The Best Superbowls of All-time

by Matt Minucci

cause nothin' says Super like Tecmo says super!

There have been a lot of bad Superbowls. There have been a lot of mediocre Superbowls. But in 43 games, there have really only been 10 truly epic superbowls. Nearly half of them involve the New England Patriots for some reason. The mind boggles.

And now Bill Belichick will steal your souuulzzz!

So, I thought we'd take a look at the truly epic superbowls. Oddly enough, SEVEN of them have occurred over the last 12 years or so.  So for much of it's history, the Superbowl had been a snooze-fest. Mostly.  Not so anymore.  Now, the norm is a great game.  (Unless you're the Raiders and you're playing your ex-coach. Then, you're screwed.)

In fact, the first twelve Superbowls were mostly one-sided. And the ones that weren't one-sided were boring. Sure, Superbowl V featured the Colts edging the Cowboys 16-13, but that game was dubbed the "Error bowl" and was a profoundly sloppy game.  The undefeated '72 Dolphins downed the Redskins 14-7, but that game was really a 14-0 dull, one-sided 'Fin affair.  Supes 1 thru 12 also had the misfortune of featuring the Vikings 4 times, which is never a good recipe for a good game. Sure Superbowl X was pretty good, where Lynn Swann stole the show away from the Landry-led Cowboys, but the first truly Epic Superbowl was Superbowl XIII.

10. Superbowl XIII

Pittsburgh Steelers      35         Dallas Cowboys                       31

Jackie Harris botched the fabled "Mannequin Play" and the rest is history.

This game marked the first Superbowl rematch (as the Steelers had downed the 'Boys in Superbowl X) and it was also the then-highest scoring superbowl, as the teams combined for 66 points. It wasn't decided until the final minute of play, and is generally regarded as one of the best of all-time.

This was right smack in the middle of the Steeler dynasty. They were on their way to winning 4 superbowls in six years. At this point, they'd won 2 - and so had Dallas - so the winner of this game was to be the first team to win 3 Superbowls. To say they were stacked is to say that Christina Hendricks has an ample bosom. You're just not doing them justice.

Terry Bradshaw tossed 28 TDs on his way to winning the NFL MVP. He was surrounded by hall of famers at every turn with an offense that featured Lynn Swann, John Stallworth, Franco Harris and tight end Randy Grossman. Not to mention bruising fullback Rocky Bleier and an O-line that was beyond stellar, achored by hall of fame center Mike Webster. 

Meanwhile, on the other side of the ball, their defense was dubbed "The Steel Curtain" with such standouts as John Banaszak, Steve Furness, Tony Dungy, Mean Joe Green, LC Greenwood, Jack Ham and Jack Lambert. And I haven't even gotten to Mel Blount, Donnie Shell and Ron Johnson. It would be virtually impossible to assemble a defense this good in today's day and age. And yet, the Cowboys shredded it - a testament to how good the Cowboys were.

Speaking of which, the '78 Cowboys became the first team to appear in five superbowls and entered this game as the defending champs, having bested the Broncos in Superbowl XII, 27-10. They were led by Hall of Famer Roger Staubach at QB, who threw for over 3000 yards and 25 TDs. He was throwing to all-pro WR's Drew Pearson and Tony Hill, while Billy Joe Dupree had nine TDs as the tight end. The running game was led by Tony Dorsett who had 1703 combined yards and 9 TDs. Fullback Robert Newhouse also scored 10 times. The O-line was led by pro-bowlers Herbert Scott and Rayfield Wright.

Meanwhile, the 'Boys defense was pretty fair in their own right, matching the 'Steel Curtin' with their own 'Doomsday Defense." The Doomsday was ranked 1st in the league, led by Ed "Too Tall" Jones, Harvy Martin, Randy White, Bob Breunig, DD Lewis, Hollywood Henderson, Cliff Harris, Charlie Waters, Benny Barnes and Aaron Kyle. They were tremendous.

Doomsday, baby, Doomsday.

Amazingly, 14 players and both coaches (Chuck Noll and Tom Landry) from this game would end up in the Hall of Fame. Truly an epic collection of talent. Both teams cruised through their respective playoffs, as Dallas beat the Falcons (27-20) and the Rams (28-0), while the Steelers downed the Broncos (33-10) and the Oilers (34-5).

The game itself truly lived up to the hype. Capitalizing on a Cowboys fumble, Bradshaw was able to connect with John Stallworth on a 28 yard strike to put the Steelers up 7-0. However, at the end of the first quarter, it was Dallas' turn to capitalize on a Bradshaw sack and fumble, which set up a 39 yard scoring strike by Staubach to Tony Hill. 7-7 after one quarter. The second quarter started out the Cowboys way, as Hollywood Henderson sacked Bradshaw, and as he hit him, linebacker Mike Hegman ripped the ball out of Bradshaw's hands and took it 37 yards to the end zone and a 14-7 Dallas lead. Unfortunately for Dallas, on the very next possession, Stallworth killed the Cowboys again, breaking a tackle by Aaron Kyle, which turned a 10-yard out into a massive 75-yard touchdown strike, tying the score at 14.

With time running down in the second quarter, the Steelers capitalized on a personal foul on Cowboy tight end Billy Joe Dupree, to get the ball on their own 44 yard line. Playing with a short field, Bradshaw was able to hit Lynn Swann twice for 29 and then 21 yards. With 26 seconds left in the half, Bradshaw tossed a 7 yard TD pass to Rocky Bleier to send the game to the half with the Steelers in control, 21-14.

The third quarter saw both defenses assert themselves and very little happened, until Dallas was able to break through on a drive that led them to the Steeler 10 yard line. Facing a third and goal from the 10, Staubach spotted 38 year old reserve tight end Jackie Smith alone in the end zone. Staubach fired a sure-TD strike that Smith, standing all alone out there, somehow, inexplicably dropped. The dropped TD would cost Dallas as they had to settle for a FG, cutting the lead 21-17.

The fourth quarter started out all-Steelers, with some serious help from the zebras. An incidental contact that should have been an incomplete pass and a Steeler fourth down, became a first down when the ref blew the whistle for pass interference. Given new life, Bradshaw was able to get the Steelers to the Cowboy 17, where the refs struck again, as Henderson sacked Bradshaw for a 12-yard loss, but the refs ruled that the Steelers had committed a delay-of-game penalty, which brought up 3rd and 9 instead of 4th and a mile. This resulted in a 22 yard touchdown bolt by Franco Harris, putting the Steelers up 28-17. On the ensuing kickoff, Steeler kicker Roy Gerela slipped and kicked an accidental squib kick that fate deemed bounce to Randy White at the 24 yard line. White was playing the game with a cast on his broken left hand and in no way should he have been anywhere near a football. Of course, he fumbled it, even before being hit by Tony Dungy. Taking over at the Cowboy 18, Bradshaw immediately tossed an 18 yard TD to Lynn Swann, and the party was on in Pittsburgh, as they took a commanding 35-17 lead, with less than seven minutes left in the game.

