For the majority of the people who watch the Super Bowl every February, the biggest game of the year is about the entertainment and the spectacle. Halftime shows take precedence over first downs. Celebrity-filled commercials are front and center instead of X’s and O’s. It’s hard for true NFL diehards to block out the noise and focus on just the game. Football purists probably wish the Super Bowl hadn’t evolved into something so much bigger than what’s on the gridiron, and we have those people covered.
There have been plenty of great Super Bowls throughout the years based strictly on the play on the field. Incredible athletes like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Patrick Mahomes put on a show and demonstrate their killer instincts when competing for the NFL’s ultimate prize. We have the eight best Super Bowl games of all time stacked up right here for your perfect trip down memory lane. Put down the snacks and start doing your football homework with us right here.
What are the best Super Bowls of all time?
8. Super Bowl LVIII: Kansas City Chiefs 25, San Francisco 49ers 22 (OT)
The second matchup between the Chiefs and the Niners in the last decade didn’t disappoint. San Francisco’s rushing attack and stout defense, led by Christian McCaffrey and Nick Bosa, were able to play the Kansas City dynasty to a standstill for 60 minutes. In only the second overtime game in Super Bowl history, Patrick Mahomes was able to respond to a Niners’ field goal with a touchdown to close the game and a second consecutive championship.
7. Super Bowl LI: New England Patriots 34, Atlanta Falcons 28
The New England Patriots made their six Super Bowls look easy most of the time, but the fifth title against the Atlanta Falcons was anything but simple. Down 28-3 with only two minutes and change left in the third quarter, Tom Brady went to work with a furious comeback for the history books. A 31-0 run in the fourth quarter and overtime allowed the Pats to win arguably the most improbable championship of their dominance (there was another incomprehensible win we’ll get to later on.)
6. Super Bowl XIII: Pittsburgh Steelers 35, Dallas Cowboys 31
With two big-name franchises like the Steelers and the Cowboys headlining this matchup, Super Bowl XIII was able to live up to all of its potential. Terry Bradshaw was usually known as a game manager at quarterback, but his four touchdown passes in this contest proved the doubters wrong. Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach did everything he could to compete with the Steelers but came up just short.
5. Super Bowl XLIII: Pittsburgh Steelers 27, Arizona Cardinals 23
Pittsburgh’s sixth Super Bowl win was a jaw-dropping highlight tape of incredible plays and thrilling athletic feats. From James Harrison’s 100-yard interception to Santonio Holmes’ game-winning touchdown with under a minute left, the Steelers showed they possessed the playmakers to overcome Arizona’s Larry Fitzgerald and Kurt Warner. Arizona has not reached the Super Bowl again since this game.
4. Super Bowl XXXII: Denver Broncos 31, Green Bay Packers 24
John Elway’s first Super Bowl win after years of disappointment made him a sentimental favorite of NFL fans all across the country. Super Bowl XXXII was about much more than defeating those demons, though. Running back Terrell Davis ran roughshod over the Packers with 157 yards on the ground. Green Bay was never able to reach the Super Bowl again with Brett Favre as quarterback.
3. Super Bowl XXV: New York Giants 20, Buffalo Bills 19
Buffalo’s string of Super Bowl losses in the 1990s came in a variety of ways. The 1991 defeat to the New York Giants was a crushing one because of a simple missed kick by Scott Norwood. The game leading up to this moment was a beautiful contrast of styles as the Giants stymied the Bills’ furious offensive attack. Norwood’s miss at the buzzer encapsulated the fun and the drama up to that point.
2. Super Bowl XLIV: New England Patriots 28, Seattle Seahawks 24
The Seattle Seahawks were trying to become the first team to repeat since the Patriots in the early 2000s. New England’s Malcolm Butler had other things on his mind in the waning seconds of Super Bowl XLIV. A controversial decision to throw the ball instead of running it with Marshawn Lynch led to a Russell Wilson interception, and Seattle plucked defeat from the jaws of certain victory. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick’s second dynasty was kickstarted by this victory.
1. Super Bowl XLII: New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14
The New England Patriots don’t suffer a lot of brutal losses, but losing the last game of the season to a Wild Card team after winning 18 games in a row is as shocking as any defeat in NFL history. Tom Brady was kept quiet by a hellacious New York pass rush, and Eli Manning finished the job with David Tyree’s famous helmet catch on the receiving end of the younger Manning’s throw down the field. No matter how much one team is favored, Super Bowl XLII proved that sports are all about the unexpected.
