After going through many of the recent Super Bowls that fans may find forgettable, this part of the series dives into what were some instant classics.
No. 25-21, No. 20-16, No. 10-6, No. 5-1
We are now just 10 days away from Super Bowl LX kicking off at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, as the New England Patriots aim for a record seventh Super Bowl title against the NFC champion Seattle Seahawks.
With this year’s Super Bowl being the 26th since the start of the new millennium, I figured there would be no better way to lead up to the Big Game than to rewind through the past 25 years, picking out which games were the best over that period of time.
For a league that seemingly owns a day of the week in the United States for a third of the year, the Super Bowl serves as the grand culmination of the country’s most followed sport, routinely making the broadcast the most watched television program of the year by a wide margin.
While there have certainly been a few duds over the years, the Super Bowl has more often than not been among the season’s most exciting games, with several of the championship bouts going down to the final play of the game.
This part of the list is where it got particularly tricky to order the games – as I feel like every fan probably has a different answer depending on their individual fandom and memories associated with the game.
I specifically felt like the 14 best Super Bowls of the last 25 years were the toughest to order, going back and forth on what I felt were the most exciting, but also historically significant games in an effort to order them in a way that made the most sense (I’m still not sure if I did that).
Here’s how the third part of this list shakes out, and I’m sure I’ll encounter at least a little disagreement on this part:
15. Super Bowl XLIV: New Orleans Saints 31, Indianapolis Colts 17 (2009)
A memorable matchup of two top-seeded teams, Peyton Manning’s Colts took on Drew Brees’ New Orleans Saints in what ended up being the lone Super Bowl appearance of Brees’ storied career.
Played at what was then known as Land Shark Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, the game saw an inspired second-half comeback from the Saints with a couple of legendary moments after the Colts jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter.
The Colts appeared to maintain momentum in the second quarter as well – despite the Saints picking up two field goals to cut the deficit to 10-6, Indianapolis’ defense delivered on a crucial 4th & Goal stop at their own 1-yard line to prevent the Saints from reaching the end zone.
While the Colts likely felt great in the locker room having limited the damage, they were simply not prepared for what was waiting for them on the other side of a halftime show from The Who.
In one of the most famous plays a fan will ever see to start a half of football, Sean Payton opted for the Saints to do an onside kick coming out of the half, completely catching Indianapolis off-guard as New Orleans successfully recovered the kick.
The Saints picked up possession with excellent field position, as Brees completed all five of his pass attempts on a 58-yard touchdown drive that put New Orleans ahead by a score of 13-10.
Peyton Manning and the Colts managed to answer right back, embarking on a 76-yard touchdown drive of their own to regain the lead as they moved back ahead 17-13. The Saints would trim the deficit to a single point on their following drive, with a 47-yard field goal from Garrett Hartley bringing the score to a 17-16 Indianapolis advantage.
The Colts began the fourth quarter in the middle of a lengthy drive down the field that began at their own 11-yard line, with Manning going on to complete six of eight passes before the offense stalled at the New Orleans 33-yard line. A 51-yard field goal attempt from all-time great Matt Stover in his final NFL game was no good, giving New Orleans a prime opportunity to jump ahead.
Beginning the ensuing drive at their own 41-yard line, Brees was a perfect 7-7 on a go-ahead touchdown drive that also included a successful two-point conversion, putting New Orleans up 24-17 with only 5:46 left in regulation.
The Colts’ fate would be sealed on the following drive, with Manning making it to the New Orleans 31-yard line before throwing a gut-wrenching pick to Tracy Porter, who returned the interception 74 yards to seal the Saints’ first-ever Super Bowl championship.
Manning finished the game with 31 completions on 45 pass attempts for 333 passing yards alongside a touchdown and an interception. Brees was named Super Bowl MVP, thanks to completing 32 of 39 passes for 288 passing yards and two touchdowns.
14. Super Bowl LIV: Kansas City Chiefs 31, San Francisco 49ers 20 (2019)
This is where the list got incredibly difficult to order, with all of the remaining games being close contests coming down to the late stages in the fourth quarter.
The first half of this game was both defensively tight and entertaining, with 49ers kicker Robbie Gould opening the scoring with a 38-yard field goal in the first quarter. The score was answered in the final minute of the first quarter, with Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes finding the end zone on a 1-yard run for his first-ever Super Bowl touchdown to give Kansas City the lead.
Chiefs’ kicker Harrison Butker extended the lead early in the second quarter with a 31-yard field goal, although the 49ers found the equalizer on the following drive thanks to a 15-yard touchdown pass from Jimmy Garoppolo to Kyle Juszczyk that evened the score at 10, where it would remain at halftime.
