the playoffs until 2005.
20. Los Angeles Rams(1983-89)
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| John Robinson is the winningest coach in Rams history with his 79 wins during his nine-year tenure. |
The hiring of Robinson and the arrival of running back Eric Dickerson, who would run for nearly 7,000 years over the next four seasons, helped the Rams to four straight playoff appearances including a trip to the 1985 NFC Championship Game which the Rams lost 24-0 to the eventual world champion Chicago Bears.
Following a 6-9 season in 1987 which saw Dickerson traded to the Indianapolis Colts, the Rams would make the playoffs the next two years, transitioning from a run-first team to a pass-happy offense as quarterback Jim Everett would throw for over 8,000 yards over the 1988 and 1989 seasons, leading the Rams to another trip to the NFC Championship Game, only to lose to the San Francisco 49ers 30-3.
After their loss in the '89 NFC Title game, the Rams would not make the playoffs for a decade.
19. Seattle Seahawks(2003-07)
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| Matt Hasselbeck went to the Pro Bowl three times during the Seahawks' five-year run. |
The high point of this run came in the 2005 season where led by running back Shaun Alexander's MVP season, the Seahawks won the NFC Championship to advance to their first Super Bowl, only to lose to the Pittsburgh Steelers 21-10.
18. Houston Oilers(1987-93)
For a good portion of the 1980s, the Houston Oilers were one of the worst teams in the NFL, losing at least 10 games four seasons in a row(1983-86) and going 1-8 in the strike-shortened 1982 season.
Fortunes began to change for the Oilers beginning in 1987 as the team, led by quarterback Warren Moon and the run-and-shoot offense, would make the playoffs for the next seven years, winning at least 10 games four times, and winning two division titles.
The Oilers did win three playoff games during this stretch but could never advance past the Divisional Round as the team became known for blowing leads in playoff games from 1991-93, as Houston fell to the Denver Broncos in the 1991 Divisional Playoffs 26-24 after jumping out to a 21-6 lead and losing to the Kansas City Chiefs 28-20 in the 1993 Divisional Playoffs after building a 10-0 lead in the first quarter.
But their most famous loss came in 1992 when the Oilers built a 35-3 lead over the Buffalo Bills, only to give up 35 unanswered points, come back to tie the game with a field goal, only to lose the game in overtime on Steve Christie's 32-yard field goal for 41-38 loss, becoming the victims of the largest comeback in NFL history.
17. Houston Oilers(1975-80)
After 37 years in Houston, the Oilers moved to Tennessee in 1997 and then became the Titans in 1999 with their new stadium in Nashville.
Thanks to quarterback Steve McNair, running back Eddie George, and rookie defensive end Jevon Kearse went 13-3 in 1999 and made it all the way to the Super Bowl, thanks in large part to the "Music City Miracle" which gave them a 22-16 win over the Buffalo Bills in their Wild Card game.
But in Super Bowl XXXIV, the Titans came one yard short of forcing overtime as wide receiver Kevin Dyson, who scored the "Music City Miracle" touchdown was tackled at the one-yard-line as time expired, to hand the Titans a heartbreaking 23-16 defeat at the hands of the St. Louis Rams.
The Titans would win at least 10 games in three of the next four seasons, but never made it back to the Super Bowl, with the closest that they had ever came was 2002 as they made it to the AFC Championship Game, only to be knocked off by the Oakland Raiders.
15. San Diego Chargers(2004-09)
"Martyball" came to San Diego in 2002 and with the selection of LaDainian Tomlinson in the 2002 NFL Draft, head coach Marty Schottenheimer had his man to run his system of a run-oriented offense.
In Schottenheimer and Tomlinson's third year, the Chargers made the playoffs for the first time since 1995, as San Diego complied a 12-4 record to win the AFC West, but would lose to the New York Jets in overtime of their AFC Wild Card Game.
Following a 9-7 season in 2005, the Chargers let quarterback Drew Brees walk in free agency and promoted Philip Rivers, who they had selected in the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft, to the starting quarterback.
All Rivers did was lead the Chargers to their best record in franchise history as the team went 14-2 as Tomlinson scored a NFL record 31 touchdowns and was named the NFL MVP.
But just like two years earlier, the Chargers lost at home, this time to the New England Patriots 20-17 in the Divisional Playoffs, resulting in Schottenheimer's firing and being replaced by Norv Turner.
While the Chargers would finish with a 11-5 record in 2007, they won the AFC West again and advanced all the way to the AFC Championship Game with wins over the Titans and the Colts, only to lose to the Patriots in the AFC Title Game.
That would be as close as the Chargers would come to the Super Bowl during this run as they would win the AFC West the next two years, but would get knocked in the Divisional Round both times.
14. Minnesota Vikings(1992-2000)
Not many stars come out of the NFL Supplemental Draft but that happened in 1985 when the Browns picked Bernie Kosar to be their franchise quarterback.
