The best team doesn't always win. When you deal with a one-and-done scenario, you don't always get a true champion. The Super Bowl usually falls victim to this. After all, how did the No. 1 ranked team in this list not have a title?
So who are the ten best teams from the last decade to not finish off their season with the Vince Lombardi trophy? Below is my list. Some got to the Super Bowl and just couldn't win; others lost in their first postseason game. Some of these teams have a championship pedigree; others would go on to win a Super Bowl down the road.
So let's get on with the list:
No. 10 - 2003 KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (13-3): This Chiefs team is known for two things. One was that amazing season Priest Holmes had and the other is the returns of Dante Hall. Dick Vermeil brought his high octane offense across state the Kansas City and (finally) made Trent Green into a premiere QB. These Chiefs lost to the Colts in the divisional round of the playoffs in a game that featured ZERO punts.
No. 9 - 2000 TENNESSEE TITANS (13-3): These stingy Titans ... coming off an AFC Championship season ... allowed just 191 points (that's just under 12 pts per game). Their three losses that season were by a combined 7 points. Despite dominating the Ravens in their divisional round matchup, the game was tied 10-10. The Ravens scored two non-offensive TDs ... a blocked kick return and a Ray Lewis interception return).
No. 8 - 2007 DALLAS COWBOYS (13-3): The Cowboys started the season 12-1 before losing two of their final three games. Their lone loss in their first 13 games? It was to a certain undefeated Patriots team.
No. 7 - 2004 PITTSBURGH STEELERS (15-1): Somehow this team finished with the ballsy record. Remember that the season started with Tommy Maddox as the quarterback. When Maddox was hurt in Pittsburgh's Week 2 loss to the Ravens, rookie Ben Roethlisberger took over. While he didn't wow anyone with his play, he managed the team to finish the season with 14 straight wins (they also won their divisional game against the Jets). Also, some undrafted rookie named Willie Parker emerged on the scene. The young Steelers would lose to the Patriots in the AFC Championship game.
No. 6 - 2004 PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (13-3): The Eagles won 13 of their first 14 games. Hard to believe that this was the season where Donovan McNabb and Terrell Owens got along.
No. 5 - 2009 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (14-2): Peyton Manning won his 3rd MVP award. The Colts won their first 14 games of the season before resting their starters in the season's final two weeks. That loss in their 15th game broke an NFL-record 23 game regular season winning streak. Indy blew out the Ravens and Jets en route to Super Bowl XLIV. In the big game, the Colts held a 10-0 lead before the Saints took over. New Orleans won the game 31-17.
No. 4 - 2006 SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (14-2): The Chargers may be the posterboys for undercheiving in the last decade. This Chargers team put up nearly 500 points with LaDainian Tomlinson rushing for a league record 28 TDs (he caught another three TD passes for a record 31 total TDs) and piled up over 1,800 yards. The Bolts had an amazing 11 Pro Bowl players. Too bad that they had to play that pesky postseason and were unceremoniously beaten by the Patriots.
No. 3 - 2005 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (14-2): This Colts team not only scored an AFC-high 439 points, but they allowed just 247 points ... best in the AFC. Somehow, though, the Colts were beaten at home by the 6th-seeded Steelers.
No. 2 - 2001 ST LOUIS RAMS (14-2): The Greatest Show On Turf won a Super Bowl two years prior to this season. These Rams lost two games all season long ... by a total of 10 points. With Kurt Warner winning his 2nd MVP award, the Rams had the last three NFL MVPs (Warner also won in 1999; Marshall Faulk won in 2000). St Louis scored over 500 points and their offense was next to unstoppable. Well, until the Super Bowl. The upstart Patriots forced three turnovers and would upset the Rams.
No. 1 - 2007 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (16-0): Of course, the Patriots rule this spot. New England became the first team to finish a season 16-0 and only the second team to finish the regular season undefeated. They scored an amazing 589 points ... and allowed only 274. Tom Brady threw a record 50 TD passes (Randy Moss also broke the record for TD receptions). These Pats, as everyone knows, lost to the Giants in Super Bowl XLII.
