How fast was the quickest score in Super Bowl history? Revisiting Super Bowl XLVIII

There are two ways to judge the quickest score in an NFL game. One way is to look at the time taken from kickoff to the first score, while the other is to judge it based on the number of snaps.

Devin Hester of the Chicago Bears scored after the opening kickoff of Super Bowl XLI after sprinting for 14 seconds from one end of the field to the other.

However, Seahawks defensive end Cliff Avril scored a safety on the first play from scrimmage in 12 seconds in Super Bowl XLVIII at MetLife Stadium and beat Hester's record.

Denver began the first play from scrimmage with 14:53 remaining because kickoff returner Trindon Holliday didn't run as Hester did on his return. The safety followed five seconds later, which ultimately scripted history.

If a returner takes the initial kickoff at the 1-yard line and makes the error of downing the ball in the end zone, it is conceivable to obtain a faster score than that and even a faster safety.

Hester's dash covered a lot more distance than the 92 yards he was given credit for, going from one side of the field to the other. It is probably more likely that someone could return a kickoff for a score in under 12 seconds.

Devin Hester's one-play into the game, however, is unbeatable in terms of fewest plays for a score.

What was the outcome of Super Bowl XLVIII?

The Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks contested Super Bowl XLVIII to take home the Vince Lombardi Trophy. The Seahawks' 43-8 victory over the Broncos was the biggest margin of victory for an underdog and tied Super Bowl XXVII for the third-largest points differential in Super Bowl history.

It was the first time a team outscored its opponents by more than 40 points while limiting them to fewer than 10 points. The Broncos suffered their fifth Super Bowl defeat, which was a league record at the time, while the Seahawks won their first Super Bowl.

With a 13-3 record, the Seahawks were playing in their second Super Bowl in nine years.

Seattle had a 22-0 halftime advantage and eventually built a 36-0 lead. The previous record was 24-0, which was shared by the Miami Dolphins over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl VIII and the Washington Redskins over the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXVI. It was by far the greatest shutout lead in Super Bowl history.

Peyton Manning, the five-time NFL MVP and quarterback for the Broncos, tossed two interceptions in the opening period. Malcolm Smith of the Seahawks, a linebacker, was awarded Super Bowl MVP after returning one of those interceptions 69 yards for a touchdown, recovering a fumble, and making nine tackles.

The game was broadcast by Fox in the US, with an average of 111.5 million viewers and a peak of 115.3 million during the halftime performance by Bruno Mars.

The game briefly held the record for the most-watched American television broadcast of all time before being surpassed by Super Bowl XLIX the following year.