Crafting a list of the greatest players in Super Bowl history is a near-impossible endeavor. Do you favor the biggest stars? Those who shone brightest on Super Sunday? The ones with sustained levels of excellence?

While undertaking this fool’s errand, I weighed each consideration, attempting to also make it representative of all positions rather than skew too heavily toward quarterbacks or offensive players who more easily show up in the box score (and MVP log).

With that prologue in mind, here’s my list of the 57 greatest players in Super Bowl history as we head into Super Bowl 57 between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles:

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1. QB Tom Brady

The longtime New England Patriots star, who was also crowned with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, has more rings (7) than any other franchise and more Super Bowl MVPs (5) than any other player. His record 10 Super Bowl starts have allowed him to become the game’s all-time leader in pass attempts (421), completions (277), yards (3,039) and TDs (21). Brady aired it out for a Super Sunday record 505 yards in the Super Bowl 52 loss to the Eagles following the 2017 season, breaking his mark of 466 set the previous year. But his Super Bowl 51 effort may be the most impressive given he orchestrated the greatest comeback in the game’s history, leading the Super Bowl’s lone overtime drive against the Atlanta Falcons after digging out of a 25-point hole. The storybook ending seemed to come two years ago, when he and the Bucs proved way too much for Super Bowl 54 MVP Patrick Mahomes and the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs … but TB12 seems to be in search of a fresh conclusion.

2. QB Joe Montana

He’s been overtaken in several categories by Brady, who grew up idolizing the man who set the gold standard for Super Bowl quarterback play. Montana went 4-0 on Super Sunday with the San Francisco 49ers, was named MVP thrice and had 11 TD passes with nary an interception, which explains his remarkable record for passer rating (127.8). And who can forget the methodical, 92-yard TD drive he led – capped by the game-winning throw to John Taylor in the final minute – to win Super Bowl 23?

3. WR Jerry Rice

As you’d expect of the original ‘GOAT,’ he’s in a class by himself. He owns Super Bowl career records for receptions (33), receiving yards (589) and TDs (8). No one else save Rob Gronkowski (5) has more than three TD catches, a total Rice matched in Super Bowl 29. His single-game record of 215 receiving yards made him Super Bowl 23’s MVP.

4. QB Terry Bradshaw

He’ll always have his detractors. But it was Bradshaw, not the Pittsburgh Steelers’ famed Steel Curtain, who showed the way to victory in Super Bowls 13 and 14, taking MVP honors in both games. He was the first quarterback with four Lombardi Trophies, and his nine TD strikes trail only Brady and Montana. And what about the toughness factor? Bradshaw threw the game-winning touchdown in Super Bowl 10 while taking a helmet to the jaw that literally knocked him out.

5. OLB/DE Charles Haley

Count ’em, five Super Bowl rings (two with the 49ers, three with the Dallas Cowboys) – a figure exceeded only by Brady. Since sacks became official in 1982, Haley’s 4½ are tied for the most in the Super Bowl record book. He bagged Cincinnati Bengals QB Boomer Esiason twice in Super Bowl 23, the Niners’ narrowest Super Sunday win.

6. QB Doug Williams

He only played on Super Sunday once. But all the Washington star did was prove to any remaining naysayers that a Black quarterback could win it all … while doing it on a hyperextended knee … while throwing four TD passes in an unreal 35-point second quarter on his way to MVP honors in Super Bowl 22.

7. RB Emmitt Smith

The Super Bowl 28 MVP was the Cowboys’ closer that night (132 yards, 2 second-half TDs) and again in Super Bowl 30. Smith’s five rushing TDs are a record, and his 289 rushing yards rank third.

8. QB Eli Manning

We’re not suggesting he’s better than big brother Peyton. But Eli is definitely more deserving of a spot on this list given his heroics in twice winning Super Bowl MVP honors for the New York Giants with some truly miraculous plays in upsets of the Patriots.

9. RB Terrell Davis

In what was arguably the greatest Super Bowl effort by a tailback, he ran for 157 yards and a record-tying three TDs – while combating a migraine – on his way to Super Bowl 32 MVP honors as the Denver Broncos won their first title. Davis added 102 rushing yards and 50 more receiving when Denver repeated the next year.

10. QB Joe Namath

He was more game manager than gunslinger on Super Sunday and didn’t throw a touchdown in the New York Jets’ monumental upset of the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl 3. But Broadway Joe was still that contest’s MVP, wisely calling for effective gainers from his backs while delivering on his epic pregame guarantee and changing the course of pro football history by vanquishing the NFL establishment, which had already agreed to absorb the American Football League.

11. K Adam Vinatieri

His 34 Super Bowl points trail only Rice’s 48. None were bigger than the pair of game-winning field goals Vinatieri drilled for the Patriots to end Super Bowls 36 and 38. He snagged a fourth ring with the Indianapolis Colts in 2006.

12. QB Bart Starr

The numbers won’t wow you – 452 passing yards and three TDs combined over the course of two games – but the steady hand of the Green Bay Packers great also clutched the first two Super Bowl MVPs as a capstone to a legendary dynasty.

13. WR Lynn Swann

He basically built a Hall of Fame career over four Super Sundays. Three of his four catches (totaling 161 yards) in Super Bowl 10 were of the acrobatic variety, including the game-deciding 64-yard TD in the fourth quarter, which is why Swann was the MVP. His 364 career receiving yards are tied with Gronkowski for second most after Rice.

14. QB Steve Young

His six TD passes in the Niners’ Super Bowl 29 victory remain a single-game Super Bowl record. And don’t forget, Young collected two more rings as Montana’s backup.

15. MLB Jack Lambert

The vampire-toothed man in the middle racked up 46 tackles during Pittsburgh’s four victories and famously chucked Cowboys S Cliff Harris after he taunted Steelers K Roy Gerela in Super Bowl 10.

16. QB Kurt Warner

With a break here and there, he’d have three championships instead of one. But credit Warner for leading the long woebegone Rams and Cardinals out of the wilderness. And not only did the Super Bowl 34 MVP set a then-record with 414 passing yards, his 377 yards in Super Bowl 43 and 365 in Super Bowl 36 gave him the three most prolific passing days in the game’s history until Brady’s explosions in Super Bowls 51 and 52.

17. RB Franco Harris

A four-time champion, nearly half of his career record 354 rushing yards came when the Super Bowl 9 MVP posted a since-broken standard of 158 en route to Pittsburgh’s first title. Harris’ four rushing scores trail only Smith, and his 468 yards from scrimmage are second to Rice (604).

18. MLB Ray Lewis

He was the villain of the week prior to the game, but Lewis emerged as Super Bowl 35’s MVP after the dominant 2000 Baltimore Ravens defense shut out the Giants offense. Twelve years later, Lewis collected more bling in his final ride.

19. DE L.C. Greenwood

His four sacks of Dallas QB Roger Staubach in Super Bowl 10 represent an unofficial record since the NFL didn’t officially recognize sacks until 1982. Same goes for the five career sacks by Greenwood, who started all four of Pittsburgh’s victorious Super Sundays in the 1970s.

20. RB Roger Craig

The Niners’ main man in the backfield, he earned three rings as one of the original do-it-all backs. Craig piled up 410 yards from scrimmage, good for third place in the Super Bowl record book, and scored four TDs.

21. TE Rob Gronkowski

No tight end has truly taken over a Super Bowl, but Gronk came pretty close against the Eagles, finishing with nine receptions, 116 yards and a pair of scores in a losing effort. His impact in New England’s Super Bowl 49 victory went beyond six catches for 68 yards and a TD as he thoroughly occupied the attention of the Seahawks. In Super Bowl 53, his 29-yard reception on a badly bruised thigh set up the game’s only touchdown (a 2-yard run by Sony Michel) on the following play. Despite playing on a bum ankle that would require surgery, Gronkowski nearly corralled what would have been a game-winning Hail Mary on the final play of Super Bowl 46. Finally, the four-time champ scored the Bucs’ first two TDs against K.C. in Super Bowl 55, and Tampa Bay never looked back. Gronk’s five career TDs, 29 receptions and 364 receiving yards are bested only by Rice.

22. OLB Von Miller

A rare defender who won the game’s MVP, Miller was picked as the guy from the vaunted 2015 Broncos defense to take the hardware home after registering 2½ sacks and two forced fumbles in Super Bowl 50. He scored another ring with the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl 56, adding a pair of sacks which allowed him to catch Haley for the Super Sunday lead.

23. OLB Ted Hendricks

He’s usually remembered as a Raider, but the first of Hendricks’ four Super Bowl wins came with the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl 5. None of the defenses he played on surrendered more than 14 points.

24. WR John Stallworth

Like Swann, his Steelers wingman, he has three Super Bowl TD grabs, two covering more than 70 yards. Stallworth’s 73-yard TD from Bradshaw in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl 14 broke the backs of the plucky LA Rams.

25. RB Larry Csonka

The workhorse for the Miami Dolphins, including the 17-0 1972 team, his 297 rushing yards in three games are second only to Harris. Csonka scored twice and had a then-record 145 yards to net Super Bowl 8 MVP honors and had 112 yards the previous year when Miami capped its perfect season.

26. WR Julian Edelman

He owns three rings after his 10-catch, 141-yard showing in Super Bowl 53 earned him the MVP trophy. Two years earlier, Edelman’s epic shoestring scoop of a Brady pass that was deflected by Falcons CB Robert Alford helped spark New England’s historic comeback. The Super Bowl 52 loss to Philadelphia might have had a different outcome had Edelman not been sidelined by a knee injury. His 337 Super Bowl receiving yards trail only Rice, Gronkowski and Swann.

