Back in the twentieth century, the Super Bowl was typically an anticlimactic end to the NFL season. Sure, there were some nailbiters—Joe Montana’s game-winning drive in Super Bowl XXIII and Scott Norwood going wide-right in Super Bowl XXV—but for the better part of three decades, the Super Bowl, um, sucked.
Each decade featured a punching bag that dragged down the event. The Minnesota Vikings lost four dreadful Super Bowls between 1970 and 1977, averaging a paltry eight points per contest even with Fran Tarkenton, one of the 25 best quarterbacks of all time, under center for three of the games. The NFC won thirteen consecutive Super Bowls between 1984 and 1996; the aforementioned Super Bowl XXIII and Super Bowl XXV were the sole competitive games. Then, there’s the sad-sack Buffalo Bills, the only team in NFL history to lose four consecutive Super Bowls.
But, thankfully, that’s in the past. Since the turn of the millennium, the Super Bowl has lived up to the (considerable) hype surrounding the Big Game. Tom Brady went from unknown backup to the defining player of a generation, Peyton Manning finally broke through, and Drew Brees lifted an entire city. Malcolm Butler jumped a route at the goal line, Nick Foles ran the “Philly Special,” Brady (him again) looked at a 28-3 deficit and smirked, and Patrick Mahomes took over fourth quarter after fourth quarter.
The Super Bowl is the biggest spectacle in American culture—the food, the Halftime Show, the commercials—but the game is the real draw. This is Every Super Bowl of the 21st Century, Ranked.
26.Super Bowl XXXV: Baltimore Ravens 34 - New York Giants 7
On paper, Super Bowl XXXV shouldn’t have been such a mismatch. The New York Giants sported a top five defense, a stout running game (the Thunder & Lightning combo of Tiki Barber and Ron Dayne), and a quarterback on a season-long heater (Kerry Collins). They entered the playoffs on a five-game winning streak and clinched their spot in the Super Bowl with a 41-0 laugher over the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship Game. But the Ravens were that dominant. Correction: The Ravens defense was that dominant.
Led by DPOY Ray Lewis, Baltimore allowed 10.3 points per game (an NFL record) and steamrolled through the playoffs, surrendering a combined 16 points in three games en route to the Super Bowl. The trend continued in Tampa. The Ravens D smothered the Giants from the opening kickoff, limiting them to 11 first downs and 152 total yards, while forcing five turnovers. The game seemed out of reach at halftime with the Ravens leading just 10-0. Outside of a frenetic minute in the third quarter that featured a pick-six and dueling kickoff returns for touchdowns, Super Bowl XXXV was a throwback: a dull blowout.—Thomas Golianopoulos
25.Super Bowl XXXVII: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 48 - Oakland Raiders 21
On paper, this had the makings of a fascinating matchup. League MVP Rich Gannon was the engine of the Raiders’ efficient offense. Meanwhile, the Bucs sported a ferocious defense with talent at all three levels: Warren Sapp and Simeon Rice on the line, Derrick Brooks at linebacker, and Ronde Barber and John Lynch in the secondary.
But the real storyline was on the sideline with Tampa Bay head coach Jon Gruden facing the team that traded him just one year earlier. Juicy! Gruden’s familiarity with Oakland’s offense showed up immediately, as the Bucs’ defense dominated, making this game a blowout.
Gannon threw five picks, three of which were returned for touchdowns, and Tampa Bay cruised to a 34-3 lead in the third quarter. Thanks to their legendary defense, the Bucs secured the franchise’s first Super Bowl title and Gruden got the redemption he craved.—Aaron C. Mansfield
24.Super Bowl LIX: Philadelphia Eagles 40 - Kansas City Chiefs 22
Embodying the reality that the third in a trilogy rarely lives up to the first two, the Chiefs attempt at a first-ever Super Bowl three-peat fell way short—The Godfather III short. It was a game more memorable for its halftime show than the product on the field. The Eagles’ defense dominated, to the extent that Chiefs almost never ran the ball, and Kendrick Lamar dominated, to the extent that an astonishing number of people went to work the next day humming “Not Like Us”. After a nail-biting loss two years earlier, Jalen Hurts and the rest of the Eagles earned some well-deserved payback.—Jake Appleman
23.Super Bowl XLVIII: Seattle Seahawks 43 - Denver Broncos 8
The Denver Broncos were the number one seed in the AFC and featured a historically great offense led by Peyton Manning. In his greatest statistical season, Manning, the runaway league MVP, shattered the record for passing touchdowns in a season and set the mark for passing yards. So, the narrative heading into Met Life Stadium (the first open air Super Bowl held in the cold since the 1970s) centered around his matchup against Seattle’s upstart Legion of Boom secondary. Spoiler alert: He didn’t stand a chance.
