After a disappointing 7-9 season in 1999, the Giants bounced back in 2000 with a spectacular 12-4 record and cliched their first playoff berth and divisional championship since 1997. They had a 41-0 shutout win over the Vikings in the NFC Championship game. However, they collapsed against the Ravens in Super Bowl XXXV, losing the game 34-7.
In 2007, the Giants ranked second in the NFC East division with a 10-6 record. This surely was an improvement from 2006's 8-8 record. They upset the Cowboys in the Divisional Round and went into Lambeau to take down Brett Favre in the NFC Championship. The Giants then faced the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII and successfully put an end to their perfect run with a 17-14 win.
2011 was another fairy tale run for the Giants. Similar to their 2007 performance, the club had a decent 9-7 record in the regular season, which was enough to get them a Wild Card spot. They went on to defeat the 49ers and lift the Championship again, the second time in 4 years. The Giants didn't stop there as they faced the Pats again in the Super Bowl and the results were no different as New York emerged victorious 21-17.
After a 5-11 season in 2006 and 8-8 season in 2007, the Cards improved showed improvement with a 9-7 record in 2008. As they progressed into the playoffs, HC Ken Whisenhunt's men went on to clinch the NFC Championship with a 32-25 win over the Eagles. However, after reaching the Super Bowl they faced disappointment in form of a 27-23 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
After two back to back heartbreaking seasons, the Panthers did turn things around in 2003. They completed the regular season with an impressive 11-5 record and progressed to the playoffs. However, ultimately they ended up losing Super Bowl XXXVIII to the Patriots (32-29).
Overcoming a 2-14 record in 2019 and 4-11-1 in 2020, Zac Taylor's Bengals found their form in 2021. With a healthy Joe Burrow, they ended the regular season with a 10-7 record, which, while surely a huge improvement, didn't exactly scream Super Bowl. The Bengals then managed to upset Patrick Mahomes en route to a Super Bowl appearance. Unfortunately, the Bengals fell short, losing to the Rams 23-20.
When Drew Bledsoe went down, no one had much hope for the 2001 Patriots. However, the team turned the tides and had a surprising 11-5 record in the regular season. The Pats went on to lift the AFC Championship with an emphatic 24-17 win over the Steelers. And that's not all for their fairytale season. Tom Brady and Co. progressed to the Super Bowl and lifted the cup after a 20-17 win over the LA Rams.
After a disastrous 4-12 season in 1998, the Rams returned to form with a bang. They ended the regular season with a 13-3 record behind surprise MVP Kurt Warner. The Rams went on to clinch the Super Bowl after defeating Titans 23-16.