27. QB Phil Simms

He threw 25 passes in Super Bowl 21, and only three hit the ground. Pretty high bar as the MVP led the Giants to the first of their four Lombardi Trophies.

28. QB Troy Aikman

He captained the ’90s Cowboys to three titles and was named MVP for the first one in Super Bowl 27 after throwing for 273 yards and four TDs. Aikman’s 70% completion rate in his three appearances makes him the most accurate Super Sunday passer.

29. S Jake Scott

His pair of interceptions, including the game-clincher, put a bow on the Dolphins’ perfect season and brought him Super Bowl 7’s MVP.

30. OLB Rod Martin

The only man to pick off three passes in one Super Bowl – Martin thrice victimized the Eagles’ Ron Jaworski in Super Bowl 15 – he got one ring when the Raiders were in Oakland and another after they moved to LA.

31. DT Joe Greene

No one embodies the Steel Curtain Steelers more than Mean Joe, who started all four Super Bowls in the 1970s.

32. WR Deion Branch

He’s best remembered as MVP of the Patriots’ Super Bowl 39 triumph (then record-tying 11 catches for 133 yards). But Branch may have been even better the previous year against the Carolina Panthers, when he snatched 10 Brady passes for 143 yards and a TD.

33. DT Aaron Donald

Perhaps the greatest interior D-lineman ever, he anchored a Rams defense that allowed only 13 points in Super Bowl 53, albeit in a losing effort. Three years later, Donald notched a pair of second-half sacks of Bengals QB Joe Burrow and pressured him on Cincinnati’s final snap as Los Angeles came back to win 23-20.

34. CB Malcolm Butler

He was an undrafted rookie no-name when he made arguably the clutchest of all Super Bowl plays by undercutting Seattle Seahawks WR Ricardo Lockette’s route at the goal line to intercept Russell Wilson’s pass and turn what seemed near certain defeat into the Patriots’ fourth title. Butler will never be a no-name the rest of his life … though he did garner unwanted attention for essentially being benched by Bill Belichick in Super Bowl 52, a decision that seemed to backfire.

35. OLB Chuck Howley

He’s the only man to win the MVP award despite playing for the losing side when the Cowboys fell in Super Bowl 5. Howley, who established the Super Bowl career record with three INTs, won a ring the following year.

36. DT Manny Fernandez

He had a remarkable 17 tackles and one sack – unofficial totals – in the Dolphins’ Super Bowl 7 win and almost certainly should have been named the MVP.

37. CB Ty Law

His 47-yard pick-six off Warner in Super Bowl 36 helped chart the course for New England’s dynastic run. Law wound up winning three championships with the Patriots.

38. DT Justin Tuck

His contributions typically get overshadowed in the Giants’ dual victories over New England. But Tuck was Brady’s personal nemesis, sacking him twice in each game.

39. G Gene Upshaw

The Oakland Raiders stalwart played in three Super Bowls, each in a different decade. In Super Bowls 11 and 15, he teamed with fellow Hall of Famer Art Shell – they formed probably the best left side of any O-line in history – to embarrass both the Minnesota Vikings’ famed Purple People Eaters and Eagles defense as the Silver and Black won their first two titles.

40. CB Mel Blount

The Steelers’ super-sized corner collected a pair of Super Bowl picks and four rings.

41. CB Deion Sanders

The original shutdown corner went back-to-back with the 49ers and Cowboys in Super Bowls 29 and 30, respectively. Sanders picked off a pass for San Francisco, and the Steelers’ unwillingness to test him the following year was a big reason MVP Larry Brown snagged two INTs.

42. DE Richard Dent

One of the few D-linemen honored as the game’s MVP, Dent was picked as the guy from the vaunted ’85 Bears defense to take the hardware home after registering 1½ sacks and two forced fumbles in Super Bowl 20.

43. DB Ronnie Lott

The tone-setting defender of the 49ers’ great teams started at both cornerback and safety on his way to four championships.

44. DE Reggie White

Maybe the greatest defensive end ever, he set the official Super Bowl record with three sacks of Patriots QB Drew Bledsoe in the Packers’ Super Bowl 31 victory.

45. T Joe Jacoby

He was one of only two Hogs to start on the offensive line in all three of Washington’s Super Bowl wins. RBs John Riggins (166 rushing yards in Super Bowl 17) and Timmy Smith (204 yards in Super Bowl 22) both had record days running behind Jacoby and Co.

46. OLB Mike Vrabel

A consummate Patriot, he played in four Super Bowls and wound up with three rings. He also racked up 16 tackles, three sacks, a forced fumble … and two TDs on two receptions while lining up as a tight end in goal-line packages. Not bad.

47. OLB James Harrison

He picked up a pair of Lombardis in three trips with the Steelers. He also left his imprint with an unforgettable 100-yard INT return off a Warner misfire – producing at least a 10-point swing – in Pittsburgh’s 27-23 victory over the Cardinals in Super Bowl 43.

48. C Mike Webster

Another four-time Steelers champ, he was a tough-as-nails throwback who also handled long-snapping duties.

49. RB James White

Compelling case to be made that White, not Brady, should have been Super Bowl 51’s MVP. He set single-game records with 14 receptions and 20 points (he scored 3 TDs and a key 2-point conversion in New England’s comeback). White’s 2-yard TD run in overtime provided the winning margin against the Falcons. He added another 66 yards from scrimmage and a TD against Philadelphia the next year.

50. WR Max McGee

Love this guy. After a long night of partying on the eve of the first Super Bowl – McGee thought he’d be warming the pine for the Packers – he stepped in for injured Boyd Dowler and scored again. Despite being less than 100%, McGee caught seven passes for 138 yards and two scores, one a behind-the-back snare.

51. OLB Lawrence Taylor

He never tallied a Super sack, but we’re not leaving the two-time champion and greatest pass-rushing linebacker ever off the all-time team.

52. CB Dwight Smith

He had a pair of pick-sixes (covering 94 yards) in the Bucs’ Super Bowl 37 beatdown of the Raiders.

53. KR/WR Jacoby Jones

He gets the nod over Super Bowl 31 MVP Desmond Howard as our return ace. Jones had a strong case to be the Ravens’ Super Bowl 47 MVP after posting a single-game record 290 all-purpose yards, which included a record 108-yard TD on the opening kickoff of the second half. And that was after he ended the first half with his only catch of the game – a 56-yard TD.

54. OL Randy Cross

Had to give the linemen a little more love. Cross was a Pro Bowl guard for the 49ers’ first two title teams and moved to center for their third Super Bowl win, which happened to be his final game.

55. LB Mike Jones

A journeyman who would have receded into NFL anonymity had he not seized his Super Bowl moment by making a game-ending, title-saving tackle of Tennessee Titans WR Kevin Dyson just shy of the goal-line (and a potential game-tying TD) in the St. Louis Rams’ only Super Bowl victory.

56. P Thomas Morstead

He was always a fine punter. But it was the perfectly executed onside kick by the New Orleans Saints kickoff specialist – the play was designated ‘Ambush’ – to start the second half of Super Bowl 44 against Indianapolis that forever minted him as a legend in The Big Easy.

57. T Anthony Munoz

He might be the best offensive lineman in history. He’s also the only Hall of Famer who’s played his entire career as a Bengal. Munoz is the lone player on this list who didn’t experience a Super Bowl win, but Cincinnati almost surely doesn’t reach its pair of near-miss losses to the 49ers without him.

***

The Super Bowl has provided so many indelible memories. Here are 57 of my favorites as Super Bowl 57 between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles nears:

1. Malcolm Butler’s INT: Pivotal. Shocking. Unforgettable. The New England Patriots’ undrafted rookie cornerback made the rarest of plays, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat by intercepting QB Russell Wilson at the goal line with 20 seconds left to preserve a 28-24 win in Super Bowl 49. In the process, Butler derailed the Seattle Seahawks’ bid to become the league’s latest dynasty and launched a lifetime of second guessing for the legions who skewered Seattle coach Pete Carroll for not directing Wilson to hand off to RB Marshawn ‘Beast Mode’ Lynch, who’d already scored this day. Last, yet certainly not least, Butler saved Patriots QB Tom Brady and coach Bill Belichick from the narrative that they were ‘only’ 3-3 in Super Bowls to that point. Way to just “do your job,’ Malcolm Butler!

2. Roethlisberger-to-Holmes: What was better, QB Ben Roethlisberger’s precision strike to the back corner of the end zone – rifled through three Arizona Cardinals – or WR Santonio Holmes’ ability to snatch it while keeping his toes down as he fell out of bounds with 35 seconds on the clock? Beautifully executed all the way around, and it gave the Pittsburgh Steelers a record sixth Lombardi Trophy as they rallied for a 27-23 victory in Super Bowl 43.

3. David Tyree’s helmet catch: Most coaches would cringe if their quarterback threw into triple coverage in the middle of the field while scrambling amid a broken play. But that’s what New York Giants star Eli Manning did, and Tyree famously managed to pin the pass against his helmet on the other end of the 32-yard hookup with 59 seconds to go. Four plays later, Manning hit WR Plaxico Burress for the game-winning TD as the Giants shocked the previously undefeated Patriots in Super Bowl 42.

4. Montana-to-Taylor: The San Francisco 49ers’ game-winning march began with QB Joe Montana surveying the stands and asking teammates in the huddle, ‘Isn’t that John Candy?’ Joe Cool indeed. Eleven plays and 92 yards later, WR John Taylor caught the decisive 10-yard pass from Montana with 34 seconds to go as the Niners overcame the Cincinnati Bengals 20-16 in Super Bowl 23.