Seattle forced a safety on the first play from scrimmage and built a 22-0 halftime lead that stood at 36-0 before Denver scored on the final play of the third quarter. Manning, under pressure all day, tossed two interceptions and lost a fumble. The game ended 43-8 and it didn’t even feel that close.—TG
22.Super Bowl LV: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31 - Kansas City Chiefs 9
In front of 24,835 socially distanced fans in Tampa, Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski connected for two scores, securing the legacy of Patriots South. Mahomes’ first effort at going back-to-back was thwarted by a stingy Buccaneer defense, and his own porous offensive line that had him frequently scrambling backwards. Mistakes by a penalty-happy Chiefs secondary in key moments didn’t help the repeat attempt. In what would be his Super Bowl sayonara, Brady was the epitome of Tom Terrific, completing 21-29 passes, with three touchdowns and no interceptions.—JA
21.Super Bowl LIII: New England Patriots 13 - Los Angeles Rams 3
A generational clash on the sidelines between Sean McVay and Bill Belichick was the main storyline going into the game. Could Belichick slow down the Rams offensive wunderkind coaching in his first Super Bowl?
The young Rams cruised to a 13-3 record and looked ready for their moment. But seemed vulnerable down the stretch, as star running back Todd Gurley dealt with knee issues and his health for the Super Bowl was a big question. As it turned out, the entire Rams’ offense got shut down by a suddenly dominant Patriots D. A 2-yard run from Sony Michel was the only touchdown. Julian Edelman (10 catches, 141 yards) was MVP. The old master schooled the boy genius.—AM
20.Super Bowl XL: Pittsburgh Steelers 21 - Seattle Seahawks 10
This game is remembered most as Jerome Bettis’ sendoff. The Bus wrapped up his career earning a Super Bowl title in his hometown of Detroit, providing a storybook ending befitting his Hall of Fame career.
Full disclosure: This wasn’t the most entertaining game. Pittsburgh controlled the tempo and capitalized on Seattle’s seven penalties; Seahawks fans are still frustrated about this Super Bowl, as it seemed like every call went Pittsburgh’s way. But the Steelers made clutch plays when they needed to, such as Antwaan Randle El’s trick-play touchdown pass to the game’s MVP Hines Ward, one of the more memorable gadget plays in Super Bowl history.—AM
19.Super Bowl LX: Seahawks 29 Patriots 13
In the unlikeliest matchup in Super Bowl history (both the Seahawks and Patriots were extreme long shots entering the season), the likely outcome occurred: Seattle’s league best defense overwhelmed Drake Maye and the New England Patriots. The result was obvious to anyone who’d watched the postseason. Throughout the playoffs, the Patriots O-line struggled keeping Maye upright and the offense sputtered. Meanwhile, Seattle was getting big stops and quarterback Sam Darnold, a gunslinger in the Brett Favre mold, was playing clean, efficient football.
The trend continued in Super Bowl LX.
Seattle’s Dark Side Defense tormented Maye—they sacked him six times and forced three turnovers—and offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak called a smart game plan behind running back, and game MVP, Kenneth Walker III (27 carries, 135 yards). True to form, Darnold made some nice throws and some crazy ones. But he didn’t turn the ball over and Seattle got a measure of revenge for the Malcolm Butler game.—TG
18.Super Bowl XLI: Indianapolis Colts 29 - Chicago Bears 17
Peyton Manning finally got his Super Bowl ring, and a Super Bowl MVP to boot. For years, critics questioned Manning’s ability to win the big one. With this win, he erased the biggest hole in his résumé.
The game didn’t start well for the Colts as the electric Devin Hester returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown. From there, the Colts settled and bottled up Rex Grossman, one of the worst quarterbacks to start a Super Bowl, and the Bears offense struggled in the rain. Manning didn’t have to be spectacular but was his typical controlled, methodical self. He took what Chicago’s defense gave him and avoided the kinds of mistakes that had haunted him in previous postseasons. A legacy-defining game for one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.—AM
17.Super Bowl 50: Denver Broncos 24 - Carolina Panthers 10
In a matchup of the first and second overall picks in the 2011 NFL draft—Cam Newton and Von Miller—Miller, the game's eventual MVP, got the last laugh. Behind Newton, the Panthers were the toast of the league, accruing the best record in franchise history (15-1) after starting 14-0, and led the NFL in scoring behind six Pro Bowlers. The Broncos, on the other hand, were coping with an aging, injured Peyton Manning, who led the league in interceptions and had a career-low passer rating. After Brock Osweiler filled in for a spell in the regular season, Manning reclaimed his position as the starter for the playoffs and did just enough to help his team win it all.
