Every Super Bowl Ranked(20 to 1)

Here now is Part 3 of my rankings of every Super Bowl with the 20 best Super Bowls of all time:

 20. XLIV=Saints-31 Colts-17

Down 10-6 as the second half began, Saints head coach Sean Payton made one of the biggest gambles in Super Bowl history as he decided to call for an onside kick on the opening kickoff of the second half.

The Saints recovered the onside kick which led to a touchdown giving them a 13-10 lead, then retaking the lead with 5:42 left in the fourth quarter when quarterback Drew Brees hit Jeremy Shockey for a two-yard touchdown and Lance Moore for the two-point conversion to put New Orleans ahead 24-17.

The Colts appeared on their way to the game-tying touchdown on their ensuing possession until cornerback Tracy Porter stepped in front of a Peyton Manning pass and returned it 74 yards for the back-breaking touchdown to give the Saints their first ever world championship.

19. X=Steelers-21 Cowboys-17

The first nine Super Bowls were either blowouts or competitive but boring, but that was not the case with the 10th edition of the game.

The Steelers and the Cowboys played the most exciting Super Bowl up to that point as Pittsburgh, led by Lynn Swann’s four catches for 161 yards, scored 14 straight points in the 4th quarter, culminating with Swann’s 64-yard touchdown catch with over three minutes to play, which seemingly put the game away as Pittsburgh took a 21-10 lead.

But after quarterback Roger Staubach threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to Percy Howard just 74 seconds after Swann’s touchdown cut the lead to 21-17, the Cowboys got the ball back at their own 39-yard-line with 1:22 left and a chance to win the game.

However, Staubach could not pull off another “Hail Mary” like he did earlier in the 1975 playoffs against the Minnesota Vikings, as his last pass from the Steelers’ 38-yard-line as time expired was intercepted by Pittsburgh defensive back Glen Edwards to clinch the Steelers’ second straight Super Bowl victory.

18. XLVI=Giants-21 Patriots-17

Four years after their classic encounter in Super Bowl XLII, the Giants and the Patriots met again in another great Super Bowl.

The Patriots held a 17-15 lead with 3:46 to go in the game when Giants quarterback Eli Manning connected with Mario Manningham on a 38-yard pass down the left sideline that helped led to Ahmad Bradshaw’s six-yard touchdown run with 57 seconds left, though he should to stay out of the end zone as the Patriots would have more time to come back and try to score the game-winning touchdown.

New England quarterback Tom Brady got the Patriots to their own 49-yard-line when he fired a Hail Mary pass as time expired, which fell incomplete, just beyond the outstretched arms of tight end Rob Gronkowski, giving the Giants their second Super Bowl title in five years.

17. XIV=Steelers-31 Rams-19

Perhaps the most underrated Super Bowl of all time as this game featured a record six lead changes, the last one coming with 12:04 left in the game when Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw connected with John Stallworth for a 73-yard touchdown pass to give Pittsburgh a 24-19 lead.

Bradshaw and Stallworth would connect again on another long pass, this one for 45 yards, which help led to Franco Harris’ 1-yard touchdown run with under two minutes to go that sealed the Steelers’ fourth Super Bowl title in six years.

16. XLVII=Ravens-34 49ers-31

For the first 31 ½ minutes, this Super Bowl looked like it was going to be of the worst ones in history as the Ravens held a 28-6 lead, until the lights went out in the Superdome, causing a 34-minute stoppage in play.

After the lights came back on, the game took off as the 49ers outscored the Ravens 23-6 and had a 1st-and-goal at the Baltimore seven-yard-line with 2:39 to go and a chance to score the game-winning touchdown.

But the Ravens held the 49ers out of the end zone, though San Francisco fans still feel that wide receiver Michael Crabtree was held on the quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s 4th down incompletion, allowing the Ravens(who gave the 49ers two points when punter Sam Koch ran out of bounds in the end zone to avoid a possible block punt) to give Baltimore the championship as head coach John Harbaugh defeated his brother Jim in the first Super Bowl where the head coaches were brothers.

15. III=Jets-16 Colts-7

The Jets pulled off the greatest upset in Super Bowl history and fulfilled quarterback Joe Namath’s

“Guarantee” of New York knocking off the 18-point favorite Baltimore Colts to give the AFL its first win in the Super Bowl.

The game itself was actually kinda of dull as the Jets controlled much of the game as they forced five turnovers and held a 16-0 lead early in the 4th quarter when Johnny Unitas, who had taken over for an ineffective Earl Morrall, tried to rally the Colts but could only lead his time to one touchdown as the Jets become the world champions.

14. XIII=Steelers-35 Cowboys-31

Three years after their memorable encounter in Super Bowl X, the Steelers and the Cowboys produced another Super Bowl classic.

The game featured a wild first half in which Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw broke the record for most touchdown passes thrown in a Super Bowl as he threw three, two of them to John Stallworth, which included one for 75 yards as Pittsburgh took a 21-14 lead into the halftime break.

The game was still 21-14 in favor of Pittsburgh when Dallas had a 3rd-and-3 at the Steelers’ 10-yard-line when Dallas quarterback Roger Staubach threw a perfect strike to a wide open Jackie Smith in the end zone, only to have Smith drop the sure touchdown, forcing Dallas to settle for a field goal.

