Anyone find it suspicious how almost all Super Bowls are narrow outcomes these days?

[Red Dragon]

All the way up until 2003, it was quite common for Super Bowls to be lopsided blowouts. The Bears crushed the Patriots 46-10, the Raiders crushed the Commanders 38-9, the Niners routed the Broncos 55-10, the Cowboys crushed the Bills 52-17, the Commanders crushed the Broncos 42-10, the Niners beat the Chargers 49-26, the Ravens beat the Giants 34-7, the Bucs trounced the Raiders 48-21, etc.

But - starting from 2003 and onwards - almost every single Super Bowl has been a nail biter in which, heading into the fourth quarter, you couldn't tell which team was going to win. The Brady-Belichick Patriots won or lost almost all their Super Bowls by the margin of just one score. The only lopsided Super Bowl we've seen since then was when the Seahawks drubbed the Broncos 43-8. Every other recent Super Bowl was a tight, narrowly fought contest.

Furthermore, when one team soared ahead, the other would almost inevitably make a comeback. The Packers jumped to a 21-3 lead over the Steelers.......but then the Steelers came back, aided by questionable officiating. The Ravens jumped out to a 28-6 lead over the Niners.......but then the Niners promptly roared back. The Falcons jumped to a 28-3 lead over the Patriots...........well, we all know how that turned out.

Anybody else find this suspicious? It seems designed to generate high ratings and suspense.

 

[dargonking999]

It isn't an NFL season if there aren't conspiracy theories about how the game is rigged

 

[Sarge]

No.

 

[darthseinfeld]

There isnt a difference in ratings between games that are blowouts and games that arent. The Super Bowl has become a cultural event that people will continue watching even after the game is out of hand

 

[Flamma]

All the way up until 2003, it was quite common for Super Bowls to be lopsided blowouts. The Bears crushed the Patriots 46-10, the Raiders crushed the Commanders 38-9, the Niners routed the Broncos 55-10, the Cowboys crushed the Bills 52-17, the Commanders crushed the Broncos 42-10, the Niners beat the Chargers 49-26, the Ravens beat the Giants 34-7, the Bucs trounced the Raiders 48-21, etc.

But - starting from 2003 and onwards - almost every single Super Bowl has been a nail biter in which, heading into the fourth quarter, you couldn't tell which team was going to win. The Brady-Belichick Patriots won or lost almost all their Super Bowls by the margin of just one score. The only lopsided Super Bowl we've seen since then was when the Seahawks drubbed the Broncos 43-8. Every other recent Super Bowl was a tight, narrowly fought contest.

Furthermore, when one team soared ahead, the other would almost inevitably make a comeback. The Packers jumped to a 21-3 lead over the Steelers.......but then the Steelers came back, aided by questionable officiating. The Ravens jumped out to a 28-6 lead over the Niners.......but then the Niners promptly roared back. The Falcons jumped to a 28-3 lead over the Patriots...........well, we all know how that turned out.

Anybody else find this suspicious? It seems designed to generate high ratings and suspense.

There's one thing in common with a lot of the blowouts of the past, great defense. That also includes your outlier, the Seahawks winning 43-8. Once you get down against a great D, it's much harder to climb out. Now they know you're passing, it only gets worse.

In this new salary cap era, there are no more great defenses. Since the 2013 Seahawks, you have to go all the way back to the 2002 Bucs to come close. From there, the 2000 Ravens. The recent lack of really good defenses, IMO, is the reason teams are able to swing the momentum and catch up.