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NFL: The Closest Super Bowls in History
The New York Giants Won Super Bowl XXV By One Point When Scott Norwood’s Field Goal Attempt Went Right
Four of the last five Super Bowls have been decided by a possession – seven points or less (well, eight if you want to be technical, but “8″ just doesn’t have that ring, and the two-point conversion is not as much a “given” as the PAT).
The game wasn’t always so thrilling. Many were no-contests, particularly through the late 1970s and 1980s. Take a look at the 20 Biggest Blowouts in Super Bowl History to confirm.
All together, 16 of the 46 Super Bowls played have been decided by a possession, listed below. These examples exemplify a recent fact about the NFL – an increase in parity between teams and conferences over the past two decades.
Ten of the 16 closest Super Bowls occurred after 1990, including five of the top six.
Follow @VinGetzCHART UPDATED: February 3, 2013 to include the Baltimore Ravens 34-31 win over the San Francisco 49ers. What a game that was!
| SB | SEASON | DIFF | WINNER | PTS | LOSER | PTS | |
| 1. | XXV | 1990 | 1 | New York Giants | 20 | Buffalo Bills | 19 |
| 2. | XLVII | 2012 | 3 | Baltimore Ravens | 34 | San Francisco 49ers | 31 |
| 2. | XLII | 2007 | 3 | New York Giants | 17 | New England Patriots | 14 |
| 2. | XXXIX | 2004 | 3 | New England Patriots | 24 | Philadelphia Eagles | 21 |
| 2. | XXXVIII | 2003 | 3 | New England Patriots | 32 | Carolina Panthers | 29 |
| 2. | XXXVI | 2001 | 3 | New England Patriots | 20 | St. Louis Rams | 17 |
| 2. | V | 1970 | 3 | Baltimore Colts | 16 | Dallas Cowboys | 13 |
| 8. | XLVI | 2011 | 4 | New York Giants | 21 | New England Patriots | 17 |
| 8. | XLIII | 2008 | 4 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 27 | Arizona Cardinals | 23 |
| 8. | XXIII | 1988 | 4 | San Francisco 49ers | 20 | Cincinnati Bengals | 16 |
| 8. | XIII | 1978 | 4 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 35 | Dallas Cowboys | 31 |
| 8. | X | 1975 | 4 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 21 | Dallas Cowboys | 17 |
| 13. | XVI | 1981 | 5 | San Francisco 49ers | 26 | Cincinnati Bengals | 21 |
| 14. | XLV | 2010 | 6 | Green Bay Packers | 31 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 25 |
| 15. | XXXIV | 1999 | 7 | St. Louis Rams | 23 | Tennessee Titans | 16 |
| 15. | XXXII | 1997 | 7 | Denver Broncos | 31 | Green Bay Packers | 24 |
| 15. | VII | 1972 | 7 | Miami Dolphins | 14 | Washington Redskins | 7 |
Photo: nydailynews.com
NFL: Top 20 Teams with the Fewest Turnovers in a Season
In His First Year as an NFL Coach (2011), Jim Harbaugh’s San Francisco 49ers Yielded Just 10 Turnovers, Tying the Record
Here’s more proof of the correlation between protecting the ball and winning football games.
These are the top 20 NFL teams with the fewest turnovers in a season. Of the 27 teams listed in the first chart (minimum 16 games), only three did not make the postseason. So far, history dictates that if your team has 17 or fewer turnovers in a season, there is an 89 percent chance it will make the playoffs.
Only one team on the list, though, won the Super Bowl: The 1990 New York Giants had 14 turnovers.
But the record for the fewest turnovers in a season was set very recently – in fact in each of the last two years. Both the 2010 New England Patriots and the 2011 San Francisco 49ers yielded just 10 TOs.
