With Super Bowl LX just over a week away, here’s a look at the best Super Bowls to be played in the 21st century so far.
No. 25-21, No. 20-16, No. 15-11, No. 10-6
The fifth part of this series has finally arrived, as fans hope Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara can live up to the lofty standards set by some of the greatest games played in the sport’s history.
Though there’s no guarantee that a Super Bowl will be either memorable or exciting (last year’s game was evidence of that), the year’s most significant sporting event in North America typically meets the hype.
Which is what made this ranking so difficult to make. While a small handful of blowouts and forgettable games were easy to slot in at the bottom half of this list, over a dozen Super Bowls just in the last 25 years literally came down to the final minutes of the fourth quarter.
Therefore, fans likely have widely varying takes on which games were actually the best, having to decide that one instant classic was better and more memorable than another either way.
As far as how I crafted my list, I tried to reserve the top five spots for truly significant games – ones that had a demonstrable impact on the league and leave a legacy that permeates throughout the sports world.
While one can argue several Super Bowls fulfilled those expectations, here were the five games I view to be the best and most significant:
5. Super Bowl XLII: New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14 (2007)
Arguably the greatest upset in the sport’s history, Eli Manning and the Giants eked out a triumphant victory over the Patriots, who were aiming to be the first and only team to go undefeated through a 16-game regular season and postseason.
Holding a perfect 16-0 regular season record before dismantling the Jacksonville Jaguars and San Diego Chargers in the AFC Divisional Game and Championship Game, respectively, the Patriots were met with a rematch of their final game of the regular season, which they narrowly won 38-35.
Differing from the widely watched slugfest that closed out the regular season, Super Bowl XLII was a defensively-minded duel that entered halftime with a 7-3 score in favor of the Patriots.
After a scoreless third quarter, Eli Manning converted on a five-yard touchdown pass to David Tyree early in the final frame to give New York a 10-7 lead with just over 11 minutes to go.
Following a fruitless drive from New England and a three-and-out from New York, the Patriots drove down the field late in the fourth quarter, with Tom Brady connecting with Randy Moss for a go-ahead touchdown with just 2:45 remaining in the game.
With the Patriots now up 14-10 and on the precipice of an undefeated season, Eli Manning and the Giants embarked on a heroic drive, highlighted by a 32-yard reception from David Tyree in which he used his helmet to maintain possession of the ball to convert on a massive third down.
Eventually getting into the red zone, Manning found Plaxico Burress past the goal line for a 13-yard go-ahead touchdown with just 39 seconds remaining.
Though New England only needed a field goal to tie, the Patriots quickly went three-and-out on their final drive as the Giants completed one of the greatest upsets in North American pro sports history.
Though Patriots fans have been spoiled more than fans of perhaps every other fanbase, many still look back on just how close the team was to completing an undefeated season, which would have surely solidified their status as the greatest team of all-time.
Manning was awarded his first Super Bowl MVP, completing 19 of 34 passes for 255 passing yards and a pair of touchdowns with an interception. Brady was 29-48 for 266 passing yards and a touchdown in the losing effort.
4. Super Bowl LVIII: Kansas City Chiefs 25, San Francisco 49ers 22 (2023)
Perhaps the strangest Super Bowl to rank on this list, this game wasn’t quite the slugfest that some others were – but it also was just the second Super Bowl ever to go into overtime, with the fourth quarter and overtime periods being absolute madness the whole way through.
The first Super Bowl played at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, a relatively even crowd fan-wise was on hand for a defensively tight, scoreless first quarter, with San Francisco kicker Jake Moody getting on the board first with a 55-yard field goal at the start of the second quarter.
After recovering a forced fumble and forcing a punt later in the quarter, the 49ers added to their lead with a trick-play touchdown, with Juaun Jennings connecting with Christian McCaffrey for a 21-yard touchdown pass, giving San Francisco a 10-0 lead.
With just under 4:30 left in the first half, the Chiefs took the vast majority of the remaining time on a 65-yard drive down the field that ended with a 28-yard field goal from Harrison Butker, putting Kansas City back within a touchdown heading into halftime.
Following a performance from Usher and company, the third quarter got off to a bit of a slow start, with Patrick Mahomes throwing an interception on the first drive of the half while the 49ers were unable to take advantage of the giveaway.
The two teams then exchanged punts before a 47-yard drive from the Chiefs was enough to set up Butker for a 57-yard field goal, cutting the lead to 10-6.
