Last year, thanks to a free offer from NFL GamePass, the miracle of YouTube, and unending self-isolation, I rewatched 53 of the first 54 Super Bowls. I have always had a love for the game, but this experience gave me a newfound appreciation for the legends who helped shape the modern NFL. The Super Bowl is the greatest event in American professional sports and arguably the biggest annual non-holiday tradition in the nation. Of the four major leagues, winning the Super Bowl seems to have the biggest influence over how players are remembered and treated throughout their careers and after their retirement. Every play feels like it has the potential to change football forever.
I was surprised to find that many of the games from the first thirty years were snoozers. The last two decades have spoiled us with unforgettable gems, including an unreal stretch from 2007-2011 in which four games featured 4th-quarter game-winning drives. But for every nail-biter, there has been a 52-17 trouncing. For every Brees vs. Manning there has been a Dilfer vs. Collins.
I watched them all. From the Blunder Bowl to the Blackout Bowl. The Drive to the Helmet Catch. The Doomsday Defense to the Legion of Boom. Bradshaw to Big Ben. Starr to Rodgers. Morrall to Manning. Brady to...still Brady, somehow.
Below I rank each game, from worst to first. What tops the list? Which games shocked in their competitiveness? Which games disappointed?
Also included are some entertaining screenshots from the live broadcasts and fun facts about each game.
57. Super Bowl XXXV: Ravens (34) vs Giants (7)
Not game stats. Postseason stats.
Upset: No
Ties/Lead Changes: 0
Fun Fact: Brian Billick fined any player who used the word “playoffs” during the season. Instead, they called it “Festivus.”
THAT Guy Fact: Shannon Sharpe won a ring with this Ravens team. Huh!?
This game was interesting for three plays that eclipsed 36 seconds. 49-yard pick six, 97-yard kickoff return for a TD, 84-yard kickoff return for a TD. Back-to-back-to-back plays. 36 seconds out of 3,600. Dilfer vs. Kerry Collins is like the anti-Brady vs. Mahomes, and at one point Dilfer hurt his pinky (not broken, just hurt) and we got Tony Banks. It was atrocious, not close, not fun, not entertaining, and the star of the game had just pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice. Terrible product by the NFL.
56. Super Bowl XXIV: 49ers (55) vs Broncos (10)
Upset: No
Ties/Lead Changes: 0
Fun Fact: San Fran defenders were so convinced they were being held that they made staffers tighten their jerseys on the sidelines.
The Broncos had already gotten thrashed so many times in the big game that, similar to the Vikings, you were filled with disappointment from the moment they took the field. The AFC during the 80’s and 90’s had zero chance against the might of the 49er and Cowboy dynasties.
55. Super Bowl XLVIII: Seahawks (43) vs Broncos (8)
Upset: Yes (Broncos by 2)
Ties/Lead Changes: 0
Fun Fact: Orange Crush? More like Orange Mush. Broncos fell to 0-4 in their orange jerseys.
THAT Guy Fact: Tavaris Jackson threw a pass!
As satisfying as it was to watch Manning get humilated on the sport’s biggest stage, it would have been even better if the game didn’t end 12 seconds after it started.
54. Super Bowl XX: Bears (46) vs Patriots (10)
Upset: No
Ties/Lead Changes: 1/1
Fun Fact: Patriots became the only team in NFL history to finish 3rd in their division and make the Super Bowl.
THAT Guy Fact: McMahon is an Irish surname that unironically translates to “son of the bear.”
A mismatch in every phase, there was no way the Patriots were winning this but they did lead 3-0 to start the game. That’s more than the losing teams in the previously ranked games can say.
53. Super Bowl XI: Raiders (32) vs Vikings (14)
Super Bowl XI MVP WR Fred Biletnikoff (4Rec, 79Yds)
Upset: No
Ties/Lead Changes: 0
Fun Fact: This matchup was between the two teams with the best win% over the previous 8 seasons.
After losing five AFCCG, John Madden finally makes the big game and demolishes a Vikings team that was always just good enough to get their asses beat in the Super Bowl every few years. The Raiders were a dirty team and so vicious that they weren’t even fun to watch.
52. Super Bowl XXXVII: Bucs (48) vs Raiders (21)
Upset: Yes (Raiders by 4)
Ties/Lead Changes: 1/1
Fun Fact: The Raiders did not change any of their plays after Gruden left. John Lynch, mic’d up for Tampa Bay, couldn’t believe it and can be heard saying every play was something Gruden prepared them for in practice.
THAT Guy Fact: Jerry Rice, amazingly, played in this game as an Oakland Raider and did not catch a pass until the third quarter. Bold strategy.
Gruden took a Bucs team built by Tony Dungy and used it to murder the Raiders team he had “built” in cold blood. On paper, this was #1 offense vs. #1 defense. In reality, it was one of the most forgettable Super Bowl matchups ever. Oak had zero fire. Neither team was relevent for the next 15 years.
51. Super Bowl VI: Cowboys (24) vs Dolphins (3)
Upset: No
Ties/Lead Changes: 0
Fun Fact: The Dolphins were forced to run a play drawn up by…Richard Nixon!
Fresh off a gut-wrenching defeat in Super Bowl V, the Cowboys and Tom Landry spark an NFC dynasty that will dominate the conference for decades to come. The league had not developed much beyond run first, pass maybe, so teams that fell behind in these games had very little chance of mounting serious comebacks, taking the drama out early.
50. Super Bowl XII: Cowboys (27) vs Broncos (10)
Upset: No
Ties/Lead Changes: 0
Fun Fact: This was the final game in the 14-game era.
