Biggest gut-punch loss for every NFC franchise in the Super Bowl eraby Chris Burke SI.comJuly 23, 2015
When it comes to the worst loss suffered by a team, there's not just one deciding factor. Occasionally, a blowout will determine the game a team's fans talk about with the most regret, but more often than not, it's the close ones that stick to your soul in all the wrong ways. As part of NFL Worst Week, here are our picks for the worst gut-punch loss for every NFC franchise.Philadelphia Eagles: Jan. 19, 2003, NFC championship—Buccaneers 27, Eagles 10Sometimes, an entire game delivers a long, drawn-out 'gut punch'. Such was the case in the 2002 season's NFC championship for the Eagles. They were in front of a rabid home crowd, hosting a Tampa Bay team they had beaten during the regular season, with wind chills dipping below 20. What could go wrong?Well, after Philadelphia grabbed an early 7–0 lead, pretty much everything. The Bucs scored 27 of the game's final 30 points, capped by Ronde Barber's 92-yard interception return for a touchdown off Donovan McNabb. To make matters worse, Tampa Bay then rolled to a 48–21 victory against the Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII.NFC SouthAtlanta Falcons: Jan. 4, 1981, NFC divisional round—Cowboys 30, Falcons 27The Falcons still have not recovered from their 28–24 loss to San Francisco in the NFC championship three seasons ago. They let a 10-point halftime lead (and 17–0 second-quarter edge) slip away and had a 4th-and-4 from the San Francisco 10 fall incomplete in the closing moments.But whereas the 49ers started their comeback early, the Falcons had Dallas on the brink deep into the fourth quarter during the 1980 divisional round—Atlanta led 24–10 to start the frame and later 27–17, after giving up a one-yard touchdown run from Robert Newhouse, but answering with a 34-yard field goal from Tim Mazzetti. QB Danny White and WR Drew Pearson brought the 'Boys back, with Pearson's second touchdown catch coming in the final minute to send the Falcons to a crushing loss.Carolina Panthers: Feb. 1, 2004, Super Bowl XXXVIII—Patriots 32, Panthers 29 The Panthers' first (and thus far, only) trip to the Super Bowl produced an unforgettable game ... no matter how much Carolina fans might try to block the ending from their memories. The upstart Panthers—after knocking off Dallas, St. Louis (in overtime) and Philadelphia to reach the Super Bowl—had the Patriots on the ropes.Carolina took its first lead in a back-and-forth affair when Jake Delhomme hit Muhsin Muhammed for an 85-yard, fourth-quarter touchdown. After the Patriots answered back, a Delhomme-to-Ricky Proehl strike tied it with 1:08 left. That was too much time for Carolina's defense to withstand. Tom Brady marched New England into field-goal range and Adam Vinatieri nailed a 41-yarder for the win.New Orleans Saints: Jan. 14, 2012, NFC divisional round—49ers 36, Saints 32The lesson we seem to be learning is that you don't want to play at San Francisco in the playoffs. Behind a potent offense the Saints stormed all the way back from a 17–0 deficit to take a pair of fourth-quarter leads (24–23 and 32–29). The latter came via a 66-yard pass from Drew Brees to Jimmy Graham with just 1:37 left. But the Saints' defense buckled—a 47-yard Vernon Davis reception pushed the 49ers into the red zone, and Alex Smith then hit Davis on a 14-yard touchdown, giving San Francisco the victory.Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jan. 23, 2000, NFC championship—Rams 11, Bucs 6 A decade before fans became familiar with what's now known as the "Calvin Johnson Rule," the NFL's apparent inability to clearly define a catch cost Tampa Bay a trip the Super Bowl. In fact, no one (including FOX's broadcast team) even seemed to know why the officials stopped play for a review following Bert Emanuel's 12-yard reception—a catch that moved the Bucs, trailing 11–6 with less than a minute left—to the edge of St. Louis red zone.It came as even more of a surprise when the catch was overturned, pushing Tampa Bay from a 3rd-and-11 back to 3rd-and-23. Two Shaun King incompletions later, the Rams were NFC champions.Driving the dagger deeper for Tampa Bay was its wasted, but brilliant, defensive effort. No team held St. Louis' powerful offense to fewer than 21 points until the Buccaneers slowed them down in this game. Had King not thrown an interception to set up Kurt Warner's go-ahead touchdown pass, the Buccaneers may have escaped with a 6–5 win.For every team......link