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5. Wide right: That’s where Buffalo Bills kicker Scott Norwood’s 47-yard field-goal try (barely) missed with 4 seconds left in Super Bowl 25. The Giants hung on for a 20-19 win, and Buffalo would never get any closer to a title despite reaching Super Sunday three more times.

6. Mike Jones’ tackle: With the Tennessee Titans 10 yards away from a potential game-tying touchdown with 5 seconds to play in Super Bowl 34, Jones, an unheralded St. Louis Rams linebacker, limited WR Kevin Dyson to a 9-yard gain – just shy of the goal line – on the game-ending play.

7. Adam Vinatieri’s Super Bowl 36 field goal: On the final snap, the Patriots kicker split the uprights from 48 yards – he was celebrating before the ball went through – literally kickstarting the New England dynasty and completing one of the Super Bowl’s biggest upsets as the Pats knocked off the heavily favored Rams 20-17. Vinatieri would drill an only slightly less dramatic FG in the final seconds two years later to beat the Carolina Panthers.

8. ’70 chip’: That was the play call by Washington, which trailed the Miami Dolphins 17-13, on fourth-and-1 in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl 17. The ball went to RB John Riggins, who, running behind his dominant ‘Hogs’ offensive line, ran through the tackle of DB Don McNeal before busting down the left sideline for a 43-yard touchdown the Fins wouldn’t overcome.

9. Tracy Porter’s pick-six: With QB Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts 31 yards from a game-tying touchdown with less than four minutes to go in Super Bowl 44, the New Orleans Saints corner swiped a pass intended for WR Reggie Wayne and set sail for a game-icing 74-yard TD.

10. James White in OT: The anonymous third-down back of the Patriots ran 2 yards to glory in the first (and still only) Super Sunday overtime, capping New England’s epic comeback against the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl 51 while boosting his Super Bowl single-game record point total to 20.

11. Doug Williams’ comeback: The Washington quarterback crumbled to the turf while being sacked in the first quarter, his surgically repaired left knee hyperextended with his team trailing the Denver Broncos 10-0. But Williams would miss just two plays before launching four TD passes in the next period on his way to becoming MVP and the first Black quarterback to win a Super Bowl as Washington cruised to a 42-10 rout in Super Bowl 22.

12. We’re No. 1: Joe Namath’s raised index finger as he jogged off the Orange Bowl field after the New York Jets’ monumental upset of the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl 3 said it all, especially after the MVP’s famous pregame guarantee that the 18-point underdogs would prevail.

13. James Harrison’s INT return: The Steelers pass-rushing linebacker dropped into coverage on a hunch and picked off Cardinals QB Kurt Warner at the goal line before a 100-yard tightrope sprint up the sideline for a TD completed what was at least a 10-point swing before halftime in Super Bowl 43, which Pittsburgh won by four points.

14. Terry Bradshaw KO’d: As he launched what would prove to be the decisive 64-yard TD pass to WR Lynn Swann in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl 10, the chin of the Steelers quarterback was introduced to the helmet of Dallas Cowboys DL Larry Cole. Bradshaw was out before he hit the ground and wouldn’t play again in the game, but his throw earned Pittsburgh its second ring.

15. Isaac Bruce’s TD: It gets overshadowed by Jones’ tackle, but the Rams don’t win without Warner’s 73-yard TD pass to Bruce with 1:54 to go on St. Louis’ first play after the Titans had erased a 16-0 deficit.

16. Favre-to-Rison: Vintage Brett Favre. On the Green Bay Packers’ second play of Super Bowl 31, the MVP quarterback called an audible before launching a 54-yard touchdown to WR Andre Rison streaking down the middle of the field. Favre sprinted after his receiver, helmet held aloft, and Green Bay was on its way to its first title in 29 years.

17. John Elway’s helicopter: The 37-year-old Broncos quarterback, in desperate pursuit of his first title after being blown out in his first three Super Sunday starts, famously went airborne and was spun around by Packers defenders on an 8-yard third-quarter run that gave Denver a first-and-goal. It set up MVP Terrell Davis’ go-ahead TD run in Super Bowl 32, which the Broncos eventually won 31-24.

18. Mario Manningham’s catch: Four years after being victimized by Tyree, the Patriots fell prey to an amazing 38-yard completion from Eli Manning to Manningham with 3:39 to go on the Giants’ game-winning drive of Super Bowl 46. Manningham barely got his feet down at midfield, a play the Patriots unsuccessfully challenged.

19. Jackie Smith’s drop: The Hall of Fame tight end, wide open in the end zone, dropped a perfect pass from Cowboys QB Roger Staubach in Super Bowl 13 that would have knotted the game 21-21, prompting broadcaster Verne Lundquist to exclaim, ‘Bless his heart, he’s got to be the sickest man in America.’ Yep. The Cowboys would eventually lose to the Steelers 35-31.

20. 2-3 Jet Chip Wasp: Trailing by 10 with more than half the fourth quarter expired and facing a third-and-15 from his own 35-yard line in Super Bowl 54, Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes knew his team was backed into a corner. But he suggested this play call, which required WR Tyreek Hill to run a late-developing route deep into San Francisco’s zone coverage. Mahomes took the snap and had to drop 14 yards into the pocket in order to evade the 49ers’ relentless pass rush, then heaved the ball toward Hill, who’d cut toward the sideline to find a soft spot in the zone. The result was a 44-yard completion that set up a Mahomes TD pass three plays later and opened the floodgates for K.C.’s belated 21-point outburst and first championship in 50 years.

21. Julian Edelman’s shoestring snatch: The Patriots’ slot man extraordinaire snared a ball that was deflected (and nearly intercepted) by Falcons CB Robert Alford microns above the turf, extending New England’s game-tying drive after the team had fallen behind 28-3 in the second half of Super Bowl 51. It was also a welcome turn of events to Pats fans, who’d suffered through script-flipping catches by Tyree and Manningham.

22. Jim O’Brien’s kick: The Baltimore Colts rookie saw his first extra-point try blocked and missed his initial field-goal attempt in a mistake-laden Super Bowl 5. But his 32-yard FG with 5 seconds left gave the Colts a 16-13 defeat of the Cowboys in the Super Bowl’s first truly dramatic moment.

23. ‘Philly Special’: It’s already earned its spot in Super Bowl lore as the enduring moment of the Philadelphia Eagles’ long-awaited Super Bowl 52 victory. However, QB Nick Foles’ 1-yard TD grab from TE Trey Burton off a reverse, on fourth-and-goal just before halftime, was really more gutsy than conclusive given the Patriots eventually overcame the 22-12 hole they fell into on the play.

24. The lights go out in New Orleans: With the 49ers trailing the Baltimore Ravens 28-6 in the third quarter of Super Bowl 47, half of the Superdome’s lights lost power, causing a 34-minute delay. The Niners surged back, eventually cutting the lead to two, before ultimately succumbing.

25. 49ers’ goal-line stand: Up 20-7 in the third quarter of Super Bowl 16, San Francisco turned the Bengals away three times from the 1-yard line, including LB Dan Bunz’s open-field tackle of Charles Alexander on a third-down swing pass. The 49ers would hang on 26-21 for their first title.

26. Ty Law’s pick-six: Decided underdogs against the Rams in 2002, the Patriots were hanging around in the second quarter, trailing 3-0. But Law pilfered a Warner pass down the right sideline intended for Bruce and, arm held high, raced 47 yards for a touchdown and 7-3 lead New England wouldn’t relinquish.

27. John Kasay’s errant kickoff: The Panthers had just tied Super Bowl 38 29-29 with 73 seconds to go. Then Kasay booted the ensuing kickoff out of bounds, putting Brady and the Patriots at their own 40-yard line. Six plays and just 37 yards was all they needed to set up Vinatieri for the kill shot.

28. Seahawks safety: On the first play from scrimmage in Super Bowl 48, Broncos C Manny Ramirez’s snap sailed over the head of Peyton Manning and into the end zone, giving Seattle a 2-0 lead. No one knew it then, but the game was essentially over as the Seahawks would score the first 36 points in a 43-8 laugher.

29. Garo’s gaffe: The Dolphins’ Cyprus-born kicker made the team’s bid for a 17-0 season too close for comfort in Super Bowl 7. Trying to give Miami a 17-0 lead with less than three minutes to go, Yepremian’s 42-yard field-goal attempt was blocked. He unwisely tried to pass the ball after collecting the rebound, and it ended up in the hands of Mike Bass, who took it 49 yards for Washington’s only score.

30. Graham cracker: The play didn’t garner the cachet of the ‘Philly Special,’ but Eagles DE Brandon Graham’s strip sack of Brady with 2:09 remaining in Super Bowl 52 was the key (only?) defensive play on a day when the teams combined for an NFL record 1,151 yards of offense. Brady’s fumble occurred with New England trailing 38-33 and led to Philly’s game-icing field goal.

31. Ahmad Bradshaw’s TD mistake: The Giants tailback scored what proved to be a game-winning 6-yard TD with 57 seconds left in Super Bowl 46, which New York would win 21-17. However the Patriots let Bradshaw into the end zone in order to get the ball back to Brady – New York could have milked the clock before a chip-shot field goal – which he realized too late as he awkwardly fell into the paint. (The Packers used a similar tactic 14 years before, also unsuccessfully.) Ultimately, no harm, no foul for Bradshaw.

