Super Bowl coin toss curse: Why Bengals and Rams might actually want to lose the coin toss this year

If it’s possible to lose the coin toss on purpose, the Los Angeles Rams might want to think about doing that on Sunday, because a coin toss curse has officially hit the Super Bowl. 

Since the start of the 2014 season, every team that has WON the coin toss in the Super Bowl has ended up LOSING the game. It’s automatic. Since the Rams are the visiting team in the Super Bowl this year, they’ll get to make the call when the coin is flipped before the game, and I have to say, if I were the Rams, I would simply call nothing to guarantee a loss (By the way, if you’re wondering why the Rams are the visiting team in their own stadium, it’s because the AFC and NFC alternate hosting duties every year with the AFC getting to be the home team in even-numbered Super Bowls, so the Bengals are the home team even though the game is in the Rams’ stadium). 

The coin toss curse started in Super Bowl XLIX and it has taken down every coin toss winner since then. It doesn’t matter who’s favored to win the game, it doesn’t matter who the home team is, it doesn’t even matter what you call on the coin flip, the curse shows no mercy for anyone. If you win the coin toss, you lose the game, it’s that simple. 

Going into Super Bowl XLIX between the Patriots and Seahawks, the coin toss winner had a 24-24 record in the Super Bowl (it was EXACTLY .500) but then the curse hit, and now, the coin toss winner is 24-31 all-time in Super Bowls. 

Here’s a look at each situation over the past seven years. 

Super Bowl XLIX: Patriots 28-24 over Seahawks
Coin toss winner: Seahawks

The curse hit the Seahawks first. In a game where the Patriots got to make the call on the coin flip, they went with heads, but the coin came up tails. If I know Bill Belichick like I know Belichick, he probably lost the toss on purpose because he knew the curse was going to start. That guy is one step ahead of everyone. The Patriots’ incorrect call meant that the Seahawks won the coin toss and of course, as I’ve already mentioned, if you win the toss, you’re destined to lose the game. 

The Seahawks didn’t lose because of Russell Wilson’s interception at the 1-yard line or because they refused to give the ball to Marshawn Lynch, they lost because they won the coin toss. The game was over it before it started. 

Wilson was no match for the coin toss curse. 

Super Bowl 50: Broncos 24-10 over Panthers
Coin toss winner: Panthers

One loss isn’t a big deal, but the curse continued in Super Bowl 50. Despite being favored by FIVE points, the Panthers lost to the Broncos 24-10 and yup, it was definitely because they won the coin toss. In that game, the Panthers called “tails” and tails came up. The Panthers are the biggest Vegas favorite to be taken down by the curse. 

Super Bowl LI: Patriots 34-28 over Falcons
Coin toss winner: Falcons

We all like to laugh about the fact that the Falcons blew a 28-3 lead in Super Bowl LI, but the truth is that they were going to lose no matter how big their lead was. THEY WON THE TOSS and the curse got them. They never had a chance. Like Super Bowl XLIX, the Patriots called heads in this Super Bowl, and once again, it came up tails, which gave the coin toss win to Atlanta. 

Super Bowl LII: Eagles 41-33 over Patriots
Coin toss winner: Patriots

One year later after beating the Falcons, the Patriots were back in the Super Bowl, but they didn’t get to make the call on the coin toss this time. Instead, that honor went to the Eagles, who called “tails.” The coin came up heads, which made the Patriots the winner, and as we all know by now, the winner is destined to lose the game. 

Super Bowl LIII: Patriots 13-3 over Rams
Coin toss winner: Rams

For the third time in five years, the Patriots got to make the call on the coin flip and for the third time in five years, they made the wrong call and as we all know by now, being wrong is the new right when it comes to the coin flip. I’m guessing Belichick had definitely cracked the code of the coin toss curse at this point and had his captains get the call wrong on purpose. That’s the only way you can lose three straight coin tosses when you have the call. 

Super Bowl LIV: Chiefs 31-20 over 49ers
Coin toss winner: 49ers

The 49ers called “tails” in this game and unfortunately for them, they won the toss because the coin came up tails. In this Super Bowl, the 49ers were actually leading by 10 points in the fourth quarter (20-10), but thanks to the coin toss curse, we all knew there was no way they were going to hold onto that lead. 

Super Bowl LV: Buccaneers 31-9 over Chiefs
Coin toss winner: Chiefs

The Chiefs called “heads” and then they had their heads taken off by the Buccaneers defense to make the coin toss curse seven for its last seven. 

Super Bowl LVI: Rams vs. Bengals

In a twist, both the Rams and Bengals are 11-9 in coin tosses this year. If the Rams are wondering what to call, tails has come up 29 times in the first 55 Super Bowls, which means heads has come up 26 times. Based on the law of averages, that means you probably don’t want to pick heads this year, but I hate laws and averages, so maybe tails is the right call. To be honest, I’m just glad I don’t have to make the call, because that seems like a lot of pressure. 

The bottom line here is that if you want to know who’s going to win the Super Bowl this year, you only really need to watch the coin toss, because after that’s over, we’ll know who the coin toss curse is coming for next.