Really, it was Miller, who had a clutch late strip-sack, his second of the game, and the defense, which stifled Carolina’s potent attack, that won this game for Denver.—AM
16.Super Bowl LVI: Los Angeles Rams 23 - Cincinnati Bengals 20
Really good game. Really good halftime show (Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige). Everything about Super Bowl LVI worked out well, unless you were rooting for the underdog Cincinnati Bengals. The game had many interesting components: an Odell Beckham Jr. TD catch before Beckham left with an injury; greatness in the clutch from triple crown winning wide receiver Cooper Kupp; a Bengals comeback that didn’t quite stand but did feature a halfback pass for a touchdown; and excellent second-half defense from both teams. In the end, the Rams stars were too good. Matthew Stafford connected with Cooper Kupp on the go-ahead touchdown and Aaron Donald sacked Bengals QB Joe Burrow to clinch the win.—JA
15.Super Bowl LIV: Kansas City Chiefs 31 - San Francisco 49ers 20
A fourth quarter to remember burnished Patrick Mahomes’s coming-out party just six weeks before the Covid-19 pandemic put the world in lockdown. Down ten heading into the fourth quarter, Mahomes and co. reeled off three unanswered touchdowns in the final six-plus minutes to jump-start an incredible run of five Super Bowl appearances in six years. Touchdown tosses to Travis Kelce and Damien Williams made the difference, as the world was fully introduced to its new generation-defining quarterback.—JA
14.Super Bowl XXXIX: New England Patriots 24 - Philadelphia Eagles 21
After three consecutive losses in the NFC Championship Game, the Eagles finally made the Super Bowl, and nearly pulled off the upset. Donovan McNabb (doing his best Steamin’ Willie Beamon impersonation), Brian Westbrook, and Terrell Owens, somehow playing with a broken leg, went toe-to-toe with Brady and Belichick. A late interception and questionable clock management from Andy Reid doomed Philly’s comeback bid, while Brady claimed his third ring in four years.—AM
13.Super Bowl XLIV: New Orleans Saints 31 - Indianapolis Colts 17
The Saints were playing for more than just a Lombardi trophy. Five years after Hurricane Katrina displaced an entire city, New Orleans finally had its moment on the sport’s biggest stage. On the other sideline stood The Sheriff, Peyton Manning, leading a Colts team that had gone 14-2 and looked like a juggernaut. The first half was tight, with neither team able to fully seize control. Indianapolis took a 10-6 lead into halftime. Then New Orleans coach Sean Payton rolled the dice. The Saints recovered an onside kick to open the second half and never gave the momentum back. Drew Brees was in command the rest of the way.
The final blow came late in the fourth quarter, when Tracy Porter jumped a slant intended for Reggie Wayne and returned it 74 yards for a touchdown. Brees finished with 288 yards and two touchdowns, earning Super Bowl MVP honors and etching his name amongst the all-time greats.—AM
12.Super Bowl XLV: Green Bay Packers 31 - Pittsburgh Steelers 25
The Packers snuck into the playoffs, earning the sixth seed in the NFC but got past Philly, Atlanta, and the Chicago Bears (and Jay Cutler!) to make the big game. Despite their underdog status, the Cheeseheads were in control through the whole first half of the Super Bowl. They amassed a 21-3 lead, but Ben Roethlisberger and Pittsburgh gradually whittled it down to 28-25. A Mason Crosby field goal then extended Green Bay's lead and a clutch defensive stand clinched the win. Aaron Rodgers went 24-for-39 for 304 yards and three touchdowns and would be awarded Super Bowl MVP.—AM
11.Super Bowl XXXVIII: New England Patriots 32 - Carolina Panthers 29
For three quarters, this game was a snoozer. Then the fourth quarter brought the action—and lots of it. The Patriots and Panthers combined for 37 points in the final 15 minutes, turning what had been a defensive slog into a shootout. Jake Delhomme (yes, Jake Delhomme!) went toe-to-toe with Tom Brady, trading touchdowns with surprising ease after being bottled up most of the night. It’s like they had both figured out a cheat code.
