NFL team desperation rankings: Bills are No. 1

Goodbye, Packers. So long, Rams. Beat it, Steelers. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out, Saints.
With many recent NFL playoff regulars likely to miss the upcoming tournament, here’s a fresh way to look at the postseason: There are more teams in the race that haven’t won a Super Bowl in the 52 seasons since the AFL-NFL merger (seven) than there are teams that have won a championship since 2010 (six). That makes for a lot of championship-hungry organizations and franchises.
Post Sports+ ranked the 17 teams with .500 or better records, plus the one division leader with a losing record, on the title desperation scale, from most to least. The season of each team’s last championship is included in parentheses, with asterisks noting a credited AFL or NFL championship that was not a Super Bowl victory.
1. Bills (1965*): Four straight Super Bowl losses (1990-93) introduced heartbreak unparalleled in North American pro sports history to the city. A quarter-century without a playoff win (1995-20) introduced irrelevance. Last season’s playoff loss to the Chiefs without an overtime possession in the Game of the Century sparked outrage. The Bills have been knocking on the door of their first Super Bowl for three years, and are among the favorites again. Why are they the unquestioned No. 1?
“Buffalo is unique in the NFL, other than Green Bay,” former Bills general manager Bill Polian told Post Sports+. “Whether it’s 1984 or during the four Super Bowls or now, the Bills are front and center 365 days a year. Everything about the Bills is important”
Bills kicker Scott Norwood has an unfortunate place in team history thanks to his missed field-goal attempt at the end of Super Bowl XXV. Reuters
“Most of the time, if there’s a major Bills acquisition or happening, it’s on the front page of the newspaper above the fold — not in the sports section. You know how some politicians root for the team that represents the area they represent, but you don’t know if they are a fan or not? Every politician in Buffalo is a Bills fan. They often talk to whoever the GM or coach is and say, ‘How come we are not playing so-and-so?’”
2. Lions (1957): The longest active streaks for seasons without a playoff win (30), seasons without an appearance in a conference championship game (30) and seasons without a title-game appearance (64) all belong to or are shared by the Lions. A 1-6 start this season created a familiar feeling of despair, but the 6-1 stretch that followed has created a dangerous level of hope.
3. Vikings (1969*): Like the Bills, the Vikings are 0-4 all-time in the Super Bowl. Founded in 1961, the Vikings are the oldest team never to have won the highest championship available: Their 1969 NFL crown (before the merger and creation of conferences) only led to a loss in Super Bowl IV. Kickers break hearts in Minnesota.
4. Jets (1968): Since the Jets won Super Bowl III, the major championship count by their Big Four sports neighbors is Yankees seven, Islanders four, Giants four, Devils three, Mets two, Knicks two and Rangers one. Their active 11-year playoff drought is almost twice as long as any other NFL team’s. The first three teams on this list only can wish for a moment as cool as Joe Namath’s guarantee.
5. Cowboys (1995): Jerry Jones is the picture of NFL desperation. No matter how much money the owner has thrown at players and coaches or how many red flags he has overlooked in his quest to win, the Cowboys haven’t remade the dynasty that won three Super Bowls in four years. “America’s Team” hasn’t advanced out of the Divisional Round since 1995.
It;’s been decades since Jerry Jones and his Cowboys were regulars at the Super Bowl. Getty Images
6. Bengals (never): Of the 12 teams that have never won a Super Bowl, four began playing after Super Bowl I. The Bengals are the only of those four in the hunt this season after losing for the third time in as many Super Bowl appearances last season. Optimism in Cincinnati is as high as it’s been in 35 years, so it’s not in full-desperation mode yet.
7. Commanders (1991): Imagine a world where the Commanders are in the news because of a championship run, not because of lawsuits alleging sexual misconduct and financial improprieties. Not because of an offensive team name/mascot or a failed attempt to honor a player’s legacy. Theirs is a desperation to change the narratives. Maybe after owner Dan Snyder sells.
8. Dolphins (1973): No fan base knows that nothing is guaranteed to great quarterbacks like the Dolphins, who lost their only Super Bowl appearance during Dan Marino’s career. For 21 straight seasons without a playoff win, they’ve fallen back on the comfort of, “At least we have the only undefeated championship season ever.” It’s tired.