Craig Morton had lost his job to Roger Staubach. Now they faced off in the Super Bowl. But it was Tom Landry’s Doomsday Defense that won the day against the outclassed and undisciplined Broncos in Denver’s first big game appearance. Denver is easily the worst team to watch in a Super Bowl (most of their games are here in the 40’s and 50’s).
49. Super Bowl XXXIII: Broncos (34) vs Falcons (19)
Upset: No
Ties/Lead Changes: 0/1
Fun Fact: This was Elway’s last NFL game. He finished his career with more Super Bowl rushing TDs than passing TDs.
THAT Guy Fact: Atlanta punter Dan Stryzinski was nicknamed “The Hangman” which has to be the coolest nickname for a punter ever.
Bonus Fun Fact: Eugene Robinson won the award for “high moral character” the same night he was arrested for soliciting a prostitute. Chef’s kiss.
The Falcons had no business beating the Vikings in the championship game and as a result we had to witness yet another Super Bowl beatdown. The highlights of this game came from the booth, with John Madden delivering an all-time quote: “If you want to be great, you have to strive to be perfect.” Not to be outdone, at one point the legendary Pat Summerall asks Madden: “How many bologne sandwiches do you think you’ve eaten?” Yeah…the game was pretty boring.
48. Super Bowl XVIII: Raiders (38) vs Washington (9)
Upset: Yes (Washington by 3)
Ties/Lead Changes: 0
Fun Fact: Through eighteen games, the team that scored first was 15-3
Marcus Allen’s 74-yard TD on a busted play is one of the best plays in Super Bowl history, but apart from that nothing about this game or these teams had any personality or excitement. The Raiders black uniforms were great and the upset over the defending champs was impressive, but not too fun to watch.
47. Super Bowl XXIX: 49ers (49) vs Chargers (26)
Upset: No
Ties/Lead Changes: 0
Fun Fact: This game marked a surprising pair of firsts. After 29-years, we have our first successful 2-point converstion, and for the first time a commercial cost over a million dollars to air.
THAT Guy Fact: This was Gale Gilbert’s fifth-consecutive Super Bowl. He lost all five.
Four-time pro-bowler Junior Seau (in 1994…HOW?) was not enough to prevent San Fran from covering a preposterous 18.5-point spread. Many felt that the NFCCGs of this era between the ‘9ers and Cowboys were the real championship games.
46. Super Bowl XIX: 49ers (38) vs Dolphins (16)
Upset: No
Ties/Lead Changes: 0/3
Fun Fact: Announcers remarked that the no-huddle offense was “a bit of trickery.” Obviously the passing attack had a ways to go yet.
Shula/Marino vs. Walsh/Montana should have been one for the ages, and the combined 33-3 record for the two teams is still an NFL record, but three straight 2nd quarter TDs by SF put this one away before half. All three lead changes occurred in the first 20 minutes. Marino never played for another Lombardi.
45. Super Bowl XL: Steelers (21) vs Seahawks (10)
Upset: No
Ties/Lead Changes: 0/1
Fun Fact: The Seahawks did not run a single play out of the shotgun formation all season.
Not well played by either team. Terrible uniform matchup. No rhythm. Bad pacing. Few stars. Best remembered for poor officiating, though the controversial call appeared to be correct from my view (and I was rooting for Seattle in that game). I’d argue the biggest reason Seattle lost was clock mismanagement and a missed field goal at the end of the first half.
44. Super Bowl I: Packers (35) vs Chiefs (10)
Upset: No
Ties/Lead Changes:0
Fun Fact: The two teams used different footballs on offense since the AFL played with Spalding and the NFL used Wilson.
THAT Guy Fact: Max McGee didn’t expect to play, so he got hammered the night before. Hungover as can be, McGee caught 7 for 138 and two touchdowns in relief of injured star Boyd Dowler.
In a half-empty stadium, two teams from different leagues came together in a game that felt like an exhibition match. Broadcasted by two different networks, the AFL/NFL Championship game would soon evolve into the greatest event in American sports. The NFL Films reconstruction is well done but doesn’t allow you to really get into the pace of the game. Enjoy it more as historical footage vs. a rewatch.
43. Super Bowl XXII: Washington (42) vs Broncos (10)
Upset: Yes (Broncos by 3)
Ties/Lead Changes: 0/1
Fun Fact: Washington was the first team to erase a 10-point deficit. They did so by scoring 35 unanswered points in the 2nd quarter.
Doug Williams didn’t just become the first black QB to win a Super Bowl. He did so by breaking the SB record for most passing yards and most passing TDs in a single game. The first half was really something to behold, but the final 30 minutes was basically just running out the clock.
42. Super Bowl XXVII: Cowboys (52) vs Bills (17)
Upset: No
Ties/Lead Changes: 1/1
(Not so) Fun Fact: This game was originally to be played in Arizona but was moved to the Rose Bowl when the state refused to acknowledge MLK Day.
THAT Guy Fact: This game is best remembered for Don Beebe’s chase down of Leon Lett despite the game already being well out of reach for Buffalo. Truly in inspirational play.
Of all the blowouts, this one was most impressive. Dallas built a dynasty by trading RB Hershel Walker for five players and eight draft picks and then using those picks to draft Troy Aikman in ‘89 and Emmitt Smith in ‘90. Add them to Irvin (drafted in ‘88) and the team that took the field and forced nine turnovers was something to behold.
41. Super Bowl XXVI: Washington (37) vs Bills (24)
Upset: No
Ties/Lead Changes: 0
Fun Fact: BUF D-line coach Chuck Dickerson was fired after the game for mocking the WAS offensive line, known as “The Hogs.” The Hogs laid waste to his unit all day, with 40 rushing attempts and no sacks allowed.
