In the 55 years of the Super Bowl era with the 56th set to culminate this Sunday in Inglewood, California 20 NFL teams have hoisted the Lombardi Trophy. Sundays AFC representative, the Cincinnati Bengals, can become the 21st and heal a 33-year-old scar in the process. (More on that to come.)
Below, we ranked the 12 franchises that havent tasted Super Bowl glory by how close they have come.
How close? About 10 feet.
A Super Bowl ending so famous it quasi-inspired the main plot point from Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.
The underdog New York Giants held the Bills and their K-Gun offense to under 20 minutes of possession of Super Bowl XXV, but it was almost all Buffalo needed. After Thurman Thomas got the Bills down to the 30-yard line, Scott Norwood lined up for a 47-yard field goal with eight seconds left from the right hash mark and pushed it wide right. The laces were, in fact, out.
The Bills lost 20-19, but things may have been different had AP Defensive Player of the Year Bruce Smith knocked the ball out of Giants quarterback Jeff Hostetlers hand while sacking him in the end zone in the first half, rather than just taking the two points for the safety.
Buffalo did make the next three Super Bowls, but didn't come nearly as close to winning. The only lead the Bills held in those games came two years later against the Dallas Cowboys at 7-0 at the Rose Bowl before getting blitzed 52-17.
How close? About 2 feet.
Poor Kevin Dyson. Three weeks after scoring on the Music City Miracle (were not rehashing that here), he came up juuuust short on the final play of Super Bowl XXXIV. The Titans entered their only Super Bowl to date as seven-point underdogs to the then-St. Louis Rams vaunted "Greatest Show on Turf," but Jevon Kearse and the defense held St. Louis out of the end zone until midway through the third quarter.
After erasing a 16-0 deficit to tie the game with 2:12 to go, Tennessee gave up a 73-yard touchdown to Isaac Bruce. But since that drive was just one play, the Titans got the chance to run a two-minute drill and got down to the 10-yard line before Rams linebacker Mike Jones made the tackle on Dyson and dashed their dreams.
Story continues
Kevin Dyson came up less than a yard short of scoring a potential game-tying touchdown on the final play of Super Bowl XXXIV. (Photo by: Tom Hauck /Getty Images).
An oft-forgotten footnote: Titans kicker Al Del Greco missed two field goals that may have altered the calculus of that final drive.
An honorable mention in this category has to go to the 1992 Oilers, who ranked third in the league in points for and against, but famously blew a 35-3 lead to Frank Reich and the Bills in the wild-card round.
How close? 34 seconds.
In Super Bowl XXIII, the Bengals held a 49ers offense featuring Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Roger Craig and John Taylor out of the end zone until the fourth quarter, leading 13-6 at the time. From there, Montana engineered two scoring drives of over 80 yards, relying heavily on game MVP Rice (11 catches, 215 yards and a touchdown). Rice caught a 14-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter and was the decoy running in motion for Taylors 10-yard winning touchdown catch with 34 ticks left. It was Taylors lone catch of the game.
The result is likely very different if not for a dropped interception by Bengals cornerback Lewis Billups in the end zone on the play just before Rices touchdown catch.
How close? 57 seconds and the flip of a coin.
How many 28-3 memes did you share after Super Bowl LI?
As Yahoo Sports' Frank Schwab noted in the aftermath, 16 things absolutely had to go right for the Patriots to pull off the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history, including a strip sack, a two-point trick play and one of the greatest catches ever.
This improbable Julian Edelman reception is just one of 16 things that had to go wrong for the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
James White scored the tying touchdown with 57 seconds left in regulation before the Patriots won the overtime coin toss and marched down the field, culminating in Whites championship-winning 2-yard touchdown run.
How close? 35 seconds and about 1 foot.
Santonio Holmes toe tap is just the latest entry here of an iconic play denying a franchise its first Super Bowl victory, and is deserving of its place in every big-game highlight package youll ever see.
