The ring. The trophy. The glory. All of these pretty much sum up the ideas around being a part of the Super Bowl. There is no greater feeling then holding up the Lombardi trophy and telling the camera you’re going to Disneyland. But for those who experience victory, the glory does not end. Whether in the Hall Of Fame or in the hearts of millions, the heroes and legends that are a part of a Super Bowl victory will be remembered forever. On that note, with the Super Bowl 9 days away, here are some of the most nail biting, heart pumping, action filled, most memorable Super Bowl games of all time!

#10- Super Bowl XXXII
“This one’s for John”
Denver Broncos vs. Green Bay Packers
January 25, 1998

After breezing through the playoffs, Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers expected nothing but a blowout when they would face John Elway and the Denver Broncos for Super Bowl XXXII. The Packers finished 13-1 in the regualr season and had a “scary” defense that included future hall-of-famer Reggie White and rookie Darren Sharper. However, the pass threat of Rod Smith and veteran TE Shannon Sharpe had new plans for Green Bay. Starting early, the Packers came out fast and scored 7 on a 22-yard TD pass to Antonio Freeman. However, the Packers defense gave up 17 points in the first half and another Terrell Davis TD in the 3rd. Tied at 24, with 1:45 John Elway drove down the field and lead the Broncos to the endzone on a Terrell Davis 1- yard run to seal the victory. Terell Davis was the MVP with 157 yard on the ground and 3 touchdowns. In the trophy presentation, Pat Bowlen, the owner of the Denver Broncos held up the trophy and said “This one’s for John!”

#9 Super Bowl XXXIX
“A Dynasty”
New England Patriots vs. Philadelphia Eagles
February 6. 2005

The New England Patriots entered the 2005 season looking to win their 3rd Super Bowl in the past four years. In another cold and windy city, Donovan McNabb and the Philadephia Eagles wanted to end the Pat’s streak and start their own. The dynasty seemed complete for the Patriots after signing Pro-Bowl running back Corey Dillion. Along with the progression of CB Asante Samuel, the Patriots lined up Troy Bown on defense after a series of injuries in the defensive backs. The explosive offense of the Eagles included our favorite WR Terrell Owens and all around threat Brian Westbrook. Jevon Kearse led the pass rush as Brian Dawkins was the hard hitting threat in the back. The defense showed their best stuff, resulting in a scoreless first quarter. The Eagles were first to strike with a 6-yard pass to L.J. Smith from McNabb. Brady and the Patriots responded with a 4-yard TD pass to David Givens. Tied at 7 at half, the nation was shocked to see such high scoring offenses be shut down. An unusual pass to LB Mike Vrabel made the score 14-7 in the 3rd, but the secret weapon in Brian Westbrook scored on a 10 yard pass From McNabb to tie it up at 14. In the start of the fourth, the Patriots scored twice, once on a 2-yard run by Dillion, another on a Adam Vinatieri kick. A long TD pass to Greg Lewis made the score 24-21, the Eagles still trailing by three. After a failed onside attempt, the Patriots forced the Eagles to use all of their timouts by running the ball and giving the ball back to the Eagles with :46 left in the game. Donovan McNabb had 96 yards to get to the endzone. He started his journey and completed a couple of short passes to gain some yards. With poor clock management, McNabb threw a ball over the middle that was intercepted by Rodney Harrison and gave the victory to the Patriots once again. Deion Branch received the MVP with 11 receptions and 139 yards. With this win, the Patriots proved they were a dynasty.

