Honestly, the Super Bowl is a weird beast. We spend two weeks arguing about point spreads and prop bets only to watch a game that rarely does what we expect. You've probably heard someone claim the "modern game" is higher scoring, or that blowouts are a thing of the past.
They're usually wrong.
When you actually look at super bowl historical scores, the numbers tell a much messier story. It isn't just a steady climb toward more points. It's a jagged line of defensive masterclasses, offensive explosions, and some truly bizarre evenings where nobody could seemingly find the end zone.
The Highs and Lows of the Scoreboard
If you want to talk about the ceiling, we have to go back to 1995. Super Bowl XXIX was basically a track meet. The San Francisco 49ers put up 49 points on the San Diego Chargers, who managed 26 of their own. That 75-point total still stands as the gold standard for offensive chaos.
Contrast that with 2019.
Super Bowl LIII was... well, it was a struggle. The New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Rams combined for just 16 points. The Patriots won 13-3. It was the only time in the history of the game that a team won without scoring a touchdown before the fourth quarter. If you bet the "over" that year, you were probably regretting it by the second drive.
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People also forget about the 1970s slugfests. In Super Bowl VII, the Dolphins capped their perfect season by beating Washington 14-7. That’s 21 points total. Two years later, the Steelers beat the Vikings 16-6. These weren't necessarily "bad" games, but they were played in an era where the "Steel Curtain" and the "Purple People Eaters" were allowed to be much more physical than today's secondaries.
Why Blowouts Still Happen (Even Recently)
There is this myth that the NFL's parity has fixed the "Super Bowl blowout" problem. It hasn't. While nothing has quite touched the 45-point margin from 1990—when Joe Montana's 49ers demolished the Broncos 55-10—we still see lopsided affairs.
Look at 2014. The Seattle Seahawks' "Legion of Boom" dismantled a record-setting Peyton Manning offense, winning 43-8. It was over from the very first snap when the ball sailed over Manning's head for a safety.
Even more recently, in Super Bowl LIX (February 2025), the Philadelphia Eagles didn't just beat the Kansas City Chiefs; they controlled them. The final was 40-22, but the Eagles started the game with 34 unanswered points. It was a reminder that even when you have a generational talent like Patrick Mahomes, a dominant defensive front can turn a championship game into a lopsided affair before the halftime show even starts.
The Widest Margins in History
- Super Bowl XXIV: 49ers 55, Broncos 10 (45 points)
- Super Bowl XX: Bears 46, Patriots 10 (36 points)
- Super Bowl XXVII: Cowboys 52, Bills 17 (35 points)
- Super Bowl XLVIII: Seahawks 43, Broncos 8 (35 points)
The One-Point Heartbreakers
The margin for error is razor-thin. Sometimes it literally comes down to one kick. Super Bowl XXV is the only game in history decided by a single point. The New York Giants beat the Buffalo Bills 20-19.
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You've likely seen the footage. Scott Norwood's kick. Wide right.
That single missed kick changed the trajectory of the Bills' franchise forever. It started a run of four consecutive Super Bowl losses, a feat that is statistically almost impossible to replicate.
Examining the Super Bowl Historical Scores
To really understand the flow of the game over nearly sixty years, you have to see how the scores shifted through different "dynasty" eras.
In the early years, the Green Bay Packers established the benchmark. They won Super Bowl I (35-10) and Super Bowl II (33-14). Then came the 1970s, where scores dipped as defense reigned supreme. The 1980s and 90s saw the NFC take over, often with high-scoring blowouts led by the 49ers, Redskins, and Cowboys.
The 2000s gave us the rise of the Patriots, whose early wins were all incredibly close—decided by 3, 3, and 3 points respectively.
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Then came the modern "offensive" era, which ironically gave us the lowest-scoring game ever in 2019. It just goes to show that while the rules favor the offense now, the pressure of the "Big Game" can still turn the best quarterbacks into mere mortals.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Bettors
If you are tracking these scores to better understand the game or even for future wagering, keep these nuances in mind.
First, ignore the "all-time average." A score from 1972 has zero bearing on a game in 2026. Instead, look at the last five years of data. You'll notice that the "total points" often fluctuate based on the venue. Indoor stadiums or warm-weather sites like New Orleans or Miami tend to produce more "explosive" scorelines than outdoor games in cold weather (though those are rare for the Super Bowl now).
Second, pay attention to the "shutout" stat. There has never been a shutout in Super Bowl history. The closest we've come is a 3-point finish, which has happened twice (Miami in SB VI and the Rams in SB LIII). If you're looking for a "lock," betting that both teams will score at least something is about as safe as it gets.
Finally, keep an eye on the turnover margin. In almost every one of the blowouts mentioned above, the losing team turned the ball over multiple times in the first half. Historical scores aren't just a result of talent; they are a result of who blinks first under the brightest lights in sports.
To get a true sense of the game's evolution, start by comparing the "Dynasty" scores of the 90s Cowboys against the 2010s Patriots. You’ll see that while the Cowboys won by large margins, the Patriots mastered the art of the "one-score" win. That shift in strategy is arguably the biggest change in the history of the sport.