The Steelers seemed to put the game away in the 4th quarter when they scored two touchdowns in 13 seconds to increase their lead to 35-17, only to have Staubach and the Cowboys rally for two touchdowns to cut the margin to 35-31 with 22 seconds left when Steelers running back Rocky Bleier recovered the Cowboys’ onside kick attempt, sealing Pittsburgh’s third Super Bowl title.

13. LVIII-Chiefs-25 49ers-22 (OT)

For the third time in five years, the Chiefs came back from a 10-point deficit to win the Super Bowl, this time prevailing in a rematch with the 49ers in the longest Super Bowl ever played.

The 49ers jumped out to a 10-0 second quarter lead until the Chiefs scored 13 unanswered points with quarterback Patrick Mahomes throwing a 16-yard touchdown pass to Marquez Vandes Scantling late in the third quarter.

The 49ers would retake the lead early in the fourth quarter when Brock Purdy threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Jauan Jennings only to have the extra point blocked, allowing for the Chiefs to tie the game with a 24-yard field goal by Harrison Butker on Kansas City's ensuing possession.

The two teams would exchange field goals in the final two minutes of regulation to send the Super Bowl into overtime for only the second time in history.

The 49ers would get the ball first as they drove 66 yards in 12 plays to set up Jake Moody's 24-yard field goal to give San Francisco a 22-19 lead as Mahomes and the Chiefs would get the ball with a chance to win the game.

Mahomes would complete all eight of his passes on the drive for 42 yards while running 27 yards on two carries on a 13-play, 75-yard drive that culminated with the Chiefs quarterback throwing a three-yard touchdown pass to Mecole Hardman with three seconds left in the overtime period to give Kansas City its second straight Lombardi trophy and third in five years.

12. XXXVIII=Patriots-32 Panthers-29

This game was expected to be a defensive struggle until the final 3:05 of the first half when both teams combined for 24 points with the Patriots holding on to a 14-10 lead at halftime.

There was no more scoring until the second play of the 4th quarter when Patriots running back Antowain Smith scored on a 2-yard touchdown run to extend New England’s lead to 21-10.

That touchdown began a wild 4th quarter that saw a combined 37 points and 430 yards of total offense between the two teams, including the longest touchdown pass in Super Bowl history, an 85-yarder from Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme to Muhsin Muhammad.

But after Delhomme threw the game-tying touchdown pass to Ricky Proehl with 1:05 left in regulation, Panthers kicker John Kasay kicked the ensuing kickoff out of bounds, giving Tom Brady and the Patriots the ball at their own 40-yard-line, where they drove to the Panthers’ 24-yard-line to set up Adam Vinatieri’s 41-yard field goal with five seconds left, which provided the winning margin and gave New England its second Super Bowl title in three years.

11. XXIII=49ers-20 Bengals-16

It seemed like no one was going to get into the end zone as the game was tied 6-6 with 50 seconds left in the third quarter when the Bengals’ Stanford Jennings returned a kickoff 93 yards for the game’s first touchdown, which was followed by the 49ers’ Jerry Rice, who caught 11 passes for 215 yards, scoring on a 14-yard touchdown reception just 91 seconds after Jennings’ touchdown to tie the game once again.

Then after Jim Breech kicked a 40-yard field goal to give the Bengals a 16-13 lead with 3:20 left in regulation, 49ers quarterback Joe Montana led his team on a 11-play, 92-yard drive which culminated with Montana hitting John Taylor for the game-winning touchdown, a 10-yard pass with 34 seconds left to give San Francisco its third Super Bowl title.

10. XXXVI=Patriots-20 Rams-17

Before they became the “Evil Empire” of the NFL, the New England Patriots were the loveable underdog who bucked Super Bowl tradition and chose to be introduced as a team when they entered their matchup with the two-touchdown favorite St.Louis Rams.

The Patriots converted three Ram turnovers into 17 points as they held a 17-3 lead as the 4th quarter began until St. Louis struck back with 14 unanswered points, the last coming on a 26-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Kurt Warner to Ricky Proehl with 90 seconds left in regulation that with Jeff Wilkins’ extra point tied the game at 17.

Broadcaster John Madden suggested the Patriots run out the clock and play for overtime when they got the ball back at their own 17-yard-line with 1:21 to go, but New England drove down the field as they went 53 yards in eight plays to set up Adam Vinatieri's 48-yard field goal as time expired to give the Patriots their first ever NFL championship.

9. LVII=Chiefs-38 Eagles-35

Things did not look good for the Chiefs as the first half came to an end as they trailed the  Eagles 24-14 after allowing 265 yards of total offense as Philadelphia held the ball for nearly 22 minutes.

Even worse, Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes limped into the locker room after reaggravating a high ankle sprain.

Mahomes would play through the injury as he would complete 13 of 14 passes in the second half and throw two touchdown passes as the Chiefs came from behind to win the game on a 27-yard field goal by Harrison Butker with eight seconds to go which was set up by a key 26-yard scramble by Mahomes and a controversial holding call on Eagles cornerback James Bradbury on 3rd & 8 at the Philadelphia 15-yard-line.

8. LII=Eagles-41 Patriots-33

Super Bowl LII resembled an Arena football game as it set the record for most combined yards of total offense in any game in NFL history as the Eagles and Patriots combined for 1,151 yards of total offense and only one combined punt.

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady broke his own Super Bowl record for most passing yards as well as most passing yards in a postseason as he threw for 505 yards on 28-of-48 passes and threw three touchdown passes.

