Super Bowl curse
The Super Bowl curse or Super Bowl hangover was a phrase that refers to one of three phenomena that may occur in the National Football League (NFL). First, a Super Bowl-hosting team had never played in the game, prior to the 2020 season.[1][2] Second, Super Bowl champions relatively rarely win consecutive Super Bowls, compared to other professional sports leagues such as Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, or the National Hockey League. Lastly, the loser of the prior year's Super Bowl will often have a less successful season and may miss the playoffs the next year. These interpretations of the Super Bowl curse are not mutually exclusive.
The term has been used since at least 1992, when The Washington Post used the term in print.[3] Former NFL General Manager Charley Casserly attributed the curse to such factors as "a shorter offseason, contract problems, [and] more demand for your players' time".[4] Casserly also noted that "once the season starts, you become the biggest game on everybody's schedule," suggesting that pressure from fans and spectators may also affect a team's performance.[4]
The "Home Field Advantage Curse" ended when the 2020 Tampa Bay Buccaneers became the first team to ever play and subsequently win the Super Bowl in their home stadium.[1]
The Home Field Advantage Curse
The home field curse affects the host team of the Super Bowl. So far only one team, the 2020 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, has managed to qualify to play in the Super Bowl in their home stadium, Raymond James Stadium. Five teams with Super Bowls in their home venue have qualified for the divisional playoffs: the Dolphins twice in 1994 and 1998, the 2016 Houston Texans, the 2017 Minnesota Vikings, and the 2020 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and only two have qualified to play in the conference championship game: the Vikings in the 2017 NFC Championship Game, and the Buccaneers in the 2020 NFC Championship Game. From 1966–2011 (excluding the six Super Bowl games held in a stadium without a professional team), the Super Bowl host team has had 11 winning seasons, four split seasons, and 25 losing seasons. Mathematically, the probability of that many losing seasons or more occurring by chance (assuming a 50 percent chance of having a losing season (disregarding .500 seasons)) is 7.69 percent. The Super Bowl host stadium is selected several years before the game is played, without regard to the teams that qualify.
Only two NFL teams have reached the Super Bowl hosted in their home region: the San Francisco 49ers, who played (and won) Super Bowl XIX in Stanford Stadium, rather than Candlestick Park, and the Los Angeles Rams, who played Super Bowl XIV in the Rose Bowl, rather than the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Besides Stanford Stadium and the Rose Bowl, the only other Super Bowl venue that was not the home stadium to an NFL team at the time was Rice Stadium in Houston: the Houston Oilers had played there previously, but moved to the Astrodome several years prior to Super Bowl VIII. The Miami Orange Bowl was the only AFL stadium to host a Super Bowl and the only stadium to host consecutive Super Bowls, hosting Super Bowl II and III. MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, which hosted Super Bowl XLVIII, is the home stadium of two NFL teams: the New York Giants and the New York Jets.
This list of examples is not exhaustive; until 2020, no team had ever qualified and played in the Super Bowl while their home stadium was hosting it.
| Team | Host Field | Season | Season Record | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans Saints | Tulane Stadium, New Orleans, Louisiana | 1971 (Super Bowl VI) | 4–8–2 | |
| Houston Oilers | Rice Stadium, Houston, Texas | 1973 (Super Bowl VIII) | 1–13 | |
| New Orleans Saints | Tulane Stadium, New Orleans, Louisiana | 1974 (Super Bowl IX) | 5–9 | |
| New Orleans Saints | Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana | 1977 (Super Bowl XII) | 3–11 | |
| New Orleans Saints | Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana | 1980 (Super Bowl XV) | 1–15 | |
| Detroit Lions | Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan | 1981 (Super Bowl XVI) | 9–7 | |
| Miami Dolphins | Joe Robbie Stadium, Miami, Florida | 1994 (Super Bowl XXIX) | 10–6 | Lost 22–21 to the eventual AFC champion San Diego Chargers during the Divisional Round, despite having a 21–6 lead at halftime. |
| New Orleans Saints | Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana | 1996 (Super Bowl XXXI) | 3–13 | |
| San Diego Chargers | Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California | 1997 (Super Bowl XXXII) | 4–12 | |
| Miami Dolphins | Joe Robbie Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida | 1998 (Super Bowl XXXIII) | 10–6 | Lost 38–3 to the defending Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos during the Divisional Round. |
| Atlanta Falcons | Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia | 1999 (Super Bowl XXXIV) | 5–11 | Running back Jamal Anderson was lost for the season after Game 2. The previous season they held 14-2 record and were losing finalists in the Super Bowl. |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida | 2000 (Super Bowl XXXV) | 10–6 | Last Super Bowl host to make the playoffs until the 2014 Arizona Cardinals. Miss opportunity to be the NFC’s #2 seed and having a home Divisional Round game before losing in overtime in final the week of the regular season. That loss dropped Tampa Bay down to the #5 seed and starting on the road in the Wild Card Round, which they would subsequently lose 21–3 to the Philadelphia Eagles. |
| New Orleans Saints | Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana | 2001 (Super Bowl XXXVI) | 7–9 | |
| San Diego Chargers | Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California | 2002 (Super Bowl XXXVII) | 8–8 | Started out the season 6–1, but finished 2–7 the rest of the way. |
