Ranking the most surprising Super Bowl participants since 2000: These teams proved that anything is possible

It may be July, but there are at least several NFL fan bases who have already cashed out on the 2025 season as far as their team’s championship aspirations are concerned. 

Looking at the landscape of NFL teams, there are definitely a few teams (i.e. the Browns and Saints) that — at least on paper — that have a better shot at winning the lottery than playing in Super Bowl LIX. But if history has taught us anything, it’s to expect the unexpected, especially in the world of professional sports, where the next Cinderella story always seems to be just around the corner. 

NFL teams least likely to win Super Bowl this season

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The NFL has had its fair share of Cinderella stories since 2000. Specifically, there have been 10 instances where a team that could certainly be classified as a “Cinderella” made it to the big dance. Of those teams, five were able to win pro football’s most coveted prize. 

If you don’t think your team has a shot a winning Super Bowl LX, the following list of the most surprising Super Bowl teams since 2000 might change your mind. If nothing else, these teams are proof that David is still occasionally able to topple Goliath. 

10. Giants (2011 season)

New York had already proven four years earlier that they could win it all (more on that later), so Big Blue getting hot again in 2011 wasn’t a total shock. That being said, they absolutely deserve a spot on this list for several reasons. 

Let’s start with the fact that their 9-7 record is the worst of any Super Bowl champion. Couple that with the fact that they needed to defeat a formidable Cowboys team in Week 17 just to make the playoffs. New York won that game, then proceeded to dismantle Matt Ryan’s Falcons by 22 points in its wild-card playoff win over the Falcons. 

Aside from their record, what the Giants did and who they did it to during their final three games is what makes them one of the most surprising Super Bowl teams since 2000. 

In the divisional round, the Giants stunned league MVP Aaron Rodgers and the 15-1 Packers. They followed that up with a gritty upset win against a very good 49ers squad in the NFC Championship game. The Giants then captured the franchise’s second Super Bowl win in five seasons after once again defeating the best team this century in the New England Patriots. 

As was the case during their 2007 playoff run, the Giants again received stellar postseason play from quarterback Eli Manning, who threw nine touchdowns against just one in four games. The Giants’ defense also reprised their previous excellence of 2007, allowing just 56 points in the playoffs. The unit came up especially big against the Packers in the divisional round with four forced turnovers. 

Coming off a 7-8-1 season, the Panthers making a Super Bowl during the 2015 season wasn’t a total shock. The Panthers getting to the big game was still a surprise, but not as much as their 15-1 record that was the byproduct of several career seasons. 

The Panthers had two players who finished in the top-five in NFL Defensive Player of the Year voting in linebacker Luke Kuechly and cornerback Josh Norman. Carolina had a whopping 10 Pro Bowlers that year, including quarterback and league MVP Cam Newton, who became the first NFL player to throw at 35 touchdowns and run for 10 more in the same season. 

Facing the defending two-time defending NFC champion Seahawks in the divisional round, Carolina raced out to a 31-0 lead before hanging on for a 31-24 win. There was no coasting, however, against a talented Cardinals team the following week, as Carolina rolled to a 49-15 win that included seven forced turnovers. 

The Panthers’ magical season didn’t have a happy ending, though. While their defense played well, Carolina couldn’t overcome two strip-sacks by Broncos linebacker Von Miller that set up both of Denver’s touchdowns in an eventual 24-10 loss. 

8. Giants (2000 season)

It wasn’t Joe Namath, but Jim Fassel made a pretty notable guarantee 11 games into the 2000 season. After dropping consecutive games to fall to 7-4, New York’s coach predicted that his team would make the playoffs for the first time since 1997. Fassel’s words proved prophetic after Big Blue ended the season on a five-game winning streak. 

The Giants’ winning streak reached seven games after New York defeated its first two playoff opponents by a combined score of 61-0. After handing Andy Reid his first-ever playoff loss as a head coach in the divisional round, the Giants eviscerated a talented Vikings team, 41-0, for the right to play in Super Bowl XXXV. 

No Giants’ player symbolized that team’s surprising success than quarterback Kerry Collins, who enjoyed a career rebirth that year that included his five-touchdown performance in New York’s win over the Vikings. The Super Bowl was a different story, however, as Collins and his offensive teammates were simply no match for Ray Lewis and the Ravens’ historically dominant defense. The Giants lost, 35-7, with New York’s only touchdown coming on a special teams score. 

7. Giants (2007 season)

While they ultimately pulled off one of the greatest upsets in sports history, the Giants were coming off a playoff season, which is why they aren’t higher on this list. That being said, not many people were picking the Giants to do much in 2007. Tiki Barber, the team’s best offensive player, retired that offseason, and future Hall of Fame pass rusher Michael Strahan held out during training camp. 

But after an 0-2 start, New York won six straight games by an average margin of 12.2 points per game. While they split their final eight regular season games, the Giants entered the playoffs with momentum after nearly upsetting the then-undefeated Patriots in Week 17. 

