The WORST Super Bowls in NFL History: Ranking the Most Forgettable Championship Games Ever

Happily ever after. It’s the storybook ending that should await the conclusion of any fairytale.

In NFL terms, happily ever after can manifest itself in several forms. A Gatorade bath from teammates; a kiss of the Lombardi trophy; enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. All of these are significant and memorable moments that await the lucky few who achieve true distinction in one of the most brutal occupations in the world.

While lessons and victories can be pulled from nearly anything in life, the goal of every NFL player is to reach and win the Super Bowl. The clock resets after every season, but the ambition remains the same throughout.

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. But unfortunately, even the Super Bowl fails to deliver on its glorious magnitude from time to time.

Are there any “bad” ways to win a Super Bowl? Of course not. But there is a selection of Super Bowls that stand out as, well, forgettable.

So with the Super Bowl approaching, here’s a look at the five WORST Super Bowls in NFL history.

#5: Super Bowl XXIV (San Francisco 49ers 55, Denver Broncos 10)

This Super Bowl took place in 1990 in the heart of Joe Montana and the 49ers’ reign of dominance in the NFL. The Niners took a 27-3 lead going into halftime against the 11-5 Broncos and did not relent, causing the Broncos to become the second team in league history to lose four Super Bowls.

Super Bowls are supposed to be evenly balanced title fights between two equals. That’s not at all what this was, as the game was borderline unwatchable by halftime. The 45-point disparity between the teams is still the largest in Super Bowl history 34 years later.

#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.