The 25 most exciting Super Bowls ever
Here's a look at 25 Super Bowls, ranked solely by thrill factor.
The Steelers' 14 consecutive points, including Lynn Swann's 64-yard touchdown, were enough to hold off Dallas in this Super Bowl.
The Cowboys' comeback was swiftly ended by Steelers safety Glenn Edwards' interception in the end zone as time expired. It was a suspenseful, yet heartbreaking end to the season for the 'Boys, who lost 21-17.
24. Super Bowl XIII, 1979
In the first rematch in Super Bowl history, the Steelers and Cowboys fought it out in a high-scoring affair. Super Bowl MVP Terry Bradshaw tossed four touchdowns, and the Steelers needed every single one of them.
The Cowboys kept the game close, but Pittsburgh scored two touchdowns in just 19 seconds.
The 'Boys lost 35-31, which gave them the unlucky honor of becoming the first team in Super Bowl history to score 30 points and lose.
23. Super Bowl XXXIII, 1999
In what ended up being John Elway's final game, the 38-year-old Broncos QB became the oldest player to be named Super Bowl MVP. His Broncos dominated the Falcons, 34-19, en route to back-to-back Super Bowl championships.
22. Super Bowl XXXI, 1997
This Super Bowl was the first and only time Brett Favre won the Lombardi Trophy, but he wasn't even the hero in this big game. Desmond Howard stole the show with his 99-yard kick return for a touchdown, which won him the MVP.
The Packers dismantled the Patriots, 35-21.
21. Super Bowl XLI, 2007
Peyton Manning's one and only Super Bowl win with the Colts came against the Rex Grossman-led Bears.
The Super Bowl started off with a bang, as Devin Hester took the opening kickoff to the house. It was the first kickoff to ever be returned for a touchdown to start the Super Bowl.
The Colts won the game, however, 29-17.
20. Super Bowl XVII, 1983
The Redskins needed 17 unanswered points and 276 yards on the ground in the second half to hold off the Miami Dolphins. And they got it.
The biggest play in the game came on 4th-and-1, and big John Riggins rumbled 43 yards for the score. That legendary run helped win Riggins the Super Bowl MVP.
Behind Riggins and a strong defense, the 'Skins won 27-17.
19. Super Bowl XIV, 1980
In what turned out to be a home game for the Rams, Los Angeles housed 103,958 rabid fans in the Rose Bowl, a Super Bowl record that still stands today.
For the first three quarters, the Rams kept it close, thanks to an incredible halfback pass for a 24-yard touchdown. However, the Steelers pulled away with 14 points in the fourth quarter, to win 31-19.
18. Super Bowl III, 1969
Behind Joe Namath's famous guarantee, the AFL's New York Jets pulled off a huge upset over the NFL's Baltimore Colts, 16-7.
It's one of the best underdog stories in NFL history.
17. Super Bowl XLIV, 2010
This game was full of surprises. Down 10-6, Sean Payton and the Saints shocked the world when they recovered an onside kick to start the second half. Then, Tracy Porter's back-breaking interception of Peyton Manning sealed the deal for the Saints' first Super Bowl in franchise history.
New Orleans won in convincing fashion, 31-17.
16. Super Bowl XVI, 1982
The 49ers' first Super Bowl appearance started out great, thanks to a comfy 20-point halftime lead. But the Bengals came clawing back with 21 second-half points.
The Niners' defense saved the game for San Francisco. A third quarter goal-line stand proved to be the difference in this 26-21 barnburner.
15. Super Bowl XXXII, 1998
Nobody gave John Elway and the Broncos a chance in this Super Bowl. Denver was a double-digit underdog to the Packers, but the Broncos could not be stopped.
Led by Terrell Davis, who suffered from migraines throughout the game, the Broncos won their first Super Bowl in five appearances by a score of 31-24.
14. Super Bowl XXXIX, 2005
Following three consecutive NFC Championship losses, the Eagles finally got over the hump with the help of a hobbled Terrell Owens.
Unfortunately, Philadelphia had to face off against Tom Brady and the 14-2 Patriots.
At the end of the third, the game was knotted up at 14, but the Pats' 10 fourth-quarter points put the game out of reach. New England would come out on top, 24-21, over the Eagles.
13. Super Bowl XLV, 2011
In what looked to be a Super Bowl blowout, the Steelers bounced back from an 18-point deficit. But Super Bowl MVP Aaron Rodgers was too much. In his lone Super Bowl victory, Rodgers threw for more than 300 yards and three touchdowns, in a 31-25 win.
12. Super Bowl XLVI, 2012
After the Giants spoiled the Patriots' perfect season in 2007, this Super Bowl was the perfect opportunity for some payback. Alas, there was no retribution as Eli Manning and the Giants pulled off another upset of the Pats.
This game never quite reached the heights of the prior matchup, but Mario Manningham's clutch catch helped the Giants to a 21-17 victory over the Pats.