Teamed with head coach Marty Schottenheimer, the Browns would win the AFC Central the next five years running and would play in the AFC Championship Game three times in four years.
But every postseason would end in excruciating fashion beginning in 1985 when the Browns blew a 21-3 lead in the 1985 Divisional Playoffs to lose the Miami Dolphins 24-21.
The following year, the Browns fell victims to "The Drive" a 15-play, 98-yard touchdown drive directed by Broncos quarterback John Elway which ended with a five-yard touchdown pass to Mark Jackson with 37 seconds left in regulation, sending the game into overtime where Rich Karlis kicked the game-winning field goal to hand the Browns a crushing 23-20 loss.
Things would get not better in 1987 when again the Browns lost to the Broncos in the AFC Title Game, this time in large part to "The Fumble" as running back Earnest Byner lost the football at the Denver two-yard-line as he was going in for the game-tying touchdown.
Then after a 24-23 loss in the 1988 AFC Wild Card Game against the Houston Oilers, the Browns returned the AFC Championship Game and again faced the Denver Broncos and again lost, this time by the score of 37-21.
Since their third AFC Title Game loss in four years, the Browns have only been to the postseason twice(1994, 2002).
12. Pittsburgh Steelers(1992-97)
When he was hired as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1992, not did Bill Cowher have the unenviable task of replacing legend Chuck Noll, who had led the Steelers to four Super Bowl titles back in the '70s, but also restoring the Steelers to Super Bowl contenders after a decade of mediocrity.
In his first six seasons as Steelers head coach, Cowher would coach the Steelers to the playoffs every season, winning at least 10 games in five of those six seasons, and winning five division titles thanks to a power running game and a 3-4 defense that became known as the "Blitzburgh" defense.
The Steelers would play in three AFC Championship Games(all at home in Pittsburgh), but would only win one coming in 1995 after Aaron Bailey could not complete the catch on Jim Harbaugh's Hail Mary pass on the final play of the game.
Pittsburgh would advance to Super Bowl XXX, where they faced the Dallas Cowboys, falling to America's Team 27-17 as quarterback Neil O' Donnell throw two costly second half interceptions that led to two Emmitt Smith touchdown runs.
After the '97 season which ended with a loss to the Broncos in the AFC Championship Game, the Steelers would not make the playoffs again until 2001.
11. San Diego Chargers(1979-82)
Following a 1-4 start to the 1978 season, the San Diego Chargers fired head coach Tommy Prothro and replaced him with Don Coryell who had spent the previous five seasons as the head coach of the Cardinals.
Using an innovative offense that emphasized on the pass more than the run, the Chargers would go 8-3 for the rest of the 1978 season finishing with a 9-7 record.
In the following three seasons, the "Air Coryell" offense led by quarterback Dan Fouts and featuring wideouts John Jefferson and Charlie Joiner plus tight end Kellen Winslow would set numerous offensive records as the Chargers would win the AFC West Division title all three years, going 33-15 during that time.
After a shocking 17-14 loss to the Houston Oilers in their 1979 AFC Divisional Playoff, the Chargers would make it to the AFC Championship Game the next two seasons, but would lose both times, first to the Oakland Raiders 34-27 in 1980, then 27-7 to the Cincinnati Bengals in the "Freezer Bowl" where the game was played with a wind chill of -59 degrees.
The Chargers would go 6-3 in the strike shortened 1982 season, but would be knocked in the Divisional Round by the Miami Dolphins.
It would be 10 years before the Chargers ever returned to the playoffs.
10. Oakland Raiders(2000-02)
After eight straight seasons of missing the playoffs, the San Francisco 49ers hired former Bears and Colts quarterback Jim Harbaugh in hopes of bringing the 49ers back from mediocrity.
Harbaugh did that and more in his first season, leading the 49ers to a 13-3 record, their best record since 1997, and to a dramatic win over the New Orleans Saints in the Divisional Playoffs, sending the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game where they lost in overtime to the New York Giants.
The 49ers came back the next year with a 11-4-1 record, but replaced starting quarterback Alex Smith with Colin Kaepernick late in the season.
Kaepernick would direct the 49ers to a win over the Green Bay Packers in the Divisional Playoffs, thanks to his 444 yards of total offense(263 passing, 181 rushing) and four touchdowns(two passing, two rushing) to send the 49ers back to the NFC Championship Game where they came back from a 17-point deficit to defeat the Atlanta Falcons 28-24 to advance to their first Super Bowl in 18 years.
After falling behind 28-6, the 49ers came back and had a chance to win the game in the final minutes but were stopped on 4th & goal at the five-yard-line on a controversial holding was not called, allowing the Ravens to win the game 34-31.
The 49ers would go 12-4 in 2013, but ended up as a Wild Card and had to win three games on the road to make it back to the Super Bowl.
The 49ers were able to beat the Packers and the Carolina Panthers to advance to their third straight NFC Championship Game, where they faced their division rival the Seattle Seahawks, losing 23-17 when Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman deflected a Kaepernick pass in the end zone that ended up being intercepted by linebacker Malcolm Smith.
