Next Sunday, we will crown the winner of Super Bowl LIX between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs. Regardless of the outcome, the winner will be the World Champion for the second or fourth time in franchise history. It means that the drought for 12 franchises will continue into the 2025 season. However, not all futility can be considered equal, and in this article, we will tell you the top 5 fanbases that are the most heartbroken who have never won the Lombardi Trophy.
Number 5- Atlanta Falcons: the Cincinnati Bengals would feature at number 6 if this were extended by one spot. The Bengals have made three appearances in the Super Bowl and lost all three by 5 points or less to NFC West opponents. However, they fall just behind the Falcons in the pecking order. Atlanta’s first appearance was in Super Bowl XXXIII when they lost 34-19 to John Elway and the Denver Broncos in a wire-to-wire defeat. However, they made this list because they suffered the biggest collapse in the history of the Super Bowl. In their second appearance in Super Bowl LI, the Falcons led 28-3 in the third quarter to allow the Patriots to score 31 straight points. It was a stunning turnaround given their inability to stop the Patriots, move the football on offense, and run the football to chew out the lock. The Patriots forced turnovers and made contested catches to complete an astonishing comeback in overtime.
Number 4: Detroit Lions- Last season, the Lions ended a thirty-year drought by winning the NFC North division. Unfortunately, the season ended with a crushing loss in the NFC Championship Game after leading 24-7 on the road in San Francisco. This season, the Lions were the pacesetters in the NFC through a 15-2 record. It allowed them to have home-field advantage in the playoffs. After getting the bye from the Wild Card round, the Lions face the young but impressive Commanders in the Divisional round. The Lions were sloppy to turn the ball over 5 times and got outplayed on defense by rookie Jayden Daniels. It was a damaging loss given the departure of their Offensive and Defensive Coordinator, Ben Johnson and Aaron Glen to the Chicago Bears and New York Jets. The Lions are among the favorites next season to come off this because the talent on offense and the defense will be healthy. However, the Lions have never made the Super Bowl despite being in existence since 1930.
Number 3-Minnesota Vikings: the Vikings have made four appearances in America’s biggest game, and they came in the 1970s. The futility is catastrophic because the franchise has been 0-5 in the NFC Championship Game since its appearance in 1988. The last Conference Championship Game was in 2018, and they got destroyed 38-7 in a lopsided game. The Vikings were brilliant during the 2024 regular season by finishing with a 14-3 record. The team played its worst football at the end of the season by losing to the Lions for the division and the Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card round. Minnesota deserves to be on this list because their last male professional championship was in 1987 by the Minnesota Twins. Ouch!
Number 2-Cleveland Browns: the Browns have one of the most passionate fan bases in the National Football League. They play home games in front of the rabid Dawg Pound at Huntington Bank Field. The passion has not translated to excellence on the gridiron with the team amid a 36-year drought without playing in the AFC Championship Game, which is the longest league-wide. In fact, the Browns had a drought between 2003 and 2020 without making the playoffs and recorded 14 double-digit losses in that span. The sad part for Browns fans is that they do not look like ending their drought anytime soon. In this past season, the Browns finished with a 3-14 record and will pick second in the NFL Draft. The Browns are in a precarious position because they will have to pick a rookie quarterback. If they choose to move down, it puts them at risk because Deshaun Watson’s status for the 2025 season is doubtful after requiring a second surgery on his ACL-repaired knee. A future around Watson is already shaky, and his 230 million dollar fully guaranteed deal looks like one of the worst contracts in NFL history.
Number 1-Buffalo Bills: the Bills make the number one list because they are the definition of a heartbroken fanbase. The Bills are the first and only franchise in NFL history to lose four consecutive Super Bowl matchups. The run started in 1991 when the Bills lost a heartbreaker 20-19 to the New York Giants, with Scott Norwood’s kick at the end going wide right. After losing to the Washington Redskins in 1992, the Bills lost back-to-back Super Bowls to the Dallas Cowboys in blowout fashion. Fast Forward to the current Josh Allen Era, and the Bills are still struggling to get over the hump. After losing to the Chiefs 32-29 on the road, Allen and the Bills are now 0-4 lifetime against this iteration of Kansas City. I still think that this team has the best shot of all the teams on this list because Josh Allen is too gifted and talented not to go an entire career without winning one in Buffalo. However, the sooner it happens, the better making the pressure ratcheted up each year.