32. John Stallworth’s big catch: He’s often overshadowed by Steelers teammate Swann, but Stallworth’s 73-yard TD grab from Bradshaw in the fourth quarter finally put the Steelers ahead for good in what had been a nip-and-tuck Super Bowl 14 against the Los Angeles Rams.

33. Marcus Allen’s 74-yard TD: It was really icing on the cake as the Los Angeles Raiders took a 35-9 third-quarter lead over Washington in Super Bowl 18. But the MVP’s ability to find daylight after reversing his field on what looked like a doomed play had President Ronald Reagan quipping after the game: ‘I have already got a call from Moscow. They think Marcus Allen is a new secret weapon and they insist that we dismantle him.’

34. Ambush: The play call of the Saints’ surprise onside kick by Thomas Morstead to start the second half of Super Bowl 44. New Orleans recovered and soon scored a go-ahead TD.

35. Vince Lombardi carried off: The iconic Packers coach, reviled by many of his players a decade earlier but eventually beloved, rode off the field on the shoulders of his charges, including G Jerry Kramer, as Green Bay won its fifth and final title of the 1960s by winning Super Bowl 2. It was Lombardi’s final game as the team’s coach.

36. U2’s halftime show: It’s not universally regarded as the greatest intermission performance on Super Sunday … but it should be. Bono, Edge, Larry Mullen and Adam Clayton concluded their three-song set with ‘Where the Streets Have No Name’ as the names of those killed on Sept. 11 just a few months prior scrolled on a scrim suspended from the Superdome’s roof. The 2001 terrorist attacks forced the NFL season to be temporarily suspended and ultimately moved Super Bowl 36 back a week, marking the first time the game was played in February.

37. Buddy Ryan carried off: The defensive coordinator of the famed 1985 Chicago Bears defense got the same treatment as head coach Mike Ditka after a 46-10 blowout of the Patriots in Super Bowl 20. It was emblematic of divided loyalties on a team that wouldn’t win another title after Ryan left to coach the Eagles.

38. Jerome Bettis leaves tunnel alone: The Hall of Fame running back was playing his final game in his hometown, Detroit, for Super Bowl 40. Bettis charged out of the tunnel for pregame introductions and, unbeknownst to him, LB Joey Porter held the rest of the Steelers back to give his teammate a special moment. Eventually realizing he was isolated on the field, a beaming Bettis beckoned his teammates to join him in a game they would win 21-10.

39. Super Bowl’s first TD: It was scored by Packers WR Max McGee, who was only playing because of an injury to teammate Boyd Dowler. McGee was less than 100% after a long night of partying, but you’d never know as he reached behind his back for an underthrown pass from QB Bart Starr on a 37-yard score that got Green Bay on course for a 35-10 win over the Chiefs.

40. Jacoby Jones’ heroics: Few had heard of him before he ended the Ravens’ final drive in the first half of Super Bowl 47 with a 56-yard TD catch. Jones then opened the second half with a record 108-yard kickoff return for a TD that gave Baltimore a 28-6 lead that proved too much for the 49ers … even with help from that power outage.

41. Whoops, Leon Lett: The mishaps of the Cowboys defensive tackle have overshadowed a sterling career. But we can’t forget that his showboating on a 64-yard fumble return in Super Bowl 27 enabled Bills WR Don Beebe to swat the ball out of Lett’s paw for a touchback just short of another Dallas touchdown. It prevented the triumphant Cowboys from scoring a game record 59 points.

42. 65 Toss Power Trap: Chiefs coach Hank Stram, famously mic’d up as NFL Films tried a new technique, gleefully called the play that would result in a 5-yard Mike Garrett touchdown and a 16-0 lead in Super Bowl 4, which Kansas City would go on to win 23-7.

43. Peace: Super Bowl 55 was eminently disappointing, the highly anticipated Brady-Mahomes matchup fizzling as the Buccaneers continuously harassed the Kansas City star in a 31-9 Tampa Bay blowout. But it was hilarious watching Bucs rookie S Antoine Winfield Jr. flash the peace sign to Hill after breaking up a fourth-and-10 pass intended for the speedy receiver late in the fourth quarter. It was payback to Hill, who gave the deuces to Winfield and Co. earlier in the season while scoring three TDs in a Chiefs win at Tampa. “The taunting, man, it’s something I just had to do,” Winfield said. “When we played them earlier, Hill went off on us. He back-flipped in front of my face and gave me the peace sign. So it was only right that I gave him the peace sign right back to him. It felt amazing to do that. I’m not even gonna lie.”

44. Jack Lambert sticks up for teammate: Steelers K Roy Gerela had a rough Super Bowl 10, missing two field goals and an extra point. But when Cowboys S Cliff Harris patted Gerela on the helmet after his 33-yard misfire in the third quarter, Lambert – Pittsburgh’s menacing middle linebacker – flung Harris to the turf and stood over him. Dallas players later admitted Harris’ taunt infuriated the Steelers, who trailed 10-7 at the time but outscored Dallas 14-7 in the fourth quarter to prevail.

45. Wardrobe Malfunction: Admit it, Janet Jackson’s halftime ‘slip’ provided your most vivid memory of Super Bowl 38.

46. ‘Somebody take the monkey off my back!’: After throwing a Super Bowl record six TD passes (and finally escaping Montana’s considerable shadow), MVP Steve Young couldn’t contain his relief with this statement near the end of the 49ers’ 49-26 blowout of the San Diego Chargers in Super Bowl 29.

47. Jermaine Kearse’s catch: His miraculous, tumbling 33-yard grab at the Patriots 10-yard line with 76 seconds to go seemed destined for a spot alongside Tyree and Manningham as surreal completions that would help vanquish New England. Sadly for Kearse and the Seahawks, Wilson’s next pass wasn’t nearly as effective.

48. John Mackey’s TD: The tight end got the Baltimore Colts back into Super Bowl 5 with a game-tying 75-yard TD from fellow Hall of Famer Johnny Unitas in the second quarter. The catch was memorable because it deflected off the fingertips of Colts WR Ed Hinton and Dallas CB Mel Renfro before settling into Mackey’s hands. The play would have been illegal at the time if Renfro had not touched it – and the Cowboys vehemently argued he didn’t in a game they would lose by three points.

49. Swann’s juggling catch: The 53-yard reception over Dallas’ Mark Washington was the prettiest of Swann’s four receptions in Super Bowl 10, when he earned MVP honors. However, as aesthetically pleasing as it was, the catch didn’t lead to any Pittsburgh points.

50. Gatorade shower: Still a novel celebration in 1987, it was first seen on Super Sunday when Giants LB Harry Carson, disguised in a security guard’s jacket, dumped the drink on coach Bill Parcells at the end of New York’s 39-20 Super Bowl 21 win.

51. Fridge scores: The ’85 Bears’ coronation in Super Bowl 20 was never in doubt, and DT William ‘The Refrigerator’ Perry’s 1-yard TD run for a 44-3 lead in the third quarter may have been the crowning moment. Sadly, Ditka belatedly realized it came at the cost of providing legendary RB Walter Payton the Super Bowl score he had long dreamed of but wouldn’t realize.

52. Desmond Howard’s TD: His 99-yard kickoff return provided the final score in Green Bay’s 35-21 win in Super Bowl 31 and made him the only special teamer to win MVP honors.

53. Run, Willie, run: On the second play after halftime in Super Bowl 40, Steelers RB ‘Fast Willie’ Parker broke a 75-yard TD run, the longest in Super Bowl history, that would give Pittsburgh an insurmountable 14-3 lead over Seattle.

54. Devin Hester’s kickoff: Few thought the Indianapolis Colts would kick to the Bears special teams ace, who had six TD returns in the 2006 regular season. But Hester took Vinatieri’s game-opening kickoff 92 yards to the house with the kicker flailing to stop him at the end of it. Unfortunately for Hester, he didn’t get another opportunity in a game Chicago lost 29-17.

55. Larry Fitzgerald’s TD: It seemed the Cardinals star had capped an unforgettable postseason – he had 30 catches for 546 yards and seven TDs in four games – in style when his 64-yard catch-and-run TD with 2:37 to go in Super Bowl 43 gave Arizona its first lead. Unfortunately for Fitzgerald, he left Roethlisberger and Holmes too much time.

56. OBJ’s emotional day: Making his Super Sunday debut in Super Bowl 56, Rams WR Odell Beckham Jr. opened the scoring against Cincinnati with a 17-yard TD catch from Matthew Stafford in the first quarter. But Beckham wound up celebrating LA’s victory in street clothes after suffering a torn ACL before halftime.

57. T.O.’s big day: Seven weeks after breaking his leg, Eagles WR Terrell Owens caught nine passes for 122 yards in Super Bowl 39. His courageous effort wasn’t quite enough in a three-point loss to the Patriots, but Jack Youngblood was still proud.

***

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis on Twitter @ByNateDavis.

The 2022 Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles will become the 113th and 114th Super Bowl participants on Feb. 12, 2023, when they cross paths at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Through the years, there have been several dominant squads, some which caught lightning in a bottle at just the right time and others seemingly poised for greatness that ultimately fell just short in the NFL’s biggest game.  