San Francisco’s lead wouldn’t last much longer, with the Niners going three-and-out on their next drive before disaster struck for the red and gold. After appearing to force a three-and-out themselves, the Kansas City punt was fumbled on the return, with defensive back Jaylen Watson recovering it at the San Francisco 19-yard line and returning it for three yards.
On the very next play, Mahomes connected with Marquez Valdes-Scantling for a 16-yard touchdown pass, giving the Chiefs their first lead of the game.
What followed was a drive of over six minutes from the 49ers that stretched into the fourth quarter, with San Francisco reclaiming the lead on a 10-yard touchdown pass from Brock Purdy to Juaun Jennings – though a blocked extra point attempt limited the lead to 16-13 in favor of the Niners.
The teams traded field goals on the following two drives, leaving Kansas City with the ball and down by three points with less than two minutes in the game. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Mahomes calmly led the Chiefs 64 yards down the field to set up a game-tying 29-yard chip shot from Butker just before time in regulation expired – sending the game to overtime.
The overtime period began with a drive of over seven-and-a-half minutes from the 49ers, who ultimately stalled out at the Kansas City 9-yard line and settled for a 27-yard field goal to take the lead.
Needing a field goal to tie and a touchdown to win, the Chiefs took the remaining seven minutes and 22 seconds of overtime on a 75-yard drive that ended with a 3-yard, Super Bowl-winning touchdown pass to Mecole Hardman, sealing a 25-22 overtime victory for the Chiefs – as well as their second straight Super Bowl victory.
Finishing with 34 completions on 46 attempts for 333 passing yards, two touchdowns and an interception along with nine carries and 66 rushing yards, Patrick Mahomes was named the Super Bowl MVP for the third time in his career.
Brock Purdy finished his first Super Bowl having completed 23 of 38 passes for 255 passing yards and a touchdown in the losing effort.
3. Super Bowl LVII: Kansas City Chiefs 38, Philadelphia Eagles 35 (2022)
I didn’t get to see this game live as I was in Portugal the day the game was played, but fans who were stateside were treated to one of the greatest football games one could luck into seeing.
Played at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, the game pitted Mahomes and the Chiefs searching for their second Super Bowl title against Jalen Hurts and the Eagles, aiming for their first Super Bowl win since 2017.
An iconic game that was undoubtedly one of the best Super Bowls in recent memory, it was the Eagles who struck often and early, emerging after a 7-7 first quarter to take a 24-14 lead into halftime.
The Birds looked remarkably poised and prepared in the first half, maintaining momentum at the break even after a game-tying fumble return touchdown from Nick Bolton of Kansas City seemed to turn the tide in the early stages of the second quarter.
Kansas City made their way closer early on in the third quarter, with a 1-yard rushing touchdown from Isiah Pacheco putting the Chiefs back within a field goal. The Eagles responded with a drive that took up the majority of the third quarter, which kept Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs’ offense off the field despite only resulting a field goal with under two minutes left in the quarter, putting Philadelphia up 27-21.
Back with the football for the first time in nearly 10 game minutes, Mahomes drove the Chiefs 75 yards down the field, connecting with Kadarius Toney from five yards out early in the fourth quarter to give the Chiefs a 28-27 advantage.
After the Chiefs’ defense forced a three-and-out, a 65-yard punt return from Toney set the Chiefs up with a 1st & Goal at the Eagles’ 5-yard line, with Mahomes finding Skyy Moore from four yards out for a touchdown that would extend Kansas City’s lead to eight points.
Trailing 35-27 with 9:22 left in the game, it was Eagles’ quarterback Jalen Hurts who drove his team 75 yards down the field, with a 45-yard connection with DeVonta Smith doing much of the heavy labor. Once in the red zone, Hurts converted on a two-yard rushing touchdown and ensuing two-point conversion to tie the game with just 5:15 remaining.
Unfortunately for Hurts and the Eagles, they would not receive another meaningful possession, with Mahomes driving the Chiefs well into Philadelphia territory to give them a chance to win as time expired. Facing a 3rd & 8 with 1:54 remaining, a controversial defensive holding call on James Bradberry set the Chiefs up with another first down and an opportunity to run the clock out, despite grievances from choruses of fans and FOX color commentator Greg Olsen on the play.
A 27-yard field goal from Harrison Butker with 11 seconds left in the game would seal the championship for the Chiefs, concluding a wild game that just seemed to break in Kansas City’s favor in the big moments.