However, this Cowboy team was one of the greatest NFL teams to not win it all. The defended champs refused to go down quietly. While some Steelers chose to celebrate on the sidelines instead of play, Roger Staubach drove the 'Boys 89 yards in 8 playes, finding Billy Joe Dupree for a 7 yard TD strike to cut the lead to 35-24. Then the Cowboys recovered the onside kick with just 2:19 remaining. Staubach drove them another 52 yards in 9 plays, capping this drive with a 4 yard TD pass to Butch Johnson. The score was cut to 35-31 with 0:22 seconds left.  With one more shot at it, Dallas tried another onside kick, but this one was unsuccessful as Rocky Bleier recovered the ball and the Steelers ran out the clock to ice the game.

Truly an epic game between two legendary teams.

yo momma.

9. Superbowl XXIII

San Francisco 49ers    20         Cincinnati Bengals      16

God, how I hated Joe Montana.

Superbowl XXIII is remembered primarily for "The Drive" wherein Joe Montana drove his team the length of the field with less than 3 minutes left to play, pulling victory from the proverbial jaws of defeat.

However, it was a pretty good game overall, albeit a low-scoring one. The Niners, for their part, came into the game after enduring a season fraught with turmoil. After routing the Dolphins 38-16 in Superbowl XIX, the Niners endured three seasons of first round exits. This led for many (completely insane) fans and media types to scream for Joe Montana to be benched in favor of up and coming young QB Steve Young. In fact, both Young and Montana started at QB for parts of the '88 season - one in which the Niners won the West, but managed to go just 10-6.

Montana did manage to finish the year with 2981 passing yards and 18 TDs, thanks in part to his phenominal young WR, Jerry Rice, who caught 64 balls for 1306 yards and 9 TDs. But the main cog in the Niner offense this year was Roger Craig, who amassed 2036 combined rushing and receiving yards and 10 TDs - good enough to earn NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors. Tom Rathman played a key role as the fullback, and the defense was fairly stout, boasting Ronnie Lott, Eric Wright, Jeff Fuller and Tim McKyer, among others. A young linebacker named Charles Haley also added 11.5 sacks and recovered 2 fumbles.

The Bengals on the other hand, were a team that had finally jelled. After a strike plagued 1987 season which saw head coach Sam Wyche and QB Boomer Esiason nearly tear each other to pieces, 1988 saw the two present a united front, having buried the hatchet in the off-season. A refreshed Esiason had his best season ever, tossing for 3572 yards and 28 TDs, winning the NFL MVP in the process. The Bengal offense was top notch, boasting 6 pro-bowlers, including WR Eddie Brown, 1273 yards and 9 TDs, tight end Rodney Holman as well as WR Tim McGee. Rookie fullback Ickey Woods introduced the world to the "Ickey Shuffle", while RB James Brooks gained 1218 combined yards and scored 14 touchdowns. The backbone of this offense was, as usual, it's offensive line, which boasted pro bowler Max Montoya and Hall of Famer Anthony Munoz.

It's the Ickey Shuffle. Awww yeah.

The playoffs that year saw the Bengals breeze past the Seahawks, 21-13 and the Bills, 21-10, to get to the big dance. The Niners, meanwhile, crushed both the Vikings, 34-9, and the Bears, 28-3, which led many to think they were a sleeping giant that was waking up at just the right time.

The game itself, while close, wasn't all that exciting - at least, early on. In fact, it was damn near tragic. Things started with an ill omen for the Bengals, when the night before the big game, reserve running back Stanley Wilson was found in a near-catatonic drug induced state, leading to his being suspended from the team.

On that less than exhilerating note, the Bengals then opened the game to see Tim Krumrie twist his ankle in a way meant only for cartoon characters, resulting in two bones in his leg shattering. The Niners didn't escape the bad karma parade either, as they saw starting tackle Steve Wallace carted off the field after suffering a broken ankle.

Eventually, after an abysmal, punt filled first quarter, the Niners struck first on a 41-yard FG from Mike Cofer.  The Niners tried to go up by 10 on their next drive, but safety David Fulcher made a touch-down saving tackle on  Tom Rathman at the 2-yard line, and the Niners looked to settle for a FG - but Cofer shanked a 19 yarder - the shortest FG miss in Superbowl history - and it remained 3-0.  Later in the 2nd quarter, Esiason finally hit WR Tim McGee to get to the Niner 16 yard line, but the drive stalled and Jim Breech came on to kick a 34 yard FG to tie the game at 3. And that's how it was at half-time - a riveting 3-3 affair. But it would get better - much better.

The third quarter finally saw the offenses starting to find some rhythm, as Esiason hooked up with veteran WR Chris Collinsworth for two long completions to set up a 43 yard FG by Breech. The Niners answered right back, thanks to an INT by rookie linebacker Bill Romanowski, which led to another Cofer FG, to tie the game at 6-6.

After the Cofer FG, and with the third quarter winding down, the Bengals struck fast, as Stanford Jennings returned the ensuing Niner kickoff 93 yards for the game's first touchdown. The Bengal lead of 13-6 seemed massive. But the Niners responded almost at once, as Montana led them on a crisp, quick, 85 yard, 4 play drive, which consisted of a 31 yard pass to Rice, a 40 yard pass to Craig, a crucial dropped INT in the end zone by Bengal CB Billups, and then a 14 yard scoring strike to Rice, to knot the game once again, at 13-13.

The Niners drived down the field in the 4th quarter, looking to take the lead, but Mike Cofer's 49 yard FG try failed and the Bengals had new life. A long, grinding 10 play, 46 yard drive, led by 21 yards on three carries from Ickey Woods, resulted in a 40 yard field goal by Breech, and the Bengals led 16-13, with a scant 3:20 left in the game.

The Bengals kicked off to the Niner 15 yard line, but an illegal block call pushed the Niners back to the 8. 3:10 remained on the clock.

Welcome to the Joe Montana Zone. Montana was so "Joe Cool" that he calmed walked into the huddle, staring at 92 yards in front of him, and remarked, "Hey, isn't that John Candy?", as he nodded to the stands near the Niner bench. This seemed to loosen up the rest of the Niner squad, as they fed off the ice water in his veins to engineer an amazing comeback drive. The drive started with Montana taking the middle of the field that the Bengals were only too happy to give him, keeping the Niners from getting to the sidelines to stop the clock. Joe Cool was able to drive the Niners all the way to the Bengal 35 yard line, thanks to completions to Craig and Rice, but the clock continued to tick. An incomplete pass followed by a ten yard penalty backed the Niners up to the 45 yard line, facing 2nd and 20 with just 1:15 left in the game. Thankfully for the Niners and their fans, they had Joe Montana and Jerry Rice. Montana calmed dunked in a 27 yard completion to Rice, who took the ball to the Bengal 18 yard line for a first down. Roger Craig then caught an 8 yard pass over the middle to get it all the way to the Bengal 10, with 39 seconds left in the game. Montana stuck the final knife in the Bengals back by completing his next pass to John Taylor for the go-ahead touchdown.

Joe Cool does it again.

The Bengals and Esiason had one last desperation heave downfield to Chris Collinsworth that was broken up by the Niner D, and that was all she wrote. Niners 20, Bengals 16. Jerry Rice was the MVP, as he caught 11 pass for a Super Bowl record 215 yards and a touchdown - but Montana wasn't exactly chopped liver, as he completed 23 of 36 passes for 357 yard and 2 TDs. A decent game, but an unforgettable Drive.

