NFL Teams That Shocked the World – and Stunned the Sportsbooks
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While it was the LA Rams who ultimately won Super Bowl LVI, for many it was the Cincinnati Bengals who were the story of the 2021 campaign. After all, the side rebounded from comprehensive early losses to the New York Jets and Chicago Bears, before winning the AFC North division for the first time since 2015 on their way to the promised land.
Interestingly, this season has already seen some surprising results, with both the Packers and Buccaneers (who are favorites to compete for the Super Bowl this year) struggling offensively and frequently losing to lesser teams.
With teams like the New Orleans Saints also poised to upset the NFL sports betting guide this season and compete for the playoffs at an average price of +105, 2023 could ultimately see a surprise Super Bowl winner. In this post, we’ll look back through history and look at three NFL teams that really shook the world (and the sportsbooks) on their way to Super Bowl success!
#3. The Jets Beat the Colts (Super Bowl III, 1969)
First up is the Jets’ surprise victory over the previously dominant Colts in 1969, with the former prevailing in just the third-ever Super Bowl at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida.
The Colts had been in stunning form during the NFL season, recording a record of 13-1 and a 34-0 thrashing of the Browns in a startling NFL Championship game.
To this end, Baltimore was favored by 19.5 points in spread betting ahead of the showpiece Super Bowl, although the Jets’ exceptional quarterback Joe Namath defiantly predicted that his side would prevail despite their heavy underdog status.
Curiously, Namath himself won the game’s MVP award as a result of his leadership, but overall he was relatively subdued during the game, completing 17 out of 28 attempted passes for a total of 206 yards.
Instead, the Jets’ defense stole the show, dominating the Colts from start to finish and helping to open up a 16-0 lead ahead of the fourth and final quarter. While the Colts scored a touchdown late in the fourth to cut the deficit to 16-7, the Jets hung on for the Super Bowl’s first real shocking result.
Interestingly, the Jets themselves won despite scoring only a single touchdown, with this feat remaining unmatched until the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LIII.
#2. New England Patriots 25-Point Comeback (Super Bowl LI, 2017)
This game was surprising for many reasons, from the start of betting underdogs, the Atlanta Falcons, to the jaw-dropping comeback performed by the New England Patriots with little time left on the clock.
More specifically, the Falcons surged into a 28-3 lead, having scored three consecutive touchdowns before half-time and opening up a 25-point lead midway through the third quarter.
From the 8:30 mark in quarter three, however, New England scored a staggering 31 unanswered points, ultimately prevailing 34-28 to secure the greatest comeback win in the history of the Super Bowl.
Throughout this dominant, 31-point sequence, the Patriots completed a two-point conversion, forced overtime, and prevailed without giving the ball to the Falcons once during the extra period. The talented (and clearly indefatigable) Patriots subsequently claimed the fifth Super Bowl of the Brady / Belichick era, while the Falcons slipped to their second and most infamous defeat in the sport’s showpiece occasion.
As an aside, more than 30 team and individual Super Bowl records were either matched or broken during this game, including Patriots’ running back James White’s 14 interceptions and 20 points scored and Tom Brady’s 43 completed passes and 466 passing yards.
#1. NY Giants Shut Out the Patriots (Super Bowl XLII, 2008)
We’ll close with what’s considered the biggest Super Bowl upset ever, with Belichick and Brady’s outstanding Patriots side this time on the wrong end of an incredible team performance.
For some context, the Patriots entered the contest as 12-point betting favorites, having become the first team to complete a perfect regular season (18-0) since the Miami Dolphins back in 1972 (and the first since the extension of the format in 1978).
As for the enduringly popular Giants, who always commanded huge support among fans and fantasy football bettors, they were 10-6 during the regular season, as they looked to become the first NFC wild card team to win a Super Bowl (while competing for their third showpiece win since Super Bowl XXV some 17 years earlier).
The game was tight throughout, with the Giants using their defensive strength to combat the Patriots’ superior attacking quality. However, they found themselves 14-10 down in the fourth quarter, before David Tyree made a now infamous ‘Helmet Catch’ on third down, as he leaped to complete a stunning one-handed catch with the ball pinned to the crown of his helmet for a 32-yard conversion.
Wide receiver Plaxico Burress subsequently scored the winning touchdown on a 13-yard reception with just 35 seconds remaining, stunning the previously dominant Patriots and upsetting sportsbooks nationwide!
