Lowest-scoring Super Bowl ever: Revisiting the 2019 Patriots vs. Rams snoozefest
The Super Bowl is the biggest game in all American sports.
The stage is never bigger and the lights never brighter than when a Lombardi Trophy hangs in the air. Hundreds of millions of fans from around the world tune in to watch the spectacle as top-level athletes risk everything to win the ultimate prize.
MORE: Will Tom Brady be on Fox’s Super Bowl show in 2023? QB’s retirement opens the door for TV debut
That’s why it’s so disappointing when the game is a total dud.
There have been many disappointing Super Bowls over the years. Some were blowouts, where one team dominated from start to finish, while others were low-scoring defensive struggles.
But only one holds the Super Bowl title with the lowest scoring.
What is the all-time lowest scoring Super Bowl?
The title belongs to Super Bowl 53, which saw the Patriots take on the Rams in 2019. New England prevailed 13:3 in an ugly defensive struggle.
Many consider it the worst Super Bowl ever in terms of entertainment value, which is saying something given all the glitches over the years.
RT if this was the WORST Super Bowl ever 🤢 pic.twitter.com/gFFjzlVxMx
— overtime (@overtime) February 4, 2019
Part of what made the game such a disappointment was the fact that no one saw it coming.
The Rams were great on offense in Sean McVay’s first season at the helm. They ranked second in the NFL in points scored and total yards. Jared Goff appeared to be on the right track as a quarterback in his sophomore year as a pro. Brandin Cooks, Robert Woods, a young Cooper Kupp and former NFL Offensive Player of the Year Todd Gurley gave Goff some serious firepower.
MORE: Where’s the Super Bowl in 2023? Location, venue and more for Eagles vs. Chiefs
On the other hand, the Patriots were led by arguably the greatest quarterback in NFL history, Tom Brady. He also had plenty of offensive weapons at his disposal, including Rob Gronkowski and a rejuvenated Julian Edelman, who tore his cruciate ligament last season.
A look back at Super Bowl 53
The Patriots received the opening jab and drove their opening possession into Rams territory. But Brady’s first pass of the night was tipped and intercepted, giving the Rams a great opportunity to capitalize on the turnover.
They couldn’t, and after a quick punt, the Patriots drove again. They came within field goal range and gave kicker Stephen Gostkowski the chance to put New England ahead. He missed from 46 yards.
After another Rams punt, Brady fumbled to waste another nice looking drive. The first quarter ended 0-0.
The second quarter wasn’t much better. New England finally got on the board thanks to a Gostkowski field goal, but Goff and the Rams continued to look frustrated on offense. The half ended with the Patriots leading 3-0. It was the second-lowest halftime result in Super Bowl history, behind only a 2-0 result in Super Bowl 9 between the Steelers and the Vikings.
McVay’s vaunted offense managed just 57 yards and two first downs the entire first half. Still, the Rams were just three points behind thanks to Brady’s uncharacteristic errors.
Maroon 5 did its best to energize a sluggish crowd at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium during the halftime show, but it didn’t seem to have much of an impact.
MORE: Everything you need to know about the Super Bowl 2023 halftime show with Rihanna
The second half started with more of the same. The first four drives ended in punts, and half of the third quarter passed without any excitement.
Then the Rams finally managed to pull off a joint ride. Catches from Cooks and Woods put them in Patriots territory, and Greg Zuerlein boomed a 53-yard field goal for a 3-3 tie.
This is what the scoreboard looked like at the start of the fourth quarter. For the first time in Super Bowl history, neither team had scored a touchdown in the first three quarters. But despite the low score, at least it was a close game, wasn’t it?
Well, Brady had other ideas. He led the Patriots on the longest drive of the game, chewed up the clock, and marched down the field. When Sony finished off Michel with a 2-yard touchdown run, the Patriots held what appeared to be a commanding 10-3 lead with the final seven minutes.
Los Angeles got the ball back and Goff managed to lead his team to the New England 27. He then threw a crucial interception into the hands of Stephon Gilmore. It gave the Patriots a chance to end the game.
Though Brady and company were kept at bay for most of the game, the Rams’ defense couldn’t stop when it was needed most. The Patriots rushed for yards on the ground, leading to a 41-yard field goal from Gostkowski to extend the 1:21 lead to 13-3.
Los Angeles made one last ditch attempt, but when a Zuerlein field goal attempt missed eight seconds from time, it was game over. The Patriots have won perhaps the most boring Super Bowl of all time.
Julian Edelman was named the game’s MVP after amassing 10 catches for 141 yards. It was Brady’s sixth Lombardi Trophy and his last as a member of the Patriots.
Records set in Super Bowl 53
The game set multiple Super Bowl records for all the wrong reasons.
| Least touchdowns, first three quarters (both teams) | 0 |
| Least touchdowns (both teams, game) | 1 |
| Least PATs (both teams, game) | 1 |
| Least points, first three quarters (both teams) | 6 |
| Least points (both teams, game) | 16 |
We can only hope that these records will stand for a long time to come.