NFL
Which NFL Teams Have Never Won the Super Bowl?
Despite making Super Bowl appearances, the teams covered in this article have never had tangible victory.
Dalvin Cook runs the ball against Tyrel Dodson//Getty Images
It has been over 50 years since the NFL and AFL rival football leagues decided to merge and establish the Super Bowl. The Annals of NFL history have showcased memorable Super Bowl matchups, giving rise to legendary performances with some dynasties emerging along the way.
A Super Bowl victory is one of the ultimate tests in the NFL, because it illuminates success. When a team registers a Super Bowl win, it not only announces resilience and dominance, but also becomes immortalized and recognized, as far as achievements in the NFL are concerned. Players and coaches who have helped their teams secure Super Bowl victories are equally recognized and increase their chances of being considered for the Hall of Fame.
For the franchise, a Super Bowl victory generates immense benefits, which include boosting the team’s revenue through ticket and merchandise sales. Generally, the Super Bowl is not just a competitive NFL event; it is a trademark phenomenon that marks generational achievements for players, coaches, and franchises.
The glory of tasting Super Bowl victories remains a far-fetched dream for some teams, while to others, the privilege has narrowly slipped through their fingers. Teams like the Buffalo Bills and Minnesota Vikings have experienced the heartbreak of making 10 Super Bowl appearances with nothing to show for it.
In Super Bowl, the Atlanta Falcons made an early, wide-gapped 28-3 lead that appeared seemingly impossible to close, but unfortunately, they lost to the England Patriots, in a devastating, unexpected comeback. Other teams that have suffered similar agonizing losses, while anticipating for a Super Bowl victory after, making an appearance, include the Cincinnati Bengals, Carolina Panthers, Arizona Cardinals, Tennessee Titans, and Los Angeles Chargers.
Teams like the Jacksonville Jaguars, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, and Houston Texans have never made a Super Bowl appearance, leaving them no chance to be enlisted as teams that have attempted boasting victory of the Lombardy Trophy.
Critical Consensus Table
This table displays ESPN and FoxSports mentions of teams that have never won a Super Bowl
| Team | ESPN Mentions | FoxSports Mentions |
| Arizona Cardinals | Yes | Yes |
| Atlanta Falcons | Yes | Yes |
| Buffalo Bills | Yes | Yes |
| Carolina Panthers | Yes | Yes |
| Cincinnati Bengals | Yes | Yes |
| Cleveland Browns | Yes | No |
| Detroit Lions | Yes | No |
| Houston Texans | No | No |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | Yes | No |
| Los Angeles Chargers | Yes | Yes |
| Minnesota Vikings | Yes | Yes |
| Tennessee Titans | Yes | Yes |
SportsBoom MetaScale: NFL Teams That Have Never Won the Super Bowl
The following MetaScale table ranks teams as per multiple performance metrics, namely, Super Bowl appearances, losses, postseason wins, conference championships, and team longevity.
The MetaScale table evaluates each team based on several weighted factors:
- Super Bowl Appearances (25%)
- Super Bowl Losses (25%)
- Conference Championship Appearances (20%)
- Postseason Wins (15%)
- Team Longevity (15%)
Each team’s total score is calculated based on these metrics, offering a comprehensive view of their historical performance.
MetaScale Table
| Team | Super Bowl Appearances (0-10) | Super Bowl Losses (0-10) | Conference Championship Appearances (0-10) | Postseason Wins (0-10) | Team Longevity (0-10) | MetaScale Score (out of 10) |
| Arizona Cardinals | 7 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 6.8 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 7.4 |
| Buffalo Bills | 10 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 8.8 |
| Carolina Panthers | 7 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 6.8 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 7.4 |
| Cleveland Browns | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 2.6 |
| Detroit Lions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 2.3 |
| Houston Texans | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 1.5 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 3.3 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 6.7 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 10 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 8.6 |
| Tennessee Titans | 7 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 6.8 |
Explanation of Scoring
Super Bowl Appearances (0-10): Team’s ranking is based on the number of Super Bowl appearances, whereby teams with most super Bowl appearances, like Buffalo Bills and Minnesota Vikings ranking the highest due to multiple appearances.
Super Bowl Losses (0-10): The higher the number of losses, the lower the score. Thus, the Buffalo Bills and Minnesota Vikings have four losses, hence the highest scores.
Conference Championship Appearances (0-10): The more frequent the appearances in conference championships, the higher the scores. Teams like the Minnesota Vikings have higher scores due to more appearances in the championships, while teams like Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions score lower due to zero recent conference title appearances.
Postseason Wins (0-10): Teams whose postseason success is consistent, for instance the Buffalo Bills and Minnesota Vikings, rank higher, while those with fewer wins, such as Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions, rank lower.
Team Longevity (0-10): Teams that have been around for longer, such as the Arizona Cardinals and Detroit Lions, benefit from a higher longevity score, reflecting sustained competitiveness over time.
Analysis & Insights
Top Performers
The Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills rank highest on the MetaScale due to their multiple Super Bowl appearances, significant conference championship showings, and relatively long histories in the NFL. Despite their Super Bowl losses, both teams consistently made deep playoff runs.
