Remembering the 5 Biggest Super Bowl Blowouts

There is no American sporting event that can compare to the Super Bowl. The fanfare of the week leading up to the big game is unmatched, with the entire nation tuning in to see what is usually a highly competitive, entertaining affair. However, even the Super Bowl is not immune to the occasional one-sided matchup. There have been several blowout victories in the championship game, the five biggest of which will be highlighted here.

In the week leading to the showdown between the Washington Redskins and the Denver Broncos, most pundits favored Denver and their excellent offense, led by quarterback John Elway. That perception was reflected by the betting line, which had the Broncos as 3.5-point favorites before the game. 

The Broncos got off to a hot start, scoring 10 unanswered points in the first quarter. However, the Redskins answered with a vengeance, scoring a ridiculous 35 points in the second quarter alone, largely thanks to four touchdown passes from quarterback Doug Williams. The scoring would stop until the fourth quarter, when running back Timmy Smith punched in a four-yard touchdown to cap a run of 42 unanswered points. The Redskins cruised to a 42-10 win, marking one of the most surprising blowout wins in Super Bowl history.

This game represented Buffalo's third straight trip to the Super Bowl and would end with its most humiliating chapter of all four of the team's championship appearances. Opposing them was one of the most electric offensive attacks of all time, led by Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman. Wide receiver Michael Irvin and running back Emmitt Smith rounded out a seemingly unstoppable offensive machine.

That machine proved to be the deciding factor during the game. Dallas scored five offensive touchdowns, two of which went Irvin's way. The defense also provided two scoop-and-scores, tallying up 52 total points. The Bills were a good team, but had no chance of keeping pace, scoring two touchdowns and a field goal en route to a 52-17 defeat. 

This game was billed as a battle of an incredible Seattle defense and an electric Broncos offense, led by legendary quarterback Peyton Manning. It turned out not to be much of a fight, as the Seahawks' defense and special teams dominated from the first snap of the game. That is not an exaggeration, as the Broncos began the game with an infamous bad snap that resulted in a safety for Seattle.

The Legion of Boom continued to dominate throughout all four quarters. Linebacker Malcolm Smith returned an interception for a touchdown in the second period, and wide receiver Percy Harvin took an 87-yard return all the way to the end zone for another non-offensive score. The Broncos did not score until the fourth quarter, putting up a paltry eight points to avoid a shutout. Seattle cruised to a 43-8 bruising, marking one of the best defensive performances in the Super Bowl ever.

Speaking of legendary defenses, the 1985 Bears put up an even better performance than Seattle in the 1986 Super Bowl. Chicago only allowed a single touchdown, while the offense marched into New England's territory at will, mounting five scoring drives in the first half alone. Overall, the offense scored four touchdowns, all of which came on the ground.

To help match the Seahawks' output, the Bears also scored a pick-six, courtesy of a 28-yard return from cornerback Reggie Phillips. For the cherry on top, defensive end Henry Waechter brought down quarterback Steve Grogan in the end zone for a safety, finalizing a blowout 46-10 win.

This game might be the only contest on this list that was expected to be a blowout. The Niners, led by MVP quarterback Joe Montana, were 13-point favorites, the widest margin of all five games in this article. That line proved to be a conservative one quite quickly, with Montana tossing two touchdowns in the first quarter to jump out to a 13-3 lead.

San Francisco's attack continued to fire on all cylinders, with Montana adding another three touchdown passes, two of which went to all-time great wide receiver Jerry Rice, who had already scored in the first quarter. Running back Tom Rathman added a score on the ground and another through the air, allowing the Niners to coast to a 55-10 victory. It remains the widest margin of victory in Super Bowl history, a statistic that is unlikely to be surpassed any time soon.

While these games were certainly not the most entertaining viewing football fans have ever seen, they do represent some incredible efforts from Super Bowl-winning teams. As the NFL continues to improve on a year-to-year basis, it is hard to imagine that another team can make an appearance on a list like this, but as always, anything is possible on any given Sunday.