The Super Bowl is one of the biggest stages in professional sports. It’s easily the biggest stage in the NFL as 100-plus million viewers tune in each year. That puts added pressure on players to perform, and the fact of the matter is that some just can’t handle it.
That is going to be the focus of this article. I’m going to go over some of the biggest choke jobs in Super Bowl history. Sometimes the winning team can make a great play and it’s not a choke by the losing team, but I’ll try to eliminate these cases from my list. Here are the top 10 chokes in Super Bowl history in my opinion.
Super Bowl XLIV was one of the most exciting and memorable Super Bowls of all time. The New Orleans Saints were down 10-0 after the first quarter and 10-6 at halftime and were in danger of losing their first ever Super Bowl. However, in the second half, the Saints mounted a remarkable comeback, outscoring the Indianapolis Colts 25-7 and winning the game 31-17.
The Saints’ comeback was fueled by their offense, which was led by quarterback Drew Brees. Brees threw for 288 yards and two touchdowns, and he was aided by a balanced attack from running backs Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell. The Saints defense also stepped up, limiting the Colts to just 17 points and forcing one turnover.
The comeback was capped off by a memorable play from Tracy Porter. With the Colts driving in the fourth quarter, Porter intercepted a pass from Colts quarterback Peyton Manning and returned it for a touchdown, turning a 24-17 Saints lead into a 31-17 final.
The Saints’ Super Bowl XLIV comeback was a remarkable moment in NFL history. It matched the largest comeback in Super Bowl history at the time, 10 points, which Washington had also overcome in Super Bowl XXII, and it cemented the Saints’ place in history as one of the greatest teams of all time.
Dallas came into Super Bowl XXX in Tempe as a 13.5-point favorite and led 13-0 in the second quarter. Pittsburgh got a touchdown pass from Neil O’Donnell to Yancey Thigpen with 13 seconds left in the half and went to the locker room down only 13-7.
Midway through the third quarter O’Donnell threw a pass straight to Cowboys cornerback Larry Brown, who returned it to the Pittsburgh 18, and Emmitt Smith scored two plays later to make it 20-7. The Steelers fought back with a Norm Johnson field goal, a surprise onside kick and a Bam Morris touchdown run, and it was 20-17 with 6:36 left.
Pittsburgh got the ball back with just over four minutes to go, needing a field goal to tie. O’Donnell threw to Brown again, Brown returned it to the Pittsburgh 6, and Smith scored for the 27-17 final. O’Donnell threw a third interception on the Steelers’ last drive, after throwing just seven all season, and Brown became the first cornerback named Super Bowl MVP.
The Dallas Cowboys have been one of the most successful teams in NFL history, with five Super Bowl titles, eight conference championships, and 22 division titles. However, one of the team’s most memorable moments came in Super Bowl V in 1971 when the Cowboys suffered a heartbreaking collapse and lost the game to the Baltimore Colts 16-13.
The Cowboys entered the game as 2.5-point underdogs in most record books, boasting a strong defense and a powerful offense led by quarterback Craig Morton. However, the Cowboys were outmatched by the Colts’ defense, which held them to 13 points in the first half and shut them out in the second half.
The loss was especially painful for Cowboys fans, as it was the team’s first Super Bowl appearance. The loss marked a turning point in the Cowboys’ fortunes, as they would go on to win five of their next seven Super Bowl appearances.
The Cowboys’ collapse in Super Bowl V remains one of the most painful moments in the team’s history. While the Cowboys have since rebounded to become one of the most successful teams in NFL history, the memory of the Super Bowl V loss still lingers in the minds of Cowboys fans.
Super Bowl XXXVIII in Houston was scoreless for almost 27 minutes, then the teams scored 24 points before halftime and New England led 14-10. Antowain Smith’s touchdown run early in the fourth quarter made it 21-10, and the Patriots looked to be in control.
Carolina answered with a 33-yard touchdown run by DeShaun Foster, and after Tom Brady threw an interception in the end zone, Jake Delhomme hit Muhsin Muhammad for an 85-yard touchdown, still the longest offensive play in Super Bowl history. The Panthers led 22-21. John Fox went for two after both touchdowns and missed both times.
