鈥?The Atlanta Falcons’ claim to fame is the crushing way they lost a Super Bowl.They’re hardly alone in these playoffs.Seven of the 12 teams still alive have never celebrated in the big game Baker Mayfield Browns Jersey , matching the largest group of playoff-bound squads with not-so-Super pedigrees since the 1999 season.Will that lack of championship-winning experience prove costly?If you’re on a team that hasn’t won a ring, it’s only natural to just shrug it off as a meaningless anomaly.“It’s right here, right now,” Falcons defensive end Adrian Clayborn said Thursday. “What’s in the past doesn’t matter.”But there’s no denying that six-time champion Pittsburgh and five-time winner New England 鈥?the defending champ, as well 鈥?are the only true blue bloods in this field.The Falcons have lost both of their Super Bowl appearances, including last season’s 34-28 overtime defeat in which Tom Brady and the Patriots stunningly rallied from a 25-point deficit in the second half . The NFC’s top seed, the Philadelphia Eagles, is also 0-2 in the Super Bowl, as are the Carolina Panthers.Buffalo and Minnesota are the only franchises to lose four times in the big game without a title, and the Bills, of course, are the lone team to suffer that fate in four straight years. The Tennessee Titans (who began their existence as the Houston Oilers) came up short in their lone Super Bowl try. Jacksonville has never been to the title game at all .Jaguars owner Shad Khan said it’s good to have a bunch of teams chasing their first crown.He noted the huge demand for tickets in attendance-challenged Jacksonville, where the Jags are hosting the Bills in a matchup of teams that broke long playoff droughts this season.“Could you imagine the hottest ticket in football is right here, selling for five, six times face value?” Khan said. “Our cheapest ticket is 300 bucks, standing room. Could you believe that happening in freaking Jacksonville?”Kansas City, New Orleans and the Los Angeles Rams have only one title apiece Reuben Foster Jersey , though the latter’s came during their two-decade-long stint in St. Louis. The Chiefs reached two of the first four Super Bowls, winning it all in 1970, but they haven’t been back since. The Saints won their lone Super Bowl appearance during the 2009 season.“Once you get in, it’s wide open for anybody,” insisted Tennessee linebacker Brian Orakpo, a nine-year veteran who will play his first playoff game Saturday against the Chiefs. “Yeah, the Patriots and Steelers have a lot of pedigree, a lot of tradition, and you’ve got some young up-and-comers like ourselves that are hungry.”Since the NFL went to a 12-team postseason format in 1990, the largest group of playoff teams without a Super Bowl title on their resume came 18 seasons ago. Kurt Warner and the high-flying Rams were among eight squads that had never won the championship until they held off Tennessee in the title game, memorably stopping the Titans’ final play at the 1-yard line.The only other times that the current playoff structure included as many as seven non-Super Bowl-winning teams were 2008 and 1996.When it comes to postseason neophytes, the Bills are drawing much of the attention after reaching the playoffs for the first time since 1999 , snapping the longest dry spell in any of the four major professional sports. But Buffalo it still known for that unprecedented four-year run of futility in the Super Bowl, which began in 1991 with Scott Norwood missing a potential game-winning field goal in the final seconds and was followed by three straight double-digit blowouts.“It’s time to create some other memories of the Bills,” Thurman Thomas, the Hall of Fame running back on those Super Bowl-losing teams, told The Associated Press. “It’s not the squad that went to the four straight Super Bowls. It’s somebody else.”The Vikings were the first franchise to lose four Super Bowls Jorge Alfaro Jersey , accomplishing that ignominious feat in an eight-year span that ended in 1976. They haven’t gotten that far again, losing five times in the NFC championship game, most recently during the 2000 season.Coach Mike Zimmer said it’s important to take advantage of a season such as this, when the Vikings defied expectations by claiming a first-round bye behind a dominant defense journeyman quarterback Case Keenum .“A lot of young guys come in and they expect it’s going to happen every single year,” Zimmer said. “Really, you never know. The last time I won the Super Bowl was 1995 (as a Dallas assistant coach), so it’s been awhile.”Receiver Adam Thielen isn’t fretting over all those Super Bowls the Vikings lost so many years ago.He’s only concerned with the next one, which will be held at Minnesota’s home stadium.“We’re not really focusing on what’s happened in the past,” Thielen said. “Every year is a totally different situation: different team, different types of players. Honestly, for us, we just know that we have a lot of confidence in the way that we’re playing football.”AP Sports Writers Teresa Walker in Nashville, Tennessee, Mark Long in Jacksonville, Florida, John Wawrow in Buffalo, New York http://www.billsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-jeremy-kerley-jersey , and Dave Campbell in Minneapolis contributed to this report. Days before opening training camp, the Cleveland Browns learned Josh Gordon will be missing again.

