Poking around with the numbers some, I see that the Saints and Packers in recent years have done something no other team has been able to do. They’ve been able to pile up a whole bunch of wins while simultaneously not making it to a Super Bowl.
The Saints went 13-3 in both 2018 and 2019, yet fell short of appearing in the Super Bowl in either of those seasons (losing home playoff games against the Rams and Vikings).
With the Packers, they’ve gone 13-3 in each of the last two years but then lost in the NFC Championship in both seasons.
Since the NFL moved to 16 games in the late ‘70s, nine other teams have won at least 13 games in back-to-back seasons. All of those teams appeared in at least one Super Bowl game during their hot streaks.
13-PLUS WINS IN BACK-TO-BACK SEASONS | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Years | Team | First | Second | Super Bowls |
1985-86 | Chicago Bears | 15-1 | 14-2 | 1 win |
1989-90 | San Francisco 49ers | 14-2 | 14-2 | 1 win |
2003-04 | New England Patriots | 14-2 | 14-2 | 2 wins |
2010-11 | New England Patriots | 14-2 | 13-3 | 1 loss |
2016-17 | New England Patriots | 14-2 | 13-3 | win, loss |
1990-91 | Buffalo Bills | 13-3 | 13-3 | 2 losses |
1996-97 | Green Bay Packers | 13-3 | 13-3 | win, loss |
1999-00 | Tennessee Titans | 13-3 | 13-3 | 1 loss |
2012-13 | Denver Broncos | 13-3 | 13-3 | 1 loss |
2018-19 | New Orleans Saints | 13-3 | 13-3 | none |
2019-20 | Green Bay Packers | 13-3 | 13-3 | none |
—Ian Allan