But Brady lost this epic duel to Nick Foles, who had taken over the Eagles’ starting quarterback job with in the 14th game of the season after starter Carson Wentz was lost with a torn ACL, as the backup was named MVP as he completed 28 of 43 passes for 370 yards and threw three touchdowns, including what turned out to be the game-winner, a 11-yard touchdown pass to tight end Zach Ertz with 2:21 left in the game.

Foles also became the first quarterback to catch a touchdown pass in a Super Bowl as he caught a one-yard touchdown pass from tight end Trey Burton on a 4th-and-goal with 34 seconds left in the first half.

However, the game was not decided until the final play when Brady’s Hail Mary attempt from midfield fell incomplete as time expired, giving the Eagles their first NFL championship in 57 years.

7. XXXII=Broncos-31 Packers-24

Broncos quarterback John Elway finally got his first Super Bowl title in his 15th NFL season and fourth Super Bowl appearance as Denver upset the defending Super Bowl champion Packers, thanks in large part to running back Terrell Davis’ 157 yards and three touchdowns on 30 carries, despite missing most of the second quarter with a migraine headache.

But it was Elway who made the game’s most memorable play as he dove for a 1st down and did a 90-degree spin as he was hit while diving for the 1st down mark.

That play became known as “The Helicopter” and set up Davis’ second touchdown run of the game, who then scored the game-winning touchdown when Packers head coach Mike Holmgren instructed his defense to let the Broncos score with 1:45 left in regulation, to give his offense enough time to try and send the game into overtime.

The gamble did not pay off as quarterback Brett Favre drove the Packers to the Denver 31-yard-line until Green Bay turned it over on downs as Favre’s 4th down pass was knocked down by Broncos linebacker John Mobley, sealing Denver’s first Super Bowl title.

6. XXV=Giants-20 Bills-19

The Bills and the Giants provided fans across the country a needed distraction from “Operation Desert Storm” with one of the best Super Bowls ever.

The heavily-favored Bills held a 12-3 lead midway through the second quarter when the Giants put together a 14-play, 87-yard drive which ended with a 14-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jeff Hostetler to Stephen Baker with 25 seconds left before halftime to cut the lead to 12-10, which was followed by a 14-play, 75-yard drive to start the second half which took 9:29 off the clock and culminated with one-yard touchdown run by Ottis Anderson to give New York a 17-12 lead.

The Bills retook the lead on the first play of the 4th quarter on a 31-yard touchdown run by Thurman Thomas, which the Giants responded with another long drive, this one for 74 yards on 13 plays which used up 7 ½ minutes and ended with a 21-yard field goal by Matt Bahr to give the Giants the lead once again.

With 2:16 to go in the game, the Bills took over at their own 10-yard-line and drove to the Giants’ 29-yard-line, giving kicker Scott Norwood a chance to win the game with a 47-yard field goal with eight seconds left.

While Norwood’s kick was long enough, it sailed wide right, giving the Lombardi Trophy to the Giants and handing the Bills the first of their four straight Super Bowl losses.

5. XLIX=Patriots-28 Seahawks-24

No team had even won a Super Bowl when trailing in the 4th quarter by 10 points, but Patriots quarterback Tom Brady went 13-of-15 for 124 yards and threw two touchdown passes, the last one a three-yarder to Julian Edelman with 2:06 to play, giving New England a 28-24 lead.

However, it looked like the Seahawks were on their way to their second straight Super Bowl title when Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson connected with Jermaine Kearse for a 33 yards on pass that slipped through the hands of Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler and onto the legs of Kearse, where he tipped it back to himself to make the catch and give Seattle a 1st-and-goal at the Patriots’ five-yard-line with 1:05 to play.

But after Marshawn Lynch picked up four yards on 1st down, Butler atoned for his mistake when he intercepted Wilson’s 2nd pass intended for Drew Lockette, securing New England’s fourth Super Bowl championship.

4. XXXIV=Rams-23 Titans-16

This game could have easily been a blowout as the Rams outgained the Titans 294-89 in the 1st half but had to settle for three field goals and a 9-0 halftime lead.

After the Rams finally got in the end zone when quarterback Kurt Warner hit Torry Holt for a nine-yard touchdown midway through the third quarter to extend the lead to 16-0, the Titans took over the game as they outgained the Rams 173 to -4 and scored 16 unanswered points to tie the game with 2:12 to play in regulation on Al Del Greco’s 43-yard field goal.

But on the first play from scrimmage after Del Greco’s field goal, Warner hit Isaac Bruce for a 73-yard touchdown pass to put the Rams back in front 23-16 with 1:54 remaining.

However, this gave the Titans a chance to send the game into overtime as they drove from their own 12-yard-line to the Rams’ 10-yard-line when with six seconds to go, quarterback Steve McNair connected with Kevin Dyson on a slant pass, only to have Dyson be tackled by Rams linebacker Mike Jones, one yard short of the end zone as the clock run out, giving the Rams their first Super Bowl title.

3. XLIII=Steelers-27 Cardinals-23

Two of the greatest plays in Super Bowl history happened in this Super Bowl, both courtesy of the Steelers.

The first play happened with 18 seconds left in the first half as the Cardinals, who were trailing 10-7, were on the verge of taking the lead with the ball at the one-yard-line, when Steelers linebacker James Harrison intercepted Kurt Warner’s pass, and though dodged numerous tackles to run the pick all the way back for a 100-yard touchdown to increase the Steelers’ lead to 17-7 at halftime.

The Cardinals would come back to score 16 straight points, the last of which coming on Larry Fitzgerald's 64-yard touchdown reception to give Arizona a 23-20 lead with 2:37 left in regulation.