8. Superbowl XXV

New York Giants          20         Buffalo Bills     19

The Giants led 20-19. Then sh*t got real.

Oh dear. Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. Where to begin?  Well, first of all, you have to remember, that this Bills team still had 3 more Superbowl losses in their future. This 1990 version of the Bills was probably the best of the bunch, featuring a revolutionary new type of no-huddle K-gun offense that was tops in the league.

The Giants, meanwhile, were something of a fluke, narrowly beating the defending champion 49ers in the NFC championship game, and limping into the Superbowl without their starting Quarterback or their best running back. It was truly a contest where the irresistible force met the immovable object, as it became a battle of the vaunted Bills offense and hawkish defense versus the dominating Giants defense and their slow, plodding, methodical offense.

It was also a game that the Bills, by all rights, should have won, 22-20, and one where Thurman Thomas should have won the MVP. But it just wasn't meant to be.

The 1990 Giants were the realization of Coach Bill Parcells wet dream of "power football." Never before or since has a team so completely epitomized the term. They sported a poweful defense and an offense that did nothing but produce sustained, extremely long, clock-chewing drives. The defense was led by Lawrence Taylor, Pepper Johnson, Erik Howard and DB Everson Walls, and was good enough to be the best in the league. The offense, meanwhile, was a pedestrian 17th in the league, but, perhaps most importantly, they set an NFL record by losing only 14 turnovers all year. However, no one really took the '90 Giants seriously as a contender thanks to season ending injuries to both Phil Simms (in a 17-13 loss to the Bills in Week 14), and rookie RB Rodney Hampton. The reins fell to career backup QB Jeff Hostetler and 33 year old backup running back Ottis Anderson (who was a pro-bowler with the Cardinals in the early 80's, but had done nothing since joining the Giants in '86 and was on his last legs. Literally).

The Bills were a completely different bunch. They were loaded with talent, sporting 9 pro-bowlers. Their defense was led by savage Bruce Smith, who recorded 19 sacks and won NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors, as well as Darryl Talley, Shane Conlan, Cornelius Bennett and special teams beast, Steve Tasker. On offense, the Bills used their no-huddle, K-Gun offense to perfection, scoring often and quickly. Jim Kelly was the top rated passer in the AFC with a 101.2 rating and he tossed 24 TDs versus only 9 INTs. He had a plethora of weapons, including Andre Reed and James Loften at wideout, Keith McKeller at tight end and all pro RB Thurman Thomas, who rushed for 1297 yards, added 532 receiving yards and scored 13 times.

The playoffs were also a study in contrast. The Bills stormed through the AFC rounds, holding off the Dolphins 44-34, and then utterly embarassing an over-matched and out-gunned, hapless Raider squad (that had lost Bo Jackson the week before), 51-3, in the worst AFC Championship game in league history.  The 95 points in two playoff games served notice on the rest of the league that these Bills were for real.

The Giants meanwhile, easily dismantled a fading Chicago Bears squad, 31-3, but then found themselves traveling to San Francisco to take on the heavily favored, 14-2 defending Superbowl Champs, the 49ers. These were the Niners in their prime, and they weren't going down easy. In fact, they actually lead 13-9 late in the fourth quarter, despite losing Joe Montana to a crushing Leonard Marshall hit. It was 13-12 even later in the quarter, thanks to a 30 yard fake punt run by linebacker Gary Reasons. Still, the Niners, led now by Steve Young, had a chance to run the clock out and escape with a 1-point victory, but Roger Craig fumbled and Lawrence Taylor recovered it to set up a game winning field goal by Matt Bahr - his 5th of the game.  So, the Giants were going to the Superbowl after failing to score a TD in the NFC Championship game. All the experts were predicting a hot and vastly superior Bills team to dismantle the plodding, undermanned Giants.

It didn’t exactly work out that way.

The Giants would set a Superbowl record for time of possession in this game, controlling the clock for 40 minutes and 33 seconds, including 22 minutes in the second half. In fact, on the Giants first drive of the game, they consumed 6:15 off the clock to move 58 yards in 10 players to set up a 28-yard field goal from Bahr. Contract that to the Bills, who took just 1:23 off the clock to get a 23-yard field goal from Scott Norwood. Two completely different styles – at they were knotted at 3-3.

However, the Bills were the better team and they showed it in the first half. With the score tied at 3, Jim Kelly orchestrated a 12 play, 80 yard drive that was so effective, the Bills never faced a single 3^rd down. Don Smith capped off the drive with a one yard TD run and the Bills led, 10-3. A few plays later, Bruce Smith crushed Jeff Hostetler in the end zone for a safety, putting the Bills up 12-3 with time winding down in the second quarter.

But then Bill Parcells did the unexpected. Eschewing their plodding style that had been their trademark all season, Parcells took the binders off Hostetler with 3:43 left in the 2^nd quarter, and the Hoss responded, leading the G-men on an improbably 87 yard scoring drive that was capped by a 14-yard bullet strike to Stephen Baker, the Touchdown maker. And into halftime they went, with the score a surprisingly close 12-10.

However, Parcells went right back to his plodding ways to open the 3^rd quarter, driving 75 yards on 14 plays that seemed to take 7 hours (in reality, it just took most of the 3^rd quarter), and that drive was finished off by a 1-yard TD run by Ottis Anderson. The Giants had the lead back at 17-12. The drive consumed a record 9 minutes and 29 seconds and included 4 successful 3^rd down conversions.

With time winding down in the 3^rd quarter, the Bills got the ball back and stormed down the field, advancing 63 yards in 4 plays. The first play of the 4^th quarter was a 31 yard touchdown burst from Thurman Thomas that gave the Bills the lead back, 19-17. 

Then the Giants, as they had for most of the game, went right back to slowly grinding the Bills to death. This time, it was a 14 play, 74 yard drive that ate a whopping 7:32 off the clock. The Bills managed to stop the Giants on the Bills 3-yard line, but the damage had been done. Matt Bahr kicked the ball through the uprights and gave the Giants a 20-19 lead, but more importantly, time was winding down.

The Bills geared up for their final drive with 2:16 remaining. Using a mix of scrambles, short passes and Thurman Thomas runs, Jim Kelly guided the Bills to the Giants 29-yard line, where the drive finally stalled. With eight seconds remaining on the clock, the Bills set up for what was to be a game-winning 47 yard field goal. Of course, we all know what happened next: Scott Norwood’s kick sailed wide right, less than a yard outside of the goalpost. Game over. Giants win. Heartbreak in Buffalo.

Curse you Ray Finkle!

Thurman Thomas, by all rights, should have been the MVP – as he scored a TD, ran for 135 yards and caught 5 balls for another 55 yards. Thanks to Norwood’s miss, though, it was another RB, Ottis Anderson, who ran for 102 yards and a TD, that took home the MVP hardware. An epic game that ended with the whimper of a missed field goal.

7. Superbowl XXXII

Denver Broncos                       31         Green Bay Packers      24

Elway will make you believe he can fly.