9. Chiefs (2020): Surprise! Unlike the others high on this list, the Chiefs’ urgency comes from dynasty dreams. Head coach Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes have only one title to show for four straight AFC Championship Game appearances. Mahomes’ talent will feel wasted if he doesn’t join the short list of quarterbacks with at least three rings.
10. Chargers (1963*): Most of the desperation comes from a need to solidify Los Angeles as a two-team NFL town and build a fanbase after moving from San Diego in 2017. Since their lone Super Bowl appearance (1994), the Chargers mostly are known for inventing new ways to lose and underachieve with great talent.
If Justin Herbert can get the Chargers to the Super Bowl, he might just get football fans in Los Angeles to realize the team now calls the city home. Getty Images
11. Patriots (2018): A franchise with six titles in nine Super Bowl appearances over the past 21 seasons can rest on its laurels. Except the one knock on head coach Bill Belichick is a losing career record and one playoff win without Tom Brady, so the urge is there for another Cinderella run that would make him untouchable.
12. Eagles (2017): If general manager Howie Roseman thinks he has good will banked, he should remember the Eagles fired head coach Doug Pederson two years after winning their first and only Super Bowl. He made all-in veteran additions for a win-now team and a 13-1 start creates championship-or-bust expectations.
13. Titans (1961*): More a product of being propped up by a bad AFC South than a true Super Bowl contender, the Titans lost in their only Super Bowl appearance (1999) since rebranding from the Houston Oilers in 1997. It’s a long drought to break, but pressure doesn’t reach a fever pitch in Nashville.
14. 49ers (1994): Yes, that’s a long drought, too. But the 49ers still have the third-most rings (five) and have been to the Super Bowl twice in the past 10 years. Desperation goes down when the reality of starting third-string quarterback Brock Purdy in the playoffs settles in.
15. Giants (2011): Playing meaningful December games is owner John Mara’s first mark for a successful season. Mission accomplished. Just making the playoffs with an overachieving, homegrown roster expected to finish last in the NFC East for the second time since winning their last of four Super Bowl trophies will satisfy.
Few would have predicted the Giants would be in prime playoff position going into Week 16 after the club won four games last season. AP
16. Ravens (2012): Aside from the rare exceptions highlighted above, how desperate can a franchise be when it has the same head coach and one of the same players (kicker Justin Tucker) from its last championship? Any urgency to win now is generated from the uncertainty around quarterback Lamar Jackson, who seems willing to take his contract year by year.
17. Seahawks (2013): It already feels as if the Seahawks won a championship this year with their haul from the Broncos for Russell Wilson in the most lopsided trade in NFL history. High draft picks are going to accelerate what already looks like a quick rebuild.
18. Buccaneers (2020): The losingest franchise in NFL history (.403 winning percentage) is the only division leader with a losing record. Their desperation will increase if Brady — who already proved he can win without Belichick — leaves as a free agent.
Scouting guide for non-CFP bowl games
Here are five names that have come up in conversations with NFL talent evaluators as players whose draft stocks could rise during bowl season. Remember, many top draft prospects opt out of the bowl games that don’t affect the national championship race to get a jumpstart on NFL Combine training and to avoid the risk of injury, but these five are expected to play as of publication time. Let’s put the prospects on Georgia, Michigan, TCU and Ohio State aside for analysis next week.
Independence Bowl, 3 p.m., Dec. 23, Houston vs. Louisiana
Though undersized by NFL receiver standards, Nathaniel Dell’s speed and productivity should make him a valuable asset in the draft. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
WR Nathaniel Dell, Houston: It used to be that a 5-foot-10, 165-pound receiver would have to carve out a niche on special teams and gadget plays. Now, speed is so valuable that undersized receivers have become second-round regulars. Dell led the nation in touchdown catches (15) and finished the regular season second in receiving yards (1,354) and third in catches (103). Creative play-callers will get him the ball in space and let him dance around tacklers for big plays.
Holiday Bowl, Dec. 28, Oregon vs. North Carolina
C Alex Forsyth, Oregon: The three-year starter in charge of calling out all of Oregon’s protection calls gets a boost from the line’s overall performance — a nation-low four sacks allowed. The Senior Bowl-bound Forsyth ranked among the best pass-blocking centers in the nation, as graded by Pro Football Focus. He showed a cerebral ability to pick up defensive line stunts, the athleticism to get to the second level and the footwork to get around the edge on run blocks.