#8 Super Bowl X
“Steel Curtain D”
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Dallas Cowboys
January 18, 1976

Roger Staubach lead the Dallas Cowboys to a 10-4 record in the regular season. Staubach, Drew Pearson and Preston Pearson lead the Cowboys attack, while LB D.D Lewis anchored the defense. The 12-2 Pittsburgh Steelers, were led the top defense in the league, sending 8 of their starters to the Pro-Bowl. The Steelers were also led by start Quarterback Terry Bradshaw and WR’s Lynn Swann and John Stallworth. Dallas wasted no time and scored first with a 29-yard TD pass to Drew Pearson from Staubach. Bradshaw quickly responded with a short TD pass to TE Randy Grossman to tie the game. Dallas started the 2nd with a FG but was shut down on their next possession. The game was scoreless then until the 4th, where a blocked punt by the Steelers resulted in a safety making the score 10-9. Another FG and a deep pass to Swann made the score 21-10 Steelers with 3:02 to go. Staubach was determined and led his team downfield and scored. On their next possesion with less than a minute to go, the Cowboys’ drive and season was ended by an interception by Glen Edwards. Lynn Swann was the MVP after having 4 receptions for a 161 yards and a TD.

#7 Super Bowl III
“The Guarentee”
New York Jets vs. Baltimore Colts
January 12, 1969

With Unitas out, back-up quarterback Earl Morrall shocked the nation when he lead the Baltimore Colts to a 13-1 record earning the MVP award in 1969. The Colts, 2nd in offense, were lead by RB Tom Matte, WR Willie Richardson, and TE John Mackey. Their defense, also dominate, finished 1st in points allowed and were lead by the best pass rusher in the league, Bubba Smith. The 11-3 Jets were led by quarterback Joe Namath who threw more interceptions than touchdowns in the regular season. However, their defense showed life being #1 against the run. Going into the big game, the Colts were favored by 18 points. Before the Super Bowl, in response to the outrageous spread, Jets quarterback Joe Namath said “We’re gonna win. I guarentee it.” And they did. After a scoreless first quarter, the Jets scored the only TD in the first half with a 4-yard TD from Matt Snell. The Jets defense stayed strong holding MVP Morrall to 71 yards and intercepted him three times. Joe Namath earned MVP honors with 17 completions for 206 yards. Super Bowl III was one of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history.

#6 Super Bowl XXXVI
“FG to Win”
New England Patriots vs. St. Louis Rams
February 3, 2002

Drew Bledsoe sustained an injury during mid-season that left him out for months. Uncertain on his return, the Patriots went with 2nd year QB Tom Brady. Brady made friends quickly with WR Troy Brown and David Patten. The defense was led by pass rush threat Willie McGinest and CB Ty Law. Finishing 11-5 in the regular season, the Patriots were uncertain about the abilities of Brady in the playoffs. The St. Louis Rams finished 10-6 in the NFC and were lead by league MVP Kurt Warner. Rams offense, “The Greatest Show on Turf”, was led by veteran WR Isaac Bruce and deep threat Tory Holt. Marshall Faulk led the league in rushing and was helped by Pro-Bowl lineman Orlando Pace. Going into the game, the Rams were a 14 point favorite. The Rams struck first with a FG but were shut out for the rest of the game untl the 4th quarter. Ty Law returned an interception for a TD to put the first points on the board for the Patriots. New England’s defense continued to work and on their next possession, Tom Brady completed a 8-yard pass to David Patten to make the score 14-3 at half. A early Vinatieri FG in the 3rd gave the Patriots a 17-3 lead into the 4th. The Rams came out firing in the 4th scoring twice on a 2-yard Warner run and a 26-yard pass to Ricky Proehl with 1:30 with the score tied at 17. With less than two minutes left, Tom Brady led the Patriots down the field with consecutive completions and set up a 48 yard FG try for Adam Vinatieri. Vinatieri nailed the FG as time expired to give the Patriots the victory. Tom Brady was named MVP being 16 for 24 with 145 yards and a touchdown.