The Steelers would get the ball back at their 22-yard-line, but were pushed back to their 12-yard-line after a holding penalty when quarterback Ben Roethlisberger began a drive that would lead the Steelers to the Cardinals’ six-yard-line, setting up the second classic play.

Roethlisberger threw a pass toward the right corner of the end zone where wide receiver Santonio Holmes extended his legs to make the catch before falling out of bounds for what would be the game-winning touchdown with 35 seconds left, giving the Steelers a record sixth Super Bowl championship.

2. LI=Patriots-34 Falcons-28(OT)

After Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan threw an eight-yard touchdown pass to running back Tevin Coleman to give Atlanta a 28-3 lead with 8:31 left in the third quarter, it looked like Super Bowl LI was all but over.

But that is when Patriots quarterback Tom Brady caught fire as he completed 21 of 27 passes for 234 yards and threw two touchdown passes to help the lead Patriots back from 25 points down to force the first overtime in Super Bowl when after running back James White scored on a one-yard touchdown run, which was followed by a two-point conversion pass from Brady to Danny Amendola with 57 seconds left in regulation.

The Patriots won the overtime coin toss and drove 75 yards in eight plays, with Brady completing five of six passes for 50 yards on the drive which ended with a two-yard touchdown run by White to complete the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history.

1. XLII=Giants-17 Patriots-14

When you have one of the greatest upsets of all time and probably the greatest play in Super Bowl history in the same game, then that game is the best Super Bowl of all time.

The Patriots were looking to become the first team since the 1972 Dolphins to go a season undefeated, but their high-powered offense, which had scored 589 points during the regular season, was held in check, thanks to the Giants’ ferocious pass rush as New England scored only one touchdown through the first three quarters, but held onto a 7-3 lead.

The Giants would take the lead with 11:05 left in the 4th quarter when quarterback Eli Manning found wide receiver David Tyree for a five-yard touchdown, but relinquished the lead with 2:42 to go when Patriots quarterback Tom Brady hit Randy Moss for a six-yard touchdown to put New England ahead 14-10.

The Giants began their ensuing possession at their own 17-yard-line and were at their own 44-yard-line where they faced a 3rd-and-5, when the greatest play in Super Bowl history happened.

Manning took the snap and looked like he was going to be sacked by three Patriot defenders, only to have Manning escape the rush and scramble to his right, where he fired a pass downfield for Tyree, who was able to make the catch with one hand pinned to his helmet and Patriots safety Rodney Harrison draped all over for a 32-yard gain and a 1st down at the New England 24-yard-line.

The play would become known as the “Helmet Catch” and would lead to Manning’s game-winning 13-yard touchdown pass with 35 seconds left, that gave the Giants the win and denied the Patriots a chance at immorality.

For Part 1 or 60-41 of the list, click on the link which is highlighted here: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2026/02/every-super-bowl-ranked60-to-41.html

For Part 2 or 40-21 of the list, click on the link which is highlighted here: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2026/02/every-super-bowl-ranked40-to-21.html

Every Super Bowl Ranked(40 to 21)

 

This is Part 2 of my rankings of every Super Bowl from worst to first, with games 40-21:

40. LIII=Patriots-13 Rams-3

One year after playing in the second highest scoring Super Bowl ever, the Patriots partake in the lowest scoring Super Bowl as New England and Los Angeles combine for 16 points and only one touchdown.

Despite the lack of fireworks, the game is tight throughout as Patriots running back Sony Michel's two-yard touchdown run breaks a 3-3 tie midway through the fourth quarter as the Rams drive to the New England 27-yard-line on their ensuing possession, only for it to end in an interception by Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore that New England converts into a field goal to put the game away.

39. XXII=Redskins-42 Broncos-10

It looked like this game was going to be a blowout as the Broncos jumped out to a 10-0 lead after the 1st quarter.

The game would be a blowout, but it would be the Redskins who would be blowing out the Broncos, thanks to their record 35-point 2nd quarter that saw quarterback Doug Williams, the first African-American quarterback to start a Super Bowl, complete nine of 11 passes for 228 yards and throw four touchdowns, two of those going to Ricky Sanders who caught four passes for 161 yards in the quarter while running back Timmy Smith ran for 122 yards and a touchdown on just five carries as the Redskins racked up 356 yards of offense in the 2nd quarter on only 18 plays.

Smith finished with a record 204 yards as he scored the only touchdown of the second half.

38. I=Packers-35 Chiefs-10

In the first game between a team from the American Football League(Chiefs) and the National Football League(Packers), the Packers held a tedious 14-10 lead at halftime as they were outgained 181-164 on offense, leading NFL director of player relations Buddy Young to be quotes in the press box as saying “Old age and heat are going to get the Packers in the second half” (The game was played in 72 degree Los Angeles).

However, the “old” Packers rose up when on the fourth play of the second half, Green Bay defensive back Willie Wood intercepted a pass from Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson and returning 50 yards to the Kansas City five-yard-line setting up a five-yard touchdown run by Elijah Pitts and beginning a run of 21 unanswered points as the Packers become winners of the very first Super Bowl.

37. 50=Broncos-24 Panthers-10

Despite gaining only 194 yards of total offense, the Broncos upset the one-loss Carolina Panthers, thanks to their defense which sacked quarterback Cam Newton seven times, tying a Super Bowl record, and forcing four turnovers, the last one a fumble on another Newton sack, that set up C.J. Anderson’s two-yard touchdown run with 3:08 remaining that along with Peyton Manning’s successful pass on the two-point conversion allowed for Manning to end his career with a 2nd Super Bowl title.

