> At a Glance
> – Five franchises enter the postseason still seeking their first Lombardi Trophy: Bills, Panthers, Texans, Jaguars, Chargers
> – Jacksonville hosts Buffalo in Wild Card round, guaranteeing at least one title-less team exits
> – Jaguars and Texans have never reached a Super Bowl; Houston carries a nine-game win streak into Pittsburgh
> – Why it matters: The chase to leave the NFL’s 12-team “never-won” club adds high-stakes drama to every playoff matchup
The 2025 NFL playoffs open with a cluster of franchises desperate to shed decades of disappointment. Five teams enter the tournament without a single Super Bowl victory to their names, setting up make-or-break moments across the Wild Card weekend slate.
Title-Seeking Matchups
Jacksonville’s home date with Buffalo guarantees the field of ring-less hopefuls shrinks to four by Sunday night. The Jaguars own the higher seed, but the Bills arrive battle-tested from recent postseason runs.
Meanwhile, Houston rides the league’s hottest streak-nine straight wins-into a showdown at Pittsburgh. The Texans have never advanced past the Divisional Round since debuting in 2002.
Los Angeles heads to New England as the AFC’s seventh seed, and Carolina-sub-.500 yet dangerous-welcomes the Rams on the NFC side.
The Never-Been-There Club
Beyond the current contenders, a broader group shares the same frustration. Four franchises have never appeared in a Super Bowl:
- Cleveland Browns
- Detroit Lions
- Houston Texans
- Jacksonville Jaguars
Cleveland and Jacksonville each fell three times in AFC Championship Games, while Detroit suffered its second NFC title-game loss in the 2023 season.
Super Bowl Winless Rankings
A dozen teams remain stuck on zero Lombardi Trophies:
| Team | Super Bowl Record |
|---|---|
| Bills | 0-4 |
| Vikings | 0-4 |
| Bengals | 0-3 |
| Falcons | 0-2 |
| Panthers | 0-2 |
| Cardinals | 0-1 |
| Chargers | 0-1 |
| Titans | 0-1 |
Buffalo’s four straight defeats from 1990-93 and Minnesota’s run of heartbreak from 1973-76 top the list of near-miss misery.
Key Takeaways
- Jacksonville-Buffalo elimination game trims the hopeful five to four
- Texans carry the longest active win streak but have never reached the conference championship
- Panthers seek history as a sub-.500 playoff team
- Super Bowl 60 awaits the last survivor of this title-starved pack
One of these drought-ridden franchises will celebrate a historic breakthrough in a few weeks’ time, ending fan bases’ long quests for their first confetti shower.
