The Best of the Worst: Ranking the Super Bowl Losers

1. New England Patriots (SB XLII)

This was the year those '72 Dolphins hangers-on were supposed to put away the champagne and get on with their lives.

This was THE Patriots team, one that only allowed FOUR teams to come within a TD of them all season, that achieved perfection. There was one minor problem - no one told the NY Giants, a Wild Card team.

Despite losing a shootout with the Pats on the last game of the regular season, the Giants' D came to life in the big game and battered an already gimpy Tom Brady into submission in a 17-14 win.

2. Washington Redskins (SB XVIII)

Another behemoth who rolled through the regular season, the Redskins lost two games by a total of just two points en route to a then-record 541 points.

The defense forced over 60 turnovers, and the team fancied their chances against a Raiders team they had already beaten.

The Redskins, though, came in thoroughly unprepared and had their asses handed to them in a 38-9 shellacking.

3. St Louis Rams (SB XXXVI)

On the subject of offensive powerhouses, how about a Rams squad featuring Marshall Faulk, Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt - with Kurt Warner getting them the ball?

No way a gutsy Patriots team featuring a no-name defense and a QB in his first year as a starter could topple them.

The Pats' D completely befuddled Warner and Brady did just enough in a 20-17 win.

4. Buffalo Bills (SB XXV)

The Bills built themselves up the old way, drafting well and adding some crafty trading, creating a team that played fast on offense and tough on defense.

While no one except the Giants expected them to lose, the aging, but experienced G-Men used a ball control attack featuring 34-year old RB Ottis Anderson to keep Bills QB Jim Kelly off the field and enable the Giants to take a 20-19 lead with seconds left.

The less said about Scott Norwood's last-ditch FG, the better.

5. Baltimore Colts (SB III)

Apart from a loss to an excellent Cleveland team, the Colts rolled through the regular season and playoffs to represent the NFL in the third matchup against the upstart AFL.

The NY Jets on the other hand were expected, by some at least, to lose by 60 points. QB Joe Namath upset many Colts players by predicting a win for the Jets.

Imagine how upset they were when the Jets came good on his prediction.

6. Dallas Cowboys (SB XIII)

There may be teams with a better record on this list, but few were better teams. This Cowboys incarnations was loaded with future Hall-of-Famers and were a match for anyone. The only problem?

Their opponent was the Pittsburgh Steelers, also replete with HOF players. In one of the best Super Bowls ever, the Cowboys ran out of time in a 35-31 loss.

7. Cincinnati Bengals (SB XXIII)

After a dreadful four-win season the year before, the Bengals got their act together and shredded defenses, while their own defense flexed its muscles when the need arose.

Their opponent was the talented and experienced 49ers, yet the Bengals still held a 16-13 lead with mere minutes on the clock, requiring an all-timer of a drive from Joe Montana to pull out the win.

A dropped end zone interception early in the fourth quarter could have made a major difference.

8. Buffalo Bills (SB XXVI)

Those pesky Bills again, and so soon. The following season, this unit were just as good as the previous season's, but this time ran into a Washington juggernaut that epitomized the word "team".

The Bills struggled against the discipline of the Skins' offense and defense and never really got started, losing 37-24.

9. New England (SB XLVI)

Not quite as good as the unit earlier on this list, this Patriots team was only a few close losses away from joining them in the almost perfect club.

There is one area in which they matched their 18-1 buddies - the ending. In a stunning sense of deja vu, the Giants topped the Pats 21-17 courtesy of a late drive orchestrated by Eli Manning.