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Super Bowl 50: The Best Defensive Super Bowl Ever?

Where does Super Bowl 50 rank among the greatest upsets in Super Bowl history?

Von Miller captures the Super Bowl MVP

Von Miller captures the Super Bowl MVP

Super Bowl 50 will go down as one of the bigger upsets in Super Bowl history, but it’s clearly not one of the biggest ever. Even given the recency of the game, it still falls far behind Super Bowl III (Jets/Colts), Super Bowl IV (Chiefs/Vikings), Super Bowl XXXII (Broncos/Packers), Super Bowl XXXVI (Patriots/Rams), or Super Bowl XLII (Giants/Patriots, 2007).  All five of those games had double-digit point spreads, but went to the underdogs.

Super Bowl XXV (Giants/Bills) featured a 6.5-point spread and was one of the more memorable upsets. And two recent underdogs won with 4.5-point spreads — Ravens over 49ers, Saints over Colts.  From a purely point spread look, Super Bowl 50 would slot in right there, at tied for #7, as the line closed at 4.5 points.  From a purely subjective standpoint, I’d probably put this game in the middle of those two:  the Saints game looked like a big upset, but the stats guys were on New Orleans, and the line may have only been in the Colts favor because of the team’s experience edge.  I picked the 49ers to win by six points, which is what I had Carolina winning by yesterday, too.  But with Denver a 12-4 team and the #1 seed, I think this game feels like less of an upset than Ravens/49ers.

But it doesn’t matter that this game isn’t one of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history. That’s because it has another honor to take home: being one of the best defensive Super Bowls ever.  The teams combined for just 509 yards, the 6th fewest in any Super Bowl.  On a per-play basis, that ranks 4th, passing the ’72 and ’73 Dolphins Super Bowls.

And after adjusting for era, it looks even better. Here’s how to read the table below. This season, teams averaged 488 combined passing yards per game and 218 combined rushing yards. In the Super Bowl, the two teams combined for just 301 passing yards and 208 rushing yards. That’s 187 fewer passing yards than average, and 10 fewer rushing yards than the average NFL game. Combined, the teams produced just 509 yards, which is 196 fewer yards than the average game during the 2015 regular season.

YearTmOppLg Avg PassLg Avg RushPass YdRush YdPass DifRush DifTot ▾Total Diff
2000BALNYG414225219177-195-48396-243
2015DENCAR488218301208-187-10509-196
1985CHINWE409250357174-52-76531-128
1974PITMIN306267186266-120-1452-121
1972MIAWAS304279156325-14846481-102
1995DALPIT442216405159-37-57564-94
1977DALDEN284288217264-67-24481-91
1969KANMIN357244294218-63-26512-89
1973MIAMIN282289229268-53-21497-74
1982WASMIA399236204372-195136576-58
1996GNBNWE4152184221587-60580-53
2013SEADEN47122648516214-64647-50
2007NYGNWE42922247613647-86612-38
1981SFOCIN40926043219923-61631-38
1971DALMIA311260205332-10672537-35
1989SFODEN422231420208-2-23628-24
2002TAMOAK42423246516941-63634-23
1970BALDAL32324137317350-68546-18
1966GNBKAN37123839520224-36597-12
1975PITDAL32629135225726-34609-8
1983RAIWAS409259347321-6262668-1
1967GNBOAK362237348267-143061516
1997DENGNB404226378274-264865222
1993DALBUF40122043122430465534
1988SFOCIN40124346421763-2668137
2008PITARI42323260891185-14169945
2004NWEPHI421233543157122-7670046
2006INDCHI410235393302-176769551
2011NYGNWE45923454819789-3774551
2010GNBPIT443229549176106-5372553
2001NWESTL41222447122359-169459
1979PITRAM361271503191142-8069462
1968NYJBAL344253376285323266164
1978PITDAL318284467220149-6468786
1991WASBUF398215532168134-4770086
1980OAKPHI392255551186159-6973790
2005PITSEA4072254173181093735103
1990NYGBUF39022841933829110757140
2009NORIND437233614150177-8376494
1992DALBUF37522152524515024770174
1986NYGDEN411237583188172-49771123
2014NWESEA47422355421980-477377
1976OAKMIN30430144533714136782177
1998DENATL41022554225213227794159
1999STLTEN425213615188190-25803165
1994SFOSDG427209603206176-3809173
2012BALSFO4632325602759743835141
1984SFOMIA412248615236203-12851191
2003NWECAR401236649219248-17868231
1987WASDEN408248552377144129929273

The Broncos defense was incredible, allowing just 3 net points (the defense scored one touchdown and allowed another) against a team that had scored 480 points in its first 18 games. Denver also tied a Super Bowl record with 7 sacks. But the Carolina defense was also outstanding, and held Denver to a Super Bowl low (among winning teams) 194 yards.

Given the presence of the NFL MVP in Cam Newton and the league’s highest scoring team, one could make the case that this was more impressive than the Ravens/Giants game (or Bears/Patriots game at #3) that had mediocre — or downright poor — quarterbacks by Super Bowl standards. Von Miller was a worthy Super Bowl MVP, and this game will be remembered as one of the great team defensive performances in Super Bowl history. But it should also be remembered as perhaps the greatest combined team defensive performance in Super Bowl history.

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