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The NFL returned to our screens on September 7th, and it did so with the reigning champion Kansas City Chiefs in the midst of an incredible streak. Patrick Mahomes and Co. have reached at least the AFC Championship game in each of the last five seasons, winning three of them. They have converted two of those three Super Bowl appearances into Lombardi’s, with their most recent coming back in February when they rallied from ten points down at halftime to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles.
Since then, football fans had to wait seven months for their fix as the NFL wound down for its annual hiatus. Luckily for them, online sites such as Joe Fortune have a plethora of football-related games on their website such as Gridiron Glory. Many NFL fans played that particular game throughout the close season as a thrilling way to wind down without their weekly dose of football. That was until the first Thursday in September, anyway.
That’s when the Chiefs raised the curtain on the new campaign by welcoming the Detroit Lions to Arrowhead Stadium. Many had expected the hosts to get the victory however it was the visitors who sprang the shock, just as they did when they defeated the Green Bay Packers on the final day of last season. Andy Reid’s men have rallied since though, defeating the Jacksonville Jaguars on the road in a repeat of the clash we saw in the divisional round of last year’s playoffs.
With the Missouri-based outfit in the midst of an impressive streak of their own, that got us thinking: What are some of the other top streaks in NFL history? Well, we’ve dug out four of them, so let’s take a look.
New England Patriots reach eight straight AFC Championship Games
The New England Patriots are known for their sustained success and throughout the first two decades of the 21st century, they established themselves as one of the greatest dynasties in American sporting history. Led by quarterback Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick, the Boston-based outfit reached four Super Bowls throughout the 2000s, winning three of them. However, it wasn’t until the 2010s that they would flex their muscles once and for all.
Between 2011 and 2018, the Pats reached eight straight AFC Championship games, a streak that was unheard of in the world of football. Of those eight games, they reached the Super Bowl on no fewer than five occasions, including three in a row at the culmination of the 2016, 2017, and 2018 seasons. They lifted the Lombardi in three of those five games and it’s an era of dominance that is yet to be matched.
Buffalo Bills reach four consecutive Super Bowls
Between 1990 and 1993, the Buffalo Bills accomplished a feat that no team before or since has done. They reached four consecutive Super Bowls. However, inexplicably, they lost all four. They would first succumb to the New York Giants in dramatic fashion, missing a last-gasp field goal that would have seen them run out victorious. Then, they were handily dispatched by the Washington Redskins and twice by the Dallas Cowboys.
Their streak was a testament to their grit and determination as well as their innovative no-huddle offense. They were led by Hall of Famers such as Bruce Smith, quarterback Jim Kelly, and Thurman Thomas, who all played key roles in their success. The Bills have not reached the Super Bowl since these four appearances however, with Josh Allen at the helm, perhaps a maiden Lombardi isn’t too far away.
Patriots complete Perfect Regular Season
The 2007 New England Patriots redefined what it meant to be perfect. Led by Brady once more, the Patriots went 16-0 in the regular season, becoming the first and only team in NFL history to do so. They continued to dominate in the postseason as well and headed into Super Bowl XLII as heavy favorites. Unfortunately for them, they hadn’t banked on the brilliance of Eli Manning, who managed to mastermind a 17-14 victory, a result that remains one of the biggest upsets in the history of American Sports.
Brett Favre starts 297 consecutive games
When Brett Favre was drafted as the 33rd overall pick of the 1991 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons, not too many eyebrows were raised. The Georgia-based outfit didn’t even know the quality of player they had on their hands, and they shipped him off to the Green Bay Packers in just his second season. However, the Falcons’ loss was the Packers’ game.
Throughout a 15-year stint, the former Southern Miss Golden Eagle would develop into one of the finest quarterbacks to ever take to the gridiron. He was named MVP in three straight seasons in the mid-to-late 90s as well as leading the Packers to a first Lombardi in 29 years in 1996. Throughout his incredible run at Lambeau Field, he would embark on a run that would see him start 297 consecutive games.
His streak began in 1992 shortly after being drafted by the Packers and it ran right up until his final season in 2010 with the Minnesota Vikings. During that time, he established himself as a true Ironman of the NFL and proved to be one of the toughest athletes of all time.