Cheez-It Bowl, 5 p.m., Dec. 29, Florida State vs. Oklahoma
DE Jared Verse, Florida State: After recording a combined 14.5 sacks in 15 games over two years at FCS program Albany, the transfer smoothly handled his upgraded competition, adding another 7.5 sacks, 14.5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble to his resume. He had seven pressures against LSU alone. Jermaine Johnson was a 2022 first-round pick of the Jets after one dominant pass-rushing season at Florida State (after minimal playing time at Georgia). Verse is on the verge of making the same leap from obscurity.
Florida State defensive end Jared Verse is having a dominant season as a pass-rusher after transferring from Albany. Getty Images
Sugar Bowl, noon, Dec. 31, Alabama vs. Kansas State
RB Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama: The Georgia Tech transfer is a little more appreciative of the bowl game atmosphere than other members of the Crimson Tide who treat it as an annual right. Gibbs has 1,228 yards and 10 touchdowns from scrimmage, averaging 6.3 yards per carry and adding 42 receptions. Gibbs’ ability to see holes and accelerate through them puts him squarely in the mix to be the second running back taken on the border of the first and second rounds.
Cotton Bowl, 1 p.m., Jan. 2, Tulane vs. USC
LB Dorian Williams, Tulane: The team that earns the Group of Five conferences’ one annual berth into a New Year’s Six bowl is always a good place to look for a player with something to prove. The high-motor sideline-to-sideline Williams collected 114 tackles, five sacks, two forced fumbles and two interceptions for one of the best defenses in the country, but he’ll be trying to dupe Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Caleb Williams of USC into trying to test him in zone coverage.
Parting thoughts
1. The unexpected death Wednesday of Franco Harris called to mind the death of John Madden just 358 days earlier. Not just because they occurred at the same time of year. Not just because the two beloved Hall of Famers’ careers were tied together on opposite sides of the “Immaculate Reception” in a Steelers-Raiders playoff game on Dec. 23, 1972. But because of pre-existing plans to honor their legacies around the time of their death.
Madden died three days after the “All Madden” documentary aired on Christmas 2021. Surrounded by his family, Madden watched the great tribute to his life’s work.
Harris was robbed of the same opportunity to soak in the love and see his uniform number retired Saturday, as part of the 50th anniversary celebration of his greatest play built around another Steelers-Raiders game. The running back’s shoestring catch off a deflection and run for a last-second touchdown lifted the Steelers to a 13-7 win over the Madden-coached Raiders and marked the start of the Steelers’ ascension into the team of the decade.
2. The Cardinals’ Trace McSorley (his first career NFL start) and Colts’ Nick Foles are set to become the 59th and 60th different quarterbacks to start a game this season, respectively, when their teams play this weekend. That will move 2022 out of a nine-way tie and make it the seventh NFL season in which more than 58 starting quarterbacks were used, according to Pro Football Reference.
The untouchable record of 87 was set during the 1987 season when replacement players filled in during a strike. For an undisturbed season, the record is 64 in 2007, which could be chased down with two more weeks and a lot of meaningless games to play. Of note, 63 started last season.
What do the past two seasons tell you? It’s more important than ever for teams to stash and develop a third-stringer because odds are he will be taking snaps (or be one snap away) at some point during the season. The 49ers, Dolphins, Jets and Patriots are all playoff contenders despite starting three different quarterbacks.
3. Point differential suggests the Vikings (11-3) are paper tigers. If so, they packed quite a bite when setting an NFL record for the largest comeback victory (33 points) in a 39-36 overtime win last week against the Colts. Their season point differential was -1 when the game started, -34 at halftime and +2 when it ended.
Justin Jefferson and the Vikings could become the first team to win 12 games despite getting outscored during the regular season. Getty Images
The Vikings could become the 50th team in the Super Bowl era to qualify for the playoffs and the 69th to finish with a winning record despite being outscored during the regular season, according to Pro Football Reference. None of those teams had more than 11 wins (2012 Colts and 2020 Browns), however.
Only one of those first 49 playoff participants went on to reach a Super Bowl: The 2011 champion Giants. Fittingly, the Vikings go for their 12th win Saturday against the Giants.