The WORST Super Bowls in NFL History: Top 5 Most Forgettable Championship Games of All Time

The Super Bowl is the most-watched television event in America every year and has berthed many of the most memorable moments in the NFL. However, even the crown jewel in American sports can fail to live up to its billing from time to time. 

Are there any “bad” ways to win a Super Bowl? Of course not. Winning a Super Bowl writes teams, coaches, and players into unerasable NFL lore. That said, there is a selection of Super Bowls that were pretty forgettable for anyone who wasn’t on the field. 

As the Super Bowl LX showdown between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots approaches, here’s a look back at five of the NFL’s totally unremarkable championship games.

#5: Super Bowl LIX (Philadelphia Eagles 40, Kansas City Chiefs 22

This was just about as lopsided a matchup as there could ever be in a Super Bowl, despite the final score appearing somewhat close. The Eagles went up 34-0 in the third quarter after a one-play, 46-yard drive ended with DeVonta Smith dancing in the end zone.

Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs looked flustered and bewildered from the opening moments, while the Eagles were brutal and ruthless. Philly’s performance capped off a sensational season, but seeing them not even try to move the football for the entire fourth quarter made for a poor viewing experience in the biggest game of the year.

#4: Super Bowl XLVIII (Seattle Seahawks 43, Denver Broncos 8)

The Broncos set an all-time NFL record by scoring 606 points (37.9 per game) en route to the Super Bowl. Peyton Manning threw for 5,477 yards, 55 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions, and won the NFL MVP for his role in the team’s success.

Despite the team’s success, it did not take long for the Broncos to realize they were outmatched against the defensive-minded Seahawks, who recovered two fumbles and two interceptions and wreaked havoc all night. The Seattle offense only gained 341 yards, but that was enough to take a 22-0 halftime lead and finish with a 35-point victory.

#3: Super Bowl LIII (New England Patriots 13, Los Angeles Rams 3)

Talk about a snooze fest! In what ended up being Tom Brady’s sixth and final Super Bowl as a member of the New England Patriots, the Pats used their stellar defense to slow down a Rams team that averaged 32.9 points per game. 

Brady and Jared Goff combined for no touchdown and two interceptions, while the game’s only touchdown was scored by then-rookie back Sony Michel. There were a total of 14 punts, two missed field goals, two turnovers, and a turnover on downs in 25 possessions in what was not an easy watch for most football fans.

#2: Super Bowl V (Baltimore Colts 16, Dallas Cowboys 13)

This game was far more competitive than the others we mentioned, but it was as ugly as they come. Now known as the “Blunder Bowl,” the Colts and Cowboys combined to produce 11 turnovers, five of them coming in the fourth quarter alone!

Star QB Johnny Unitas was also knocked out of the game with an injury, and Cowboys linebacker Chuck Howley became the only player (still to this day) to win Super Bowl MVP for the losing team. This game was a total mess, and it is remembered as such.

#1: Super Bowl XXVII (Dallas Cowboys 52, Buffalo Bills 17)

This was the third of the Bills’ four straight trips to the Super Bowls, a feat that no team accomplished before or since then. Surely, any team to make history like that would have been guaranteed to win one of those, right? Wrong!

A desperate Buffalo team showed up to the Rose Bowl in 1993 with dreams of ending its unrelenting nightmare and finally capturing the hardware it deserved. Those dreams were dashed when the Cowboys dashed out to a 28-10 halftime lead and sealed the deal with 21 fourth-quarter points, led by Troy Aikman’s four touchdowns.