One Step Away. 3 Teams That Almost Made It

What's worse, losing completely and finishing at the bottom, or being so close to victory and blowing it in the last second?

If you almost win, you can always try again next season, but maybe not. Depending on if you're roster will stay the same, and hopefully there isn't a one-of-a-kind player coming out of college. Or maybe you'll get that new star, or maybe not. But at least you almost won.

Buffalo Bills

Let's go back to the 1990s. Law and Order just aired its first season, Home Alone came out, the Cold War just ended, and the Buffalo Bills would start their four-year Super Bowl run.

From 1990-1994, the Bills would appear in four straight Super Bowls..... and lose all. So, what was Buffalo's problem?

To be honest, not much. Their defense was their "worst" problem. However, they were still very solid. They had Bruce Smith, a defensive end, and Darryl Talley, a linebacker. Smith was locked down on sacks. (He would finish his career with 200 sacks) In 1991, Smith had 19 sacks, and the team together had 43 sacks and 35 turnovers. This year, Buffalo was 6th in points allowed.

1992 and 93 were not their best years for defense. In '92, they were ranked 19th, and '93, ranked 14th.But, in 1994, they were ranked 5th. And it's possible that the 1994 season would have been their year, but the Dallas Cowboys were starting to pave their way and dominate the field.

The Bills' offense was amazing. Jim Kelly was their quarterback at the time. In 1990-91, he avgered 63% pass completions. The no-huddle offense was starting to be seen in more games, also known as the "K-Gun". The point was to keep gameplay fast so the defense had little to no time to adjust and make substitutions, and Jim Kelly would call the plays at the line.

Next season, 1991-92, the Bills led the NFL in total yards with 6,252 and led in points with 458. They also had a 97.6 passer rate. Andre Reed, wide receiver, had 81 receptions with 1,113 yards. In the same season, Thurman Thomas, running back, won the player of the year award, and he had 1,407 rushing yards, 62 receptions, and 637 receiving yards.

Enough with the stats. If they were so good, why did they lose in the moments that meant the most? In all four Super Bowls, Buffalo only got six touchdowns. I don't want to diminish this team; they played really well and came back when needed. (Besides the Super Bowls. Have I mentioned enough about the Super Bowls?)

In 1993, the Bills were facing the Houston Oilers (now the Tennessee Titans). Going into the third quarter, Buffalo was down 35-3. Jim Kelly was out with an injury, so Frank Reich will be their saving grace. The Bills went on to score five touchdowns and, in OT, a field goal to seal the deal. They won, 41-38.

One last stat, let me break down all four Super Bowls and why the Bills lost.

1990-91, Giants

The New York Giants had Lawrence Taylor, widely regarded as one of the greatest of all time. Also in the 1991 Super Bowl, the Giants held the ball for over 40 minutes.

1991-92 Redskins

They had Mark Rypien, Art Monk, and Gary Clark. In 1991, the Redskins were known as an elite team. Their O-line was unstoppable, getting the nickname, "The Hogs". They controlled the line of scrimmage.

1992-94 Cowboys

If you know anything about the NFL, then this is self-explanatory. This was the start of their dynasty. Also included were players like Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin, and, of course, Emmitt Smith.

Conclusion

So again, Buffalo was far from failures. Other teams were just better, which is hard to believe because of how good the Bills were. They were too good at the wrong time.

Phoenix Suns, 2021 NBA Finals Run

The Phoenix Suns were so close to winning their first NBA title. In 2021, the suns were stacked. They had Devin Booker, Chris Paul, Jae Crowder, and DeAndre Ayton. Phoenix finished the regular season 51-21 and 2nd in the West.

When the playoffs came around, they were amazing. In the first round, they took on the reigning champs from last season, the LA Lakers. In the second round, they swept the Denver Nuggets and then won against the LA Clippers. Which brings us to the 2021 NBA finals. Suns vs Bucks.

Milwaukee was very good this year as well. They finished 3rd in the East, and their roster was top-tier. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday, Brook Lopez, Bobby Portis, and Khris Middleton.

During the Finals, Devin Booker averaged 28.2 points, and Chris Paul, 21.8 ppg. In game 4&5, Booker put up at least 40 points, which is incredible, but they lost both games. They lost the Finals 4-2.

The Suns in 2021 weren't anything special. They were good, but not a standout team. Milwaukee was a standout team. The Bucks were INSANE in 2021. In my opinion, take it or leave it. Had the Suns not played the Bucks in the Finals, they would have 1 championship under their belt.

When you look at the Bucks roster, everyone puts up points. Major points.

Giannis: Avg, 24-35

Jrue Holiday: Avg, 24-35

Khris Middleton: Avg, 24-20

Brook Lopez: Avg 11-15

Bobby Portis: Avg, 7-12

San Jose Sharks, 2016 Stanley Cup

The year is 2016, which is arguably one of the best years ever. In the NHL, the San Jose Sharks would reach the Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history.

They finished the regular season with 46-30-6. 3rd in the Pacific Division, and 6th in the West. The Sharks went on to have a great playoff run.

LA Kings: 4-1

Nashville Predators: 4-3

St. Louis Blues: 4-2

During the playoffs, Logan Couture, center, led the NHL in scoring with 30 points. One of their defenseman, Brent Burns, blurred the lines between being a defenseman and a forward. In the regular season, he scored 29 goals, and in the playoffs, 7.

Some would call the 2016 season for the Sharks, "The Revenge Season." Longtime Sharks Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau had spent over a decade chasing a championship.

When they reached the Stanley Cup, they faced off against the Pittsburgh Penguins. They lost 4-2. The San Jose Sharks have not been back to the Stanley Cup since.

In sports, the most painful place to be isn’t the bottom—it’s one step away from the top.