The Seahawks are back in the Super Bowl looking to repeat. Which raises the question: How often has a team in that situation finished the job?
Answer: Of the 11 previous defending champs that returned to the Super Bowl, eight won the game — 72.7 percent. That’s pretty good odds for Seattle (even if it does have to beat the Patriots, the Team of the 2000s). The details:
DEFENDING CHAMPS THAT RETURNED TO THE SUPER BOWL THE NEXT YEAR
| Team | First Super Bowl | Second Super Bowl |
|---|---|---|
| 1966-67 Packers | Beat Chiefs, 35-10 | Beat Raiders, 33-14 |
| 1972-73 Dolphins | Beat Redskins, 14-7 | Beat Vikings, 24-7 |
| 1974-75 Steelers | Beat Vikings, 16-6 | Beat Cowboys, 21-17 |
| 1977-78 Cowboys | Beat Broncos, 27-10 | Lost to Steelers, 35-31 |
| 1978-79 Steelers | Beat Cowboys, 35-31 | Beat Rams, 31-19 |
| 1982-83 Redskins | Beat Dolphins, 27-17 | Lost to Raiders, 38-9 |
| 1988-89 49ers | Beat Bengals, 20-16 | Beat Broncos, 55-10 |
| 1992-93 Cowboys | Beat Bills, 52-17 | Beat Bills, 30-13 |
| 1996-97 Packers | Beat Patriots, 35-21 | Lost to Broncos, 31-24 |
| 1997-98 Broncos | Beat Packers, 31-24 | Beat Falcons, 34-19 |
| 2003-04 Patriots | Beat Panthers, 32-29 | Beat Eagles, 24-21 |
| 2013-14 Seahawks | Beat Broncos, 43-8 | Vs. Patriots, SB 49 |
The last time a defending champ lost the Super Bowl, in other words, the winning score came on a conceded touchdown. (The Packers offered no resistance on Terrell Davis’ 1-yard TD run so they could get the ball back with 1:45 left.)
The Packers defensive line opens wide in Super Bowl 32 to let Denver’s Terrell Davis score in the final two minutes.
