Which NFL Teams Are the Safest Super Bowl Bets in the 2020’s

As of 2020, 12 teams have yet to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy. The last team to hoist the trophy for the first time in franchise history? The Philadelphia Eagles, who won Super Bowl LII over the New England Patriots. 

If you are betting on the edge, which NFL team looks like safe bets to win the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history over the course of the 2020s? 

And which teams are wise to stay away from at least for the foreseeable future?

This post outlines the 12 teams yet to win their first Super Bowl, breaking down their pros, cons, and chances to finish on top of the NFL for a change. 

Let’s discover the good bets, the bad bets, and the ugly bets. 

Minnesota Vikings

All-Time Super Bowl Record: 0-4

The Minnesota Vikings last represented the National Football Conference in 1976. In their 44-season drought, they have put together some stellar teams and have made several NFC Championship appearances. Obviously, they haven’t won a single one of them. 

The Vikings signed their head coach Mike Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman to contract extensions. They also have a few key puzzle pieces on offense and defense to build around. But without a franchise quarterback and question marks at corner, the Vikings may not find themselves in contention. 

Consider them a safe bet only if they figure out their quarterback woes with a legitimate franchise quarterback and if their defensive backfield improves. Oh, and they must contend with the Green Bay Packers on a bi-annual basis. 

Buffalo Bills

All-Time Super Bowl Record: 0-4

The Buffalo Bills went nearly two decades without a playoff appearance, but toward the end of the 2010s, they obliterated that first hurdle. In 2020, they’re enjoying their best season since former quarterback Jim Kelly graced the role as field general. 

The Bills have a talented team overall, a legit franchise quarterback, a star receiver, a decent running back committee, and a defense loaded with stars. 

And they are a young football team. 

Their downsides come in the form of division rivals Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots. The Patriots, for obvious reasons, even if 2020 didn’t go their way. The Dolphins are an up-and-coming team who are enjoying their best era since the Dan Marino era. 

If the Bills prove they can stay ahead of their rivals, they are a safer bet. 

Cincinnati Bengals

All-Time Super Bowl Record: 0-2

The Bengals still aren’t winning, but they have a legitimate franchise quarterback in Joe Burrow, who if it wasn’t for Justin Herbert, would be on pace to break just about every rookie quarterback record out there. 

That said, the Cincinnati Bengals are building a strong nucleus on both offense and defense. And while they still aren’t a good football team forced to contend in a tough division, look for them to become a safer bet for the Lombardi Trophy starting in 2022. 

So a couple of seasons after this post. But they have a kingpin to build around in Burrow. Perhaps the best kingpin in the NFL today. 

Carolina Panthers

All-Time Super Bowl Record: 0-2

The Panthers hired one of the best program-building architects in Matt Rhule. And while they are still a ragtag unit, the Panthers, like the Bengals, will become a safer bet as the decade wears on. 

The only way the Carolina Panthers sink back into the doldrums is if they lose faith in Rhule. Which isn’t likely, given the longevity of their previous two coaches in John Fox and Ron Rivera. Both of whom also led the Panthers to their respective Super Bowls. 

Like the Bengals, the Panthers will become a safer bet starting in 2022. 

Atlanta Falcons

All-Time Super Bowl Record: 0-2

The Atlanta Falcons are one team on this list who probably shouldn’t be on it after they blew a 28-3 lead to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI. 

The 2020 Falcons have already fired their coach and placed Raheem Morris in charge as interim coach, perhaps to remove the label in 2021. This is a situation to watch. If the Falcons keep Morris, they will probably keep their talented core intact. 

But this will only happen if the Falcons are competitive and win some ballgames. If not, look for a complete rebuild and steer clear of this team until further notice. At least until 2023. 

Los Angeles Chargers

All-Time Super Bowl Record: 0-1

The Los Angeles Chargers have arguably the best young quarterback in football in Justin Herbert. Not only is Herbert proving the Chargers right about drafting him and letting 14-year starter Philip Rivers walk; he is keeping his Chargers in games. 

