Super Bowl Matchups With Top Scoring Defense Vs Top Scoring Offense
Posted by Eric Williams on Tuesday,January 31, 2017 1:16, EDT in
If you didn’t know before, now you do. Super Bowl 51 will be the seventh time in NFL history that the team with the league’s highest scoring offense will square off against the team with the highest scoring defense.
Will the high-scoring Falcons (33.8 ppg) be able to get liftoff to overcome New England’s mostly anonymous, but stingy defense (15.6 ppg)? Let’s take a look back at the six Super Bowl betting matchups that featured a No. 1 offense going up against a No. 1 defense.
Super Bowl Matchups With Top Scoring Defense Vs Top Scoring Offense
| Year |
SB |
No. 1 Offense |
No. 1 Defense |
Result |
| 1966 |
I |
Chiefs (32.0) |
Packers (11.6) |
Green Bay 35, Kansas City 10 |
| 1978 |
XIII |
Cowboys (24.0) |
Steelers (12.2) |
Pittsburgh 35, Dallas 31 |
| 1984 |
XIX |
Dolphins (32.1) |
49ers (14.2) |
San Francisco 38, Miami 16 |
| 1989 |
XXIV |
49ers (27.6) |
Broncos (14.1) |
San Francisco 55, Denver 10 |
| 1990 |
XXV |
Bills (26.8) |
Giants (13.3) |
New York 20, Buffalo 19 |
| 2013 |
XLVIII |
Broncos (37.9) |
Seahawks (14.4) |
Denver favored by 3 points |
Super Bowl 48 – 2014
Seattle Seahawks 43, Denver Broncos 8
No. 1 defense: Seahawks, 14.4 ppg
No. 1 offense: Broncos, 37.9 ppg
Analysis: Peyton Manning helped Denver become the first NFL team to score more than 600 points during a regular season, but it didn’t matter one bit as while Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor and the rest of Seattle’s Legion of Boom defense dropped the hammer on the Broncos and embarrassed Manning.
Super Bowl 25 – 1991
New York Giants 20, Buffalo Bills 19
No. 1 defense: Giants, 14.2 ppg
No. 1 offense: Bills, 26.8 ppg
Analysis: Bills kicker Scott Norwood’s sold out when he missed what would have been game-winning 47-yard field-goal attempt that sailed wide right as time expired. New York’s defensive coordinator that day was none other than Bill Belichick, just so you know.
Super Bowl 24 – 1990
San Francisco 49ers 55, Denver Broncos 10
No. 1 defense: Broncos, 14.1 ppg
No. 1 offense: 49ers, 26.8
Analysis: Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and the rest of the San Francisco 49ers stable of offensive stars had their way against the Broncos in the most lopsided Super Bowl ever!
Super Bowl 19 – 1985
San Francisco 49ers 38, Miami Dolphins 16
No. 1 defense: 49ers, 14.2 ppg
No. 1 offense: Dolphins, 32.1 ppg
Analysis: The Niners, led by Hall of Fame safety Ronnie Lott, shut down Dan Marino and the Dolphins in a game that turned out to be Marino’s only Super Bowl appearance. Dan the man was picked off twice and sacked four times.
Super Bowl 13 – 1979
Pittsburgh Steelers 35, Dallas Cowboys 31
No. 1 defense: Steelers, 12.2 ppg
No. 1 offense: Cowboys, 24 ppg
Analysis: The Steelers got the win in Super Bowl 13 in a shootout despite owning one of the greatest defenses in league history in the famed Steel Curtain.
Super Bowl 1 (AFL-NFL Championship) – 1967
Green Bay Packers 35, Kansas City Chiefs 10
No. 1 defense: Packers, 11.6 ppg
No. 1 offense: Chiefs, 32 ppg
Analysis: The very first AFL-NFL Championship game was dominated by a Packers defense that harassed Chiefs Hall of Fame quarterback Len Dawson into one interception and six sacks.