This game was one of the more surprising Superbowls in recent memory. The Broncos, still led by the ageless John Elway, were making their 5^th trip to the big dance. And the first 4 had all ended in blowouts – with Elway at the helm for 3 of them. The Packers, meanwhile, were once again NFL darlings. After blowout wins in the first two superbowls, the Packers endured decades of futility before the emergence of Brett Favre and the Mike Holmgrin regime. Holmgrin and Favre had led the Packers to a big win over New England, 35-21, in the Superbowl the year before, and there seemed to be no reason why they wouldn’t win big this year.

In fact, the Packers were the best team in football, and walked into the game as a whopping 11 ½ point favorite. The Broncos, meanwhile, were a wild-card team that barely made it to this game, by narrowly defeating the Chiefs (14-10) and Steelers (24-21). The stage seemed to be set for yet another typical Bronco defeat.

However, no one told Terrell Davis – or Mike Shanahan about this. Shanahan was the offensive coordinator for all three of Elway’s superbowl losses. But then he moved on to the greener pastures of San Francisco, where he guided that offense to a win in Superbowl XXIX. Returning to Denver as head coach, he put together a phenomenal offense here as well, led by Elway, who, even at 37, still managed to throw for 3635 yards and 27 TDs. Elway’s main targets were TE Shannon Sharpe, 1107 yards, WR Rod Smith, 1180 yards and 12 TDs, and WR Ed McCaffrey, who caught 8 TDs as well. The main cog in the offense, however, was, without question, young running back Terrell Davis, who rumbled for 1750 yards and 15 touchdowns.  Their defense was solid, with Neil Smith and Alfred Williams combining for 17 sacks, Bill Romanowski, John Mobley chipped in 7 more sacked, while the secondary was led by Tyrone Braxton, Steve Atwater and Darrien Gordon.

The Packers, meanwhile, the defending champs, were, in a word…stacked. Their leader and heart and soul was QB Brett Favre, who won the NFL MVP for a record third consecutive year, as he compiled 3867 yards and 35 TDs. Favre’s favorite targets were Antonio Freeman, 1243 yards and 12 TDs, Robert Brooks, 1010 yards and 7 TDs and TE Mark Chmura, 6 TDs. The running game was led by Dorsey Levens who ran for 1435 yards and 7 TDs, but also caught 53 passes for 373 yards and another 5 TDs. But it was the Packer defense that was fairly menacing, led by the ferocious Reggie White (11 sacks), lineman Santana Dotson (5.5 sacks), pro bowl defensive back LeRoy Butler, safety Eugene Robinson and CBs Mike Prior and Darren Sharper.

The game itself was a surprising back and forth battle. The Packers drove down the field on their opening possession virtually unopposed. Favre hit Freeman on a 22-yard TD strike and it looked like the rout was on. But Elway and the Broncos bounced back immediately, driving right back down the field on their first possession, thanks in part to a holding penalty on Packer DB Doug Evans and a Terrell Davis 27 yard scamper. TD capped off the drive with a 1 yard touchdown run and the game was tied at 7-7.

The Broncos then unexpectedly turned the tables on the Packers, as Tyrone Braxton intercepted Brett Favre, and on the ensuing possession, John Elway scored on a 1-yard touchdown run. Later, Steve Atwater forced a Brett Favre fumble on a sack, and while the Packers defense shut down the Broncos, Jason Elam was able to hit a clutch 51-yard field goal, and stunned Packer fans everywhere were eating their cheeseheads as the Broncos led 17-7.

But the Pack were the defending Champs for a reason. Backed up to their own 5 yard line with the clock running in the 2^nd quarter, Favre led his squad down the field on an impressive 95-yard, 17 play marathon drive that ended with a 6-yard TD strike to Mark Chmura to send the game to halftime with a narrow 17-14 Bronco lead.

The Packers struck early in the 3^rd quarter, recovering a Terrell Davis fumble deep in Bronco territory. But the Bronco defense held firm on SIX straight plays (thanks in part to an offside penalty that gave the Pack a new set of downs), and the Packers had to settle for a game tying field goal, rather than a go-ahead touchdown.

With the game tied, it was Elway’s turn to lead the Broncos down the field on a 13 play, 92-yard drive, highlighted by a 36-yard reception by Ed McCaffrey, an 8 yard scramble by Elway and then a 1-yard Terrell Davis TD run. The Broncos led 24-17. And they looked to get more, as Freeman fumbled the kickoff and the Broncos recovered deep in Packer territory. But Eugene Robinson saved the game with a clutch interception and Brett Favre took over. He marched the Pack 85 yards in 4 plays – 3 of them to Freeman, and tied the game with a 13 yard pass and catch, again to Freeman.  The game was knotted at 24 late in the 4^th.

The Broncos were able to drive down the field thanks to the running of Terrell Davis and a 15 yard facemasking penalty by Darius Holland. At 2^nd and goal from the Packer 1 yard line, Holmgren had the Packers allow Terrell Davis to score his 3^rd TD of the game with a one yard plunge, in order to conserve as much of the clock as they could. Actually, this was a fairly boneheaded maneuver by Holmgren, seeing as how it was 2^nd a goal. If the Pack could have stopped Davis here, it would force the Broncos into a third and short situation, where they might pass – not much time would come off the clock and the Packers would have a decent shot at breaking the play up and forcing a field goal. Trailing 27-24 would have made the ensuing drive completely different, needed only a FG to tie, rather than a TD. But we’ll never know.

The Broncos had a 31-24 lead, but Brett Favre had the ball. He drove the Pack down the field and appeared to be moving them in position to tie the game, but the drive stalled at the Bronco 35 yard line and then Denver linebacker John Mobley broke up a 4^th down pass from Favre to Chmura, and the game was sealed. Terrell Davis was the MVP, as he ran for 157 yards and 3 TDs and the Broncos had their first Superbowl title, 31-24, over the Pack in thrilling fashion.

For those of you who've seen Police Academy...you know why he's so happy right now.

6. Superbowl XXXIV   

St. Louis Rams             23         Tennessee Titans         16

So, who's playing again?

Now, THIS was a Super Bowl. It was also a truly bizarre year. First and foremost, the Rams came out of nowhere. They were 4-12 the year before and no one expected them to do anything more than that. However, head coach Dick Vermeil had the makings of a stout offense, with the newly acquired Marshall Faulk ready to run roughshod over the entire NFL. Faulk, in Mike Martz's offense, won NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors as he rushed for 1381 yards and also caught 87 balls for 1048 yards, becoming just the 2nd RB to ever gain over 1000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season - the other was Roger Craig. Faulk also scored 12 TDs. Joining Faulk were wide receivers Isaac Bruce, 1165 yards and 12 TDs, rookie wide out Torry Holt who added 788 yards and 6 TDs and even 3rd WR Az Hakim chipped in 8 TDs. The thing was, this offense was to be built around veteran QB Trent Green, but he was lost for the year in the preseason. What little chance the Rams had seemed to go down the drain with him. Enter Kurt Warner. An undrafted QB who had played in both  NFL Europe (with the Amsterdam Admirals) and the Arena Football League (with the Iowa Barnstormers); Warner was bagging groceries at a Piggly Wiggly or some such place, when the Rams came calling. Warner shocked the world, when he took over the helm as the Rams QB and produced an astounding 109.2 QB rating, throwing for 4353 yards and 41 TDs - good enough to earn the NFL MVP award.

