Most Playoff Appearances -- NFL Teams, 1920-2017

The Buffalo Bills clinched a Playoff berth today. The last time they did that was in 1999. They were the last major league sports team to have not made the Playoffs in the 21st Century -- although their last Playoff game was, the game of January 4, 2000 against the Tennessee Titans known as the Music City Miracle.

Now, the teams with the longest droughts are: MLB, Seattle Mariners, 2001; NFL, Cleveland Browns, 2002 (they completed the NFL's 2nd 0-16 season today); NBA, Minnesota Timberwolves, 2004; NHL, Carolina Hurricanes, 2009.

On this list, ties are broken by more NFL Championships (not just most Super Bowls), then more NFL Championship Game (including Super Bowl), appearances, then more Conference Championship Game appearances, then more Division Championships, then by fewer seasons of play.

1 Green Bay Packers 32
2 New York Giants 32
3 Dallas Cowboys 32
4 Pittsburgh Steelers 31, including this season
5 Minnesota Vikings 29, including this season
6 Cleveland Browns 28
Rams combined 28
Colts combined 27
7 Chicago Bears 26
8 San Francisco 49ers 26
9 New England Patriots 25, including this season
10 Philadelphia Eagles 25, including this season
11 Washington Redskins 24
12 Miami Dolphins 23
13 Denver Broncos 22
Raiders combined 22
14 Los Angeles Rams 22, including this season
Oilers/Titans combined 22
15 Kansas City Chiefs 20, including this season
16 Detroit Lions 18
17 Buffalo Bills 18, including this season
Chargers combined 18
18 Indianapolis Colts 17
19 Seattle Seahawks 16
20 Oakland Raiders 15
21 New York Jets 14
22 Atlanta Falcons 14, including this season
23 Cincinnati Bengals 14
24 New Orleans Saints 11, including this season
25 Baltimore Ravens 10
26 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 10
Cardinals combined 10
27 Carolina Panthers 8, including this season
28 Tennessee Titans 7, including this season
29 Jacksonville Jaguars 7, including this season
30 Arizona Cardinals 5
31 Houston Texans 4
32 Los Angeles Chargers 1 (1960)

*

Of course, some context is needed. Of course, "most times made Playoffs" is weighted toward the older teams. So how about percentage?

The 1st column to the right of the team's name is the number of times they've made the Playoffs. The next is their number of seasons. The last is, on the average, every how many years they make the Playoffs.

1	Dallas Cowboys	32	58	1.8
2	Minnesota Vikings	29	57	2.0
3	Baltimore Ravens	10	22	2.2
4	Miami Dolphins	23	52	2.3
5	New England Patriots	25	58	2.3
6	Cleveland Browns	28	72	2.6
7	Seattle Seahawks	16	42	2.6
8	Indianapolis Colts (combined)	27	71	2.6
9	Denver Broncos	22	58	2.6
10	Oakland Raiders (combined)	22	58	2.6
11	Tennessee Titans (combined)	22	58	2.6
12	Pittsburgh Steelers	31	85	2.7
13	San Francisco 49ers	26	72	2.8
14	Carolina Panthers	8	23	2.9
15	Los Angeles Rams (combined)	28	81	2.9
16	Kansas City Chiefs	20	58	2.9
17	New York Giants	32	93	2.9
18	Green Bay Packers	32	97	3.0
19	Buffalo Bills	18	58	3.2
20	Los Angeles Chargers (combined)	18	58	3.2
21	Jacksonville Jaguars	7	23	3.3
22	Philadelphia Eagles	25	85	3.4
23	Cincinnati Bengals	14	50	3.6
24	Washington Redskins	24	86	3.6
25	Atlanta Falcons	14	52	3.7
26	Chicago Bears	26	98	3.8
27	Houston Texans	4	16	4.0
28	New York Jets	14	58	4.1
29	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	10	42	4.2
30	New Orleans Saints	11	51	4.6
31	Detroit Lions	18	84	4.7
32	Arizona Cardinals (combined)	10	98	9.8

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