Circumstantially, you can point directly to that play, given that Pittsburgh took a 27-23 lead with 35 seconds left in Super Bowl XLIII. But if you want to talk about high-leverage plays, you need to go back to just before halftime.
Arizona appeared poised to score and go into the break up 14-10, but James Harrison stepped in front of Anquan Boldin to make a goal-line interception and improbably rumble 100 yards breaking four tackles along the way to put the Steelers up 17-7 at halftime, forcing the Cardinals to empty the playbook in their second-half comeback.
How close? Six minutes and 51 seconds.
Super Bowl XXXVIII featured two of the wildest quarters (the second and fourth) that the game has ever seen. Other than that? A whole lotta punts.
Jake Delhomme rallied the underdog Panthers from down 21-10 in the third quarter to a 22-21 edge after an 85-yard touchdown pass to Muhsin Muhammad with 6:51 to go and later tied it at 29 with a 12-yard toss to Ricky Proehl with 1:08 left.
Then Tom Brady marched the Patriots down in whats become an all-too-familiar sight, and Adam Vinatieri added to his Hall of Fame credentials by hitting a 41-yard field goal with four seconds left to seal the win and the Patriots' second Super Bowl title of their first dynastic run.
The Panthers got back to the big game 13 years later, but in Super Bowl 50 Cam Newton made a business decision and Von Miller happened as Carolina was nowhere close in that game.
How close? Well, they got there.
Four times, in fact. But, in those Super Bowl trips (IV, VIII, IX and XI), they couldnt muster a score until the second half of any game, never even tasting a lead. Which is incredible considering the legends they had on the field (Fran Tarkenton, Alan Page, Carroll Dale) and the sideline (Bud Grant) in that era.
Hall of Fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton played in three of the Vikings' four winless Super Bowl appearances in the 1970s. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
The best team the Vikings have fielded in the Super Bowl era by regular season record and statistical rankings was the 1998 outfit featuring a rookie out of Marshall named Randy Moss, a 35-year-old Randall Cunningham experiencing a career renaissance and a kicker in Gary Anderson who was perfect all season and playoffs until he wasnt.
Anderson missed a 39-yard field goal attempt that would have given the Vikings a 30-20 lead over the Falcons with 2:11 remaining in the NFC title game. As it happened, Atlanta tied the game in regulation and won it overtime on a Morten Anderson field goal, and Minnesota fans have been left to wonder how theyd have fared against the defending champion Denver Broncos.
How close? Got to smell the grass.
Its possible that the Chargers were emotionally spent in Super Bowl XXIX, having first mounted a second-half comeback to dispatch the visiting Dolphins in the divisional round, and then rallying from down 10 points on the road at Three Rivers Stadium to beat the Steelers, 17-13, in the AFC title game.
That, or they were simply overmatched by a 49ers team featuring three future Hall of Famers in Steve Young (the games MVP), Jerry Rice and Deion Sanders, not to mention Ricky Watters, who scored three touchdowns.
San Diego got in a 14-0 hole early and never recovered, getting blasted 49-26 in what is their lone Super Bowl appearance to date.
How close? A notch on John Elways comeback belt.
This isnt where the Factory of Sadness started (refer to Red Right 88 for that), but its certainly a significant entry in the book.
Leading 20-13 at home with 5:32 remaining in the 1986 AFC Championship game and having pinned Denver at its own 2-yard line, victory was in sight and optimism was still a thing in Cleveland. Until Elway did what he would become famous for, leading the Broncos 98 yards in 15 plays on "The Drive" and going 6-of-9 through the air to score the game-tying touchdown before Denver won it in overtime.
The Browns would make it back to the AFC title game the very next year against the Broncos in Denver, and appeared to be driving for the winning score late in the fourth quarter until Earnest Byner committed "The Fumble." The Browns havent been that close ever since.
Thank goodness for LeBron James and Kevin Love, right?
How close? A Bill Belichick scowl.