With that in mind as Super Bowl 57 (LVII) approaches, here are what I believe to be the 57 greatest teams to play on Super Sunday – and not all of them won:

1. 1985 Chicago Bears, won Super Bowl 20 (XX)

Pure dominance. Their 15 regular-season wins came by an average of 18.1 points. The defense collected 64 sacks while allowing just 12.4 points a week. Chicago shut out the Giants and Los Angeles Rams in the NFC playoffs before an epic 46-10 Super Bowl dismantling of New England. All told, the Bears outscored their postseason opponents 91-10. Sure, it would have been nice to see a rematch with QB Dan Marino and the Dolphins, who handed Chicago its only loss of 1985, on Super Sunday. And maybe you’d like the best team of all time – arguably – to feature a more renowned quarterback than Jim McMahon. But the fact that an offense led by RB Walter Payton (1,551 rushing yards) was almost extraneous also illustrates just how transcendent coordinator Buddy Ryan’s ’46 defense’ was. And a little flair should count for something, and with McMahon, Payton, Ryan, DT William ‘Refrigerator’ Perry, MLB Mike Singletary, coach Mike Ditka and many others – most getting star turns with ‘The Super Bowl Shuffle’ – the ’85 Bears had character(s) in spades.

Super Bowl Central: Super Bowl 57 odds, Eagles-Chiefs matchups, stats and more

2. 1984 San Francisco 49ers, won Super Bowl 19 (XIX)

They lacked the pizzazz of the ’85 Bears and perhaps don’t get their due given the historical proximity to that Chicago team. It’s also challenging to distinguish the great Bill Walsh-Joe Montana San Francisco teams that dominated the 1980s. But this bunch was unique. These Niners were the first to win 15 regular-season games (average margin of victory was nearly 17 points), a feat Chicago would match a year later – and they remain the only teams to finish 18-1 and claim rings. Before suffocating a spectacular Dolphins team, Marino’s best, 38-16 in the Super Bowl, the 49ers vanquished the Giants and Bears by a combined score of 44-10 in the NFC playoffs (those franchises would win the next two Super Bowls with teams ranking among the best ever). And this all occurred a year before WR Jerry Rice arrived.

3. 1989 49ers, won Super Bowl 24 (XXIV)

Comparing them to their ’84 brethren engenders a chocolate versus vanilla debate. The ’89 Niners – Rice by now the league’s top wideout – were a touch less formidable in the regular season, going 14-2 with an average victory margin just short of 14 points. But boy did that ’89 juggernaut hit overdrive in the playoffs, winning its three games by a combined 126-26. Their 55-10 beatdown of the Broncos is the most lopsided in Super Bowl history and also represents the most points scored by one team. However, the postseason competition for the ’89 Niners didn’t approach what the ’84 team faced. With a career-best 112.4 QB rating, Montana earned league (and, later, Super Bowl) MVP honors.

4. 1972 Miami Dolphins, won Super Bowl 7 (VII)

Yes, it’s the only team to win a Super Bowl without dropping a game (17-0), and there’s no real counterargument for ‘perfection.’ But it’s also a lazy argument. Miami won its three postseason games by a combined 17 points. It also feasted on a horrid regular-season schedule that included just two teams finishing with winning records (both a middling 8-6). This isn’t meant to shade the Fins and their ‘No-Name Defense,’ a roster with six Hall of Famers plus Don Shula, the winningest coach in NFL history. But context matters, and it already seems a concession ranking the ’72 Dolphins ahead of 1970s contemporaries in Pittsburgh, Dallas and even Oakland. A special group indeed but not the most special for my money.

5. 1991 Washington, won Super Bowl 26 (XXVI)

After going 14-2 and outscoring its foes by 261 points in the regular season, this team swept through the playoffs with an average margin of victory better than 20 points. The only Washington team to win a Super Bowl in a non-strike season, this underappreciated band would have gone all the way in most years. Washington topped 40 points five times and blanked three teams, so excellent balance – and that extended to special teams and return man extraordinaire Brian Mitchell.

6. 1994 49ers, won Super Bowl 29 (XXIX)

With QB Steve Young now at the helm, they became the only Niners team to surpass 500 points in the regular season. After thwarting a three-peat bid by the Cowboys, they cruised past the outclassed San Diego Chargers in the Super Bowl, when Young threw a game-record six TD passes (while Rice and RB Ricky Watters found the end zone three times apiece). And don’t forget the other side of the ball, which featured Defensive Player of the Year Deion Sanders.

7. 1975 Pittsburgh Steelers, won Super Bowl 10 (X)

It feels a touch disrespectful waiting this long to mention the Steel Curtain dynasty, perhaps the league’s greatest. The issue? None of those teams seemed to feature its wealth of Hall of Famers at a simultaneous apex, the defense largely showing the way in the early ’70s before the offense truly flourished later in the decade. (The 1976 Steelers, who did not win or even reach the Super Bowl, might have been the best of their era, but injuries waylaid them in postseason.) Still, the ’75 team’s case is compelling given a 12-2 record and the largest point differential (+211) in franchise history. Throw in a Super Bowl win against a Cowboys team that was nearly as good, and you have the makings of a powerhouse deserving recognition as one of the NFL’s 10 greatest teams.

8. 1999 St. Louis Rams, won Super Bowl 34 (XXXIV)

Though many sophisticated passing attacks had shined previously, the ‘Greatest Show on Turf’ was in some ways the vanguard of today’s pass-oriented game. QB Kurt Warner, RB Marshall Faulk and WRs Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt truly resembled a game of ‘Madden’ come to life, St. Louis’ 13 regular-season wins coming by an average of nearly 23 points. Remarkably consistent, the Rams were held to fewer than 20 points just once (in the NFC title round by Tampa Bay) and eclipsed 30 points 13 times. And Warner’s ascension from complete unknown to league MVP and, ultimately, a Hall of Famer is a quintessential rags-to-riches tale. If there’s a blemish, it would be a labored playoff run that included a semi-controversial win in the aforementioned 11-6 defeat of the Bucs and a near escape from the Tennessee Titans in the Super Bowl.

9. 1996 Green Bay Packers, won Super Bowl 31 (XXXI)

It may seem heretical to list QB Brett Favre’s Packers ahead of Vince Lombardi’s teams. But the 1960s dynasty – it won five NFL championships in seven years – was at its zenith before the Super Bowl came into existence, the 1962 edition the premier collection of talent. Three decades later, Favre was in the midst of becoming the only player to earn MVP hardware in three consecutive seasons. Reggie White, arguably the best defensive lineman ever, remained a force, collecting a record three sacks of Patriots QB Drew Bledsoe in the Super Bowl. And from a numbers standpoint, this club ranks favorably with any in Green Bay’s vaunted history, going 13-3 in the regular season before trashing its playoff opponents by an average of 17.3 points.

10. 1973 Dolphins, won Super Bowl 8 (VIII)

Though they ‘only’ went 15-2, playoffs included, proponents believe this Miami team might have been superior to the undefeated ’72 squad. The ’73 Fins were certainly more dominant in postseason, their average margin of victory 17.3 points.

11. 2013 Seattle Seahawks, won Super Bowl 48 (XLVIII)

They get my vote as the preeminent single-season team of the 21st century. Patriots fans will doubtless disagree, citing Seattle’s loss to New England in the following year’s Super Bowl – though most everyone can probably agree Seahawks coach Pete Carroll gifted the Pats that title. Perhaps more germane, the ‘Legion of Boom’ and Co. thoroughly throttled Denver, sporting the most prolific offense in league history, 43-8 in the Super Bowl two weeks after the Broncos handled the Patriots in the AFC championship game. Be interesting to see how history regards the LOB given what it accomplished in this era, surrendering a paltry 172 passing yards per game in 2013.

12. 1978 Steelers, won Super Bowl 13 (XIII)

The offense had perhaps overtaken the famed defense by then, evidenced by a 35-31 victory over Dallas when league MVP Terry Bradshaw won the first of his two Super Bowl MVPs.

13. 1998 Denver Broncos, won Super Bowl 33 (XXXIII)

Their title defense was shaping up as legendary, what with a 13-0 start to the season and RB Terrell Davis on his way to 2,008 rushing yards and the MVP trophy. Denver fans loved seeing QB John Elway retire as the Super Bowl MVP … and probably breathed a sigh of relief that the Broncos drew Atlanta instead of an explosive Vikings group on Super Sunday. 

14. 1966 Packers, won Super Bowl 1 (I)

After a slow start, they pulled away to win the first Super Bowl 35-10 – for you nitpickers, the game was officially dubbed the ‘AFL-NFL World Championship Game’ at the time – which came with quite a bit of pressure for Lombardi since the world assumed such an outcome was a foregone conclusion.

15. 1968 New York Jets, won Super Bowl 3 (III)

Their landmark Super Bowl defeat of the Baltimore Colts, guaranteed by brash QB Joe Namath, is widely regarded as the most important game in the history of professional football for legitimizing the pending merger of the AFL and NFL. Though deserved underdogs against an imposing Baltimore outfit, the Jets weren’t a fluke, fueled by Hall of Famer Namath’s deep passing to a pair of 1,100-yard receivers (George Sauer and HOFer Don Maynard). Yet it was RB Matt Snell’s running and an underrated defense that put the vise on the Colts in a 16-7 triumph that wasn’t that close.

16. 2007 New England Patriots, lost Super Bowl 42 (XLII)

They had a bad game at the worst time, narrowly losing the Super Bowl 17-14 to the Giants. Point conceded, but still – this New England squad will forever be the only team to navigate a 16-0 regular season. QB Tom Brady became the first player to throw 50 TDs in a season, 23 to WR Randy Moss – still a single-season record for scoring grabs. The Pats outscored the opposition by an average of 19.7 points, easily the best in this proud franchise’s history, exceeding 30 points scored in 13 of 19 games. They couldn’t close the NFL’s first 19-0 season, but they still deserve a lofty perch on this list … even without a trophy.

17. 2016 Patriots, won Super Bowl 51 (LI)

They overcame Brady’s four-game ‘Deflategate’ suspension, TE Rob Gronkowski’s season-ending injury and a 28-3 third-quarter deficit against the Atlanta Falcons to emerge with the first overtime victory in Super Bowl history.

