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Seven NFL Teams That Went from Champs to Chumps in One Season

by Jeremy Block - 12/2/2024

Seven NFL teams that went from champs to chumps Cam Newton New England Patriots

In the NFL, you’re only as good as your last game, and even the best teams can fall from the mountaintop fast. Winning a Super Bowl one year is no guarantee you won’t be fighting for a top draft pick the next. 

So, here are seven NFL teams that went from champions to chumps quicker than you can say "over hyped." It’s like they peaked, then crashed hard -- and we’re here for the chaos.

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1. Denver Broncos (Super Bowl 50 – 2015)

Let’s take a trip down memory lane to the tail end of Peyton Manning’s career with the Denver Broncos. Manning led the team to a Super Bowl victory in 2015, capping off his career with the ultimate fairytale ending. Von Miller was an absolute beast, dominating the Panthers and basically sealing the deal for Denver.

Then came 2016. Manning hung up the cleats, and suddenly the Broncos’ QB situation went from decent to a total dumpster fire. Enter Trevor Siemian, Paxton Lynch, and… ugh, Brock Osweiler -- talk about a who’s who of quarterback mediocrity. They limped through the season with a 9-7 record and missed the playoffs, kicking off years of quarterback confusion and failure. 

Since their 2016 title run with Manning at the helm, the Broncos have struggled to recapture that success and have been hard-pressed to even assemble a playoff-caliber roster.

2. Philadelphia Eagles (Super Bowl LII – 2017)

Ah, the Philly Special, right? That iconic play where backup QB Nick Foles led the Eagles to their first-ever Super Bowl win in 2017. It was a magical underdog story, and Philly was flying high, living the dream. Fast forward to 2018, and suddenly, that Philly Special felt like ancient history. Carson Wentz, the guy they thought was the future, got hurt again (surprise, surprise), and Foles took off for greener pastures. 

The Eagles limped through the season, finishing 9-7 and getting knocked out by the Saints in the divisional round, 20-14. Since then, they’ve been stuck in the quicksand of mediocrity, mostly just trying to stay relevant and hoping to squeeze into the playoffs. They haven’t been able to recapture their Super Bowl-winning magic and have continued to be another team in the NFC East searching for answers.

3. New York Giants (Super Bowl XLVI – 2011)

When the Giants won Super Bowl XLVI, it was a gift from the football gods, not just for New York fans, but for all of us watching those undefeated Patriots get sent home with their only loss of the season -- and it was for the Lombardi trophy, no less. I mean, how sweet is that? 

Eli Manning and the Giants pulled off one of the most satisfying upsets in Super Bowl history, beating Tom Brady for the second time. But then…  2012 happened. The Giants completely fell apart. Eli Manning and company missed the playoffs, and things just went from bad to worse. Both the offense and defense crumbled. And, by 2017, they were just another sad NFC East joke. Since then, they've been wandering the league aimlessly, trying to recapture any shred of that Super Bowl magic. 

4. Los Angeles Rams (Super Bowl LVI – 2021)

We might’ve all forgotten about the Rams’ Super Bowl win not too long ago, but trust me, it’s a story that definitely makes the list. QB Matt Stafford and coach Sean McVay teamed up to take down Joe Burrow and the Bengals in a thrilling, neck-and-neck battle, finishing with a 23-20 Rams victory. Since then? Yeah, not so much.

McVay’s still there, and Stafford’s still under center, but let’s just say things have taken a turn. The very next season, the Rams crumbled to a miserable 5-12 record, and it was pretty hard to watch. The Rams quickly realized they were stuck in the middle of a rebuild. They traded away future picks, tried to patch things up around Stafford as he started to age, and now, here they are -- still stuck with a roster full of holes, trying to solidify another championship caliber team. You’d think winning a Super Bowl would give you a solid foundation, but nope. 

5. Seattle Seahawks (Super Bowl XLVIII – 2013)

In 2013, the Seattle Seahawks were the definition of a powerhouse. They crushed the Broncos 43-8 in Super Bowl XLVIII, and it looked like we were witnessing the birth of the NFL’s next dynasty -- the new Patriots for the coming years. But then, reality set in.

After falling short in the next Super Bowl to New England in 2014 (a tight 28-24 loss), things slowly started to unravel. They almost made it back to the big game in 2015 but got knocked out in the divisional round. By 2017, the 12th Man and company had aged and called it quits, and QB Russell Wilson couldn’t carry the team alone anymore. From Super Bowl champs to aimless wanderers -- talk about a fall from grace.

6. New England Patriots (Super Bowl LIII – 2018)

Yes, you read that right -- the New England Patriots actually made their way onto this list. Sorry, Tom Brady lovers, but it’s true. The Pats wrapped up their dynasty with a Super Bowl win in 2018, and it looked like Bill Belichick had it all figured out. Then Brady dipped for the sunny skies of Tampa Bay, and, well, everything fell apart from there.

Belichick tried to plug the hole with Cam Newton as QB, but the team finished a disappointing 7-9. Since then, the Patriots have been stuck in quarterback purgatory, shuffling through a revolving door of signal-callers. 

As for replacing Brady? It's been a challenge to find anyone close. New England has faced ongoing struggles at quarterback, and it's uncertain when they'll find a lasting solution.

7. Baltimore Ravens (Super Bowl XLVII – 2012)

Remember when QB Joe Flacco led the Baltimore Ravens to a Super Bowl win in 2012? That magical postseason run, capped off by a 34-31 victory over the 49ers, had everyone thinking Flacco had finally earned his “elite” status. The defense, led by Ray Lewis, was stout, and the offense was clicking. Baltimore seemed to be set up for a strong run in the years to come.

But after that Super Bowl win, things quickly went downhill. The Ravens struggled to maintain consistency, and Flacco’s level of play dropped off. They missed the playoffs in 2013, then fell short in the divisional round in 2014. The defense, once the backbone of the team, started to age and eventually crumbled. 

By 2015, Baltimore was just another team in the AFC North trying to figure things out, and they’ve been stuck in rebuild mode ever since. 

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