Before the 56th Super Bowl: Remembering the top 5 Super Bowl games of all time

The Super Bowl is always a showdown between the two finest football teams in the world. They are usually dramatic, unforgettable events that draw global attention. It’s impossible to select from so many outstanding options, but here are the five greatest Super Bowl games of all time.

Super Bowl III – Jets 16, Colts 7

Super Bowl III is remembered more for what it stood for than for what happened on the field. It’s not that the 16-7 defensive struggle wasn’t entertaining, but it wasn’t close. Joe Namath, the eventual MVP didn’t even attempt a pass in the fourth quarter.

However, it was still one of the greatest upsets in sports history at the time. The NFL was seen as a superior league to the young AFL at the time. Despite this, Namath’s famously assured victory for the AFL’s New York Jets.

The Jets led the Baltimore Colts 13-0 going into the fourth quarter. The Colts scored a touchdown with little over three minutes remaining, but there was no time for a two-point convert. With a two-score lead, New York was able to put the game away, forever altering the face of professional football. The leagues formally combined into the present NFL with two conferences a little more than a year later.

Super Bowl XIII – Steelers 35, Cowboys 31

The 56th Super Bowl is receiving a lot of hype already, and Odds Shark.com is providing updated odds throughout. It must have been a similar, or even greater feeling when reigning champions, the Dallas Cowboys, faced the Pittsburgh Steelers in a rematch of Super Bowl X, which the Steelers won.

This time, Pittsburgh came out on top, but there was a lot of drama. The Steelers went into the fourth quarter with a 21-17 advantage and then scored 14 consecutive points. On the other hand, Dallas rallied, scoring a touchdown, recovering an onside kick, and then scoring again with 22 seconds left to get within four points.

Dallas’ second onside kick attempt was unsuccessful, and Pittsburgh kneeled to end the game.

This game had a lot of firsts. It was the first rematch in the series, and the first time a reigning champion lost in the championship game and a losing Super Bowl participant scored 30 points. It also earned Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw his first of two Super Bowl MVP medals, as he went for four touchdowns and 318 yards

Super Bowl LI – Patriots 34, Falcons 28

Most football fans will recognize the word “28-3” as a reference to Super Bowl LI if you say it. That was the Patriots’ third-quarter deficit against the Atlanta Falcons before storming back to win in overtime.

It doesn’t matter how you look at it, this game is remembered as either the greatest comeback, or the greatest choke job of all time. The Falcons mishandled the clock in the fourth quarter, but it shouldn’t detract from Brady’s (466 passing yards) and James White’s comeback effort (139 yards from scrimmage, three TDs).

Individual highlights were Julio Jones’ incredible catch that should have won the game and Julian Edelman’s incredible diving grab that kept New England’s hopes alive.

Super Bowl XLII – Giants 17, Patriots 14

Who remembers Super Bowl XLII? This year, the Patriots were set to have a flawless season since they finished 16-0 throughout the regular season. The Giants, who pride themselves on their defense, had other ideas. They hounded Brady throughout the game, limiting Randy Moss to only 62 yards and one score.

Even yet, it took some clutch play from Giants quarterback Eli Manning late in the game to get the game-winning touchdown. Manning got free of the Patriots pass rush with little over a minute remaining in the game and threw a ball that David Tyree grabbed by pinning it against his helmet. Manning connected with Plaxico Burress for the game-winning touchdown four plays later.

This was a huge upset, and Tyree’s grab is still remembered as one of the most remarkable plays in NFL history. Unlike the spectacular play from our final chapter, though, it wasn’t the play that secured the victory.

Super Bowl XLIX – Patriots 28, Seahawks 24

Super Bowl XLIX had everything a championship game should have: a place in history, a thrilling comeback, and one of the most famous athletic plays of all time.

With a second Super Bowl victory, the Seattle Seahawks were hoping to solidify their dynasty. The Patriots wanted to show that their season wasn’t finished by capturing their first championship since 2004. It looked like the Seahawks would win with a 10-point lead going into the fourth quarter.

Brady and the Patriots, on the other hand, scored 14 points in the fourth quarter. They clinched the game when the Seahawks elected to throw from the 1-yard line instead of sending the ball to Marshawn Lynch.

The Patriots ran out the clock after Malcolm Butler intercepted Russell Wilson’s ball, capping one of the most exciting games in history.