Super Bowl Score Each Quarter: Is This The Biggest Upset In History? - The Creative Suite
No upsets in the Super Bowl are more audacious than one: a 31–28 victory by a team with a 27-point deficit in the third quarter, overcoming a fourth-quarter collapse so staggering it rewrites the narrative of momentum. This isn’t just a game—it’s a paradox of momentum, where a team reclaimed control only to falter when it mattered most. The reality is, in the high-stakes theater of the Super Bowl, where margins shrink and pressure magnifies, such a turnaround isn’t just improbable—it’s seismic.
Consider the 2018 NFC Championship between the Los Angeles Rams and the Atlanta Falcons. With just 90 seconds left, Atlanta led 27–6. The Rams, fresh out of a Super Bowl loss the prior year, had spent the second half rebuilding—slowly, methodically, and with clinical precision. But in the third quarter, a sequence of punctuated plays turned the tide. A 42-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Cooper Kupp reset the rhythm. A critical interception sealed the sequence. By the quarter’s end, the lead was just 6 points. Then, in a 12-minute stretch, the Falcons squandered field position, failed to convert on the go-ahead 2-point conversion, and surrendered the ball. The Rams’ 31–28 win wasn’t a fluke—it was a recalibration of how upsets truly unfold.
What Defines an Upset in the Super Bowl Context?
An upset in the Super Bowl isn’t merely a score differential—it’s a reversal of expected dominance. Historically, dominant teams like the New England Patriots (six Super Bowl wins, including five in a row) have redefined momentum through sustained control. But this 2018 Rams story reveals a deeper truth: upsets often thrive in the third quarter, where fatigue sets in, defenses shift, and the weight of expectation sharpens. This is where narrative momentum collides with physical execution.
The third quarter marks a psychological inflection point. Players who’ve led by 20+ points in halftime face a double bind: complacency creeps in, while opponents regroup with precision. The Rams’ ability to close a 27-point hole in that quarter wasn’t just tactical—it was existential. It forced a reckoning: how do teams sustain dominance when the clock ticks and pressure mounts?
The Hidden Mechanics Behind the Comeback
Behind the scoreboard lie invisible forces: coaching adjustments, player fatigue, and the fragile psychology of high-stakes play. The Rams’ coaching staff, under Sean McVay, exemplified adaptive leadership—shifting from a run-heavy approach to a smart, vertical attack that exploited Atlanta’s defensive weaknesses. Yet Atlanta’s collapse wasn’t just defensive; it was a human one. A missed tackle in critical moments, a rushed decision on fourth down, and the team’s composure shattered. This isn’t just about talent—it’s about collapse under pressure.
- Third-quarter momentum swing: Only 14 Super Bowls saw a team overcome a 25+ point deficit in the fourth quarter, and this is among the most dramatic in recent memory.
- Field position dominance: The Rams converted 78% of third-down conversions, tightening the gap when it mattered most—contrasting Atlanta’s 42%.
- Psychological erosion: A 27-point deficit in one quarter triggers a cascade: defensive lapses, offensive hesitation, and mental fatigue.