The next year, the 49ers would struggle going 8-8 and Harbaugh would leave in the offseason to coach his alma mater, the University of Michigan.
8. Washington Redskins(1971-77)
After five seasons as the coach of the Rams, George Allen left Los Angeles and went to the nation's capital to become the head coach of the Washington Redskins.
Trading his draft picks away for veteran players, Allen built the Redskins into a winner as they would have seven straight winning seasons beginning in 1971, with four of those seasons ending with 10 or more regular season wins.
The "Over-The-Hill Gang" as it became to be known would make the playoffs five times during that seven-year span, making the Super Bowl once following the 1972 playoffs, only to be defeated by the Miami Dolphins 14-7, completing Miami's 17-0 season.
7. Kansas City Chiefs(1989-98)
After leading the Browns to multiple division titles and two trips to the AFC Championship Game(see number 13), Marty Schottenheimer left Cleveland to become the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, a team that had only two winning seasons and made one playoff appearance since 1972.
But under Schottenheimer, the Chiefs had a winning season in all but one of his ten seasons in Kansas City, with six of those seasons where Kansas City won at least 10 games, and made the playoffs seven times.
However, the regular season success did not equate to postseason success as Schottenheimer and the Chiefs went 3-7 during their seven playoff appearances, with two of those wins coming in the same postseason in 1993 when quarterback Joe Montana lead the Chiefs to wins over the Steelers and the Oilers to send the Chiefs to the AFC Championship Game, where they would be defeated by the Buffalo Bills 30-13.
Schottenheimer was let go as head coach of the Chiefs following the 1998 season after winning over 100 games in his 10 years in Kansas City.
6. Philadelphia Eagles(2000-10)
In the first decade of the 21st century, the Philadelphia Eagles were the class of the NFC, as they made the playoffs eight times between the years 2000 + 2010, with seven seasons of at least 10 wins, and six NFC East division titles.
However, the Eagles' biggest nemesis wouldn't be any team, but the NFC Championship Game, a game they reached five times during this 11-year span, but only winning once.
The Eagles' first trip to the NFC Title Game ended with a 29-24 loss to the favored St. Louis Rams, but the next two losses would be gut-wrenching as they lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27-10 in the '02 title game, which was the final game at Veterans Stadium, then lost again at home, this time to the Carolina Panthers 14-3 in '03 title game.
After three straight NFC Championship Game losses, the Eagles would finally win the NFC title in 2004 with a 27-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons to earn Philadelphia its first trip to the Super Bowl in 24 years.
But the Eagles' dreams of a Super Bowl title would be crushed by the New England Patriots as Philly lost 24-21.
Four years later, the Eagles made a surprise run to the NFC Championship Game as the #6 seed in the NFC as they upset the Minnesota Vikings and the New York Giants to take on the Arizona Cardinals.
Once again, the Eagles would one game short of the Super Bowl as they lost 32-25 to the Cardinals.
The Eagles would not return to the NFC Championship Game until 2017 when they defeated the Minnesota Vikings on their way to their first ever Super Bowl title.
5. Miami Dolphins(1981-85)
Between the years of 1981 and 1985, Don Shula proved why he is the winningest head coach in NFL history as he able to evolve his Miami Dolphins team from a run-heavy offense and stingy defense to a pass-happy fast paced offense that resulted in two AFC titles for the Dolphins.
18. Houston Oilers(1987-93)
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| Quarterback Warren Moon was selected to the Pro Bowl every year from 1988 through 1993. |
Fortunes began to change for the Oilers beginning in 1987 as the team, led by quarterback Warren Moon and the run-and-shoot offense, would make the playoffs for the next seven years, winning at least 10 games four times, and winning two division titles.
The Oilers did win three playoff games during this stretch but could never advance past the Divisional Round as the team became known for blowing leads in playoff games from 1991-93, as Houston fell to the Denver Broncos in the 1991 Divisional Playoffs 26-24 after jumping out to a 21-6 lead and losing to the Kansas City Chiefs 28-20 in the 1993 Divisional Playoffs after building a 10-0 lead in the first quarter.
But their most famous loss came in 1992 when the Oilers built a 35-3 lead over the Buffalo Bills, only to give up 35 unanswered points, come back to tie the game with a field goal, only to lose the game in overtime on Steve Christie's 32-yard field goal for 41-38 loss, becoming the victims of the largest comeback in NFL history.
17. Houston Oilers(1975-80)
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| Earl Campbell lead the league in rushing all three years of the Oilers' run from 1978-80. |
Bum Phillips became the head coach of the Houston Oilers in 1975 and lead the Oilers to their first winning season since 1967 as the Oilers finished 10-4, but missed the playoffs(there were only four playoff spots per conference in 1975).
Phillips would lead the Oilers to another winning season in 1977 with a 8-6 record, but again Houston missed the playoffs.