This game got so out of hand that by the time the 4th-quarter rolled around the kids of the players were playing around with their dads on the sidelines. It was the smallest venue and (until SBLV) the lowest attendance in the history of the game. It just wasn’t that great of a Super Bowl.
40. Super Bowl IX: Steelers (16) vs Vikings (6)
Upset: No
Ties/Lead Changes: 0
Fun Fact: This was the first Super Bowl with posts in the back of the endzone.
Score was 2-0 at halftime and 9-6 late in the 4th, but there was never a sense that the Vikings could pull this out. The Purple People Eaters were no match for the Steel Curtain, with unreal young talent that would continue winning Super Bowls for years to come.
39. Super Bowl LV: Buccaneers (31) vs. Chiefs (9)
Upset: Yes (Chiefs by 3)
Ties/Lead Changes: 0/1
Fun Fact: Patrick Mahomes was pressured a Super Bowl record 29 times. The previous record was Jim Kelly (25) in XXVI.
Bonus Fun Fact: Through 2020, Peyton Manning had missed six seasons in the 21st century. Brady made the Super Bowl in five of those seasons.
Bonus Bonus Fun Fact: Only three teams have failed to score a touchdown in the Super Bowl. Brady has beaten two of them.
The expectations for this QB matchup were through the roof. But akin to Marino vs. Montana or Kelly vs. Aikman, the fans were treated to a blowout instead of a nailbiter. The franchise matchup already wasn’t that great (Tampa Bay came in with the worst win% of any team in any major American sport), and the uniform matchup was dull. The game needed Mahomes and Brady to go berzerk. Neither did. Defense truly does win championships, and Todd Bowles dialed up a defensive performance for the ages. Suh, Pierre-Paul, Barrett and White feasted on a depleted O-line and Mahomes’s body slowly broke down as the game went on, limping on a foot that would require surgery for turf toe in the offseason. For the historical impact (i.e. Brady’s legacy) and the star power, the game maybe ranks higher than it should. Time will likely bury this one the way it did the Bucs’ first championship.
38. Super Bowl XXVIII: Cowboys (30) vs Bills (13)
Upset: No
Ties/Lead Changes: 2/2
Fun Fact: NBC broadcast consecutive Super Bowls when no other network bid on the game. Imagine?
THAT Guy Fact: Buffalo made their way to a 4th consecutive Super Bowl by beating none other than Joe Montana (KC) in the AFCCG.
Therman Thomas fumbed twice, leading to 10 Dallas points, in a game that was led by Buffalo 13-6 at halftime. By game #4 in the Bills Super Bowl quadrilogy, it was assumed by fans and media alike that Jimmie Johnson and Emmitt Smith would eventually humiliate Buffalo yet again. And they did. Leon Lett forced another turnover, only this time it was returned for a touchdown.
37. Super Bowl XV: Raiders (27) vs Eagles (10)
Upset: Yes (Eagles by 3)
Ties/Lead Changes: 0
Fun Fact: Al Davis went to his grave believing Pete Rozelle and the league were out to get the Raiders, sabatoging them whenever possible.
THAT Guy Fact: Gene Upshaw played in a Super Bowl with the Raiders in the 60s, 70s, and 80s.
From location to logo to jerseys to game itself, this Super Bowl was bleak and boring from the jump. The Eagles played tight in their first big game and the highlight was when a Philly player got so frustrated that he picked up a flag and threw it at a ref.
36. Super Bowl 50: Broncos (24) vs Panthers (10)
Upset: Yes (Panthers by 5.5)
Ties/Lead Changes: 0
Fun Fact: Manning went to four Super Bowls, but never with the same head coach (Dungy, Caldwell, Fox, Kubiak).
Bonus Fun Fact: Both head coaches had been in Super Bowls as players. Their head coaches during those games were also players who had been in Super Bowls.
Bonus Bonus Fun Fact: DEN coach Gary Kubiak was John Elway’s backup QB. Elway hired him to coach the same team they both had played for.
THAT Guy Fact: Jared Allen sighting!
A terrible no-catch call in the 1st quarter screwed Carolina out of a big first down and led to a strip-sack TD two plays later. It is an unavoidable scar on this game for any unbiased viewer. It shook Newton’s confidence, gave the Denver defense momentum, and allowed the shell of Peyton Manning to hoist a Lombardi for a team that failed to break 200 offensive yards.
35. Super Bowl II: Packers (33) vs Raiders (14)
Upset: No
Ties/Lead Changes: 0
Fun Fact: Super Bowl II is (as of this writing) the only Super Bowl of which there is no complete copy of the game.
34. Super Bowl XLI: Colts (29) vs Bears (17)
Upset: No
Ties/Lead Changes: 0/1
Fun Fact(s): Chicago and Indy are just 182 miles apart, making it the closest Super Bowl matchup ever. It’s also the first SB where every player on both teams wore black cleats.
History remembers this as a mismatch and a beatdown, and even Peyton said the Colts could have won by 70. The fact is the Bears were 13-3 and averaging the same amount of PPG as the Colts (26.7). Injuries hit their defense in the postseason and yet CHI still went up 14-6 and held the Colts offense to just 6 points in the 2nd half. If Manning could have put up 70, why didn’t he?
33. Super Bowl XXX: Cowboys (27) vs Steelers (17)
Upset: No
Ties/Lead Changes: 0
Fun Fact: This is the last Super Bowl to be played in a stadium featuring bleacher seats and the last to be played in a college stadium.