San Francisco appeared to take control of the game in the third quarter, with a 42-yard field goal from Gould to open the half being followed by an interception of Mahomes on the next Kansas City drive. The Niners seized the opportunity, with Raheem Mostert converting on a 1-yard touchdown run to give San Francisco a 20-10 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
What followed was the first dose of Mahomes magic on the championship stage, though it didn’t come before the QB threw yet another interception on the first drive of the quarter. After forcing a San Francisco punt, Mahomes drove the Chiefs 83 yards down the field, eventually finding Travis Kelce in the end zone for a touchdown that brought Kansas City back within a field goal.
After the Kansas City defense forced a quick three-and-out, Mahomes and the Chiefs drove 65 yards down the field for another touchdown, this time on a 5-yard pass to Damien Williams to give the Chiefs a 24-20 lead with 2:44 left in regulation.
Getting the ball back a minute later after a failed 49ers possession that all but sealed the game, a 38-yard touchdown run from Damien Williams put the cherry on top with just over a minute to go, giving the Chiefs a 31-20 lead that would hold as the final score.
Mahomes was named Super Bowl MVP, with 26 completions on 42 attempts for 286 passing yards alongside both a pair of touchdowns and interceptions. Garoppolo finished 20-31 for 219 passing yards with one touchdown and two interceptions in the losing effort.
13. Super Bowl XXXIX: New England Patriots 24, Philadelphia Eagles 21 (2004)
Though it was extremely tough to pick which of the first three Patriots Super Bowls was the least exciting, I landed on their 2004 matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles, a game that was close throughout that saw New England seize control late.
The only Super Bowl ever played in Jacksonville, Florida, both teams’ defenses started out strong to the tune of a scoreless first quarter. The silence was broken on the Eagles’ first drive of the second quarter, with QB Donovan McNabb finding L.J. Smith in the end zone for a 6-yard touchdown pass to give Philadelphia a 7-0 lead.
The Patriots eventually responded just before halftime, with Tom Brady locating wide receiver David Givens in the end zone from four yards out for an equalizing touchdown into the break.
New England took advantage of opening the second half with the ball, with Brady driving the Pats 69 yards down the field on a drive that concluded with a two-yard touchdown pass to linebacker Mike Vrabel to give the Pats a 14-7 advantage.
After exchanging punts, McNabb found a new gear as he took the Eagles on a 74-yard touchdown drive, finishing with a 10-yard connection to Brian Westbrook to even the game back up at 14 apiece. New England promptly responded with a touchdown on their next drive, which bled into the start of the fourth quarter and ended with a two-yard run into the end zone from Corey Dillon, renewing the Patriots’ seven-point lead.
New England then appeared to seize control of the game, forcing a three-and-out before driving all the way down to the Philadelphia 4-yard line to set up a 22-yard field goal from Adam Vinatieri, giving the Patriots a 10-point lead with 8:43 to go.
While McNabb appeared to have some juice on the next drive after connecting with Terrell Owens for a 36-yard completion, he was intercepted on his very next pass, making a comeback all the tougher. The Eagles did go on to force a three-and-out and score a touchdown on their next possession, but there was less than two minutes left in the game by the time McNabb found Greg Lewis in the end zone.
The Eagles defense did hold serve, using their three timeouts and forcing a New England punt to get the ball back with 46 seconds left with only a field goal needed to tie the game. Yet backed up at his own 5-yard line, McNabb was once again intercepted on his third attempt of the drive, sealing the win for the Pats.
Brady finished the game 23-33 with 236 passing yards and two touchdowns, while Deion Branch was named Super Bowl MVP on the heels of an 11-catch, 133-yard performance. McNabb finished with 30 completions on 51 attempts for 357 passing yards and a trio of touchdowns and interceptions each.
12. Super Bowl LII: Philadelphia Eagles 41, New England Patriots 33 (2017)
Now time for the other Eagles-Patriots Super Bowl!
The only Super Bowl to have been played at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this game went on to set several records, including one for the most yards combined by two teams in any NFL game.
An offensive slugfest the whole through, it was the first quarter that was the most uneventful – starting with a 25-yard field goal from Eagles’ kicker Jake Elliott that was answered with a 26-yard kick from New England’s Stephen Gostkowski.
The Eagles were the first to find the end zone, with Nick Foles connecting with Alshon Jeffrey from 34 yards out for the game’s first touchdown, though a failed PAT kick from Elliott kept the score at a 9-3 Philadelphia lead.
