Lowest-scoring Super Bowl in NFL history
Heading into Super Bowl 58, the matchup featuring the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers was one featuring two dynamic offenses. Patrick Mahomes is perhaps the most talented quarterback we've ever seen, and Brock Purdy surrounded by weapons like Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, and George Kittle, has led a dynamic Niners offense.
Any matchup featuring Mahomes is often seen as a potential shootout. Just look at last year's Super Bowl. The Chiefs outlasted the Eagles 38-35 in an instant classic. Both the Chiefs and 49ers were elite defensively to help them get to this moment, but with how much talent each of these teams have on the offensive side of the ball, it was assumed that this game could've been a shootout.
The first half of Super Bowl 58 has been anything but, as the Niners took a 10-3 lead into the locker room. A switch can flip for one or both of these teams, but as of now, defenses have dominated. Each team has fumbled, and while there have been moments where each of these teams have moved the ball, they haven't quite settled in.
This is on pace to potentially be one of the lowest-scoring Super Bowls yet. With that in mind, let's look at the total points they'll have to match up with to make their way onto this list of lowest-scoring Super Bowls.
Lowest scoring Super Bowls in NFL history
Super Bowl | Score | Total Points |
|---|---|---|
LIII | New England Patriots 13, Los Angeles Rams 3 | 16 |
VII | Miami Dolphins 14, Washington Redskins 7 | 21 |
IX | Pittsburgh Steelers 16, Minnesota Vikings 6 | 22 |
III | New York Jets 16, Baltimore Colts 7 | 23 |
VI | Dallas Cowboys 24, Miami Dolphins 3 | 27 |
Tom Brady, known by most as the greatest quarterback of all time, got a win in Super Bowl LIII against the Rams, but he managed to score just 13 points. The Rams were the NFL's most dynamic offense that season, but managed just three points against New England's always potent defense.
Seeing other all-time greats at the quarterback position like Joe Namath and Roger Staubach appear on a list like this shows just how dominant defenses can be on the biggest stage. As some say, offenses win games but defenses win championships.
The Chiefs and Niners have combined to score 13 points at halftime. If they continue on that pace in the second half, they'll have the fifth-lowest scoring Super Bowl in NFL history. It's hard to picture any game Patrick Mahomes appears in without a Chiefs touchdown, but this Niners defense being as stout as it is raises the possibility that Kansas City is in for a miserable second half as well.
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