We’ve arrived at Super Bowl LX, the latest chapter in the NFL’s biggest spectacle. Every year brings fresh drama and unforgettable moments, but cracking the list of the five greatest Super Bowls ever played remains an incredibly high bar.
5
Super Bowl XXV: NY Giants 20 – Buffalo Bills 19
The first of an incredible four straight Super Bowl defeats for the star crossed Buffalo Bills, it was perhaps their most heartbreaking. Buffalo and their high octane no-huddle offense had dominated all season but they now had to overcome a staunch NY Giants defensive unit led by future greatest Super Bowl winning head coach Bill Bellichick. The Bills led 12-3 following a Giants safety in the second quarter and went up 19-17 on a 31-yard Thurman Thomas touchdown run to open the fourth. Matt Bahr kicked a field goal to put the Giants up 20-19 but the game went down to the final kick when Bills kicker Scott Norwood famously pushed his 47-yard field goal attempt wide right. Watch the highlights here.
4
Super Bowl XXXIV: St Louis Rams 23 – Tennessee Titans 16
The first Super Bowl played this century was one of the greatest and certainly one of the most dramatic. The Rams were ‘The Greatest Show on Turf’, an all-conquering offense led by Kurt Warner and featuring Marshall Faulk and Isaac Bruce. The Titans found themselves in the Super Bowl care of ‘The Music City Miracle’. The Rams led 16-0 midway through the third before two Eddie George touchdowns levelled the scores with 2:12 to go. Warner hit Bruce with a 73-yard bomb just after the two-minute warning before Steve McNair marched the Titans down the field. The game ended with wideout Kevin Dyson stretching out to the endzone but down at the one. Watch the highlights here.
3
Super Bowl LI: New England Patriots 34 – Atlanta Falcons 28
The greatest comeback in Super Bowl history and one of the most memorable games ever played, the legend of Tom Brady and the Patriots grew even larger when they overcame a 28-3 deficit to win in overtime. Atlanta dominated into the early part of the second half, looking all-but-certain to lift their first Lombardi Trophy after Tevin Coleman scored midway through the third quarter to give the Falcons a 28-3 lead. Led by Brady and speedy running back James White, the Patriots scored late in the third and then put on 19 last quarter points. The Patriots won the toss in overtime, got the ball and marched 75 yards with James White diving over for the game winner. Watch the highlights here.
2
Super Bowl XIII: Pittsburgh Steelers 35 – Dallas Cowboys 31
The two dominant franchises of the 1970s led by iconic coaches Chuck Noll and Tom Landry, the Steelers and the Cowboys met in the final Super Bowl played in that decade and it was one for the ages. It was a shootout from the get-go with QBs Terry Bradshaw and Roger Staubach combining for seven passing touchdowns in a back-and-forth affair. The most iconic moment in the game came when revered Cowboys tight end Jackie Smith dropped an open pass in the endzone with announcer Curt Gowdy calling him “the sickest man in America”. Watch the highlights here.
1
Super Bowl XLII: NY Giants 17 – New England Patriots 14
The unbeaten Patriots were on the doorstep of immortality when they entered Super Bowl 42, ready to join the famous 1972 Miami Dolphins as the only unbeatens to win it all. A surprising defensive struggle ensued with the Patriots leading 7-3 at three-quarter time. The Giants found an unlikely hero in the final quarter though with unheralded wide receiver David Tyree scoring a touchdown to give the Giants a 10-7 lead and then famously pinning a catch against his helmet after QB Eli Manning seemed certain to be sacked, keeping the drive alive. Manning found Plaxico Burress plays later to give the Giants a stunning victory. Watch the highlights here.