Its hard to believe that just four years ago the Jags held a 10-point lead over the Patriots in the fourth quarter of the AFC championship game at Gillette Stadium, but it did happen. But as happens so often with Emperor Belichick and his Death Star, teams get so taken out of their own scheme by what New England might do that they do everything possible to hand the game over. (See: Falcons, Atlanta and Rams, Los Angeles for more on this phenomenon.)
After going up 20-10, Leonard Fournette only managed just three yards on four carries, Blake Bortles went 5-for-12 for 73 yards and Myles Jack got an unfortunate whistle. Meanwhile, Tom Brady led two surgical scoring drives to send the Patriots to Super Bowl LII.
How close? A hog mauling.
Yep. Weve all heard that stat: Just one playoff win in the Super Bowl era despite having generational talents in Hall of Famers Barry Sanders (1989-1998) and Calvin Johnson (2007-2015). Not to mention Matthew Stafford, who could punch his ticket to Canton with a win over the Bengals this weekend.
The Detroit Lions made the playoffs five times in Barry Sanders' Hall of Fame career, scoring their lone playoff win of the Super Bowl era in the 1991 playoffs, before getting blown out by Washington in the NFC title game. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
The closest the Lions have got to a Super Bowl was a 41-10 drubbing in Washington in the 1991 NFC championship game that really wasnt even that close.
How close? Mahomesd.
The NFLs youngest franchise has made the playoffs six times in its 20 years and the pinnacle so far is a 24-0 lead over the Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round just two years ago. Then the Chiefs woke up, storming to a 28-24 lead by halftime of what would become a 51-31 boat race.
Not much has gone right for the Texans since then, as Bill OBrien traded away wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins the following offseason and then got fired less than a month into the 2020 regular season. Another franchise cornerstone left the building in the 2020-21 offseason when defensive end J.J. Watt asked for and was granted his release. And then came Deshaun Watsons trade demand and subsequent legal issues, which are currently ongoing.
Read this article:
Super Bowl: Ranking Bengals, others by how close to title they've been - Yahoo Sports
- Carmelo Anthony makes the most of his return to the Garden - Yahoo Sports [Last Updated On: January 4th, 2020] [Originally Added On: January 4th, 2020]
- Direct-to-consumer entrepreneur explains the importance of physical stores - Yahoo Finance [Last Updated On: January 4th, 2020] [Originally Added On: January 4th, 2020]
- Inpixon's CEO Nadir Ali Interviewed Today on Yahoo! Finance LIVE On the Move Program - GlobeNewswire [Last Updated On: January 4th, 2020] [Originally Added On: January 4th, 2020]
- We're Denton Dammit: The one where some yahoo takes aim with an air rifle - Denton Record Chronicle [Last Updated On: January 4th, 2020] [Originally Added On: January 4th, 2020]
- Marshawn Lynchs Beast Quake, as told by a Saint who 'melted like soft butter' trying to tackle him - Yahoo Sports [Last Updated On: January 4th, 2020] [Originally Added On: January 4th, 2020]
- 2019 Yahoo Sports MMA Fight of the Year - Yahoo Sports [Last Updated On: January 4th, 2020] [Originally Added On: January 4th, 2020]
- For the Bears and Anthony Miller, the 2020 offseason already feels like dj vu - Yahoo Sports [Last Updated On: January 4th, 2020] [Originally Added On: January 4th, 2020]
- Oscar Colas, the Cuban Ohtani, is coming to MLB and everybody's going to want him - Yahoo Sports [Last Updated On: January 4th, 2020] [Originally Added On: January 4th, 2020]
- Domino's Pizza CEO: A shakeout is coming in the third-party food delivery space - Yahoo Finance [Last Updated On: January 4th, 2020] [Originally Added On: January 4th, 2020]
- Amanda Bynes resurfaces on Instagram with what appears to be a large face tattoo - Yahoo Celebrity [Last Updated On: January 4th, 2020] [Originally Added On: January 4th, 2020]