So who are the ten best teams from the last decade to not finish off their season with the Vince Lombardi trophy? Below is my list. Some got to the Super Bowl and just couldn't win; others lost in their first postseason game. Some of these teams have a championship pedigree; others would go on to win a Super Bowl down the road.
So let's get on with the list:
No. 10 - 2003 KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (13-3): This Chiefs team is known for two things. One was that amazing season Priest Holmes had and the other is the returns of Dante Hall. Dick Vermeil brought his high octane offense across state the Kansas City and (finally) made Trent Green into a premiere QB. These Chiefs lost to the Colts in the divisional round of the playoffs in a game that featured ZERO punts.
No. 9 - 2000 TENNESSEE TITANS (13-3): These stingy Titans ... coming off an AFC Championship season ... allowed just 191 points (that's just under 12 pts per game). Their three losses that season were by a combined 7 points. Despite dominating the Ravens in their divisional round matchup, the game was tied 10-10. The Ravens scored two non-offensive TDs ... a blocked kick return and a Ray Lewis interception return).
No. 8 - 2007 DALLAS COWBOYS (13-3): The Cowboys started the season 12-1 before losing two of their final three games. Their lone loss in their first 13 games? It was to a certain undefeated Patriots team.
No. 7 - 2004 PITTSBURGH STEELERS (15-1): Somehow this team finished with the ballsy record. Remember that the season started with Tommy Maddox as the quarterback. When Maddox was hurt in Pittsburgh's Week 2 loss to the Ravens, rookie Ben Roethlisberger took over. While he didn't wow anyone with his play, he managed the team to finish the season with 14 straight wins (they also won their divisional game against the Jets). Also, some undrafted rookie named Willie Parker emerged on the scene. The young Steelers would lose to the Patriots in the AFC Championship game.
No. 6 - 2004 PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (13-3): The Eagles won 13 of their first 14 games. Hard to believe that this was the season where Donovan McNabb and Terrell Owens got along.
No. 5 - 2009 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (14-2): Peyton Manning won his 3rd MVP award. The Colts won their first 14 games of the season before resting their starters in the season's final two weeks. That loss in their 15th game broke an NFL-record 23 game regular season winning streak. Indy blew out the Ravens and Jets en route to Super Bowl XLIV. In the big game, the Colts held a 10-0 lead before the Saints took over. New Orleans won the game 31-17.
No. 4 - 2006 SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (14-2): The Chargers may be the posterboys for undercheiving in the last decade. This Chargers team put up nearly 500 points with LaDainian Tomlinson rushing for a league record 28 TDs (he caught another three TD passes for a record 31 total TDs) and piled up over 1,800 yards. The Bolts had an amazing 11 Pro Bowl players. Too bad that they had to play that pesky postseason and were unceremoniously beaten by the Patriots.
No. 3 - 2005 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (14-2): This Colts team not only scored an AFC-high 439 points, but they allowed just 247 points ... best in the AFC. Somehow, though, the Colts were beaten at home by the 6th-seeded Steelers.
No. 2 - 2001 ST LOUIS RAMS (14-2): The Greatest Show On Turf won a Super Bowl two years prior to this season. These Rams lost two games all season long ... by a total of 10 points. With Kurt Warner winning his 2nd MVP award, the Rams had the last three NFL MVPs (Warner also won in 1999; Marshall Faulk won in 2000). St Louis scored over 500 points and their offense was next to unstoppable. Well, until the Super Bowl. The upstart Patriots forced three turnovers and would upset the Rams.
No. 1 - 2007 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (16-0): Of course, the Patriots rule this spot. New England became the first team to finish a season 16-0 and only the second team to finish the regular season undefeated. They scored an amazing 589 points ... and allowed only 274. Tom Brady threw a record 50 TD passes (Randy Moss also broke the record for TD receptions). These Pats, as everyone knows, lost to the Giants in Super Bowl XLII.
1 comment:
The Chargers have underacheivd for years. This is the same thing that happened to them in the late 70's early 80's.
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