18. 1971 Dallas Cowboys, won Super Bowl 6 (VI)

With coach Tom Landry, QB Roger Staubach and the Bob Lilly-led ‘Doomsday Defense,’ good luck finding a better edition of what would become ‘America’s Team.’ Dallas limited the Dolphins, who would go undefeated the following year, to a Super Bowl record-low three points.

19. 1969 Kansas City Chiefs, won Super Bowl 4 (IV)

They get overshadowed by the ’68 Jets but had the better collection of talent while giving the AFL its second Super Bowl win before the 1970 merger. A defense that boasted six Hall of Famers deserves more acclaim after allowing the fewest points, rushing yards, passing yards and total yards in the AFL that year while posting a league-high 47 takeaways.

20. 1992 Cowboys, won Super Bowl 27 (XXVII)

Let’s anoint them the best of the 1990s ‘Triplets’ Cowboys. Dallas set a franchise record with 13 regular-season wins before WR Michael Irvin, RB Emmitt Smith and Super Bowl MVP Troy Aikman planted their dynasty flag with a 52-17 Super Bowl rout of Buffalo … though DT Leon Lett’s showboating cost his team the Super Sunday scoring record.

21. 1968 Baltimore Colts, lost Super Bowl 3 (III)

They’ll forever bear the cross of surrendering the NFL’s perceived dominance after getting blasted by the Jets. But prior to that, Baltimore was making its case as the best team ever, even with Hall of Fame QB Johnny Unitas sidelined. Led by league MVP Earl Morrall, the Colts went 13-1, winning their regular-season games by an average of 20.6 points. Baltimore took the NFL crown by collectively beating the Vikings and Cleveland Browns 58-14 in the playoffs.

22. 1986 New York Giants, won Super Bowl 21 (XXI)

Big Blue’s first Super Bowl team was led by LB Lawrence Taylor, the last defensive player named league MVP. But QB Phil Simms stole the show on Super Sunday, completing 22 of 25 passes in a 39-20 defeat of Elway’s Broncos. New York won its three playoff games by an average of 27.3 points, including a 49-3 beatdown of Montana’s Niners.

23. 2017 Philadelphia Eagles, won Super Bowl 52 (LII)

When presumed league MVP Carson Wentz was lost to a torn ACL in Week 14, it seemed a foregone conclusion that Philadelphia’s Super Bowl drought would endure. But QB Nick Foles stepped into the breach and won Super Bowl MVP honors, winning a thrilling 41-33 shootout with Brady that included a record 1,151 yards of offense. ‘Philly Special’ indeed.

24. 2009 New Orleans Saints, won Super Bowl 44 (XLIV)

They started 13-0, but a three-game slide to end the regular season suggested another chapter of playoff futility. Coach Sean Payton and QB Drew Brees, however, wound up throwing a Lombardi Gras party four years after the city suffered Hurricane Katrina, beating teams quarterbacked by Warner, Favre and Peyton Manning in postseason.

25. 2004 Patriots, won Super Bowl 39 (XXXIX)

The second time a franchise won three Super Bowls in four years and the last to repeat, these Patriots established a record by winning 21 games in a row, a streak initiated by the 2003 crew.

26. 2000 Baltimore Ravens, won Super Bowl 35 (XXXV)

Their dominion is all the more impressive considering they didn’t win the AFC Central nor averaged 21 points a week. Naturally, defense was the story of this team, which allowed just 10.3 points per game, fewest since the schedule expanded to 16 games in 1978. In four playoff wins, Baltimore ceded a meager 23 points, and Super Bowl MVP Ray Lewis’ unit pitched a shutout against the Giants (New York’s points came off a kickoff return).

27. 1976 Oakland Raiders, won Super Bowl 11 (XI)

Though their 13-1 record suggests a cakewalk, Oakland scuffled through the first part of the season, even suffering a 31-point loss at New England. But the Silver and Black peaked late, rolling over Minnesota’s ‘Purple People Eaters’ 32-14 in the Super Bowl.

28. 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, won Super Bowl 37 (XXXVII)

Using their famed ‘Tampa 2’ defense – with help from first-year coach Jon Gruden – the Bucs notched their first title with a thorough Super Bowl defeat of the Raiders, whom Gruden coached the previous year. Tampa Bay picked off league MVP Rich Gannon five times, three of those swipes of the pick-six variety.

29. 1997 Broncos, won Super Bowl 32 (XXXII)

They didn’t win the AFC West but did finally notch the franchise’s first championship, exacting playoff revenge on the Jacksonville Jaguars before Elway, Davis and Co. dethroned Favre’s Packers. 

30. 2020 Buccaneers, won Super Bowl 55 (LV)

A free agent for the first time, Brady surprisingly bolted New England and popped up in Tampa. He didn’t need long to work his magic with the Bucs, who went 4-0 on the postseason wild-card route … and routed the defending champion Chiefs 31-9 in the Super Bowl. Brady was named the game’s MVP for a record fifth time, and his seventh ring gave him more than any NFL franchise. However, the Buccaneers defense’s steamrolling of a 14-2 Kansas City team while terrorizing QB Patrick Mahomes was the story of Super Sunday.

31. 2014 Patriots, won Super Bowl 49 (XLIX)

Lombardi No. 4 arrived 10 years after Lombardi No. 3. But New England ended its mini-drought in dramatic fashion, rookie DB Malcolm Butler snuffing Seattle’s repeat bid with his goal-line pick of QB Russell Wilson.

32. 1979 Steelers, won Super Bowl 14 (XIV)

The Steel Curtain labored for its fourth and final Super Bowl victory against a 9-7 LA Rams team before pulling away in the fourth quarter.

33. 1977 Cowboys, won Super Bowl 12 (XII)

‘Doomsday II’ showed up in the Super Bowl, forcing eight Denver turnovers. D-linemen Harvey Martin and Randy White are the only players to share Super Bowl MVP honors. Dallas’ average margin of victory in postseason was 21.3 points.

34. 1983 Los Angeles Raiders, won Super Bowl 18 (XVIII)

They were very good in the regular season, going 12-4, but hit the afterburners in the playoffs, winning three games by an average of 24.3 points while dismantling a Washington squad in the Super Bowl that had the makings of greatness. The first team to bring a Lombardi Trophy to LA. 

35. 2019 Chiefs, won Super Bowl 54 (LIV)

They returned the Lombardi Trophy to Kansas City, ending an absence of half a century. The offense wasn’t as lethal as the version from 2018, when Mahomes had his breakout MVP season. But this better-balanced squad overcame double-digit deficits in all three playoff wins, including a 31-20 Super Bowl triumph over the 49ers, Mahomes the game’s MVP.

36. 1993 Cowboys, won Super Bowl 28 (XXVIII)

Virtually unstoppable once Smith ended his two-game holdout, he went on to win league and Super Bowl MVP honors.

37. 2010 Packers, won Super Bowl 45 (XLV)

Their fourth Super Bowl victory came via a wild-card playoff run as QB Aaron Rodgers officially emerged from Favre’s shadow.

38. 2013 Broncos, lost Super Bowl 48 (XLVIII)

The only team to top 600 points (606), courtesy largely of Manning’s record 5,477 yards and 55 TDs through the air. However, they’re forever tainted for getting smoked by Seattle in the Super Bowl.

39. 1967 Packers, won Super Bowl 2 (II)

The dynasty was winding down in Lombardi’s final season but good enough to slip past Dallas in the legendary ‘Ice Bowl’ before thrashing the AFL’s Raiders for what was effectively a Green Bay three-peat given the Pack also won the 1965 NFL title.

40. 1995 Cowboys, won Super Bowl 30 (XXX)

The first time a club won the Super Bowl three times in four years. Glitz beyond the Triplets with Sanders’ arrival.

41. 1967 Oakland Raiders, lost Super Bowl 2 (II)

Thoroughly dominant on road to the AFL crown, going 13-1 before embarrassing the Houston Oilers 40-7 for the championship. But Oakland was no match for the fading Packers, losing the Super Bowl 33-14.

42. 1969 Minnesota Vikings, lost Super Bowl 4 (IV)

Like the Colts the previous year, they were expected to cruise to a title over the AFL’s entry. But Minnesota, boasting what was probably the fiercest edition of the ‘Purple People Eaters,’ suffered the first of its four Super Bowl setbacks in an eight-year span.

43. 1983 Washington, lost Super Bowl 18 (XVIII)

They scored 541 points in the regular season, a record that stood for 15 years, but were shockingly thrashed by the Raiders while fumbling a Super Bowl repeat opportunity.

44. 1990 Giants, won Super Bowl 25 (XXV)

Bold coaching from Bill Parcells and great relief pitching from QB Jeff Hostetler – Simms went down with a broken foot in Week 15 – allowed New York to upset San Francisco and Buffalo on the way to its second Super Bowl win in five seasons.

45. 2003 Patriots, won Super Bowl 38 (XXXVIII)

They went 14-2, yet eight of their wins were by only one score. That trend continued in the Super Bowl, when New England survived the Carolina Panthers 32-29.

46. 1981 49ers, won Super Bowl 16 (XVI)

Vaulted by ‘The Catch’ – Montana to WR Dwight Clark – in the NFC championship game vanquishing of Dallas, a relative group of unknowns brought home the first of San Francisco’s five titles in a 14-season stretch.

