What NFL Teams Never Won the Super Bowl?
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The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league. The Super Bowl is the biggest and most important game of the year, so it’s no surprise that every team wants to win it. However, there are a few teams that have never won the Super Bowl.
The Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league’s American Football Conference (AFC) East division. They play their home games at New Era Field in Orchard Park, New York. The Bills are the only NFL team that plays its home games in the state of New York. They also maintain a unique arrangement with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The Bills began play as an original AFL franchise in 1960. The club joined the NFL as part of the AFL–NFL merger for the 1970 season.
The Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football franchise based in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league’s American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Their home stadium is Paul Brown Stadium in downtown Cincinnati.
The Bengals were founded in 1967 as an expansion team, and first competed in 1968. The Bengals fared poorly in their early years, compiling just four winning seasons from 1968 to 1981. Since then they have been consistent contenders, reaching the playoffs nine times in the past 20 seasons; they haven’t had a losing season since 2002. However, the Bengals have yet to win a playoff game since 1990, and have only won two playoff games ever—both times coming against the Houston Oilers (now the Tennessee Titans). They are one of only five teams to make it to Super Bowls XVI and XXIII and lose both times.
The Cleveland Browns
One of the original eight AFL teams, the Browns have never won a Super Bowl and only appeared in one, Super Bowl VIII. The Browns have had some great teams throughout their history. Led by head coach Paul Brown, the Browns were the first team to win three consecutive championships in the AAFC (All-American Football Conference), winning championships in 1946, 1947, and 1948. The Browns also won NFL championships in 1950, 1954, 1955, and 1964. The Browns have had some great players throughout their history as well, including Jim Brown, Ozzie Newsome, Bernie Kosar, and more recently Joe Thomas and Josh Cribbs.
The Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions have never won a Super Bowl. They have been to the playoffs 10 times, most recently in 2016, but they have never made it to the big game. The Lions have a long history of futility, dating back to their days as the Portsmouth Spartans. They are one of only a handful of teams to never have won a championship, along with the Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans.
The Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans
The Houston Oilers were a professional football team that played in the National Football League (NFL) from 1960 to 1996. The team was based in Houston, Texas, and played its home games at the Astrodome and Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. The Oilers competed in the NFL as a member club of the league’s American Football Conference (AFC) West division from 1970 to 1996.
The Oilers began play in 1960 as a charter member of the American Football League (AFL). The team won two AFL championships before joining the NFL as part of the AFL–NFL merger in 1970. The Oilers appeared in the AFC Championship Game twice and logged 13 seasons of winning 12 or more games, which included five consecutive seasons (1978–82) with at least 10 wins and six playoff appearances. However, the Oilers never reached the Super Bowl during their time in Houston; their best chance came following the 1980 season when they advanced to AFC Championship game, only to lose 27–13 to eventual Super Bowl XV champion Oakland Raiders.
The Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are one of the NFL teams that have never won the Super Bowl. They have only been to the playoffs 10 times and their best season was in 1999 when they went 14-2.
The Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League (NFL) as an expansion team in 1960, and first took the field for the 1961 season. The team competes in the National Football Conference (NFC) North division.
The Vikings have played in four Super Bowls, but lost each one. They have had one of the most successful regular seasons in NFL history, winning 15 division championships, four conference championships, and 20 playoff appearances. However, they have never won a Super Bowl.
The Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are one of the most successful teams in the NFL, winning 13 divisional championships and three conference championships. However, they have never won the Super Bowl. The Eagles have made it to the big game twice, but lost both times- first to the Oakland Raiders in 1980 and then to the New England Patriots in 2004.