And now here is the second part of my rankings of every Super Bowl from worst to first, as we count down the top 28 Super Bowls of all time:
29. 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.
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| Cowboys cornerback Larry Brown became an unlikely hero as his two interceptions and returns for 77 yards helped the Cowboys hold off the Steelers in Super Bowl XXX. |
28. 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.
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| Desmond Howard had 244 return yards, including a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, to become the first special teams player to be named Super Bowl MVP. |
27. 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.
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| Six of Deion Branch's 11 catches were for 1st downs, helping him MVP honors after the Patriots win over the Eagles. |
26. 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.
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| Ronnie Lott(42) jumps in the air after he and the 49ers defense kept the Bengals out of the end zone on a 4th-and-goal. |
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.
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| Aaron Rodgers carved up the Steelers defense as he completed 24 of 39 passes for 304 yards and threw three touchdowns in the Packers' 31-25 win. |
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.
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| John Riggins breaks away from Dolphins defensive back Don McNeal's attempt at a tackle, to run for the go-ahead touchdown in the 4th quarter of Super Bowl XVII. |
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.
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| Cooper Kupp catches what turns out to be the game-winning touchdown pass with 85 seconds left in Super Bowl LVI. |
22. 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.
21. 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.
20. 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.
19. 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.
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. 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.
13. 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.
12. LVIII Chiefs-25 49ers-22(OT)
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.
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| Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was named Super Bowl MVP after his 26-of-42 for 282 yards and two touchdown performance in Super Bowl LIV. |
21. 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.
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| Jim O'Brien(80) jumps up in the air after his 32-yard field goal sailed through the uprights to give the Colts their first Super Bowl title. |
20. 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.
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| Lynn Swann makes his famous acrobatic 53-yard catch in Super Bowl X. |
19. 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.
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| Tracy Porter(22) points toward the end zone during his 74-yard interception return that helped the Saints secure Super Bowl XLIV. |
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.
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| Mario Manningham makes an incredible catch near the sidelines on the first play of the Giants' nine-play, 88-yard game-winning touchdown drive. |
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.
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| John Stallworth runs towards the end zone after he catches Terry Bradshaw's long bomb which gave the Steelers the lead for good in Super Bowl XIV. |
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.
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| The lights go out in the Superdome midway through the third quarter of Super Bowl XLVII. |
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.
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| Joe Namath walks off the field waving #1 to signify his New York Jets were the world champions after their upset of the Colts in Super Bowl III> |
14. 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.
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| John Taylor catches the game-winning touchdown pass from quarterback Joe Montana with 34 seconds left, to give the 49ers the 20-16 win over the Bengals. |
13. 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.
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| Cowboys tight end Jackie Smith lies in disgust after his infamous dropped pass in the third quarter of Super Bowl XIII. |
12. 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.
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| Mecole Hardman catches the game-winning touchdown in overtime of the Chiefs' 25-22 win over the 49ers. |
11. 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.
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.
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| The Patriots mob Adam Viniatieri after his 41-yard field goal gave the Patriots their second Super Bowl title in three years. |
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.
However, it would not be the last time the Patriots would win a Super Bowl on a last-second field goal by Vinatieri….
8. 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.
7. 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.
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.
5. 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.
4. 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.
3. 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.
2. 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.
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 of this countdown, click on this link: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2018/02/ranking-every-super-bowl-from-52-to-1.html
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.
However, it would not be the last time the Patriots would win a Super Bowl on a last-second field goal by Vinatieri….
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| Adam Vinatieri kicks the game-winning field goal from 48 yards out as time expire to begin the Patriots' dynasty. |
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.
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| Patrick Mahomes lead the Chiefs to their second Super Bowl title in four years with another comeback from a 10-point deficit. |
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.
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| John Elway's dive for a 1st down late in the third quarter helped sparked the Broncos to an upset win over the defending Super Bowl Champion Packers. |
7. 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.
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| Malcolm Butler(21) makes the game-saving interception with 20 seconds left to preserve the Patriots' 28-24 win over the Seahawks. |
6. 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.
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| James White streches for the game-winning touchdown to give the Patriots their fifth Super Bowl title. |
5. 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.
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| A dejected Scott Norwood walks off the field after his potential game-winning 47-yard field goal went wide right in the final seconds of Super Bowl XXV. |
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.
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| Santonio Holmes makes his tiptoe, shoestring catch for the game-winning touchdown in Super Bowl XLIII. |
3. 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.
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| Kevin Dyson(87) tries to stretch the football over the goalline, but cannot break the grasp of Rams linebacker Mike Jones as time expires in Super Bowl XXXIV. |
2. 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.
| Quarterback Nick Foles catches a 1-yard touchdown late in the first half, one of the four touchdowns he accounted in the second-highest scoring Super Bowl of all time. |
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.
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| David Tyree makes the "Helmet Catch", which lead to the game-winning touchdown that allowed the Giants to end the Patriots' chances of a undefeated season. |
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