GREATEST SUPER BOWL GAMES OF ALL TIME

In 1966 the established National Football League and the American Football League, which began play in 1960, merged into one league. The merger would be phased in over four years. One of the resulting events from the merger was the World Championship Game to be played between each league’s champion. The name of this game was the NFL- AFL World Championship Game. Lamar Hunt, owner of the Kansas City Chiefs of the AFL had come up with the idea for the game. But he took it one step further. One day, while playing with his children and one of their new toys, a Super Ball, Hunt came up with the new name for the NFL –AFL Championship game, a name which he felt would catch on. His idea of course was to rename the game the Super Bowl. The rest is history.

The first Super Bowl did not attract nearly the attention of the football public as it does today. Only 61, 946 fans showed up on January 15, 1967 in the Los Angeles Coliseum. Not bad you say. Well it is when you consider that the Coliseum seats nearly 95,000 for football. Those that did make their way into the game, watched the NFL champion Green Bay Packers easily defeat the AFL champion Kansas City Chiefs 35-10. The game was the only pro football game in history televised by two networks as CBS and NBC carried the game.

There have been thirty-eight Super Bowls played, with number 39 on its way next Sunday, February 6. We will share our selections for ten most entertaining Super Bowls of all time, beginning with numbers 6 through 10 this week in descending order.

A 32 yard field goal by first year kicker Jim O’Brien brought the Baltimore Colts a 16-13 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in the final 5 seconds. This was the first Super Bowl played on artificial turf.

Dallas led 13-6 at the half on two Mike Clark field goals and quarterback Craig Morton’s 7 yard pass to running back Duane Thomas. The Colts scored on a John Unitas to John Mackey 75 yard pass that bounced off Colts’ receiver Eddie Hinton and Cowboys’ defensive back Mel Renfro before Mackey grabbed it and raced to the touchdown. The extra point was blocked. On the Colts next series Unitas was knocked out of the game with a rib injury and replaced by Earl Morral.

In the fourth quarter the Colts intercepted Morton twice, both passes bounced off the hands of intended receiver Dan Reeves. The first interception by Rick Volk set up Tom Nowatzke’s two yard run to tie the game. The second by linebacker Mike Curtis came with 28 seconds remaining setting up O’Brien’s winning kick. This was the first Super Bowl that had come down to the final play.

On their fifth try and John Elway’s fourth the Denver Broncos won the Super Bowl, with a 31-24 victory over the defending champion Green Bay Packers. The Packers were huge favorites coming into the game. Game MVP Terrell Davis rushed for 157 yards and three touchdowns.

The Packers took the opening kick and marched 76 yards in just four minutes when Brett Favre threw a 22 yard touchdown to Antonio Freeman. The Broncos responded with a ten play 58 yard drive capped by Davis’one yard run. Tyrone Braxton intercepted Favre two plays later and John Elway scored on a one yard run to begin the second quarter. Steve Atwater forced Favre to fumble three plays later, Neil Smith recovered for Denver at the Packer 33. Jason Elam converted a 51 yard field goal, the second longest in Super Bowl history to give the Broncos a 17-7 lead with 12:21 left in the half. After an exchange of punts, the Packers produced a 17 play, 95 yard drive that used 7:26 of the clock and finished with Favre’s six yard touchdown pass to TE Mark Chmura with twelve seconds left in the half.

Tyrone Williams forced a Davis fumble at the Bronco 26 on the first play of the second half. The Broncos defense held the Packers to a 27 yard field goal by Ryan Longwell and the game was tied with 11:59 left in the third quarter. Elway’s 36 yard pass to Ed McCaffrey keyed a thirteen play, 92 yard drive capped by another Davis one yard run, with 34 seconds left in the third quarter. Tim McKyer recovered Freeman’s fumble at the Packer 22 on the kickoff return but Eugene Robinson intercepted Elway’s pass in the end zone on the next play. The Packers took just four plays to cover the eighty yards and scored on Favre’s pass to Freeman to tie the score with 13:32 remaining in the game.

The teams then exchanged punts twice but the Broncos got great field position on the last Packer punt at the Green Bay 49. The Broncos moved to the winning score with the big play being a John Elway pass to fullback Howard Griffith. Davis scored his third touchdown with 1:45 left in the game. After the kickoff Favre moved the Packers down the field to the Denver 35 with 1:04 remaining. After a four yard completion to Dorsey Levens and incompletions to Freeman and Robert Brooks, Favre’s fourth down pass to Mark Chmura was knocked down by linebacker John Mobley with 32 seconds left in the game. Elway then took a knee to earn the first of his two Vince Lombardi trophies.