The Oilers needed a dynamic player to take the next step and they got when they selected running back Earl Campbell in the 1978 Draft.
Campbell would lead the league in rushing in his rookie season and helped lead Houston to the AFC Championship Game as a Wild Card as the Oilers beat the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots, only to fall to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship Game.
The Oilers would make the playoffs again in 1979 as a Wild Card and again advanced all the way to the AFC Championship Game, but would lose again to the Steelers, thanks in large part to a controversial no-call on when an incomplete pass was called on what appeared to be the game-tying touchdown as replays showed that wide receiver Mike Renfro caught both feet in bounds with possession of the ball as Houston lost 27-13.
Campbell would rush for nearly 2,000 yards the following season as his 1,934 yards and 13 touchdowns lead the Oilers to their third straight playoff appearance, which this time ended in the Wild Card round as they were defeated by the Oakland Raiders.
Despite leading the Oilers to three straight 10-win seasons, Phillips was fired after the 1980 season, which combined with Campbell's decline due to injuries, lead to the Oilers' six-year run of ineptitude until 1987.
16. Tennessee Titans(1999-2003) |
| Steve McNair(9) and Eddie George(27) were the cornerstones of the Titans' impressive five-year fun from 1999-2003. |
Thanks to quarterback Steve McNair, running back Eddie George, and rookie defensive end Jevon Kearse went 13-3 in 1999 and made it all the way to the Super Bowl, thanks in large part to the "Music City Miracle" which gave them a 22-16 win over the Buffalo Bills in their Wild Card game.
But in Super Bowl XXXIV, the Titans came one yard short of forcing overtime as wide receiver Kevin Dyson, who scored the "Music City Miracle" touchdown was tackled at the one-yard-line as time expired, to hand the Titans a heartbreaking 23-16 defeat at the hands of the St. Louis Rams.
The Titans would win at least 10 games in three of the next four seasons, but never made it back to the Super Bowl, with the closest that they had ever came was 2002 as they made it to the AFC Championship Game, only to be knocked off by the Oakland Raiders.
15. San Diego Chargers(2004-09)
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| LaDainian Tomlinson lead the league in rushing twice(2006-07) and touchdowns three times(2004, 06-07) during the Chargers' six-year run from 2004-09. |
In Schottenheimer and Tomlinson's third year, the Chargers made the playoffs for the first time since 1995, as San Diego complied a 12-4 record to win the AFC West, but would lose to the New York Jets in overtime of their AFC Wild Card Game.
Following a 9-7 season in 2005, the Chargers let quarterback Drew Brees walk in free agency and promoted Philip Rivers, who they had selected in the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft, to the starting quarterback.
All Rivers did was lead the Chargers to their best record in franchise history as the team went 14-2 as Tomlinson scored a NFL record 31 touchdowns and was named the NFL MVP.
But just like two years earlier, the Chargers lost at home, this time to the New England Patriots 20-17 in the Divisional Playoffs, resulting in Schottenheimer's firing and being replaced by Norv Turner.
While the Chargers would finish with a 11-5 record in 2007, they won the AFC West again and advanced all the way to the AFC Championship Game with wins over the Titans and the Colts, only to lose to the Patriots in the AFC Title Game.
That would be as close as the Chargers would come to the Super Bowl during this run as they would win the AFC West the next two years, but would get knocked in the Divisional Round both times.
14. Minnesota Vikings(1992-2000)
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| Cris Carter was selected as a Pro Bowl selection every year from 1993 to 2000. |
In 1992, Dennis Green left Stanford to become the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings.
Over the next nine seasons, the Vikings have eight winning seasons, with four those being of 10 wins or more, and made the playoffs eight times while winning four division titles.
However, the Vikings did not win a postseason game until their fifth playoff appearance under Green when they came back from a 19-3 deficit to defeat the New York Giants 23-22 in the Wild Card round.
The following seasons, the Vikings used their first round pick to select Randy Moss, pairing him up with All-Pro wide receiver Cris Carter and Randall Cunningham, to lead a dynamic offense that scored a then NFL record 556 points during the regular season as Minnesota went 15-1 to finish with the league's best record.
A Super Bowl appearance seemed all but certain especially after dispatching of the Arizona Cardinals in the Divisional Playoffs and then leading 27-20 against the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship Game with over two minutes to go and Gary Anderson, who had not missed a field goal all year long, coming on to attempt a 38-yard field goal that would put the game away.
But Anderson's kick sailed wide left and the Falcons would drive for the game-tying touchdown to send the game into overtime where Morten Andersen would make a 38-yard field goal to give the Falcons a 30-27 win and send Atlanta to the Super Bowl.
Two years later, the Vikings made it back to the NFC Championship Game, this time with a new quarterback in Daunte Culpepper, but were shellacked by the New York Giants 41-0.
The following season, the Vikings would go 5-11 resulting in Green's firing.