Brady put New England back in front 29-22 with a touchdown pass to linebacker Mike Vrabel and a two-point run by Kevin Faulk. Delhomme tied it 29-29 with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Ricky Proehl with 1:08 left, so the missed conversions meant Carolina could only tie. Then John Kasay’s kickoff went out of bounds, giving the Patriots the ball at their own 40, and Brady moved them into range for Adam Vinatieri’s 41-yard field goal with four seconds left. New England won 32-29.
Super Bowl XXXIX was an especially heartbreaking game for the Philadelphia Eagles and their fans. After an incredible 13-3 regular season, the Eagles were 7-point underdogs in their bid for their first NFL title since 1960.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be. Despite outgaining the New England Patriots in total yards, the Eagles were unable to capitalize on their opportunities, falling to the Patriots 24-21.
The Eagles’ defense, which had been so impressive during the regular season, was unable to contain Tom Brady and the Patriots’ offense. Brady threw for 236 yards and two touchdowns, while the Patriots’ running game was able to gain a total of 115 yards.
The Eagles’ offense was unable to keep up with the Patriots’ scoring, as quarterback Donovan McNabb threw three interceptions and was sacked four times. The Eagles’ running game was also stifled, gaining only 64 yards.
The Eagles had plenty of chances to win the game, but were unable to capitalize on them. In the fourth quarter, the Eagles had the ball inside the Patriots’ five-yard line with a chance to take the lead, but were unable to score.
In the end, the Eagles’ Super Bowl dreams were dashed and they had to settle for a runner-up finish. It was a tough pill to swallow for the Eagles and their fans, who had been so close to a Super Bowl victory.
Super Bowl XXIII was a crushing disappointment for Cincinnati Bengals fans. After a 12-4 regular season and playoff wins over the Seattle Seahawks and Buffalo Bills, the Bengals were on their way to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1981. But, it wasn’t meant to be. The San Francisco 49ers were just too much for the Bengals, and they were handed a crushing 20-16 defeat.
The game itself was a classic. The Bengals led 16-13 with 3:10 left, but Joe Montana took the 49ers 92 yards and hit John Taylor for a 10-yard touchdown with 34 seconds remaining. That game-winning drive, which began at the 49ers’ own 8-yard line, is one of the most memorable in Super Bowl history.
The loss was a bitter pill to swallow for Bengals fans. It was a chance to erase the bad memories of their last Super Bowl appearance, but instead they were left with another disappointing finish. It was a painful reminder of the fact that the Bengals have yet to win a Super Bowl.
Despite the heartbreaking loss, the Bengals still have a lot to be proud of. They had a great season and showed that they are a team to be reckoned with. The Bengals did return, in Super Bowl LVI after the 2021 season, and lost 23-20 to the Los Angeles Rams. Still, Bengals fans will always remember the letdown of Super Bowl XXIII.
Super Bowl XLII was one of the greatest Super Bowls of all time, with the New England Patriots trying to become the first team in NFL history to finish a perfect 19-0 season. The Patriots had the most prolific offense in NFL history, and their defense was equally impressive.
The game was a back-and-forth affair, with the Patriots taking a 7-3 lead into the fourth quarter. But the New York Giants, led by quarterback Eli Manning, staged a dramatic fourth quarter comeback. Manning completed a 32-yard pass to wide receiver David Tyree, who made a miraculous catch by pinning the ball against his helmet. This catch became known as the “Helmet Catch” and it set up the game-winning touchdown.
The Patriots’ loss in Super Bowl XLII was a devastating letdown. It was the first time a team had gone undefeated in the regular season and failed to win the Super Bowl. It was also the first time a team had lost the Super Bowl after entering it undefeated. The Patriots were favored to win by 12.5 points, making it one of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history.
David Tyree’s catch was one of the most iconic plays in NFL history. It was the play that broke the Patriots’ dream of a perfect season and gave the Giants a miraculous victory. To this day, it remains one of the most talked about plays in Super Bowl history.
The 1969 Super Bowl III between the Baltimore Colts and New York Jets is widely remembered for one thing: the guarantee of victory made by Jets quarterback Joe Namath.
