Ranking the Super Bowls From Worst to Best
In advance of Super Bowl XLIX, Boston.com has ranked every Super Bowl, from #48 all the way down to #1.
The criteria for weighting Super Bowls were the quality of the game, its historic significance and any iconic moments the game featured that set it apart from the rest of the pack.
48. Super Bowl XXIV: 49ers 55, Broncos 10
47. Super Bowl XLVIII: Seahawks 43, Broncos 8
46. Super Bowl XX: Bears 46, Patriots 10
45. Super Bowl XXVII: Cowboys 52, Bills 17
44. Super Bowl XXXV: Ravens 34, Giants 7
43. Super Bowl XXXVII: Buccaneers 48, Raiders 21
42. Super Bowl XVIII: Raiders 38, Redskins 9
41. Super Bowl IV: Chiefs 23, Vikings 7
40. Super Bowl XI: Raiders 32, Vikings 14
39. Super Bowl XXIX: 49ers 49, Chargers 26
38. Super Bowl VI: Cowboys 24, Dolphins 3
37. Super Bowl II: Packers 33, Raiders 14
36. Super Bowl XV: Raiders 27, Eagles 10
35. Super Bowl XII: Cowboys 27, Broncos 10
34. Super Bowl VIII: Dolphins 24, Vikings 7
33. Super Bowl XXXIII: Broncos 34, Falcons 19
32. Super Bowl XXVI: Redskins 37, Bills 24
31. Super Bowl XXI: Giants 39, Broncos 20
30. Super Bowl XXXI: Packers 35, Patriots 21
29. Super Bowl XVII: Redskins 27, Dolphins 17
28. Super Bowl XXX: Cowboys 27, Steelers 17
27. Super Bowl XXVIII: Cowboys 30, Bills 13
26. Super Bowl XLI: Colts 29, Bears 17
25. Super Bowl XL: Steelers 21, Seahawks 10
24. Super Bowl IX: Steelers 16, Vikings 6
23. Super Bowl XXII: Redskins 42, Broncos 10
22. Super Bowl XIX: 49ers 38, Dolphins 16
21. Super Bowl XIV: Steelers 31, Rams 19
20. Super Bowl XLIV: Saints 31, Colts 17
19. Super Bowl XLV: Packers 31, Steelers 25
18. Super Bowl XVI: 49ers 26, Bengals 21
17. Super Bowl I: Packers 35, Chiefs 10
16. Super Bowl X: Steelers 21, Cowboys 17
15. Super Bowl XLVI: Giants 21, Patriots 17
14. Super Bowl V: Colts 16, Cowboys 13
13. Super Bowl VII: Dolphins 14, Redskins 7
12. Super Bowl XXXII: Broncos 31, Packers 24
11. Super Bowl XIII: Steelers 35, Cowboys 31
10. Super Bowl XLVII: Ravens 34, 49ers 31
The Ravens roared out to a 28-6 lead, and this game seemed over just as the third quarter was getting started, but then the lights went out and the 49ers regrouped, leading a thrilling charge down the stretch and coming up just short.
Aside from “Harbaugh Bowl’’ historical significance, this was one of those Super Bowls that came down to the very end, with Colin Kaepernick throwing an incompletion on 4th and goal with his team trailing 34-29. The ravens ran the clock down to 4 seconds and took an intentional safety, and the game was over.
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9. Super Bowl XLIII: Steelers 27, Cardinals 23
The Steelers won their record sixth Super Bowl, but this game stands out as just a classic back and forth affair that exceeded all expectations.
Two iconic plays stand out from this game. James Harrison’s 100-yard pick 6 at the end of the first half was one of the best defensive plays in Super Bowl history. The throw and catch between Ben Roethlisberger and Santonio Holmes to win the game was one of the best offensive plays in Super Bowl history as well.
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8. Super Bowl III: Jets 16, Colts 7
Super Bowl III wasn’t the most memorable game on the field, but the arrival of the American Football Conference as a credible threat to the powerhouse National Football Conference was a turning point in league history.
Then there’s the New York factor, Joe Namath’s guarantee included, and it’s easy to see why this Super Bowl is considered one of the launching pads for the immense popularity and economic prosperity the NFL would attain.
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7. Super Bowl XXXIX: Patriots 24, Eagles 21
This was a good game, but the greatness of Super Bowl XXXIX was its historical significance. The Patriots became just the second franchise to win 3 Super Bowls in a 4 year window, solidifying their status as a dynasty even in a modern era with a salary cap and free agency.
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6. Super Bowl XXV: Giants 20, Bills 19
Scott Norwood’s missed kick with the game on the line cost the Bills their best chance to win a Super Bowl, as Buffalo proceeded to lose pretty convincingly in the next 3 Super Bowls as well. It was the second Super Bowl winner under Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick in New York.
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5. Super Bowl XXXVIII: Patriots 32, Panthers 29
The Panthers and Patriots exceeded expectations offensively in this Super Bowl and provided a compelling back and forth game until the final play. Adam Vinatieri made his second Super Bowl winning kick as time expired, and the Patriots proved their first championship season was no fluke.
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4. Super Bowl XXXIV: Rams 23, Titans 16
Distance-wise, this was the closest Super Bowl of all-time, with the Titans coming up a yard short of a touchdown on the game’s final play. Lost in the end-game drama was that the Titans needed a Music City Miracle in the Divisional Round just to get to the Super Bowl, and Tennessee overcame a 16-point deficit before Kurt Warner and Isaac Bruce connected for the winning touchdown.
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3. Super Bowl XXIII: 49ers 20, Bengals 16
Joe Montana is considered by many to be the greatest quarterback who ever lived, and Super Bowl XXIII was his defining moment as “Joe Cool.’’ Trailing by three points with as many minutes to go, Montana marched his team 92 yards for the winning score, cementing his name in the history books as one of the most clutch performers in NFL history.
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2. Super Bowl XXXVI: Patriots 20, Rams 17
The Patriots were never more popular than they were in 2001, when the improbable run to the Super Bowl included Brady replacing Drew Bledsoe, the Tuck Rule game, Bledsoe’s heroics in Pittsburgh in the AFC Championship Game, and the Pats pulling off a shocking upset over the Greatest Show on Turf despite being 14 point underdogs.
This game announced Tom Brady as a future icon, and in the wake of the September 11th attacks that past fall, Robert Kraft’s “We are all Patriots’’ line was one for the ages.
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1. Super Bowl XLII: Giants 17, Patriots 14
Sorry Patriots fans, but when it comes down to it, the Tyree game was the greatest Super Bowl of all-time. The quality of the game was outstanding, it had Tyree’s catch as a memorable moment for the ages, and the historical significance of spoiling the Patriots’ undefeated season can’t be topped.
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