13. Cleveland Browns(1985-89)
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| Quarterback Bernie Kosar led the Browns to five straight division titles and three AFC Championship games. |
Teamed with head coach Marty Schottenheimer, the Browns would win the AFC Central the next five years running and would play in the AFC Championship Game three times in four years.
But every postseason would end in excruciating fashion beginning in 1985 when the Browns blew a 21-3 lead in the 1985 Divisional Playoffs to lose the Miami Dolphins 24-21.
The following year, the Browns fell victims to "The Drive" a 15-play, 98-yard touchdown drive directed by Broncos quarterback John Elway which ended with a five-yard touchdown pass to Mark Jackson with 37 seconds left in regulation, sending the game into overtime where Rich Karlis kicked the game-winning field goal to hand the Browns a crushing 23-20 loss.
Things would get not better in 1987 when again the Browns lost to the Broncos in the AFC Title Game, this time in large part to "The Fumble" as running back Earnest Byner lost the football at the Denver two-yard-line as he was going in for the game-tying touchdown.
Then after a 24-23 loss in the 1988 AFC Wild Card Game against the Houston Oilers, the Browns returned the AFC Championship Game and again faced the Denver Broncos and again lost, this time by the score of 37-21.
Since their third AFC Title Game loss in four years, the Browns have only been to the postseason twice(1994, 2002).
12. Pittsburgh Steelers(1992-97)
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| Bill Cowher brought championship expectations back to Pittsburgh when he became the Steelers' head coach in 1992. |
In his first six seasons as Steelers head coach, Cowher would coach the Steelers to the playoffs every season, winning at least 10 games in five of those six seasons, and winning five division titles thanks to a power running game and a 3-4 defense that became known as the "Blitzburgh" defense.
The Steelers would play in three AFC Championship Games(all at home in Pittsburgh), but would only win one coming in 1995 after Aaron Bailey could not complete the catch on Jim Harbaugh's Hail Mary pass on the final play of the game.
Pittsburgh would advance to Super Bowl XXX, where they faced the Dallas Cowboys, falling to America's Team 27-17 as quarterback Neil O' Donnell throw two costly second half interceptions that led to two Emmitt Smith touchdown runs.
After the '97 season which ended with a loss to the Broncos in the AFC Championship Game, the Steelers would not make the playoffs again until 2001.
11. San Diego Chargers(1979-82)
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| Don Coryell brought his pass-heavy to offense to San Diego, which scored over 400 points three straight years(1979-81). |
Using an innovative offense that emphasized on the pass more than the run, the Chargers would go 8-3 for the rest of the 1978 season finishing with a 9-7 record.
In the following three seasons, the "Air Coryell" offense led by quarterback Dan Fouts and featuring wideouts John Jefferson and Charlie Joiner plus tight end Kellen Winslow would set numerous offensive records as the Chargers would win the AFC West Division title all three years, going 33-15 during that time.
After a shocking 17-14 loss to the Houston Oilers in their 1979 AFC Divisional Playoff, the Chargers would make it to the AFC Championship Game the next two seasons, but would lose both times, first to the Oakland Raiders 34-27 in 1980, then 27-7 to the Cincinnati Bengals in the "Freezer Bowl" where the game was played with a wind chill of -59 degrees.
The Chargers would go 6-3 in the strike shortened 1982 season, but would be knocked in the Divisional Round by the Miami Dolphins.
It would be 10 years before the Chargers ever returned to the playoffs.
10. Oakland Raiders(2000-02)
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| Quarterback Rich Gannon went to the Pro Bowl three straight years and won the NFL MVP award in 2002. |
Head Coach Jon Gruden brought the "Commitment to Excellence" back to the Oakland Raiders in the early 2000s, with the help of veteran quarterback Rich Gannon, all-pro cornerback Charles Woodson, and the greatest wide receiver of all time, Jerry Rice.
The Raiders would win 12 games in 2000, the most in a decade, and win the AFC West title to earn their first playoff berth in seven years.
The Raiders beat the Miami Dolphins to advance to the AFC Championship Game where they were stifled by the Baltimore Ravens 16-3.
The following season, the Raiders repeated as AFC West Champions and following a win over the New York Jets in the Wild Card round, earned a trip to Foxboro to face the New England Patriots.
That is when the infamous "Tuck Rule" came to a play when Tom Brady's fumble after a Woodson sack was overturned into an incomplete pass, allowing for the Patriots to come back and defeat the Raiders 16-13 in overtime.
Then in the offseason, Gruden was "traded" to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to become its head coach in exchange for four future NFL Draft picks, two of them in the first round.
Offensive coordinator Bill Callhan replaced Gruden and directed the Raiders to their third straight AFC West title and their trip to the Super Bowl in 19 years as Oakland defeated the Jets and the Titans to earn advance to Super Bowl XXXVII where they would face their former coach Gruden and the Buccaneers.
The Raiders were handily beaten as Gannon threw a Super Bowl record five interceptions, three of them returned for touchdowns, as Oakland lost 48-21.