Riding an efficient offense and an opportunistic defense, New York won three straight road playoff games that included an upset over the rival Cowboys and an overtime thriller in what turned out to be Brett Favre’s final game as the Packers quarterback. That victory included a herculean effort by Giants wideout Plaxico Burress, who caught 11 passes for 152 yards. 

New York’s players famously wore all-black during its trip to Arizona for its Super Bowl rematch with New England. Giants players said they were dressing for a funeral, which would turn out to be the death of the Patriots’ perfect season. 

Both teams scored on their opening drives before waging a scoreless slugfest for the next two 30 minutes. The Giants took the lead early in the fourth quarter, only to lose it with less than three minutes to play when Tom Brady hit Randy Moss for a touchdown. That score set the stage for one of the most dramatic plays in Super Bowl history, as Eli Manning’s improbable helmet completion to David Tyree set up Manning’s game-winning touchdown pass to Burress with 35 seconds left. 

Brady, who had been hounded by the Giants’ pass rush all night, nearly stole back the game when he launched a deep pass downfield to Moss in the game’s final seconds. But Brady’s pass was just beyond Moss’ reach, and when the two disconnected on the next play, the Giants had completed the NFL’s biggest upset since the Jets‘ shocking win over the Colts in Super Bowl III. 

6. Arizona Cardinals (2008 season)

After a 5-11 season in 2006, the Cardinals were vastly better in 2007, going 8-8 during Ken Whisenhunt’s first year as Arizona’s coach. Despite that success, the Cardinals were largely an afterthought entering the 2008 season. 

After edging Matt Ryan’s Falcons in the wild-card round, the Cardinals were finally considered serious contenders after they upset the Panthers in the divisional round behind Larry Fitzgerald’s 166 receiving yards. The Cardinals then punched their improbable Super Bowl ticket after defeating Donavan McNabb and the rest of the Eagles in the NFC title game. Fitzgerald had another big game, tallying 152 yards and three touchdown catches. 

The Cardinals then stood toe-to-toe with the favored Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII. Trailing 20-7 in the second half, Arizona rallied to take the lead following a pair of touchdown passes from Kurt Warner to Fitzgerald, who had yet another big game with 127 receiving yards. The Steelers, though, provided the game’s final heroics when Ben Roethlisberger capped off an 88-yard drive with his game-winning touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes. 

While his team came up short, Fitzgerald made NFL postseason history by tallying 546 receiving yards in Arizona’s four playoff games. The Cardinals are still awaiting their next trip to the big game. 

5. Carolina Panthers (2003 season)

Carolina entered the 2003 season having not made the playoffs since 1996, its second year of existence. Despite going a respectable 7-9 in 2002 (following a nightmarish 1-15 season in 2001), not many people were high on the Panthers’ playoff chances in 2003, largely due to questions at the quarterback position. 

Those questions were answered midway through Carolina’s first regular season game, as Jake Delhomme replaced Rodney Pete at halftime and led the Panthers to a come-from-behind win over Jacksonville. Led by Delhomme, a talented group of skill players (that included wideouts Steve Smith Sr., Muhsin Muhammad and running back Stephen Davis) and a defense that finished 10th in the NFL in points allowed, Carolina rolled to an 11-5 record before defeating the Cowboys, Rams and Eagles in the NFC playoffs. The win over the Rams included a dramatic walk-off when Delhomme hit Smith for a 69-yard score on the first play of overtime. 

Carolina gave the favored Patriots everything they could handle in Super Bowl XXXVIII. The two teams combined for a Super Bowl record 37 points in the fourth quarter, with Carolina briefly taking the lead on Muhammad’s 85-yard touchdown catch. But a botched kickoff after Carolina tied the score late set up the Patriots’ game-winning field goal with four seconds left. 

Cincinnati went from 4-11-1 to the Super Bowl in one year. How did it do it? A healthy Joe Burrow (who missed most of the second half of his rookie season after getting injured) played a huge role in that, along with several key offseason additions, especially then-rookie wideout Ja’Marr Chase and free agent acquisition Trey Hendrickson. 

After a 5-4 start, Cincinnati got hot after its Week 10 bye, winning five of its first seven games after the reset that included a 34-31 win over the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs in Week 17 that clinched the franchise’s first division title in six years. 

In the playoffs, Cincinnati earned the “Cardiac Cats” moniker after winning three games that came down to the wire. Trailing 21-3 in the AFC Championship game, the Bengals stormed back to stun the Chiefs in overtime. Burrow made several clutch plays during Cincinnati’s comeback, while his defense harassed Mahomes all day, sacking him four times and intercepting him twice. 

Unfortunately for the Bengals, their biggest Achilles heel — the offensive line — came back to bite them against the Rams in Super Bowl LVI. The Rams sacked Burrow seven times and forced him into a hurried incomplete pass on Cincinnati’s final offensive play that sealed Los Angeles’ 23-20 win. 

