RealClearSports.com compiled a list of the top 10 worst Super Bowl teams of all time.
7. 2007 New York Giants
Is it easy to discount the Giants’ unbelievable win over the then 18-0 Patriots because of “luck?” Of course it is – they needed a wild sack-escape by Eli Manning and David Tyree catching a pass on his helmet to pull-off the win. But before you get upset over the ratings of another bitter Patriots fan, consider this: the Giants were quite possibly the worst team to win a Super Bowl. Ever. And the numbers say so.Of the 42 teams that have won the big game, the 2007 Giants are last (or tied for last) in winning percentage (0.625), point differential per game (1.4) and the Pythagorean record (0.536). Additionally, the Giants had just one Pro Bowler, went 0-4 against playoff-teams Dallas, Green Bay and New England in the regular season (losing by a combined 46 points) and finished second-to-last in margin of victory per game in the playoffs (5.0).
Is that a somewhat complicated, numbers-heavy way to say the 2007 Giants weren’t a very good Super Bowl team? Sure is.
Here’s a simpler version: In 2007, there were 10 teams with an equal or better record than that of the 10-6 New York Giants. One of those teams was the Cleveland Browns.
5. 2003 Carolina Panthers
Carolina’s 2003 season defined “average,” which makes their near win in Super Bowl XXXVIII all the more surprising. In no area did the Panthers stand out. As a team, they ranked 15th in points scored and 10th in points allowed—slightly above the norm, but by no means great numbers. Additionally, the Panthers were only 3-3 against opponents with a .500 record or better—a statistic notable for its small size (10 opponents had losing records) and mediocrity. Their season appeared more impressive than it was because of that weaker schedule, and the strides made from Carolina’s disastrous 1-15 performance in 2001, but the team was, in the end, simply not that good…1. 1979 Los Angeles Rams
In 1979, the NFC West was just as bad as it was this year. The Rams made the playoffs by winning the West with a 9-7 record (the 9-7 mark is still the worst record for a Super Bowl team, but another NFC West team, the Cardinals, have a chance to tie that this season)…
It’s amazing that the 2007 Giants and 2003 Panthers are on a list of “top 10 worst Super Bowl teams” considering they gave fans two of the greatest Super Bowls of the last decade. It just goes to show you that in the NFL, you don’t have to necessarily have to be the best team in the league during the regular season. You just have to be one of the best two teams in the league during the playoffs.
I understand the idea behind the list, but ripping the Rams as the worst team seems harsh. Shouldn’t their performance in the game matter? They almost beat the Steelers – the team many consider to be one of the best dynasties of all time. Sure, the Steelers were declining a little, but the Rams were great in that game.
If the 2007 Giants are the seventh worst Superbowl team of all time then the 2007 Patriots must be at least the sixth or fifth worst, right? Because the Giants did beat the Patriots, right? And they were the only team to do that, right? And they did follow it up the next year with the best record in the NFC, right?
What a joke…if you’re going to list the top 10 worst superbowl teams, include all the games, not just a subset. Not one team before 1979 deserves to be on the list? I beg to differ. The Vikings lost 4 superbowls between the 1969 and 1976 regular seasons. They scored 34 points total in all 4 games…7 or fewer in 3 of them and their worst record going in was 10-4. I’d put all 4 of those teams in before the Giants who beat an undefeated team. Stat up all you want…34 points in 4 superbowls is pathetic. The ’71 Dolphins scored 3 points against the Cowboys the year before going undefeated. And more recently, the ’89 Broncos went 11-5 before getting pounded 55-10 against San Francisco. The game was 27-3 at halftime and they gave up at least 13 in each quarter!
The 2007 Giants are the only winner on the list and they beat what many at the time were saying was the best team in NFL history. Must be a frustrated 18 and done Patriots fan.
the 05 steelers… needed to pay off the refs to win
does this mean that the 01 Giants that were pummeled by the Ravens were better than the Super Bowl Champ Giants that beat the undefeated, and firing on all cylinders, Patriots. And does this mean that the Super bowl champ Ravens team would have beat the super bowl champ giants if time travel allowed.