#5 Super Bowl XXIII
“The Drive”
San Francisco 49ers vs. Cincinnati Bengals
January 22, 1989

There had been many questions concerning the quarterback position in San Francisco. Steve Young and Joe Montana had been taking equal snaps all year. Montana was given the spot in the playoffs and took the 49ers to the Super Bowl under the offense of WR Jerry Rice and RB Roger Craig. The Cincinnati Bengals finished 12-4 under the MVP stats of quarterback Boomer Esiason. Esiason and WR Eddie Brown, RB James Brooks, and TE Rodney Holman led the attack for the Bengals. However, the Bengals defense struggled during the regular season finishing 17th in the league. In the game, defense seemed to be a factor keeping the teams to FGs, and a score of 3-3 at halftime. Stanford Jennings put the first TD on the board with a 93-yard kickoff return for a TD to give the Bengals a 10-3 lead. After a late FG in the 3rd, the 49ers were down 13-6 going into the 4th. Pro-Bowl WR Jerry Rice tied up the score in the 4th with a 14-yard TD from Montana. However, with 3:10 left in the game, the 49ers were still down 16-13. Starting on their own 8-yard line, Joe Montana drove down the field and scored a TD with a 32-yard hookup with John Taylor with :32 seconds remaining in the game. Unable to respond, the 49ers ran away with the win. Jerry Rice received the MVP with 11 receptions for 215 yards and a TD.

#4 Super Bowl XIII
“The Re-Match”
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Dallas Cowboys
January 21, 1979

Terry Bradshaw had his best season in 1979 winning the MVP of the league and leading the Steelers to a 12-4 record and a Super Bowl. Bradshaw, with help from WR’s Lynn Swann and John Stallworth, seemed to complete the most exciting offense in the league. On the other hand, the Cowboys finished 12-4 with the number one defense in the league, and Roger Staubach was looking to make up for his disaster in Super Bowl X. The highly anticipated game was to show the league’s best defense against the league best offense. Bradshaw proved his MVP talent scoring early in the 1st with a TD pass to John Stallworth. Staubach answered with a 39-yard pass to Tony Hill to tie the score at 7. The Cowboys defense proved themselves when Thomas Henderson forced Bradshaw to fumble and Mike Hegman picked it up and returned it 37 yards for a TD. However, Bradshaw launched a 75-yard pass to Lynn Swann to make the score 21-14 at half. Dallas had an early FG in the 3rd but their defense struggled to stop Bradshaw as he developed another drive that resulted in a 22 run by Franco Harris, making the score 35-17. Refusing to give up, Staubach and the Cowboys scored two touchdowns late in the 4th but ran out of time leaving the Steelers with victory, winning 35-31. Terry Bradshaw was given MVP honors when he was 17-30 for 318 yards and 4 TDs.

#3 Super Bowl XXXIV
“The Tackle”
St. Louis Rams vs. Tennessee Titans
January 30, 2000

Quarterback Kurt Warner led the Rams to a 13-3 record and was the MVP of the league. There “simply unstoppable” offense was led by Isaac Bruce, Tory holt, Marshall Faulk, and Orlando Pace. They finished 1st in offense in the league. Steve McNair and Eddie George made up the offense of the Tennessee Titans who finished 13-3 as well in the AFC. With a 16-0 lead in the 3rd, Tennessee had shown no life of offense all game. But with a good kickoff return by Derick Mason and a couple runs by Eddie Geogre, the Titans put their first points on the board with a 1-yard run by Eddie George but failed to get the two point conversion leaving the score at 16-6. The Titans defense, led by defense end Jevon Kearse stepped up and stopped the Rams on their next three possessions. The Titans scored again on a Eddie George run and 43-yard FG by Al Del Greco. With the score now tied at 16, Kurt Warner threw a 73-yard TD pass to Isaac Bruce with under 2 minutes remaining in the game. The Titans took over the ball on their own 10-yard line with 1:54 to go. McNair drove down the field completing passes to Kevin Dyson and TE Frank Wycheck. Finally, with 6 seconds left on the Rams 10 yard line, McNair threw a pass to Kevin Dyson, who was running towards the end zone when he was tackled by Mike Jones, inches short of the goal line. Time expired and the Rams won the game. Kurt Warner was MVP with 414 yards and 2 TDs.