The nicest thing to say about this game was that it was closer than anyone expected (DAL only led by 3 with four minutes left). At no point did it feel like Pittsburgh was going to win. The mystique of the PIT/DAL rivalry was completely absent. PIT played lethargic, uninspired football. Their offense led long molasses drives and Neil O’Donnell (who?) could not pass. You’re just begging the Steelers to score to make it interesting. Sadly for you, they don’t until it’s too late. And sadly for Dallas, Jimmie Johnson had been fired by Jerry Jones in a drunken rage and replacement Barry Switzer would never become much at the pro level, effectively ending the Dallas dynasty.
32. Super Bowl LIII: Patriots (13) vs Rams (3)
Upset: No
Ties/Lead Changes: 1/0
Fun Fact: The first SB to ever go into the 4th without a TD.
Bonus Fun Fact: The record for most punts in a SB was set the year after the fewest punts in a SB was set.
In a game that played less like modern-era football and more like a time warp from the 60’s (offenses netted just 6 more yards than the teams in Super Bowl III), the Bradychick dynasty reached its anticlimactic conclusion with a sixth Lombardi.
31. Super Bowl VII: Dolphins (14) vs Washington (7)
Upset: Yes (Washington by 1)
Ties/Lead Changes: 0
Fun Fact: Washington coach George Allen liked ice cream because it took less time to chew than regular food, allowing him to get back to work quicker.
Redzone turnovers decided so many early Super Bowls, and VII was no exception. A 4th-quarter interception on the 10 pretty much sealed the deal for Miami, completing their perfect season even though they were not the best team on the field. I don’t think the trio of Larry Csonka, Jim Kiick, and Mercury Morris has ever been beat at runningback.
30. Super Bowl IV: Chiefs (23) vs Vikings (7)
Upset: Yes (Vikings by 13)
Ties/Lead Changes: 0
Fun Fact: The biggest player on the field for this game was 6’7, 275 pounds. Bills QB Josh Allen is 6’5, 237lbs.
The game might not be ranked this high if not for Hank Stram’s all-time performance as the mic’d up HC of the Chiefs. The underrated highlight is when a player, clearly concussed, is told by Stram to sniff some salt and get back in there (that player later scores a 50yd TD).
29. Super Bowl VIII: Dolphins (24) vs Vikings (7)
Upset: No
Ties/Lead Changes: 0
Fun Fact: Don Shula coached in four of the first eight Super Bowls.
The Dolphins of ‘74 were way better than their undefeated squad from a year earlier and proved it by taking out a Vikings team with no creative playcalling or spark. While watching Miami in their 3rd-straight Super Bowl was starting to get old, Larry Csonka made a fan out of me with his electric 145-yard, 2TD rushing performance.
28. Super Bowl XXI: Giants (39) vs Broncos (20)
Upset: No
Ties/Lead Changes: 0/1
Fun Fact: John Madden spoke often of the “Elway cross.” The legend was that Elway threw the ball so hard that the stitches of the football left a cross imprinted on receiver’s chests.
In a game that debuted instant replay and the Gatorade bath, it was the coming-out party for young defensive mastermind Bill Belichick that had the biggest impact on Super Bowls to come. The game was 10-9 Broncos at the midway point, but halftime adjustments to a nasty NYG pass rush led to an epic second-half beatdown. Denver’s awful jerseys made this an aesthetically unpleasing experience.
27. Super Bowl XXXI: Packers (35) vs Patriots (21)
Upset: No
Ties/Lead Changes: 0/2
Fun Fact: This broadcast revolutionized the home viewing experience with the introduction of the FoxBox, which kept the score and game clock visible at all times.
THAT Guy Fact: Don Beebe wins a ring in Green Bay after losing three Super Bowls with Buffalo.
Do not let this score fool you. New England had a 14-10 lead after one quarter and only trailed 27-21 with 3:27 left in the third. However, four Bledsoe picks deflated a NE team that was already reeling from an unprofessional and classless move by Parcells to announce his departure before the game. Weird to think Favre and Bledsoe were both on equal ground career-wise before this matchup. The rest of their careers went very differently.
26. Super Bowl XVI: 49ers (26) vs Bengals (21)
Upset: No
Ties/Lead Changes: 0
Fun Fact: Both teams were 6-10 the season before making the Super Bowl.
THAT Guy Fact: Cris Collinsworth made the Super Bowl as a rookie who caught over 1,000 yards in the regular season.
It is impossible to watch this game the way fans did in 1982, when both teams were playing their first Super Bowl and Joe Montana was just a young QB coming off his first full season as a starter. The score is a little deceiving; SF led by 20 before coasting (or should I say West Coasting?) to a five-point victory.
25. Super Bowl LIV: Chiefs (31) vs 49ers (20)
Upset: No
Ties/Lead Changes: 1/3
Fun Fact: This was the Chiefs’ first Super Bowl as an NFL team; their previous two appearances occurred before the AFL/NFL merger.
Bonus Fun Fact: Mahomes joins an elite list of QBs who have won rings at the constantly name-changing Dolphin Stadium. Montana, Young, Elway, P.Manning, and Brees all hoisted the Lombardi on this field.
THAT Guy fact: The Colquitt family has earned four rings: two from Papa Colquitt with the Steelers, one from Britton Colquitt of the Broncos, and the fourth from Dustin in SBLIV.
With unmatched sideline access and top-of-the-line cameras, one of the most recent Super Bowls looked great and was totally immersive. However, despite a 10-point comeback by KC, this did not feel like a classic game. It lacked the energy, intrigue, and drama of some greats on this list. Maybe in time it will be better appreciated, perhaps when looking back at the end of Mahomes’s career.
