The countdown is finally complete. Here are the 5 greatest teams since 1997 to never win a Super Bowl.
If you missed out on the first two articles, here’s a link for teams 15-11 and 10-6. With that said, let’s get to the final 5.
5. 2012 San Francisco 49ers
Regular season record: 11-4-1
Key Contributors: QB Colin Kapernick, QB Alex Smith, LB Patrick Willis, LB NaVorro Bowman, EDGE Aldon Smith, DE Justin Smith, RB Frank Gore, WR Michael Crabtree, TE Vernon Davis
Signature wins:
- vs 11-5 SEA (13-6)
- vs 10-6 CHI (32-7)
- at 12-4 NE (41-34)
- at 13-3 ATL (28-24)
- 2-0 vs 11-5 GB
Why they should have won it all: This era of 49ers football goes under the radar for how dominant they were. 3 straight NFC Championship appearances with two different starting QB’s. 2012 was actually the year where they finished with the worst record in this time span.
But, the way they played down the stretch was about as good as I have seen any team play. They finished as a top 3 defense and had the most well-rounded defense in the league at the time.
The backbone of this team was this nasty front 7 unit. Aldon Smith had 19.5 sacks and 3 forced fumbles off the edge, while Patrick Willis and NaVorrow Bowman combined for 268 tackles.
Offensively, we saw a rushing attack that took the league by storm led by Frank Gore and Colin Kaepernick. Both of these guys put out a rushing performance for the ages against the Packers in the Divisional Round. Kaepernick had 181 rushing yards with 2 touchdowns (444 total yards with 4 touchdowns), while Gore had 119 with one touchdown.
With an elite defense, an emerging offense, and veterans all over the field it felt as if the Niners could not be touched in this season.
Why they lost it all: A brutal start to this game, in which they were outplayed in all phases of the game. Offensively. Defensively. And yes, special teams. All of these major plays built up to a 28-6 defect for the 49ers at the beginning of the second half.
But this game was a tale of two halves. The Niners would flip the switch and outscore the Ravens 25-6 after the Jacoby Jones TD return. Frank Gore would finish with 100+ yards once again, while Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis recorded 100+ receiving yards as the offense came storming back. They had their chance to win it late, but came up 5 yards short of their 6th Super Bowl title.
4. 1998 Minnesota Vikings
Regular season record: 15-1
Key Contributors: WR Randy Moss, WR Cris Carter, QB Randall Cunningham, RB Robert Smith, DE John Randle, MLB Ed McDaniel, CB Jimmy Hitchcock, LG Randall McDaniel, LT Todd Steussie, C Jeff Christy
Signature wins:
- at 10-6 DAL (46-36)
- vs 11-5 JAX (50-10)
- vs 9-7 ARZ (41-21)
- 2-0 vs 11-5 GB
Why they should have won it all: One of the most explosive offenses in NFL history led by a rookie Randy Moss. Moss came in year 1 and made a huge impact right away with 17 touchdowns (the most by a rookie in NFL history). The addition of Moss transformed the Vikings from a middling team to one of the premier teams in the NFL.
The Vikings also had a trio of talented veterans on offense in Randall Cunningham, Cris Carter, and Robert Smith. This stacked offense scored 30+ points in 12 of 18 games en route to a 15-1 regular season.
On the defensive side, Hall of Famer John Randle led a stout defensive line with 10.5 sacks and 3 forced fumbles. The secondary is a unit that gets lost with all these talented players. Regardless, they allowed the 3rd fewest passing touchdowns in the league led by Jimmy Hitchcock who had a league leading 3 pick sixes.
As much as they get remembered for their offense, the 98 Vikings were a truly complete team. And with one quarter to play in the NFC Championship, they were staring a Super Bowl appearance dead in the eyes.
Why they lost it all: Everybody remembers this loss by the shanked Gary Anderson field goal. But, it was a little more than just that. The Vikings had a 27-17 lead in the fourth quarter, when all 3 phases of the game collapsed.
The secondary which had played great all year, allowed a 70 yard completion to Tony Martin which set up the Falcons to trim the lead. Randall Cunningham would fumble a few drives later, and wasted an opportunity to bleed the clock.
And of course, the always reliable Gary Anderson missed his first kick in over a year that would have given the Vikings a 10 point lead with 2:07 to go. This allowed the Falcons to go down the field and tie up the game and send it to overtime.
The historic Vikings offense had not one but two chances in overtime to win the game. Randall Cunningham finished the OT period 2 for 7 with 23 yards, while Randy Moss was held to just one catch for 4 yards in the final 25 minutes of the game.
