Thirty-two teams started the NFL season wildly optimistic about their chances of hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl XLVIII at MetLife Stadium in February. Now, only 12 teams are left, which leaves the remaining 20 franchises and their respective fan bases wondering what went wrong. While there are a few teams that just didn't have a chance and their fans probably knew it in the back of their minds going into the season opener, most are still searching for answers.
For the next week or so, you will likely hear a handful of rage-fueled responses everywhere from your co-workers at the water cooler to the patrons at your local bar as they try to figure out a legit reason why their favorite team isn't playing in the postseason. From New York Giants fans pinning their lack of success on an overabundance of injuries to faithful followers of the Houston Texans saying that this year was just an unlucky one, here are 10 Things NFL Fans Tell Themselves When Their Teams Don't Make The Playoffs.
Thirty-two teams started the NFL season wildly optimistic about their chances of hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl XLVIII at MetLife Stadium in February. Now, only 12 teams are left, which leaves the remaining 20 franchises and their respective fan bases wondering what went wrong. While there are a few teams that just didn't have a chance and their fans probably knew it in the back of their minds going into the season opener, most are still searching for answers.
For the next week or so, you will likely hear a handful of rage-fueled responses everywhere from your co-workers at the water cooler to the patrons at your local bar as they try to figure out a legit reason why their favorite team isn't playing in the postseason. From New York Giants fans pinning their lack of success on an overabundance of injuries to faithful followers of the Houston Texans saying that this year was just an unlucky one, here are 10 Things NFL Fans Tell Themselves When Their Teams Don't Make The Playoffs.
We just plain stink.
Team(s): Cleveland Browns, Oakland Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Buffalo Bills
We're still getting used to a new regime.
Team(s): St. Louis Rams, Tennessee Titans
New coach. New front office. It takes time to get accustomed to all of the changes going on. Or, at least, that's what this type of fan believes. Sure, your team has undergone a couple of changes over the last season or two, but when does that waiting period end? Two under-.500 seasons in a row? Three? Eventually, that whole ideal becomes a never-ending circle where you're thinking that it's going to take a few seasons to get the gears going, then, the head coach is fired for his poor performance and that adjustment period mentality kicks right back in again. Eventually, you're stuck in an Inception-esque sports fan limbo with no kick in sight.
We need this to happen in order to shake things up.
Team(s): Chicago Bears, New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins
If you are a spiritual person, then you've heard of the belief that everything happens for a reason. When an NFL team, like the Chicago Bears, squander away an opportunity to reach the playoffs, their fans may think that getting ousted is actually a blessing in disguise. An opportunity only brought on by divine intervention. Yada yada yada. Hey, hate to burst your bubble, but that's crazy talk!
If a team like the Bears or Cowboys comes close to reaching the playoffs, then the front office believes that they are almost there and need another year with some tweaks here and there. Nothing as crazy as completely changing your starting quarterback or head coach is going to happen. If you want to see things get shaken up, your team needs to absolutely tank. Not this 8-8 or 7-9 BS.
The team was just unlucky this year.
Team(s): Houston Texans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Redskins
Oh, your team had a couple of untimely injuries and unlucky moments. How unfortunate! C'mon, that type of stuff happens with every team. Look at the Indianapolis Colts. They lost their No. 1 receiver in Reggie Wayne and traded away everything for Trent Richardson after their top two running backs went down with season-ending injuries and even T-Rich has turned into straight garbage. But where's Indy right now? In the playoffs. Good teams overcome injuries and find a way to get the W. Everything else is just an excuse.
We're one to two players away.
Team(s): Miami Dolphins, Baltimore Ravens, St. Louis Rams
The Miami Dolphins were thisclose to making their way into the playoffs. So what do they need to do to change their fortunes next season? Maybe a little tweak here or make an improvement there. Eh, it's not as easy as their fans make it out to be. There's just so much more to factor into the conversation, like how many of those wins were based off of good fortune, a favorable schedule, their opponents' performance this year, etc. Maybe the Dolphins make do some adjustments in their supposed weak areas and end up with a worse record, then what do you gotta say? If it were that easy, every team would have a great chance at making it to the playoffs.
The team is rebuilding.
Team(s): Pittsburgh Steelers
At some point in every franchise's history, there are those dreaded rebuilding years. They can last anywhere from a couple of years to well, seemingly forever. In case you've been a Patriots fan during the Tom Brady/Bill Belichick years, it's a time period when a team stockpiles draft picks and young talent with the hopes that these pieces to the puzzle fit perfectly and translate into a championship. Sometimes, it works. And other times, it fails miserably and you just gotta start all over again. But it's the chance you gotta take when your key position players start to get up there in years, like the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The team dealt with a lot of injuries.
Team(s): New York Giants, Atlanta Falcons
As the saying goes, "injuries are a part of the game." Every Sunday, players risk life and limb, so when someone goes down with an injury that could keep them out anywhere from a couple weeks to an entire season, the team simply needs to move on. It sounds terrible but it's the truth of the matter.
Of course, there is a case that could be made for when multiple key players land on the disabled list, which is exactly what happened to the New York Giants when talented guys like Victor Cruz and nearly every person on their defensive line were injured at some point or another. It isn't easy to supplant superstars, but again, injuries are simply part of the game and something teams need to adjust to in order to get into the playoffs. And, oh yeah, it probably didn't help the Giants' ability to rebound from injuries when Eli Manning had arguably the worst year of his career. Just saying.
We're in a tough division.
Team(s): Arizona Cardinals
Poor Arizona Cardinals. They played incredible this year, posting a record of 10-6 and still didn't make the playoffs. Meanwhile, the 8-7-1 Green Bay Packers are not only still competing for the Lombardi Trophy, but they're playing at home against the San Francisco 49ers who have a better record than them. What is a team to do? Write a petition to the league office? Annex from the NFC West? We don't have any words to console Cards fans, other than that this is a great teaching point for the kids. Show them how cruel the world can be, then tell them Santa doesn't exist and let their tears fuel your hate fire. Sounds mean, but you gotta deflect that anger somewhere, right?
At least we have won a Super Bowl (or multiple Super Bowls) recently.
Team(s): Baltimore Ravens, New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers
So, you're not too upset about your team failing to make the playoffs this year because they won it all last year or a couple times within the last decade. Oh, okay, so you can just settle with being good enough and not great? Be greedy! Be like a Yankees fan. Get a little pissed off that your team isn't even close to defending their title or that they fell off so drastically that they can no longer even reach the postseason. Sure, you can brag all you want about that one title your team won a couple years ago, but sports is all about what have you done for me lately. And if your team hasn't been getting it done lately, guess what? They're looked upon just as unfavorably as any other unsuccessful franchise.
It's all [insert player's name here]'s fault.
Team(s): Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears
In every team sport, there's a hero and then, there's the goat. It's a philosophy that Cowboys fans know far too well. Throughout his career, Tony Romo has had a history of epic fourth quarter letdowns, which has garnered plenty of finger-pointing during his years with the 'Boys. Is it always his fault? Maybe. But, sometimes, one player needs to take the fall for a team's absence in the playoffs. So, don't be surprised to hear a passionate fan still upset with X player who cost them a couple victories with their play and if it weren't for his mistakes, they would be in playoffs, for sure.
