The 7 Lowest-Seeded NFL Teams That Managed To Win The Super Bowl

Each year, 14 NFL teams earn the right to punch their ticket to the playoffs in the hopes of being the last one standing when the Lombardi Trophy is presented at the Super Bowl. Some of those squads will end up facing a tougher path than the others, but there are more than a few underdogs who’ve defined the odds en route to winning it all.

Only eight teams were eligible for the playoffs when the NFL officially absorbed the AFL in 1970 four years after the advent of the Super Bowl Era, and that number rose to 10 when wild cards were first thrown into the mix in 1978 before the addition of two more in 1990 made it an even dozen.

The field was expanded once again ahead of the 2020 campaign after the league decided to give seven squads from each conference the chance to play for a Super Bowl, and we’re still waiting for the year that one of the ones to earn the lowest seed ends up winning it all.

However, it would be foolish to rule out that possibility thanks to the number of somewhat unlikely champions we’ve seen over the decades.

Steelers: 6th Seed, 2005

The Steelers capped off their season with a four-game winning streak to clinch the final wild-card spot with an 11-5 record and staged a dramatic 24-point comeback to advance against a Bengals team that had snapped a 14-year playoff drought.

Pittsburgh subsequently eked out a win over the Colts in a game where Ben Roethlisberger made a game-saving tackle after Jerome Bettis fumbled while trying to punch the ball into the end zone with a 21-18 lead in the closing minute and then cruised past the Broncos in the AFC Championship.

They were underdogs against a top-seeded Seahawks team in Super Bowl XL but became the first six-seed to win a championship with a 21-10 upset in Detroit.

Packers: 6th Seed, 2010

The Packers needed a win over the Bears in the last week of the season to ensure they’d make the playoffs, and they secured their spot with a 10-3 victory to get the sixth seed with a 10-6 record.

The Packers pulled out to an early lead against the Eagles in the first round and never looked back before demolishing the Falcons in a 48-21 beatdown in Atlanta the following week.

The NFC Championship featured a rematch with Chicago where B.J. Raji’s Big Man Pick-6 midway through the fourth quarter ended up being the deciding factor in the 21-14 contest, and they warded off Pittsburgh’s attempt at an 18-point comeback in Super Bowl XLV to become the second sixth-seed to win it all.

Giants: 5th Seed, 2007

The Giants were coming off two one-and-done playoff appearances when they finished the 2007 season at 10-6 to earn the fifth seed in the NFC.

New York made fairly easy work of the Buccaneers in the opening round before handing the top-seeded Cowboys a fairly stunning loss to advance to the conference championship against the Packers—a classic that unfolded on a frigid and windy day in Green Bay that caused  Tom Coughlin’s face to turn a worrying shade of red before his team got the 23-20 win in overtime.

As you likely know, the Giants then met the undefeated Patriots in Super Bowl XLII and spoiled their perfect season with the help of a catch from David Tyree in the 17-14 thriller.

Buccaneers: 5th Seed, 2020

The Buccaneers had high hopes heading into Tom Brady’s first year in Tampa Bay, and he led the team to an 11-5 record to earn the fifth seed after the Saints clinched the NFC South.

The team didn’t have much trouble with Washington in the first round and got a boost from the four turnovers the Saints coughed up in a 30-20 win to advance to the NFC Championship against the Packers.

The Bucs got some help from Matt LaFleur’s questionable play-calling to earn the 31-26 victory on the road, and Brady won the seventh (and final) Super Bowl of his legendary career as Tampa Bay rolled to a victory over the Chiefs in the lopsided 31-9 contest where Kansas City failed to score a touchdown.

Raiders: 4th Seed, 1980

The Raiders went 11-5 in 1980 and weren’t able to benefit from the extra week of rest granted to the other AFC teams who got a bye as No. 4 Oakland advanced with a 27-7 win over the No. 5 Oilers.

The team then headed to Cleveland for one of the coldest games in NFL history, and it seemed like the Browns were going to win after advancing to Oakland’s 13-yard line with less than a minute to go and well within the range of the field goal they needed to take the lead while trailing 14-12. However, a fairly inexplicable play call (“Red Right 88”) and an ill-advised pass led to an interception in the end zone that brought Cleveland’s season to an end.

The Raiders staged a goal line stand to prevent the Chargers from tying the AFC Championship on their final offensive play to advance to Super Bowl XV with a 34-27  win, and they capped off the year with with decisive 27-10 showing against the Eagles to become the first wild-card team to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.

Broncos: 4th Seed, 1997

The Broncos headed into the 1997 season with a chip on their shoulder after losing to the Jaguars as the top seed in the AFC the previous year, and it’s safe to say they got some redemption.

Denver went 12-4 and got revenge against Jacksonville with a 42-17 beatdown in the first round of the playoffs that looked like it had the chance to be a close contest before they scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter.

The Broncos then won a 14-10 nailbiter over the Chiefs and edged out the Steelers with a 24-14 victory in the NFC Championship to set the stage for Super Bowl XXXII against the Packers.

Denver capitalized on a couple of turnovers to take a 17-7 lead in the first half before Green Bay surged back, but John Elway and Terrelle Davis ultimately led the Broncos to their first Super Bowl victory in franchise history with the 31-24 win.

Ravens: 4th Seed, 2000

The Ravens went 12-4 in 2000 to earn the fourth seed and didn’t really have much trouble in the three games leading up to the Super Bowl when you consider they beat the Broncos, Titans, and Raiders by at least 13 points.

Their victory in Super Bowl XXXV was even more decisive, as the Giants didn’t score a single point on offense and only recorded a largely meaningless kickoff return for a touchdown in a 34-7 loss to Baltimore.