You're sitting on the couch, wings in hand, watching a defensive slugfest. Maybe the game is a total blowout, or maybe both offenses look like they're stuck in waist-deep mud. At some point, the thought usually hits: has any team not scored in the Super Bowl? Like, ever?
The short answer? No.
It’s honestly kind of a miracle when you think about it. We’ve had nearly 60 of these games. We've seen legendary "Steel Curtains" and "Legions of Boom." We've seen quarterbacks have the absolute worst nights of their lives on the biggest stage imaginable. Yet, every single team that has ever suited up for a Super Bowl has managed to put at least a few points on the board.
Nobody has ever been shut out. Zero points has never happened.
The Teams That Came Dangerously Close
While nobody has put up a literal "0" on the final scoreboard, a few teams have come about as close as you can get without actually falling off the cliff. If you want to know which teams struggled the most, you have to look at the "3-point club."
There are currently two teams that share the record for the lowest score in Super Bowl history.
First, you've got the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl VI. This was back in 1972. They went up against the Dallas Cowboys and just couldn't do anything. Don Shula’s offense was basically neutralized. They kicked a field goal in the second quarter and that was the end of the story. They lost 24-3. It’s wild because this same Dolphins team went on to have their perfect undefeated season literally the next year. Talk about a wake-up call.
Then, much more recently, we had Super Bowl LIII. This was the 2019 game between the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Rams. Honestly, if you watched this game, you probably remember it for being... well, a bit of a snooze fest for the casual fan.
The Rams had this high-powered, "new-age" offense led by Sean McVay. They were averaging over 30 points a game that season. Then they hit the Bill Belichick wall. Jared Goff looked completely lost. The Rams didn't score a single point until the third quarter. They finished with just a field goal. Final score: 13-3.
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Why Is It So Hard to Get Shut Out?
You might wonder why, in a league where blowouts happen all the time, a Super Bowl shutout is so elusive. Basically, it comes down to a few things:
- Field Goal Range: Even if your offense is terrible, you usually only need two or three decent plays to get within 50 yards of the end zone. Most NFL kickers can hit from there.
- Prevent Defense: If a team is winning 35-0, they usually stop playing aggressive defense. They’ll give up short passes to keep the clock moving, which often lets the losing team "luck" into a late score.
- The "Safety" Factor: You don't even need your offense to play well to score. A bad snap or a tackle in the end zone gets you 2 points.
Take Super Bowl XLVIII, for example. The Seattle Seahawks were absolutely destroying the Denver Broncos. It was 36-0 at one point. It looked like a shutout was finally happening. But then, on the very last play of the third quarter, Peyton Manning threw a touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas. Boom. Shutout ruined. Denver finished with 8 points.
The Almost-Shutout of 2025
Funny enough, we almost saw history made very recently. In Super Bowl LIX, the Philadelphia Eagles were absolutely dismantling the Kansas City Chiefs. It was a bloodbath.
The Eagles led 34-0 well into the fourth quarter. For a few minutes there, it really looked like the "has any team not scored in the Super Bowl" question was about to get a brand new answer. But Patrick Mahomes did what he does. With about 45 seconds left on the clock, he found Xavier Worthy for a touchdown. It didn't change the outcome—the Eagles won their second title—but it kept the "no shutout" streak alive.
Teams That Failed to Score a Touchdown
While every team has scored points, not every team has scored a touchdown. That’s a much bigger list, though still pretty exclusive.
- Miami Dolphins (SB VI): Only 3 points via field goal.
- Los Angeles Rams (SB LIII): Only 3 points via field goal.
- Washington (SB VII): They lost 14-7 to the Dolphins, but their only score was a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown. Their offense technically never crossed the goal line.
- Minnesota Vikings (SB IX): They scored 6 points against the Steelers, but it was on a blocked punt. Their offense was kept out of the end zone all day.
Actionable Takeaways for Football Fans
So, next time you're at a watch party and someone asks if a shutout has ever happened, you can confidently tell them no. But keep these specific details in your back pocket to really sound like an expert:
- The Floor is 3: The lowest score ever is 3 points (Dolphins and Rams).
- The "Offensive" Zero: If you want to be a nerd about it, you can point out that the 1974 Vikings and 1972 Washington team had "0" offensive points, even though they scored on special teams or defense.
- Modern Rules: Because of how much the NFL protects quarterbacks and favors passing now, a shutout is getting harder and harder to pull off.
If you are betting on the game or playing daily fantasy, history suggests that even the worst-looking underdog will find a way to get something on the board before the clock hits zero.
To stay ahead of the curve on historical stats like these, your best bet is to keep an eye on the "Pro Football Reference" database or the official NFL Record Manual. They update these tallies every February, and as the league becomes more offensive-heavy, that elusive zero looks like it's going to stay a "never" for a long time.