With 10 games seemingly impossible to order, here’s the fourth part of my look back at the first 25 Super Bowls of the 21st century.
No. 25-21, No. 20-16, No. 15-11, No. 5-1
As fans count down the days until Super Bowl LX next Sunday in Santa Clara, California, many are looking back at the most exciting moments from Super Bowls in recent memory.
It would be a fair assumption to make that fans are hoping for a more riveting game than what they were treated to last year, which saw the Philadelphia Eagles topple the Kansas City Chiefs in an emphatic blowout, with a final score of 40-22.
Last year’s dud of a Super Bowl was more of the exception than the rule, with over a dozen incredible Super Bowls in the last 25 years that have come down to the final minutes of the fourth quarter.
In the fourth of five parts to this series, I’ll finally be diving into the top 10 Super Bowls of this millennium, having already gone through the biggest duds and some of the more forgettable contests in recent years.
Yet making this list was an incredibly difficult task, especially when getting to the third part that started to include games that truly went down to the wire.
When making this list ahead of writing the associated stories, I felt like the 14 best Super Bowls in particular were incredibly hard to rank against one another, starting with the 2019 matchup in Super Bowl LIV between the Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers.
Now fully into the part of the list where every Super Bowl was an instant classic either painfully or joyfully etched into the memories of millions of fans, here’s a look at the games that fell in at the No. 10 through No. 6 spots:
10. Super Bowl XLVII: Baltimore Ravens 34, San Francisco 49ers 31 (2012)
Affectionately nicknamed the “Harbaugh Bowl” or the “Blackout Bowl,” this Ravens-49ers matchup blossomed from a blowout into a nailbiter, as brothers and head coaches John and Jim Harbaugh faced off against one another.
Played at what was then the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, a relatively even crowd fan-wise was treated to a gem, with scoring opening early in the first quarter with a 13-yard touchdown pass from Joe Flacco to Anquan Boldin, giving the Ravens an early 7-0 lead.
A 36-yard field goal from 49ers’ kicker David Akers cut the lead to 7-3 before the end of the quarter, though the Ravens made plenty of noise in the following frame. Flacco picked up two more touchdown passes in the second quarter, finding Dennis Pitta in the end zone from one yard out before connecting with Jacoby Jones on a 56-yard home run pass that gave Baltimore an emphatic 21-3 lead as the end of the first half approached.
San Francisco managed to cut the lead to 15 as time expired in the first half with a 27-yard field goal from David Akers, facing a steep hill to climb after the break. That hill grew exponentially steeper at the start of the third quarter, with Jacoby Jones setting a record with a 108-yard kickoff return touchdown that stretched the lead to 28-6.
The 49ers were then given a hint of serendipitous fortune, as a power outage in the Superdome caused a 34-minute delay to gameplay almost immediately after Jones’ touchdown, helping the game acquire the “Blackout Bowl” nickname.
San Francisco began taking care of business once play resumed, with QB Colin Kaepernick finding Michael Crabtree in the end zone on a 31-yard connection for the team’s first touchdown, once again cutting the lead to 15.
Following a short Baltimore punt and great return from Ted Ginn Jr., it took the 49ers just two plays on their next drive to find the end zone once again, with Frank Gore converting on a six-yard run to bring San Francisco back within eight points.
The good fortune appeared to continue on the next drive, with Ravens’ running back Ray Rice losing a fumble on the third play of the ensuing Baltimore possession, setting up what would eventually be a 24-yard field goal from Akers to cut the Ravens lead to 28-23.
A goal-line stand from the San Francisco defense on the next Ravens possession forced a 19-yard field goal from Justin Tucker, giving Baltimore a 31-23 lead early on in the fourth quarter. San Francisco quickly responded, concluding a five-play, 76-yard drive with a 15-yard rushing touchdown from Kaepernick – though a failed two-point conversion attempt kept the score at 31-29 in favor of Baltimore.
Baltimore went on to take five minutes off the clock on their next drive, capping it off with a 38-yard field goal from Tucker that extended the Ravens’ lead back to five points.