Since that loss, the Raiders have had only three non-losing seasons and made it to the playoffs only once.
9. San Francisco 49ers(2011-13) |
| Jim Harbaugh rebuilt the 49ers into a Super Bowl contender and come within five yards of a Super Bowl title. |
Harbaugh did that and more in his first season, leading the 49ers to a 13-3 record, their best record since 1997, and to a dramatic win over the New Orleans Saints in the Divisional Playoffs, sending the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game where they lost in overtime to the New York Giants.
The 49ers came back the next year with a 11-4-1 record, but replaced starting quarterback Alex Smith with Colin Kaepernick late in the season.
Kaepernick would direct the 49ers to a win over the Green Bay Packers in the Divisional Playoffs, thanks to his 444 yards of total offense(263 passing, 181 rushing) and four touchdowns(two passing, two rushing) to send the 49ers back to the NFC Championship Game where they came back from a 17-point deficit to defeat the Atlanta Falcons 28-24 to advance to their first Super Bowl in 18 years.
After falling behind 28-6, the 49ers came back and had a chance to win the game in the final minutes but were stopped on 4th & goal at the five-yard-line on a controversial holding was not called, allowing the Ravens to win the game 34-31.
The 49ers would go 12-4 in 2013, but ended up as a Wild Card and had to win three games on the road to make it back to the Super Bowl.
The 49ers were able to beat the Packers and the Carolina Panthers to advance to their third straight NFC Championship Game, where they faced their division rival the Seattle Seahawks, losing 23-17 when Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman deflected a Kaepernick pass in the end zone that ended up being intercepted by linebacker Malcolm Smith.
The next year, the 49ers would struggle going 8-8 and Harbaugh would leave in the offseason to coach his alma mater, the University of Michigan.
8. Washington Redskins(1971-77)
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| Head Coach George Allen with quarterback Billy Kilmer(17) lead the Redskins to their most successful period since the 1940s. |
Trading his draft picks away for veteran players, Allen built the Redskins into a winner as they would have seven straight winning seasons beginning in 1971, with four of those seasons ending with 10 or more regular season wins.
The "Over-The-Hill Gang" as it became to be known would make the playoffs five times during that seven-year span, making the Super Bowl once following the 1972 playoffs, only to be defeated by the Miami Dolphins 14-7, completing Miami's 17-0 season.
7. Kansas City Chiefs(1989-98)
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| Marty Schottenheimer made the Chiefs a constant playoff team and Super Bowl contender when he arrived in 1989. |
But under Schottenheimer, the Chiefs had a winning season in all but one of his ten seasons in Kansas City, with six of those seasons where Kansas City won at least 10 games, and made the playoffs seven times.
However, the regular season success did not equate to postseason success as Schottenheimer and the Chiefs went 3-7 during their seven playoff appearances, with two of those wins coming in the same postseason in 1993 when quarterback Joe Montana lead the Chiefs to wins over the Steelers and the Oilers to send the Chiefs to the AFC Championship Game, where they would be defeated by the Buffalo Bills 30-13.
Schottenheimer was let go as head coach of the Chiefs following the 1998 season after winning over 100 games in his 10 years in Kansas City.
6. Philadelphia Eagles(2000-10)
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| Quarterback Donovan McNabb was named to the Pro Bowl six times during his tenure with the Eagles. |
However, the Eagles' biggest nemesis wouldn't be any team, but the NFC Championship Game, a game they reached five times during this 11-year span, but only winning once.
The Eagles' first trip to the NFC Title Game ended with a 29-24 loss to the favored St. Louis Rams, but the next two losses would be gut-wrenching as they lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27-10 in the '02 title game, which was the final game at Veterans Stadium, then lost again at home, this time to the Carolina Panthers 14-3 in '03 title game.
After three straight NFC Championship Game losses, the Eagles would finally win the NFC title in 2004 with a 27-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons to earn Philadelphia its first trip to the Super Bowl in 24 years.
But the Eagles' dreams of a Super Bowl title would be crushed by the New England Patriots as Philly lost 24-21.
Four years later, the Eagles made a surprise run to the NFC Championship Game as the #6 seed in the NFC as they upset the Minnesota Vikings and the New York Giants to take on the Arizona Cardinals.
Once again, the Eagles would one game short of the Super Bowl as they lost 32-25 to the Cardinals.
The Eagles would not return to the NFC Championship Game until 2017 when they defeated the Minnesota Vikings on their way to their first ever Super Bowl title.
5. Miami Dolphins(1981-85)
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| Head Coach Don Shula consults with quarterbacks Don Strock(10) and Dan Marino(13). |
From 1981-1985, the Dolphins would win at least 10 games every season and win the AFC East each season, with the exception of the 1982 season because it was shortened to nine games because of a players' strike, and made it to the Super Bowl with two very different philosophies.
In 1982, the Dolphins used a ball control offense that ran on 70% of its offensive plays during the season and the league's top defense known as the "Killer B's" because it had seven defensive starters whose last name started with the last name B, to make all the way to Super Bowl XVII, where they would lose to the Washington Redskins 27-17.