From Barnstormer to NFL MVP in 3 easy steps. Step 1: Murder Trent Green....

The Titans, meanwhile, were led by all world RB Eddie George, who rumbled for 1304 yards on the ground, caught 47 balls for another 458 yards and scored 13 touchdowns. Tennessee was helmed by Steve McNair, but McNair suffered through an injury plagued season and put up very pedestrian numbers, with just 2179 passing yards and 12 TDs. He did run for 337 yards and 8 scores however. On defense, the Titans boasted the Freak, defensive end Jevon Kearse who recorded 14.5 sacks and was the Defensive Rookie of the Year. However, despite their 13-3 record, the Titans were a wild card team as they finished 2nd in their division behind the 14-2 Jacksonville Jaguars.

In fact, neither the Titans nor the Rams were shoe-ins for the Superbowl. In fact, both could be argued to be improbable representatives. The Rams, for one, were 4-12 the year before and struggled all year to be taken as legitimate contenders - despite finishing 13-3 and putting up an astounding 526 points during the season. Many widely felt the Rams would struggling in the playoffs against a solid defense - like the one the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had. The Rams faced off against the Bucs in the NFC Championship game and in an incredible defensive struggle, the Bucs actually led 6-5 with just 4:14 left in the game. But Warner hit Ricky Proehl for a 30-yard go ahead TD and the Rams held on to win 11-6.

The Titans, meanwhile, really had an even more bizarre road to the superbowl. In fact, they really shouldn't have made it out of the wild card game - which is now known by it's more famous name: The Music City Miracle. For those that don't know or recall, Buffalo Bills kicker Steve Christie made what appeared to be a game-winning FG with under 15 seconds left in the game, giving the Bills a 16-15 lead. However, on the last play of the game - the game ending kickoff - Lorenzo Neal received the ball and handed it off to Frank Wycheck, who then lateraled the ball to Kevin Dyson on the other side of the field. Dyson then took the lateral 75 yards for the game winning score, 22-16 and would be forever enshrined in the annals of NFL lore. The Titans then narrowly defeated the Colts 19-16 on 4 Al Del Greco field goals and 162 rusing yards from Eddie George. That brought them to the AFC Championship game, on the road, in Jacksonville, against a 14-2 Jaguar team that was coming off a 62-7 destruction of the Dolphins that effectively ended the careers of both Dan Marino and Jimmy Johnson. However, the Titans shocked the Jags, charging back in the second half. After being down 14-10 at the half, the Titans scored 23 unanswered points and won 33-14.

For a while there, no one was jollier than Titan fans. For a while.

The big game itself was decidely divided into three acts. The first act was a lopsided defensive struggle, wherein the more powerful Rams outgained the Titans 294-89 in the first half, yet could only manage a 9-0 lead on three Jeff Wilkins field goals. The second act started on the Rams first possession in the 2nd half, were Warner tossed a 9-yard touchdown strike to Torry Holt to give the Rams a seemingly commanding 16-0 lead.  However, the Titans weren't dead yet. Eddie George carried the Titans to the Rams 29 yard line, and then a Steve McNair scramble set up a 1-yard TD plunge by George. The Titans were on the board 16-6 (they failed a 2-pt conversion attempt). After forcing a punt, the Titans took over on their next possession and drove 79 yards over 13 plays, capping that drive with another Eddie George TD plunge, to cut the lead to 16-13. The Rams could still do nothing against a stiffened Titan D, and after another punt, the Titans were able to get close enough for Del Greco to nail a 43-yard field goal to tie the game. At this point, the Rams woke up, and on the first offensive play on the next Rams possession, Warner hit Isaac Bruce on a 73-yard pitch and catch for a touchdown, giving the Rams the lead back, at 23-16.

Now we come to act 3. Trailed by a touchdown, the Titans would get the ball back with a scant 1:54 left on the game clock. They would take over at their own 10 yard line. However, Steve McNair would lead them 80 yards over the next 1:48, winding up at the Rams ten yard line with just 6 second left to play. The Titans had time for one last play. Using Frank Wycheck as a decoy, McNair set up a short pass to Kevin Dyson who took the ball at the 5 yard line and sprinted towards the end zone for a game-tying score. However, linebacker Mike Jones noticed the play, and checked off Wycheck, and began to sprint straight towards Dyson. The two collided at around the 1 and a half yard line and Jones wrapped Dyson up and brought him to the ground. However, as he fell, Dyson stretched and rolled, his arm holding the football reached out....and fell 1 yard shy of the end zone.

Superbowl Infamy. Or Famy. Depends on who you were rooting for.

Given the pressure of the game, this play - dubbed "The Tackle" - is considered one of the greatest and most exciting game-ending plays in modern National Football League history. The image of Dyson stretching the ball towards the goal line with Jones wrapped around him has become the staple of NFL highlights.

The next four superbowls on the list can be collectively called, "The Patriot Games," as the Patriots would play in all of them, winning 3 and losing 1. The Pats, whether they had a dominant year or not, just don't seem to know how to do anything but play exciting Superbowls. For all the brash and bluster of Belicheck and Brady, the Pats have never blown anyone out in the big game.

Patriot Games.

Take a look:

5. Super Bowl XXXVI  

New England Patriots  20         St. Louis Rams             17        

It was a David v. Goliath tale if ever there was one.

The Pats first Superbowl win was unexpected, to say the least. In fact, the Rams, dubbed "The Greatest Show on Turf" were 14-point favorites to beat the Patriots in this game. This might have been do in part to the fact that no one thought the Patriots should even be playing in this game. The Pats season had been beset by injuries and controversy. First, starting QB Drew Bledsoe was essentially evisterated in the 2nd game of the season vs. the Jets and would be out for most of the remainder of the season with the injury. When he did come back, it was as a back up to 2nd year, sixth round draft pick, Tom Brady. Brady took over for Bledsoe after the Jets game, after which the Pats were 0-2, and led them to an 11-3 mark the rest of the way - including winning their last 6 games.

This guy would one day become....

However, in their first game of the playoffs, they hosted the Oakland Raiders in a driving snowstorm. With the Raiders winning 13-10 and less than two minutes to play in the game, Tom Brady was sacked and fumbled the ball. The Raiders recovered. But upon reviewed the play, the referee, Walt Coleman, ruled that Brady had made a forward motion, and thus the ball was an incomplete pass and not a fumble. The infamous "Tuck Rule" screwed the Raiders, but catapulted the Patriots into the AFC title game, where they defeated a bunch of gay Steelers.

The Rams, meanwhile, scored another 500+ points during the season, and pretty much looked unstoppable. Kurt Warner would once again win the NFL MVP award.

