Super Bowl LVIII is around the corner and the matchup is set! The Kansas City Chiefs have made their sixth Super Bowl and fourth in the last five years. Opposite them, the San Francisco 49ers are set to make their eighth Super Bowl and this will be the second since 2019. Kansas City reps a 3-2 mark heading into this matchup and the 49ers own a 5-2 mark all time.
The experts don’t expect this year’s Super Bowl to end in a blowout. Of course, that’s not saying much as the game is the culmination of the entire NFL season and pits the two best teams against one another and they should be evenly matched. Despite that, 20 games were decided by at least three scores. The best sportsbook promotions out there will only give fans a few points one way or another (this year, the 49ers opened as a 2.5-point favorite). With 35% of all Super Bowls being “blowouts”, sometimes taking the points is moot.
Either way, the biggest game of the year in the United States has been as lopsided as an early-season cupcake college football matchup. A few results stand out above the rest.
The Three Most Lopsided Super Bowl Scores in History
Super Bowl XXIV: San Francisco 49ers vs Denver Broncos, 55-10
Easily, the most lopsided Super Bowl result was the Joe Montana-led 49ers as they destroyed the John Elway-led Broncos.
The 49ers came into the 1989 season favorites again after winning Super Bowl XXIII over the Cincinnati Bengals. They fended off the Super Bowl hangover en route to yet another title and did so in convincing fashion.
In the game, the 49ers out-gained the Broncos 461-to-167. Jerry Rice scored three times with 148 yards. Montana threw for 297 yards and five touchdowns and Denver had absolutely no answer. Elway finally scored a rushing touchdown late in the third quarter to cut the lead to 41-10 and he managed just 108 passing yards with two interceptions. A factor in his struggles was the six sacks he took and the two fumbles lost by the offense.
The game resulted in a massive list of records being broken and is a massive reason for many NFL fans to believe Montana as the greatest quarterback of all time.
Super Bowl XX: Chicago Bears vs New England Patriots, 46-10
The pinnacle of defensive greatness and perhaps one of the greatest NFL teams in history, the 1985 Chicago Bears capped off the year with a routine beating of the New England Patriots in the Superdome.
The ‘85 Bears are known for their suffocating defense and they lived up to the reputation in this one. Chicago held New England to just 123 net yards, sacked the Patriots’ quarterbacks seven times, forced two interceptions, and caused and recovered four fumbles. No matter how good the Patriots offense was to this point, they were hapless against the Bears. New England finally broke through with a touchdown early in the fourth quarter. The Patriots actually kicked off the scoring with a first-quarter field goal.
Offensively, the Bears did not light it up but still managed over 400 yards. Jim McMahon threw for 256 yards off of 12/20 passing with no touchdowns. The Bears scored all of their touchdowns on the ground with McMahon scoring twice and Matt Suhey and William Perry adding one apiece. To add insult to injury, the Bears returned one of Steven Grogen’s interceptions back for a touchdown.
This game, along with the year-long dominance, is a big reason why the ‘85 Bears are often regarded as the greatest NFL team in history.
Super Bowl XLVIII: Seattle Seahawks vs Denver Broncos, 43-8
The most recent blowout was one of the most surprising displays the current generation has seen. Both the Seahawks and Broncos went 13-3 and earned the top seed in their respective conferences. Both teams dominated their way to the Super Bowl. Then, the Broncos forgot how to play football.
On the first play from scrimmage, the snap went right over Peyton Manning’s head which resulted in a safety. Denver was never able to recover. In terms of yardage, the Broncos were right there with the Seahawks, losing the battle just 306-to-341, but they could never dig themselves out of the hole. Manning threw two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown. Additionally, they lost two fumbles on the day. Denver had one of the best offenses in recent history throughout the year but it didn’t matter.
Seattle came into this game with a rookie quarterback and an elite defense. Russell Wilson did everything he needed to do but that’s not saying much. In every facet, the Seahawks stepped up. From the first-play safety to the pick-six to the second-half-opening kick return touchdown, Seattle was not going to be denied.
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