The following spring, the Dolphins selected Dan Marino with their first round pick, changing their offensive philosophy as they relied more on the pass.
In just his second season, Marino set then NFL records for completed passes(362), passing yards(5,084) and touchdown passes(48) in leading the Dolphins to their second Super Bowl in three years, only to be defeated by the San Francisco 49ers 38-16 in Super Bowl XIX.
The Dolphins would make it to the AFC Championship Game in 1985 but would be upset by the New England Patriots, then would not make the playoffs again until 1990 as a lack of running game and defense would dog the Dolphins for the rest of Marino's career as he would not return to the Super Bowl.
4. Denver Broncos(1983-91)
In the spring of 1983, the Denver Broncos traded for John Elway after Elway said he was not going to play for the Baltimore Colts even though they selected with the #1 pick in the NFL Draft.
The trade paid off for the Broncos as they would finished with a winning record in seven of the next nine seasons, with 10 of those seasons where the team finished with at least 10 wins.
The Broncos made the playoffs six times during that span, winning five the AFC Western Division five times, and playing in three Super Bowls in four years.
But when it come to the Super Bowl, the Broncos were exposed as a one-man team as they lost those three games by a combined score of 136-40.
Following the 1991 season, the Broncos would go 32-32 over the next four seasons, before beginning a three-year run of double-digit win seasons that culminated with back-to-back Super Bowl wins.
3. Los Angeles Rams(1973-80)
Along with the Dallas Cowboys and the Minnesota Vikings, the Los Angeles Rams were one of the dominant teams in the NFC as they won the NFC West title seven years in a row from 1973-79, winning at least 10 games six years in a row from 1973-78, and appearing in six NFC Championship games.
But the NFC Championship Game would be an albatross for the Rams as they lost their first four appearances in the penultimate game before the Super Bowl, including three in a row from 1974-76 as the Rams fell to the Vikings in '74 & '76, then to the Cowboys in '75 + '78, with both of their losses to Dallas coming at home.
Expectations were low for the Rams entering the 1979 playoffs as they entered with a 9-7 record, their worst since 1972, and backup Vince Ferragammo now starting at quarterback.
But the Rams shocked the world and their fans by knocking off the Dallas Cowboys in the Divisional Round, then defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Championship Game, to finally reach the Super Bowl.
In Super Bowl XIV, the Rams went back-and-forth with the heavily favored Pittsburgh Steelers, as the head changed hands five times with the Steelers ultimately winning 31-19.
The following year, the Rams failed to win the NFC West for the first time since 1972 but still made the playoffs with a 11-5 record, only to be knocked out by the Cowboys in the Wild Card round.
The Rams would then miss the playoffs the following two seasons before hiring John Robinson as head coach in 1983 who would bring the Rams back to their winning ways(see number 20).
2. Minnesota Vikings(1968-80)
Led by the famous "Purple People Eaters" defensive line which featured Hall-of-Famers Carl Eller and Alan Page, plus defensive end Jim Marshall who started a then NFL record 270 straight games, the Minnesota Vikings became a powerhouse in the NFL in the 1970s.
From 1968-1980, the Vikings had 11 winning seasons, seven of those in which they won 10 or more games, and made the playoffs every time they had a winning season as the Vikings won 10 division titles during that span.
In 1969 following a 12-2 season, the Vikings won the NFL championship and earned the right to play in Super Bowl IV to play the AFL champion Kansas City Chiefs in the last Super Bowl before the AFL-NFL merger.
Despite being a double digit favorite, the Vikings were stunned by the Chiefs 23-7 and would not return to the Super Bowl until the 1973 season when Fran Tarkenton had returned to become Minnesota's quarterback after a stint with the New York Giants and the selection of running back Chuck Foreman to give Minnesota a more explosive offense to go along with their stingy defense.
Tarkenton and the Vikings would appear in three Super Bowls in four years, but would lose all three by the combined score of 72-27.
Combine that with their Super Bowl IV loss, the Vikings lost four Super Bowls in eight years and never lead once in any of those games.
1. Buffalo Bills(1990-93)
4. Denver Broncos(1983-91)
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| John Elway lead the Broncos to three Super Bowls in four years in the late 1980s. |
The trade paid off for the Broncos as they would finished with a winning record in seven of the next nine seasons, with 10 of those seasons where the team finished with at least 10 wins.
The Broncos made the playoffs six times during that span, winning five the AFC Western Division five times, and playing in three Super Bowls in four years.
But when it come to the Super Bowl, the Broncos were exposed as a one-man team as they lost those three games by a combined score of 136-40.
Following the 1991 season, the Broncos would go 32-32 over the next four seasons, before beginning a three-year run of double-digit win seasons that culminated with back-to-back Super Bowl wins.