Gary Anderson’s missed kick will usually dominate the headlines from this game, but the Vikings did get 3 more chances to close out this game afterwards. And did nothing with those chances.
3. 2010 New England Patriots
Regular season record: 14-2
Key Contributors: QB Tom Brady (MVP), RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis, WR Wes Welker, TE Rob Gronkowski, TE Aaron Hernandez, CB Devin McCourty, DT Vince Wilfork, LB Jerod Mayo, SS Patrick Chung
Signature wins:
- vs 11-5 NYJ (45-3)
- at 12-4 PIT (39-26)
- vs 12-4 BAL (23-20)
- vs 10-6 IND (31-28)
- at 11-5 CHI (36-7)
- vs 10-6 SB Champs GB (31-27)
Why they should have won it all: This version of the Patriots may not be the most infamous or well-known, but they should be up there. First off, they have wins over all four teams that made the conference championship games in 2010. Also add on a win against Ray Lewis and the Ravens and a Peyton Manning-led Colts team.
The Patriots beat all of the best teams that 2010 had to offer. They had even 6 wins by 21+ points, which goes to show they were not just holding on in these games. They were beating up teams with relative ease.
This offense played at a historic level, despite trading Randy Moss early in the season. Their offense finished with the 2nd highest DVOA percentage in NFL history (behind another team on this list).
As efficient as they were, not one receiver recorded 1000 yards in this season. Instead, they had 4 players record 500+ yards and 5+ touchdowns. The rookie TE duo of Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez were big time red zone threats, while Wes Welker continued to be Brady’s favorite target.
Another rookie that stepped up in a massive way was Devin McCourty, who had 7 interceptions and 17 passes defended. Jerod Mayo and Patrick Chung were young defensive studs who made a massive impact on the foundation of this team.
Why they lost it all: 4 letters.
Yes, the same team that the 2010 Patriots dominated on Monday night by a score of 45-3, is the same team that sent them packing. This record breaking Patriots offense mustered up just 3 points in the first 44 minutes of this game.
It was an uncharacteristically sloppy performance by the Patriots. They had 6 penalties, Brady throws an interception on the first drive, Alge Crumper drops a touchdown grab in the first quarter. This allowed the Jets to play from an advantage for the majority of the game.
The receivers could not stretch the field against a great secondary, and had just two plays of 25+ yards. Their biggest issue on this cold January day in 2011, was the inability to capitalize on long drives. Here is how the 3 longest drives of the day went for the Pats:
- 14 plays, 48 yards, 7:45 – Turnover on downs
- 11 plays, 63 yards, 4:32 – Field Goal
- 8 plays, 56 yards, 4:13 – Interception
I don’t care who you are, eating up a quarter’s worth of possession and only having 3 points to show is not winning football. Of course, Brady and Belichick would eventually get back to the promised land (only 5 more times). But, this dominating 2010 regular season resulted in a disappointing one and done effort by the Patriots.
2. 2001 St. Louis Rams
Regular season record: 14-2
Key Contributors: QB Kurt Warner (MVP), RB Marshall Faulk, WR Torry Holt, WR Isaac Bruce, LT Orlando Pace, RG Adam Timmerman, MLB London Fletcher, DE Leonard Little, CB Aeneas Williams, DB Dre’ Bly
Signature wins:
- vs 11-5 MIA (42-10)
- at 10-6 NYJ (34-14)
- vs 12-4 GB (45-17)
- at 11-5 SB Champs NE (24-17)
- 2-0 against 11-5 PHI
- 2-0 against 12-4 SF
Why they should have won it all: Before Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, there was Kurt Warner and the Greatest Show on Turf. This team is loaded with Hall of Famers and was in the midst of a dominating run in the NFC. They had won a Super Bowl two years earlier and pulled off the best record in franchise history in 2001.
Kurt Warner pulled off his 2nd MVP in 3 years, Marshall Faulk led the league in yards per game (98.7), and the Rams featured the best WR duo in the NFL (Holt/Bruce). And to top it off, the Rams became the first team in NFL history to score 500 points in three consecutive seasons.
We know how great the offense was, but this defense definitely deserves more love for being a championship caliber unit. They allowed 20 or fewer points in 12 games and finished the season ranked 3rd in total defense. This was a unit that found the ball at all times, finishing the season with 21 interceptions on the year.