The Colts came into the game a 17 point favorite, but this did not stop Jets quarterback Joe Namath from guaranteeing victory the Thursday before the game. He led the AFL and the Jets to their first Super Bowl win 16-7.

Namath completed 19 of 28 passes for 206 yards and directed a steady attack that dominated the NFL champion Colts. The Jets defense intercepted NFL Most Valuable Player Earl Morrall three times. Morrall filled in for the injured John Unitas the entire season. The Jets had the only score of the first half, a 4 yard touchdown run by Matt Snell. Morrall moved the Colts into scoring position four times, but he was intercepted three times and Colt kicker Lou Michaels missed a field goal on the other drive. On the other side of the ball Matt Snell pounded his way to 121 yards against the Colt defense and the Colts pass rush did not come near Namath.

In the second half the Jets added three field goals by Jim Turner to increase their lead to 16-0. By the fourth quarter Colt coach Don Shula replaced Morrall with the injured Unitas who was still nursing a banged up elbow. Unitas led the Colts to a touchdown with 3:40 remaining in the game and had the Colts inside the Jet twenty again before he was intercepted. From there the Jets ran out the clock and scored what was then, the biggest upset in sports history.

The Steelers won the Super Bowl for the second year in a row on quarterback Terry Bradshaw’s 64 yard touchdown pass to Lynn Swann (Swann had 161 yards on four catches) and an aggressive defense that stopped a late Cowboys rally with an interception in the end zone.

The Steelers were favorites to win the game but the Cowboys began the scoring in the first period on quarterback Roger Staubach’s touchdown pass of 29 yards to Drew Pearson. The Steelers came back with a touchdown drive that ended on Bradshaw’s 7 yard touchdown pass to TE Randy Grossman. Toni Fritsch kicked a 36 yard field goal for the only scoring of the second quarter and the Cowboys led at the half 10-7.

The third quarter was scoreless but Pittsburgh was winning the game of field position which paid off when the Steelers’ Reggie Harrison blocked Mitch Hoopes’ punt through the end zone for a safety, to make the score 10-9.

The Steelers then used two long drives to take the lead 15-10 courtesy of two Roy Gerela field goals. After Staubach could not move the ball, the Cowboys punted and the Steelers took over on their own 36. On the first play from scrimmage Bradshaw found Swann between two Cowboy defenders for a 64 yard score — the extra point was missed and the Steelers led 21-10.

With 3:02 left in the game Staubach began the Cowboy comeback. He led his team down the field behind the new formation Coach Tom Landry had invented for that season — the Shotgun. Staubach connected with WR Percy Howard on a 34 yard touchdown pass. This was Howard’s only catch in his NFL career. After the extra point it was Steelers 21-17, with about two minutes left in the game.

The Steelers recovered the Cowboy onside kick at the Cowboy 40. On fourth down instead of punting Steeler coach Chuck Knoll ran on fourth down trying to use as much of the clock as he could. The Cowboys took over on their 39 with 1:22 to play and no timeouts. Staubach moved the Cowboys again as he ran and passed for two first downs. As the Cowboys neared the Steeler goal line, defensive back Glenn Edwards intercepted Staubach and the Steelers had won their second Super Bowl.

The Giants won their second Super Bowl in five years with a 20-19 victory over the Buffalo Bills who were in their first Super Bowl. The Bills entered the game as 7 point favorites.

The Giants had the ball for 40 minutes and 33 seconds, a Super Bowl record. The Bills who scored 95 points in their two playoff games leading to the Super Bowl had the ball for less than eight minutes in the second half. Fourteen of New York’s 73 plays came on its first drive of the third quarter, which covered 75 yards and consumed a Super Bowl record 9:29 off the clock before Ottis Anderson scored on a one yard run. Giants quarterback Jeff Hostetler kept the long drive going by converting three third down plays, an 11 yard pass to Dave Meggett on third and eight, a 14 yard pass to Mark Ingram on third and thirteen and a nine yard pass to TE Howard Cross on third and four. This drive gave the Giants a 17-12 lead in the third quarter.