36. IX=Steelers-16 Vikings-6

Even though the “Steel Curtain” defense dominated the game as they allowed the fewest yards of total offense in a Super Bowl with 119 yards, permitted only nine 1st downs(another Super Bowl record), and not allowing an offensive touchdown(the Vikings got a touchdown after recovering a blocked punt) the Steelers could not put the Vikings away until 3:31 remaining in the game when quarterback Terry Bradshaw connected with tight end Larry Brown for a four-yard touchdown that would seal the first of four Super Bowl titles in six years for Pittsburgh.

35. VII=Dolphins-14 Redskins-7

The Miami Dolphins completed their undefeated season in the second lowest scoring Super Bowl of all time but included one of the most legendary plays in Super Bowl history when after having his 42-yard field goal attempt blocked, which if successful would have given Miami a 17-0 lead to complete a 17-0 season, Dolphins kicker Garo Yepremian picked up the loose ball and tried to throw a pass, only to have the ball slip out of his hands and have Yepremian bounce the ball into the hands of the Redskins’ Mike Bass, who returned the fumble as it was ruled 49 yards for a touchdown to make it a 14-7 game with 2:07 to go in the game.

The Redskins would get one last chance to send the game into overtime but could not move the ball as the Dolphins completed their perfect season.

34. XXI=Giants-39 Broncos-20

For a while, it looked like the Broncos were going to pull off a major upset as they led 10-7 midway through the second quarter and had a 1st-and-goal.

But the Giants defense held Denver out of the end zone and after Rich Karlis missed a 23-yard field goal, the wheels began to fall off for the Broncos as the Giants would cut the lead to 10-9 on a safety before halftime and then score 30 2nd half points behind the right arm of quarterback Phil Simms, who would complete all 10 of his passes in the 2nd half on his way to a 22-of-25 for 268 yards and three touchdowns, to lead the Giants to their first NFL title in 30 years.

33. IV=Chiefs-23 Vikings-7

When the AFL’s New York Jets upset the NFL’s Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III, some football experts thought it was a fluke and that the Vikings were to restore the NFL’s superiority over the AFL as they were nearly two-touchdown favorites over the Chiefs.

However, the Chiefs would prove the Jets’ win wasn’t a fluke as they would go to win the final game played as an AFL team as the AFL-NFL merger would go into effect the following season.

This Super Bowl is more memorable not for the play on the field, but for the fact that Chiefs head coach Hank Stram wearing a microphone during the game and putting phrases like “Just keep matriculating the ball down the field” and “65 Toss Power Trap” into the lexicons of NFL fans.

32. XXVIII=Cowboys-30 Bills-13

In their fourth straight Super Bowl appearance, the Bills went into the halftime break with a 13-6 lead and would get the ball to start the second half.

But on the second play of the half, Dallas defensive tackle Leon Lett atoned for his blunder the fumble that was recovered by defensive back James Washington, who returned it 46 yards for the game-tying touchdown.

From there, the Cowboys took over the game as they would score 17 more points with running back Emmitt Smith leading the way as he carried the ball 20 times for 91 yards and scored two touchdowns in the second half to lead Dallas to its second straight Super Bowl championship and hand Buffalo its fourth straight Super Bowl loss.

31. XLI=Colts-29 Bears-17

For fans of bad-weather football games, this was the game for you as it rained throughout the entire game, helping produce a combined eight turnovers between the two teams.

Still, this Super Bowl had perhaps the greatest start to any Super Bowl ever as Devin Hester returned the game’s opening kickoff for a touchdown to give the Bears a 7-0 lead.

However, the Colts would take control as they would outgain Chicago 430-265 but it would take Kelvin Hayden’s 56-yard interception return for a touchdown in the 4th quarter, to help secure the Colts’ first Super Bowl championship in 36 years.

30. XL=Steelers-21 Seahawks-10

This Super Bowl is most remembered for the controversial officiating which included the a Seattle touchdown being negated by a pass interference call on Seattle wide receiver Darrell Jackson, a one-yard touchdown run by Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger though replays could not determine whether the ball crossed the plank, and a holding call on Seahawks tackle Sean Locklear that nullified a 18-yard pass that would have given Seattle at the Steelers’ one-yard-line with a 1st-and-goal.

But the game did feature two memorable plays in Super Bowl history; Steelers running back Willie Parker’s record-breaking 75-yard touchdown run on the second play of the second half and Pittsburgh wide receiver Antwaan Randle El’s 43-yard touchdown pass to Hines Ward midway through the 4th quarter to help pave the way for the Steelers to win their first Super Bowl in 26 years.

The game was punctuated by veteran Steelers running back Jerome Bettis announcing his retirement after finally winning the Lombardi Trophy.

29. XXXIX=Patriots-24 Eagles-21

The Patriots won their third Super Bowl in four years, again by the margin of three points, as MVP Deion Branch led the way for New England with 11 catches for 133 yards while Eagles wide receiver Terrell Owens caught nine passes for 122 yards, just seven weeks after breaking his right fibula.

28. XXX=Cowboys-27 Steelers-17

The third time was the charm for the Cowboys as they defeated the Steelers in a Super Bowl after two heartbreaking losses in the 1970s.

