The Highest Scoring Super Bowls of All Time: A Record-Breaking Look

Nate Cunningham | 17 Hours Ago

Super Bowl LII was the second-highest scoring Super Bowl of all time. / Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images

They say defense wins championships, but for the millions tuning in to watch the Super Bowl, points are what they’re after. 

Touchdowns. Big plays. Broken tackles. Scores.

The moments that make fans jump off their couch in celebration. Those offensive fireworks turn the Super Bowl into a true spectacle. Whether it was Patrick Mahomes ripping perfect passes to Travis Kelce, Steve Young breaking records or the unforgettable “Philly Special,” the players who put up prolific points in the NFL’s preeminent game will be forever remembered. 

Those are the games we’re looking at today. The highest-scoring Super Bowls ever. But don’t worry, fans of defense. Just because a game is high scoring doesn’t mean the defense didn’t show up. But we’ll get to that later. 

Understanding High-Scoring Super Bowls

One might think that the highest-scoring Super Bowls had the largest over/unders from sportsbooks. The logic is sound, but that’s incorrect. 

According to VegasInsider.com, the largest over/under point total is 57 and has been set twice in history. The first was for Super Bowl XLIV in 2010. That game featured Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts taking on Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints. Those who bet the under would’ve been wise, as the teams combined to score just 48 total points. 

The second instance was in 2017 for Super Bowl LI. Tom Brady and the New England Patriots squared off with Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons. Each team’s offense had been humming throughout the season and that held true in the Super Bowl as the two squads combined for 62 points. 

In 2019, the over/under for Super Bowl LIII was set at 56 points, which is the second-highest in history. The problem was that the Patriots and Los Angeles Rams combined for just 16 points, which is the lowest-scoring Super Bowl ever. 

As the old adage goes, that’s why we play the game. You never really know what’s going to happen. 

Highest-Scoring Super Bowls in NFL History

Super Bowl	Year	Team 1 Points	Team 2 Points	Total Points
XXIX	1995	San Francisco 49ers (49)	San Diego Chargers (26)	75
LII	2018	Philadelphia Eagles (41)	New England Patriots (33)	74
LVII	2023	Kansas City Chiefs (38)	Philadelphia Eagles (35)	73
XXXVIII	2003	Tampa Bay Buccaneers (48)	Oakland Raiders (21)	69
XXVII	1993	Dallas Cowboys (52)	Buffalo Bills (17)	69

Memorable Moments from High-Scoring Super Bowls

Super Bowl XXVII (69 points): Buffalo jumped out to an early 7–0 lead before Dallas stepped into high gear. The Cowboys forced a record nine turnovers (see, defense does win championships) and scored 35 points off them. Troy Aikman was named Super Bowl MVP throwing for 273 yards and four touchdowns. 

Super Bowl XXXVIII (69 points): There were only six points on the board at the end of the first quarter before Tampa Bay’s defense took over. The Buccaneers picked off Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon a Super Bowl-record five times, returning three of them for touchdowns (the defense strikes again). 

Super Bowl LVII (73 points): A true shootout, this game saw Mahomes and Kansas City trailing 24–14 at halftime before rallying. The Chiefs’ final drive was a methodical 12-play affair that took more than five minutes off the clock and ended with a field goal to take the lead.

Super Bowl LII (74 points): This game featured just two turnovers and had four players with at least 100 receiving yards. Quarterbacks Brady and Nick Foles combined to pass for nearly 900 yards in the game and the second, third and fourth quarters all ended with at least 19 points scored. Not to mention the “Philly Special,” which the game is now remembered for. 

Super Bowl XXIX (75 points): Young’s six touchdown passes remain a Super Bowl record, as the lefty quarterback played what many consider to be the greatest game by a quarterback in Super Bowl history. Young completed 24-of-36 passes for 325 yards and six touchdowns, adding 49 yards rushing. The jersey Young wore during the game is on display at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.