Buffalo jumped to a 12-3 lead midway through the second quarter. Their scores included a safety (always a favorite of friendly block pools) when Bruce Smith sacked Jeff Hostetler in the end zone, a Don Smith one yard run and a field goal.. Hostetler completed a fourteen yard scoring play to Stephen Baker to make it 12-10 Bills at the half. After the long Giant drive made it 17-12, the Bills’ Thurman Thomas scored on a 31 yard run to give the lead back to the Bills 19-17 at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Halfway through the fourth quarter, Giant kicker Matt Bahr kicked a twenty one yard field goal and they were back on top 20-19. The teams traded punts before Bills quarterback Jim Kelly took the Bills down the field for the last time. With seconds remaining Bill kicker Scott Norwood lined up for a 47 yard field goal that would have won the game, but it sailed wide right and the Giants had their second Super Bowl victory.

5. Super Bowl XIII, Cowboys 12-4 vs. Steelers 14-2, January 21, 1979, Orange Bowl, Miami, Attendance 79,484, Winning Players Share $18,000.00, Losing Players Share $9,000.00. MVP Terry Bradshaw 

Quarterback Terry Bradshaw passed for a record 4 touchdowns to lead the Steelers to a 35-31 victory over the Cowboys. The Steelers became the first team to win four Super Bowls. Bradshaw, voted the games Most Valuable Player, completed 17 of 30 passes for 318 yards, the most in any one game of his career. Four of the passes went for touchdowns, 2 to John Stallworth and the third, with 26 seconds remaining in the second period, to Rocky Bleier for a 21-14 halftime lead. 

The Cowboys scored twice in the first half, on quarterback Roger Staubach’s pass to Tony Hill from 39 yards and a 37 yard fumble return by linebacker Mike Hegman, who stole the ball from Bradshaw. The Steelers broke open the game with two touchdowns in a span of 19 seconds midway through the final period. Franco Harris scored on a 22 yard run to give Pittsburgh a 28-17 lead with 7:10 left. The Steelers got the ball back when Randy White fumbled the kickoff and Dennis Winston recovered for Pittsburgh. On first down Bradshaw passed for his fourth touchdown, an eighteen yard scoring play to Lynn Swann to make it 35-17 Steelers with 6:51 to play. The Cowboys refused to let the Steelers run away with the game. Staubach connected with TE Billy Joe Dupree on a 7 yard scoring pass with 2:23 left. Then the Cowboys recovered an onside kick and Staubach took them in for another score, passing 4 yards to Butch Johnson with 22 seconds remaining. The Cowboys then attempted another onside kick, the ball bounced off several players before Rocky Bleier recovered for the Steelers and they ran the final 17 seconds off the clock. For the second time in three years the Steelers beat the Cowboys in the Super Bowl but had to withstand future Hall of Famer Roger Staubach’s comeback attempts. 

  4. Super Bowl XXXVIII, Panthers 11-5 vs. Patriots 14-2, February 1, 2004, Reliant Stadium, Houston, Attendance 71,525. Winning Players Share $68,000.00, Losing Players Share $36,500.00 MVP Tom Brady

Adam Vinatieri kicked a 41 yard field goal with 4 seconds remaining as the heavily favored New England Patriots won their second Super Bowl in three seasons with a 32-29 victory over the Carolina Panthers. While it took a Super Bowl record 26 minutes and 55 seconds for the first points to be scored, the teams combined for 868 yards. The game also featured the highest scoring quarter in Super Bowl history as the teams combined for 37 points in the fourth quarter.

Vinatieri missed a 31 yard field goal on the Patriots first possession, and had a 36 yard attempt blocked in the second quarter. Three plays later Patriot linebacker Mike Vrabel sacked Panther quarterback Jake Delhomme and forced him to fumble. Richard Seymour recovered at the Panthers 20, and a twelve yard run by Patriot quarterback Tom Brady on third and seven set up his 5 yard touchdown pass to Deion Branch with 3:05 left in the first half. The Panthers responded with an 8 play 95 yard drive capped by Delhomme’s 39 yard touchdown pass to Steve Smith with 1:07 left in the half. Tom Brady then came back with a 52 yard pass to Branch with 37 seconds left to set up David Givens’ 5 yard touchdown pass from Brady. The Patriots squibbed the kickoff and Kris Mangum returned it twelve yards to the Panther 47. A 21 yard run by Stephen Davis set up a John Kasey 50 yard field goal on the last play of the half, the Patriots led 14-10. 