3. Los Angeles Rams(1973-80)
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| Lawrence McCutcheon rushed for 6,186 yards and scored 23 touchdowns during his career with the Rams. |
But the NFC Championship Game would be an albatross for the Rams as they lost their first four appearances in the penultimate game before the Super Bowl, including three in a row from 1974-76 as the Rams fell to the Vikings in '74 & '76, then to the Cowboys in '75 + '78, with both of their losses to Dallas coming at home.
Expectations were low for the Rams entering the 1979 playoffs as they entered with a 9-7 record, their worst since 1972, and backup Vince Ferragammo now starting at quarterback.
But the Rams shocked the world and their fans by knocking off the Dallas Cowboys in the Divisional Round, then defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Championship Game, to finally reach the Super Bowl.
In Super Bowl XIV, the Rams went back-and-forth with the heavily favored Pittsburgh Steelers, as the head changed hands five times with the Steelers ultimately winning 31-19.
The following year, the Rams failed to win the NFC West for the first time since 1972 but still made the playoffs with a 11-5 record, only to be knocked out by the Cowboys in the Wild Card round.
The Rams would then miss the playoffs the following two seasons before hiring John Robinson as head coach in 1983 who would bring the Rams back to their winning ways(see number 20).
2. Minnesota Vikings(1968-80)
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| The Minnestoa Vikings defensive line(From left to right): Alan Page, Jim Marshall, Carl Eller, and Gary Larsen. |
From 1968-1980, the Vikings had 11 winning seasons, seven of those in which they won 10 or more games, and made the playoffs every time they had a winning season as the Vikings won 10 division titles during that span.
In 1969 following a 12-2 season, the Vikings won the NFL championship and earned the right to play in Super Bowl IV to play the AFL champion Kansas City Chiefs in the last Super Bowl before the AFL-NFL merger.
Despite being a double digit favorite, the Vikings were stunned by the Chiefs 23-7 and would not return to the Super Bowl until the 1973 season when Fran Tarkenton had returned to become Minnesota's quarterback after a stint with the New York Giants and the selection of running back Chuck Foreman to give Minnesota a more explosive offense to go along with their stingy defense.
Tarkenton and the Vikings would appear in three Super Bowls in four years, but would lose all three by the combined score of 72-27.
Combine that with their Super Bowl IV loss, the Vikings lost four Super Bowls in eight years and never lead once in any of those games.
1. Buffalo Bills(1990-93)
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| The Buffalo Bills of the early 1990s featured seven hall of famers(from left to right): defensive end Bruce Smith, quarterback Jim Kelly, head coach Marv Levy, general manager Bill Polian, running back Thurman Thomas, wide receiver Andre Reed, and wide receiver James Lofton. |
When it comes to a NFL team putting together consecutive years of success yet not winning a championship, no one comes close to the Buffalo Bills, who lost four Super Bowls in a row in the early 1990s.
The Bills had been one of the worst NFL franchises since the AFL-NFL merger as the team had complied only four winning seasons and made the playoffs three times between 1970 + 1987.
Things began to change in 1988 with head coach Marv Levy at the helm and an offense which featured quarterback Jim Kelly, running back Thurman Thomas, and wide receiver Andre Reed, to go along with a defense which was led by all-pro defensive end Bruce Smith.
The Bills would win 12 games and the AFC East in 1988 advancing to the AFC Championship Game where they lost to the Cincinnati Bengals 21-10.
Two years later, the Bills had become a force with their no-huddle offense and stingy defense to finish with the best record in the AFC with a 13-3 record as Buffalo advanced to their Super Bowl in team history where they were favored to beat the New York Giants.
But Scott Norwood would miss a potential game-winning field goal in the final seconds, giving the Bills a heartbreaking 20-19 loss in Super Bowl XXV.
The Bills would bounce back the following year, finishing with a 13-3 record again and making it back to the Super Bowl, this time losing to the Washington Redskins 37-24 in Super Bowl XXVI.
It appeared the Bills would not make it to a third straight Super Bowl as they finished the 1992 season with 11-5 record, failing to win the AFC East for the first time since in five years, and having Frank Reich start at quarterback as they fell behind the Houston Oilers 35-3 in their AFC Wild Card Game.
But Reich would the Bills on the greatest comeback in NFL history as they would come back to win the game 41-38 in overtime, kickstarting their run to a third straight Super Bowl where they faced the Dallas Cowboys.
Once again, the Bills would lose in the Super Bowl as Buffalo committed a Super Bowl record nine turnovers in a 52-17 rout at the hands of the Cowboys.
The Bills would make it back to the Super Bowl for the fourth straight year, facing the Cowboys in a rematch in Super Bowl XXVIII.
The Bills held a 13-6 halftime lead but on the second play of the second half, Thomas fumbled the football which was returned for a 48-yard touchdown as the Cowboys would outscore the Bills 24-0 in the second half to win the game 30-13 for their second straight Super Bowl title and handing the Bills their fourth straight Super Bowl loss, becoming the first team in pro sports history to its championship game or series four straight times.
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