Rating Super Bowl angst of AFC fan bases

Every fan base wants to see its team in a Super Bowl, but some fan bases would merely be satisfied with a winning season. (We’re staring at you, Las Vegas Raiders faithful.)

Ahead of Sunday’s Super Bowl between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs (6:30 p.m. ET, Fox), Yardbarker NFL writers rate the Super Bowl angst of each AFC fan base on a scale of “1” (We’re good. We’re good.) to “5” (Sense of impending doom).

2024 regular-season records are in parentheses.

AFC East

BUFFALO BILLS (13-4) | Rating: 5 | After suffering a fourth straight playoff loss to Kansas City in this season’s conference championship game, Buffalo seems relegated to bridesmaid of the AFC. The memory of four straight Super Bowl losses from 1990-1993 still frustrates many Bills fans, who continue to hold out hope with MVP candidate Josh Allen at QB.

MIAMI DOLPHINS (8-9) | Rating: 5 | The Dolphins couldn’t win the Super Bowl with 17 years of mostly stellar play from Hall of Famer Dan Marino at QB and seem unlikely to do so with Tua Tagovailoa throwing passes. The oft-injured QB missed five games with a concussion and another with a hip injury in 2024 and could have problems after disgruntled wide receiver Tyreek Hill voiced his displeasure with the team.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (4-13) | Rating: 3 | Patriots fans are still basking in the glow of the 20-year Tom Brady era, or at least they should be. Six Super Bowl championships during Brady’s time in New England are quite an accomplishment. Three-time Super Bowl champion Mike Vrabel, a former Patriots player and now the team’s HC, will look to steer the team’s next franchise QB, Drake Maye, to a Super Bowl.

NEW YORK JETS (5-12) | Rating: 5 | The Jets capped off the 1968 season by beating the Colts 16-7 in Super Bowl III, the team’s first and only Super Bowl appearance. Jets fans have gritted their teeth ever since. — Bruce Ewing

AFC West

DENVER BRONCOS (10-7) | Rating: 3 | The Broncos made the playoffs for the first time in eight years this season, but the organization can’t grow complacent. Denver fans certainly want to see the team continue building around rookie QB Bo Nix, who had 34 touchdowns (29 passing, four rushing and one receiving) in 17 regular-season starts during the 2024 season.

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (15-2) | Rating: 1 | Even if the Chiefs lose in Super Bowl LIX on Sunday, their fan base is still in football paradise. QB Patrick Mahomes doesn’t turn 30 until Sept. 17, so the defending champions should have many more cracks at the Super Bowl.

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (4-13) | Rating: 5 | The Raiders last won a Super Bowl 41 years ago, when they were still based in Los Angeles. Until Vegas finds a viable starting QB, don’t expect it to end its drought anytime soon.

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (11-6) | Rating: 5 | The Chargers are one of 12 teams that haven’t won a Super Bowl. (They made their only appearance in the big game during the 1994 season.) L.A. must take advantage of its window with head coach Jim Harbaugh and QB Justin Herbert or its fan base may get extremely angsty. — Clark Dalton

AFC North

BALTIMORE RAVENS (12-5) | Rating: 3 | The Ravens have been remarkably consistent, with 16 playoff appearances and two Super Bowls in just 29 years’ existence. With every Lamar Jackson playoff disappointment, though, Baltimore’s last Super Bowl win (Feb. 3, 2013) seems further away.

CINCINNATI BENGALS (9-8) | Rating: 4 | The Bengals are one of 12 NFL franchises with no Super Bowl rings, going 0-3 in their three appearances in the big game. Cincinnati lost a heartbreaker to the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI on Feb. 13, 2022, but it would be surprising if QB Joe Burrow doesn’t make it back to the Super Bowl at least one more time in his career.

CLEVELAND BROWNS (3-14) | Rating: 5 | The Browns, along with the Lions, Texans and Jaguars, have never played in the Super Bowl. Cleveland doesn’t even seem close to making it back to the playoffs with the roster as currently constructed.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS (10-7) | Rating: 4 | The Steelers are tied with the Patriots for the most Super Bowl rings (six) in NFL history, but they haven’t reached a Super Bowl since losing to the Packers on Feb. 6, 2011. Pittsburgh fans are getting restless. — Jack Dougherty

AFC South

HOUSTON TEXANS (10-7) | Rating: 3 | The Texans are the greenest NFL franchise, recently finishing their 23rd season. Texans fans might feel like they’ve waited a long time for Houston to win its first Super Bowl. But considering teams such as the Bills, Vikings and Lions have been around since the beginning of the Super Bowl era (1966) and are still seeking their first SB win, they have years to go before they know real angst.

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (8-9) | Rating: 2 | Indianapolis is the only AFC South franchise with a Lombardi Trophy, so Colts fans should look at their division brethren if they’re feeling down about the team’s four-year playoff drought. As frustrating as the past few seasons have been for Colts faithful, it could be worse.

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (4-13) | Rating: 4 | The Jaguars have only one playoff win since making a run to the AFC Championship Game during the 2017 season. After reaching the playoffs four times in its first five seasons (1995-99), Jacksonville has four playoff appearances since 2000, giving fans plenty to be angsty over.

TENNESSEE TITANS (3-14) | Rating: 4 | The Titans were the last AFC South team to reach the conference title game, jumping to a 17-7 lead at Arrowhead against the Chiefs on Jan. 19, 2020, before losing 35-24. With the organization on its third GM in four seasons and a murky future at QB, it might be the last in the division to make it back to an AFC title game. — Eric Smithling