Neither team scored in the third quarter, but Antowain Smith’s 2 yard run, two plays into the fourth quarter capped a 71 yard drive and gave the Patriots a 21-10 lead. Carolina scored on its next two possessions. First, Delhomme completed passes of 18 and 22 yards to Smith to set up DeShaun Foster’s 33 yard touchdown run to make it 21-16 with 12:39 to play. Carolina went for the two point conversion but Delhomme’s pass was incomplete. New England drove to the Panther 9 on their next possession, but Reggie Howard intercepted Brady’s third and goal pass in the end zone. Two plays later, Delhomme rolled left and passed for a Super Bowl record 85 yard touchdown to Mushin Muhammad for a 22-21 lead with 6:53 left. Once again the Panthers went for two and Delhomme’s pass was incomplete. New England drove 68 yards on its next possession, highlighted by Givens’ receptions of 25 and 18 yards, both of which helped to set up Brady’s one yard touchdown pass to Vrabel, who lined up as a TE. Kevin Faulk ran in the 2 point conversion and New England was up 29-22 with 2:51 left in the game. Delhomme completed passes of 19 yards to Muhammad and 31 yards to Ricky Proehl before finding Proehl from twelve yards for the tying touchdown with 1:08 remaining. Kasay’s kickoff went out of bounds giving the Patriots the ball on their 40. Five plays later, faced with third and three from the Panthers 40 with 14 seconds left, Brady completed a 17 yard pass to Branch to set up Vinatieri’s Super Bowl winning kick. 

3. Super Bowl XXIII, Bengals 12-4 vs. 49ers 10-6, January 22, 1989, Joe Robbie Stadium, Miami, Attendance 75,129. Winning Players Share $36.000.00, Losing Players Share $18,000.00 MVP Jerry Rice

NFC Champion San Francisco captured its third Super Bowl of the 1980’s by defeating the AFC Champion Cincinnati Bengals 20-16. Even though San Francisco held an advantage in total yards 453 to 229, the 49ers found themselves trailing the Bengals late in the game. With the score 13-13, the Bengals took a 16-13 lead on Jim Breech’s 40 yard field goal with 3:20 remaining. It was Breech’s third field goal of the game, following earlier kicks of 34 and 43 yards. The 49ers started their winning drive at their 8 yard line. Over the next 11 plays, San Francisco covered 92 yards with the decisive score coming on a ten yard pass from quarterback Joe Montana to John Taylor with 34 seconds remaining.

At halftime, the score was 3-3, the first time in Super Bowl history the score was tied at halftime. After the teams traded third period field goals, the Bengals jumped ahead 13-6 on Stanford Jennings’ 93 yard kickoff return for a touchdown with 34 seconds remaining in the third quarter. The 49ers did not waste any time coming back as they covered 85 yards in four plays, concluding with Montana’s 14 yard touchdown pass to Jerry Rice 57 seconds into the fourth quarter. The remainder of the quarter had the teams trading punts until quarterback Boomer Esiason began moving the Bengals with short passes. The drive stalled and Breech kicked his go ahead field goal. When the 49ers got the ball back on their own 8 with 3:10 remaining, Montana engineered the winning drive, highlighted by Jerry Rice’s 27 yard catch on second and 20 from the Bengal 45. The loss for the Bengals was made more frustrating by the fact that two plays before the winning touchdown pass to Taylor, Bengals’ defensive back Lewis Billups dropped a sure interception which would have saved the game for Cincinnati. Since that Super Bowl loss the Bengals have had just one winning season. 

2. Super Bowl XXXIV, Rams 13-3 vs. Titans 13-3, January 30, 2000, Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Attendance 72,625, Winning Players Share $58,000.00, Losing Players Share $33,000.00. MVP Kurt Warner

The Rams became the first team in NFL history to win NFL titles representing three different cities, 1945 in Cleveland, 1951 in Los Angeles and 1999 in St. Louis. They won Super Bowl XXXIV 23-16 over the Tennessee Titans, the former Houston Oilers who were making their first Super Bowl appearance. The Rams championship season was highlighted by the play of 1999 MVP, quarterback Kurt Warner, former grocery store clerk and Arena Football player.

The Rams drove inside the Titans’ 20 with each of their first six possessions, but compiled just three field goals and one touchdown to take a 16-0 lead. Ram holder Mike Horan bobbled the snap and the Rams missed a 35 yard field goal on their first drive. The Titans responded with a 42 yard drive, their longest of the half but Baltimore Ravens fans favorite Al Del Greco missed a 47 yard field goal attempt. Ram kicker Jeff Wilkens added three field goals and they led at the half 9-0. 