Follow @VinGetzFEWEST TURNOVERS PER SEASON (16 GAMES)
| TEAM | TO | YEAR | W | L | T | SEASON RESULT | |
| 1. | New England Patriots | 10 | 2010 | 14 | 2 | 0 | Lost to New York Jets in Division Round |
| 1. | San Francisco 49ers | 10 | 2011 | 13 | 3 | 0 | Lost to New York Giants in Conference Championship |
| 3. | Miami Dolphins | 13 | 2008 | 11 | 5 | 0 | Lost to Baltimore Ravens in Wild Card Round |
| 3. | New York Giants | 13 | 2008 | 12 | 4 | 0 | Lost to Philadelphia Eagles in Division Round |
| 5. | Green Bay Packers | 14 | 2011 | 15 | 1 | 0 | Lost to New York Giants in Division Round |
| 5. | Kansas City Chiefs | 14 | 2010 | 10 | 6 | 0 | Lost to Baltimore Ravens in Wild Card Round |
| 5. | New York Giants | 14 | 1990 | 13 | 3 | 0 | WON SUPER BOWL |
| 8. | Dallas Cowboys | 15 | 1998 | 10 | 6 | 0 | Lost to Arizona Cardinals in Wild Card Round |
| 8. | Jacksonville Jaguars | 15 | 2002 | 6 | 10 | 0 | No Playoff Appearance |
| 8. | Kansas City Chiefs | 15 | 2002 | 8 | 8 | 0 | No Playoff Appearance |
| 8. | New England Patriots | 15 | 2007 | 16 | 0 | 0 | Lost SUPER BOWL to New York Giants |
| 8. | San Diego Chargers | 15 | 2006 | 14 | 2 | 0 | Lost to New England Patriots in Division Round |
| 13. | Denver Broncos | 16 | 2005 | 13 | 3 | 0 | Lost to Pittsburgh Steelers in Conference Championship |
| 13. | Green Bay Packers | 16 | 2009 | 11 | 5 | 0 | Lost to Arizona Cardinals in Wild Card Round |
| 13. | New York Jets | 16 | 2004 | 10 | 6 | 0 | Lost to Pittsburgh Steelers in Division Round |
| 16. | Atlanta Falcons | 17 | 2010 | 13 | 3 | 0 | Lost to Green Bay Packers in Division Round |
| 16. | Indianapolis Colts | 17 | 2004 | 12 | 4 | 0 | Lost to New England Patriots in Division Round |
| 16. | Indianapolis Colts | 17 | 2008 | 12 | 4 | 0 | Lost to San Diego Chargers in Wild Card Round |
| 16. | Jacksonville Jaguars | 17 | 2005 | 12 | 4 | 0 | Lost to New England Patriots in Wild Card Round |
| 16. | New England Patriots | 17 | 2011 | 13 | 3 | 0 | Lost SUPER BOWL to New York Giants |
| 16. | New York Giants | 17 | 1993 | 11 | 5 | 0 | Lost to San Francisco 49ers in Division Round |
| 16. | Tennessee Titans | 17 | 2008 | 13 | 3 | 0 | Lost to Baltimore Ravens in Division Round |
| 16. | Pittsburgh Pirates | 17 | 1994 | 12 | 4 | 0 | Lost to San Diego Chargers in Conference Championship |
| 16. | San Diego Chargers | 17 | 2009 | 13 | 3 | 0 | Lost to New York Jets in Division Round |
| 16. | Seattle Seahawks | 17 | 2005 | 13 | 3 | 0 | Lost SUPER BOWL to Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 16. | San Francisco 49ers | 17 | 2002 | 10 | 6 | 0 | Lost to Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Division Round |
| 16. | Washington Redskins | 17 | 2006 | 5 | 11 | 0 | No Playoff Appearance |
Here are teams with the fewest turnovers, regardless of number of games played. Those teams (7) that played less than 16 games are denoted with an asterisk.
