The wild card is first-time head coach Brandon Staley, who probably is an upgrade over Anthony Lynn but hes only been in the NFL since 2017, so how could anyone say for sure? Wait, Dilfer isn't iconic. Philly was actually favored before the game, but Oakland made the betting line look silly early on, getting out to a 21-3 lead. The eventual champion Colts committed seven, count them, seven turnovers. Seattle Seahawks +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total), Will we see the first-half Seahawks (6-1, 34 points per game! that each ranks in the top 10. Self care and ideas to help you live a healthier, happier life. The AFC West belongs to the Kansas City Chiefs, but second place is there for the taking. This is the first game on this list that was actually competitive going into the fourth quarter, but it was a sloppy affair featuring seven fumbles and a pair of interceptions. The aforementioned Dilfer-led passing game ranked only 23rd in the regular season (in fairness to Dilfer, he did replace Tony Banks midway through the year), and the only time the chains seemed to move was when rookie Jamal Lewis barreled forward for three or four yards. Dick Vermeil's boys just missed out on the Lombardi Trophy with one bad day. Again, FPI doesn't think the division is much-improved. And they should open 2-0, meaning their odds will get even shorter., Too much turnover on the offensive line for my liking, though, as 37-year old Aaron Rodgers will open the season with three new starters., 7. Meanwhile, the Cardinals, Rams and Seahawks all rank in the top half of the most difficult schedules. I did not mean to rhyme there. The Dolphins won their second consecutive Super Bowl in a game that was over well before the fourth quarter. 13. Baltimore has a unique spot on this list because its inclusion is not based on mediocre talent (it had players like Bubba Smith and Johnny Unitas) or that it struggled to win games (the Colts went 11-2-1). The game was won with Ben Roethlisbergers perfect pass to Santonio Holmes, who somehow got two feet down in the back of the end zone. Super Bowl V between the Baltimore Colts and Dallas Cowboys is often considered the worst Super Bowl ever played simply because of the terrible play from both teams. Were on a run of blowouts now. Joe Namath may have guaranteed a Super Bowl III win over the Baltimore Colts, but he didn't say anything about being the best team of all time. Tampa Bay Buccaneers +650 (bet $10 to win $75 total), Yes, I just wrote that 20-0 is in play. 11 in the league, per FPI) isn't a problem with that kind of strength on the other side of the ball. They had an outstanding defense, and thats what won them the Jim Plunkett, a 33-year-old signal-caller at the time, was plucked off the bench early in the season and was the catalyst for the team making the playoffs, but even he only threw 18 touchdowns compared to 16 interceptions. Defensively, they were 22nd in points scored against, and it showed in the Super Bowl. Los Angeles Rams +1400 (bet $10 to win $150 total). They went 7-3 in one-score games last year and led the NFL in turnover margin (+11). XFL Week 3 preview: Can AJ McCarron, Battlehawks continue their fourth-quarter heroics? Allen set the Bills' franchise record for passing yards in a season (4,544) and passing touchdowns (37), finishing with a 107.2 passer rating. Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more, FOX SPORTS, SPEED, SPEED.COM & 2023 Fox Media LLC and Fox Sports Interactive Media, LLC. They are part of the legacy of the biggest game in sports, and they had fought hard an entire winning season. The model gains confidence because of all of the returning starters from an already good unit. There are quite a few contenders to win their first Super Bowl in 2021, and the two favorites reside in the loaded AFC. And they do return all 11 starters on offense and defense., If they get by the Rams in Week 3, theyll be favored in every game the rest of the way, and youll regret not taking a flier that you can potentially hedge later., 2. Los Angeles was a heavy underdog but actually took a lead into the fourth quarter. 31. An 11-win season leaning on the talent of John Elway and the defense's ability to hold teams to under three touchdowns. 1: 3: 17: 313: 305: 40.0: Houston would be much higher on this list if Deshaun Watson's future with the team wasn't uncertain. ), or the second-half Seahawks (only topped 30 points once in the final seven games, and it was vs the hapless Jets)?, Seattle has lost three of its past four playoff games and not made the NFC title game since 2014., 11. Malcolm Butlers game-winning interception remains the best ending in Super Bowl history. He had one season without Peyton and went 2-14 leading to his firing and the start of the Luck era. Head coach Kliff Kingsbury has to commit to running the ball besides using Murray on designed carries, or else Arizona will experience the same second-half swoon as last year. It has happened 8 times to 7 different teams. Interestingly enough, not only has no team won 3 in a row, not a single team has ever made it back to 29. This 11-5Oakland Raiders teamfinished second in the AFC West in an era when there were only three divisions. Nobody