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The gruelling nature of the NFL season makes winning the Super Bowl an arduous task. Teams have to survive injuries and numerous other setbacks to not only make it through the regular season but also advance through the playoffs.
There are, of course, several teams in the league that are yet to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. The Buffalo Bills have been the runner-ups four different times, but head into this season as the NFL favorites. Others like the Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans are so far from being title contenders that even putting them on this list wouldn't be fair.
On that note, here's a look at three teams that could make the playoffs but are unlikely to go all the way and end their title drought:
#1 Minnesota Vikings
Last Super Bowl Appearance: 1977
The Minnesota Vikings are a team that appears to be at a crossroads. They brought in a new general manager and head coach as it looked like they were going to blow up the roster and start all over.
However, the roster underwent little turnover and it looks like the plan is to ride it out for another year and hope that new coach Kevin O'Connell can bring some offensive magic to the team.
Though not quite elite, Kirk Cousins remains a good quarterback. Despite taking quite a number of hits the past few years, Dalvin Cook is still one of the top running backs in the NFL. The wide receiver duo of Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson is not paralleled by many.
In spite of the firepower, the team finished 7-9 in 2020 and 8-9 in 2021, leaving little evidence to suggest that this year will be any different.
#2 Tennessee Titans
Last Super Bowl Appearance: 2000
It's hard to believe that the Tennessee Titans were the No. 1 seed in the AFC last season. After powering through the regular season, they stumbled in the playoffs, losing 19-16 to the Cincinnati Bengals in the divisional round despite recording nine sacks against Joe Burrow.
The Titans will return this season with the same core of players, minus wideout A.J. Brown, who was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles. The team will once again rely heavily on Derrick Henry to carry the load.
But the AFC features some of the best teams in the NFL and the likelihood of the Titans beating out the likes of Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs seems small.
#3 Carolina Panthers
Last Super Bowl Appearance: 2016
Who knows what to expect from the Carolina Panthers in 2022? No one in the NFL expects the Panthers to be a good football team, but it would not come as a complete shock if they made a push for a playoff spot.
Though Carolina picked rookie Matt Corral in the NFL draft, Sam Darnold remains the starting quarterback. When healthy, Christian McCaffrey is an unguardable weapon.
Head coach Matt Rhule is fighting for his job in Carolina, so he's going to pull out all possible stops to make sure his NFL career continues. Although they could take a few teams by surprise and potentially reach the playoffs, winning the Super Bowl in 2022 remains a very long shot.