But the win did not come without any drama as the Steelers controlled the game in the second half as they outgained the Cowboys 201-61 on offense and used a surprise onside kick to set up Bam Morris’ one-yard touchdown run to bring Pittsburgh to within three points.

But two costly interceptions by Steelers quarterback Neil O’Donnell, both picked off by Cowboys cornerback Larry Brown, was the difference in the game as Brown’s two long returns set up Dallas’ two touchdowns in the second half, giving the Cowboys their third Super Bowl title in four years.

27. XVI=49ers-26 Bengals-21

The 49ers appeared to be in great shape as they jumped out to a 20-0 halftime lead, which was then the largest halftime lead in Super Bowl history.

However, the Bengals would score a touchdown on the opening possession of the second half and then had a 1st-and-goal at the 49ers’ three-yard-line with a chance to trim the lead.

But the 49ers held the Bengals out of the end zone as they stopped Cincinnati running back Pete Johnson on 4th-and-goal from the one-yard-line.

Twice in the second half, the Bengals would pull to within a touchdown, but could never take the lead as the 49ers won the first of their four Super Bowl titles in the 1980s.

26. XXXI=Packers-35 Patriots-21

This was one of the more entertaining Super Bowls as both teams combined for a record 24 1st quarter points with Packers quarterback Brett Favre throwing a 54-yard touchdown pass to Andre Rison, and Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe throwing two long pass completions to set up both of New England’s touchdowns in the 1st 15 minutes.

The fireworks would continue as Favre connected with Antonio Freeman on a 81-yard touchdown pass in the 2nd quarter and then Desmond Howard, returning a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown after the Patriots had pulled to within a touchdown when Curtis Martin ran in for a 18-yard touchdown.

After Howard’s touchdown return, the Packers sealed the game and their first Super Bowl title as defensive end Reggie White set a Super Bowl record by sacking Bledsoe three times, the most sacks in a Super Bowl.

25. XLV=Packers-31 Steelers-25

The Packers jumped out to a 21-3 lead, only to have the Steelers climb back with two straight touchdowns to bring them within four points at 21-17, when Green Bay linebacker Clay Matthews knocked the ball out of the hands of Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall, forcing a fumble that was recovered by the Packers on the first play of the fourth quarter.

This lead to a eight-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Aaron Rodgers to Greg Jennings to extending the lead to 28-17

The Steelers fought back to cut the lead to three points and got a chance to drive for the game-winning touchdown but could not drive past their own 33-yard-line, allowing for the Packers to win their fourth Super Bowl in franchise history.

24. XVII=Redskins-27 Dolphins-17

If you look at the stat sheet, you would think that the Redskins would have won this game easily as they outgained the Dolphins 400-176 and held Miami to just nine 1st downs.

But a 76-yard touchdown pass from David Woodley to Jimmy Cefalo, a 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Fulton Walker, and two second half interceptions of Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann, gave Miami a 17-13 lead with 11 minutes to go in the 4th quarter when Washington running back John Riggins made his legendary 43-yard touchdown run on a 4th &1 to give the Redskins their first lead of the game, which they would never relinquished as they added another touchdown with under two minutes to go to clinch Washington’s first NFL championship in 40 years.

23. LVI=Rams-23 Bengals-20

The Los Angeles Rams got a Hollywood ending as they were able to win the Super Bowl in their home stadium with a magnificent drive in the final minutes of the game.

Trailing 20-16 with 6:13 to go in the 4th quarter, the Rams had the ball at their 21-yard-line when they put together a 15-play, 79-yard drive as quarterback Matthew Stafford completed seven of 11 passes for 57 yards on the drive with four of those completions going to eventual MVP Cooper Kupp including the go-ahead touchdown pass with 1:25 left in regulation.

The Bengals would drive to the Rams' 49-yard-line until LA defensive tackle Aaron Donald made two huge plays as he tackled running back Samaje Perine for no gain on 3rd & 1, then pressured quarterback Joe Burrow into an incomplete pass on 4th down to seal the win for the Rams.

22. V=Colts-16 Cowboys-13

This game become known as the “Blunder Bowl” for its poor quality of play as both teams combined for 11 turnovers(a Super Bowl record) and 14 penalties, but the come was close throughout and wasn’t decided until the final seconds when Colts linebacker Mike “Mad Dog” Curtis intercepted a pass from Cowboys quarterback Craig Morton, to set up Jim O'Brien's game-winning 32-yard field goal with five seconds left to give the Colts the world championship.

21. LIV=Chiefs-31 49ers-20

Down 20-10 with 8:32 left in the 4th quarter, the Chiefs catch fire and score 21 consecutive points to win their first Super Bowl in 50 years.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes leads Kansas City to third straight postseason victory when trailing by 10 or more points as he completes eight of 12 passes for 118 yards and throws two touchdowns with the second one being a five-yarder to running back Damien Williams to give KC a 24-20 lead with 2:44 left in the game.

Then after forcing the 49ers to turn it over on downs, Williams runs for a 38-yard touchdown to ice the game and give head coach Andy Reid his first Super Bowl title in his 21st season as a NFL head coach.

For Part 1 or 60-41 of the list, click on the link which is highlighted here: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2026/02/every-super-bowl-ranked60-to-41.html

For Part 3 or 20-1 of the list, click on the link which is highlighted here: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2026/02/every-super-bowl-ranked20-to-1.html

Every Super Bowl Ranked(60 to 41)

For over half a century, the National Football League season has culminated with its championship game better known as the Super Bowl.