Another key to a great team, is beating other great teams. At this point their biggest competition were the 49ers, Packers, and Eagles. In 2001, the Rams went 5-0 against these teams, while also notching a regular season win over the Patriots.
Why they lost it all: Tom Brady and Bill Belichick have their fingerprints all over the final 3. But to answer the question, the Greatest Show on Turf forgot to play their tune in the first three quarters. 3 points, a pick 6 by Kurt Warner, and 3 sacks allowed all led to a 17-3 deficit to overcome.
They did eventually wake up, and had themselves a fantastic fourth quarter. Two touchdowns in 3 drives. The big one happened with the game on the line when Kurt Warner connected with Ricky Proehl on a 26 yard touchdown that tied the game with just under 2 minutes left to play.
Kurt Warner was 11 for 16 with 160 yards and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. The defense forced two 3 and outs. It is weird to say a team that lost played clutch, but the Rams did just that. The Rams seemingly had this game under control and heading for the first OT in Super Bowl history.
Until the final drive, in which Tom Brady led his first of many game winning Super Bowl drives.
1. 2007 New England Patriots
Regular season record: 16-0
Key Contributors: QB Tom Brady (MVP), WR Randy Moss, WR Wes Welker, LB Mike Vrabel, LB Tedy Bruschi, LB Junior Seau, SS Rodney Harrison, DT Vince Wilfork, CB Asante Samuel, CB Ellis Hobbs, RB Lawrence Maloney
Signature wins:
- 2-0 vs 11-5 SD
- vs 10-6 CLE (34-17)
- at 13-3 DAL (48-27)
- at 13-3 IND (24-20)
- at 5-11 BAL (27-24)
- vs 10-6 PIT (34-13)
- vs 11-5 JAX (31-20)
- at 10-6 SB Champs NYG (38-35)
Why they should have won it all: The only team to ever finish a regular season 16-0, a defense loaded with hall of fame talent, and the greatest QB/head coach duo in NFL history. Simply put, the 2007 Patriots are the greatest team to not win a Super Bowl trophy.
They kicked off the season by winning 7 of their first 8 games by 20+ points and scoring 34+ points in all 8 of those games. Tom Brady and Randy Moss both broke the touchdown records for their respective positions. Mike Vrabel led a great defensive unit with 12.5 sacks, while Asante Samuel had 6 interceptions.
Of course, veterans such as Junior Seau, Tedy Bruschi, Vince Wilfork, and Rodney Harrison all had their presence felt through the course of this season.
Some great teams came to play against these Patriots and all went home with the same result. Hall of fame talent such as Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, Ray Lewis, LaDainian Tomlinson lined up against New England. All were on the opposite end of a Patriots victory in 2007.
If there is any game you wanna go back and check out from this historic Patriots run, I would highly recommend the Monday Night game against the Ravens.
We eventually got to the point where the undefeated Pats faced off against an underdog Giants team that came off the heels of three straight road playoff wins. The Patriots had the chance to be the first 19-0 team in NFL history. And of course history was made. Just not in the way New England expected.
Why they lost it all: Throughout this list there has been a trend. Many of the teams listed had dominant offenses. But when we got to the finishing line, these offenses collapsed. In this case we saw a Patriots team score under 20 points for the first time all season.
After a touchdown on the first drive, the Patriots would either punt, fumble, or turnover the ball on downs on the following 6 drives. Tom Brady finished 29 for 48 with 266 yards, and was sacked 5 times. The rushing attack led by Laurence Maroney and Kevin Faulk averaged just 2.8 yards per carry.
Despite the slow offensive showing, the defense stepped up and kept the Giants in check holding them to 3 points in the first 3 quarters. Adalius Thomas stepped up with 2 sacks and a forced fumble.
There are a few plays in the second half I want to key in on. With 6:49 left in the 3rd quarter, the Patriots were up 7-3 facing a 4th and 13 from the Giants 31. Instead of taking the field goal, they went for it on this deep distance. They would come up short and turn the ball over. It is really an interesting decision that gets lost in the hysteria of the 4th quarter.
Of course, the defining play of this game is the David Tyree helmet catch. This play is one of the most improbable in NFL history. Just think about the things that needed to happen. Eli had to escape the grasp of Richard Seymour, make a deep throw, Tyree had to grab the ball at the high point, and come down cleanly. It all happened and set up the Plaxico Burress walk in touchdown that capped off the biggest upset in NFL history.
There you have it, these were the best teams to not win a championship. What do you think about the list? Was there any team I overrated? Underrated? Let me know what you think on Twitter @James_Costanz.