| Houston Texans | Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas | 2003 (Super Bowl XXXVIII) | 5–11 | |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida | 2004 (Super Bowl XXXIX) | 9–7 | |
| Detroit Lions | Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan | 2005 (Super Bowl XL) | 5–11 | |
| Miami Dolphins | Dolphin Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida | 2006 (Super Bowl XLI) | 6–10 | |
| Arizona Cardinals | University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona | 2007 (Super Bowl XLII) | 8–8 | |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida | 2008 (Super Bowl XLIII) | 9–7 | Lost final four games of the season after starting 9–3 to miss the playoffs. |
| Miami Dolphins | Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida | 2009 (Super Bowl XLIV) | 7–9 | |
| Dallas Cowboys | Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas | 2010 (Super Bowl XLV) | 6-10 | Quarterback Tony Romo suffered a season-ending injury to his left clavicle. Started the season 1–7. |
| Indianapolis Colts | Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana | 2011 (Super Bowl XLVI) | 2–14 | Quarterback Peyton Manning missed the season due to neck injury. Ended the Colts’ postseason appearance streak at nine years. |
| New Orleans Saints | Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana | 2012 (Super Bowl XLVII) | 7–9 | Head coach Sean Payton was suspended for the season due to Bountygate. |
| New York Jets | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey | 2013 (Super Bowl XLVIII) | 8–8 | |
| New York Giants | 7–9 | Started out the season 0–6. | ||
| Arizona Cardinals | University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona | 2014 (Super Bowl XLIX) | 11–5 | Cardinals lost quarterbacks Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton to injury prior to playoffs. Would lose to the 7–8–1 Panthers in the Wild Card Round. |
| San Francisco 49ers | Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California | 2015 (Super Bowl 50) | 5–11 | 49ers fired Jim Harbaugh due to a dispute with the team's front office. |
| Houston Texans | NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas | 2016 (Super Bowl LI) | 9–7 | Lost 34–16 to the eventual Super Bowl champion New England Patriots during the Divisional Round. |
| Minnesota Vikings | U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota | 2017 (Super Bowl LII) | 13–3 | Were the first team to host a Divisional Round game while being the host Super Bowl stadium in the same season. The Vikings' last-second 29–24 victory over the Saints would catapult them to the NFC Championship Game against the Eagles, and many expected the Vikings to win. Despite this, the eventual Super Bowl champions defeated the Vikings 38–7. Until 2020, this was the closest a home field team ever came to hosting the Super Bowl. |
| Atlanta Falcons | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia | 2018 (Super Bowl LIII) | 7–9 | The Falcons would lose several key starters to injury early in the season and were eliminated from playoff contention in Week 15. |
| Miami Dolphins | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida | 2019 (Super Bowl LIV) | 5–11 | The Dolphins were criticized for intentionally losing games after trading Laremy Tunsil, Kenny Stills, and Minkah Fitzpatrick for multiple draft picks. The Dolphins were pounded in their first 4 games, losing by 3 TD or more. After they were 3–9, the Steelers beat the Browns 20–13, which mathematically eliminated the Dolphins from playoff contention in Week 13. |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida | 2020 (Super Bowl LV) | 11-5 | After adding quarterback Tom Brady and running back Leonard Fournette during the offseason and wide receiver Antonio Brown during the season, the 2020 Buccaneers became the first team to advance to the Super Bowl in their own stadium. The team posted their first playoff win since 2002, their first playoff appearance since 2007, and became the first Wild Card team to appear and win in a Super Bowl since the 2010 Packers as well as the first without a first-round bye since the 2012 Ravens. |
The Non-Repeat Curse
Since 1993, few winning teams have followed up their Super Bowl appearances with a second Super Bowl appearance, or even advanced to a conference title game in the subsequent season (the 1994 Dallas Cowboys qualified for their conference title but did not qualify for the Super Bowl). Only seven teams have won back-to-back Super Bowl championships, and only one of these seven have made more than two consecutive winning appearances in the Super Bowl. The only franchise to reach more than three straight title games was the Buffalo Bills who lost four Super Bowls in a row from 1990–93. The salary cap, draft, free agency and the schedule makes it more difficult to win repeat league championships in the NFL, compared to other major North American professional sports leagues (MLB, NBA, and NHL) where dynasties have been prevalent.[5]
Since 2005, no incumbent holder has managed to successfully defend their title. Between 2006 and 2013, every defending Super Bowl champion would conclude the following season either losing their opening playoff game or failing to qualify for the playoffs.
This list of examples includes every team that has ever had back-to-back appearances at the Super Bowl.
The Losers' Curse
Although many teams experience this phenomenon, it is certainly not the rule. There are many speculations made about potential causal factors for this trend, including the team having a shorter offseason due to their extended postseason play, difficulty settling contracts,[6] more pressure on the players, and an increase in visibility, which could contribute to nervous playing.[4][7] Only the 1971 Dallas Cowboys, 1972 Miami Dolphins, and 2018 New England Patriots have followed up a Super Bowl defeat with Super Bowl win the following season.
