Ranking the Greatest NFL Teams That Fell Short of Winning the Super Bowl

An unfortunate reality in sports is legendary teams typically only garner that status after winning a championship.

No matter the regular-season accomplishments or how close they finished to a title, history often forgets the ring-less. During the Super Bowl era of the NFL—which dates back to 1966—the sport has regularly watched outstanding teams fall short.

We've highlighted 10 of the greatest teams to experience that unfortunate ending—so close, yet so far away.

The list's primary factors include regular-season record and statistical rankings.

10. 2005 Indianapolis Colts

DARRON CUMMINGS/Associated Press

Regular-season record: 14-2

The loss: 21-18 to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the divisional round

Before the Indianapolis Colts in 2005, only the 1972 Miami Dolphins and 1998 Denver Broncos had started 13-0. Both the Dolphins and Broncos won the Super Bowl in their respective year.

The trend didn't continue for Peyton Manning and the Colts, who ranked second in scoring offense and defense.

Led by second-year quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, the Pittsburgh Steelers pulled off an improbable win during the divisional round. After losing to Indianapolis 26-7 in the regular-season matchup, the Steelers won the rematch in the playoffs 21-18.

Fortunately for the Colts, they responded as well as possible and celebrated a Super Bowl victory the next season.

9. 1984 Miami Dolphins

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Regular-season record: 14-2

The loss: 38-16 to the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XIX

Second-year quarterback Dan Marino propelled the Miami Dolphins to a league-high 433.5 yards and 32.1 points per game. The future Hall of Famer won NFL MVP alongside a pair of 1,300-yard receivers in Mark Clayton and Mark Duper.

Miami opened the season 11-0, finished 14-2 and advanced to the Super Bowl with a pair of 17-plus-point victories in the playoffs. But the Dolphins ran into a juggernaut.

Joe Montana accounted for 390 yards and four touchdowns, and San Francisco limited Miami to 314 offensive yards.

Despite playing 15 more seasons, Marino never reached the Super Bowl again.

8. 1969 Minnesota Vikings

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Regular-season record: 12-2

The loss: 23-7 to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl IV

In the franchise's ninth year, the Minnesota Vikings finally broke through. They obliterated the previous team record of eight wins at 12-2. The famed Purple People Eaters defense, led by future Hall of Famers Alan Page and Paul Krause, ceded more than 14 points only once in the regular season.

But when it mattered most, Minnesota faltered in a dramatic and painfully memorable way. The Vikings—who led the NFL with 27.1 points per game in the regular season—committed five turnovers, including three interceptions in the fourth quarter.

Although the Chiefs managed only 273 yards of offense, they capitalized on takeaways and favorable field position to upset Minnesota.

7. 2001 St. Louis Rams

RICK BOWMER/Associated Press

Regular-season record: 14-2

The loss: 20-17 to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVI

2001 marked the final season of the Greatest Show on Turf, and it ended in heartbreaking fashion.

Two years removed from a thrilling Super Bowl win, the Rams paced the NFL in points and yards per game. Kurt Warner threw for 4,830 yards and 36 touchdowns, Marshall Faulk eclipsed 2,000 scrimmage yards with 21 total scores, and both Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce had at least 1,100 receiving yards.

But a future legend crushed their championship dreams.

St. Louis fell behind the Patriots 17-3 but scored a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to even the score. Tom Brady—then a first-year starter—guided New England down the field, setting up a game-winning field goal from Adam Vinatieri as time expired.

6. 1990 Buffalo Bills

Craig Fujii/Associated Press

Regular-season record: 13-3

The loss: 20-19 to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXV

From 1990 to 1993, the Buffalo Bills won the AFC but lost in the Super Bowl. Their best opportunity at a victory was the first one.

Jim Kelly and Thurman Thomas headlined an offense that ranked first in points per game. And on defense, All-Pro pass-rusher Bruce Smith collected a career-high 19 sacks. The Bills toppled Miami 44-34 and dismantled the Los Angeles Raiders 51-3 en route to the franchise's first-ever Super Bowl trip.

