The Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles will compete in Super Bowl LIX, a rematch of Super Bowl LVII. The Chiefs are -1.5 point favorites, but the two teams are closely matched, and either team might win.
Though the Super Bowl is supposed to put two evenly matched great teams in a battle for the championship, this is not always the case. In several previous Super Bowls, one side has been greatly favored over the other. In some of the most exciting of those confrontations, the underdog triumphs, defeating the favorite competitor on the biggest stage of all.
Super Bowl XXXII – Broncos 31, Packers 24
The Green Bay Packers were favored by -11 points over the Denver Broncos. The Packers had just won the Super Bowl the year before, and John Elway and the Broncos were hoping to capture his first Lombardi Trophy in the latter stages of his career. Elway had previously lost three Super Bowls in the 1980s, but he led his Broncos to victory with his “helicopter” run late in the game. Terrell Davis, the Broncos’ running back, also contributed to the team’s ultimate victory. Despite momentarily exiting the game due to a migraine and poor vision, Davis ran for 157 yards and three touchdowns.
Super Bowl XXXVI Patriots 20, Rams 17
Before the New England Patriots’ storied dynasty began, they were -14 point underdogs against the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams were the Greatest Show on Turf, with an offense spearheaded by Kurt Warner and Marshall Faulk, both Hall of Famers and MVPs. They had won the Super Bowl two years prior and were anticipated to win again, but were smothered by a Patriots defense that forced a pick-six and limited them to 17 points. The defensive effort, combined with young Brady and Adam Vinatieri coming through in crucial situations, resulted in an upset that began a nearly two-decade dynasty.
Super Bowl IV – Chiefs 23, Vikings 7
The Minnesota Vikings were -12 point favorites against the Kansas City Chiefs in the fourth Super Bowl. Though an AFL team had won the Super Bowl the year before, the NFL was still widely regarded as the superior league, and many believed the triumph was a “fluke.” Minnesota was also the most dominant team throughout the regular season, but the Chiefs failed to win their division. Nonetheless, the Chiefs proved that belief wrong by defeating the Vikings, with their defense forcing six turnovers and Chiefs coach Hank Stram reminding his squad to “Just keep matriculating the ball down the field, boys!”
2. Super Bowl XLII – Giants 17, Patriots 14
The New England Patriots were one game away from completing just the second undefeated season in NFL history, with only the New York Giants standing in their way. The Giants were -12 point favorites against the Patriots, not only because the Patriots were regarded as one of the greatest teams in NFL history, but also because they were a wild-card team that had not won a playoff game in seven years before to their postseason run. They also had the fewest Pro Bowlers of any Super Bowl champion!
When the Giants arrived, they astonished the world by holding the Patriots’ historic offense to only 14 points. The Giants sacked Brady five times, and Eli Manning delivered two game-winning touchdown drives in the fourth quarter. The most iconic event from the Super Bowl was when Giants wide receiver David Tyree made a helmet catch during a Giants score drive.
1. Super Bowl III – Jets 16, Colts 7
“The guarantee.” The Baltimore Colts were -18 point favorites over the New York Jets entering Super Bowl III, the second-largest margin in Super Bowl history. Prior to this Super Bowl, the NFL was seen as better to the AFL, the Jets’ league. The Green Bay Packers’ dominance over AFL opponents in the first two Super Bowls reinforced this view.
Super Bowl III changed everything. After growing tired of hearing that the Colts were favored, Jets quarterback Joe Namath famously promised that the team would win. He delivered on his promise, as the Jets forced five turnovers on route to win. That Super Bowl helped the AFL acquire recognition before the two leagues joined in 1970.