Although Kaepernick was able to drive the 49ers down the field to create a 1st & Goal at the Baltimore 7-yard line, the Ravens defense denied Kaepernick on three straight passes to Crabtree, forcing a turnover on downs and sealing the game. San Francisco would pick up a safety on Baltimore’s final play from scrimmage in the game as Sam Koch was brought down in the end zone, giving the game a 34-31 final score.
Ravens’ QB Joe Flacco was named Super Bowl MVP, finishing with 22 completions on 33 attempts for 287 passing yards and three touchdowns. Kaepernick finished 16-28 with 302 passing yards alongside a touchdown pass and interception, while also recording 62 rushing yards and a touchdown on seven carries.
9. Super Bowl XXXVI: New England Patriots 20, St. Louis Rams 17 (2001)
As someone who is turning 30 years old this year, this Super Bowl is the earliest one I have memories of – a game played at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans in a nation still reeling from the September 11 attacks just months earlier.
The game pitted the heavily favored Greatest Show on Turf Rams against the upstart Patriots, led by 24-year-old quarterback Tom Brady, in his first year as a starter.
Despite many expecting offensive firepower throughout, the game was anything but – made clear early on as a 50-yard field goal from Rams’ kicker Jeff Wilkins provided the only scoring in the opening quarter.
The Patriots responded emphatically against the two-touchdown favorites in the second quarter, getting on the board after New England DB Ty Law picked off Kurt Warner and returned the interception 47 yards for a touchdown.
Then with just 31 seconds left in the half, Brady located wide receiver David Patten in the end zone from eight yards out, sending the Patriots to the break with a 14-3 lead over St. Louis.
The third quarter remained a defensive battle, with three punts and a Warner interception opening up the half before New England kicker Adam Vinatieri hit from 37 yards out to give the Patriots a 14-point lead into the fourth quarter.
Beginning a drive with 1:22 left in the third quarter, Warner and the Rams took over six minutes off the clock, eventually finding the end zone on a 2-yard run from Warner that cut the Patriots’ lead to just a touchdown.
After another three punts that included a fruitless St. Louis drive, the Rams went on a feverish drive inside the two-minute warning, covering 55 yards on three plays in just 14 seconds to tie the game. Warner located veteran wide receiver Ricky Proehl in the end zone on a 26-yard pass, with a Wilkins kick tying the game with just 1:37 to go.
Somehow, with no timeouts remaining, Brady drove the Patriots 53 yards down the field, enough to set up what was an iconic Super Bowl-winning 48-yard field goal from Vinatieri, giving the Patriots a 20-17 win and their first-ever Super Bowl championship.
Brady was awarded his first Super Bowl MVP, finishing with 16 completions on 27 attempts for 145 passing yards and a touchdown. Warner ended up completing 28 of 44 passes for 365 passing yards alongside a touchdown and a pair of interceptions.
8. Super Bowl LVI: Los Angeles Rams 23, Cincinnati Bengals 20 (2021)
The first Super Bowl played at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California and the second consecutive Super Bowl where a team got to play in their home stadium, fans were treated to instant classics in both the game itself and the halftime show.
After Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs came out on the right side of an incredible Divisional Round game against the Buffalo Bills in the 2021-22 postseason, Burrow and the Bengals edged out the Chiefs in Kansas City to secure their first AFC championship since 1988.
Facing the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI, it was Matthew Stafford and L.A. that was in control early on, taking an early 13-3 lead thanks to two touchdowns, one of which had a failed two-point conversion.
Cincinnati quickly flipped the script, with Tee Higgins catching a touchdown pass towards the end of the first half to bring the Bengals back within three before another quick strike to start the second half. Burrow connected with Higgins once again for a 75-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the frame, suddenly putting Cincinnati on top 17-13.
The Bengals tacked on more on their following drive, with an Evan McPherson field goal putting Cincinnati up by a touchdown with just over 10 minutes remaining in the third quarter. Los Angeles answered with a field goal of their own to bring the game back within four points before an intense defensive fourth quarter.
