Seventeen straight Super Bowl runnersup have failed to make it back to the big game. Year Team Result 2011 Steelers 124, lost wild card 2010 Colts 106, lost wild card 2009 Cardinals 106, lost wild card 2008 Patriots 115, no playoffs 2007 Bears 79, no playoffs 2006 Seahawks 97, lost div. round 2005 Eagles 610, no playoffs 2004 Panthers 79, no playoffs 2003 Raiders 412, no playoffs 2002 Rams 79, no playoffs 2001 Giants 79, no playoffs 2000 Titans 133, lost div. round 1999 Falcons 511, no playoffs 1998 Packers 115, lost wild card 1997 Patriots 106, lost div. round 1996 Steelers 106, lost div. round 1995 Chargers 97, lost wild card *ESPN Stats & InformationNew England is trying to become just the third team to accomplish the feat and the first in nearly four decades. Thirtyeight consecutive teams have tried and failed. That is a ton of history against the Patriots as they chase their fourth Super Bowl title in the BelichickBrady era. Mathematically, only 4.3 percent of NFL teams have been able to accomplish what New England is trying to do this year. Those are long odds, indeed. "The Patriots played more games than any other team but one last year and I think that takes a toll," Scouts Inc.'s Matt Williamson said of difficulty of getting back to the Super Bowl. "Those playoff games are really intense and you have to do more physical damage to your roster than teams that didnt make it deep into the playoffs. So I think its a little more difficult to be fresh when your season comes around. Your offseasons aren't as long and you're more beat up." To Williamson's point, the Patriots are still ailing from last year's playoff run. Pro Bowl guard Logan Mankins tore his ACL in the postseason and had surgery in February. He is questionable for Week 1 and could begin the year on the physically unable to perform list. Patriots Pro Bowl tight end Rob Gronkowski needed ankle surgery this offseason after getting injured in the AFC Championship Game against the Baltimore Ravens. He continues to rehab and hopes to be back by training camp. Neither star was able to participate in offseason workouts. The numbers are a little more in New England's favor in terms of getting back to the big game. Seven Super Bowl runnersup have repeated as conference champions in 46 years, which is 15.2 percent. Most recently, the Buffalo Bills bounced back from three Super Bowl losses to return to the title game in the 199093 seasons. The Denver Broncos also lost Super Bowl XXI in the 1986 season and made it back to Super Bowl XXII the following year. But 17 consecutive Super Bowl runnersup have not returned to the big game. The Patriots will try to end the drought this season. History is not on New England's side, but there are reasons to believe the Patriots can shake the runnersup curse. For starters, New England is stacked this year. There is depth at nearly every position, and the defense should be much improved from the 31stranked unit we saw a year ago. Second, New England has the easiest strength of schedule in the NFL. The Patriots play just four teams with winning records in 2011. A 12 or 13win season appears very attainable for the Patriots. Finally, New England's offense is a juggernaut. Brady is playing some of the best football of his career and he has a supremely talented supporting cast that includes Gronkowski, Brandon Lloyd, Pro Bowl receiver Wes Welker, dynamic tight end Aaron Hernandez, veteran receiver Jabar Gaffney and a young, exciting group of running backs. "They would be No. 1 on my power rankings. I'm not saying they will win the Super Bowl, but if I had to pick one team,Cheap Julius Peppers Jersey, they would be my pick," Williamson said. "The key to me is you can't outscore them. The Patriots were one of the two or three best offenses last year and they had some flaws. They had nothing outside the numbers and no deepball capabilities, and they went out and changed that with Brandon Lloyd. That's a big step forward on offense, and now you're going to have to score 40 to beat them." The AFC appears to be the weaker conference,Cheap George Blanda Jersey, which also plays into New England's favor. There are only a handful of serious contenders. Besides New England, the list includes the Ravens, Houston Texans, Pittsburgh Steelers and maybe the Broncos if future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning can return to full strength. But the first step for the Patriots is conquering the AFC East. New England has won the division nine of the past 11 years under Brady and Belichick. Williamson does not see any reason the Patriots cannot win their 10th AFC East title in 12 years. "I think the Jets are declining and the Bills are rising, but I don't think either one is close to the Patriots level," Williamson said. "I don't think the rest of the division is that good. The Bills have come a long way for the Bills. But I still think they're an 88 or 97 team if everything goes well. No one in the division has a quarterback close to Brady. No one has the biggame experience, and none of them have a coach on Belichicks level." Barring significant injuries, the Patriots are a safe bet to make the postseason for the fourth consecutive year. But when it comes to getting to the very top of the NFL mountain, history suggests New England's 2012 journey will fall short. Will Patriots suffer runnersup curse? NFL Nation Blog ESPN Jim Davis/The Boston Globe/Getty ImagesHistory is against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots returning to the Super Bowl this season.The reigning AFC champion New England Patriots have the talent, experience and depth to get back to the Super Bowl in February. Many football pundits agree the Patriots led by quarterback Tom Brady and coach Bill Belichick are one of the safest picks to represent the AFC in New Orleans. But history suggests New England is better off not showing up this season. The Patriots were runnersup in Super Bowl XLVI and historically that is an awful position to be in. According to ESPN Stats & Information, it's been 39 years since a team bounced back from a Super Bowl loss to win a championship. The Miami Dolphins won Super Bowl VII in January 1973 after losing Super Bowl VI the previous year. In fact,Cheap Matt Hasselbeck Jersey, it's only happened twice in the Super Bowl's 46year history. Bad History? 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