While the Chiefs would win the Super Bowl again the following season over the San Francisco 49ers, the Eagles exacted their revenge in 2024, blowing out the Chiefs 40-22 to win Super Bowl LIX.
Finishing with 21 completions on 27 pass attempts for 182 passing yards and a trio of touchdown passes along with six carries for 44 yards on the ground, Mahomes was named Super Bowl MVP for the second time in his career.
Hurts put up a Herculean effort himself, completing 27 of 38 pass attempts for 304 passing yards and a touchdown pass, while also picking up 70 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 15 carries.
2. Super Bowl XLIX: New England Patriots 28, Seattle Seahawks 24 (2014)
A matchup between the two teams facing off in Super Bowl LX this season, the Patriots and Seahawks have a whole lot to live up to if this game is to end up as more exciting than the first Super Bowl meeting between the two clubs.
Played in what was then University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, the Seahawks were aiming for their second straight Super Bowl win, while Tom Brady and the Patriots were searching for their first championship in a decade.
The two teams played to a scoreless first quarter, which shouldn’t have come as too much of a surprise given Seattle’s top-ranked defense and New England having the 8th-best defensive unit themselves.
It was ultimately the Patriots who struck first on their opening drive of the second quarter, a 65-yard march that ended with Brady finding Brandon LaFell in the end zone from 11 yards out to give New England a 7-0 lead.
Seattle answered back after the two teams exchanged punts, with the league’s best running back in Marshawn Lynch finishing off a 70-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 7 apiece.
Despite there being just 2:22 left in the first half, a feverish conclusion was in store, with New England taking just one minute and 40 seconds to drive 80 yards down the field for another touchdown, this time with Brady finding Rob Gronkowski in the end zone from 22 yards out.
Though there were just 36 seconds left before halftime, Seattle drove 80 yards down the field thanks to some timeouts and a 15-yard penalty on New England defensive back Kyle Arrington, eventually setting up an 11-yard connection from Russell Wilson to Chris Matthews, sending the game to halftime tied at 14.
The Seahawks got the ball to start the second half, immediately going on a 72-yard drive to set up Stephen Hauschka for a 27-yard field go to give Seattle their first lead of the game. The Seahawks expanded on this lead later in the frame, with Bobby Wagner picking off Tom Brady on the following New England drive.
Setting up the Seahawks right at midfield, it took Wilson just over three minutes and six plays to lead Seattle back to the end zone, finding Doug Baldwin from three yards out to give Seattle a 24-14 lead in the late stages of the third quarter – a lead that held going into the fourth quarter.
After an exchange of punts to start the final frame, Brady led a 68-yard touchdown drive that ended with a 4-yard pass to Danny Amendola in the end zone, drawing the Patriots back within a field goal with eight minutes left in the game.
Forcing a quick three-and-out on the next Seattle possession, Brady took almost five minutes on a 64-yard drive during the next New England possession, eventually locating Julian Edelman in the end zone from three yards out to give the Patriots a 28-24 lead just on the plus side of the two-minute warning.
With three timeouts and the need for a touchdown, Wilson began a long 80-yard drive that included a pair of incredible throws – including a 33-yard dime to Jermaine Kearse that was bobbled on the ground and somehow held on to, setting up the Seahawks with a 1st & Goal at the Patriots’ 5-yard line with just over a minute to go.
After a run play to Lynch picked up four yards, the Seahawks were facing a 2nd & Goal, just one yard away from a Super Bowl repeat-sealing touchdown. While everyone on the planet expected Lynch to get the ball once more and trot into the end zone to take the lead, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll inexplicably called for a pass play – leading to perhaps the most famous interception in NFL history from Patriots’ cornerback Malcolm Butler.
The pick sealed a 28-24 New England victory and a fourth Super Bowl ring for Tom Brady, who was named Super Bowl MVP for his performance in the game. Brady finished with 37 completions on 50 attempts for 328 passing yards and four touchdowns alongside a pair of interceptions.
Wilson finished 12-21 for 247 passing yards, two touchdowns and one interception, while also picking up 39 yards on the ground on three carries.
1. Super Bowl LI: New England Patriots 34, Atlanta Falcons 28 (2016)
I mean, what else could it possibly be?
Played at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, the Patriots entered looking for their second Super Bowl win in three years, while the Falcons were aiming for their first-ever Lombardi Trophy.
