Curated playlist
NFL teams
- New York JetsThe New York Jets beat the heavily favored Colts in Super Bowl III and have never returned.
- Tennessee TitansThe Tennessee Titans lost Super Bowl XXXIV by one yard. The final tackle came just short of the end zone.
- Dallas CowboysThe Dallas Cowboys got their team by buying a fight song for $2,500. The Washington owner then traded his vote for it.
- New England PatriotsA sixth-round pick named Tom Brady replaced an injured starter in 2001. The Patriots then won for nearly two decades.
- Buffalo BillsThe Buffalo Bills lost four Super Bowls in a row, from 1990 through 1993.
- Houston TexansThe Houston Texans won their very first game in 2002. No expansion team had done that since 1961.
- Indianapolis ColtsMoving vans hauled the Colts out of Baltimore overnight in 1984. The team landed in Indianapolis by that afternoon.
- Jacksonville JaguarsFord objected to the first Jacksonville Jaguars logo, so the team redesigned its uniforms.
- Miami DolphinsThe Miami Dolphins finished 17-0 in 1972, and no team has matched it since. They won the Super Bowl that year.
- Baltimore RavensThe Baltimore Ravens began when the Cleveland Browns' owner moved his players to Baltimore and left the name behind.
- Pittsburgh SteelersThe Pittsburgh Steelers lost their first game 23-2 and stayed also-rans for nearly four decades.
- Las Vegas RaidersThe Las Vegas Raiders were nearly called the Oakland Señors. A newspaper contest picked that name in April 1960.
- New Orleans SaintsThe New Orleans Saints went 20 straight seasons without a winning record. Fans wore paper bags over their heads.
- Minnesota VikingsThe Minnesota Vikings have lost all four of their Super Bowls. They also lost six NFC title games since 1978.
- Green Bay PackersGreen Bay Packers stock pays no dividend and cannot be sold on any exchange.
- Atlanta FalconsThe Atlanta Falcons led the Patriots 28-3 in Super Bowl LI and still lost.
- Carolina PanthersThe Carolina Panthers paid $206 million in 1993 for the right to exist. It bought an NFL expansion team.
- Chicago BearsThe Chicago Bears began with a phone call in March 1920. A company boss called George Halas to run a football team.
- Cincinnati BengalsPaul Brown founded the Cincinnati Bengals in 1967 with ten million dollars and a grudge.
- Los Angeles ChargersThe Chargers got their name because an owner liked crowds yelling "charge" at Dodger Stadium.
- Los Angeles RamsA pass that hit the goal post gave the Cleveland Rams the 1945 NFL title.
- San Francisco 49ersDwight Clark's leaping catch sent the 49ers to their first Super Bowl. Joe Montana threw it off balance.
- Seattle SeahawksThe Seattle Seahawks got their name from a contest with more than 20,000 entries.
- Tampa Bay BuccaneersThe Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost their first 26 games in franchise history.
- Washington CommandersIn 1961, a U.S. cabinet official warned Washington's football team to hire Black players.
- Cleveland BrownsPlayers the Cleveland Browns drafted helped Baltimore win the 2000 Super Bowl.
- Philadelphia EaglesBackup quarterback Nick Foles caught a touchdown pass in Super Bowl LII.
- Arizona CardinalsThe Arizona Cardinals got their name from faded used jerseys bought in 1901.
- Denver BroncosOn the 9th of September 1960, the Denver Broncos won the first game in the history of the American Football League, beating the Boston Patriots 13-10. The Broncos are a professional football team based in Denver, with headquarters in…
- Detroit LionsThe Detroit Lions hold a distinction that no other long-standing NFL team shares. Of every franchise that has operated through the entire Super Bowl era, they are the only one that has never appeared in the game. The Lions play in the…
- Kansas City ChiefsThe Kansas City Chiefs began in Dallas after the NFL refused Lamar Hunt a team. He started a rival league instead.
- New York GiantsThe New York Giants once won a championship game by switching to sneakers. The 1934 title game was played on ice.