Long Championship Droughts For Some Legendary NFL Franchises

The 2023 NFL season is on the horizon. Who knows what we will see as the league looks to crown its 104th champion?

Since the merger in 1970, the 12 franchises with the most victories are the Pittsburgh Steelers (504), Dallas Cowboys (483), New England Patriots (474), Miami Dolphins (470), Minnesota Vikings (464), Denver Broncos (461), San Francisco 49ers (454), Green Bay Packers (446), Kansas City Chiefs (434), Philadelphia Eagles (429), Washington Commanders (421) and Las Vegas Raiders (420).

Since 2000, the Patriots have won six of the 23 Super Bowl titles. The Baltimore Ravens, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Steelers, New York Giants, and Chiefs all own a pair of Lombardi Trophies this century. The Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints, Packers, Seattle Seahawks, Broncos, Eagles, and Los Angeles Rams all won a Super Bowl championship over that span.

That’s a lot of numbers. Interestingly, when you look at those regular-season victory totals, five of these fabled organizations that have made their mark on Super Sunday haven’t done much in that regard lately.

Dallas Cowboys

It’s not as if Jerry Jones’s team hasn’t been competitive in recent years. The Cowboys are coming off back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time since 2006 and ’07. Of course, there was a stretch in the early 2000s when the team suffered through three straight 5-11 campaigns before Bill Parcells righted the ship for a spell. Dallas’ last NFC title game appearance came back in 1995, the year head coach Barry Switzer led the club to a title in Super Bowl XXX. Since 1996, the Cowboys own a dismal 5-12 playoff mark.

Las Vegas Raiders

The Silver and Black always seem to make headlines, but the days of being one of the league’s most successful teams in the NFL have faded. The Raiders’ last Super Bowl victory came during the 1983 season, a 38-9 rout of Washington (XVIII) when the franchise was in Los Angeles. The team’s last playoff victory and Super Bowl appearance came in 2002. Over the past 20 seasons (2003-2022), the club owns a disturbing 116-206 regular-season record and has reached the postseason only twice, without a win.

Miami Dolphins

Under Pro Football Hall of Fame head coach Don Shula, the Miami Dolphins became the first NFL team to appear in three consecutive Super Bowls. The team fell short against the Dallas Cowboys in 1971 (VI) and then won back-to-back titles in 1972 (VII) and ’73 (VIII). The ’72 club was a perfect 17-0, but Shula’s team was more dominant the following year. Miami lost Super Bowls XVII and XIX to Washington and San Francisco, respectively. Hence, 2023 will mark the 50th anniversary of the Dolphins’ last Super Bowl win.

Around Full Press Coverage

NFL OPINION: Chicago Bears: Fields/Moore Duo Could Be Mutually Beneficial

NFL: NFL 2023: Ranking The 5 Best Offseason Moves At Edge Rusher

NFL: The Football Stack: Pittsburgh Steelers Previews and Win Totals

FULL PRESS HOCKEY: Arizona Coyotes Arena Deal Rejected by Tempe Voters

PODCAST: According To Who? Ep 2: Top 5 Super Bowls Of All Time

WANT MORE PODCASTS? Check Out Some Of The Latest From Around The FPC Network

San Francisco 49ers

Once upon a time, the San Francisco 49ers were the first NFL franchise to win five Super Bowl titles. The last one came in 1994 under the guidance of head coach George Seifert and a massive year from Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young. While the Niners reached Super Bowls XLVII (2012) and LIV (2019), they ended up short. Current head coach Kyle Shanahan has led the club to the NFC title game three times in the last four years, but the team has not hoisted the Lombardi trophy in nearly 30 years.

Washington Commanders

The franchise has gone through its share of head coaches, quarterbacks, and name changes since the then-Washington Redskins defeated the Buffalo Bills, 37-24, in Super Bowl XXVI in Minneapolis. That was the 1991 NFL season. The club has not played on Super Sunday nor reached the NFC title game since. The team has only been to the playoffs seven times since 1992 and has not won a postseason game since 2005. Washington was a 7-9 NFC East champion in 2020 but fell to the Buccaneers in the wild card round.