Underdog stories are why people love football. They show teams or players who were counted out but kept fighting. These moments mix guts, luck, and a few huge plays. Below you’ll find some of the NFL’s most famous upsets, comebacks, and surprise heroes, written in clear, simple language and checked against reputable sources so the facts line up.
Super Bowl Upsets That Rewrote History
The Super Bowl is the biggest stage in football. When an underdog wins there, it becomes part of American sports lore. Here are three shockers that still get talked about.
Jets Beat the Colts: Super Bowl III (Jan. 12, 1969)
Nobody gave the New York Jets a chance against the Baltimore Colts. Broadway Joe Namath famously said he guaranteed a Jets win, and then his team delivered a 16–7 upset in Miami. The Jets became the first American Football League team to beat an NFL team in the Super Bowl. Namath’s bold prediction and the win helped legitimize the AFL and changed pro football forever.
Patriots Stun the Rams: Super Bowl XXXVI (Feb. 3, 2002)
The 2001 St. Louis Rams were a powerhouse called the “Greatest Show on Turf.” They were heavy favorites, by about 14 points, when the New England Patriots, led by second-year QB Tom Brady and coach Bill Belichick, pulled a 20–17 win. A last-second drive and a 48-yard field goal by Adam Vinatieri sealed the game. That upset is often called the start of the Patriots’ dynasty.
Giants Stop the Perfect Season: Super Bowl XLII (Feb. 3, 2008)
The 2007 New England Patriots had won every game to that point and were trying to finish 19–0. The New York Giants, a Wild Card team, spoiled that dream in a 17–14 victory. The game’s most famous moment came when David Tyree made the “Helmet Catch”, pressing the ball to his helmet while falling, on a crucial play late in the fourth quarter.
That 32-yard catch helped set up the winning touchdown and ranks as one of the Super Bowl’s all-time clutch plays.
Playoff Miracles and Single Plays That Changed Games
Some underdog stories don’t take place over months — one play can turn everything. Here are three playoff moments that felt impossible until they happened.
Titans vs. Bills (Jan. 8, 2000)
In the final seconds of a Wild Card game, the Bills had just taken a 16–15 lead. On the kickoff, the Tennessee Titans ran a planned lateral play: Lorenzo Neal to Frank Wycheck, who lateraled to Kevin Dyson. Dyson ran 75 yards for a touchdown, and the Titans won 22–16 after a review confirmed the lateral was legal.
The play’s timing and the questions about whether it was forward or backward make it one of the most replayed moments in NFL history. The win helped send the Titans all the way to Super Bowl XXXIV.
Patriots vs. Raiders (Jan. 19, 2002)
This playoff game in a snowy Foxboro is famous for one controversial call. Late in the fourth quarter, Tom Brady appeared to fumble after being hit by Charles Woodson, and the Raiders recovered. After review, officials applied the “tuck rule” and ruled the play an incomplete pass.
The Patriots kept the ball, tied the game with a field goal, won in overtime, and later took the Super Bowl. The call was huge: it changed the outcome that night and is often pointed to as a turning point for the Patriots’ early 2000s run of titles. (The “tuck rule” itself was removed from NFL rules years later.)
Bills vs. Oilers (Jan. 3, 1993)
In playoff history, few comebacks top this one. The Buffalo Bills trailed the Houston Oilers 35–3 early in the third quarter of a Wild Card game. Backup QB Frank Reich led a furious rally. The Bills tied the game and won 41–38 in overtime. That 32-point comeback is the largest in NFL playoff history and remains a standout underdog moment, not just because they won, but because they won after looking finished.
Underdog Runs and Surprise Heroes
Sometimes the whole season becomes an underdog story. Other times, a player who was written off becomes the hero. These runs and people show how unexpected paths can lead to greatness.
Kurt Warner: From Grocery Store to Super Bowl MVP
Kurt Warner’s story reads like a movie. After college, he wasn’t picked up by an NFL team, worked stocking shelves, and played in the Arena Football League. He then got a shot with the St. Louis Rams and, after an injury to the starter, became the 1999 season’s starter.
Warner led the “Greatest Show on Turf,” won the NFL MVP award, and took the Rams to a Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XXXIV. His rise from anonymous to MVP makes him one of the purest underdog-to-superstar stories in NFL history.
Nick Foles and the 2017 Eagles: Backup Becomes Champion
Carson Wentz was the Eagles’ star in 2017 until a late-season ACL injury. Nick Foles, who had been brought back as a veteran backup, stepped in and ran a playoff run that ended with a Super Bowl LII win over the Patriots, 41–33. Foles threw for 373 yards and three touchdowns in the title game and earned Super Bowl MVP.
He went from bench player to city hero in a season, a clear example of how an injury can open the door for a surprising champion.
Underdog Runs That Define a Franchise
There are many seasons where teams start slow or are written off in the preseason and then go deep in January. Wild Card winners like the 2007 Giants or the 1999 Titans (who used the Music City Miracle on their run) show how the playoff brackets can reset expectations.
When a team wins three straight playoff games as a lower seed, those fans remember a whole season as an underdog triumph rather than one single game.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What makes a team an “underdog”?
A: An underdog is a team expected to lose. Betting lines, season record, injuries, and public opinion all help set that expectation. When a team with worse odds beats a stronger team, it’s called an upset. (Odds are often listed before big games and show who the favorite is.)
Q: Which Super Bowl upset was the biggest?
A: Two games often top lists: Super Bowl III (Jets over Colts) and Super Bowl XXXVI (Patriots over Rams, who were favored by about 14 points). Super Bowl LI (Patriots over Falcons) is also huge because it was the largest Super Bowl comeback. Which is “biggest” depends on whether you count point spread, season fairness, or historical impact.
Q: Are big comebacks the same as underdog wins?
A: Not always. A big comeback from late in a single game can be an underdog win in that moment. But underdog stories often mean a whole team or player overcame expectations across a season or during the playoffs. Super Bowl LI is both: the Patriots were behind 28–3 and became the underdog that fought back to win.
Q: Who are the most famous underdog quarterbacks?
A: Joe Namath (the guarantee), Kurt Warner (grocery bagger to MVP), Tom Brady (late-round pick to legend), and Nick Foles (backup who won a Super Bowl MVP) are often named. Each came from a low expectation or a non-obvious path and then succeeded when it mattered.
Q: Where can I read game box scores and official recaps?
A: For official box scores and stats, Pro-Football-Reference and NFL.com are reliable. Sports news sites like ESPN and the Associated Press give game recaps and play-by-play. I’ve linked to these sources throughout this article.
Conclusion
- Underdog stories are a big part of NFL life.
- They remind fans that games aren’t played on paper, they’re played on grass, by people who can surprise you.
- From a guaranteed upset in 1969 to last-second kicks, wild laterals, and backup quarterbacks who seize their moment, the league’s best tales blend skill, guts, and a little bit of chaos.
- For deeper detail, you can check box scores and game recaps, which give the exact dates, scores, and play details so you can follow each story play by play.
Read More
- NFL Players Who Overcame Career-Threatening Injuries To Make A Comeback
- How Jackie Robinson Changed American Sports Forever
- Greatest Super Bowl Moments That Shaped Football History
This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
