The Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Rams will battle it out for the Vince Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium. The Bengals will be aiming to win the crown for the first time, while the Rams are searching for their first title since the 1999 campaign.
It promises to be a thriller between two top quarterbacks in the form of Joe Burrow and Matthew Stafford, and the perfect setting to kick back with some good BBQ food and watch the game. However, it will have to be an amazing 60 minutes to match the top 10 Super Bowl games of all time.
10. 1968 Season – Super Bowl 3 – New York Jets 16-7 Baltimore Colts
Jets quarterback Joe Namath guaranteed victory for the AFL outfit in their clash against the Colts, who were favoured by an incredible 18 points. Namath was as good as his word and delivered a fine performance for the Jets to guide them to victory over the NFL team, winning Super Bowl MVP in the process. The victory remains the Jets’ last Super Bowl crown.
9. 2012 Season – Super Bowl 47 – Baltimore Ravens 34-31 San Francisco 49ers
This Super Bowl will forever be remembered for the lights in the Superdome failing midway through the third quarter with the Ravens seemingly on their way to a dominant victory. However, the 49ers used the break to rally and surge back into the contest, levelling the scores in the fourth quarter. Joe Flacco and Baltimore had one more drive left in them to regain control before their defence made a brilliant goalline stand to fend off Colin Kaepernick and company.
8. 1999 Season – Super Bowl 34 – St Louis Rams 23-16 Tennessee Titans
15 years ago today: Kevin Dyson…ONE. YARD. SHORT.
Rams defeat Titans 23-16 in Super Bowl XXXIV pic.twitter.com/BnDmYpO7Rx
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) January 30, 2015
Kevin Dyson became synonymous in NFL history for his almost game-saving touchdown, but the wide receiver was inches short of tying the score from the final play of the contest. Kurt Warner had driven the Rams into a lead courtesy of a 73-yard strike to Issac Bruce before the Titans came an inch away from responding. Warner became the first undrafted quarterback to win a Super Bowl and the MVP award in the same season. The Rams have not won the crown since, but are the leading contenders in the odds provided by Betway Sports on February 1st, at -200 to lift the Lombardi in the 2021 season.
7. 1990 Season – Super Bowl 25 – New York Giants 20-19 Buffalo Bills
Bills fans remember all too well the devastation of this Super Bowl defeat. Giants’ defensive coordinator Bill Belichick’s game plan limited the impact of the brilliant Thurman Thomas, one of the best backs in NFL history, allowing the Giants to claim a narrow lead. The contest would rest on one kick from Buffalo kicker Scott Norwood from 47 yards, but the effort sailed wide right, handing the Giants their second Super Bowl. Buffalo Bills are still awaiting their first crown.
6. 2001 Season – Super Bowl 36 – New England Patriots 20-17 St Louis Rams
The birth of a legend occurred in Super Bowl 36 as Tom Brady won the first of his seven Super Bowls to defeat the favoured Rams. The Patriots limited the Greatest Show on Turf to only 17 points before Brady manoeuvred his side into field-goal range allowing Adam Vinatieri to secure the Patriots’ first Vince Lombardi Trophy.
5. 1989 Season – Super Bowl 24 – San Francisco 49ers 20-16 Cincinnati Bengals
Before Brady, Joe Montana was considered the GOAT for his four Super Bowl victories, and arguably his finest hour came in Super Bowl 24. Montana orchestrated a fourth-quarter comeback to rally the 49ers from two deficits, firing touchdowns to Jerry Rice and John Taylor to secure a narrow triumph over the spirited Bengals.
4. 2007 Season – Super Bowl 42 – New York Giants 17-14 New England Patriots
9 Years Ago Tonight: David Tyree’s famous catch pic.twitter.com/fcDMMbolOu
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) February 4, 2017
The Patriots were one game away from immortality after winning 18 straight games to reach the Super Bowl. Brady threw for 50 touchdowns over the course of his MVP season, and appeared to have put New England on the path to victory. However, Eli Manning would deny the Patriots a season for the ages, connecting with David Tyree for the most improbable catch of all-time and then Plaxico Burress to snatch the title for New York. Manning and the Giants must have felt like the luckiest people alive, but fully deserved their accolade to stun the Patriots.
3. 2008 Season – Super Bowl 43 – Pittsburgh Steelers 27-23 Arizona Cardinals
The Steelers and Cardinals played out one of the all-time greats in Super Bowl 43. The two sides went score for score that saw James Harrison produce one of the greatest plays to return an interception for a 100-yard touchdown. Arizona appeared to get the upper hand when Larry Fitzgerald broke through the line to race away for a score. However, Ben Roethlisberger and Santonio Holmes had one last trick left for Pittsburgh, combining for an inch-perfect score to secure the victory.
2. 2016 Season – Super Bowl 51 – New England Patriots 34-28 Atlanta Falcons
Brady cemented his legacy as the GOAT with the greatest comeback in NFL history, although the Falcons will be forever wondering how they allowed a 25-point lead with 19 minutes remaining to slip through their grasp. Matt Ryan had put Atlanta in command, which was compounded by a Robert Alford pick-six of Brady. However, Brady put forward his masterpiece, connecting with James White to devastating effect to first level the scores at 28-28 in regulation before winning the first overtime game in Super Bowl history. The triumph was Brady’s fifth ending his tie with Montana.
1. 2014 Season – Super Bowl 49 – New England Patriots 28-24 Seattle Seahawks
Malcolm Butler’s goal-line interception in Super Bowl XLIX.
Four years ago today. @Patriots @Mac_BZ pic.twitter.com/mP254qjQ7k
— NFL Throwback (@nflthrowback) February 1, 2019
A game that would define two dynasties. New England’s dynasty under Belichick and Brady was one yard from being diminished on the brink of third-straight Super Bowl loss. Seattle could have become the first team since the Patriots to win back-to-back crowns with a go-ahead score with 25 seconds remaining. History turned on little-known cornerback Malcolm Butler intercepting a Russell Wilson pass on the goalline that would change the fortunes of two franchises forever.