The 25 Biggest Chokes in NFL History

You would guess that any list that has NFL and choke in the title would be heavy on the Buffalo Bills teams that lost four straight Super Bowls in the 1990s.  This list is no exception.  Jim Kelly and Marv Levy are just a couple of the names from those teams.

This list has big choke moments as well as players who are primarily remembered for choking.

1992 Houston Oilers

Any NFL discussion about chokes has to start with the 1992 Houston Oilers.  They had a 35-3 third quarter lead over the Buffalo Bills in the playoffs and ended up losing 41-38 in overtime.

That is, without question, the biggest choke job in NFL history.

2002 New York Giants

The Giants, led by Kerry Collins, held a 38-14 third quarter lead in a Wild Card playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers.

The 49ers came back to score 25 unanswered points and win the game in regulation.  Terrell Owens had a huge second half for the Niners with two touchdown catches.

2000 Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins held a 30-13 fourth quarter lead over the New York Jets in a Monday Night Football game in 2000.

The Jets rallied to score 30 fourth quarter points highlighted by a Jumbo Elliott touchdown reception.

The Jets kicked a field goal in overtime to steal the win from the Dolphins.

1998 Minnesota Vikings

The 1998 Minnesota Vikings cruised through the regular season to a 15-1 record.

They looked like a lock to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, but they lost in the NFC Championship game to the Atlanta Falcons.  Gary Anderson, who had not missed a field goal all season, missed on a field goal that would have won the game.

The Falcons won the game in overtime.

Matt Hasselbeck: "We Want the Ball and We're Gonna Score"

In 2003 the Seahawks won the coin toss before over time of their wild card playoff game against the Packers.  Hasselbeck said, "We want the ball and we're gonna score!"

Turns out they did not score.  Hasselbeck threw an interception to Al Harris on the second possession of overtime.  He took it back for a touchdown.

The Fumble

With just over a minute left in the 1987 AFC Championship Game Earnest Byner fumbled away the chance for the Cleveland Browns to tie the Denver Broncos at the 2-yard line.  That play is now simply known as "The Fumble."

Byner had a good NFL career, and a good day in that game, but sadly "The Fumble" is pretty much all he is remembered for.

Rosencopter

This one gets the award for best nickname.

Sage Rosenfels did his best to single-handedly give the Colts a win in this one.  He took off on a 3rd-and-8 with just under four minutes left to play in the game.  The Texans were up 27-17.  Rosenfels decided to go airborne on the play in an attempt to pick up the first down.

Instead he was spun around like a helicopter.  He fumbled the ball and the Colts took it 68 yards for touchdown.  The Texans went on to lose 31-27.

Tony Romo 2006 Playoffs

There are a few Tony Romo moments to choose from, but the botched hold in the 2006 Wild Card game takes the cake.

Romo dropped the ball while attempting to set it down for the go-ahead field goal with just 1:19 left in the game.  He attempted to run the ball in for a touchdown but was tackled by Jordan Babineaux on the one-yard line.

Scott Norwood

Norwood had a chance to be the hero is Super Bowl XXV.

Instead he pushed the 47-yard field goal attempt wide right.  The Giants got the ball back with four seconds on the clock.  They took a knee and the title.

Norv Turner

Norv Turner has been the coach in San Diego for four-plus years.  His teams are excellent in the regular season.  He has a .625 winning percentage in those games.

It is the postseason where Turner has his problems.  He has only won three games in his three trips with the Chargers.

The 2007 New England Patriots

This one will probably draw some criticism, but a team that runs the table in the regular season has to finish.

The Patriots were all set to join their place in history right beside the 1972 Dolphins as the only teams to ever go through an entire NFL season without a loss.

David Tyree had other ideas.  He made what is now known as "The Catch," and the Patriots became the best team in history to not win a Super Bowl.

Peyton Manning

Peyton Manning does have a Super Bowl title, but his inability to win the big game goes all the way back to college.

