Grady Jarrett. (Getty)
No team has ever come back from more than a three-touchdown deficit to win a Super Bowl, and the Atlanta Falcons lead the New England Patriots 21-3 at halftime of Super Bowl 51.
Though the 2017 version of the game seems to be on its way to being a blowout, there are previous Super Bowls which have been even more lopsided. Here are the five biggest blowouts in Super Bowl history:
1. Super Bowl 24: San Francisco 49ers 55, Denver Broncos 10
San Francisco quarterback Joe Montana set a record with five touchdown passes, and the 49ers put a beatdown on Denver which still ranks as the biggest blowout in Super Bowl history 27 years later.
Montana won the game’s MVP, thanks to receivers Jerry Rice and John Taylor along with running back Roger Craig. The 49ers defense intercepted Denver Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway twice and sacked him four times, holding the Broncos to 167 yards of total offense in the game.
2. Super Bowl 27: Dallas Cowboys 52, Buffalo Bills 17
The Buffalo Bills won the AFC championship for the third consecutive season, but it appeared that they spent all their energy getting to the Super Bowl. Dallas, led by quarterback Troy Aikman and running back Emmitt Smith, rolled over Buffalo on its way to its first Super Bowl in a decade and a half.
Aikman collected the MVP award with his four touchdown passes, and the Cowboys defense forced six turnovers. Two of those turnovers turned into points, as Jimmie Jones and Ken Norton both returned fumbles for touchdowns.
3. Super Bowl 48: Seattle Seahawks 43, Denver Broncos 8
Seattle claimed its first Super Bowl title in impressive fashion, dominating Denver from beginning to end.
Denver actually ended up outgaining Seattle 341-306 in the game, but almost all of that yardage came between the 20 yard lines for the Broncos. The Seahawks intercepted future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning twice and recorded a safety. Seattle defensive back Malcolm Smith garnered MVP honors by returning one of the Manning interceptions for a touchdown.
4. Super Bowl 20: Chicago Bears 46, New England Patriots 10
Chicago head coach Mike Ditka’s Bears did the Super Bowl shuffle in impressive fashion over New England, riding Walter Payton and the Chicago defense to cap off an impressive season.
Payton only ran for 61 yards in the contest, and Bears quarterback Jim McMahon didn’t throw a touchdown pass, but Chicago didn’t need a big game from their offensive stars. The defense did all the heavy lifting.
Bears defensive lineman Richard Dent was named the game’s MVP, part of an effort that limited the Patriots to only 123 yards of total offense, including just seven yards on the ground.
5. Super Bowl 22: Washington Redskins 42, Denver Broncos 10
Doug Williams, who was introduced before Super Bowl 51 as one of the Hall of Fame players from a historically black college or university, won the MVP in this one-sided victory thanks also to the Washington defense.
Williams threw for 340 yards and four touchdowns in the game, and the Washington defense intercepted Elway three times along with sacking him five times. Washington’s Timmy Smith also ran for 204 yards along with two scores in the game as well.
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Super Bowl History: 5 Biggest Blowouts