Super Bowl Record for Most Fumbles Lost

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Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly (12) looks for an open receiver first quarter action against the Dallas Cowboys at Super Bowl XXVIII in the Georgia Dome, Sunday, Jan. 30, 1994. The Cowboys defeated the Bills 30-13.
(AP Photo/Eric Draper)
Chase Kiddy @chaseakiddy Feb 11, 2024, 7:30 PM

The record for most fumbles lost in a single Super Bowl is eight. The Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Bills combined for eight lost fumbles โ€” and 12 total fumbles โ€” in Super Bowl XXVII.

Most Fumbles in a Super Bowl By a Player

No NFL player has ever had more than three fumbles lost in a single Super Bowl. Three different quarterbacks share the unfortunate single-game record.

Initially, it was Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach in Super Bowl X who set the record with three lost fumbles. The Steelers won 21-17, continuing the Steel Curtain dynasty.ย 

Then, 16 years later, Jim Kelly lost three fumbles against Washington in Super Bowl XXVI. The Redskins won 37-24.ย 

Just one year later, Kelly and the Bills were back in the Super Bowl. But as you may know, the tale of the 90s Billsโ€™ Super Bowl appearances is not a happy one.ย 

Kelly had already turned the ball over three times by the early part of the second quarter, and thatโ€™s when he took a sack from Cowboys linebacker Ken Norton Jr. Kellyโ€™s knee was reinjured, forcing him from the game. Backup Frank Reich entered.

So just one year after Kelly had fumbled three times, and in a new Super Bowl where Kelly had already turned the ball over three times, Frank Reich proceeded to fumble three times of his own, joining his teammate on an ignominious historical list.

The Cowboys ultimately won 52-17 after an avalanche of nine total Buffalo turnovers.ย 

The obvious lesson that you probably didnโ€™t need to hear from me: Itโ€™s hard to win the Super Bowl when you turn the ball over several times.ย 

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About the Author

Chase Kiddy

Read More @chaseakiddy

Chase Kiddy is a writer for BetMGM and co-host of The Lion's Edge, an NFL and college football podcast available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and everywhere else. He has also written for a number of print and online outlets, including the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Washington Post, Daily News-Record, and HERO Sports. His first novel, Cave Paintings, is in development.

Chase Kiddy is a writer for BetMGM and co-host of The Lion's Edge, an NFL and college football podcast available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and everywhere else. He has also written for a number of print and online outlets, including the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Washington Post, Daily News-Record, and HERO Sports. His first novel, Cave Paintings, is in development.