It doesn’t happen often but longshots can and on occasion do actually the championship. In this article we want to list the top five longshots to win it all and give a brief explanation of each team. This is brought to you by free football picks website.
T-5. OAKLAND RAIDERS (1980) +3500
In 1980, Pittsburgh (+240) was expected to win back-to-back championships. On their way to their second Super Bowl, the Oakland Raiders passed through Houston (+700), Cleveland (+4000), San Diego (+700), and Philadelphia (+800). Jim Plunkett was the team’s captain, taking over as starter after just two contests, and he raced his way to Super Bowl MVP honors. The only quarterback with two rings who is still not in the Hall of Fame is Plunkett. The Raiders went 13-2, including in the postseason, when Plunkett took control. Oakland was a good example of catching fire at the appropriate time, even if they didn’t do very well in any team statistical area. This team’s inclusion on our list, despite how unexpected their title was, is evidence of the parity in the NFL.
T-5. Washington Redskins (1980) +3500
Put an asterisk next to this achievement, please? Others might concur. The 1982 NFL regular season was reduced to nine games due to a significant players’ strike, and the Redskins finished 8-1. Ironically, two teams with losing records that year—the Browns and the Lions—made the postseason field. In Super Bowl XVII, Washington defeated Miami 27-17. Washington’s 14.2 points allowed per game was a league-best under legendary head coach Joe Gibbs. Three years prior to his notorious accident, Joe Theismann qualified for the Pro Bowl and had the second-best completion percentage in the NFL. In the NFC Championship Game, the Redskins defeated division rival Dallas, which was the preseason favorite at +400.
4. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (2017) +4000
One of the most memorable members of the group is also the most recent. After suffering an injury that sidelined Carson Wentz, who was having a season worthy of the MVP, Nick Foles took his place. The season’s finale saw the highest combined score in Super Bowl history (74 points). The Eagles beat the Patriots, who were the preseason favorites (+275), under Doug Pederson’s leadership. Despite the Super Bowl’s high scoring, both the Patriots and Eagles had outstanding defenses. The game was won by a strip sack of Tom Brady, and the “Philly Special” end-around pass to Nick Foles was a highlight. Philadelphia scored 8.5 points more than expected, going 13-3 in the process.
3. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (1981) +5000
The defenses on this list all rank at the championship level. The 1981 49ers were second in points allowed per game (15.6), but they were forced to rely on a rookie quarterback who had only started eight previous games. Joe Montana, the quarterback, would later lead the Niners to additional championships and establish himself as one of the best of all time. Their championship moment is a big part of what makes Super Bowl victors unforgettable. One of the most well-known NFL moments in history occurred in this case during the 1981 49ers championship game thanks to Dwight Clark’s “The Catch.” Both the Niners’ dynasty and Montana’s legacy were launched by it. Between 1981 and 1999, San Francisco would finish first or second on preseason Super Bowl odds boards 15 times. They wouldn’t once more be regarded as a long shot before 2000. 2. The Super Bowl LVI odds for the 2001 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS are related.
Similar to the preceding article, the 2001 Patriots’ Super Bowl success was dependent on an unproven and inexperienced quarterback. After just two games, seasoned veteran Drew Bledsoe suffered an injury. Tom Brady enters the scene after only three NFL throws. His leadership helped New England win the AFC’s second seed with an 11-5 overall record (11-3 as a starter). The seventh-longest preseason odds in the NFL that year were their +6000 odds. In the playoffs, the Patriots gave up just 15.7 points per game, and in the Super Bowl, they defeated the St. Louis Rams, the “Greatest Show on Turf” and preseason favorite. It was the first of six rings that Brady and New England’s head coach Bill Belichick would win there, and it was the first of Brady’s seven overall rings. The Super Bowl XXXVI gave the Patriots dynasty its beginning.
1. St. Louis Rams (1999) +15000
The most unlikely team to win the Super Bowl in modern history. You did read that right, and no, there was no typo. The St. Louis Rams, the “Greatest Show on Turf” in 1999, started the season as unbelievable long shots at +15000. The 2008 Lions (went 0-16) and the 2017 Browns (went 0-16) are two teams that had greater preseason odds to win their Super Bowl than +15000. Kurt Warner dominated the NFL in every passing statistics category rather than finishing last in the league. The Rams scored an absurd 32.9 points per game (second only to Washington’s 27.7) and averaged 6.5 yards per play. Hall of Famers Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk, Isaac Bruce, and Tory Holt—who is now participating in the conversation—led the offense. Many people forget that this Rams squad was predicted to win just 5.5 games while most people remember the explosive offense.