has a tougher September schedule: vs Seattle, vs the Rams, at Tennessee, at Miami, at Baltimore. Its the only Super Bowl where a member of the losing team won MVP. He had a gambling podcast for FOX, "Coming Up Winners," in 2018 and 2019. Super Bowl VIII: It was easily the sloppiest Super Bowl of all-time. Maybe the most controversial one on the list. It remains the worst run defense in NFL history. Yet I can see the defense making a Washington-type leap, and the offensive weapons are there for whoever wins the starting job. When you have to play the two toughest divisions in the NFL NFC West, AFC North the uphill climb is real. Philadelphia Eagles +7500 (bet $10 to win $760 total), The biggest preseason long shot to win the Super Bowl was the 1999 St. Louis Rams behind unknown QB Kurt Warner; the Rams were 300-1. Herbert will have more protection to connect with a talented cast of offensive weapons as the Chargers rebuilt their offensive line centered around All-Pro Corey Linsley and first-round pick Rashawn Slater. And in these two cases, both quarterbacks will have below-average pass protection in front of them, and both will be trying to compensate for their teams' defenses, which both rank in FPI's bottom six. It was called the "Blunder Bowl" for a reason. The Ravens and Browns rank fourth and sixth in FPI rating -- basically true talent level -- but are fifth and seventh in chances to reach the playoffs and win the Super Bowl, respectively. A fullback even if it was Hall of Famer Larry Csonka winning MVP tells you just how entertaining this one was. Some may argue this should be higher than third, but, before Scott Norwoods infamous miss, the Giants and Bills did not give us a very exciting game. The poor AFC South is the only reason theyre not lower. The AFC is considerably tougher than the NFC. Take note: This isn't technically a ranking of the teams from very worst to very best, although the worse teams tend to be toward the bottom and the better teams toward the top. Replying to @GoBirds___ and @FanDuel. The Vikings uncharacteristically had a poor defense in 2020, ranking 29th in points allowed after finishing as a top 10 unit the previous five seasons. Their strategy to run it back with nearly the same squad looks (on paper) like it could pay off; the Bucs have an 85% chance to reach the playoffs and a 15% shot to repeat as champions, according to FPI. Top 5 in both points for and against, the Vikings 10-win record kept them from being higher on this list. The best chance they had and they were wide right. Their defense only gave up 9.5 points per game in a 14-game season. The same model expects Wentz to improve considerably off last season but not all the way back to pre-2020 levels. That they have to play each other twice and are vying for the same divisional crown are limiting factors when it comes to win total and a chance to earn the coveted top seed in the AFC. Theres a reason teams from the NFC North are so low here, and its the schedule. The Bills ended up with the most wins in a season (13) since 1991. Something for everyone interested in hair, makeup, style, and body positivity. Despite the memorable moments, this game was a bit of a letdown with two Hall of Fame quarterbacks not putting on the offensive show we expected. They had a top 5 offense and defense. A.J. WebThe Los Angeles Rams won in Super Bowl LVI versus the Bengals on February 13, 2022. worst team defense to win a super bowl The Los Angeles Rams won in Super Bowl LVI In 2017, McIntyre began producing gambling content on the NFL, college football and NBA for FOX Sports. FPI, which launched Monday, is a forward-looking projection model that includes ratings and projections for every team, from projected win-loss records to percentages to win each division. This team is just two years removed from the AFC Championship Game and is in position to "win now." Their defense back in the day was shutting teams down and they had great leadership in Fran Tarkenton. This post originally ran in January 2018. You can make a case that every team that endured the best shots from every one of their opponents throughout the season, found a way to win enough Adding a consistent pass rush will make this team more competitive, but competing for a Super Bowl appears to be years away. Those numbers are buoyed by two factors: FPI projects them to have the best defense in the league. BUT this 14-2 Atlanta Falcons team was no slouch. Cleveland already has one of the game's best pass rushers in Myles Garrett and cornerbacks in Denzel Ward. This game did feature one of the best defenses in NFL history, but watching it dismantle a Kerry Collins-led offense wasnt all that exciting. And the NFC South doesn't have any other teams ranked in FPI's top 10. Unfortunately, they lost both starting tackles for the Super Bowl and could not stop the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beast-mode pass rush. Tough division, and they open with three of four on the road. Sure, but it did not make for an entertaining game up until the end. The Broncos do have to see Mahomes and the Chiefs twice, but they play only four top-10 FPI teams and get the extra home game for being in the AFC. This would have been yet another classic Steelers-Cowboys Super Bowl if Neil ODonnell didnt throw the game away. 14. 