TSJ's Top 10: Greatest Super Bowls of All-Time

Every Friday, check out The Sports Junkie for the latest Top Ten list from around the world of sports.

On the eve of Super Bowl XLIV, TSJ is taking some time out to rank the Top Ten Greatest Super Bowls of All-Time. The criteria used to determine the list were based on historical significance, individual and team performances, and or course, dramatic endings.

10. Denver Broncos 31 vs Green Bay Packers 24 – Super Bowl XXXII, Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, January 25, 1998
This game pitted two of the NFL’s all-time best QB’s head-to-head – Brett Favre vs. John Elway. Favre was just coming off his first SB win a year earlier, while Elway was ohfer in 3 tries during the 80’s. Despite the Broncos entering the game as an underdog to the Pack, Elway proved his meddle with “The Helicopter”, his career-defining first down plunge on 3rd down that led to a Terrell Davis 1-yard TD run two plays later, giving Denver a 2nd half lead they wouldn’t relinquish and snapping the NFC’s 13-game win streak in the process It was the first of 2 Super Bowl wins for Elway, who retired after defeating the Falcons 34-19 the very next year.

9. Miami Dolphins 14 vs Washington Redskins 7 – Super Bowl VII, LA Coliseum, January 14, 1973
This game is significant for two reasons – firstly, the win propelled the Dolphins to a perfect 17-0 record for the ‘72 season, making Don Shula’s squad the only undefeated team ever in the history of the NFL. But the game itself is likely best remembered for arguably the greatest blooper in Super Bowl history – Miami PK Garo Yepremian’s feeble pass attempt in the 4th Quarter on a 42-yard missed FG attempt. The ball of course was picked up by the Redskins’ Mike Bass and returned 49 yards for a touchdown, spoiling Miami’s chance for the only shutout ever in a Super Bowl.

8. St. Louis Rams 23 vs Tennessee Titans 16 – Super Bowl XXXIV, Georgia Dome, Atlanta, January 30, 2000
The Rams – aka “The Greatest Show on Turf” entered as heavy favourites over the Titans, who weren’t even supposed to be there, were it not for “The Music City Miracle” – their last second lateral play to Kevin Dyson which went for a game-winning touchdown in the dying seconds of their Wild-Card playoff game against the eternally-hexed Buffalo Bills. But the Titans stuck around right ’til the end with the high-powered Rams, only to run out of miracles on the last play of the game, when Dyson was tackled 1-yard short of the goalline by Mike Jones on the play now affectionately known as “The Tackle”.

7. San Francisco 49ers 20 vs Cincinnati Bengals 16 – Super Bowl XXIII, Joe Robbie Stadium, Miami, January 22, 1989
Following five straight Super blowouts, the Bengals and Niners teamed up for a game for the ages. The legend of Joe Montana was secured in this game, after driving his team 92 yards in the final 3 minutes and change, capped by the memorable 10-yard TD pass to John Taylor with 0:34 seconds left. However, it was all-world WR Jerry Rice who earned MVP honours, with 11 receptions for a whopping 215 yards, a Super Bowl record that still stands today.

6. New England Patriots 20 vs St. Louis Rams 17 – Super Bowl XXXVI, Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, February 3, 2002 The first-ever Super Bowl played in February (due to the fallout from 9/11) also proved to be one of the game’s biggest upsets. Spygate allegations aside, it was our first glimpse at how clutch Tom Brady could be, leading the 14-point underdog Patriots into field goal range on the team’s final drive, culminating with a 48-yard game winning field goal by Adam Vinatieri as time expired, proclaiming him the clutchest kicker ever to play in the Super Bowl (Sorry Garo!).

5. Pittsburgh Steelers 35 vs Dallas Cowboys 31 – Super Bowl XIII, Orange Bowl, Miami, January 21, 1979
Two of the NFL’s powerhouse franchises of the 70’s met in Miami for bragging rights of the decade. Unfortunately for America’s Team, the game turned out to be arguably the greatest Super Bowl performance ever turned in by Steelers’ Hall-of-Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw during his storied playoff career. The blond bomber threw for a then-Super Bowl record 4 touchdowns and 318 yards – earning MVP honours in the process – and earning the Steelers their 3rd of 4 Super Bowl titles from the disco era.

4. New York Giants 20 vs Buffalo Bills 19 – Super Bowl XXV, Tampa Stadium, January 27, 1991
Two words sum this one up – Wide Right. You gotta believe if the Bills’ Scott Norwood’s made his 47-yard attempt with 0:08 seconds to go that Buffalo’s future fate would have been different. Instead, Giants’ Head Coach Bill Parcells received his 2nd Gatorade shower in 5 years as the Giants defense held the ball for over 40 minutes, keeping Jim Kelly’s K-Gun at bay, and sending the Bills’ to the first of four consecutive Super Bowl defeats.

3. New York Jets 16 vs Baltimore Colts 7 – Super Bowl III, Orange Bowl, Miami, January 12, 1969
Prior to Joe Namath’s guarantee that his underdog Jets would beat mighty Baltimore, no professional athlete had ever dared to be so bold in making a prediction to the media. But Broadway Joe backed up his infamous words, legitimizing the rival AFL by leading the Jets to the greatest upset in Super Bowl history, 16-7 over the NFL’s Colts, who were favoured by a staggering 17-points heading in. Thanks to Joe, any player offering the guarantee of a win now just sounds cliché.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers 27 vs Arizona Cardinals 23 – Super Bowl XLIII, Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, February 1, 2009
This game had it all. It featured the longest play in Super Bowl history - a 100-yard interception return for a TD by the Steelers’ James Harrison – which practically became a footnote following the drama provided in the late stages of the game. The Cardinals, led by Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald, mounted an improbable 4th quarter comeback, erasing a 13-point deficit to take the lead on a Fitzgerald 64-yard touchdown catch with just 2:37 to go. But Ben Roethlisberger would not be denied his 2nd ring in 4 years, leading the Steelers back from the brink, capped by the spectacular shoe-string TD catch in the corner of the endzone by Santonio Holmes with 0:35 seconds to play. The win provided Pittsburgh with the sixth championship in their storied franchise’s history, a league record.

1. New York Giants 17 vs New England Patriots 14 – Super Bowl XLII, University of Phoenix Stadium, February 3, 2008
New England entered the game 18-0 for the ‘07 season, intent on becoming only the 2nd team ever to finish a year undefeated. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be. A tightly-fought chess match between these two teams came down to the 4th quarter, where Giants’ QB Eli Manning and WR David Tyree connected on arguably the greatest play in Super Bowl history – where with 1:15 remaining, on 3rd down & 5 with the ball on his own 44-yard line, trailing by 4, Manning magically avoided a sack and heaved a pass downfield for Tyree, who incredibly came down with the reception by pinning the ball to his helmet. Four plays later, Manning connected with Plaxico Burress (in the good ol’ days for Plax) for the game-winning touchdown, and in the process, David had slain Goliath.

Any glaring omissions from the list? What’s your #1 Greatest Super Bowl of All-Time? Have your say!