5 Biggest Blowouts in Super Bowl History

Super Bowl LIV, which features Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs going up against Jimmy Garoppolo and the San Francisco 49ers, is expected to be a close, tooth-and-nail fight to the finish in front of the entire American public.

Then again...the five biggest blowouts in Super Bowl history were all expected to be close games, and they ended up as the biggest beatdowns in the history of the sport's biggest game. Apologies in advance to Denver Broncos fans.

5. Super Bowl XXII: Redskins 42, Broncos 10

John Elway and the Broncos were torched by two all-time performances on Joe Gibbs' 1987 Washington Redskins. In one of the great one-hit wonder games ever, Timmy Smith rushed for 204 yards while Super Bowl MVP Doug Williams threw four touchdown passes and became the first black quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl. The Redskins' second quarter might be the greatest offensive showcase in football history.

4. Super Bowl XXVII: Cowboys 52, Bills 17

The Cowboys kicked off their mid 90s dynasty by beating the brakes off of Jim Kelly and the once again AFC champion Buffalo Bills. Emmitt Smith hardly had to struggle for yards, while Troy Aikman threw for four touchdown passes against a Bills team that looked out of sorts from the instant the game started. Folks in upstate New York will still shudder upon hearing the scoreline.

3. Super Bowl XLVIII: Seahawks 43, Broncos 8

The best passing offense in the history of football and the Legion of Boom faced off, and the Seahawks' defense won in emphatic fashion. Peyton Manning managed just one touchdown when the game was clearly out of hand, while Russell Wilson picked up his first career ring as he rode Marshawn Lynch and an efficient passing day to a 43-8 point victory. The Broncos have a habit of letting these games get away from them, don't they?

2. Super Bowl XX: Bears 46, Patriots 10

Mike Ditka, Walter Payton, and the 46 defense against...Steve Grogan and Tony Eason. What did you think was going to happen? The Patriots ran for just SEVEN yards, while the QBs went 17-38, were sacked seven times, threw two picks, and fumbled five times. Payton and Jim McMahon saw things out on the offensive side of things as Ditka and the Bears capped off what might have been the greatest season in football history.

1. Super Bowl XXIV: 49ers 55, Broncos 10

Sorry to stir up some bad memories, Broncos fans. Not only is this still the record for most points surrendered, but it's still probably the most dominant playoff performance we've ever seen given the totality of the circumstances surrounding it. Elway completed just 10 passes while Joe Montana threw for five touchdowns as the West Coast offense embarrassed the Broncos. Cheer up, Denver fans! At least you've got three wins to your name.