Let’s face it. Life isn’t fair. The more deserving person doesn’t always come out on top. And the same can be said in sports.
When it comes to the NFL playoffs, and especially the Super Bowl, that cliche could not be more accurate. That’s because we’ve seen a number of Super Bowl showdowns where the better and more deserving team……lost.
today we take a look at 10 Super Bowl games where the wrong team won.
10. New England Patriots (Super Bowl 49)
Hard to make a case for the Patriots not deserving it. Tom Brady did throw four touchdowns and put up a heroic performance for the ages against the NFL’s number one defense, which was the Seattle Seahawks Legion of Boom.
Fact is, Russell Wilson had a terrific game, Seattle picked off Tom Brady twice and the Seahawks managed an incredible 162 rushing yards.
However, a legendary game-winning drive by Wilson was all for nothing after he threw an interception at the one-yard line, when everybody else in the world would have fed the ball to Marshawn Lynch.
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We’re not discrediting New England’s win, but Bill Belichick and Tom Brady would be the first to tell you that Seattle handed them that trophy.
9. Denver Broncos (Super Bowl 50)
We hate doing this to the elite Broncos defense that sacked Cam Newton twice and held the league MVP to 10 points. But…
The Broncos were led by a beat-up Peyton Manning, who had nine touchdowns and 17 picks on the season. Denver was a ghastly 1-of-14 on third downs in the game, and the Panthers put up 315 total yards against Denver’s 194.
But the Panthers handed Denver the championship by turning the ball over four times and somehow losing 24 to 10.
8. San Francisco 49ers (Super Bowl 16)
It’s weird making a case that the Joe Montana-led San Francisco 49ers didn’t deserve this one. They did, but the Cincinnati Bengals deserved it more.
The Bengals turned the ball over four times, despite out gaining San Francisco 356 yards to 275. Montana only completed 14 passes for 157 yards and a touchdown. Ken Anderson had 25 completions for 300 yards and two touchdowns. But his two interceptions were a huge killer.
Two Bengals also had over 100 receiving yards, but the four turnovers were too much to overcome.
7. New Orleans Saints (Super Bowl 44)
Peyton Manning had 31 completions for 333 yards, one touchdown and one pick. Drew Brees completed 32 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns. The Indianapolis Colts had 432 total yards, the New Orleans Saints had 332.
Give the Saints credit, but the Colts’ return team botched an easy onside kick to start the second half, Matt Stover missed a field goal in the fourth quarter and Peyton Manning’s pick-six handed New Orleans the victory.
Were the Saints better? Or did they just mess up less? We go with the evidence presented to us.
6. New England Patriots (Super Bowl 36)
The St. Louis Rams were led by the offense dubbed as the Greatest Show on Turf, starring Kurt Warner and Marshall Faulk.
But Tom Brady’s 16 passes for 145 yards and one touchdown were enough to win Super Bowl MVP. The Rams held the ball seven minutes longer and had 427 yards against New England’s 267.
However, three Rams turnovers, including a Warner pick-six to Ty Law, gave the Patriots their first championship in a game that St. Louis sort of dominated.
5. Pittsburgh Steelers (Super Bowl 40)
With all due respect to Ben Roethlisberger, a Super Bowl-winning quarterback should NOT complete nine passes for 123 yards and two interceptions while posting a 22.6 rating.
Seattle held the ball for 6 minutes longer than Pittsburgh and had 396 total yards compared to Pittsburgh’s 339.
But a series of questionable officiating calls, a Matt Hasselbeck interception and Antwaan Randle El’s gimmick play ensured that the less-deserving Steelers won the milestone Super Bowl 40.
4. Pittsburgh Steelers (Super Bowl 13)
We ain’t done with you yet, Steel City.
Despite three Steelers turnovers, the Dallas Cowboys holding onto the ball 7 and a half minutes longer, and the Steel Curtain having no answer for Tony Dorsett, the Steelers pulled away with a 35 to 31 victory.
Perhaps that wouldn’t have been the case if Jackie Smith didn’t drop the easiest touchdown pass of his life in the third quarter. Dallas also took nine penalties that cost them 89 yards, giving Pittsburgh the title that should have gone to America’s Team.
3. New York Giants (Super Bowl 42)
Tom Brady’s stat line: 29 completions, 266 yards, one touchdown.
Eli Manning’s stat line: 19 completions, two touchdowns, one interception
The New York Giants’ front seven crushed Brady for five sacks, and maybe the G-Men put up more yards and obviously more points, but this was a 10 and 6 team vs. a team that set many records and were seconds away from being the first 19 and 0 (Oh) team ever. But that David Tyree catch set up the biggest upset in Super Bowl history. That was a fluke, not a sign that the better team won.
2. New York Jets (Super Bowl 3)
The Baltimore Colts were 18 point favorites and went 13 and 1 in the regular season with a ridiculous plus-258 point differential.
The New York Jets were no slouches themselves, but Joe Namath was no Johnny Unitas, except for on this one night.
The Colts’ five turnovers gave the Jets the shocking 16 to 7 victory. But again, do you really think the Jets were the better team?
1. Baltimore Colts (Super Bowl 5)
Well, at least the Colts got their redemption, going from a team that should have won but lost, TO a team that should have lost but won.
They faced the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl 5. The only stat we have to bring up is the fact that the Colts turned the ball over seven, yes seven, I repeat seven, times. Yet, they still managed to win the game, 16 to 13.
In fact, Johnny Unitas got hurt and had to be replaced by Earl Morrall. But all that mattered was the Colts won the Super Bowl…despite seven turnovers.
Do you think the wrong team won in any other Super Bowls?