There have been numerous Super Bowl contests that have gone down as some of the greatest games in NFL history while there have been others that are the some of the worst games in history.

I thought I would  rank every Super Bowl from worst to first as I based my rankings on how competitive the game was or if there were some historic performances or moments that occurred in a less competitive the game.

In essence, the more memorable the game, the higher it ranked.

So here now is Part 1 of Super Bowl rankings with this part ranking the 20 worst Super Bowls or 60-41.

 60. XXXV=Ravens-34 Giants-7

The Ravens and Giants set records for ineptitude in XXXV as both teams combined for 21 punts, 396 yards of total offense, and 24 1st downs, all record lows in Super Bowl history.

The most entertaining part of the game occurred in the third quarter when three touchdowns were scored on three straight plays in 36 seconds; Baltimore’s Duane Starks returning an interception 49 yards a touchdown, followed by the Giants’ Ron Dixon running back the ensuing kickoff 97 yards, and concluding with the Ravens’ Jermaine Lewis returning the following kickoff 84 yards for a touchdown.

59. VIII=Dolphins-24 Vikings-7

The Dolphins won their second straight Super Bowl with a ball-control offense as they only threw the ball on seven out of their 60 offensive plays during the game.

Fullback Larry Csonka was Miami’s workhouse as he carried the ball 33 times for 145 yards and scored two touchdowns while the Dolphins defense held the Vikings out of the end zone until early in the 4th quarter when they were behind 24-0.

58. XLVIII=Seahawks-43 Broncos-8

When Broncos center Manny Ramirez snapped the ball over the head of quarterback Peyton Manning resulting in a safety for the Seahawks on the first play of the game, it was an omen on how things were going to go for Denver that day.

The Seahawks defense built up a 36-0 lead before the Denver offense finally got in the end zone on the final play of the third quarter as Seattle won its first Super Bowl title by 35 points, tying for the third largest margin of victory in a Super Bowl game.

57. LX=Seahawks-29 Patriots-13

Eleven years after their classic in Super Bowl XLIX, the Seahawks face off with the Patriots again, but this game lacks the excitement and drama of their first encounter as the Seattle defense dominates the game as they sack Patriots quarterback Drake Maye six times and force three turnovers.

The first three quarters of the game were rough as neither team could go into the end zone until Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold throws a 16-yard touchdown pass to tight end A.J. Barner early in the fourth quarter.

56.II=Packers-33 Raiders-14

The Packers’ win in Super Bowl II was anticlimactic compared to their win over the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL Championship Game two weeks earlier in the famous “Ice Bowl”, where quarterback Bart Starr scored the winning touchdown with 13 seconds to go for the 21-17 victory.

Green Bay easily dispatched of the Raiders in what would be Vince Lombardi’s final game as the head coach of the Packers.

55. XI=Raiders-32 Vikings-14

The Raiders, winners of 83 games from 1969-1976, won their 84th game and more importantly their first Super Bowl title, as they gained 429 yards of offense as they cruised to victory which was sealed by Willie Brown’s 75-yard pick-six in the 4th quarter.

54. LV=Buccaneers-31 Chiefs-9

The anticipated matchup between Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady turned into a one-sided affair as Brady completed 21 of 29 passes for 201 yards and three touchdowns while Mahomes completed 26 of 49 passes for 270 yards and was intercepted twice as the Chiefs were held out of the end zone in Tampa Bay's 31-9 win over the defending champion Chiefs.

53. XXVI=Redskins-37 Bills-24

This game was not as close as the final score indicates as the Redskins dominated the game by building up a 24-0 lead early in the 3rd quarter and then pulling away for the victory as the Bills scored two touchdowns in the 4th quarter when the game had already been decided(Washington was leading 37-10).

The most memorable part of the game occurred on the sidelines when Bills running back Thurman Thomas forgot his helmet as he missed the first two plays of Buffalo’s opening possession.

52. LIX Eagles-40 Chiefs-22

The Chiefs’ attempt to become the first team in NFL history to win three straight Super Bowls is thwarted by a dominant performance by the Eagles defense as Philadelphia holds Kansas City to just 23 yards and one first down in the first half while sacking quarterback Patrick Mahomes six times and forcing three turnovers.

The Eagles build a 40-6 lead as MVP Jalen Hurts accounts for 293 yards of total offense as the Chiefs score two touchdowns and convert two-point conversions in garbage time to make the final margin closer than it should have been.

51. XXIV=49ers-55 Broncos-10

What was hyped a quarterback duel between 49ers quarterback Joe Montana and Broncos quarterback John Elway, turned into a one-man show as Montana completed 22 of 29 passes for 297 yards and a then-record five touchdown passes as the 49ers set the Super Bowl record for most points in a game(55) while the defense held the Broncos to only 167 yards of total offense while forcing five turnovers and sacking Elway five times in the most lopsided game in Super Bowl history.

50. XXIX=49ers-49 Chargers-26

If there was any chance for the 18-point underdog Chargers to pull off the upset, it evaporated in the first five minutes of the game when the 49ers jumped out to a 14-0 lead as quarterback Steve Young threw two touchdown passes(a 44-yarder to Jerry Rice and a 51-yarder to Ricky Watters) as his way onto a record six touchdown passes to give the 49ers their fifth Super Bowl title.

Though the game was a blowout, both teams combined for a record 75 points and 10 touchdowns to go along with Young’s record and Chargers kick returner Andre Coleman’s record for most kickoff return yards in a Super Bowl, 244 which included a 98-yard touchdown return.