The Titans drove 43 yards after receiving the second half kickoff, but Todd Lyght blocked Del Greco’s 47 yard field goal attempt and the Titans were kept off the board. Kurt Warner’s 31 yard pass to Isaac Bruce keyed the ensuing drive that was capped by Warner’s nine yard touchdown pass to Torry Holt with 7:20 left in the third quarter giving the Rams a 16-0 lead. The Titans responded with touchdown drives in excess of seven minutes on each of their next two possessions. Quarterback Steve McNair’s 23 yard run set up Eddie George’s one yard run in the final minute of the third quarter. McNair’s pass to Frank Wychek was incomplete on the 2 point conversion try. The Titans forced a punt on the next Rams possession. The Titans then drove 79 yards in thirteen plays and Eddie George scored again, this time on a 2 yard run, which made the score 16-13 Rams with 7:21 remaining. The Rams once again failed to get a first down when they got the ball back and had to punt. The Titans had to travel just 28 yards to set up Del Greco’s game tying 43 yard kick and it was 16-16 with 2:12 left in the game. On the first play from scrimmage after receiving the kickoff, Warner threw a deep pass to Isaac Bruce who caught the ball at the Titan 38 and outran the defense for the touchdown. The Rams led 23-16 with 1:54 remaining in the game. 

After the kickoff, the Titans began to move downfield. McNair avoided a sack and completed a 16 yard pass to Kevin Dyson to the Rams 10 with six seconds remaining. The Titans then took their last time out. On the final play of the game, McNair completed a short pass to the slanting Dyson, who caught the ball in stride at the Rams three. However, Rams linebacker Mike Jones grabbed Dyson at the one yard line, Dyson stretched his arm toward the goal line in an attempt to break the plane with the ball. His effort failed as Dyson was stopped one yard short of the goal line and the Rams had won their first Super Bowl.

  1. Super Bowl XXXVI, Rams 14-2 vs. Patriots 11-5, February 3, 2002, Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Attendance, 72,922, Winning Players Share $63,000.00, Losing Players Share $34,500.00. MVP Tom Brady

Adam Vinatieri’s 48 yard field goal as time expired gave the New England Patriots their first Super Bowl victory 20-17 over the heavily favored St. Louis Rams. The Rams out gained the Patriots 427-267, but the Patriots forced three turnovers, which resulted in 17 points, while committing no turnovers.

Jeff Wilkens’ 50 yard field goal gave the Rams the lead after a 48 yard drive midway through the first quarter. The first turnover came with 8:49 left in the second quarter when New England’s Ty Law stepped in front of Isaac Bruce and intercepted Rams quarterback Kurt Warner and ran 47 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown. Late in the first half, Warner completed a pass to Ricky Proehl to the Patriots 40, but he fumbled and Terrell Buckley recovered. Five plays later Patriots quarterback Tom Brady found David Patten for an 8 yard touchdown pass and New England had stunned the crowd and was leading 14-3 at halftime. 

Late in the third quarter, Ram wide receiver Torry Holt slipped and Patriot defensive back Otis Smith intercepted Warner’s pass and returned it 30 yards to set up a Vinatieri 37 yard field goal, making it 17-3 in favor of the Patriots. The Rams responded by driving to the Patriot three. On fourth and goal Warner was hit by linebacker Roman Phifer, he fumbled and Tebucky Jones picked up the ball and went the length of the field for an apparent touchdown. Patriot linebacker Willie McGinest was penalized for holding on the play. The Rams were awarded a first down, from there Warner ran in from the two for the touchdown and the Patriot lead was now 7. The teams exchanged punts and the Rams had the ball on their 45 yard line with 1:51 remaining. Warner completed an eighteen yard pass to Az-Zahir Hakim and an 11 yard pass to Yo Murphy before connecting with Proehl on a 26 yard touchdown pass with 1:30 remaining. After receiving the kickoff, the Patriots did not have any time outs. Brady completed three short passes to running back J.R. Redmond to reach the Patriots’ 41 with thirty three seconds left. After an incompletion, Brady completed passes of 23 and 16 yards to wide receiver Troy Brown and Jermaine Wiggins to reach the Rams 30, then Brady spiked the ball with 7 seconds remaining. Vinatieri then nailed his game winning kick on the final play, giving the Patriots one of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history.