Photo courtesy of San Francisco 49ers
Points are expected to be aplenty on Sunday as the Kansas City Chiefs visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV.
Both teams ranked in the top 10 in the NFL this season in points per game. The teams both have former league and Super Bowl MVPs behind center in Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes.
We won’t know the final score until Sunday night, but we do know the score to the 54 previous Super Bowls. Here’s a look at the five highest scoring:
T-5. Super Bowl XIII (66)
Pittsburgh Steelers 35, Dallas Cowboys 31
Date: Jan. 21, 1979
Location: Miami, FL
MVP: Terry Bradshaw, QB Pittsburgh
Overview: The first Super Bowl where the teams combined for more than 60 points, the Pittsburgh Steelers held off the Dallas Cowboys in a Super Bowl thriller at the Orange Bowl. Quarterbacks Terry Bradshaw and Roger Staubach combined for seven touchdown passes. The Steelers led 21-17 after three quarters, but built their biggest lead by the midway point in the fourth, thanks to a touchdown run from Franco Harris and a scoring strike from Bradshaw to Lynn Swann. Dallas scored twice over the final three minutes, but couldn’t recover a late onside kick.
T-3. Super Bowl XXVII (69)
Dallas Cowboys 52, Buffalo Bills 17
Date: Jan. 31, 1993
Location: Pasadena, CA
MVP: Troy Aikman, QB Dallas
Overview: Troy Aikman threw four touchdowns and the Dallas defense forced nine turnovers as the Cowboys handed the Buffalo Bills a third Super Bowl loss in as many years. The Bills scored the game’s first touchdown, but Dallas answered with 31 of the next 34 points. The Cowboys would have set a Super Record for points and this game would top the list had it not been for Buffalo wide receiver Don Beebe knocking the ball from defensive lineman Leon Lett’s hands and out the back of the end zone just before he reached the goal line following a 64-yard fumble return late in the contest.
T-3. Super Bowl XXXVII (69)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 48, Oakland Raiders 21
Date: Jan. 26, 2003
Location: San Diego, CA
MVP: Dexter Jackson, S Tampa Bay
Overview: Super Bowl XXXVII was one of the highest scoring Super Bowls, but make no mistake about it, it was a dominant defensive effort by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The contest featured four non-offensive touchdowns, including three off interceptions of Oakland quarterback Rich Gannon by the Tampa Bay defense. Dwight Smith returned two interceptions for a touchdown for Tampa Bay. Derrick Brooks added another. Offensively, Brad Johnson tossed a pair of touchdowns to Keenan McCardell in the victory.
2. Super Bowl LII (74)
Philadelphia Eagles 41, New England Patriots 33
Date: Feb. 4, 2018
Location: Minneapolis, MN
MVP: Nick Foles, QB Philadelphia
Overview: New England quarterback Tom Brady passed for a Super Bowl record 505 yards and three touchdowns, but it wasn’t enough as the Philadelphia Eagles won their first Super Bowl. Quarterback Nick Foles accounted for four total touchdowns, including the go-ahead 11-yard touchdown pass to Zach Ertz with 2:21 to play. A strip of Brady and a field goal helped preserve the victory for the Eagles. The teams combined for a Super Bowl record 1,151 yards.
1. Super Bowl XXIX (75)
San Francisco 49ers 49, San Diego Chargers 26
Date: Jan. 29, 1995
Location: Miami, FL
MVP: Steve Young, QB San Francisco
Overview: San Francisco’s fifth Super Bowl crown came in convincing fashion and was domination from the start. It took less than 90 seconds for 49ers’ quarterback Steve Young to throw his first of a Super Bowl record six touchdown passes. Three of those scoring strikes went to wide receiver Jerry Rice. Ricky Watters also scored three touchdowns for San Francisco in the victory. Young finished with 325 yards through the air.
Mike Ferguson is the managing editor for Fifth Quarter. Be sure to follow Mike on Twitter at @MikeWFerguson. Follow all of Mike’s work by liking his Facebook page.