29 and 30. Yes, they have the best QB, a fleet of skill players and a fantastic coach, but history is not on their side. In a 17-game slate, the division matters that much less compared to strength of schedule. 6-keys: media/spln/nfl/reg/free/stories, at This should have been a great game. You may have been expecting one of the more famous Super Bowl results to land a little higher on the list. A crummy game turned into an instant classic thanks to a brilliant game-winning drive authored by Joe Montana. Pittsburgh was just 7-5 through 12 games. OK, so this game was never in doubt, this was Bill Walshs 49ers dynasty at its apex. FPI then uses those ratings to simulate the season 20,000 times to create projections. Its more fun to speculate on the Bears QB race than it is their actual Super Bowl chances., 24. Los Angeles Chargers +3300 (bet $10 to win $340 total), The world loves the Chargers after Justin Herberts incredible rookie year (record-setting 31 TDs). ELEVEN! We have all heard this "Cinderella story" one too many times, but it's worth going over for the purposes of this piece. Love the defense, which is good enough to vault Washington to the playoffs again. Yes, the New York Giants knocked off the 18-0 New England Patriots. Now, by most accounts, the Steelers were great in 1974. The NFL regular season begins in just days. They have a new head coach, new offensive coordinator, new defensive coordinator, and rookie QB.. Green Bay Packers +1300 (bet $10 to win $140 total), The Packers are tied for the second-best odds to win the NFC, but their arduous schedule includes a league-high 10 games against teams that made the playoffs last year. Kansas City will be this team's measuring stick, as the Chiefs are the only roster more talented than Buffalo's in the AFC. Sixth-round draft pickTom Brady took over for the injured Drew Bledsoe at quarterback and led the Patriots all the way to the Super Bowl title. FPI considers Houston more than a touchdown worse than an average NFL team on a neutral field and believes the Texans simultaneously have the worst offense The Bears defensive dominance made a 36-point laugher worth watching. Four teams have yet to even reach the Super Bowl (two of them started as a franchise after 1990). New head coach Arthur Smith has some work to do this summer. Those first three are the Broncos' first three games of the season, an easy slate right off the bat. So their overall grade suffered. Pittsburgh sent six men to the Pro Bowl, went a decent 10-3-1 in the regular season and, of course, won the Lombardi Trophy. Washington led 24-3 at one point. I'm sure fans in Baltimore still curse Joe Namath's Super Bowl guarantee. The New York team that was crowned champion was far from elite. And it isn't particularly bullish on their prospects. Webworst defense to win super bowlaiken county sc register of deeds worst defense to win super bowl The worst of the Bills Super Bowl teams at 115, but Jim Kelly and Thurman Thomas still elevated them offensively. On the other side of the ball, Tom Brady & Co. are projected to be the No. Including the next one. This Super Bowl gave us a bunch of memorable performances. John Elway finally won his ring in a well-played game that featured one of the best performances by a running back in Super Bowl history. With quarterback Dak Prescott back and the possibility of an offensive line returned to full strength, the Cowboys are the division favorites with a 45% shot to win it. He finished fourth in the league in completion percentage (69.2), fifth in passing yards, fifth in passing touchdowns, and fourth in passer rating -- while also rushing for 421 yards and eight touchdowns. It took just seven wins for Washington to top the NFC East last season, and FPI still doesn't think much of the division a year later. The Super Bowl has been around 55 years, yet more than a third of the league has never hoisted a Vince Lombardi Trophy. There was a reason the Colts were heavily favored going into the big game: The Jets were not all that good. The Chiefs defense also surrendered 31 points. A step up from the traditional method is to look at the mean win total for every team's opponents, but this too has an issue; for instance, every Chiefs opponent's win total is depressed because it has to play the Chiefs (division opponents doubly so! This is one of the worst rosters in the league, but Houston (at least) has a chance to win games if Watson plays. Use of this website (including any and all parts and components) constitutes your acceptance of these, place your futures bets on who is going to win, Every NFL team's 2021 win totals, ranked from worst to best bet. The 1970s Steelers gave us one last entertaining Super Bowl before its dynasty ended. Then Jim was thoroughly outcoached at every point by Sean Payton. Buffalo also went 6-1 in one-score games, including the playoff win over the Colts. Christian McCaffrey's return makes the Panthers formidable, as the front office restructured the offensive line. WebTechnically the truth. Not every team epitomizes greatness and dominance when it is victorious in the Super Bowl. Allowed 173 yards per game on the ground lmao this1dude88 Chiefs 4 yr. ago That defense became dominant Give them five years to become a dynasty. Here are the 10 most likely Super Bowl LV matchups: The Green Bay Packers are clearly Super Bowl contenders. They had an unimpressive 115 record, but the 2002 Raiders were a well-balanced, finely tuned machine. The game may have been bad, but this is NFL history. 