24. Super Bowl XLV: Packers (31) vs Steelers (25)
Upset: No
Ties/Lead Changes: 0
Fun Fact: This was the first Super Bowl without any cheerleaders, as the Steelers and Packers are two of four teams who do not have a cheerleading squad.
THAT Guy Fact: Rookie Antonio Brown was mainly used for kickoff returns and only targeted once.
This stretch of games from ‘07-’11 was wild. Every QB who started in that stretch is or will be in the Hall of Fame (Both Mannings, Brady, Brees, Big Ben, Rodgers, and Warner). However, the game was very low energy and the Steelers only came to life after GB defensive leader Charles Woodson exited with an injury. Rodgers had to do very little except maintain the lead.
23. Super Bowl XLVII: Ravens (34) vs 49ers (31)
Upset: Yes (49ers by 4)
Ties/Lead Changes: 0
Fun Fact: After this game, only 4 NFC teams have not played in a Super Bowl this century: Lions, Vikings, Cowboys, and Washington.
Bonus Fun Fact: From 2001-2020, there have only been three Super Bowls without Brady, Manning, or Big Ben. SF has played in two of them.
THAT Guy Fact: It just doesn’t feel right to hear that Randy Moss played for the 49ers in this game.
Intrigue everywhere you look in the Harbough Bowl, but the real drama didn’t come until after a long blackout that also served to send Super Bowl Sunday to a grinding and awkward halt. The ferocious 49ers rally that followed was stopped short when a clearly blown PI call in the endzone ended the game for San Fran. Good effort, but comebacks are only great if you complete them and only classics if you can win. Kaps velocity on the ball was the fastest I had seen since the Elway days and it truly is a shame what the NFL did to this man’s career.
22. Super Bowl III: Jets (16) vs Colts (7)
Upset: Yes (Colts by 18)
Ties/Lead Changes: 0
Fun Fact: This is one of only three Super Bowls to feature two 100-yard rushers (XXV, XLI).
Bonus Fun Fact: Not really a fact, but at one point Jets players dragged an injured teammate off the field by his limp arms to avoid a clock stoppage. Hilarious visual.
THAT Guy Fact: Johnny Unitas played in this game but wasn’t the starter. He had sat all season with an injury and came off the bench in relief of struggling starter Earl Morrall. Hence, Unitas never got credit for losing a Super Bowl.
Let’s dispell the myth of Super Bowl III unifying the leagues. The leagues had already agreed three years prior that they were going to merge. The AFL had a rich TV contract and was running the NFL into the ground by engaging in bidding wars for top college prospects. All Super Bowl III did was legitimize the AFL as worthy competition. Nevertheless, Super Bowl III’s upset was a monumental demonstration of what the unified league was capable of in terms of both entertainment and competitiveness. Joe Namath had a cannon for an arm and watching the old pre-snap motion of the OL was something to behold. It would be another four decades before an upset this large (also by a New York team) changed the look of the NFL forever…
21. Super Bowl XVII: Washington (27) vs Dolphins (17)
Upset: Yes (Dolphins by 3)
Ties/Lead Changes: 1/1
Fun Fact: Due to a labor dispute, the league only played nine regular season games. The Browns and Lions both made the playoffs…with four wins.
THAT Guy Fact: Larry Csonka looked on as an older man and it was very sad to me.
This game featured the best second quarter in Super Bowl history and a fourth quarter run by John Riggins that had the Rose Bowl rocking. The 3pm PST kickoff gave this the feel of a day game, which in turn took away from the allure of it being the championship. But the MIA/WAS grudge match was a fun storyline and watching the Hogs in action was always a treat. After David Woodley completed just four passes the entire game, Miami went out and drafted a guy by the name of Dan Marino.
20. Super Bowl V: Colts (16) vs Cowboys (13)
Upset: No
Ties/Lead Changes: 2/1
Fun Fact: During their playoff run, the Cowboys won a game against Detroit 5-0.
People refer to this game as the “Blunder Bowl” as if that’s a bad thing. The point is to be entertained, isn’t it? 11 turnovers (5 in the 4th with the game tied), 164 penalty yards, and a dramatic finish that saw the Colts mount a 4th-quarter comeback after losing legend Johnny Unitas mid-game. The game-winning kick came with five seconds left in regulation. Drama, intrigue, and just plain fun.
19. Super Bowl XXXIX: Patriots (24) vs Eagles (21)
Upset: No
Ties/Lead Changes: 2/1
Fun Fact: This was the sixth straight time that Philly had lost a championship during a presidential inauguration year.
THAT Guy Fact: Terrell Owens broke his leg two weeks before the game, had a doctor put some screws and plates in there and popped off for 122 yards. Hard to argue against that being one of the gutsiest performances in Super Bowl history.
Saying this was the worst of the Patriots Dynasty Trilogy (part 1) is like saying the worst Lord of the Rings film. They are all classics. Sleaker jersey designs and smaller pads began to make the game of football look faster, but not fast enough to hide the strange Philly drive in the 4th during which Donovan McNabb was puking in the huddle (when the team shouldn’t even have been huddling!). But let’s let McNabb off the hook. There is a better-than-good chance the man was badly concussed.
18. Super Bowl LVI: Rams (23) vs Bengals (20)
Upset: No
Ties/Lead Changes: 0/2
Fun Fact: This was the first time in 56 Super Bowls that two 4-seeds met in the big game.