Delhomme hit Ricky Proehl for a touchdown with just over a minute remaining to tie this one up. But you can’t give Tom Brady the ball back with that much time on the clock. Calm as ever, TB12 led the Patriots down the field with surgical efficiency, setting up Adam Vinatieri for a 41-yard game-winner as time expired.—AM
10.Super Bowl XLVI: New York Giants 21 - New England Patriots 17
New England didn’t enter the Super Bowl undefeated. There was no helmet catch this time. But yet again an underdog New Giants team played foil to Brady, Belichick, and the Pats. New England (13-3) was the No. 1 seed in the AFC, while the Giants (9-7) just squeaked into the playoffs but the G-Men set the tone early with a safety and got out to a 9-0 lead. New England powered ahead 17-9 in the third quarter, before two field goals cut their lead to 17-15 entering the fourth quarter.
This game will be remembered for Eli Manning outdueling the GOAT. Brady threw a fourth quarter interception and then had a chance to secure a two-score lead with around four minutes remaining. But the normally sure-handed Wes Welker couldn’t corral an errant Brady pass, and the Pats eventually punted. Manning, once again Super Bowl MVP, then authored an 88-yard game-winning touchdown drive that featured one of the greatest throws in NFL history, a 38-yard spiral down the sideline to Mario Manningham into a tight window between two defenders. A Brady Hail Mary at the buzzer came up just short, giving the Giants their fourth Super Bowl.—AM
9.Super Bowl XLVII: Baltimore Ravens 34 - San Francisco 49ers 31
Super Bowl XLVII featured plenty of storylines. It was Ray Lewis’ farewell and featured two young quarterbacks: Joe Flacco and Colin Kaepernick. Also, did you hear that the opposing head coaches were brothers? The Harbaugh Bowl dominated the headlines going into the game but this one lived up to the hype. Though Baltimore led from wire to wire, there was plenty of spectacular moments: a 34-minute power outage, a 108-yard kick return touchdown from Jacoby Jones, and a late defensive stand inside the 10-yard line. Kaepernick’s fade to Crabtree fell incomplete and Niners fans are still looking for the pass interference flag.—AM
8.Super Bowl LVII: Kansas City Chiefs 38 - Philadelphia Eagles 35
Whatever you want to call it—The Andy Reid Bowl or The Clash of the Kelces—the first Super Bowl featuring two teams starting Black quarterbacks was an absolute barnburner. Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts both delivered for their teams as the pass-happy heavyweights went back and forth, Hurts throwing bombs all over the field and Mahomes using his legs to pick up key yardage in important moments. Unfortunately, the game’s outcome was partially decided by a holding penalty against Eagles cornerback James Bradberry. Whether it was the correct call or not, it was a very ice-cream-sundae-without-the-cherry-on-top way to end the game.—JA
7.Super Bowl XLIII: Pittsburgh Steelers 27 - Arizona Cardinals 23
Thirty seven year old Kurt Warner and the Cardinals were one of the best underdog stories of the decade, making an improbable Super Bowl run after finishing just 9-7 in the regular season. Through its run, Arizona leaned on Warner and Larry Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald was uncoverable all game in the Super Bowl, and when he took a short slant 64 yards to the house with under three minutes left, it felt like destiny had arrived.
But the Steelers had one more drive in them. Ben Roethlisberger marched his team down the field and capped the drive with a perfectly placed toe-tap touchdown to Santonio Holmes in the back corner of the end zone. It was one of the greatest catches in Super Bowl history and helped Holmes garner Super Bowl MVP honors. The other big highlight of the night: James Harrison’s 100-yard pick-six just before halftime, which completely swung the momentum.—AM
6.Super Bowl XXXVI: New England Patriots 20 - St. Louis Rams 17
On one sideline stood NFL MVP Kurt Warner, Offensive Player of the Year Marshall Faulk and the St. Louis Rams, gunning for their second Super Bowl win in three seasons. On the opposing side, some no-name backup quarterback Tom Brady. Surely the Greatest Show on Turf would roll, right?
But New England slowed the game to a crawl and refused to let the Rams get comfortable. When St. Louis finally tied the game late in the fourth quarter, it felt like the Rams would pull out the win. But then, the 199th overall pick of the 2000 NFL Draft took the field with no timeouts and drove the Patriots down the field. Adam Vinatieri knocked home a 48-yard field goal as time expired, sealing one of the most stunning upsets in Super Bowl history.
This game marks where it all began—the birth of a dynasty and the beginnings of a GOAT career.—AM
5.Super Bowl LII: Philadelphia Eagles 41 - New England Patriots 33
This was another legendary game between the top seed in each conference: the Pats (13-3) and Eagles (13-3). But the Patriots, making their third Super Bowl appearance in four years, were favored by 5.5. Carson Wentz was having an MVP-caliber campaign for Philly until he suffered an injury late in the regular season and the reins were handed to Nick Foles.