One piece of the Super Bowl curse asserts the team that loses the Super Bowl will go into losing seasons overall. The trend was especially evident during the early 2000s.[8]
This list of examples is not exhaustive.
| Team | Super Bowl Season | Season Record | Super Bowl Score | Season | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Bengals | 1988 (Super Bowl XXIII) | 12–4 | 16–20 | 1989 | 8–8 |
| Denver Broncos | 1989 (Super Bowl XXIV) | 11–5 | 10–55 | 1990 | 5–11 |
| Buffalo Bills | 1993 (Super Bowl XXVIII) | 12–4 | 13–30 | 1994 | 7–9 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 1998 (Super Bowl XXXIII) | 14–2 | 19–34 | 1999 | 5–11 |
| New York Giants | 2000 (Super Bowl XXXV) | 12–4 | 7–34 | 2001 | 7–9 |
| St. Louis Rams | 2001 (Super Bowl XXXVI) | 14–2 | 17–20 | 2002 | 7–9 |
| Oakland Raiders | 2002 (Super Bowl XXXVII) | 11–5 | 21–48 | 2003 | 4–12 |
| Carolina Panthers | 2003 (Super Bowl XXXVIII) | 11–5 | 29–32 | 2004 | 7–9 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 2004 (Super Bowl XXXIX) | 13–3 | 21–24 | 2005 | 6–10 |
| Chicago Bears | 2006 (Super Bowl XLI) | 13–3 | 17–29 | 2007 | 7–9 |
| New England Patriots | 2007 (Super Bowl XLII) | 16–0 | 14–17 | 2008 | 11–5 |
| Carolina Panthers | 2015 (Super Bowl 50) | 15–1 | 10–24 | 2016 | 6–10 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 2018 (Super Bowl LIII) | 13–3 | 3–13 | 2019 | 9–7 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 2019 (Super Bowl LIV) | 13–3 | 20–31 | 2020 | 6–10 |
| Team | Super Bowl Season | Season Record | Super Bowl Score | Season | Record | Playoffs? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis Colts | 2009 (Super Bowl XLIV) | 14–2 | 17–31 | 2010 | 10–6 | Yes |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 2010 (Super Bowl XLV) | 12–4 | 25–31 | 2011 | 12–4 | Yes |
| New England Patriots | 2011 (Super Bowl XLVI) | 13–3 | 17–21 | 2012 | 12–4 | Yes |
| San Francisco 49ers | 2012 (Super Bowl XLVII) | 11–4–1 | 31–34 | 2013 | 12–4 | Yes |
| Denver Broncos | 2013 (Super Bowl XLVIII) | 13–3 | 8–43 | 2014 | 12–4 | Yes |
| Seattle Seahawks | 2014 (Super Bowl XLIX) | 12–4 | 24–28 | 2015 | 10–6 | Yes |
| Atlanta Falcons | 2016 (Super Bowl LI) | 11–5 | 28–34, OT | 2017 | 10–6 | Yes |
| New England Patriots | 2017 (Super Bowl LII) | 13–3 | 33–41 | 2018 | 11–5 | Yes |
Further reading
- "Credit Belichick for beating Super Bowl curse". The Sacramento Bee. October 25, 2006. pp. C3.
- Freeman, Mike (December 12, 1991). "Fans cry: Off with Giants' Head (Coach)!". The Washington Post.
- Green Jr., Ron (November 5, 2004). "Lost-the-Super-Bowl blues afflict Panthers, Raiders". The Charlotte Observer. pp. 2C.
- "Less and more than rumored Miami and the Super Bowl curse". Sarasota Herald Tribune. January 30, 1999.
- Penner, Mike (August 27, 2006). "Curses are reality to fantasy leaguers". Los Angeles Times. pp. D.2.
References
- Shook, Nick (January 24, 2021). "Buccaneers become first team that will host Super Bowl at home stadium". NFL.com. NFL Enterprises, LLC. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
- Kerr, Jeff (January 24, 2021). "Buccaneers become first team to play Super Bowl in home stadium; first team to host NFL title game since 1966". CBSSports.com. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
- Boswell, Thomas (September 21, 1992). "A Curse but not yet a sin". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
- Gruber, Jack (February 6, 2007). "Champions, for now — Super Bowl curse could vex Colts, Bears". USA Today. Retrieved April 19, 2008.
- http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/25916069/super-bowl-liii-appreciate-new-england-patriots-dynasty-greatest-sports-2018-nfl-playoffs
- "Patriots chasing '72 Dolphins in a new way - TSN.ca". TSN. The Canadian Press. 31 January 2019.
- Simpson, Matt (September 17, 2006). "Seattle out to break Super Bowl curse". East Valley Tribune. Retrieved April 19, 2008.
External links
- Maske, Mark (June 15, 2006). "Seahawks hope to buck Super Bowl curse". Washington Post.