NFL teams with most playoff losses since the first Super Bowl

Upset fans of the Minnesota Vikings seen in 2005 (Photo: Getty)

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)?

#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.

#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.

#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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Also check out: Green Bay Packers Playoff History, Appearances, Wins and more

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NFL rivals from the NFC top the list

#2 - Dallas Cowboys (28)

Dallas fans will endlessly boast about their team's NFL championships...five Super Bowl wins to be exact...but the modern endeavors of America's Team have left much to be desired. The Cowboys have surprisingly struggled to get past the NFC Divisional round, having come up bare since their last Lombardi Trophy hoist in 1996. As the winners of the NFC East, Dallas will have another chance to break that streak this year...or extend it in heartbreaking fashion: five of their last six NFL playoff losses (the last being a 2019 Divisional loss to the aforementioned Rams) have come by eight points or less.

#1 - Minnesota Vikings (30)

Say what you will about the Browns, Jets, and Lions: they often rip your heart out long before the playoffs. The same can't be said about the hapless Vikings, the only team on this list that doesn't even have the comfort of a Super Bowl victory. It's of little consolation, but the Vikings (who won't appear in the 2022 postseason) own the most championship appearances and division titles (as well as the best win percentage) without a Lombardi Trophy raise, as well as the best win percentage amongst vacant trophy cases. Minnesota has been to four Super Bowls, the last coming in 1977. Poor luck, namely in the form of missed field goals (Blair Walsh's during the 2018 NFC Wild Card is seen above) has followed the Vikings ever since.