Chiefs’ Super Bowl loss to Eagles keeps 39-year curse alive

The Kansas City Chiefs’ pursuit of an unprecedented Super Bowl three-peat ended in a 40-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 59, continuing a decades-long trend of 15-win teams failing to win it all. Kansas City finished the 2024 season with a dominant 15-2 record, securing the AFC’s top seed and entering the postseason as strong favorites. However, history repeated itself, as no NFL team with 15 or more wins in the regular season has won the Super Bowl since the 1985 Chicago Bears.

Bleacher Report recently highlighted this long-standing trend — every team that has reached 15 wins or more since 1985 has failed to capture a championship. The last to do so was the ’85 Bears, led by quarterback Jim McMahon and a historically dominant defense featuring Hall of Famers Mike Singletary and Richard Dent. They finished 15-1 before routing the New England Patriots 46-10 in Super Bowl 20. Before them, the 1984 San Francisco 49ers also went 15-1 and secured the Lombardi Trophy with a 38-16 victory over the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl 19.

Since those two dominant championship runs, every 15+ win team that has made the playoffs has fallen short in its quest to win the Super Bowl.

Notable 15+ Win Disappointments

The most infamous example remains the 2007 New England Patriots, who went 16-0 in the regular season, led by Tom Brady and Randy Moss’ record-setting offense. They appeared destined to become the first team since the 1972 Miami Dolphins to complete a perfect season, but the New York Giants stunned them with a 17-14 upset in Super Bowl 42, highlighted by David Tyree’s iconic helmet catch.

This season, the Detroit Lions also entered the playoffs with a 15-2 record but suffered an early exit in the NFC Divisional Round. Despite a strong regular season in which quarterback Jared Goff and a high-powered offense flourished, Detroit fell 45-31 to the Washington Commanders as rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels led the upset.

Other notable 15+ win teams that failed to win the Super Bowl include:

• 2015 Carolina Panthers (15-1): Led by MVP Cam Newton, the Panthers dominated the regular season and reached Super Bowl 50. However, their high-powered offense was stifled by the Denver Broncos’ defense, led by Von Miller, in a 24-10 loss.
• 2011 Green Bay Packers (15-1): After an MVP season from Aaron Rodgers, the Packers were stunned in the NFC Divisional Round, losing 37-20 to the New York Giants, who went on to win the Super Bowl.
• 2004 Pittsburgh Steelers (15-1): Rookie Ben Roethlisberger led Pittsburgh to an impressive season, but they fell 41-27 to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship.
• 1998 Minnesota Vikings (15-1): Randall Cunningham, Randy Moss, and Cris Carter powered a record-breaking Vikings offense that appeared poised for a Super Bowl run, but they lost 30-27 in overtime to the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship after kicker Gary Anderson missed a crucial field goal.

**Chiefs’ three-peat...