Former Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount then added on some more for Philadelphia with a 21-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter, yet another failed kick from Elliott left the lead at 15-3. New England got three points back on their ensuing drive thanks to a 46-yard kick from Gostkowski, cutting the lead to nine.
The Patriots cut the lead further late in the quarter with a 26-yard touchdown run from James White, the previous year’s Super Bowl hero – yet the third missed extra point of the game, this time from Gostkowski, kept the Patriots at a three-point deficit.
With time winding down in the half, the Eagles pulled off one of the most famous trick plays in NFL history now affectionately known as the “Philly Special,” with tight end Trey Burton throwing to quarterback Nick Foles in the end zone from a yard out to extend the Eagles’ lead. With a successful extra point kick, the Eagles entered the break with an odd-looking 22-12 lead.
On the other side of a Justin Timberlake performance was a New England touchdown to open the half, with Brady finding Rob Gronkowski in the end zone from five yards out to cut the lead to three after a successful Gostkowski kick.
The Eagles regained their 10-point lead on the next drive, as Foles located Corey Clement from 22 yards away to put Philadelphia on top by a score of 29-19. The teams continued to trade touchdowns as Brady had a 26-yard connection with Chris Hogan in the end zone on the next Patriots drive, sending the game to the fourth quarter with Philadelphia leading 29-26.
Philadelphia opened fourth quarter scoring with a 42-yard field goal from Jake Elliott to give the Eagles a 32-26 lead, which was answered with another Brady-to-Gronkowski touchdown on the next drive that finally gave the Patriots their first lead of the game at 33-32.
The Eagles responded with what was ultimately a touchdown drive of over seven minutes, ending with an 11-yard pass to Zach Ertz in the end zone that put the Eagles up 38-33 with only 2:21 left in the game.
Just two plays into the following Patriots’ drive, Brady lost a fumble that was recovered by Philadelphia, setting up a 46-yard field goal that pushed the lead to 41-33 just a minute later.
Though still within one score, the Eagles defense held serve on the final possession of the game, with Brady only getting as far as his own 49-yard line as the Eagles finished off an incredible Super Bowl victory.
Foles was named Super Bowl MVP, finishing with 28 completions on 43 attempts for 373 passing yards and three touchdowns, alongside an interception and a receiving touchdown as well.
Brady set his career-high mark for passing yards in the game, completing 28 of 48 attempts for 505 yards and three touchdowns, becoming the only quarterback to ever throw for 500 or more yards in a Super Bowl.
11. Super Bowl XLVI: New York Giants 21, New England Patriots 17
A rematch of the historic upset the Giants pulled off just four years prior, Eli Manning and Tom Brady once again met in the Super Bowl following the 2011 season, with the Patriots looking to avenge their 2007 loss.
Still the only Super Bowl to be played at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, the game’s scoring got off to a bit of a strange start as an intentional grounding penalty on Brady in his own end zone resulted in a Giants safety, giving New York an early 2-0 lead in the first quarter.
That lead was expanded later in the frame when Manning found Victor Cruz in the end zone from two yards out, with a successful Lawrence Tynes kick putting New York up by two scores going into the second quarter.
The Patriots got on the board on their first drive of the frame with a 29-yard field goal from Stephen Gostkowski, later taking the lead just before halftime after holding serve defensively. With just eight seconds left in the first half, Brady found Danny Woodhead in the end zone for a 4-yard touchdown pass, giving the Patriots a 10-9 lead at the break.
The lead would be expanded on New England’s first second-half drive, as Brady connected with Aaron Hernandez in the end zone to increase the advantage to 17-9 – opting for an extra point as opposed to a two-point conversion that could have given the Patriots a two-score lead.
New York answered back with two field goals from Tynes the rest of the way in the third quarter, cutting the Patriots’ lead to 17-15 heading into the final frame.
After exchanging punts to start the fourth quarter, Manning led a nine-play, 88-yard touchdown drive that ended with a 6-yard touchdown run from Ahmad Bradshaw with less than a minute to go. A two-point conversion attempt failed however, leaving the score at 21-17 in favor of New York and giving the Patriots a chance to win the game with a touchdown.
With one timeout left, New England’s last-minute comeback attempt fell short, with a Hail Mary attempt on the final play of the game just missing the arms of Aaron Hernandez in the end zone, concluding a 21-17 win for Manning and the Giants.
Manning won his second Super Bowl MVP for the performance, finishing 30-40 with 296 passing yards and a touchdown, while Brady was 27-41 with 276 passing yards, two touchdowns and an interception.
No. 25-21, No. 20-16, No. 10-6, No. 5-1
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