The Super Bowl is undoubtedly the biggest sporting event of the year. It's a game where history is made and legacies are created. While some Super Bowls fall short of expectations, others offer moments that will never be forgotten.
Super Bowl 46, in which Eli Manning and the Giants defeated Tom Brady's Patriots for the second time in four years, was the first one I can still clearly recall watching. I've watched every year since, enjoying in the exciting finishes, incredible comebacks, and some blowouts along the way. With the Chiefs and Eagles set to take each other on in New Orleans this Sunday in Super Bowl LIX, here is my current ranking of every Super Bowl I've watched as an NFL fan.
#13 – Super Bowl 50 (Broncos 24, Panthers 10)
Despite being hyped as a matchup between the league's best defense and offense, Von Miller and the Broncos' pass rush dominated this defensive slugfest. That season's MVP, Cam Newton, picked the worst time to have his worst game of the season, as he was under constant pressure. Denver's offense did little despite winning the game. In what ended up being his final game, quarterback Peyton Manning barely threw for 140 yards. Despite being a legendary ending to Manning's career, this Super Bowl is among the least memorable.
#12 – Super Bowl LIII (Patriots 13, Rams 3)
This Super Bowl was boring from beginning to end. The game swiftly turned into a snooze fest as both offenses were unable to generate momentum. The energy wasn't significantly raised by Maroon 5's performance, so even the halftime show couldn't redeem it. Although the Patriots' approach was sound, the game was by no means enjoyable, and the final score of 13-3 is among the lowest in Super Bowl history. The one positive aspect was the visually appealing uniform matchup, with the Rams wearing those beautiful throwback jerseys and the Patriots sporting their famous road whites. There wasn't much to write home about other than that.
#11 – Super Bowl LIV (Chiefs 31, 49ers 20)
It looked like, after three quarters, this would be the 49ers' night. With less than ten minutes to go, they led 20–10, and their defense had been shutting down Patrick Mahomes all game long. However, Mahomes staged an impressive turnaround, leading the Chiefs to 21 points in a row. Although the final stretch was exciting, most of the game felt slow, which helps explain the low ranking.
#10 – Super Bowl LV (Buccaneers 31, Chiefs 9)
It's safe to say that, thus far, this Super Bowl has disappointed me the most since I was expecting an all-time classic between Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes. Rather, Brady played well while the Chiefs' offensive line collapsed under constant pressure. The Bucs defense completely shut down Kansas City's explosive offensive, and Mahomes was running for his life all night. Brady winning a Super Bowl outside of New England was amazing to see, but the game was a one-sided affair and not the exciting one I had hoped been expecting.
#9 – Super Bowl XLVIII (Seahawks 43, Broncos 8)
As a Seahawks fan, this one will always be memorable, but it was supposed to be an all-timer. This game was supposed to be a battle between the Seahawks, who may have had the best defense in NFL history, and Denver, who may have had the best offense. Instead, Seattle dominated from start to finish, and the Legion of Boom totally shut down the Broncos' historic offense. The one-sided element of this game should have made it a great one, but instead, it turned into a demolition, which left it missing any level of excitement. Even though Seattle's win will always bump it a few spots higher for me than it probably should on a Super Bowl ranking list.
#8 – Super Bowl XLVII (Ravens 34, 49ers 31)
This one had it all: drama, brothers coaching against one another, a power outage, and an epic comeback attempt that fell just short. The 49ers' rally in the second half, led by Colin Kaepernick, made it one of the most exciting finishes to a Super Bowl I’ve watched. Even though the Ravens were already winning comfortably at a score of 28-6, after a 34-minute power outage that began early in the second half, the momentum changed, and it went from a blowout to a nail-biter. Even though the Ravens did eventually win, it was an exciting finish.
#7 – Super Bowl XLVI (Giants 21, Patriots 17)
I have a special place in my heart for Super Bowl XLVI since it was the first one I can remember watching. Eli Manning once again showed off his clutch abilities as the Giants stunned the Patriots once again in the sequel to Super Bowl XLII. From beginning to end, the game was extremely close, but the Giants won thanks to a late touchdown drive. Even though Mario Manningham's amazing catch and the dramatic ending made it memorable, because I wasn't fully aware of the nuances of the game, I can't consider it an all-timer.
#6 – Super Bowl LVI (Rams 23, Bengals 20)
This game stands out because of how "weird" the matchup felt. A star-studded Rams team with seasoned veterans like Matthew Stafford and Aaron Donald met the Bengals, who were on an unexpected Super Bowl run with a second-year Joe Burrow. Despite not having the type of fireworks we may have expected, the game was fun because of how different the matchup felt. The Rams won because to Stafford's heroics in the closing minutes, which included a game-winning score to Cooper Kupp. Meanwhile, Bengals squandered opportunities, such as a crucial sack on Burrow in the final seconds. Despite not being an absolute classic, the game holds a special place in my rankings because of its unique storyline and exciting finish.
#5 – Super Bowl LII (Eagles 41, Patriots 33)
This game for me, gave me the best Super Bowl party I've ever hosted. With back-and-forth scoring, huge plays, and one of the most memorable Super Bowl moments—Nick Foles catching a touchdown pass on the "Philly Special"—the game itself was an amazing rollercoaster. The experience of celebrating with friends and watching one of the most exciting Super Bowls ever is just as memorable as the game.
#4 – Super Bowl LVIII (Chiefs 25, 49ers 22 - OT)
Last year's game was actually very similar to the Chiefs and 49ers first Super Bowl meeting four years earlier. Patrick Mahomes proved his MVP status by leading the Chiefs to a comeback victory in overtime to capture his third Super Bowl Championship and MVP award, as Kansas City once again overcame a 10-point deficit in the second half against San Francisco. The Chiefs cemented their place as an NFL dynasty with this overtime win, which was their second Super Bowl title in a row and their third of the Mahomes era.
#3 – Super Bowl LVII (Chiefs 38, Eagles 35)
Let’s hope the game this upcoming week is as entertaining as this one was. The display the Eagles and Chiefs put on two years ago was an all-time classic. Despite suffering an ankle injury, Patrick Mahomes led the Chiefs to another 10-point comeback in the second half, which included a game-winning field goal drive. Even in the loss, Jalen Hurts had an excellent game for the Eagles, where he ran for three touchdowns. Both teams made it clear they were the two best in football, and it had the feel of a heavyweight battle.
#2 – Super Bowl LI (Patriots 34, Falcons 28 – OT)
Without a doubt, this is one of the greatest Super Bowls ever because of the Patriots incredible comeback from a 28-3 deficit. After an awful start, Tom Brady pulled off the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history, tying the game late and winning it in overtime. The Falcons were in control of the game, but simply collapsed in the fourth quarter. This game is one of the most exciting I've ever watched because of its emotional ups and downs, drama, and unpredictability. It will and always should be discussed as one of the best Super Bowl's ever.
#1 – Super Bowl XLIX (Patriots 28, Seahawks 24)
I hate to admit it as a Seahawks fan, but I still think Super Bowl XLIX is the best football game I have ever watched. Despite the gut-wrenching ending for my Seahawks, this game had everything you could ask for: an excellent balance of offense and defense, key takeaways, great individual performances, spectacular coaching, and iconic plays by both teams. The Seahawks and Russell Wilson were within a yard of winning the championship for the second time in a row, but Malcolm Butler's last-minute interception at the goal line won New England their first Super Bowl since 2004 and perhaps rebirthed the Patriots' dynasty. The heartbreak of that ending doesn’t take away from how memorable this Super Bowl was.
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