When football fans around the world settle down to watch the Super Bowl, there are certain expectations in place. People are expecting great commercials, a fun halftime show and a competitive game that truly showcases the best the NFL has to offer.
For better or worse, most people associate “the best the NFL has to offer” with high-powered offenses. Recent rule changes certainly haven’t hurt that assumption, with many accusing the league of prioritizing offensive success.
But criticism or not, there have been plenty of instances in Super Bowl history where the defenses set the tone and smothered the opposing offenses.
In fact, despite all the criticisms surrounding NFL rule changes, the lowest-scoring Super Bowl in history occurred just a few years ago.
As they say, defense wins championships.
From Miami’s perfect season to Broadway Joe’s improbable upset, from New England’s sixth championship to Dallas’ near shutout, these are the lowest-scoring Super Bowls in history.
The Lowest-Scoring Super Bowls
The fewest points scored by a team in the Super Bowl is three, which has happened twice. The first instance was in 1972, where Dallas dominated Miami 24–3. Nicknamed “The Doomsday Defense,” the Cowboys’ defense had allowed just one touchdown in 14 quarters prior to Super Bowl VI. The unit forced two turnovers and Dallas became the first team to win the Super Bowl after losing it the year prior.
The second instance came in 2019. In what was hyped up to be a shootout between the Los Angeles Rams and the New England Patriots, both defenses were exceptional. Super Bowl LIII is the lowest-scoring Super Bowl in history and the only Super Bowl to enter the fourth quarter without a touchdown. Tied 3–3, the Patriots took over in the fourth quarter, scoring 10 unanswered points to win 13–3. New England, like Dallas before it, won the Super Bowl the year after losing it.
Another low-scoring affair was Super Bowl VII, where Miami rebounded to defeat Washington 14–7. The 21 total points remains the second-lowest total in Super Bowl history. With the win, the Dolphins became the only NFL team to finish undefeated.
Super Bowl IX saw the Pittsburgh Steelers and the vaunted “Steel Curtain” defense defeat the Minnesota Vikings 16–6. Pittsburgh held Minnesota to just nine first downs and 119 yards of offense.
The 23 total points scored in Super Bowl III remains the fourth-lowest total in history. It was a defensive struggle, but quarterback Joe Namath gets most of the credit for one of the biggest upsets in NFL history.
Defensive Players Who Were Named Super Bowl MVP
Ten defensive players have won Super Bowl MVP, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they played in the lowest-scoring games.
Chuck Howley (LB, Dallas): The Super Bowl V MVP intercepted two passes and recovered a fumble.
Jake Scott (S, Miami): Scott picked off two passes and helped hold Washington to just seven points to win Super Bowl VII MVP.
Harvey Martin & Randy White (DL, Dallas): Dallas forced eight turnovers in Super Bowl XII and the defense was anchored by two of the NFL’s best defensive linemen in Martin and White. This marked the first time a defensive lineman (in this case, two of them) was named Super Bowl MVP.
Richard Dent (DE, Chicago): Dent forced two fumbles and had two sacks in Chicago’s Super Bowl XX victory, earning Super Bowl MVP honors.
Larry Brown (CB, Dallas): Brown continued the legacy of Dallas defenders coming up big in the Super Bowl, intercepting two passes in Super Bowl XXX.
Ray Lewis (LB, Baltimore): Lewis had three tackles and four passes defended in Super Bowl XXXV, but it wasn’t necessarily his statistics that earned him Super Bowl MVP. Lewis led a Ravens’ defense that was one of the best in NFL history.
Dexter Jackson (S, Tampa Bay): Jackson picked off two passes in Super Bowl XXXVII (on consecutive first-half drives) to earn MVP honors.
Malcolm Smith (LB, Seattle): While the Seahawks of this era were known for the “Legion of Boom” secondary, it was Smith who put together a masterful performance in Super Bowl XLVIII. Smith recovered a fumble, posted 10 tackles and had a pick six.
Von Miller (LB, Denver): Miller totaled six tackles and 2.5 sacks for a dominant Denver defense in Super Bowl 50.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Lowest-Scoring Super Bowls of All Time.