After both teams squandered two drives early in the frame, Stafford brought the Rams down the field on a nearly five-minute drive that concluded with a one-yard touchdown pass to Cooper Kupp, giving Los Angeles a 23-20 lead with just 1:25 left in the game.
Perhaps even more painfully for Cincinnati, what looked to be a drive that would at least end in a game-tying field goal was halted after failing to convert three times when needing only one yard for a first down. Facing pressure on a 4th & 1 at the Los Angeles 49-yard-line, Burrow haphazardly threw an incomplete pass that sealed the Bengals’ fate – and secured a Super Bowl win for the Rams.
After being in control for much of the second half, the Bengals failed to close out what should have at least been a chance to win it all in overtime. The loss has only stung more in the years since, with Cincinnati on the verge of missing the postseason for the third straight year.
Stafford finished the game with 26 completions on 40 attempts for 283 passing yards alongside three touchdowns and two interceptions, while Kupp was named Super Bowl MVP. The star receiver finished with eight catches for 92 yards and a touchdown along with seven yards on the ground on a single carry.
Burrow finished 22-33 with 263 passing yards and a touchdown, while Higgins had four catches for 100 yards and two touchdown receptions.
7. Super Bowl XXXVIII: New England Patriots 32, Carolina Panthers 29 (2003)
The first Super Bowl to be played at what was then-Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas, the Patriots and Panthers played to an all-time classic as Tom Brady sought his second Super Bowl ring.
Coming off an 11-5 season in 2003 and playoff wins against the Dallas Cowboys, St. Louis Rams and Philadelphia Eagles, the Panthers proved to be more than a formidable match for the 14-2 Patriots that had seamlessly cruised through the season.
After a scoreless first quarter, both offenses exploded late in the second quarter, beginning with a 5-yard connection from Tom Brady to Deion Branch with just over three minutes left in the first half. Carolina would answer back with a feverish touchdown drive of their own, with Jake Delhomme connecting on a 39-yard home run pass to Steve Smith to tie the game at 7 with 1:14 remaining in the frame.
That was somehow still enough time for yet another Patriots touchdown drive, largely thanks to a 52-yard connection from Brady to Branch that later set up a 5-yard touchdown pass to David Givens, putting New England back ahead 14-7. With 23 seconds left and one timeout remaining however, Delhomme and the Panthers had enough to set up John Kasay for a 50-yard field goal, making the score 14-10 in favor of the Patriots at halftime.
Following a scoreless third quarter, both offenses found their groove once again in the game’s final frame. It was the Patriots who struck first in the fourth quarter, scoring just seven seconds into the period with a 2-yard Antowain Smith touchdown run that capped off a 71-yard touchdown drive.
Now leading 21-10, it took Carolina just over two minutes on their ensuing drive to find the end zone, with a 33-yard touchdown run from DeShaun Foster putting the Panthers within five points. Delhomme failed to connect with wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad on a two-point conversion, leaving the score 21-16 in favor of the Patriots.
Getting the ball back with a chance to make it a two-score game, Brady and the Patriots drove all the way to the Carolina 9-yard line before Brady was intercepted by Reggie Howard in the end zone, giving Carolina the ball back deep in their own territory after a short return.
Just a few plays later, Delhomme found Muhsin Muhammad for an 85-yard touchdown connection, though a failed two-point conversion left the Panthers with a narrow 22-21 lead. Taking nearly four minutes on the following drive, Brady successfully brought the Patriots 68 yards down the field, eventually finding Mike Vrabel in the end zone for a one-yard touchdown pass after Vrabel reported as an eligible receiver. A successful run from Kevin Faulk on the two-point conversion attempt gave the Patriots a symmetrical seven-point lead, ahead by a score of 29-22.
With just over two minutes left in the game, Delhomme led the Panthers on a triumphant 80-yard touchdown drive, only using one timeout before finding Ricky Proehl in the end zone from 10 yards out to tie up the game with just 1:13 remaining in regulation – which was still more than enough time for Brady and the Pats.