For how long remains unclear.

The troubled wide receiver, who has been suspended numerous times over the past six years by the NFL for drug violations, said on Twitter that he won't be with the team for the start of camp as he continues to recover from addictions that have derailed his once-promising career.

Gordon has missed two full years after being indefinitely suspended by Commissioner Roger Goodell and hasn't played a complete season since 2013, when he led the league in yards receiving and scored nine touchdowns.

While Gordon's social media post was vague, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said the 27-year-old has not been suspended.

"We will address the matter at the appropriate time," McCarthy said in an email to The Associated Press, adding "there's no timetable" on Gordon's return.

Gordon's disclosure came as the Browns are preparing to begin camp under coach Hue Jackson following a 0-16 season.

The team overhauled its roster during the offseason, adding former Buffalo quarterback Tyrod Taylor, Pro Bowl receiver Jarvis Landry and a few other potential starters in trades before drafting Heisman Trophy-winning QB Baker Mayfield with the first overall pick.

Gordon had been a major part of Cleveland's plans for 2018, but those could now be on hold.

In recent weeks, rumors that Gordon failed a drug test circulated on social media. But it wasn't until he posted his message Monday that it became known he could be sidelined again.

"I am reaching out to you all personally and letting you know that I am not only doing great physically but mentally as well," Gordon wrote in a statement directed to "my Cleveland Browns and NFL Family."

"You will notice that I will not be in Cleveland for the start of training camp. Rest assured, this, too, is a part of my overall health and treatment plan. I appreciate the awesome support I have received from teammates, friends Authentic Customized Redskins Jerseys , fans, and the Browns organization. Just like you, I am excited to start the season and I have every intention of being ready and available to join my teammates soon to help bring winning football to our fans."

Gordon later followed up with a tweet that said, "Thanks again.. See ya soon."

Because he is in Stage 3 of the NFL's substance-abuse program, Gordon is subject to random drug testing. He faces another indefinite suspension for any violation.

Gordon has missed 43 of Cleveland's past 48 games because of suspensions. Last year, he was reinstated by Goodell following a three-month stay in a rehab facility. He returned for the Browns' final five games and caught 18 passes for 335 yards and a touchdown.

Before he returned, Gordon revealed the depths of his substance abuse, saying he had never played in an NFL game sober.

Gordon participated in Cleveland's offseason programs, and the team has been encouraged by his commitment to staying clean and active.

Browns general manager John Dorsey said the team has Gordon's back.

"We will continue to support Josh as he receives the care needed to maintain his progress," Dorsey said. "We are going to respect his privacy while he is away from the team. Josh will be placed on the non-football illness reserve list until he is ready to return."

Cleveland will have its first practice Thursday. Gordon's announcement is another blow to an organization trying to rebuild following numerous losing seasons. The Browns haven't been to the playoffs since 2002 and have lost at least 10 games in 15 seasons since 1999.

During minicamp last month, Gordon claimed to be in the best shape of his life and boasted that with he and Landry, the Browns had the league's best receiving corps.

Gordon also said he felt fortunate to be getting another chance.

"Right now for me it's a bunch of the small victories day to day, just being able to come to work," he said on June 12. "Like the little, little things. Having some structure in my life."

Gordon has played in just 40 career games since the Browns selected him in the 2012 supplemental draft.
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