While he was at the University of Tennessee he was never able to beat Florida. UT won a National Championship the year after he left.

He carried that choking over the the NFL.  It was not until his eighth season that he won the Super Bowl. He led his team to the playoffs six times before finally winning the big one.

Andy Reid

Andy Reid's teams are among the best in the NFL almost every year, but they can never win the big one.

He even had a run of four straight years in the NFC Championship game, one time making the Super Bowl, but he could never get them over that hump.

This year his team is really under-performing considering the talent he was given.

Fran Tarkenton

Fran Tarkenton had a Hall of Fame NFL career, but unfortunately for him he will always be remembered for what he did not do instead of what he did.

Tarkenton led the Vikings to three Super Bowls in the 1970s but lost them all.  He was an MVP and All-Pro but choked when it mattered the most.

Dan Marino

If you have the title "The Best Quarterback to Never Win a Super Bowl" you might as well be called one of the biggest chokers of all time.

Dan Marino owns those titles.  He was a Pro Bowler nine times and named to three All-Pro teams, but he never could lead the Dolphins to a Super Bowl title.

Donovan McNabb

McNabb was the quarterback of those Eagles teams that were perennially in the NFC Championship game.  He could get them to the cusp of a championship but never could punch it in.

It went so far with McNabb that his conditioning was even questioned when the Eagles were trying to rally to beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl.

He owns pretty much ever passing record for the Eagles but no rings.

Jim Kelly

Jim Kelly led the Buffalo Bills to four straight Super Bowls.  You already know that they lost all four of those.

Kelly had a Hall of Fame NFL career.  He was a five-time Pro Bowler and was voted to one All-Pro team.  

Like Marino, he will always be remembered more for the four losses than anything else.

Marv Levy

Marv Levy has one impressive coaching resume.  He led the Buffalo Bills to six straight division titles.  He led the Bills to four consecutive Super Bowls.  Levy was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Of course the one thing missing from that resume is a Super Bowl win.  Levy just could not get it done when the most important game was upon him.

Marty Schottenheimer

Schottenheimer is a successful regular season coach.  That is where his success ends.  His playoff record as a head coach is 5-13.

He also had the phrase "Martyball" coined after his conservative play in big games.

LaDainian Tomlinson

LT is one of the best running backs in the history of the NFL.  He put up numbers that most running backs would die to put up.

However, he has not had much success at all in the playoffs.  The 2007 Chargers team that he was on went the deepest in the playoffs, but Tomlinson was a non-factor in those games.

1989 Denver Broncos

The 1989 Denver Broncos were rolled in the Super Bowl 55-10 by the San Francisco 49ers.

It is one thing to take a close loss to in the Super Bowl, but it is a major choke job to get to that game and lose by 45 points.

John Elway would have been on this list had he not been paired with Terrell Davis late in his career.

Wade Phillips

Wade Phillips is a phenomenal defensive coordinator.  Just look at what he has done so far this season with a Houston Texans defense that was absolutely terrible last season.

Phillips has done nothing but choke when given the chance to be an NFL head coach.  Any team that he has had that has been successful in the regular season has choked away a chance at winning in the playoffs.

Randall Cunningham

Randall Cunningham put up some good numbers in the regular season, but just could not get it done in the postseason.

He was the quarterback of a couple of teams that looked like they were poised to make a deep playoff run.  Cunningham's 3-6 postseason record shattered those dreams.

Thurman Thomas

Thurman Thomas is a Hall of Fame running back.  You would think that would mean he would show up big on the biggest stage.

Thomas only managed 204 yards in those four Super Bowls.  That is not a Hall of Fame number.

Brett Favre

It is amazing how Brett Favre kept coming back and tarnishing his legacy.  He could have retired as one of the best quarterbacks of all time, but he could not take being out of the spotlight.

His biggest choke job came in the NFC Championship Game against the Saints.  Sure he put up 310 yards, but he also threw two picks.  

The Saints went on to win the Super Bowl. Favre was left to cry himself into another retirement.