The game, however, didn't go as planned for the Rams. Thanks to solid defense, and capitalizing on 3 St. Louis turnovers, the Patriots build a 17-3 lead. With a two-touchdown lead going into the fourth quarter, the game seemed all but in doubt. However, Kurt Warner and Marshall Faulk were able to rally their troops, scoring 14 unanswered points, thanks to a Warner 2-yard run, solid Ram defense on two consecutive Patriot possessions, and then a 26-yard TD strike to Ricky Proehl. The game was knotted at 17-17, with just 1:30 left in the 4th quarter. With no time outs, even John Madden, who was working the game, thought the Patriots would just run the clock out and attempt to win the game in OT. But Belicheck and Brady had different ideas. Brady moved the ball to his 41 yard line thanks to three straight completions to backup RB JR Redmond. Then Brady hit WR Troy Brown for a 23 yard strike, and followed that up with a short 6 yard pass to tight end Jermaine Wiggins, to advance the ball to the Rams 30 yard line. Brady then spiked the ball to stop the clock with a scant 7 seconds left. This set up Adam Vinatieri's 48-yard field goal that sailed through the uprights as time expired, marking the first time in Superbowl history that a game was won by a score on the final play. Tom Brady was the MVP and the Patriots had their rings, winning 20-17.

This guy. And yes, he's WAY more cooler than you.

4. Superbowl XXXVIII 

New England Patriots  32         Carolina Panthers        29        

The Patriots. They put the "ICK" in kick.

What initially seemed like it would first be a blow-out, then a massive snore-fest, ultimately became a truly great Superbowl. The Patriots returned to the big dance after a 1-year hiatus, and did so with a fearsome 14-2 mark. Relying on a stout defense led by Rodney Harrison and Ted Washington, not to mention, Richard seymour, Willie McGinest, Mike Vrabel and Tedy Bruschi - as well as Ty Law - the Pats D was stacked. Their offense was helmed by pro bowl QB Tom Brady and boasted a bunch of interchangable parts around him.

The Panthers, meanwhile, were just two years removed from a 1-15 season. John Fox had rebuild the team around young free agent QB Jake Delhomme, all-world WR Steve Smith, a dual rushing attack of Stephen Davis and DeShaun Foster and an impressive defense achored by Julius Peppers. However, no one really expected the Panthers to give the Patriots much trouble.

However, the ferocious Panther defense stymied the Patriots at every turn, and usually reliable kicker Adam Vinatieri missed two makeable field goals. The Panthers, likewise, were held completely in check by a devastating Patriots defense, that sacked Jake Delhomme 3 times in the first half alone.

Fianlly, with about three minutes left in the half, Brady his Deion Branch for a 5-yard touchdown and the Pats had the lead, 7-0, with the first score of the game. Not to be outdone, the Panthers marched riught back down the field, going 95 yards in 8 plays, in less than two minutes, tying the game on a 39-yard TD strike from Delhomme to Steve Smith.

With the game knotted at 7-7, Brady and the Patriots immediately countered with a 6-play 78 yard drive that resulted in a 5-yard TD pass from Brady to David Givens. With 18 seconds left in the half, the Patriots appeared to be in control, 14-7. However, the Panthers took the ball right back down the field thanks mainly to a 21 yard scamper by Stephen Davis, and a 50 yard field goal by John Kasay as time expired, sent the game into half time at 14-10.

This sudden explosion of 24 points in just 3 minutes came out of nowhere and certainly woke up the crowd. And if that didn't wake them up, the half time show certainly did. Yes, this was the infamous Janet Jackson nip-slip half-time show. As the nation tried to recover from the horror of seeing an aging Janet Jackson's pierced nipple, the Patriots and Pathers were busy making history.

We're all adults here. We can handle this.

After a scoreless third quarter, the Patriots struck first to start the 4th, capping off a drive that begin at the end of the 3rd quarter, as Antowain Smith rushed into the end zone from 2 yards out to give the Pats a 21-10 lead. However, that score started a deluge of points that set a Superbowl record, as the teams would combine for 37 points over the final 15 minutes.

Following Smith's score, Carolina scored on a DeShaun Foster 33-yard run to cut the lead to 21-16 (they missed on a 2-pt try). The Patriots drove right back down the field, but Brady was intercepted in the end zone. After taking over at their own 20, and being dropped by 5 yards via penalty, Delhomme then completed the longest play from scrimmage in Superbowl history, connecting on an 85-yard TD bomb with Mushin Muhammad, and the Panthers led, 22-21 (and yet another missed 2-pt try).

With just 6:53 left in the game, the Panthers tried to hold on to the slimmest of leads. Yeah. Right. New England drove 68 yards on their next possession, capping that drive off with a 1-yard TD pass from Brady to Mike Vrabel, who had lined up as a tight-end for the play. New England converted on their 2-pt try and took a 29-22 lead.

The Panthers answered right back, though, as Patriot nemesis, Ricky Proehl caught a 12 yard TD pass to tie the game at 29-29 with 1:08 left to play. Again, it appeared that a Superbowl might finally go to overtime. As yet, no big game has ever made it to sudden death. It wouldn't make it this year either.

John Kasay kicked the ensuing kickoff out of bounds, which gave Brady the ball at his 40 yard line. The seemingly Xanax-laded Brady, who's heartrate barely got above 40, calmed led the Pats to the Panthers 23 yard line, where Adam Vinatieri kicked a 41-yard field goal, to give the Pats the game, 32-29. Vinatieri's kick occurred at virtually the end of the game - with 4 seconds left, the Panthers could do nothing with the final kick off, and the Pats had their 2nd super bowl title in three years. It was quiet an offensive display for the 2nd and 4th quarters. Delhomme threw for 323 yards and 3 TDs, while Brady, the MVP, threw for 354 yards and 3 TDs.

The MVP. And Tom Brady.

But the Pats weren't done yet.

3. Superbowl XXXIX

New England Patriots  24         Philadelphia Eagles    21        

This wasn't ending well for McNabb.

This season marked New England's quest to become the 2nd team to win 3 superbowls in 4 years - the first being the Cowboys of Emmitt, Aikman and Irvin, who won Superbowls XXVII, XXVIII and XXX. The Eagles, meanwhile, led by Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb and sporting WR import, the mercurial Terrell Owens, looked to finally get over the up, having lost three straight NFC Championship games. This would be their 4th in a row - and this time, they'd make it to the big dance.

The first quarter was marred by several turnovers and an instant reply overrule of a fumble. The back and forth battle yielded little results. Finally, midway through the second quarter, McNabb was able - after he puked - to engineer a 9 play, 81 yard drive that ended on a 6-yard TD pass from McNabb to tight end LJ Smith. The Eagles had drawn first blood and led 7-0. The Patriots answered on their very next drive, marching all the way to the Eagles 4 yard line, but Tom Brady fumbled a fake handoff and the Eagles recovered it. The Pats D forced a 3 and out, and thanks to a shanked punt from Dirk Johnson, the Pats were back in business. It didn't take long for Brady to redeem himself, hitting David Givens with a 4 yard pass in the end zone, tying the game at 7-7 at the half.

The opening drive of the 3rd quarter saw Deion Branch catch 4 passes for 71 yards, which set up a 2-yard TD pass from Brady to Mike Vrabel - man the Pats love that play - and they took the lead, 14-7. The Eagles and McNabb returned fire right away, as McNabb capped a 10-play, 74 yard drive with a 10-yard TD pass to RB Brian Westbrook, sending the game into the 4th quarter tied at 14. This marked the first time in Superbowl history that the game went into the 4th quarter tied.

It didn't stay tied long, as the Pats put together a 9-play, 66 yard drive that was finished off by a Corey Dillon 2 yard run to give the Pats a 21-14 lead. The Pats D held firm and after a punt, the Pats drove deep into Eagle territory again, this time settling for a 22-yard Adam Vinatieri field goal, to take a seemingly commanding 24-14 lead.

