So, you want to know which teams have never won the Super Bowl? You’ve come to the perfect place. Winning the Big Game isn’t easy, and for some, it has proven to be impossible – so far.
Looking over the long list of which football teams have never won the Super Bowl, we have some expansion clubs that are still building themselves up, but there are also two teams with a championship pedigree who have yet to appear in the NFL’s signature game – and two more who have been there four times and lost all of them.
Maybe we can help. Here’s our list of the 12 non-winners at Bodog Sportsbook, in order of Super Bowl appearances from fewest to most, with our prescription for what they need to fix if they want to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy next year and come out on top in the Super Bowl betting.
Cleveland Browns (0)
The previous version of the Browns won eight championships combined in the AAFC and NFL, but this incarnation might not get anywhere until someone buys the team from the Haslam family. Barring that, Cleveland need to find some way to improve their defense, having traded their first-round pick (and several others) to Houston for QB Deshaun Watson.
Detroit Lions (0)
The Lions were four-time NFL champions before the Super Bowl was born, most recently in 1957, but they haven’t even won a playoff game in over 30 years. Detroit might be on the right track, though; as with Cleveland, they need to shore up their defense, but they’ll have the No. 6 in this year’s draft – and DE Tyree Wilson (Texas Tech) could fall into their lap.
Jacksonville Jaguars (0)
It’s been only 29 years since the Jaguars were born, so their fans haven’t suffered as much as those in Cleveland and Detroit – but they’re a lot more optimistic now that head coach Doug Pederson and QB Trevor Lawrence are at the controls. Sprucing up their special teams would address the only real weakness with this emerging contender.
Houston Texans (0)
The most recent addition to the league in 2002, Houston have already launched their latest rebuild by hiring DeMeco Ryans as their head coach. Now they can focus on adding talent, which they need desperately at every position on the field. Ohio State QB CJ Stroud is a likely target with the No. 2 pick in this year’s draft.
Arizona Cardinals (1)
The first on our list of which teams have never won the Super Bowl but have appeared in a final. After cutting ties with GM Steve Keim and head coach Kliff Kingsbury, the Cardinals have more work to do with their front office before the draft, where they’ll have the opportunity to select a stud defender like edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. (Alabama) with the No. 3 pick.
Tennessee Titans (1)
It’s been 23 years since Kevin Dyson came up one yard short of glory at Super Bowl XXXIV. Not much has gone right since then; finding a quarterback should be the top priority for new GM Ran Carthon, with starter Ryan Tannehill coming off a down year and Malik Willis looking several years away from being ready. However, Carthon’s best option at No. 11 in the draft might be LT Paris Johnson Jr. from Ohio State.
Los Angeles Chargers (1)
Relocating from San Diego wasn’t ideal, but at least the Chargers have their quarterback of the future in Justin Herbert. Now they need to upgrade their porous offensive line to keep Herbert protected, and they need some run stoppers on defense – maybe USC tackle Tuli Tuipulotu will be available when their turn comes up (draft position for this year’s playoff teams TBD).
Atlanta Falcons (2)
It’s been nothing but pain for Falcons fans since their historic collapse at Super Bowl LI in what ending up being one of the biggest Super Bowl shocks – at least from the position they were in. They’ll give QB Desmond Riddler a chance to lead this team next year after he took the top job from Marcus Mariota; Riddler might not be the man to take Atlanta to the Promised Land, but in the meantime, they can improve their pass rush by snapping up Clemson DE Myles Murphy with the No. 8 pick.
Carolina Panthers (2)
The Panthers need help everywhere on the roster except special teams, but new head coach Frank Reich needs a quarterback more than anything. There’s a very good chance they’ll take Florida QB Anthony Richardson with the ninth pick, although he’s a bit raw for Carolina fans to harbour any real hopes of winning Super Bowl LVIII.
Cincinnati Bengals (3)
How long will the Bengals feature on the list of which teams have never won the Super Bowl? They’re getting closer, that’s for sure. Maybe that slice of humble pie the Bengals ate in the AFC Championship Game is all they need to take that next step. They’re set on offense with QB Joe Burrow, and the defense is solid; head coach Zac Taylor might be Cincinnati’s weakest link. Taylor had a 6-25-1 record in his first two seasons with the Bengals before Burrow found his groove.
Buffalo Bills (4)
The Bills have been the class of the AFC East since the end of the Bill Belichick-Tom Brady regime with the New England Patriots. They’re in even better position than Cincinnati to win Super Bowl LVIII. Buffalo’s only real concern is the impending free agency of star defenders like safety Jordan Poyer and LB Tremaine Edmunds, and they won’t be drafting until near the end of the first round.
Minnesota Vikings (4)
Winning the NFC North at 13-4 was nice, but did anyone really believe the Vikings were Super Bowl contenders? They have holes up and down the roster to fill, and like the Bills and Bengals, they’ll have to wait until late in the first round to address those needs at the NFL Draft. There’s a larger question this team needs to answer, though: Is Kirk Cousins a Super Bowl-level quarterback?