Winning a Super Bowl is supposed to be the ultimate validation, but sometimes, you can’t help but wonder how specific teams ended up hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. Whether it was pure luck, a favorable matchup, or just catching lightning in a bottle, a few champs made history without exactly looking the part.
Today, we are counting down the 15 undeserving Super Bowl winners. Some got the job done, sure — but that doesn’t mean they were the best team out there, or even close to it.
15. 2015 Denver Broncos (Super Bowl 50)
Peyton Manning looked more like a retiree on a farewell tour than a championship quarterback, and the offense was hanging on by dental floss. Their defense was ferocious, but let’s be real — this was more about surviving than thriving.
14. 1970 Baltimore Colts (Super Bowl V)
Super Bowl V was nicknamed the “Blunder Bowl” for a reason, and the Colts won despite turning the ball over seven times. It says a lot when your team wins the title and the MVP goes to a player from the losing side.
13. 2001 New England Patriots (Super Bowl XXXVI)
Considering what Tom Brady became, it feels wild to say, but this team was an underdog miracle and a well-timed Tuck Rule away from early elimination. The Rams outplayed them on the stat sheet, but somehow New England had the scoreboard.
12. 1987 Washington Redskins (Super Bowl XXII)
This Washington team barely looked playoff-worthy most of the year and rode a hot streak and one bonkers quarter from Doug Williams to a blowout title. They caught every break imaginable and made it count at just the right time.
11. 2007 New York Giants (Super Bowl XLII)
It was a fantastic story, but make no mistake — this average team somehow slayed the perfect Patriots. Eli Manning turned into Houdini for a month, but no one called this group a juggernaut.
10. 1977 Dallas Cowboys (Super Bowl XII)
The Doomsday Defense was scary, but that offense left much to be desired, even with Tony Dorsett breaking big plays. They feasted on a weak playoff path and got a Denver team in the Super Bowl that couldn’t stop tripping over itself.
9. 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers (Super Bowl XL)
Ben Roethlisberger was downright nasty in the playoffs, but the Steelers managed to ride an odd mix of defense and officiating fortune to a ring. Even Steelers fans will admit this wasn’t their most convincing title run.
8. 1980 Oakland Raiders (Super Bowl XV)
A wildcard team with plenty of grit but not a lot of polish, the Raiders got hot at the perfect time. Jim Plunkett deserves his flowers, but this squad looked more like a good bar fight crew than world champions most weeks.
7. 1990 New York Giants (Super Bowl XXV)
The Giants spent that entire Super Bowl just trying to keep the ball away from the Bills and hoping Scott Norwood would miss. It worked, but when the game plan is “please let the other team mess up,” it doesn’t exactly scream greatness.
6. 2012 Baltimore Ravens (Super Bowl XLVII)
The Ravens felt like a middle-of-the-road playoff team until Joe Flacco became prime Montana for a few weeks. They needed a goal-line stand and a power outage to barely outlast the 49ers in the big one.
5. 1982 Washington Redskins (Super Bowl XVII)
The strike-shortened season made everything weird, and Washington wasn’t exactly a powerhouse in normal circumstances. They leaned on John Riggins and a conservative style that made winning feel more like surviving.
4. 2011 New York Giants (Super Bowl XLVI)
Another year, another fluky Giants run — they barely made the playoffs and finished the regular season 9-7. Yet somehow, they rode a few lucky bounces (and a lucky helmet catch sequel) to another ring.
3. 1968 New York Jets (Super Bowl III)
It was one of the most iconic upsets in sports history, but let’s be honest — the Jets weren’t the better team. The Colts played one of the worst games imaginable, and Broadway Joe’s guarantee looked brilliant, mainly because Baltimore self-destructed.
Read More: 10 Quarterbacks Who Won Big Thanks to Their Defense
2. 2018 New England Patriots (Super Bowl LIII)
This Patriots team felt like it was sputtering all year, and they somehow turned the ugliest Super Bowl ever into another feather in the dynasty’s cap. Beating a young Rams team that forgot how to play offense wasn’t awe-inspiring.
Read More: 10 Undrafted NFL Players Who Became Super Bowl Champions
1. 2000 Baltimore Ravens (Super Bowl XXXV)
Yes, their defense was legendary, but the Ravens’ offense was a horror show featuring Trent Dilfer as the quarterback. They just needed not to screw up too badly, and when your game plan is “defense, hope, and vibes,” it’s not exactly a historic flex.
Read More: 10 Quarterbacks Who Won Championships Against the Odds
