Super Bowl XLII offers one of the great championship game mismatches in history, at least as measured by Quality Wins.
The Patriots enter the game with a 9-0 mark vs. Quality Teams (including playoffs). The Giants are 4-5.
The disparity makes Super Bowl XLII just the fourth time that one contender had a five-game advantage over its opponent against Quality Teams. The Patriots dynasty is now responsible for three of those mismatches.
- The 1979 Steelers entered Super Bowl XIV with a 9-3 mark vs. Quality Teams. The Rams were 4-4.
- The 2003 Patriots entered Super Bowl XXXVIII with a 9-0 mark vs. Quality Teams. The Panters were 4-3.
- The 2004 Patriots entered Super Bowl XXXIX with a 9-1 mark vs. Quality Teams. The Eagles were 3-1.
Of course, the disparity didn't matter much on game day.
The dynastic 1979 Steelers needed two fourth-quarter touchdowns to pull out a 31-19 win over a Rams team that went just 9-7 overall in the regular season. (The Rams are the only team to reach a Super Bowl with a record worse than the 2007 Giants, who went 10-6).
The 2003 Patriots needed a last-second field goal to pull out a 32-29 win over a Panthers team that went just 11-5 overall in the regular season.
The 2004 Patriots eked out a 24-21 win over an Eagles team that went 13-3 overall in the regular season.
The Giants do not have history on their side. Only four of the 37 teams that have won post-merger Super Bowls ended up with a worse record against Quality Competition worse than the team they vanquished in the championship. These four teams are:
- 1983 Raiders (7-4, .636) over Redskins (9-2, .818)
- 1997 Broncos (6-3, .667) over Packers (9-2, .818)
- 2001 Patriots (5-3, .625) over Rams (8-2, .800)
- 2002 Buccaneers (7-4, .636) over Raiders (8-3, .727)
Here's a look at how each Super Bowl winner stacked up in terms of record vs. Quality Opponents (records include the Super Bowl itself).
|
SB (Season) |
Winner (Record) |
vs. Qual. Opp. |
Loser (Record) |
vs. Qual. Opp. |
|
V (1970) |
Baltimore (14-2-1) |
4-2 (.667) |
Dallas (12-5) |
4-5 (.444) |
|
VI (1971) |
Dallas (14-3) |
5-1 (.833) |
Miami (12-4-1) |
4-2 (.667) |
|
VII (1972) |
Miami (17-0) |
5-0 (1.000) |
Washington (13-4) |
6-2 (.750) |
|
VIII (1973) |
Miami (15-2) |
8-1 (.889) |
Minnesota (14-3) |
5-3 (.625) |
|
IX (1974) |
Pittsburgh (13-3-1) |
3-1-1 (.750) |
Minnesota (12-5) |
4-2 (.667) |
|
X (1975) |
Pittsburgh (15-2) |
7-2 (.778) |
Dallas (12-5) |
5-3 (.625) |
|
XI (1976) |
Oakland (16-1) |
7-1 (.875) |
Minnesota (13-3-1) |
3-2-1 (.600) |
|
XII (1977) |
Dallas (15-2) |
7-1 (.875) |
Denver (14-3) |
7-3 (.700) |
|
XIII (1978) |
Pittsburgh (17-2) |
7-2 (.778) |
Dallas (14-5) |
6-4 (.600) |
|
XIV (1979) |
Pittsburgh (15-4) |
10-3 (.769) |
L.A. Rams (11-8) |
4-6 (.400) |
|
XV (1980) |
Oakland (15-5) |
6-4 (.600) |
Philadelphia (14-5) |
5-4 (.556) |
|
XVI (1981) |
San Francisco (16-3) |
6-0 (1.000) |
Cincinnati (14-5) |
6-2 (.750) |
|
XVII (1982) |
Washington (12-1) |
6-1 (.857) |
Miami (10-3) |
6-3 (.667) |
|
XVIII (1983) |
L.A. Raiders (15-4) |
7-4 (.636) |
Washington (16-3) |
9-2 (.818) |
|
XIX (1984) |
San Francisco (18-1) |
7-1 (.875) |
Miami (16-3) |
8-2 (.800) |
|
XX (1985) |
Chicago (18-1) |
8-1 (.889) |
New England (14-6) |
5-5 (.500) |
|
XXI (1986) |
N.Y. Giants (17-2) |
8-1 (.889) |
Denver (13-6) |
7-5 (.583) |
|
XXII (1987) |
Washington (14-4) |
4-1 (.800) |
Denver (12-5-1) |
7-4 (.636) |
|
XXIII (1988) |
San Francisco (13-6) |
9-2 (.818) |
Cincinnati (14-5) |
7-4 (.636) |
|
XXIV (1989) |
San Francisco (17-2) |
9-2 (.818) |
Denver (13-6) |
7-4 (.636) |
|
XXV (1990) |
N.Y. Giants (16-3) |
7-3 (.700) |
Buffalo (15-4) |
6-4 (.600) |
|
XXVI (1991) |
Washington (17-2) |
9-2 (.818) |
Buffalo (15-4) |
4-3 (.571) |
|
XXVII (1992) |
Dallas (16-3) |
6-2 (.750) |
Buffalo (14-6) |
8-4 (.667) |
|
XXVIII (1993) |
Dallas (15-4) |
8-2 (.800) |
Buffalo (14-5) |
6-5 (.545) |
|
XXIX (1994) |
San Francisco (16-3) |
7-2 (.778) |
San Diego (13-6) |
6-4 (.600) |
|
XXX (1995) |
Dallas (15-4) |
8-2 (.800) |
Pittsburgh (13-6) |
5-3 (.625) |
|
XXXI (1996) |
Green Bay (16-3) |
7-3 (.700) |
New England (13-6) |
6-5 (.545) |
|
XXXII (1997) |
Denver (16-4) |
6-3 (.667) |
Green Bay (15-4) |
9-2 (.818) |
|
XXXIII (1998) |
Denver (17-2) |
6-1 (.857) |
Atlanta (16-3) |
5-3 (.625) |
|
XXXIV (1999) |
St. Louis (16-3) |
3-1 (.750) |
Tennessee (16-4) |
6-2 (.750) |
|
XXXV (2000) |
Baltimore (16-4) |
7-3 (.700) |
N.Y. Giants (14-5) |
5-4 (.556) |
|
XXXVI (2001) |
New England (14-5) |
5-3 (.625) |
St. Louis (16-3) |
8-2 (.800) |
|
XXXVII (2002) |
Tampa Bay (15-4) |
7-4 (.636) |
Oakland (13-6) |
8-3 (.727) |
|
XXXVIII (2003) |
New England (17-2) |
10-0 (1.000) |
Carolina (14-6) |
4-4 (.500) |
|
XXXVIII (2004) |
New England (17-2) |
10-1 (.909) |
Philadelphia (15-4) |
3-2 (.600) |
|
XL (2005) |
Pittsburgh (15-5) |
8-4 (.667) |
Seattle (15-4) |
5-3 (.625) |
|
XLI (2006) |
Indianapolis (16-4) |
8-1 (.889) |
Chicago (15-4) |
4-2 (.667) |
