It’s known as the greatest show on earth, but not all Super Bowls are equal and some stand out from the rest.
While there can be no disputing that being a Super Bowl champion is one of the greatest achievements in sport, some games are simply more memorable than others.
Whether it’s a mind-blowing call, an incredible comeback or simply an underdog humbling one of the more fancied favourites – some Super Bowl moments will live in the memory for years.
So as we build up to Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas, here are the top five classics from years gone by that NFL fans still talk about.
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5. Super Bowl III: Jets 16 – 7 Colts (1969)
Arguably the biggest upset in Super Bowl history, the New York Jets defeated the heavily favoured Baltimore Colts, 16-7.
Jets quarterback Joe Namath famously assured Jets fans of victory in the days leading up to the game, and his team delivered, overcoming a potent Baltimore offence to secure a pretty convincing victory.
The game was also a watershed event that shaped the Super Bowl and the NFL into the way it’s constructed today, as the NFL and AFL later merged to create the NFC and AFC.
4. Super Bowl XXXII: Broncos 31 – 24 Packers (1998)
Back in 1998 Brett Favre and the Packers were going for their second consecutive Lombardi Trophy, while it would also be another chance for John Elway to win a Super Bowl ring after losing three previous times.
The game lived up to the hype with Elway bouncing off several Packer defenders for a first down, setting up a touchdown by eventual game MVP Terrell Davis.
Denver took a late 31-24 lead, and Favre tried to lead Green Bay for the tying score, but his fourth-down pass for Mark Chmura was incomplete as Elway finally got his Super Bowl ring in one of the greatest games ever played.
3. Super Bowl XLIII: Steelers 27 – 23 Cardinals (2009)
Back in 2009, five-time Super Bowl champions the Pittsburgh Steelers faced the Arizona Cardinals, who had mostly been whipping boys for much of their existence – but there was little between these two on the night.
Kurt Warner and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald had a fourth quarter to remember for the Cardinals, with Fitzgerald catching six passes for 115 yards and two touchdowns, the second one putting Arizona ahead, 23-20.
But the Steelers were not to be denied, as Ben Roethlisberger connected with eventual game MVP Santonio Holmes in one of the best plays in NFL history, as Holmes got both feet down in the corner of the end zone, putting Pittsburgh ahead for good, 27-23.
2. Super Bowl XXXVI: Patriots 20 – 17 Rams (2002)
Tom Brady and the Patriots were underdogs against the St. Louis Rams and their famous offence led by future Hall of Famer Kurt Warner back in 2002, but the New England defence restricted the Rams to just three points in over 30 minutes of football, forcing three turnovers and building a 17-3 third-quarter lead.
The Rams came roaring back, and at 17-17 after the two-minute warning, with the Pats in possession and no timeouts left, many thought that Belichick would play for overtime rather than relying on an inexperienced signal caller.
However, showing a confidence in his quarterback that seems obvious now, Belichick duly put the game in Brady’s hands and he was rewarded with a 53-yard drive that ended in an Adam Vinatieri field goal and a famous win for the Patriots.
1. Super Bowl XXV: Giants 20 – 19 Bills (1991)
After scoring 51 points the previous week, the Bills came up against a strong Giants defence, run by then-defensive coordinator Bill Belichick.
Despite New York stifling quarterback Jim Kelly on the night, Buffalo were still in a go position in the dying moments: trailing 20–19 with four seconds left as Kicker Scott Norwood came out for a 47-yard field goal attempt to win it.
But his kick sailed wide right, giving the Giants the victory and the Bills a heart-breaking loss, and though Buffalo would appear in three straight Super Bowls following this one – they would lose every time.
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