- One year later, AEW has disrupted pro wrestling and there's no plan to stop - Yahoo Sports [Last Updated On: January 4th, 2020] [Originally Added On: January 4th, 2020]
- Rep. Peter King: There was 'no offensive briefing of Congress' ahead of airstrike that killed Soleimani - Yahoo Finance [Last Updated On: January 4th, 2020] [Originally Added On: January 4th, 2020]
- Can Deshaun Watson rise to the challenge as Texans face Bills on Yahoo Sports app? - Yahoo Sports [Last Updated On: January 4th, 2020] [Originally Added On: January 4th, 2020]
- Sources: Jason Garrett is talking with players as if he's still going to be with the Dallas Cowboys - Yahoo Sports [Last Updated On: January 4th, 2020] [Originally Added On: January 4th, 2020]
- Quarterback Exit Interview: Can Lamar Jackson beat the regression bug? - Yahoo Sports [Last Updated On: January 4th, 2020] [Originally Added On: January 4th, 2020]
- What the Iran strike means for gas prices - Yahoo Finance [Last Updated On: January 4th, 2020] [Originally Added On: January 4th, 2020]
- Carson Wentz faces another 'biggest game' as Eagles face Seahawks on Yahoo Sports app - Yahoo Sports [Last Updated On: January 4th, 2020] [Originally Added On: January 4th, 2020]
- The best fantasy players of the last decade, according to 'The People' - Yahoo Sports [Last Updated On: January 4th, 2020] [Originally Added On: January 4th, 2020]
- Why Trump will lose in 2020 - Yahoo Finance [Last Updated On: January 4th, 2020] [Originally Added On: January 4th, 2020]
- Dalvin Cook's return could be huge for Vikings as they face Saints on Yahoo Sports app - Yahoo Sports [Last Updated On: January 4th, 2020] [Originally Added On: January 4th, 2020]
- Iran has the capability to launch cyber attacks on very short notice, expert says - Yahoo Finance [Last Updated On: January 4th, 2020] [Originally Added On: January 4th, 2020]
- One Million Moms starts petition against 'irresponsible and tasteless' Burger King ad featuring a curse word - Yahoo Food [Last Updated On: January 18th, 2020] [Originally Added On: January 18th, 2020]
- Canada's Trudeau: Iran plane victims would be alive had there been no regional tensions - Yahoo News [Last Updated On: January 18th, 2020] [Originally Added On: January 18th, 2020]
- During impeachment trial, Trump will be chilling in Swiss resort - Yahoo News [Last Updated On: January 18th, 2020] [Originally Added On: January 18th, 2020]
- 10 insights into Netflixs Aaron Hernandez documentary from executive producer - Yahoo Sports [Last Updated On: January 18th, 2020] [Originally Added On: January 18th, 2020]
- Odell Beckham Jr. handing out wads of cash to LSU players is one of the best celebrations ever - Yahoo Sports [Last Updated On: January 18th, 2020] [Originally Added On: January 18th, 2020]
- Why US Attorney General William Barr's attacks on Apple are being ignored by investors - Yahoo Finance [Last Updated On: January 18th, 2020] [Originally Added On: January 18th, 2020]
- How Ed Orgeron persevered through all the jokes, firings and failure to win it all at LSU - Yahoo Sports [Last Updated On: January 18th, 2020] [Originally Added On: January 18th, 2020]
- Chicago Bears get Jake Fromm in the latest Mock Draft from Yahoo Sports - Windy City Gridiron [Last Updated On: January 18th, 2020] [Originally Added On: January 18th, 2020]
- 'Jeopardy! GOAT': James Holzhauer and Ken Jennings battle it out down to the final clue - Yahoo Celebrity [Last Updated On: January 18th, 2020] [Originally Added On: January 18th, 2020]
- Parnas said he is speaking out because he is afraid of William Barr - Yahoo News [Last Updated On: January 18th, 2020] [Originally Added On: January 18th, 2020]
- Robert Downey Jr. explains why he picked 'Dolittle' for his first non-Marvel movie in 6 years - Yahoo Celebrity [Last Updated On: January 18th, 2020] [Originally Added On: January 18th, 2020]
- The economy is continuing to catch up to the stock market: Morning Brief - Yahoo Finance [Last Updated On: January 18th, 2020] [Originally Added On: January 18th, 2020]
- 'You have not seen anything yet,' climate activist Greta says ahead of Davos - Yahoo News [Last Updated On: January 18th, 2020] [Originally Added On: January 18th, 2020]
