NFL teams with most playoff losses since the first Super Bowl
With the NFL playoffs looming, fans across the league, namely those whose teams remain in contention for one of the 14 playoff spots offered, often look back on victorious playoff memories of years gone by.
SK opts to do something a little different...
Which NFL teams have lost the most playoff games in the Super Bowl era (since 1966)?
February 3, 2002: Adam Vinatieri nails a 48-yard field goal on the final play to give the 14-point underdog Patriots a 20-17 win over the St. Louis Rams at Super Bowl XXXVI in New Orleans. https://t.co/CKtnMITgdU
#5 - Los Angles Rams (23)
Of the Rams' 23 postseason losses, 19 have come in Los Angeles to go with another four in St. Louis. Alas, both cities have been forced to deal with heartbreak on the NFL's biggest stage. Though the Gateway City enjoyed a Super Bowl parade after the 1999-2000 season with that legendary win over Tennessee, the start of the New England dynasty two years later put a premature end to the "Greatest Show on Turf". The Los Angeles edition also fell to the Patriots in a 2019 championship rematch, nearly four decades after they fell to another dynasty from Pittsburgh in the game's 14th edition. There's a possibility that the Rams could host the NFL's second straight home team Super Bowl, as the coming championship game is slated to be held in their new Inglewood stomping grounds.
50 years ago today:
Super Bowl III https://t.co/U1fIfKvmuX
#4 - Indianapolis Colts (23)
If not for the Colts' first loss of the Super Bowl era, there might not even be a Super Bowl era: it was their 16-7 defeat at the hands of the New York Jets in the game's third edition (when the team was still based in Baltimore) that proved that the AFL could hang with the NFL, serving as the spark that ignited the leagues' merging shortly after. The Colts have earned two championships since then (respectively beating Dallas and Chicago in 1971 and 2007) but also dropped another against New Orleans in 2010. Time will tell if they'll have a chance to avoid adding to this tally, as they have yet to wrap their 2022 AFC playoff spot.
Super Bowl XXX #Cowboys Larry Brown seals the win with his 2nd interception off #Steelers QB #NFL100 #CowboysNation https://t.co/1O6KejljsQ
#3 - Pittsburgh Steelers (25)
You can win the most Super Bowls, but, alas, you can't win them all. The Steelers are tied with the New England Patriots with six Lombardi Trophies, but have paid a bit of a price for their success with some heartbreaking losses. Two came in the Super Bowl (including the 30th and 45th editions) while their most recent came at the hands of the Cleveland Browns of all teams. The modern Steelers are set to swoop in on the final AFC playoff spot should Indianapolis miss out.
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