49. XX=Bears-46 Patriots-10

The Bears “46” defense put together perhaps the greatest team defensive performance in Super Bowl history as they held the Patriots to just -19 yards in the first half, finishing with allowing just 123 yards(127 of them came after the Bears had taken a 44-3 lead on William “The Refrigerator” Perry’s one-yard touchdown run), forced six turnovers and sacked New England quarterbacks seven times in the second biggest blowout in Super Bowl history.

One year after playing in the second highest scoring Super Bowl of all time, the Patriots play in the lowest scoring Super Bowl ever played as it takes until midway through the fourth quarter for a touchdown to be scored, a two-yard run by Patriots running back Sony Michel, in a game that features only one touchdown, the fewest touchdowns in a Super Bowl game.

48. VI=Cowboys-24 Dolphins-3

After losing on a last-second field goal in the previous year’s Super Bowl, the Dallas Cowboys returned to the Super Bowl to finally win the world championship after several years of close calls.

The famed “Doomsday” defense held the Dolphins out of the end zone(the only time a team has not scored a touchdown in a Super Bowl) and to just 185 yards of total offense, while the Cowboys rushed for a then-record 252 yards with Duane Thomas being the leading rusher with 95 yards.

47. XXVII=Cowboys-52 Bills-17

Believe it or not, the Cowboys held only a two-touchdown lead as the 4th quarter began, but Dallas went on to score 21 points in the 4th quarter as they forced a record nine turnovers in the game on their way to to the first Super Bowl title in 15 years and first of three championships in four years.

However, the most memorable moment came when Cowboys defensive tackle Leon Lett recovered a fumble and was on his way to an apparent 64-yard touchdown when Lett was stripped of the ball at the one-yard-line by Bills wide receiver Don Beebe.

46. XXXVII=Buccaneers-48 Raiders-21

Bucs head coach Jon Gruden got revenge on his former team for “trading” him before the 2002 season as Tampa Bay intercepted Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon a Super Bowl record five times, returning three of them for touchdowns(another Super Bowl record), including two in the final two minutes of the game after the Raiders had scored 18 unanswered points to pull within 13 points, 34-21, as the Buccaneers won their first and thus far only world championship.

45. XXXIII=Broncos-34 Falcons-19

Broncos quarterback John Elway finished out his 16-year Hall-of-Fame career with a MVP performance as he completed 18 of 29 passes for 336 yards and threw a 80-yard touchdown pass to go along with a 3-yard touchdown run in the 4th quarter to give Denver its second consecutive Super Bowl title.

44. XV Raiders-27 Eagles-10

The Raiders became the first Wild Card team to win the Super Bowl as quarterback Jim Plunkett threw three touchdown passes while linebacker Rod Martin set a Super Bowl record by intercepting Eagles quarterback Ron Jaworski three times.

But many fans stay tuned to the trophy presentation to see if there would be any fireworks when NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle presented the Vince Lombardi Trophy to Raiders owner Al Davis, who was suing the NFL to move the Raiders from Oakland to Los Angeles.

To the disappointment of some, the presentation went on without a hitch.

43. XIX=49ers-38 Dolphins-16

Many fans expected a shootout as Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino, who had the records for most passing yards and touchdowns passes in a single season, faced off with 49ers quarterback Joe Montana.

While both quarterbacks threw for over 300 yards and the two teams combined for 851 yards of offense(the third most in Super Bowl history), it was Montana and the 49ers who came out on top as San Francisco gained 537 of those 851 yards, with Montana accounting for 390 of the 49ers’ 537 yards(331 passing, 59 rushing) and four touchdowns(three passing, one rushing) as the 49ers had the game sewn up midway through the third quarter.

42. XVIII=Raiders-38 Redskins-9

The Redskins were looking to win their second straight Super Bowl and complete one of the greatest seasons in NFL history as they had lost only two games during the 1983 season, both by only one point, had a scored then-record 541 points during the regular season and had a turnover margin of +43, which is still a NFL record.

But the Redskins would get rocked by the Raiders as the tone was set at the end of the Redskins’ first possession of the game when Derrick Jensen blocked Jeff Hayes’ punt and recovered it in the end zone for a Raiders touchdown, which was followed with backup linebacker Jack Squirek picking off a Joe Theismann pass and return five yards for another touchdown in the final seconds of the first half, and then Marcus Allen put the icing on the cake of the Raiders’ rout with his incredible 74-yard touchdown run on the final play of the third quarter.

41. XII=Cowboys-27 Broncos-10

Legendary NFL films narrator John Facenda described Super Bowl XII as “Fiercely fought, but frightfully flawed” as the two teams combined for a record 20 penalties and 10 turnovers, eight coming courtesy of the Broncos, with seven of those being committed in the first half alone.

However, the game did feature two memorable plays: Cowboys wide receiver Butch Johnson’s diving fingertip catch for a 45-yard touchdown, and Dallas running back Robert Newhouse becoming the first non-quarterback to throw a touchdown in a Super Bowl as his 29-yard touchdown pass to Golden Richards in the 4th quarter sealed the Cowboys’ 2nd Super Bowl title of the 1970s.

For Part 2 or 40-21 of the list, click on the link which is highlighted here: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2026/02/every-super-bowl-ranked40-to-21.html

For Part 3 or 20-1 of the list, click on the link which is highlighted here: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2026/02/every-super-bowl-ranked20-to-1.html