16. Arizona was on its way to the playoffs before Kyler Murray's shoulder injury limited him late in the season, hurting a potential All-Pro campaign. The presence of Lawrence gives Jacksonville hope for the first time in years. Houston Texans +20000 (bet $10 to win $2010 total), Lowest win total on the board, uncertainty at QB, and a defense that cant stop a nose bleed.. They play in an easy division and should be able to host a playoff game. Gruden did bring the Raiders back from almost a decade of ineptness and he did win a Super Bowl against the Raiders, but the rest of his career he was pretty much a .500 coach. But the rest of the roster is important, too. That's ridiculous. Matt Stafford, on the other hand, is learning a new offense, albeit with a smart coach and talented skill players. But Elways scramble which ended with him being helicoptered in the air remains the most memorable visual from the game. Slightly. A 124 record and a solid defense? 23. They're the fifth-best team in football and have the fourth-best chance to win it all with a 6% shot, according to FPI. Oh yeah, Marino's offense averaged 32.1 points per game, too. What makes a great Super Bowl? Id say so, yes.. Detroit Lions +12500 (bet $10 to win $1260 total), There is a universe in which the Lions ride an inspired Jared Goff and underrated defensive talent to seven or eight wins., But the schedule is brutal six road games against playoff teams from 2020! It featured the great comeback, the only overtime in Super Bowl history, not one but two spectacular catches and a fascinating chess match between the Falcons and Patriots coaching staffs. This was actually the closest one they played. What should have been a great quarterback matchup Marino vs. Montana turned into a blowout as the Dolphins gunslinger couldnt keep up with the 49ers surgeon. The Bucs finished the season, including playoffs, with the sixth-most efficient defense under coordinator Todd Bowles. A great passing defense helped elevate this Vikings team to a 122 record. This team just wasn't ready yet. It was the biggest upset in football history for a reason. The only team in the division with a positive FPI rating -- making it above average -- is the Dallas Cowboys, who are just barely there at +0.7 (meaning they would be favored over an average NFL team by less than a point). The Cowboys first Super Bowl win was a snooze-fest. The problem is that for the first time in years, the Patriots have a brutal schedule. It was not only totally unexpected but it was made possible by a play-call that will be debated for years to come. It's all about the schedule. From Devin Hester to an elite defense led by Brian Urlacher, this team earned their spot on the biggest stage. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc. site: media | arena: nfl | pageType: stories | Kansas City Chiefs +500 (bet $10 to win $60 total), Its really hard to get to the Super Bowl. Throw in Trent Dilfer leading the other offense and a game that was never competitive, and this is easily the worst Super Bowl of all-time. A solid team all around, but more importantly, proficient on offense and defense. Green, but for a young team with a young coach, locker room leadership was needed last year down the stretch when they lost five of seven and missed the playoffs.. With the best defense in the game, this 124 Steelers team could not stop a hot road team in the Green Bay Packers and Aaron Rodgers. This game mightve been higher on the list if the Jets hadnt pulled off the AFL-NFL upset the prior season. Ron Jaworski, Harold Carmichael, and Wilbert Montgomery all had a part in this offense. I much prefer the Eagles to maybe sneak into the playoffs, as their only road game this season against a playoff team from last year is at Washington on Jan. 2. Indianapolis Colts +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total), Preseason surgery to Carson Wentz and Quentin Nelson could put the Colts down for the count before the calendar turns to October.. The game that gave us all of those 28-3 jokes. If not for the dramatic ending, this game may have finished last on this list. Ranked below are the 20 worst NFL players to win a Super Bowl since 2000. Brown, setting the stage for Jones to have a huge first season in Tennessee. 2023 NFL Draft odds: Will Georgia's Stetson Bennett get selected? Baltimore is well balanced, with a projected offense and defense (and special teams!) New Orleans Saints +3000 (bet $10 to win $310 total), The most puzzling number on the board, as Im much lower on the Saints than this.. Obsessed with travel? First place on this list scored 140 points in my grading system. A great defense and front seven, but their running game hit on all cylinders with 2.305 total team rushing yards. Just as importantly, no team lost more games to injury last year than the 49ers, And thats at every position.