47. 2005 Steelers, won Super Bowl 40 (XL)

They didn’t look nearly as impressive in the regular season as the previous year’s 15-1 squad. But the wild-card Steelers (11-5), helped by some playoff luck (Carson Palmer’s injury, Mike Vanderjagt’s missed FG, Jerome Bettis’ goal-line fumble in Indianapolis, favorable Super Bowl officiating against Seattle) sent the Bus into the sunset in style.

48. 2011 Patriots, lost Super Bowl 46 (XLVI)

Would Gronkowski have snared Brady’s Hail Mary for a Super Bowl miracle had the star tight end not been saddled with a high ankle sprain? What if wide-open WR Wes Welker hadn’t dropped that pass with room to run and just four minutes to go? We’ll never know. If only TB12 could throw to himself, right, Gisele?

49. 1978 Cowboys, lost Super Bowl 13 (XIII)

If only Hall of Fame TE Jackie Smith had held on to what would have been a TD, Dallas might have salvaged a Super Bowl split with the Steelers and staked its own claim as team of the ’70s.

50. 1988 49ers, won Super Bowl 23 (XXIII)

They compensated for a forgettable regular season (10-6 record) by smoking Minnesota and Chicago in the NFC’s playoff bracket by combined 62-12 score before Montana engineered his signature 92-yard drive to oust Cincinnati in the Super Bowl’s final minute.

51. 1974 Steelers, won Super Bowl 9 (IX)

Aided by the finest rookie class ever (WR Lynn Swann, MLB Jack Lambert, WR John Stallworth, C Mike Webster and S Donnie Shell), they brought home Pittsburgh’s first championship by suffocating Minnesota.

52. 2018 Patriots, won Super Bowl 53 (LIII)

Methodical march to record-tying sixth Lombardi Trophy largely lacked flair, flamboyant Gronk even retiring (for a while) afterward.

53. 2008 Steelers, won Super Bowl 43 (XLIII)

QB Ben Roethlisberger and WR Santonio Holmes snatched ring No. 6 for Pittsburgh, though struggling to beat the lightly regarded Arizona Cardinals in a highly entertaining Super Bowl probably cost this top-ranked defense a place in the pantheon.

54. 2001 Patriots, won Super Bowl 36 (XXXVI)

Despite Brady’s magical debut as a starter, including that controversial ‘Tuck Rule’ win over Oakland in postseason, no one gave them a shot against the Rams. Oops. A brilliant game plan from Bill Belichick, effective game management from TB12, and K Adam Vinatieri’s clutch kick launched a dynasty no one foresaw.

55. 2021 Los Angeles Rams, won Super Bowl 56 (LVI)

They finally won a Lombardi for LA – in LA’s SoFi Stadium. Odd journey for a team blown out several times during the regular season and won its final three playoff games, including a 23-20 ouster of Cincinnati on Super Sunday, by three points apiece. But a star-studded crew benefited from Matthew Stafford emerging as a championship-caliber quarterback during his first Hollywood season, DL Aaron Donald wreaking havoc against the Bengals, and Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp putting together what was probably the best season – playoff performance included – by a wide receiver in NFL history.

56. 2007 Giants, won Super Bowl 42 (XLII)

Overcame an ugly 0-2 start to notch a wild-card berth, a path that culminated with that epic upset of the previously undefeated Patriots. WR David Tyree’s ‘Helmet Catch’ became one of league’s signature moments.

57. 2001 St. Louis Rams, lost Super Bowl 36 (XXXVI)

The only team in franchise history to win 14 regular-season games, they were on cusp of dynasty status before getting ambushed by New England’s nascent empire.

Other Super Bowl winners: 1970 Baltimore Colts, 1980 Oakland Raiders, 1982 Washington, 1987 Washington, 2006 Indianapolis Colts, 2011 Giants, 2012 Ravens, 2015 Broncos

*** 

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis on Twitter @ByNateDavis.

We’re a little more than a week away from the NFL crowning its 57th Super Bowl champion, obviously rarefied air considering the immortal teams that have accomplished it … and also while ruminating on some of those that fell short on Super Sunday or fell short of Super Sunday entirely.

And that leads you to veer into some thought-proving ‘what if’ territory, specifically when pondering which are the best single-season teams that didn’t qualify for the big game. It’s an exercise in reminiscence and appreciation for some fantastic squads that have faded over time yet may trigger melancholy for fans who haven’t forgotten. 

So, regarding the Super Bowl era, which began in 1966, these are the teams I rank as the 16 best (listed in ascending order) which didn’t earn their opportunity to play for the Lombardi Trophy:

16. 2021 Buffalo Bills (lost divisional round)

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This franchise has been in existence for 63 star-crossed seasons and hasn’t won a championship since its days in the American Football League. But this crew’s +194 point differential is easily the best in Buffalo’s history. Led by QB Josh Allen and the NFL’s top-ranked defense, they defeated the Patriots 47-17 in the wild-card round before falling in overtime to the Kansas City Chiefs the following weekend. After a back-and-forth classic that was among the best in playoff history, Allen and Co. lost the coin flip and never touched the ball in OT, necessitating a rule change for subsequent postseasons.

15. 1999 Jacksonville Jaguars (lost AFC championship game)

Easily the best team in the Jags’ brief history, the top-seeded AFC Central champs were 0-3 against the Tennessee Titans that year, but 15-0 against everyone else – including a 62-7 playoff runaway from the Miami Dolphins in QB Dan Marino’s final game.

14. 1981 San Diego Chargers (lost AFC championship game)

Defensively challenged? Sure. But no team of the Don Coryell era put up points more relentlessly. With Pro Bowl RB Chuck Muncie behind him, Hall of Fame QB Dan Fouts threw to a trio of 1,000-yard receivers, and the Bolts averaged 29.9 points in the regular season. Had the AFC title bout, aka the ‘Freezer Bowl,’ not been played in Cincinnati’s minus-59 wind chill, these Chargers might have given San Diego an elusive Super Bowl breakthrough.

13. 1973 Los Angeles Rams (lost divisional round)

They outscored the opposition by 210 points in the regular season, the highest differential by any of 56 LA Rams teams. The best from the Chuck Knox era, these Rams featured the league’s No. 1 overall offense and defense and were led by All-Pro QB John Hadl but lost their playoff opener to Roger Staubach’s Cowboys by 11 points.

12. 1968 Dallas Cowboys (lost divisional round)

Probably the most dominant regular-season team in franchise history, their margin of victory in the regular season exceeded three touchdowns. But a top-ranked offense that averaged 31 points during the season only managed 20 in a one-and-done postseason defeat to the Cleveland Browns.

11. 2011 Green Bay Packers (lost divisional round)

QB Aaron Rodgers reached full-blown superstardom in his first MVP season, leading the defending champions to a 13-0 start. But after a franchise-best 15-1 regular season, Green Bay lost at Lambeau Field in a 37-20 playoff flameout against the New York Giants – the start of a long string of postseason disappointments for Rodgers.

10. 2006 San Diego Chargers (lost divisional round)

MVP LaDainian Tomlinson led the Bolts to a franchise record 14-2 regular season, LT piling up a single-season record 31 TDs. But the ride ended in frustration with a playoff loss to the Patriots, Tomlinson angrily storming off the turf feeling New England players disrespectfully celebrated on the Chargers’ midfield logo … and probably equally peeved about S Marlon McCree’s boneheaded fumble after intercepting Tom Brady on fourth-and-5 midway through the fourth quarter.

9. 1975 Minnesota Vikings (lost divisional round)

Perhaps league MVP Fran Tarkenton’s best team, the Vikes started 10-0 on their way to the NFC Central title. But the ‘Purple People Eaters’ exited the playoffs in jaw-dropping fashion, victimized by Staubach’s famous 50-yard ‘Hail Mary’ TD to Drew Pearson in sub-freezing temperatures at Minnesota’s old Metropolitan Stadium.

8. 2011 New Orleans Saints (lost divisional round)

QB Drew Brees fired off 46 TD passes and a then-record 5,476 passing yards for, by the numbers anyway, what was New Orleans’ best team (franchise-record 547 points and 208-point differential to go with 13-3 ledger). The club was largely overshadowed by the 15-1 Packers in 2011 but had a much better – if more heartbreaking – postseason, losing a 36-32 barnburner at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park. TE Vernon Davis snagged the game-winning TD pass from Alex Smith with 9 seconds left.

7. 1968 Oakland Raiders (lost AFL championship game)

Statistically, the reigning AFL champs stacked up better when compared to the famed ’68 Jets, whom Oakland beat that year in the infamous ‘Heidi Game.’ But unlike New York, the Raiders were forced to endure a Western Division playoff against a stout Chiefs team. Namath and Co. eked out the playoff rematch with the Raiders at Shea Stadium the following Sunday before pulling off their legendary Super Bowl stunner over the heavily favored Baltimore Colts.

6. 2005 Indianapolis Colts (lost divisional round)

This had the look of a history-making squad after its dominant 13-0 start. The Colts’ 14 wins and +192 point differential represent the heights of their tenure in Indianapolis and peak regular-season performance during the Peyton Manning era. But Indy lost three of its final four – coach Tony Dungy’s son committed suicide during that stretch – the final blow coming when K Mike Vanderjagt shanked a game-tying field-goal attempt in the final seconds of a 21-18 home playoff loss to Pittsburgh.

5. 2012 New England Patriots (lost AFC championship game)

Only New England’s ’07 team – the one that went 16-0 in the regular season – had a higher point differential in franchise history than this group, which outscored the opposition by 226 points. But Brady and Co. got their doors blown off 28-13 at home in an AFC title rematch against the Ravens.

