Super Bowl power rankings: Who’s the best loser?
By John Buhler
47. 1985 New England Patriots, Super Bowl XX
The 1985 New England Patriots finished the regular season in third place in the AFC East with an 11-5 record. New England went on a strong playoff run under head coach Raymond Berry in defeating the New York Jets in the Wild Card round, the Los Angeles Raiders in the Divisional round, and the Miami Dolphins in the AFC Championship.
Unfortunately, that momentum the Patriots received from the AFC Playoffs was no match for arguably one of the best single-season teams ever assembled in Super Bowl history: the historic 1985 Chicago Bears.
New England entered Super Bowl XX, its first ever trip to the Super Bowl, as a 10-point underdog to the Bears and their vaunted defense. The Patriots and third-year quarterback Tony Eason had almost no shot against the Bears, losing by 36 points to Chicago, 46-10.
The Patriots would struggle to find consistency the next few years before returning to relevancy under head coach Bill Parcells in the late 1990s. Their true dominance was’t realized until Bill Belichick took over things in the early 2000s. New England may have played in eight Super Bowls to date, splitting their wins and losses right down the middle, but their first one was certainly a rude awaking. Luckily for them, things got better as the years went on.
Next: 46. 1992 Buffalo Bills