Legacies were on the line when veterans Aaron Donald, Matthew Stafford, and Odell Beckham Jr. took the field against an ‘01 Patriots-esque Bengals “Team of Destiny.” A great uniform matchup and an all-time halftime show complimented a game that was close, but never quite had the buzz of a classic. Coming off the high of two great weeks of playoff football, maybe close just wasn’t good enough. Maybe we needed an upset, a miracle play, a jaw-dropping player performance or one more tie or lead change. Something was missing. The two best moments (a Tee Higgins TD to start the 3rd and an historic drive by Stafford and Kupp in the 4th) were both marred by questionable officiating. Still one of the better games but it felt incomplete.
17. Super Bowl XLVI: Giants (21) vs Patriots (17)
Upset: Yes (Patriots by 2.5)
Ties/Lead Changes: 0/2
Fun Fact: The Final Score (21-17) is the only repeat score in Super Bowl history (Super Bowl X).
Bonus Fun Fact: The Giants are 4-0 in Super Bowls of which Bill Belichick is a participant.
NYG vs. NE part 2 is a sequel that is really good but can’t possible live up to the first, like Return of the Jedi following Empire Strikes Back. TRY not to compare, and you can enjoy a game that had it all. Epic trench warfare, dialed-in QBs, and a suspenseful/shocking finish. New York was injury riddled all season but came into XLVI at full strength, while New England rolled out Edelman and Matthew Slater as DBs. New England was an unlucky bounce and Welker’s fingertips away from winning this game.
16. Super Bowl X: Steelers (21) vs Cowboys (17)
Upset: No
Ties/Lead Changes: 1/1
Fun Fact: Of the 86 combined players on the Dallas and Pittsburgh rosters, only one had played for another team in their pro career. That player was Dallas RB Preston Pearson. The other team he had played for? The Steelers.
THAT Guy Fact: Mean Joe Greene was so good that he missed six games and still made the Pro Bowl.
The Doomsday Defense vs. the Steel Curtain. Staubach vs. Bradshaw. Landry vs. Noll. Lynn Swann vs. Mel Blount. This was the game that launched the Super Bowl into the stratosphere. It was the first time both teams put points on the board in the first quarter, quieting fans who had been grumbling about Super Bowls being anticlimactic snoozers. This defensive struggle gave way to a 21-point fourth quarter, with the trailing team pulling ahead late and then fending off a comeback.
15. Super Bowl XXIII: 49ers (20) vs Bengals (16)
Upset: No
Ties/Lead Changes: 3/2
Fun Fact: This is the first Super Bowl in which a highlight from a previous game was shown during the broadcast.
THAT Guy Fact: Taking a moment to appreciate Ronnie Lott, one of the most vicious and intelligent linebackers I have ever seen play.
You would hear no argument from me if you felt this game should be higher on the list. Had the Bengals won (or even if they had won their first matchup years earlier), this game’s place in the pantheon of greats would skyrocket to the top (see: NYG over NE, DEN over GB, etc.). But akin to the Patriots dynasty soon to come, Montana and the 49ers ultimately took care of business in a back-and-forth epic that featured a scrappy underdog playing above expectations, stout defense on both sides, some devestating injuries to key CIN players, and a legendary 4th quarter game-winning drive from Joe Montana to clinch his third Lombardi.
14. Super Bowl XXXIV: Rams (23) vs Titans (16)
Upset: No
Ties/Lead Changes: 1/0
Fun Fact: This was the first Super Bowl that superimposed the first down line for viewers at home.
THAT Guy Fact: Al Michaels has called the Norwood Miss, the Tackle, and the Butler INT.
When two teams from some of the smallest media markets play on the game’s biggest stage, they need to put on a show. They did. A plethera of penalties, poor clock management by TEN, and awkward broadcasting by ABC keeps this out of the top-10. But the first Super Bowl of the 21st century (played at the conclusion of the 1999 season) was still a tour-de-force of drama and intrigue. Kurt Warner was otherwordly, throwing for over 414 yards. That is still the 3rd-most in a Super Bowl, behind Tom Brady twice. But Eddie George and the late/great Steve McNair put up a second half fight that culminated in the most gut-wrenching, football-emblematic, memorable final play in the history of the game.
13. Super Bowl XIV: Steelers (31) vs Rams (19)
Upset: No
Ties/Lead Changes: 1/6
Fun Fact: Terry Bradshaw called the offense his entire career.
Truly a hidden gem of a Super Bowl. LA lost and then retook the lead at the end of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd quarters before succumbing to the Steelers dynasty in the 4th. A garbage time TD with 2 minutes left made this look like a blowout. It was not. Great jersey matchup and an epic curtain call for Super Bowl legends Lynn Swann, John Stallworth, Franco Harris, and Terry Bradshaw.
12. SUPER BOWL LVII: Chiefs (38) vs eagles (35)
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
Upset: Yes (Eagles by 1.5)
Ties/Lead Change: 3/2
Fun Fact: No QB wearing the number “1” has ever won a Super Bowl.
BONUS Fun Fact: The Eagles set the record for most points scored by a losing team in the Super Bowl. They pass the LII Patriots, who previously set the record at 33 points against…the Eagles.