Problem is, the Chargers defense can’t hold opponents when they build a two or even a three-possession lead. So look for the Chargers to build a monster on defense at linebacker and defensive back and watch this team thrive, starting in 2021. 

Another problem, of course, is Patrick Mahomes and his Kansas City Chiefs. But logic tells me teams, including the Chargers, will figure out the Chiefs sooner than later. Figuring out Herbert and the Chargers is another story. 

Tennessee Titans

All-Time Super Bowl Record: 0-1

The Titans will be one of those teams using one or two stars on their roster. The rest of the team will comprise football players who are cast-offs from other teams or those who spent their career as backups but will find a home in Nashville. 

Sounds like something Bill Belichick does in New England, right?

And it’s the culture head coach Mike Vrabel is building in Nashville. Look for Vrabel and his Tennessee Titans to continue finding building blocks through the draft, free agency, and even practice squads. You won’t find flash. But you will find players who fit both the system and the culture. 

Arizona Cardinals

All-Time Super Bowl Record: 0-1

The Arizona Cardinals are perhaps the safest bet on this list, and for one reason: A dynamic coach/quarterback combo. And perhaps the unlikeliest combo in NFL history. On one end, you have the 5’10, 207lb quarterback in Kyler Murray.

And on the other end, you got Kliff Kingsbury, a mediocre college coach who finished his tenure at Texas Tech at 35-40. Coaches like Kingsbury rarely get a shot in the NFL. But here we are, and the Kyler/Kliff combo has so far paid off for the Cards. 

This team is already in playoff contention. They are young. And they are offensively one of the most explosive units in football. If this team can win more one-possession games, they will be a safe bet for the Lombardi. 

Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns finally look like a team with life at the start of the decade. However, exercise caution given their recent history.

The Browns are notorious for firing head coaches and changing regimes once every one and a half seasons.

Until the Cleveland Browns prove they can employ longevity, they are a risky bet to win the Super Bowl. They also need to prove they can beat the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers consistently. Until then, they will need to fight even for something as simple as a playoff berth. 

Detroit Lions

The Lions remain in a perpetual state of mediocrity. Something they have been stuck in since 1957, with just one playoff win in the past 63 seasons. 

The Detroit Lions are again among the bottom of the league and will probably start 2021 off with a new coach, general manager, and system. Unless they come out of nowhere in the near future, they are not the safest bet. 

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars, like the Lions, are once again threatening a full rebuild. But unlike the Lions, they are next to barren in the talent department. At least the Lions can make games interesting. The Jaguars are still trying to figure out how to stay in games. 

Most of their offensive production has come in garbage time, and like the team listed above, have done little to warrant anyone’s faith that they are a safe bet. The only outlier being the 2017 season. But even that was a surprise. 

Houston Texans

And the Houston Texans are yet another team in a rebuild, having fired former head coach Bill O’Brien. They will start over in 2021, and perhaps the only real thing they have going for them is quarterback Deshaun Watson. 

That’s if the new staff wants Watson at quarterback. But even with Watson, the Texans can’t win football games. They are yet another team to chalk up in the less safe category. 

The Safest Bet?

The Arizona Cardinals boast one of the league’s best offenses and coach/quarterback duos. They have also proven they can hang with the NFL’s best football teams after defeating two division rivals they had no business in challenging. 

The Los Angeles Chargers are also among your safest bets, given their talent at quarterback and overall offensive and defensive talent. They still need some furnishing done on defense to hold big leagues, but they are perhaps one or two rungs away from contending for a Super Bowl. 

Conclusion

There is always the element of surprise, so just because a team looks like a safe bet on paper doesn’t quite mean they are an overall safe bet to make. That said, the Lions, Browns, Texans, and Jaguars can easily put something together as early as 2021 and join the safer categories. 

But on paper, the Cardinals and Chargers appear to be light years ahead of the rest, with the Buffalo Bills and Carolina Panthers knocking on the door in the AFC and NFC, respectively. 

Which teams do you feel are the safest bets to win their first Super Bowl in the near future? Let us know in the comments.