One of the worst single-game collapses in professional sports history, it looked to be a forgone conclusion that the Falcons would finally exorcise their demons, holding an unthinkable 28-3 lead over Tom Brady and the New England Patriots midway through the third quarter.
That lead was primarily built in the second quarter, with defenses holding serve in the first frame before Devonta Freeman scored the first touchdown of the game on a 5-yard run, giving Atlanta a 7-0 lead.
After forcing a quick three-and-out, Atlanta found the end zone once again, as QB Matt Ryan connected with Austin Hopper for a 19-yard touchdown, giving the Falcons a 14-0 lead over Brady & Co. nearing the halfway point of the second quarter.
What followed was a New England drive of over six minutes that made it look like the Patriots were finally about to strike – until Brady threw a pick to Robert Alford, who returned it 82 yards to the house to give the Falcons a 21-0 lead in the late stages of the first half.
While New England got the ball back and managed to get on the board before halftime with a 41-yard field goal from Stephen Gostkowski, the energy and momentum was undoubtedly on Atlanta’s side at the break.
After halftime, it was a 6-yard touchdown reception from Tevin Coleman that appeared to seal the deal for the Falcons with 8:31 left in the third quarter, but there’s always plenty of time left for Tom Brady. Surely enough, Brady would lead the Pats down the field on the next possession, converting for a touchdown after taking up well over six valuable minutes of gametime.
Though the touchdown appeared to bring the Pats a step closer, a missed extra point and failed onside kick afterwards appeared to dash New England’s hopes once again. Down 19 points with roughly a quarter of play to go and the Falcons in excellent field position, it seemed that this was indeed it for the Patriots.
However, it’s really just when the miscues began for Atlanta, starting with a slew of penalties on that possession that pushed the Falcons from the New England 32-yard line all the way back to their own 44-yard line, necessitating a punt when the Dirty Birds appeared well suited to at least kick a field goal.
Getting the ball back near the start of the fourth quarter, Brady would take around five minutes to bring the Patriots to the Atlanta 10-yard line, with an ensuing sack pushing the Pats back five yards and forcing a Stephen Gostkowski field goal, which connected to put the Patriots within 16 points – technically making this a two-score game.
This is likely when the nightmares of Atlanta fans began to came to life, demons that felt even more real just over a minute later when New England defensive tackle Alan Branch recovered a Matt Ryan fumble.
Now with the ball at the Atlanta 25-yard line, it took Brady and the Patriots five plays to convert on a touchdown, succeeding on the ensuing two-point conversion to make it a 28-20 game. Nerves for Atlanta fans, however, appeared to be alleviated early on the next drive.
After a 39-yard completion to Devonta Freeman and a 27-yard connection with Julio Jones, Ryan and the Falcons were suddenly at the New England 22-yard line, with a perfect chance to kick a field goal to put the Patriots down two scores once again with under five minutes left in the game. Then, true disaster began to strike.
After Freeman lost a yard on a carry, Ryan was sacked by Patriots edge rusher Trey Flowers, pushing the Falcons back to the Patriots’ 35-yard line. On the next play, a 9-yard completion was negated by a holding penalty that sent Atlanta back to the New England 45-yard line, once again necessitating a punt when a field goal looked inevitable.
Now a one-score game with 3:30 left, Brady drove the Patriots 91 yards in just over two-and-a-half minutes on a touchdown drive, one that included a mind-boggling catch from Julian Edelman that became emblematic of the Pats’ triumphant comeback.
After a successful two-point conversion, the Patriots had suddenly tied the game, scoring 25 unanswered points since the 2:12 mark of the third quarter. After failing to get something going on a short drive after New England tied the game, the Super Bowl went to overtime for the first time ever.
To the surprise of literally no one in the world, the Patriots won the coin toss, electing to receive the ball ahead of a 75-yard touchdown drive that concluded with a 2-yard Super Bowl-clinching touchdown run from James White.
Brady was named Super Bowl MVP for his performance in the game, completing 43 of an unreal 62 pass attempts for 466 passing yards alongside two touchdowns and an interception. Ryan finished the game 17-23 for 284 passing yards and a pair of touchdowns.
The Falcons, who have never won the Super Bowl, have only made it back to the playoffs once since 2016 – losing in the NFC Divisional Round the following season. As for the Patriots, Brady would go on to play two more Super Bowls in New England, losing in 2017 before winning the following season. While Brady and the Pats parted ways after the 2019 season, Brady would win his seventh and final Super Bowl in 2020 as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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