#2 Super Bowl XXV
“Wide Right”
Buffalo Bills vs. New York Giants
January 27, 1991

The Buffalo Bills had finally made it to the “Big Show” with a team that is known for one of the best combinations of offense and defense. The Bills sent 9 players to the Pro-Bowl in 1991 and finished the season 13-3. Led by future hall-of-famer quarterback Jim Kelly, the Bills had one of the highest ranked offenses in the league. Jim Kelly developed the no huddle offense with WR Andre Reed and Pro-Bowl running back Thurman Thomas. The New York Giants, coached by Bill Parcells, finished 2nd in defense, led by LB Lawrence Taylor. With Phil Simms out for the season, back up quarterback Jeff Hostetler led the 13-3 Giants to the Super Bowl. After both defenses showed their power, the Bills lead 12-10 at half. The Giants opened the 3rd with a 75 yard drive that resulted in a Ottis Anderson TD run. The Bills Pro-Bowl back responded with a 31-yard TD run ending a 63-yard drive lead by Kelly. A Late FG in the 4th by Matt Bahr gave the giants a 20-19 lead. The Bills had once last chance starting on their own 10 yard line with 2:16 left in the game. Jim Kelly completed passes left and right and drove the Bills down the field. Finally with seconds remaining on the clock, the Bills sent out the kicking team led by kicker Scott Norwood. Norwood lined up for a 47-yard FG to win the game. Ball was snapped, hold was up, and Norwood kicked and missed wide right. The Bills and everyone in the nation was stunned. Ottis Anderson was the MVP with 102 yards and a TD. The Giants pulled out a victory in what will always be the closest Super Bowl game of all time.

#1 Super Bowl XXXVIII
“Back and Forth Excitement”
Carolina Panthers vs. New England Patriots
February 1, 2004

The Patriots were back for round two. This time would be harder. They were facing a hot Panthers team who finished 11-5 in the regular season. QB Jake Delhomme and WR Steve Smith flied through the playoffs and made it to the Super Bowl through tough defense and a high powered offense. With DeShaun Foster and Stephen Davis providing threats in the backfield, WR Musin Muhammad and WR Steve Smith were cathing deep balls, making plays, and putting points on the board. However, to become the champions of the NFL, the Panthers would have to beat an experienced, and well coached New England Patriots. Led by QB Tom Brady, the Patriots finished 14-2 in the AFC and were looking to win two out of the past three Super Bowls. The defense became stronger with off-season signing of Safety Rodney Harrison. The Patriots were heavily favored in the game but no one expected the Panthers to play the way they played. The teams showed off their defense in the 1st with no points on the board. Brady got the game going and continued to show his tremendous pose and determination as he threw a 5-yard pass to Deion Branch to make the game 7-0. Delhomme quickly responded and threw a 39-yard TD pass to deep threat Steve Smith. Brady improved his numbers with a 5-yard pass to David Givens to make the score 14-7. Caroline was stopped short on 3rd down and settled for a 50-yard FG to make the score 14-10 at half. Both defenses came out hungry and firing in the 3rd allowing no points and few yards. Antowain Smith scored early in the 4th on a 2-yard run to make the score 21-10. At this point in the game, most people expected the Patriots to run away with the game and seal the deal. However, Delhomme and the Panthers did not give up. Delhomme lead a drive which ended in a 33-yard TD run by DeShaun Foster. The defense came out and stopped Brady on his next drive. In the first couple plays, Jake Delhomme rolled out and threw a 85-yard TD pass to Musin Muhamman to make the score 22-21 Carolina, after a failed two-pint conversion. Brady responded like he always does with a unique pass to Vrabel and a two-point conversion by Kevin Faulk to make the score 29-22. Delhomme shocked millions and drove down field again, and scored on a 12-yard pass to Ricky Proehl to tie the score up at 29 with 1:08 left in the game. Many thought this would be the first Super Bowl to go into overtime, but they were wrong. After the kickoff went out of bounds, and a couple of big completions by Tom Brady, Adam Vinatieri lined up for a 41-yard FG for the win. Vinatieri, just like he did two years ago, nailed the kick to seal the victory for the Patriots. Tom Brady was the MVP with 354 yards and 3 TDs. This is the most exciting and heart pumping Super Bowl of all time.

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