Branch would take home the MVP for this grab - and 10 others.

But McNabb and crew weren't done yet. However, their ensuing 13 play, 79 yard drive would go down as one of the more controversial drives in Superbowl history. Sure, McNabb finished the drive is style, hitting Greg Lewis with a 30 yard laser that closed the gap to 24-21. But with 5:40 left in the game, this Eagle drive consumed a whopping 3:52 off the clock, as Andy Reid inexplicably failed to go no-huddle. The plodding, methodical drive called by Reid, resulted in points, but also crippled the Eagles chances of getting the ball back to try for the tie. All they could do was try an onside kick with just 1:55 remaining. The Patriots recovered the ball and then forced the Eagles to use all three of their time outs, at the Pats ran the ball 3 times. The ensuing punt pinned the Eagles back at their own 4-yard line, with 46 seconds left and no time outs.

The Eagles - and McNabb - tried a couple of desperation heaves, and then, finally, the game ended as Rodney Harrison picked off McNabb on third and long, with 9 seconds left, to seal the game. Deion Branch, with 11 catches for 133 yards would get the MVP. McNabb threw for 357 yards and 3 TDs in the losing effort, but he also three 3 INTs and was sacked 4 times. Terrell Owens grabbed 9 balls for 122 yards. The win made Tom Brady just the 4th QB to win 3 Superbowls, joining Terry Bradshaw (four), Joe Montana (four) and Troy Aikman (three). The Patriots were in full dynasty mode.  Little did they realize, it was a dynasty in decline.

He wouldn't be smiling much longer.

2. Superbowl  XLII      

New York Giants          17         New England Patriots  14        

The Giants enjoyed their time with the Patriots in this game.

Wow. Where to begin with this one. I'm sure it's all still fresh in most of your mind - except for Patriot fans, who still require heavy medication ( re: Borbon ) to even begin to discuss this season. For the Giants, it really began as a season in disarray. Veteran all-pro running back Tiki Barber retired and left the Giants to piece together a running game behind Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward. And once Ward was lost to injury, Jacobs alone had to shoulder the load. But much of the criticism was hurled at Eli Manning, who thus far hadn't lived up to the hype, and had struggled to find any sort of consistency as a starter. However, the Giants did manage to regroup and finish the season with 10 wins - good enough for a wild card birth. In the playoffs, the G-men displayed a staunch defense led by pro-bowler Osi Umenyiora and a mix of veterans like Michael Strahan and young turks, like Justin Tuck. One the Giants got to the post season, they proceeded to win three straight road games, easily defeating the hapless Buccaneers, 24-14, then shocking the #1 seeded Dallas Cowboys in Dallas, 21-17, thanks to an RW McQuarters interception of Tony Romo in the end zone to end the game. Then the Giants went into Green Bay, and likewise stunned the #2 seeded Green Bay Packers, 23-20 in overtime, thanks to an interception of Brett Favre by Corey Webster that set up the game winning FG.

The Patriots meanwhile, well...they were just on their way to becoming the first NFL team to ever finish a 16-0 game season 19-0. The Pats went undefeated in the regular season, at 16-0, playing with a sense of anger and vengance. Angered, perhaps, at allegations of cheating - well, more than just alligations. They were cheating. Spygate, as it became known, resulted in head coach Bill Belichick being fined $500,000, the team being fined $750,000 and the team also lost their first round draft pick in 2008. This for illegally videotaping the New York Jets defensive signals in week 1 of the regular season. Which was absurd, since they could have fielded a team of retarded monkeys to beat the Jets. At any rate, filled with a sense of purpose, the Pats set records all over the place, en route to a 16-0 record, scoring a record 589 points, 75 total touchdowns, and a net point differential of +315 points (as they gave up just 274 points).  They were considered by many to be the greatest NFL team of all time.  Oops.  The team was led by QB Tom Brady, who won the NFL MVP and Offensive MVP award when he threw for 4806 yards and 50 touchdowns (opposite just 8 INTs). Aiding him were WRs Randy Moss, who caught 98 balls for 1493 yards and a record 23 TDs and Wes Welker, who caught an astounding 112 balls for 1175 yards and 8 TDs.

No comment.

The Pats breezed through the playoffs and were heavy, heavy favorites to win the Superbowl against the undermanned Giants. The Pats attemtped to trademark "19-0". The Boston Globe had already begun to presell a book on Amazon titled, "19-0: The Historic Championship Season of New England's Unbeatable Patriots." Reebok had commissioned a TV spot with actual members of the 1972 Dolphins (the only team to actually go undefeated and win the super bowl), welcoming the Patriots to "Perfectville." And of course, millions of t-shirts were created - and those t-shirts would clothe starving third world children for years.

The game itself was a decidedly defensive affair, as the Giants could manage just a field goal in the first quarter, while the Patriots could get just a 1-yard TD plunge by Laurence Maroney. However, that dreaded Giant offense - the plodding, methodical beast last seen in Superbowl XXV against the Bills, was resurrected by Tom Coughlin for this game. He knew he had to keep the Pats offense off the field. The Giants opening drive consumed a record 10 minutes. The Pats responded with a slow drive of their own. At half-time, the much vaunted Patriot offense barely held a 7-3 lead.

The second half was more of the same, as the Giants defense repeatedly turned back the high-powered Patriot offense. However, until the 4th quarter, the Giants offense could do little against the Pats D either. Finally, on the Giants first drive of the 4th quarter, Eli Manning completed a 45-yard pass to rookie tight end Kevin Boss. This was followed by a 17 yard reception by rookie receiver Steve Smith, and finally, Manning capped the drive with a 5-yard touchdown pass to little used WR David Tyree. At this point, the Giants led 10-7 with 11:05 left in the game, and the Pats had to be saying to themselves, "Who the hell are these guys!?!?"

Who the hell are these guys?

With 7:54 left to play, Brady finally started completing some passes to Welker and Moss, and the Pats were able to drive deep into Giants territory, coming to rest at the Giants 6 yard line. On 3rd and goal from the 6, Brady hit Moss in the end zone to give the Pats a 14-10 lead with a scant 2:42 left in the game. And all seemed to be well in New England. The Giants took over with 2:39 left, on their own 17 yard line, and in possession of all three of their time outs. Manning hit Amani Toomer on two catches for 20 yards, and on 4th and 1, Brandon Jacobs kept the drive going with a 2-yard push. Two plays later, on 2nd and 5, Patriots cornerback, Asante Samuel had a potential game-saving interception go off his hands and out of bounds. This proved costly almost immediately as the next play has become known as the Arizona Miracle, or "the Helmet Catch." On the play, 3rd and 5, Manning got absolutely no pass protection and was mobbed by Patriot defenders. Manning managed to spin out of the grasp of lineman Jarvis Green, stepped up and heaved a ball in the direction of WR David Tyree. Tyree leap up into the air, and grabbed the ball, maintaining control of it by pinning it to his helmet with his hand, all while being blanketed by defender Rodney Harrison, who drove Tyree into the ground - but Tyree held onto the ball. The amazing 32-yard grab has been dubbed the greatest play in Superbowl history and kept the Giants drive alive. Three plays later, the Giants were in trouble again, as they faced 3rd and 11. But Manning found Steve Smith for 12 yards, and Smith stepped out of bounds at the Patriot 13 yard line to stop the clock. On the next play, the Patriots blitzed Manning, leaving Plaxico Burress one-on-one with cornerback Ellis Hobbs. This was a phenomenally bad idea, as Manning was able to loft a 13 yard touchdown strike to Burress, to give the Giants a 17-14 lead with 35 seconds left in the game.