After things were made easier by Kasay’s kickoff going out of bounds, Brady brought the Patriots 37 yards down the field to the Carolina 23-yard line, allowing Adam Vinatieri to seal the championship with a 41-yard field goal.
The Patriots would go on to win the Super Bowl over the Philadelphia Eagles the following season, while the Panthers missed the playoffs in 2004 before making a run to the NFC Championship Game in 2005.
Brady was awarded his second Super Bowl MVP, finishing with 32 completions on 48 attempts for 354 passing yards with three touchdowns and one interception, while Delhomme finished 16-33 for 323 passing yards and a trio of touchdowns.
6. Super Bowl XLIII: Pittsburgh Steelers 27, Arizona Cardinals 23 (2008)
Played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, a very Steelers-heavy crowd was on hand as the Cardinals aimed for their first-ever Super Bowl championship, while Pittsburgh was seeking their sixth win in the Big Game.
The matchup started off relatively tame and defensively focused, with the scoring opening after an Arizona goal line stand forced an 18-yard field goal from Pittsburgh’s Jeff Reed, giving the Steelers a 3-0 lead they held through the end of the first quarter.
Pittsburgh was also the first to find the end zone, capping off a 69-yard drive early in the second quarter with a 1-yard touchdown run from Gary Russell, giving the Steelers a 10-0 lead.
The Cardinals answered back on their next possession, with QB Kurt Warner connecting with Ben Patrick from one yard out to bring Arizona back within a field goal. After holding serve defensively for the rest of the quarter, the Cardinals looked to be on the verge of taking the lead, set up for a 1st & Goal at the 1-yard line with just 18 seconds left in the half before a Warner pass to Anquan Bolding was picked off by James Harrison – and taken back the entire distance of the field for a 100-yard pick six as time expired in the first half.
This emphatic momentum swing turned what could have been a 14-10 Arizona lead into a 17-7 advantage for Pittsburgh heading into halftime.
After forcing a punt on Arizona’s opening second half drive, the Steelers took over eight minutes off the clock on their next possession, eventually capping it off with a 21-yard field goal from Reed that gave Pittsburgh a 20-7 lead that remained as the game moved to the fourth quarter.
Following an exchange of punts to start the frame, Warner and the Cardinals once again found the end zone on a 1-yard pass to star wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, suddenly bringing Arizona back within six points.
Punts were then exchanged once again, with Pittsburgh backed up deep into their own territory with just over three minutes left in the game. Running a play at their own 1-yard line, an offensive holding penalty was called on lineman Justin Hartwig in the end zone, resulting in an Arizona safety and the end of the possession for the Steelers.
Now trailing by just four points, Arizona had a golden opportunity to take the lead near the end of the game – a chance that was seized when Warner connected with Fitzgerald on a 64-yard home run pass on just the second play of the drive, giving the Cardinals a 23-20 lead with 2:47 left on the clock.
With two timeouts left and plenty of time, Ben Roethlisberger calmly brought the Steelers 78 yards down the field on a drive that was all about the connection between Roethlisberger and Santonio Holmes.
Holmes recorded 73 receiving yards on what was the Super Bowl-winning touchdown drive for Pittsburgh, finishing it off with an incredible 6-yard reception in the back corner of the end zone that has since been nicknamed the “Tampa toe-tap.”
Pittsburgh’s defense held serve on the final Arizona possession, closing out a 27-23 win for the franchise’s sixth Super Bowl ring.
Holmes’ incredible performance on the last drive was rewarded immediately with the Super Bowl MVP award, as Holmes finished with nine catches and a touchdown on 131 receiving yards.
Roethlisberger finished 21-30 for 256 passing yards with a touchdown and interception, while Warner completed 31 of 43 passes for 377 passing yards with three touchdowns and one interception.
No. 25-21, No. 20-16, No. 15-11, No. 5-1
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