In the course of NFL history, the Super Bowl has had scores of interesting statistics attached to it. But one of the most intriguing is that there are an even dozen teams who have never won one. Four have never even gotten to the big game, with the other eight having some chances but failed. For a couple, it was just that one opportunity, but a few teams had several tries and still couldn't get it done.

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These twelve teams have had a few opportunities with good seasons, and in a few cases, just a different play or two was enough to have them hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. It didn't happen, but here are the best chances these dozen teams had to win a Super Bowl. It's amazing to think how close they came to calling themselves the best in the NFL.

12 Houston Texans: 2012

Matt Schaub
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The Texans are a team with ups and downs in their relatively short life, but 2012 was probably the last time there was a serious threat. Their 12-4 record is still the best in franchise history and a record for most average points scored in a game.

Matt Schaub was great, leading them with a top squad as they made the playoffs, winning the wild card over the Bengals. But they couldn't overcome the Patriots to end their year. The next year saw an epic collapse, with the Texans enduring a 14-game losing streak to finish 2-14, making this great year a distant memory.

11 Tennessee Titans: 2000

Never has the term "football is a game of inches" been as literal as this. The 2000 Super Bowl was a great matchup as the 13-3 Titans faced the St. Louis Rams, then the "Greatest Show on Turf." The result was a thrilling matchup with a shifting lead as the Rams pulled ahead in the last minute.

It came down to the now iconic image of Titans wide receiver Kevin Dyson reaching out in vain to put the ball over the goal line after being tackled by Mike Jones. That let the Rams win as the Titans can still grouse over being a few feet short of a championship.

10 Los Angeles Chargers: 1995

Los Angeles Chargers 1995

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The move to Los Angeles has done little to change the hopes of Chargers fans of ever winning a Super Bowl. Yet there was one time they came so close as 1994 had San Diego pulling off a surprisingly good 11-5 season. They then managed tight playoff wins over the Dolphins and Steelers to get to the Super Bowl.

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Sadly, they were up against the Steve Young 49ers, who creamed them 49-26. After losing the wild card the next season, the Chargers spent the next decade in mediocrity and still haven't charged themselves back to the big game.

9 Jacksonville Jaguars: 2017

Blake Bortles
Gary Lloyd McCullough-Imagn Content Services, LLC

After years as the jokes of the NFL, the Jaguars managed to pull off an actually good season in 2017. Despite problems (like being unable to play in Jacksonville for a couple of weeks thanks to damage from a hurricane), the Jaguars boasted a great defense and surprisingly good offense to finish 10-6.

They beat the Bills and then upset the Steelers to reach the AFC title game where it was some botched calls costing them the win over the Patriots. Since then, the team has been wretched, so it looks like those bad calls sent them on a spiral the Jaguars haven't recovered from.

8 Cincinnati Bengals: 2022

Eli-Apple Bengals

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

With just a couple of different plays, the Bengals would no longer be on this list. While they had some shots in the late 1980s, this year was Cincinnati's best bet to finally win a Super Bowl. Their 10-7 season was good but better in the playoffs, with Joe Burrow ready to take on the Rams.

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The game was a thriller, with the lead shifting three times and often coming to a single possession. The Bengals pulled ahead in the third quarter, only for the Rams to get the go-ahead score and then hold the Bengals back. Had they converted one down, The Bengals could have finally earned that elusive trophy.

7 Atlanta Falcons: 2017

NFL atlanta falcons 2017

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28-3. No matter what they do, every member of the 2016 Atlanta Falcons team will have to carry that number burned in their memory. Midway through the third quarter of Super Bowl 51, the Falcons were on top, their victory assured to the point that Atlanta stores were stocking the shelves with Super Bowl Champions merchandise.

Then Tom Brady and the Patriots made the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history with an unanswered 25 points to cause the first Super Bowl overtime. There, the Patriots pulled off the shocking 34-28 victory. The Falcons still haven't recovered from having this sure victory slip through their grasp.

6 Carolina Panthers: 2016

Carolina Panthers NFL 2016

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Next to the 2007 Patriots, the 2015 Carolina Panthers are one of the best single-season teams who couldn't close it out with a championship. Having lost only one game all year, the Panthers rolled into the Super Bowl as heavy favorites. Their opponents were the Broncos, the same team blown out by the Seahawks two years earlier with Peyton Manning seemingly done.

The Panthers were expected to dominate, only for the Broncos to play a hard defensive battle with multiple turnovers. In the end, Denver won 24-10 to let Peyton retire a champion. The next season, the Panthers shockingly collapsed to 6-10 as if reeling from this unexpected loss.

5 Minnesota Vikings: 1974

1974 Minnesota Vikings

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The Vikings were once a regular face in the NFL playoffs in the 1970s with a couple of 12-2 seasons and Super Bowl runs. However, two of those were lopsided losses. Their best chance would have been 1974, which was a 10-2 season but a stronger team. They faced the Steelers in Super Bowl 9 where the Steelers were strong but not as dominant as they normally were.

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While Pittsburgh led most of the game, the Vikings were getting closer in the fourth quarter and the famous "Purple People Eater" defense was doing its best. Pittsburgh won the game as Minnesota could never crack that elusive Super Bowl win.

4 Arizona Cardinals: 2009

Super Bowl XLIII
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When Super Bowl 43 was set, a recurring bit on sports shows was broadcasters having to marvel that "yes, the Arizona Cardinals are in the Super Bowl." Having slipped through the playoffs as a 9-7 wild card team, the Cardinals were boosted by Kurt Warner making one last run at the top.

They played well against the Steelers, even if Pittsburgh had a 17-7 halftime lead. But the Cardinals made a great comeback, scoring 16 points in the fourth quarter. The Steelers got the go-ahead score with just 35 seconds left to win 27-23 as the Cardinals haven't come close to the Super Bowl since.

3 Buffalo Bills: 1991

Buffalo Bills Super Bowl 25

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For four straight years, the Buffalo Bills went to the Super Bowl and lost every time. While painful, it's likely the first one was the roughest of the bunch. The Bills and the New York Giants, both 13-3, went at it in one of the greatest Super Bowl games ever.

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It was a tightly fought contest that went down to the wire with the Bills setting up for a last-second field goal. It ended up going wide right for the only Super Bowl decided by a single point. Just a few inches over and the Bills could have avoided so much heartache for their fanbase.

2 Cleveland Browns: 1986

cleveland browns NFL 1986

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2020 had the Browns shocking everyone by going 11-5 and making the playoffs after years as the worst team imaginable. However, their better chance at a Super Bowl was in 1986 as the Browns had a terrific 12-4 record and a terrific playoff run.

They were so close to winning the AFC championship before John Elway pulled off "The Drive" to allow the Broncos to win in overtime. Cleveland was still strong for a bit before entering its dark ages, yet this season was their best bet at reaching the Super Bowl.

1 Detroit Lions: 1992

Detroit Lions NFL 1992

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A team so wretched fans literally think they're cursed, the Lions have the stigma of being the oldest franchise to never reach a Super Bowl. Going through their litany of bad seasons makes it hard to pick one where they had a chance but 1991-92 was likely it.

They finished 12-4, their first winning season in nearly a decade. With Barry Sanders powering the offense, the Lions made a good run, defeating the Cowboys in the playoffs before losing the NFC title game to Washington. Since then, Detroit has been lucky to hit .500, making this the only time they have a shot at the big game.