11. Super Bowl XLVII, 2013
Even a 34-minute blackout couldn't stop this Super Bowl from being electrifying. The Ravens soared to a 22-point lead in the second half, but the Niners came storming back. San Francisco scored 17 consecutive points and threatened to take the lead late in the fourth quarter.
But a win would elude the Niners. With the ball on the 7-yard line, Colin Kaepernick and the 49ers failed to complete the epic comeback, and lost 34-31.
10. Super Bowl XXIII, 1989
The legend of Joe Montana was cemented after this Super Bowl. Trailing by three late in the fourth quarter, Montana drove the Niners 92 yards down the field in less than three minutes.
Surprisingly John Taylor, not Super Bowl MVP Jerry Rice, caught the game-winning touchdown pass with 34 seconds remaining to put the Niners up 20-16.
That day, Montana again proved why he's worthy of the nickname "Joe Cool."
9. Super Bowl XXXVI, 2002
Who would've thought a relatively unknown quarterback could defeat an offensive juggernaut? But somehow Tom Brady was able to outscore the vaunted Rams' "Greatest Show On Turf" offense.
Brady, who won the game's MVP, wasn't the hero, however. That honor belonged to Adam Vinatieri, who kicked a game-winning 48-yard field goal as time expired, delivering the first Super Bowl win for Brady and Bill Belichick.
The Pats won by a final score of 20-17.
8. Super Bowl XXXIV, 2000
One. Yard. That's how close the Titans came to sending this Super Bowl into overtime.
After trailing by 16, the Titans marched back with 16 points of their own. Rams Quarterback Kurt Warner then hit Isaac Bruce for an amazing go-ahead 73-yard touchdown, but this Super Bowl was far from over.
Titans Quarterback Steve McNair drove Tennessee to the 10-yard line, and with six seconds left, he found Kevin Dyson, who was tackled one yard shy of the game-tying touchdown.
The Rams escaped with a 23-16 win.
7. Super Bowl XXXVIII, 2004
Jake Delhomme almost beat Tom Brady in a Super Bowl. That is not a typo. Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri was the hero once again for New England as he kicked another game-winning field goal, to put the Pats up 32-29 over the Carolina Panthers.
Also, you might've heard there was a "wardrobe malfunction" that year.
6. Super Bowl XXV, 1991
There's never been a more tightly contested Super Bowl. This battle between the Bills and Giants was decided by one kick.
Bills kicker Scott Norwood lined up for what would have been the game-winning field goal, but he ultimately sailed the kick wide right. With a score of 20-19, it's the only Super Bowl to be decided by one point.
5. Super Bowl XLII, 2008
The Patriots entered this Super Bowl with a chance to be the first team to go 19-0 in NFL history. The only thing standing in their way was Eli Manning and the Giants.
Down 14-10, Manning pulled off a Houdini act, escaping pressure just in time to find David Tyree (or, more accurately, his helmet) for one of the best catches of all time.
The Giants went on to pull off one of the biggest upsets in sports history, 17-14.
4. Super Bowl XLIII, 2009
James Harrison's unreal 100-yard interception return for a touchdown at the end of the first half gave the Steelers a commanding 10-point lead at the half.
Larry Fitzgerald and the Cardinals showed no signs of quitting, though. In the fourth quarter, Arizona scored 16 unanswered points.
Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger marched Pittsburgh 73 yards, and Santonio Holmes made an unbelievable toe-tapping catch to lead the Steelers to victory.
The 27-23 victory gave the Steelers their league-leading sixth Super Bowl.
3. Super Bowl XLIX, 2015
Say what you want about the Patriots, but they are always part of an exciting Super Bowl. And Super Bowl XLIX was no different.
In a back-and-forth tilt between the Patriots and Seahawks, Seattle was one measly yard away from a Super Bowl victory.
But then the 'Hawks inexplicably decided to throw a slant that was intercepted by the Patriots' Malcolm Butler.
The Patriots escaped with a 28-24 win.
2. Super Bowl LII, 2018
This Super Bowl might not have gone to overtime or had an epic finish like it did in 2017, but it was exhilarating from start to end.
The Patriots, despite losing 41-33, posted a Super Bowl-record 613 yards of offense. In fact, New England was the first team to never punt in the big game.
The Eagles offense, led by backup quarterback Nick Foles, played even better. The unlikely Super Bowl MVP tossed three touchdown passes and caught another.
Even though both defenses struggled, it was the Eagles' lone sack of the game — by Brandon Graham — that sealed the Philadelphia upset, their first Super Bowl win in franchise history.
1. Super Bowl LI, 2017
There's little debating whether Super Bowl LI was the best of the bunch.
The first Super Bowl to go to overtime had a chance to be one of the least entertaining championship tilts ever.
With the Falcons up 28-3 in the third quarter, Tom Brady and the Patriots scored 31 consecutive points to lead the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history.
Whether it was Julio Jones' unbelievable toe-tapping grab along the sidelines or Julian Edelman's unbelievable snag, this Super Bowl will be hard to top.