The Minnesota Vikings are arguably one of the most successful teams to have never won a Super Bowl, despite having more regular-season wins than losses. They have been competitive since the late 1960s and are 0-4 in Super Bowls, all coming during the “Purple People Eaters” era from 1969 to 1976. Minnesota hasn’t been to the Super Bowl in nearly half a century.
The Buffalo Bills are the only NFL franchise to ever reach four consecutive Super Bowls (1990-1993 seasons) but sadly, lost every single one of them.
Buffalo lost a nail-baiter 20-19 against the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXV, with their kicker Scott Norwood missing a 47-yard field goal during the final minute of the game. At Super Bowl XXVI, the Bills were beaten 37-24 by the Washington Redskins before a juggernaut Dallas Cowboys dynasty crushed them in the next two Super Bowls.
The Bills haven’t been back to the Big Game since then despite winning four straight AFC East titles from 2020-2023.
Teams with Consistent Success
The Atlanta Falcons, Cincinnati Bengals, and Los Angeles Chargers stand out due to their steady playoff performances. The Bengals and Falcons have appeared in multiple Super Bowls but were unable to secure the title, similar to the Vikings and Bills.
The Bengals have reached the Super Bowl three times since entering the league in 1970 and made the championship game twice in the 1980s. However, they would lose both games to the San Francisco 49ers.
The Bengals would then wait until 2022 to make another Super Bowl appearance, where quarterback Joe Burrow would lead them to a narrow 23-20 loss against the Los Angeles Rams at Super Bowl LVI.
The Falcons have appeared in two Super Bowls. The first was during the 1998 season where they were whooped 34-19 by the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXXIII.
However, it’s their second Super Bowl appearance at Super Bowl LI that led to a record-breaking loss. The Falcons blew a 28-3 lead against the New England Patriots, only to lose 34-28 in overtime. The Falcons haven’t been back to the postseason since the 2017 campaign.
The Los Angeles Chargers have experienced great success as a franchise, having made the postseason 15 times since 1970 and have been to four AFC championship games. Unfortunately, the Chargers have only appeared to one Super Bowl.
Challenges for Struggling Teams
Teams like the Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, and Houston Texans show a lack of Super Bowl appearances and playoff success. While the Browns and Lions have deep histories in the league, they have struggled to remain competitive in recent decades.
The Cleveland Browns have won many championships as a franchise but no Super Bowls. Cleveland won a championship in its inaugural NFL season in 1950 and again in 1954, 1955 and 1964.
However, it’s been tough sledding since then, with the Browns failing to make the Super Bowl.
The Detroit Lions are one of the oldest franchises in the NFL, having been founded in 1930. What’s rather appalling is that they are yet to make it to the Super Bowl and arguably have the worst postseason résumé in league history.
In 2023, the Lions won their first playoff game since 1992, leading them to historic NFC run as per the franchises expectations. However, it culminated in a loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC championship game.
The Texans, with only 20 years of history, also rank low due to their limited postseason impact.The newest franchise in the league are yet to reach a conference championship and thus have no Super Bowl appearance.
Newer Teams With Potential
The Jacksonville Jaguars, Carolina Panthers, and Tennessee Titans show promise in terms of recent postseason appearances, with the Jaguars even reaching a conference championship in 2017. These teams have experienced growth and could eventually challenge for a Super Bowl in the future.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have had a checkered history since joining the NFL in 1995 as an expansion team. They had immediate success, reaching the playoffs in four of their first five seasons. Jacksonville would see their fortune turn, as they have only made the postseason four times since 2000, never reaching the Super Bowl despite appearing in three conference championship games.
The Carolina Panthers only entered the NFL as an expansion team in 1995, but they’ve reached the Super Bowl twice in their relatively brief existence. Both their losses came at the hands of an all-time great quarterback.
In 2004, Brady and the Patriots outlasted the Panthers, 32-29, in Super Bowl XXXVIII albeit on a last-second game-winning field goal by Adam Vinatieri.
In 2015, NFL MVP Cam Newton inspired them to a 15-1 regular season record and a Super Bowl appearance. However, Peyton Manning’s Denver Broncos crushed Carolina’s dream with a 24-10 victory.
The Tennessee Titans have only reached one Super Bowl. The lone appearance came during the 1999 campaign, when Steve McNair, debatably the franchise’s greatest quarterback, led them to an agonizing 23-16 defeat against the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXIV.
The image of wide receiver Kevin Dyson reaching out at the one-yard line, and coming up short as time ran out, always haunts the Titans fans to this day.
Conclusion
Clearly, NFL teams that have never won a Super Bowl exist, despite their attempts to take home the Vince Lombardy trophy. This data-driven comparison has offered insights into the teams’ historical performance and challenges. The Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills stand out as the most successful teams without a Super Bowl title, with multiple appearances and deep playoff runs. On the other hand, teams like the Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, and Houston Texans face significant hurdles, including a lack of Super Bowl appearances and playoff success. Future success may come for teams like the Jacksonville Jaguars and Carolina Panthers, who have shown recent potential.
Ian Mugo Wanyeki is based in Nairobi, Kenya. He is a sports enthusiast with vast knowledge of different sport disciplines. Ian is a graduate with a Bachelor’s of Science degree from Kenyatta University. He is a Kenyan journalist who’s worked as a sports analyst at Covenant Television Network, as a sports reporter at NTV and as a Sports Correspondent/contributor at Quartz Africa.