The 10 Best Superbowls of All Time
Jets 16
Colts 7
Super Bowl III starts our list because of its cultural impact. This was the first football game to become a national event and the game brought the NFL into the mainstream. The Baltimore Colts were considered to be greatest football team in history. But a young cocky Joe Namath guaranteed the Jets — champions of the American Football League, which was seen as vastly inferior to the NFL — would win. He delivered on that promise and launched the modern NFL.
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Rams 23
Titans 16
Stockboy to Super Bowl winning quarterback: Kurt Warner’s unique personal story gave the game a narrative the media could chew on. But the game itself also delivered as one of the most intense championship matchups ever played. The late Steve McNair orchestrated the Titans’ game-ending drive but finished one yard short of the end zone and winning the game.
© Reuters Photographer / Reuter
Giants 20
Bills 19
It came down to one field goal. The cameras zoomed into the faces of two legendary coaches, Bill Parcels of the Giants and Marv Levy of the Bills. Buffalo kicker Scott Norwood pushed what would have been the game winner wide right. Jim Kelly and the Bills would play in the next three Super Bowls without winning a championship.
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Patriots 20
Rams 17
The St. Louis Rams were the favorites going into the game and had a roster full of pro bowlers and future hall of famers. Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk, Tory Holt and Isaac Bruce made for “The Greatest Show on Turf.” But another future hall of famer, Tom Brady, who replaced an injured Drew Bledsoe earlier in the season, would lead the team to an upset win.
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Dolphins 14
Redskins 7
The Dolphins became the first and only team to run the table. They went 17-0, capping a perfect season with a solid victory.
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Broncos 31
Packers 24
Football fans remember John Elway flying through the air like a helicopter. Although there were a lot of great plays in the game, it was all about Elway. Already one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, Elway added the one line to his resume that was still missing. He would win again the next season and call it a career.
© Sam Mircovich / Reuters
Steelers 35
Cowboys 31
These two teams met three times in the Super Bowl, cementing one of the best rivalries in football. This game came down to a quarterback duel, with the Cowboys’ Roger Staubach throwing 3 TD’s and the Steelers’ Terry Bradshaw edging him out with four to win the game.
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49ers 20
Bengals 15
The third of Joe Montana’s four Super Bowl wins. The 49ers were behind in the fourth quarter but Montana dominated the final drive and threw John Taylor a touchdown pass with eight seconds left in the game.
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Steelers 27
Cardinals 23
The Cardinals — yes, the Cardinals — were in a Super Bowl…and almost won. Larry Fitzgerald had an amazing fourth quarter with six catches and two TD’s. But Ben Roethlisberger and Santonio Holmes had a great last drive and a big score in the final minute to seal the win.
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Giants 17
Patriots 14
The Patriots were on the cusp of having a perfect season. They were 18-0 going into the Super Bowl. With under three minutes left in the game the Patriots needed just one more defensive stop. But Giants QB Eli Manning threw a bullet to WR David Tyree, who snagged the ball against his helmet. Manning would then throw a TD pass to Plaxico Burress and end the game. This is probably the best Super Bowl Game ever. For anyone who likes to watch the Patriots lose, it definitely is.
© Gary Hershorn / Reuters