LVII had storylines abound. Reid vs. his old team. Kelce vs. Kelce. Two black QBs facing off in a Super Bowl for the first time. The conferences’ two top squads. In nearly every way, this game delivered. On the one side, young Jalen Hurts tied the great Terrell Davis with three rushing TDs while slinging dimes into impossibly tight coverage for miracle catch after miracle catch. On the other side, an offensive line that protected their MVP from the league’s best sacking defense (0 sacks allowed). Mahomes played a nearly perfect second half. The stellar combo of Reid/Bieniemy schemed fourth-string guys like Skyy Moore wide open all night, allowing the alpha-QB of the NFL to morph into a pocket passer while protecting his sprained ankle. It was a dazzling display of the new era of professional football, with mobile, talented, smart quarterback play and offensive-minded coaches making adjustments to keep the scoreboard spinning. Tied 35-35, the game falls out of the top-10 because of a “controversial” defensive holding penalty that sucked the air out of State Farm Stadium and ended the game at the two minute warning. Whether it was the correct call or not, it robbed fans of a Holmes Catch, a Norwood Miss, a Butler INT, or even just an exciting Philly four-and-out. Still, an entertaining contest that locked up a spot in Canton, Ohio for Patrick Mahomes.
11. Super Bowl XLIII: Steelers (27) vs Cardinals (23)
Upset: No
Ties/Lead Change: 0/2
Fun Fact: During WWII, there were so few players that certain NFL teams had to merge. After a 1943 season in which Pittsburgh and Philly played as the “Steagles”, the Cardinals and Steelers merged for 1944 and played as “Card-Pitt.”
Bonus Fun Fact: Only three 9-7 teams have made the Super Bowl. The Steelers have beaten two of them.
THAT Guy Fact: John Madden became the first (and only) announcer to be a Super Bowl color analyst for four different networks.
This game features perhaps the best final 10 game minutes in Super Bowl history. It’s also perhaps the best uniform matchup of all 55 games. So why does the game everyone remembers as a classic sit here at 11? Well, the iconic color clash and final 10 minutes have clouded the reality that this game was constantly interrupted by penalties (18 to be exact) and the Cardinals were out-played in every phase for 50 minutes. The memorable plays (Harrison INT, Holmes catch, Fitzgerald breakaway) are all among the best you will ever see, and Warner vs. Big Ben is one for the ages. That’s why, despite poor game flow, this still sits towards the top of the pack.
10. Super Bowl XIII: Steelers (35) vs Cowboys (31)
Upset: No
Ties/Lead Changes: 2/2
Fun Fact: The Cowboys are one of only two teams to score over 30 points and lose the Super Bowl (Patriots - LII).
Eighteen Hall of Fame players took the field in a classic rematch that swung on Jackie Smith’s tragic and sports history-altering drop. Staubach and Bradshaw were sensational, as was legend Tony Dorsett (6YPC), and some of the biggest and best Super Bowl plays you will ever see took place in this game. The Cowboys ferocious late comeback defines all that is great about football: despite all the mistakes and disappointing moments, Dallas never quit and nearly did the impossible. This performance, more than any other, exemplifies the famous quote by John Wooden: “Players with fight never lose a game, they just run out of time.”
9. Super Bowl XXV: Giants (20) vs Bills (19)
Upset: Yes (Bills by 7)
Ties/Lead Changes: 1/4
Fun Fact: This was the first Super Bowl in which not a single player record was set or broken.
Bill Belichick told his defense “if Thurman Thomas breaks 100 yards rushing, I promise you we will win this game.” Thomas averaged 9YPC and ran for 135 with a touch. Belichick was right. Some of the hardest hitters you will ever see took the field for Little Bill and stymied Jim Kelly’s revolutionary K-Gun offense, while Big Bill’s offensive unit played smash mouth, clock-bleeding football. A 14-play, 9 minute and 29 second TD drive in the third quarter actually gave me chills. NY held the ball for over 40 minutes and then at the very end Scott Norwood did something unforgettable…
8. Super Bowl XXXVI: Patriots (20) vs Rams (17)
Upset: Yes (Rams by 14)
Ties/Lead Changes: 1/1
Fun Fact: This was the last Super Bowl to be played on Astroturf.
THAT Guy Fact: This was Pat Summerall’s 26th(!) and final Super Bowl as the play-by-play announcer.
The game that launched a dynasty is slow and bulky and it almost defies belief that the leader of the Patriots offense is still in Super Bowls and somehow looks better than he did in 2001. But knowing they were 14-point dogs, the Patriots entered this game with a masterful gameplan and executed to near perfection. NE defense gives one of the toughest Super Bowl performances you will ever witness. Warner vs. Brady is an underrated all-time Super Bowl QB matchup, and it is nearly impossible to appreciate the winning drive through the lens of modern football. In 2001 it was not easy to go 53 yards in 1:21 with no timeouts against the Greatest Show on Turf.
7. Super Bowl XXXVIII: Patriots (32) vs Panthers (29)
Upset: No
Ties/Lead Changes: 2/2
Fun Fact: 38 has seven Roman numerals. That number will not be matched until 2043 and not surpassed until 2053.
While 36 was certainly the most consequential of the original trilogy, 38 was by far the most exciting. Brady entered his first Super Bowl as a game manager. By his second, he was a lethal weapon. After throwing just 27 passes in his first, he completed 32 in his second. The game was finally broadcast in HD, entering us into the modern era of televised football, and the rapid fire scoring was indicative of that shift. Jake Delhomme was transcendent, and at one point Steve Smith stiff-armed Tyrone Poole into the Earth’s core. But in the end, nothing could stop the pain train that was the Patriots dynasty. Most notable is the game being scoreless through 26:55, and then 24 points were scored in a span of 3:05 to end the half.
6. Super Bowl XXXII: Broncos (31) vs Packers (24)
Upset: Yes (Packers by 11)
Ties/Lead Changes: 3/1
Fun Fact: Before winning Super Bowl XXXII, John Elway lost his first four Super Bowl appearances by a score of 163-50.
Bonus Fun Fact: There was close to 100lb difference between Denver’s center and Green Bay’s nose tackle.
