What is the Super Bowl record for most turnovers in a game?
Keeping the ball is extremely important in football. Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done and one Super Bowl that proved that in record fashion.
The cost of turning over the ball in a football game can’t be overstated. So, imagine you’re in the Super Bowl and that’s what happens. Not cool. Indeed, Russell Wilson hasn’t been the same since his interception cost the Seahawks a title against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. Also, who could forget Peyton Manning’s infamous faux pas which gift-wrapped the New Orleans Saints’ Super Bowl rings? Of course, it’s not always about interceptions. Sometimes a simple fumble is all it takes to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
The Buffalo Bills were horrific in Super Bowl XXVII
That they are. It was back on January 31st, 1993 when the Buffalo Bills met the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl XXVII. On that day, the Bills committed no less than nine turnovers. To be fair, Bills starting quarterback Jim Kelly was replaced by backup Frank Reich who must be credited for throwing a 40-yard touchdown pass on the final play of the fourth quarter, but it was to have little effect on a Cowboys team that had finished the season with a 13-3 record.
Yet, the truth is that the Cowboys didn’t need to be excellent as the Bills were more than prepared to help. A total of 35 points were scored by the Cowboys as a direct result of the turnovers, leading to a final score of 52-17. For those who enjoy a bit of trivia, the halftime show featured a performance by Michael Jackson which effectively started the trend of the NFL hiring top acts to perform during the event. The move came in direct response to FOX’s Super Bowl counterprogramming from the year before which saw the network air a special episode of ‘In Living Color.’
Super Bowl V takes the cake
When you have a game that is referred to by names such as “Blunder Bowl”, “Blooper Bowl”, and “Stupor Bowl” you know things can’t be good. Sadly, that was the case when the then-Baltimore Colts and the Dallas Cowboys went at each other back in January of 1971 in Super Bowl V. Incidentally, it was the first Super Bowl to be played following the NFL/AFL merger and it was an absolute comedy of errors. With 11 turnovers in total, the contest saw the Colts set the record for most turnovers (seven) by a winning team. The score ended 16-13 in a game that stands to this day as the only one in which the MVP award was given to a player from the losing team.
As for individual records, There are four players who are currently tied for the record of most turnovers in a Super Bowl: Cam Newton, Peyton Manning, Rex Grossman, and Donovan McNabb, all of whom committed three turnovers in the big game. With that said you might be surprised to know that Tom Brady owns the career record for most Super Bowl turnovers with a grand total of nine. Of course, the fact that the former Patriots and Bucs star has played in 10 of them, seven of which he won, does put a different spin on that number.