The biggest blunders in Super Bowl history

The Super Bowl elevates the accomplishment of players and coaches who rise to the occasion, and exacerbates the mistakes of those who don’t deliver on the grand stage. We’ll take a look at Super Bowl participants of yesteryear who are linked with that second, unflattering category. Statistics were sourced from Football Reference.

It might be the largest blunder in Super Bowl history. The Seattle Seahawks were poised to take the lead late against the New England Patriots, and most expected them to run the ball with Marshawn Lynch to get into the endzone.

However, as NFL fans all know by now, quarterback Russell Wilson attempted a pass on the final drive that was intercepted by Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler. Seattle was denied a second consecutive Super Bowl victory as a result.

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The Buffalo Bills played in and lost four straight Super Bowls in the 1990’s, but perhaps the most painful defeat was in the first of those games. They had a chance to take the lead against the New York Giants if kicker Scott Norwood could convert a 47-yard field goal.

Of course, Norwood’s boot that fateful evening veered to the right of the goalpost, denying Buffalo a great chance to win their first Super Bowl in franchise history.

After Jackie Smith’s unconscionable drop, Dallas Cowboys radio announcer Verne Lundquist proclaimed “He’s got to be the sickest man in America.” It was that bad, as there were no defenders around Smith in the end zone, and quarterback Roger Staubach threw a perfect pass.

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What was almost as painful as the drop itself was the body language of Smith immediately after the gaffe. His limbs flailed in frustration as he knew that he was not going to get a better chance to help his team win.

When a kicker has their attempt blocked, all heck tends to break loose. Unfortunately for Miami Dolphins kicker Garo Yepremian, the ball landed back in his hands, and he didn’t quite know what to do.

Yepremian appeared to have ideas of throwing the ball down the field, but the ball slipped out of his hands as he went back to pass. Washington’s special teams brought the “pass” back for a touchdown, which ended up being their only points of the game.

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The Dallas Cowboys soundly defeated the Buffalo Bills in this game, but Cowboys defensive end Leon Lett had a moment that will never be forgotten. He scooped up a fumble after his teammate sacked Bills quarterback Frank Reich. It seemed like Lett would have an easy touchdown, but that’s not how things ended up.

Thinking he could not be caught, Lett started to slow down, and held the ball out with one hand as he approached the goal line. Bills receiver Don Beebe was streaking towards Lett, and knocked the ball out of his hands. The ball went through the end zone, and the ball was given right back to Buffalo.

There was a lot of anticipation about the Super Bowl being played in an outdoor stadium in a cold weather city, but the climate had nothing to do with this mistake. On the first offensive play of the game, Denver Broncos center Manny Ramirez snapped the ball way over Peyton Manning’s head, which cost the team two points right from the beginning.

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It’s still hard to believe that a Super Bowl played in the modern era would experience a power outage that stops the game in its tracks, but that’s exactly what happened. In 2013, the Super Bowl was delayed by 34 minutes, which turned off a significant amount of the lights at the Louisiana Superdome.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts played a sensational game, but one mistake in the second quarter might have cost his team a chance at a championship. When trying to make a move after taking the snap, Hurts put the ball on the ground without anyone touching him. Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton picked it up and ran it back for a touchdown.

This is more commonly known as the “James Harrison” play on the positive side, but there’s a negative slant here for Kurt Warner’s decision making at the end of the first half. The Arizona Cardinals appeared to have points guaranteed before intermission, but Warner’s errant pass gave the Pittsburgh Steelers a touchdown, which was a huge momentum shift in the game.

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The Atlanta Falcons blew a 28-3 lead against the New England Patriots in this game, so there are many areas to point to that fell short for the NFC champions. However, things felt especially grim when Matt Ryan took a sack in the fourth quarter would have made a field goal more difficult. They were looking to make it a two-possession difference and essentially end the game there.