The heavily favored Colts had won the NFL championship that season, while the Jets had just barely made it into the Super Bowl. To add to the drama, the AFL was viewed as inferior to the NFL, so the Jets were widely seen as heavy underdogs.
Despite this, Joe Namath famously guaranteed a victory for the Jets, a bold move that some saw as brash arrogance. On January 12th, 1969, Namath’s guarantee came true as the Jets pulled off a shocking upset with a 16-7 victory.
The win not only established Namath as an icon, but also validated the AFL as a legitimate league. It was a major upset for the NFL, which had been dominant in the Super Bowl up to that point.
The Baltimore Colts, meanwhile, were seen as having let down their fans. The team had been favored to win, and their loss was a major blow to their fanbase. This was especially true in Baltimore, where the team had been beloved since they moved to the city in 1953.
The loss in Super Bowl III has gone down as one of the biggest upsets in NFL history, and it remains a major part of Joe Namath’s legacy. To this day, the game is remembered as one of the greatest moments in sports history.
The Buffalo Bills’ Super Bowl XXV letdown is one of the most heartbreaking losses in NFL history. In the early 1990s, the Bills had become a powerhouse team, winning four consecutive AFC championships and appearing in four straight Super Bowls. They were heavy favorites in Super Bowl XXV against the New York Giants, but ended up losing 20-19 after Scott Norwood’s famous “wide right” field goal attempt missed its mark.
The game was an epic defensive struggle between two of the NFL’s best teams. The Bills’ offense was unable to get much going, while the Giants managed to grind out a few key drives. The Giants scored 10 points in the second half, and Matt Bahr’s fourth-quarter field goal put them ahead 20-19, setting the stage for a dramatic finish. With just seconds remaining, the Bills had the ball on the Giants’ 29-yard line. Norwood stepped up to try a 47-yard field goal to win the game, but his kick sailed just right of the uprights, giving the Giants a one-point victory.
The Bills were devastated by the loss, and Norwood was made the scapegoat for the defeat. He received death threats from angry fans, and his reputation was tarnished for years. However, in recent years, Norwood has gained a measure of redemption as Bills fans have come to recognize his courage in stepping up and taking the blame for the loss.
The Bills’ Super Bowl XXV letdown remains one of the most heartbreaking losses in NFL history. It was a game that had the potential to bring the city of Buffalo its first Super Bowl title, but instead ended in crushing disappointment. It was a game that would live in infamy, but one that also serves as a reminder of the courage and determination of the Buffalo Bills and their fans.
Super Bowl LI was one of the most memorable and exciting games in NFL history. The Atlanta Falcons, after dominating the game for three quarters, had the lead late in the fourth quarter and looked to be in position to win their first Super Bowl in franchise history. Unfortunately, the Falcons’ dreams were crushed by an improbable comeback by the New England Patriots, led by Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, that resulted in the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history.
The Falcons had a 28-3 lead in the third quarter and looked to be in complete control of the game. However, Tom Brady and the Patriots began to chip away at the lead, scoring a touchdown late in the third quarter to make the score 28-9. In the fourth quarter, the Patriots kicked a field goal and scored two more touchdowns, each followed by a 2-point conversion to tie the game at 28. In overtime, the Patriots were able to take the lead and eventually win the game 34-28.
The comeback was an incredible feat for the Patriots and it solidified Tom Brady and Bill Belichick’s legacy as one of the greatest quarterback-coach duos in NFL history. The Falcons’ collapse in the fourth quarter, from a 28-3 lead to a 34-28 loss, has been dubbed the “28-3” game and is remembered as one of the most shocking and heartbreaking losses in NFL history.
The Patriots’ comeback victory in Super Bowl LI will be remembered for years to come, as it was one of the most incredible comebacks in sports history. It will also be remembered for how it solidified Tom Brady and Bill Belichick’s legacy as two of the greatest of all time. The Falcons’ loss in Super Bowl LI will be remembered as one of the most heartbreaking defeats in NFL history, as they were unable to hold onto the 19-point lead they took into the fourth quarter.