THAT Guy Fact: Why is Terrell Davis, who only played four full seasons, in the Hall of Fame? In Super Bowl XXXII, he scored 3TDs and ran for 157 yards despite suffering a migraine and missing the entire second quarter. The man was immensely talented.
This game had it all. It was a perfect blend of rough 90’s-era defense with the finesse of Brett Favre’s passing attack that would define football in the decades to come. But it was the heart of John Elway and the old-school running style of Terrell Davis that prevailed in the final minutes. Even if this was a game of no-names with small market teams it would rank in the top-ten, but when you consider the legends on both sides of the ball and the histories of the two franchises it competes for greatest of all-time. The fact that this is so rarely mentioned in the list of top games is mind-boggling.
5. Super Bowl XLIV: Saints (31) vs Colts (17)
Upset: Yes (Colts by 5)
Ties/Lead Changes: 0/3
Fun Fact: This marks the last time a dome team has won a Super Bowl.
THAT Guy Fact: Jeremy Shockey redemption game!
This game is ranked way too low on most online lists of best Super Bowls. Not only is this (for now) the most legendary QB matchup ever based off career numbers, but both Manning and Brees played their asses off to back up the hype. The Colts OL was so good that Manning wasn’t sacked the entire game, but Sean Payton called the ballsiest SB ever. An onside kick to start the 3rd remains the greatest surprise play in the history of the game. The lead changed three times and after the Saints mounted an epic 4th-quarter drive to take the lead, Manning had the Colts all the way down to the Saints 26 with 3 minutes left and down 7. The play that came next will live on in Super Bowl highlight reels for all time.
4. Super Bowl LII: Eagles (41) vs Patriots (33)
Upset: Yes (Patriots by 5.5)
Ties/Lead Changes: 1/2
Fun Fact: NBC used 115 cameras for this broadcast.
Bonus Fun Fact: New England became the first (and still only) team to not punt once in a Super Bowl.
THAT Guy Fact: James Harrison playing for the Patriots in this game is such a weird end to his career.
Perhaps the hardest game to rank, this contest featured more yards than any postseason game in NFL’s 100-year history, but that also meant zero defense. Are the best games the ones that feature good offense and good defense, in equal measure? Or are they the ones that are the most entertaining? Belichick’s bend-but-don’t-break style broke in epic fashion, just like it did in 2011, and not even the best game of Brady’s career could save the Patriots. Much has been made about the Philly Special being an illegal formation, and the questionable touchdown calls that all went Philly’s way, but I believe what really doomed New England was Gilmore not shadowing Alshon Jeffery in the first quarter.
3. Super Bowl LI: Patriots (34) vs Falcons (28)
Upset: No
Ties/Lead Changes: 1/1
Fun Fact: The Falcons are the only team to have a pick-six in the Super Bowl and lose (12-1).
Bonus Fun Fact: New England is the only team to win a Super Bowl without a successful PAT kick.
In order to get the greatest comeback in NFL history, you have to endure a one-sided and borderline boring first half of football. But when Brady’s finest hour arrives, it is a sight to behold for lovers and haters of the Patriots dynasty alike. The game-tying drive went 91 yards on 10 plays in just 2m33s. It was Brady’s Super Bowl 36 game-winning drive on steroids. Over 30 records were broken, and many more hearts. Joe Buck is great on the call and the look/feel of the jerseys and venue give this one a unique and memorable aesthetic.
2. Super Bowl XLII: Giants (17) vs Patriots (14)
Upset: Yes (Patriots by 12)
Ties/Lead Changes: 0/4
Fun Fact: The NYG were the only team to repeat as NFC champion from 2000-2013.
Bonus Fun Fact: In Super Bowl XLI, there were 10 possessions in the first quarter. In this game there were two.
The Giants have put together perhaps the two greatest defensive performances in the history of this game, first against Jim Kelly’s K-Gun in XXV, and then again in this game. They held Randy Moss to five catches, held the Patriots to 45 rushing yards, and kept Brady’s passer rating at 82.5. The Giants opening drive was a monster ten-minute, 16-play tone setter. From there, they deconstructed New England’s offensive line while doing just enough against an equally brilliant Patriots defensive showing. Everyone remembers the Tyree catch but to me, upon rewatch, the Pats seemed doomed after failing to convert a 4th-down in the 3rd quarter from the NY 31 after an 8-minute, 14-play drive. Pure hubris not kicking the field goal.
1. Super Bowl XLIX: Patriots (28) vs Seahawks (24)
Upset: No (Even Line)
Ties/Lead Changes: 2/2
Fun Fact: Marshawn Lynch ran the ball 24 times. He gained over a yard on 22 of those runs.
Adendum to Above Fact: I don’t think the decision to pass on that climactic play was a bad decision. Sometimes the right calls go wrong, and this one went epically wrong.
THAT Guy Fact: The Patriots leading rusher in 2014 was Jonas Gray (412 yards).
The most watched program in American television history just so happens to be the greatest game ever played. Everywhere you look there is intrigue. Pete Carroll vs. Bill Belichick, the guy that replaced him in New England. Brady 0-2 in his last two Super Bowls fending off a potential new NFL dynasty led by young gun Russell Wilson, the defending champ. The Legion of Boom vs. Gronk, Edelman, and…Shane Vereen? Back and forth they went for four tough, strategic quarters of masterful football. Good offense? You got it. Good defense? You got it. Competitive from start to finish? Yes. Miracle comeback? The first 10-point fourth quarter comeback in history. Twist ending? There has never been a bigger shock than the Butler interception. Preparation meets opportunity on the biggest stage, in the biggest moment, to cap off the best product the NFL has ever offered.