Entering this game, Foles was viewed as...well, not Tom Brady. But the backup QB put together a magical performance and won MVP. It was a back-and-forth, highly competitive game, and New England took the lead with 9:22 remaining on a touchdown pass to Rob Gronkowski. But the Eagles immediately responded with a touchdown pass to Zach Ertz (a controversial one, at that), and Brandon Graham followed it up with a clutch strip-sack on Brady. Kicker Jake Elliott put Philly ahead by 8 with a field goal with 1:05 remaining, and Brady's last-ditch Hail Mary fell incomplete. The scene in Philly, as you'd expect, was one of absolute debauchery.—AM
4.Super Bowl LVIII: Kansas City Chiefs 25 - San Francisco 49ers 22 (OT)
If the Chiefs’ victory in LVII was a prize fight with all the requisite pyrotechnics, its sequel was a war of attrition that took the full four quarters and an entire overtime minus three seconds, the longest Super Bowl ever and the seventh longest postseason game in NFL history. As folks across the world wiped their bleary eyes, Mahomes found Mecole Hardman on a three-yard touchdown pass, his 46th pass attempt of the night. The 49ers and quarterback Brock Purdy put up a valiant fight but ended up as a mere footnote as Taylor Swift and her boo, Travis Kelce, celebrated the tight end’s starring role (Kelce finished with nine catches for 93 yards).—JA
3.Super Bowl XLIX: New England Patriots 28 - Seattle Seahawks 24
You probably remember this one as the “Malcolm Butler Game.” This game pitted the No. 1 seeds in the AFC (Pats, 12-4) and NFC (Seahawks, 12-4). Seattle was looking to become the first team to win back-to-back titles since the 2004 Patriots, but, in the end, New England ultimately claimed its first title in 10 years.
The reason? None other than Mr. Butler.
Seattle built a 10-point lead entering the fourth quarter, but New England fought back to take a 28-24 advantage with just over two minutes remaining. Seattle drove all the way down to the Pats’ 1-yard line and looked in position to win the game, yet with 26 seconds left Seattle inexplicably elected to pass—and not feed "Beast Mode" Marshawn Lynch. Butler, a virtual unknown at the time, jumped the route (film room!) and picked off Russell Wilson’s throw to Tyler Lockett, making one of the most iconic plays in Super Bowl history.—AM
2.Super Bowl XLII: New York Giants 17 - New England Patriots 14
The Patriots entered Super Bowl XLII with an 18-0 record, boasting an offense that, behind Tom Brady and Randy Moss, had obliterated scoring records. They looked poised to become the first undefeated champion since the ’72 Dolphins. Oh, and New England had just beaten the Giants in the final week of the regular season, and were 12-point favorites.
And yet!
From the opening kick, it was clear the Giants weren’t intimidated, their relentless front four making Brady skittish in the pocket. Still, it appeared that order had been restored when a late Brady-to-Moss touchdown put the Pats up 14-10. But Eli Manning would not be denied! With the game on the line, Manning shrugged off rushers to connect with David Tyree on the “Helmet Catch,” a miracle heave that altered NFL history. Moments later, Manning connected with Plaxico Burress for the go-ahead touchdown, and New England’s final drive fell short. And just like that, perfection had evaporated.—AM
1.Super Bowl LI: New England Patriots 34 - Atlanta Falcons 28 (OT)
The best Super Bowl in history featured an insane comeback, the first overtime period in the game’s history, and a legacy-defining performance by Tom Brady.
Atlanta looked completely dominant early on, building a 28-3 lead in the third quarter on the No. 1 seed Patriots, who had been the class of the NFL all season. It sure looked like the Birds might win their first Super Bowl in franchise history. Falcons owner Arthur Blank even made his way down to the Atlanta sideline! But like all great champs (and movie monsters), the Pats proved hard to kill. Aided by some questionable playcalling by the Falcons offense, Brady led the Patriots back into striking distance. They tied the score with 57 seconds remaining in the fourth. Once they won the coin toss before overtime, the result felt inevitable. Brady marched the team down the field, dinking and dunking down to the Atlanta two, before James White ran in the winning score.
Before Super Bowl LI, going all the way back to 1940, teams that led by at least 17 points after three quarters were 133-0. But Brady put the 1 in 133-1. In leading his team to a dramatic come-from-behind victory, Brady shattered records, completing 43 passes on 62 attempts for 466 passing yards. He was named the game’s MVP, solidified his status as the GOAT, and turned 28-3 into a meme that will haunt Atlanta Falcons fans for eternity.—AM