Which Super Bowl winner was the longest shot to win it all in the preseason? 

Super Bowl LX is set for this Sunday, and this one will be memorable for many reasons, but perhaps the biggest reason is the unlikely matchup that awaits up from Levi’s Stadium. Neither of the teams were expected to be here, but they are the last two teams standing after a wild season.

Warner leads Greatest Show on Turf

The Seattle Seahawks came into the season as a 60-1 long shot to win it all, while the New England Patriots had an even slimmer shot at a Super Bowl title with a preseason projection of 80-1 to lift the Lombardi Trophy. While neither team was expected to be here at this stage of the season, neither the Seahawks nor the Pats will be the longest shot to win the Super Bowl when we look at preseason odds.

That distinction goes to the 1999 St. Louis Rams. The Rams had a miserable season before their shock run to the Super Bowl. They went 4-12 in the ’98 season and missed the playoffs for a ninth straight season. That would all change the next year, but no one expected that team to have such a rapid turnaround. They went into the 1999 as 150-1 long shot (+15000) to win it all, the most of any eventual Super Bowl winner.

The Rams would turn things around from a team that totaled just 12 passing touchdowns and 18 interceptions to a team that was affectionately known as “The Greatest Show on Turf” because of the offensive spectacle they put on, especially their home stadium at Trans World Dome in St. Louis which had astroturf as a surface.

Who? Mike Jones!

That offseason they would trade for Marshall Faulk who came to St. Louis from Indianapolis, and the Rams drafted wide receiver Torry Holt. Faulk would end up winning an NFL MVP, and Holt was a two time receiving yardage leader in two of the next five years. While those we’re huge pieces to the puzzle, it was Kurt Warner who turned this team into one of the biggest juggernauts the NFL has ever seen.

Warner went from playing in the Arena Football League with the Iowa Barnstromers, to signing with the Rams in 1998. He threw just 11 passes that year, but the next year was named QB1 after Trent Green tore his ACL in a preseason game. Warner threw for 4,353 yards, 41 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions as St. Louis went 13-3 in the regular season and ended up beating the Tennessee Titans in Super Bowl XXXIV with a game saving tackle from Mike Jones late in the fourth quarter.

If the Patriots do end up winning on Sunday, they will become the team with the second longest shot to win the Super Bowl at 80-1, leap frogging the New England Patriots team that won the Super Bowl in Tom Brady’s first year as the starter. If the Seahawks win at 60-1 preseason odds, they would tie that Pats team that went into the 2001 season at 60-1.

Related stories

NFL

Jared Goff’s heartwarming moment with newborn son at Pro Bowl week

NFL

NFL to investigate Giant owner's links to Jeffrey Epstein

Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.

Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.