(Sept. 27, 2005) -- The world is guided by events in which people make the most of their opportunities. The NFL is no different.
In the past 10 seasons, every Super Bowl champion has placed within the league's top 10 teams in scoring points off of turnovers. Eight of those 10 scored more than 100 points off opponents' miscues.
A look at these 10 Super Bowl-winning teams and where they stood in points scored off of turnovers:
| Season | Team | Points off turnovers | League rank |
| 2004 | New England Patriots | 130 | 2nd |
| 2003 | New England Patriots | 109 | T-6th |
| 2002 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 123 | T-1st |
| 2001 | New England Patriots | 105 | T-7th |
| 2000 | Baltimore Ravens | 119 | 3rd |
| 1999 | St. Louis Rams | 142 | 1st |
| 1998 | Denver Broncos | 111 | 5th |
| 1997 | Denver Broncos | 120 | 2nd |
| 1996 | Green Bay Packers | 132 | 2nd |
| 1995 | Dallas Cowboys | 95 | T-9th |
While stifling an opponents' possession, turnovers shift a game's momentum. Points scored on those opportunities can be the difference between a win and a loss.
Through three games, the Cincinnati Bengals (3-0) can already trace 50 of their AFC-high 88 points back to opponents' turnovers -- the greatest number of points off turnovers thus far in 2005. Cincinnati leads the NFL with 16 takeaways -- seven more than the next closest team.
"You have to make plays to overcome your turnovers," says Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis. "It probably doesn't happen very often in the NFL, which is why turnover ratio seems to be so significant.
"When you're on the plus side, you're getting yourself off the field defensively, limiting your exposure to bad things happening to you. And you give your offense more opportunities to make bad things happen to the opposing team. You want to play defense on the sidelines. That's the best way to play defense."
Below is a 10-year view of teams' records within varying degrees of the giveaway/takeaway differential:
| Season | Minus-3 or worse | Minus-2 | Minus-1 | Even | Plus-1 | Plus-2 | Plus-3 or more |
| 2004 | 4-61 | 8-44 | 29-57 | 53-53 | 57-29 | 44-8 | 61-4 |
| 2003 | 4-61 | 7-52 | 29-53 | 50-50 | 53-29 | 52-7 | 61-4 |
| 2002 | 4-57 | 12-60 | 22-57-1 | 43-43 | 57-22-1 | 60-12 | 57-4 |
| 2001 | 7-55 | 15-46 | 34-41 | 50-50 | 41-34 | 46-15 | 55-7 |
| 2000 | 9-62 | 6-50 | 26-59 | 36-36 | 59-26 | 50-6 | 62-9 |
| 1999 | 8-62 | 9-41 | 29-54 | 45-45 | 54-29 | 41-9 | 62-8 |
| 1998 | 7-53 | 11-40 | 26-57 | 46-46 | 57-26 | 40-11 | 53-7 |
| 1997 | 5-45 | 8-50-1 | 27-54-1 | 49-49 | 54-27-1 | 50-8-1 | 45-5 |
| 1996 | 4-53 | 8-48 | 28-52 | 47-47 | 52-28 | 48-8 | 53-4 |
| 1995 | 3-49 | 9-44 | 28-57 | 50-50 | 57-28 | 44-9 | 49-3 |
| TOTALS | 55-558 | 93-475-1 | 278-541-2 | 469-469 | 541-278-2 | 475-93-1 | 558-55 |
| WIN PCT. | .090 | .164 | .340 | .500 | .660 | .836 | .910 |