- Kyrie Irving is back, but what does it mean for the Nets? - Yahoo Sports [Last Updated On: January 18th, 2020] [Originally Added On: January 18th, 2020]
- Rand Paul Slams the Bidens over Alleged Corruption: It Smells to High Heaven - Yahoo News [Last Updated On: January 18th, 2020] [Originally Added On: January 18th, 2020]
- Trump should 'absolutely' get credit for changing the China conversation: analyst - Yahoo Finance [Last Updated On: January 18th, 2020] [Originally Added On: January 18th, 2020]
- Why traders playing oil like its 2010 are 'getting their heads handed to them' - Yahoo Finance [Last Updated On: January 18th, 2020] [Originally Added On: January 18th, 2020]
- Israel's F-35I Adir Is Taking America's Stealth Fighter To A Whole Other Level - Yahoo News [Last Updated On: January 18th, 2020] [Originally Added On: January 18th, 2020]
- Consumers are starting to feel streaming fatigue, analyst says - Yahoo Finance [Last Updated On: January 18th, 2020] [Originally Added On: January 18th, 2020]
- Damn straight the NBA needs him: Why Zion Williamsons debut is so important - Yahoo Sports [Last Updated On: January 18th, 2020] [Originally Added On: January 18th, 2020]
- Baby dies after eating dishwashing powder while mum went on partying spree - Yahoo News Australia [Last Updated On: January 18th, 2020] [Originally Added On: January 18th, 2020]
- A.J. Styles on 2016 WWE debut: 'It couldn't have been any better' - Yahoo Sports [Last Updated On: January 18th, 2020] [Originally Added On: January 18th, 2020]
- Curt Schilling doesn't deserve to be in the baseball Hall of Fame - Yahoo Sports [Last Updated On: January 18th, 2020] [Originally Added On: January 18th, 2020]
- Trump's Apple threat would put every iPhone on Earth at risk - Yahoo Finance [Last Updated On: January 18th, 2020] [Originally Added On: January 18th, 2020]
- Crypto Exchange Binance to Partner With Yahoo's Japanese Divisions - Bitcoinist [Last Updated On: January 18th, 2020] [Originally Added On: January 18th, 2020]
- Verizon introduces OneSearch a new privacy-focused search engine - The Verge [Last Updated On: January 18th, 2020] [Originally Added On: January 18th, 2020]
- Trump has discredited the American experiment: Robert Kennedy Jr. - Yahoo Finance [Last Updated On: January 18th, 2020] [Originally Added On: January 18th, 2020]
- Shopify, Bed Bath & Beyond, Google, Apple: Companies to Watch - Yahoo Finance [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2020] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2020]
- Trump is elevating judges who could gut the Voting Rights Act - Yahoo News [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2020] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2020]
- Tesla Bruises Another Hedge Fund With Bearish GMT Facing Losses - Yahoo Finance [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2020] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2020]
- How to fix the Lions: Keep Matthew Stafford and draft Tua Tagovailoa - Yahoo Sports [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2020] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2020]
- Lululemon exec: Mental health is the 'next major step in our journey' - Yahoo Finance [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2020] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2020]
- How Barbie has survived for over 60 years in a 'volatile' toy industry - Yahoo Finance [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2020] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2020]
- Olivia Wilde wants to change the way sex scenes are filmed: 'Demand this new standard' - Yahoo Celebrity [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2020] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2020]
- Did Iran Manage to Find a Weak Spot in the F-35's Stealth? - Yahoo News [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2020] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2020]