What a freakin' catch.

The ensuing Patriot possession - started at their own 26 with 29 seconds to go and all 3 timeouts - was anticlimactic at best. The Giants didn't allow a single yard as they forced 3 incompletions and a sack. The game was over. A great Superbowl, a Championship for New York, and an epic failure at immortality for the Patriots.

Awesome.

1. Superbowl  XLIII     

Pittsburgh Steelers      27         Arizona Cardinals        23        

I hate the Steelers. But what a game.

Last years Superbowl was, grudgingly, one of the best ever, as I was forced to endure watching the hated Pittsburgh Steelers surpass the Dallas Cowboys (and 49ers) as the franchise with the most Superbowl hardware, winning their 6th such title. However, it was almost the Cardinals that won, which would have been their first. Either way, it was a great game.

The Steelers finished with the AFC's 2nd best record, going 12-4 under head coach Omar Epps. They were led on offense by QB Ben Roethlisberger, Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes and RB Fast Willie Parker. But their defense was truly great, as they led the NFL in fewest points allowed (13.9) and yards allowed per game (237). They were led by DE Aaron Smith, LB's LaMarr Woodley (11.5 sacks) and James Harrison (16 sacks), as well as LB James Farrior and pro bowl safely Troy Polamalu who recorded 7 INTs.

The Cardinals, meanwhile, finished just 9-7 but it was good enough to win the weak NFC west. And once in the playoffs, the Cardinals proved they belonged. They were led by the ressurrection and the light of 37-year old QB Kurt Warner, who finished with a Christ-like 4583 yards and 30 TDs. Warner's top targets were WRs Larry Fitzgerald (1431 yards and 12 TDs) and Anquan Boldin (1038 yards and 11 TDs). He also let Steve Breaston (77 catches, 1006 yards, 3 TDs) in on the fun as well. The Cards didn't have much of a ground game, as they used aging veteran Edgerrin James and rookie Tim Hightower - who did manage 10 TDs, on a meager 399 yards.

He's baaack. And he's finally a Cardinal.

In the playoffs, the Cardinals beat, in order, the 5th seeded Falcons, 30-24, the second-seeded Panthers, 33-13, and finally, the 6th-seeded Eagles, 32-25. Kurt Warner was messianic in all 3 games, totalling 661 yards and 8 TDs over the 3 wins. The Steelers, meanwhile, crushed the Chargers 35-24 in their opening round game, setting up an AFC Championship game against the surprising Baltimore Ravens, a 6th-seed that had managed to upset their way to the game. The Steelers handled them, however, beating them 23-14 while holding them to just 184 yards and forcing five turnovers.

The game itself was a high-flying, fast-scoring affair that saw neither team run the ball with any real effectiveness. The Steelers scored on their opening drive, as Roethlisberger threw all over the beleaguered Cardinal secondary, completing long gains of 38 yards to Hines Ward and 21 yards to Heath Miller. The drive stalled as the Cardinal defense stiffened with a goal-line stand and the Steelers, playing it safe early, settled for a field goal. The Cardinals were unable to figure out the Steeler defense, and after a punt, the Steelers drove right back down the field and this time, the Steelers busted through the goal-line stand with reserve RB Gary Russell's 1-yard plunge.

The Steelers led 10-0 in the 2nd quarter and it appeared like the rout was on. But the explosive Cardinal offense showed signs of life as Warner hit Anquan Boldin on a 45-yard completion to set up 1st and goal from the Steeler 1 yard line. On the next play, Warner hit TE Ben Patrick for the score, and the game was back on, at 10-7.  With the second quarter winding down, and the Cardinals once again perched on the Steeler 1 yard line, poised to take the lead, tragedy struck the Arizona faithful, as Warner's pass was intercepted in the end zone by linebacker James Harrison. Harrison then busted his way down the sidelines for the longest play in Superbowl history, a 100-yard INT return for a touchdown.

And now Harrison does the happy dance.

The Steelers led 17-7 at the half, and then, they opened the 3rd quarter with a long scoring drive that took 8:39 off the clock and culminated in another Jeff Reed field goal. At 20-7, the Cardinals seemed all but done. However, these Cardinals were nothing, if not explosive. They went into a no-huddle offense early in the 4th quarter, and went on a brisk 87 yard scoring drive that was capped by a 1 yard Warner floater to Larry Fitzgerald, to close the gap to 20-14. Later in the 4th, a Cardinal punt pinned the Steelers on their one 1 yard line. On 3rd and 10, Steelers center Justin Hartwig was flagged for holding in the end zone, resulting in a safety. The Cards now trailed just 20-16 and were about to get the ball back via a free kick. It took Warner just 2 plays to hook up with Fitzgerald, this time on a 63-yard touchdown strike, to give the Cardinals an improbably 23-20 lead, and possibly, their first Superbowl title.

The Steelers got the ball back on their own 22 yard line, with just 2:37 left in the game. However, Roethlisberger began to find a rhythm with Santonio Holmes, as he hooked up with him on 3 passes for 67 yards, driving the Steelers all the way down to the Cardinal 6 yard line. Two plays later, Big Ben hit Holmes in the corner of the end zone, and the wideout managed to keep both his toes in-bounds, for the go-ahead, game-winning score. The Steelers led 27-23 with 35 seconds left. Warner was able to drive the Cards as far as the Steeler 44 yard line, but was then sacked by LaMarr Woodley, forcing a fumble that was recovered by the Steelers, ending the game.

Screw you Santonio. Screw you and your 6 rings.

And there you have it. 10 Epic Superbowls.

Honorable mentions to:

Superbowl III      New York Jets 16           Baltimore Colts 7

Superbowl V      Baltimore Colts  16         Dallas Cowboys 13

Superbowl X      Pittsburgh Steelers 21    Dallas Cowboys 17

Superbowl XIV   Pittsburgh Steelers 31    Los Angeles Rams 19 (was much closer than it seems)

I have no idea where this picture comes from, but damn, I wish I was alive in 1970. The drugs must have been epic.

And now we come to Superbowl XLIV

You were expecting a Colts-Saints pic?

The Indianapolis Colts v. the New Orleans Saints.

My prediction?

Well, keep in mind, I've been wrong on virtually every playoff game I've predicted so far, this season, but here goes.

Here I am, making my educated guess. Still trust me?

I don't see the Saints being able to contain, much less stop Peyton Manning. And I think the Colts D will be able to force a few early stops on the Saints, which will put them behind early. This will force them to become one dimensional, and the Colts should be able to pin their ears back and blitz Brees on nearly every down.

I'm going with this final score:

Indianapolis Colts         33        New Orleans Saints      17        MVP:  Peyton Manning

Yes, I'm picking this guy to win.

Until then:

Go Saints!