Making it to the Super Bowl is not easy. It takes a lot of work and determination. Coming out on the short end of the game can leave a bad taste that doesn’t go away the following season.
New York Giants lost Super Bowl XXV
The 2000 New York Giants finished 12-4 and won the NFC East under Jim Fassel. They were crushed in the Super Bowl by the Baltimore Ravens. The next season they dropped to 7-9. The offensive coordinator in 2001 was Sean Payton. The DC was John Fox.
Rams XXXVI
Raiders XXXVII
Bill Callahan coached the 2002 Raiders to an 11-5 record and they advanced to the Super Bowl, where they were crushed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The following season, the Raiders tumbled to 4-12.
Panthers XXXVIII
In 2003, the Carolina Panthers were 11-5. They opened the playoffs with a home win over Dallas before taking two road victories to earn a Super Bowl berth against the New England Patriots. The Panthers dropped that game, 32-29, under John Fox. The head coach remained in charge in 2004 and the Panthers fell to 7-9.
Eagles XXXIX
The 2004 Philadelphia Eagles were 13-3 and downed the Minnesota Vikings and Atlanta Falcons to gain the Super Bowl. They met the New England Patriots and lost, 24-21. The following season, Andy Reid’s Birds finished 6-10 and in last place in the NFC East.
Seahawks XL
The Seahawks were 13-3 for Mike Holmgren in 2005. They won two home playoff games and met the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Super Bowl. The Seahawks fell, 21-10. In 2006, Holmgren remained as coach and led the team to a 9-7 mark, which was good enough for first place in the NFC West. They won a Wild-Card game over Dallas before being ousted by the Chicago Bears.
Bears XLI
Lovie Smith coached the Chicago Bears to a 13-3 mark in 2006. They won an overtime playoff game with the Seahawks before crushing the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Championship. The Bears ran into Peyton Manning and the Colts in the Super Bowl. Smith saw his team fall to 7-9 and last place in the NFC North in 2007.
Patriots XLII
The 2007 Patriots famously went 16-0 before being stunned by the New York Giants in the Super Bowl. The following season, New England finished 11-5 and second in the AFC East.
Cardinals XLIII
Ken Whisenhunt led the Cardinals to a 9-7 mark in 2008 and they defeated the Falcons, Panthers and Eagles before falling to the Steelers on a late touchdown in the Super Bowl. The next season they won the NFC West at 10-6, outlasted the Packers, 51-45, before being bounced by New Orleans in the Divisional round.
Colts XLIV
The 2009 Indianapolos Colts were 14-2 for Jim Caldwell. They enjoyed home-field advantage in playoff wins over the Ravens and Jets before falling to the Saints in the Super Bowl. In 2010, they went 10-6 and won their division before falling to the Jets by a point in a Wild-Card game.
Steelers XLV
Mike Tomlin and the Steelers went 12-4 and won the AFC North in 2010. They downed the Ravens and Jets in the playoffs before falling to the Packers in the Super Bowl. They went 12-4 again in 2011 and lost in the playoffs when Tim Tebow found Demaryius Thomas in the Wild-Card round in overtime.
Patriots XLVI
The 2011 New England Patriots averaged 32.1 points per game en route to going 13-3 and winning the AFC East. They beat Denver and Baltimore in the playoffs before losing the Giants, again, in the Super Bowl.
49ers XLVII
The 2012 San Francisco 49ers went 11-4-1 under Jim Harbaugh and won the NFC West. They downed the Packers and Falcons in the playoffs before falling to the Ravens in the Battle of the Harbaugh Bros. in the Super Bowl. The next season they went 12-4 and finished second in the NFC West, advancing to the NFC Championship, where they lost to the Seahawks.
Broncox XLVIII
John Fox was back at it again, this time in Denver, He led the Broncos to a 13-3 mark in 2013. They beat the Chargers and Patriots before being zapped by the Seahawks in the Super Bowl. In 2014, they won the AFC West at 12-4 and lost in the Divisional round to the Colts.
Seahawks XLIX
The Seattle Seahawks were 12-4 and won the NFC West in 2014. They beat the Panthers and Packers by a combined three points to get to the Super Bowl, where they lost to the Patriots on Malcolm Butler’s late pick. The next season they went 10-6 and escaped the opening playoff game on Blair Walsh’s infamous miss before falling to Carolina.
50 Panthers
Ron Rivera and the Panthers went 15-1 in 2015. Their only loss was to the Falcons in Week 16. In the playoffs, they beat Seattle and Arizona before falling to Denver in the Super Bowl. The following season, Rivera and the Panthers fell to 6-10 and last place in the NFC South.
LI Falcons
The Falcons were 11-5 for Dan Quinn in 2016. They beat the Seahawks and Packers before collapsing against the Patriots in the Super Bowl. Quinn’s Falcons did finish with a 10-6 mark in 2017, which is barely remembered. They won at the Rams before losing to the Eagles in the Divisional round.
LII Patriots
The Patriots lost to the Eagles, 41-33, in an entertaining Super Bowl after going 13-3 and winning the AFC East. The rebounded in 2018 and defeated the Rams in the Super Bowl after going 11-5 in the regular season.
LIII Rams
The Rams were riding Sean McVay magic in 2018 when they went 13-3 and won the NFC West before the offense stalled against the Patriots in a 13-3 loss in the Super Bowl. The Rams had troubles in 2019 as they fell to 9-7 and third place in the NFC West.
LIV 49ers
TBD