- Cans suck the THC buzz out of pot drinks. Where does that leave Canopy Growth? - Yahoo Sports [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2020] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2020]
- Coronavirus updates: The latest from around the world - Yahoo Finance [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2020] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2020]
- The 10 richest Americans are just beginning to take sides in the 2020 presidential race - Yahoo News Canada [Last Updated On: February 24th, 2020] [Originally Added On: February 24th, 2020]
- Coronavirus in China may have severely stunted one of Walmart's hottest businesses - Yahoo Finance [Last Updated On: February 24th, 2020] [Originally Added On: February 24th, 2020]
- 3 NFL teams that should try to sign Teddy Bridgewater - Yahoo Sports [Last Updated On: February 24th, 2020] [Originally Added On: February 24th, 2020]
- Kate Middleton Is Reportedly 'So Happy' to Have More Royal Duties - Yahoo Lifestyle [Last Updated On: February 24th, 2020] [Originally Added On: February 24th, 2020]
- Lakers eke out win over Celtics by a pinkie - Yahoo Sports [Last Updated On: February 24th, 2020] [Originally Added On: February 24th, 2020]
- Pope appears to give thumbs down to Trump's Mideast peace plan - Yahoo News [Last Updated On: February 24th, 2020] [Originally Added On: February 24th, 2020]
- The 'skull breaker challenge' is trending on TikTok. Why doctors say it could be fatal. - Yahoo Food [Last Updated On: February 24th, 2020] [Originally Added On: February 24th, 2020]
- Packers aggressively committed to bringing future NFL draft to Green Bay - Yahoo Sports [Last Updated On: February 24th, 2020] [Originally Added On: February 24th, 2020]
- What will the coronavirus do to cruise ships - Yahoo Finance [Last Updated On: February 24th, 2020] [Originally Added On: February 24th, 2020]
- Tyson Fury holds all the power in heavyweight division after crowning performance - Yahoo Sports [Last Updated On: February 24th, 2020] [Originally Added On: February 24th, 2020]
- Warren Buffett reveals a big change to this year's annual shareholder meeting - Yahoo Finance [Last Updated On: February 24th, 2020] [Originally Added On: February 24th, 2020]
- Coronavirus, consumer sentiment, GDP, retail earnings: What to know in the week ahead - Yahoo Finance [Last Updated On: February 24th, 2020] [Originally Added On: February 24th, 2020]
- Rohrabacher tells Yahoo he discussed pardon with Assange for proof Russia didn't hack DNC email | TheHill - The Hill [Last Updated On: February 24th, 2020] [Originally Added On: February 24th, 2020]
- Yahoo Sports rips on Indy, arguing All-Star Game should be moved - Fox 59 [Last Updated On: February 24th, 2020] [Originally Added On: February 24th, 2020]
- Here's what makes the coronavirus similar to and deadlier than SARS - Yahoo Finance [Last Updated On: February 24th, 2020] [Originally Added On: February 24th, 2020]
- Pete Davidson Revealed Why He and Kaia Gerber Broke Up - Yahoo Lifestyle [Last Updated On: February 27th, 2020] [Originally Added On: February 27th, 2020]
- Beyond Meat, Best Buy earnings: What to know in markets Thursday - Yahoo Finance [Last Updated On: February 27th, 2020] [Originally Added On: February 27th, 2020]
- Lost ancient kingdom uncovered in Turkey after farmer finds stone with strange inscriptions - Yahoo News UK [Last Updated On: February 27th, 2020] [Originally Added On: February 27th, 2020]
- No, the Astros' league-leading HBPs in spring training are not retaliation for their cheating - Yahoo Sports [Last Updated On: February 27th, 2020] [Originally Added On: February 27th, 2020]
- The 25 best-performing large cities in the US: Milken Institute - Yahoo Finance [Last Updated On: February 27th, 2020] [Originally Added On: February 27th, 2020]
- Yahoo Sports rips on Indy, urging for All-Star game to be moved - CBS 4 Indianapolis [Last Updated On: February 27th, 2020] [Originally Added On: February 27th, 2020]
- Joe Burrow's hand measurement is going to be a big topic of conversation - Yahoo Sports [Last Updated On: February 27th, 2020] [Originally Added On: February 27th, 2020]