The Super Bowls feature the best teams in the NFL, with Super Bowl LVII being a perfect example in 2023. Given that stakes are high and the best football teams in the world are competing against each other, NFL fans expect nothing less than a neck-and-neck game with an intense championship atmosphere. Although the Super Bowl carries these expectations every year, those expectations don’t always translate to reality. Which is the worst Super Bowl? We'll answer that question. Let’s do a ranking of the “rank” games, the stink bombs of professional football's biggest day. Let's indeed rank the 10 worst Super Bowls in NFL history.
10. Super Bowl XLVIII
The Denver Broncos entered the Super Bowl XLVIII as a great offensive team that scored a record-breaking 606 points during the 2013 NFL regular season. On the other hand, the Seattle Seahawks were the NFL’s best defensive team. Although fans expected the game to be an exciting collision, it was the complete opposite as the Seahawks outplayed the Broncos, 43-8. The first scrimmage play of the game was a bad snap Peyton Manning couldn't handle. The play turned into a safety for an instant 2-0 Seattle lead. That play represented how the whole game went for Denver.
9. Super Bowl LV
Tom Brady ended the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ struggles. He was on a collision course with Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes at Super Bowl LV in the Bucs' home stadium. As we all know, Brady and the Bucs displayed a masterclass, crushing the Chiefs, 31-9. Tampa Bay's pass rush hounded Mahomes on nearly every play. The level of play was dramatically different between the two teams, making this a worst Super Bowl contender. Given the star-studded matchup, NFL fans expected a tighter showdown between the two NFL MVPs.
8. Super Bowl XX
The Chicago Bears were next to unstoppable entering Super Bowl XX. They tallied a 15-1 win-loss record before rendering their first two playoff opponents scoreless. Although the New England Patriots managed to score in the Super Bowl, the Bears continued to step on the gas as they led 44-3 at one point before cruising to a 46-10 win. This was always a mismatch, in contrast to Super Bowl LVII, which looks even on paper.
7. Super Bowl XXXV
When it came to a defensive showcase, the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XXXV was up there with the best of them. It made for an atrocious game. The New York Giants could never keep up with the Ravens. They were completely obliterated on both sides of the field. Ray Lewis paced the Ravens to a 34-7 victory.
6. Super Bowl VIII
The Minnesota Vikings have never done well in the Super Bowl, and this was one of the team's four losses in the big game. They faced the Miami Dolphins' dynasty in Super Bowl VIII, and it was a televised beatdown. Miami stars Larry Csonka and Jim Kiick carried the Dolphins to their second straight Super Bowl championship in a 24-7 game which was never close. We will see a lot more forward passes in Super Bowl LVII.
5. Super Bowl VI
Although the Miami Dolphins did well enough to win in Super Bowls VII and VIII, the same cannot be said for Super Bowl VI. Unluckily for the Dolphins, they met a hungry Dallas Cowboys squad ready to redeem itself after a series of postseason disappointments. The Cowboys limited the Dolphins to only three points, which is tied for the fewest points by any Super Bowl team.
4. Super Bowl XL
In Super Bowl XL, both the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks played like they weren’t at the top of their game. It was the worst Super Bowl NFL Films covered inside a domed stadium, Ford Field. Although things got interesting in the final quarter with the Seattle Seahawks attempting a comeback, terrible officiating and costly errors by the Seahawks became a breeding ground for disappointment. The Steelers notched a 21-10 victory.
3. Super Bowl IX
This was the worst Super Bowl NFL executives could dream of, because the game was supposed to be played in the brand-new Superdome, but the venue wasn't quite ready. Tulane Stadium hosted the game with miserable, blustery weather creating an uncomfortable experience for fans and players. Again, when the Vikings are in the Super Bowl, they don't deliver (and they haven't been in the Super Bowl in 46 years — they would have loved to have made Super Bowl LVII). Terry Bradshaw and the Pittsburgh Steelers were on a mission to end their championship drought. Unfortunately for the Vikings, they had no answer for their Super Bowl counterparts. The Steelers went on win 16-6 in a statement game at the expense of the Vikings.
2. Super Bowl V
Although this game was tighter than the rest of this list, it was also the Super Bowl infamously called the Blunder Bowl. The game finished with a tight 16-13 score in favor of the Baltimore Colts. However, the Colts’ win was marred by the number of collective errors by both teams. The Colts and Dallas Cowboys combined to commit 11 turnovers, with almost half of them in the final quarter. Add some penalties and terrible officiating and it was certainly far from the ideal Super Bowl everyone came to watch.
1.Super Bowl XXIV
This is the worst Super Bowl NFL fans could possibly imagine. No one really wants to save up hard-earned money just to watch a blowout. Unfortunately, that’s what NFL fans got in Super Bowl XXIV. Joe Montana and the San Francisco 49ers were hell-bent on collecting more hardware for their NFL dynasty. The Denver Broncos simply had no answers. Despite the Broncos’ tough defense during the regular season, the 49ers picked them apart to a point that they led 41-3. With the efficiency of Montana and the 49ers, the game was a no-contest. San Francisco gave the Broncos a 55-10 drubbing. The 45-point deficit remains the largest in Super Bowl history. Furthermore, the 55 total points are also the highest tally by any team.
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