In the closing seconds of a 20-19 game, however, kicker Scott Norwood's potential game-winning 47-yarder stayed wide right.

That miss officially began an emotional four-year stretch as Buffalo went on to lose each of the next three Super Bowls by at least 13 points.

5. 1983 Washington

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Regular-season record: 14-2

The loss: 38-9 to the Los Angeles Raiders in Super Bowl XVIII

Washington's two losses came by a combined margin of two points. The Joe Gibbs-led team posted 10 double-digit victories as it amassed an NFL-best 541 points during the regular season.

And in the playoffs, it seemed more of the same would follow. Washington steamrolled the Los Angeles Rams 51-7 before sidestepping the San Francisco 49ers to win the NFC. Perhaps the 49ers' 21-point comeback was a precursor to what happened next, though.

The powerful offense trudged to just 283 total yards against Los Angeles, which sacked Joe Theismann six times and forced the league MVP into three turnovers.

4. 1992 San Francisco 49ers

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Regular-season record: 14-2

The loss: 30-20 to the Dallas Cowboys in NFC Championship Game

San Francisco's transition from Montana to Steve Young took hold in 1992, a season in which the 49ers led the NFL in scoring offense and ranked third on the defensive side.

Young edged 4,000 total yards, while Ricky Watters surpassed 1,000 rushing and Jerry Rice—as usual—provided 1,200-plus receiving. Only three of the Niners' regular-season opponents scored more than 20 points as Tim Harris racked up 17 sacks.

That postseason, however, is now remembered as the start of a dynasty. The Dallas Cowboys eliminated San Francisco en route to winning their first of three Super Bowls in a four-year span.

On the bright side for the Niners, they won the only Lombardi Trophy (1994) that didn't return to Dallas during that stretch.

3. 1968 Baltimore Colts

Uncredited/Associated Press

Regular-season record: 13-1

The loss: 16-7 to New York Jets in Super Bowl III

On the opposite side of Joe Namath's guaranteed victory is a stunning loss by the heavily favored Baltimore Colts.

During the regular season, Baltimore ranked second in scoring offense and fourth in total yards with quarterback Earl Morrall winning league MVP honors. On defense, the Colts allowed the fewest points and second-fewest yards per game. Only four of their 17 total opponents even surpassed 14 points.

But the Jets held an offense that had reached 20-plus points in 15 games to just seven points in the Super Bowl.

2. 1998 Minnesota Vikings

TOM OLMSCHEID/Associated Press

Regular-season record: 15-1

The loss: 30-27 to Atlanta Falcons in NFC Championship Game

Minnesota stormed into the playoffs after racking up an NFL-high 34.8 points per game. Randall Cunningham threw for 3,704 yards and 34 touchdowns, while running back Robert Smith and receivers Randy Moss and Cris Carter all topped the 1,000-yard mark.

Additionally, the defense had 19 interceptions compared to 17 touchdowns allowed and ceded the sixth-fewest points per game.

But in the NFC Championship Game, a missed field goal late in the fourth quarter and two unsuccessful drives in overtime ended the Vikings' pursuit of their first-ever Super Bowl victory.

1. 2007 New England Patriots

Julie Jacobson/Associated Press

Regular-season record: 16-0

The loss: 17-14 to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII

Easily one of the NFL's most confounding losses ever, the undefeated Patriots lost to a wild-card Giants team.

Brady broke a league record with 50 touchdown passes, and Moss' 23 touchdown catches established a new NFL mark. Wes Welker also cracked the 1,000-yard barrier as a receiver, helping New England score a then-record 589 total points.

But the Giants—the 10-6 Giants!—enabled the 1972 Miami Dolphins to pop another bottle of champagne. David Tyree's improbable helmet catch extended a last-minute drive that ended with Eli Manning hitting Plaxico Burress for the game-winning score.

Follow Bleacher Report writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.