3. Philadelphia Eagles (2017 season)

Philadelphia winning the Super Bowl a year after going 7-9 was surprising enough. Its unforgettable Super Bowl run is even more remarkable when you consider it did it with a backup quarterback. 

In his second season, Carson Wentz led the Eagles to an 11-2 start and was a trendy pick to win league MVP. Wentz’s magical season came to an abrupt end after he suffered a season-ending injury Week 14, thus leaving the Eagles to turn to journeymen Nick Foles to keep their season afloat. Foles responded by putting up decent numbers while helping the Eagles to a 2-1 finish to the regular season. 

Foles, who had been a Pro Bowler in Philadelphia four years earlier, elevated his game to an unforeseen level in the postseason. In three contests, Foles threw for 971 yards, completed 72.6% of his passes and connected on six touchdowns against just one pick. Against the Vikings in the NFC title game, Wentz completed an absurd 78.8% of his passes for 352 yards and three touchdowns while leading the Eagles to a 38-7 triumph. 

In Super Bowl LII, Foles won an epic shootout against Tom Brady, who in a losing effort threw for a Super Bowl record 505 yards. But his performance was overshadowed by Foles, who threw for 373 yards and three touchdowns. His most memorable play was his touchdown catch on the now famous “Philly Special.” 

Foles was great, but the Eagles’ Super Bowl run was anything but a one-man show. Philadelphia also received big contributions that season from defensive end Brandon Graham, safety Malcolm Jenkins, tight end Zach Ertz and center Jason Kelce, just to name a few. 

2. Baltimore Ravens (2000 season)

The 2000 Ravens are the definition of a perfect storm, as they took full advantage of a transitional period in the NFL. With the last generation of great quarterbacks retiring and the next generation just getting started, the Ravens won it all by leaning on a dominant defense and a powerful running game. 

Really, calling Baltimore’s defense dominant is selling that group short. Just how great were they? So good that the Ravens went 12-4 during the regular season despite their offense going five consecutive weeks at one point without scoring a touchdown. 

Led by its defense (which was led by Hall of Famers Ray Lewis and Rod Woodson), Baltimore cruised through the playoffs, outscoring its opponents 105-23. They completely overwhelmed the Giants in the Super Bowl, forcing five turnovers and holding New York to 152 total yards. Running back Jamal Lewis rumbled for 102 yards and a touchdown, while quarterback Trent Dilfer — considered a weak link by many throughout the season — showed his worth by firing a 38-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Stokley midway through the first quarter. 

The Ravens’ Super Bowl win was surprising largely due to the fact that the franchise had not had a winning season since moving from Cleveland to Baltimore four years earlier. In many ways, that season jumpstarted the Ravens to becoming the franchise it is today. 

1. New England Patriots (2001 season)

While they ultimately became a dynasty, the Patriots’ historic run of success started with an unfathomable Super Bowl run. 

Coming off a 5-11 season, the 2001 Patriots lost their first two games. Near the end of their second loss, New England lost franchise quarterback Drew Bledsoe after he endured a wicked hit that led to him being hospitalized. His backup, Tom Brady, finished the game and would be the Patriots starting quarterback until Bledsoe was healthy enough to return. That’s what everyone thought, at least. 

Brady played well in his first career start, a 44-13 thumping over Peyton Manning’s Colts. While he wasn’t setting the world on fire, Brady continued to provide steady, largely mistake-free play at the quarterback position over the ensuing weeks, and New England was winning games. Everyone knew this was headed towards a major decision for head coach Bill Belichick as Bledsoe neared a return. 

Ironically, Belichick named Brady the starter after a loss to the Rams in Week 10. While Belichick’s decision was heavily scrutinized at the time, history has clearly proven that he made the right choice. 

The 2001 Patriots didn’t lose another game that season. They finished the regular season with an 11-5 record, overcame a 10-point deficit (and Charles Woodson’s apparent strip sack of Brady that was surprisingly overturned) against the Raiders in the divisional round and upset the Steelers in the AFC title game despite Brady exiting the game early with an injury. Bledsoe came in for the first time since Week 2 and threw a touchdown pass to help punch the Patriots’ Super Bowl ticket. 

Bledsoe’s performance that day ignited another quarterback controversy in the week leading up to the Super Bowl. But once again, Belichick gave the ball to his former sixth-round pick, and he was again rewarded for his decision. 

Facing the heavily-favored Rams, the Patriots led 17-3 in the fourth quarter before St. Louis rallied to tie the score with 90 seconds left. Instead of settling for overtime, the Patriots gave Brady a chance to win the game in regulation. Brady did just that, as he masterfully led New England’s two-minute offense with five clutch completions. The completions set up Adam Vinatieri’s game-winning field goal as time expired, thus completing the most unexpected Super Bowl win of the 21st century. 

Each of these teams are an example of what can happen when an underdog gets hot. Who knows, the same thing could happen to the 2025 Panthers, Browns, Titans or another team that isn’t expected to do much this season. 

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Author: Bryan DeArdo
July 18, 2025 | 9:40 am