Numbers don't lie, but they definitely don't tell the whole story. You can look at a list of super bowl scores of the past and see a 43-8 blowout or a 13-3 slog, but the score is just the skeleton. The meat is the heartbreak, the blown coverage, and the "what-ifs" that keep fans awake at 2:00 AM.
Honestly, some of these games were basically over before the coin toss. Others? They felt like a fever dream until the final whistle.
The Games That Broke the Scoreboard
If you want to talk about offensive explosions, you have to start with 1995. Super Bowl XXIX. The San Francisco 49ers put up 49 points against the San Diego Chargers. Steve Young threw six touchdowns. Six! It was like watching a varsity team play the middle schoolers. The final score was 49-26, a total of 75 points, which is still the record for the highest-scoring game in Super Bowl history.
Then there’s the other side of the coin.
In 2019, the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Rams gave us Super Bowl LIII. It ended 13-3. That is not a typo. It was the lowest-scoring game ever. If you like punting, that was your masterpiece. For everyone else, it was three hours of wondering if either team actually wanted to win the trophy.
Why Blowouts Feel Worse Than They Look
Take Super Bowl XXIV in 1990. The 49ers (again) destroyed the Denver Broncos 55-10. This is the largest margin of victory in the game’s history—45 points. You’ve probably seen the highlights of Joe Montana looking like he was playing catch in a park.
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It wasn't just a loss for Denver; it was a soul-crushing experience.
The 1980s and early 90s were kind of famous for this. The NFC was just vastly superior to the AFC for over a decade. From 1985 to 1997, the NFC won 13 straight Super Bowls. Many of those super bowl scores of the past were ugly. Very ugly.
- 1986: Bears 46, Patriots 10
- 1988: Washington 42, Broncos 10
- 1993: Cowboys 52, Bills 17
If you were a Bills fan in the 90s, the scoreboards were your worst enemy. Four straight losses. 20-19 in 1991 (the infamous "Wide Right") was the only one that didn't feel like a car crash by halftime.
The 28-3 Ghost and the Art of the Comeback
We can’t talk about scores without talking about the "28-3" game. Super Bowl LI.
The Atlanta Falcons were up by 25 points in the third quarter. In terms of historical probability, the game was over. Atlanta fans were already buying "Champions" hats online. Then, Tom Brady happened. The Patriots scored 25 unanswered points to tie it. Then they won in overtime, 34-28.
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It was the first overtime game in Super Bowl history.
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Lately, the scores have stayed relatively close, mostly because the league rules now favor the offense so heavily.
Look at Super Bowl LVIII in 2024. The Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in overtime. It was a defensive struggle for most of the night, which felt like a throwback. But then Patrick Mahomes did what he does in the clutch.
Most recently, Super Bowl LIX in February 2025 gave us a different vibe. The Philadelphia Eagles took down the Chiefs 40-22. Jalen Hurts was a monster, accounting for four touchdowns. It was a dominant performance that stopped the "three-peat" talk in its tracks. The 62 total points made it one of the higher-scoring affairs of the 2020s, landing it in the top 10 all-time for total points scored.
Breaking Down the Scoring Eras
If you look at the super bowl scores of the past by decade, you see a massive shift in how the game is played.
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- The 1970s: Defense was king. The average score was much lower. In 1973, the Dolphins beat Washington 14-7. 21 total points. Teams lived on the ground.
- The 1990s: The era of the "Big Three" in Dallas and the West Coast offense in San Francisco. This is where we see those massive 50-point outbursts.
- The 2000s: Parity arrived. The Patriots started their dynasty with three wins, all decided by exactly three points. 20-17, 32-29, 24-21.
- The 2020s: High-flying but strangely inconsistent. We’ve seen defensive masterpieces and 40-point blowouts side-by-side.
What Most People Get Wrong About These Scores
People often assume a high score means a "good" game. Not always.
Super Bowl XXIX (the 49-26 one) was actually pretty boring because it was never competitive. On the other hand, Super Bowl XXV (20-19) is widely considered one of the greatest games ever because of the tension. The score reflects the drama, not just the volume of points.
Another misconception? That the "better" team always wins big.
The 2007 New England Patriots were 18-0. They had the highest-scoring offense ever at the time. They lost 17-14 to a Wild Card Giants team. That score—17 to 14—is arguably the most famous score in the history of the sport because of the context. It proved that a great pass rush can kill a legendary scoreboard.
Practical Takeaways for Your Next Box Score Hunt
If you’re digging through the archives or settling a bet with a friend, keep these specific benchmarks in mind:
- Check the halftime margin. In most blowouts, the game was already decided by a margin of 17+ points at the half. If the score is within 10 at the break, the second half usually gets wild.
- Look for the "Safety" factor. It’s rare, but safeties have occurred in several Super Bowls (like the first play of Super Bowl XLVIII). It usually signals a team that is mentally rattled.
- The "30-Point Rule." Since 1979, teams that score 30 or more points in the Super Bowl are 25-3. If your team hits 30, you can usually start the car and beat the traffic.
- The Over/Under Reality. Despite the "high scoring" reputation of modern football, the "Under" has actually hit quite frequently in recent years as defensive coordinators have figured out how to slow down the RPO (Run-Pass Option) game.
Next time you see a list of super bowl scores of the past, don't just look at who won. Look at the quarters. Look at the missed field goals. Look at the 2025 Eagles putting up 40 on a "dynasty" defense. The score is the result, but the rhythm of those numbers tells you exactly where the game was won or lost.
To get the most out of your NFL history research, compare the regular season scoring average of the winners versus their Super Bowl performance. You'll often find that the best defenses—like the 1985 Bears or the 2000 Ravens—actually held their opponents to roughly 70% below their seasonal scoring average on the biggest stage.