FEWEST TURNOVERS IN A SEASON (N GAMES)
| TEAM | TO | Year | G | W | L | T | SEASON RESULT | |
| 1. | New England Patriots | 10 | 2010 | 16 | 14 | 2 | 0 | Lost to New York Jets in Division Round |
| 1. | San Francisco 49ers | 10 | 2011 | 16 | 13 | 3 | 0 | Lost to New York Giants in Conference Championship |
| 3. | Kansas City Chiefs* | 12 | 1982 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 0 | No Playoff Appearance |
| 4. | Miami Dolphins | 13 | 2008 | 16 | 11 | 5 | 0 | Lost to Baltimore Ravens in Wild Card Round |
| 4. | New York Giants | 13 | 2008 | 16 | 12 | 4 | 0 | Lost to Philadelphia Eagles in Division Round |
| 6. | Cleveland Browns* | 14 | 1959 | 12 | 7 | 5 | 0 | No Playoff Appearance |
| 6. | Green Bay Packers | 14 | 2011 | 16 | 15 | 1 | 0 | Lost to New York Giants in Division Round |
| 6. | Kansas City Chiefs | 14 | 2010 | 16 | 10 | 6 | 0 | Lost to Baltimore Ravens in Wild Card Round |
| 6. | New York Giants* | 14 | 1943 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 1 | Lost to Washington Redskins in Division Round |
| 6. | New York Giants | 14 | 1990 | 16 | 13 | 3 | 0 | WON SUPER BOWL |
| 11. | Dallas Cowboys | 15 | 1998 | 16 | 10 | 6 | 0 | Lost to Arizona Cardinals in Wild Card Round |
| 11. | Jacksonville Jaguars | 15 | 2002 | 16 | 6 | 10 | 0 | No Playoff Appearance |
| 11. | Kansas City Chiefs | 15 | 2002 | 16 | 8 | 8 | 0 | No Playoff Appearance |
| 11. | New England Patriots | 15 | 2007 | 16 | 16 | 0 | 0 | Lost SUPER BOWL to New York Giants |
| 11. | San Diego Chargers | 15 | 2006 | 16 | 14 | 2 | 0 | Lost to New England Patriots in Division Round |
| 16. | Cincinnati Bengals* | 16 | 1982 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 0 | Lost to New York Jets in Wild Card Round |
| 16. | St. Louis Cardinals* | 16 | 1982 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0 | Lost to Green Bay Packers in Wild Card Round |
| 16. | Denver Broncos | 16 | 2005 | 16 | 13 | 3 | 0 | Lost to Pittsburgh Steelers in Conference Championship |
| 16. | Green Bay Packers | 16 | 2009 | 16 | 11 | 5 | 0 | Lost to Arizona Cardinals in Wild Card Round |
| 16. | New York Jets | 16 | 2004 | 16 | 10 | 6 | 0 | Lost to Pittsburgh Steelers in Division Round |
| 16. | San Francisco 49ers* | 16 | 1960 | 12 | 7 | 5 | 0 | No Playoff Appearance |
| 16. | Washington Redskins* | 16 | 1982 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 0 | WON SUPER BOWL |
How are 2012′s teams doing through 13 games? Here are the turnover totals including this year to see where this season’s best teams (*) stand amongst the best of all time. Which ones will make their mark in turnover history?
FEWEST TURNOVERS IN A SEASON (THROUGH 13 GAMES, 2012)
| TEAM | TO | Year | G | W | L | T | |
| 1 | New England Patriots* | 10 | 2012 | 13 | 9 | 3 | 1 |
| 1. | New England Patriots | 10 | 2010 | 16 | 14 | 2 | 0 |
| 1. | San Francisco 49ers | 10 | 2011 | 16 | 13 | 3 | 0 |
| 4. | Kansas City Chiefs | 12 | 1982 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 0 |
| 4. | San Francisco 49ers* | 12 | 2012 | 13 | 9 | 3 | 1 |
| 4. | Tampa Bay Buccaneers* | 12 | 2012 | 13 | 6 | 7 | 0 |
| 4. | Washington Redskins* | 12 | 2012 | 13 | 7 | 6 | 0 |
| 8. | Houston Texans* | 13 | 2012 | 13 | 11 | 1 | 1 |
| 8. | Green Bay Packers* | 13 | 2012 | 13 | 9 | 4 | 0 |
| 8. | Miami Dolohins | 13 | 2008 | 16 | 11 | 5 | 0 |
| 8. | New York Giants | 13 | 2008 | 16 | 12 | 4 | 0 |
| 8. | Baltimore Ravens* | 13 | 2012 | 13 | 9 | 4 | 0 |
| 13. | Cleveland Browns | 14 | 1959 | 12 | 7 | 5 | 0 |
| 13. | Green Bay Packers | 14 | 2011 | 16 | 15 | 1 | 0 |
| 13. | Kansas City Chiefs | 14 | 2010 | 16 | 10 | 6 | 0 |
| 13. | New York Giants | 14 | 1943 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 1 |
| 13. | New York Giants | 14 | 1990 | 16 | 13 | 3 | 0 |
| 18. | Dallas Cowboys | 15 | 1998 | 16 | 10 | 6 | 0 |
| 18. | Jacksonville Jaguars | 15 | 2002 | 16 | 6 | 10 | 0 |
| 18. | Kansas City Chiefs | 15 | 2002 | 16 | 8 | 8 | 0 |
| 18. | New England Patriots | 15 | 2007 | 16 | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| 18. | San Diego Chargers | 15 | 2006 | 16 | 14 | 2 | 0 |
Thanks to pro-football-reference.com and their fantastic play index! Here are the results of my query for this post.
Photo: zimbio.com