4. 2019 Baltimore Ravens (lost divisional round)

Easily the greatest regular-season edition of a franchise that’s almost always in playoff contention, the AFC’s top-seeded team featured a record 13 Pro Bowlers and won a club record 14 games with a margin of victory averaging nearly three TDs. Led by league MVP Lamar Jackson – he rushed for 1,206 yards, a record among quarterbacks, and passed for 36 TDs – Baltimore racked up an NFL single-season record 3,296 rushing yards and ended the season on a 12-game winning streak. But it all went up in smoke in the playoff opener, when Baltimore was stunned 28-12 by the wild card Titans.

3. 1992 San Francisco 49ers (lost NFC championship game)

With legendary QB Joe Montana mothballed, Steve Young finally blossomed – throwing a league-high 25 TDs while earning his first league MVP award and leading the Niners to a 14-2 finish. Probably the best San Francisco team not to win the Super Bowl after coming up short against the ‘Triplets’ Cowboys for the NFC crown.

2. 1976 Pittsburgh Steelers (lost AFC championship game)

There’s never been a Super Bowl three-peat, but they almost pulled it off despite losing QB Terry Bradshaw for a chunk of the season and, worse, seeing both their 1,000-yard rushers (Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier) injured in the divisional round of the playoffs. Still, an argument to be made that this was the best team of the Steel Curtain era, the defense blanking five opponents and allowing fewer than 10 points per game.

1. 1998 Vikings (lost NFC championship game)

They went 15-1 in the regular season, posted a then-record 556 points and struck fear into opponents with Hall of Fame WRs Cris Carter and Randy Moss – then a breakout rookie – catching passes from All-Pro QB Randall Cunningham. However, All-Pro K Gary Anderson’s infamous wayward FG, the only kick he missed all season, opened the door for an Atlanta Falcons’ overtime upset in the NFC title game. The Vikes’ loss aborted what projected as one of the all-time championship matchups against the Denver Broncos, who rolled over the Falcons in Super Bowl 33 to successfully defend their crown in QB John Elway’s final game.

***

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis on Twitter @ByNateDavis.

There was a time when Super Bowl dramatics were few and far between – and it seemed like the NFC always prevailed … by a hefty margin. But for most of the past quarter century, the game has managed to live up to its perpetual hype more often than not. Thank you John Elway, Eli Manning and a Patriots dynasty that usually won on Super Sunday – yet very often in most dramatic fashion.

As Super Bowl 57, to be fought by the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles, approaches, here are my all-time Super Sunday game rankings (cardinal number, season noted in parentheses):

Super Bowl Central: Super Bowl 57 odds, Eagles-Chiefs matchups, stats and more

1. LI (51, 2016) New England Patriots 34, Atlanta Falcons 28 (OT)

This game lacked nothing. Patriots QB Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick cemented their legacies, each becoming the first at his respective post to earn five Super Bowl titles. But securing immortal greatness required an all-time performance. Brady threw for a then-Super Bowl record 466 yards, leading his team to 31 unanswered points and earning MVP honors a record-breaking fourth time as New England forged the greatest comeback ever on Super Sunday – Atlanta led 28-3 in the third quarter – while taking the game into overtime for the first time. WR Julian Edelman made a miraculous catch that benefited New England for a change in the Super Bowl. RB James White was the unsung hero, catching a record 14 passes while also scoring the game-tying and game-winning TDs on his way to a game record 20 points. Oh, and the Falcons, with league MVP Matt Ryan and Co., sure were impressive on both sides of the ball for nearly three quarters before their epic collapse.

2. XLII (42, 2007) New York Giants 17, Patriots 14

Arguably the biggest upset in Super Bowl history, the Giants derailed New England’s march to the never-achieved 19-0 campaign with an unrelenting pass rush, WR David Tyree’s miraculous helmet catch and QB Eli Manning’s MVP performance.

3. XLIX (49, 2014) Patriots 28, Seattle Seahawks 24

It will forever be remembered for QB Russell Wilson’s goal-line interception with the game hanging in the balance – when the Seahawks could have given the ball to bruising RB Marshawn “Beast Mode” Lynch, who had 133 total yards. The loss likely denied Seattle’s shot at a dynasty while burnishing the ‘Patriot Way.’ Brady won a record-tying third MVP award as he and Belichick collected their fourth title together after a decade-long dry spell.

4. XXIII (23, 1988) San Francisco 49ers 20, Cincinnati Bengals 16

Probably the first legitimate Super Bowl classic. In what was perhaps QB Joe Montana’s defining performance – ironically the only time he didn’t win game MVP honors – he led an 11-play, 92-yard drive that culminated with a game-winning TD pass to WR John Taylor with 34 seconds to go. WR Jerry Rice’s Super Bowl-record 215 receiving yards earned him the MVP award. It was also Hall of Famer Bill Walsh’s final game as an NFL head coach.

5. XLIII (43, 2008) Pittsburgh Steelers 27, Arizona Cardinals 23

It had a little bit of everything – Pittsburgh LB James Harrison’s 100-yard INT return to end the first half, a furious fourth-quarterback comeback led by WR Larry Fitzgerald and decided underdog Arizona, and QB Ben Roethlisberger’s laser shot to the back corner of the end zone to toe-tapping MVP Santonio Holmes for the win. The Steelers snagged their sixth Lombardi Trophy, a mark since tied by the Patriots … and surpassed by Brady.

6. XXXIV (34, 1999) St. Louis Rams 23, Tennessee Titans 16

The ‘Greatest Show On Turf’ scored its third-fewest points of the season, but MVP Kurt Warner’s then-record 414 passing yards and LB Mike Jones’ tackle of Tennessee WR Kevin Dyson just shy of the goal line on the final play proved sufficient.

7. LII (52, 2017) Philadelphia Eagles 41, Patriots 33

Maybe a nearly six-decade wait between championships and a first Super Bowl crown was almost worth it for The City of Brotherly Love? MVP Nick Foles (373 yards and 3 TDs through the air) led the charge, his 1-yard TD grab before halftime on the now-legendary ‘Philly Special’ serving as the indelible sequence. But Eagles DE Brandon Graham basically assured the result by serving up the game’s lone defensive highlight with a strip sack of Brady with 2:09 to go. TB12 fired off a game record 505 yards through the air before succumbing on a day when the clubs combined for an NFL record 1,151 yards of total offense.

8. XXV (25, 1990) Giants 20, Buffalo Bills 19

New York played keep-away from Buffalo’s explosive K-Gun offense, holding the ball for nearly 41 minutes, and got nice efforts from MVP Ottis Anderson (102 yards, TD) and backup QB Jeff Hostetler. But the Giants only survived thanks to K Scott Norwood’s wayward 47-yard field-goal try in the final seconds.

9. XXXVI (36, 2001) Patriots 20, St. Louis Rams 17

Despite one of Super Sunday’s biggest stunners, few realized this game also represented the beginning of a dynasty, coronation of a genius (Belichick) and birth of an icon as Brady won his first MVP. And there’s no forgetting K Adam Vinatieri’s game-winning, upright-splitting 48-yard FG at the gun.

10. XLVI (46, 2011) Giants 21, Patriots 17

For the second time in five seasons, New York broke New England’s heart as Eli Manning completed another improbable throw – this time to WR Mario Manningham – before the Giants scored a late go-ahead TD and weathered the Patriots’ final drive.

11. XXXII (32, 1997) Denver Broncos 31, Green Bay Packers 24

Denver QB John Elway finally got his first ring (on his fourth attempt), though MVP Terrell Davis was the day’s star (157 rushing yards, 3 TDs). The AFC also ended a 14-year losing streak to the NFC.

12. XLV (45, 2010) Packers 31, Steelers 25

QB Aaron Rodgers completed Green Bay’s four-game run as playoff road warriors with a 304-yard, three-TD effort that earned him the MVP award and a place next to Bart Starr and Brett Favre as a Packers legend while denying Pittsburgh’s “Stairway to Seven.”

13. XIII (13, 1978) Steelers 35, Dallas Cowboys 31

In the original Super Bowl shootout, Pittsburgh became the first team to win the game three times by outlasting a Dallas comeback bid in another memorable matchup full of big plays (mostly the Steelers’) and missed opportunities (TE Jackie Smith’s drop) that would ultimately doom ‘America’s Team.’

14. LVI (56, 2021) Los Angeles Rams 23, Bengals 20

In their first season with veteran QB Matthew Stafford at the controls, the Rams became the second consecutive team to win the Super Bowl on their home field – it was also the Rams’ first Lombardi Trophy while representing LA. MVP Cooper Kupp capped what was probably the greatest single season ever for a wide receiver, hauling in the game-winning TD pass from Stafford with 85 seconds to go, while the Aaron Donald-led defense dogged Bengals QB Joe Burrow with seven sacks – and needed all that pressure to prevent a last-minute Cincy comeback. Rams coach Sean McVay, 36, became the youngest to win on Super Sunday. 

15. XXXVIII (38, 2003) Patriots 32, Carolina Panthers 29

One of the stranger games in Super Bowl history – the teams combined for 61 points despite scoreless first and third quarters – may be better remembered more for Janet Jackson’s infamous halftime show than a pivotal late-game drive led by Brady and capped with more heroics from Vinatieri.

16. X (10, 1975) Steelers 21, Cowboys 17

MVP Lynn Swann only made four catches, but they were laden with drama over the course of 161 yards and a decisive touchdown in a game that would help establish Pittsburgh as the team of the 1970s.

17. XLVII (47, 2012) Baltimore Ravens 34, 49ers 31

A second-half Superdome power outage sparked the Niners, who nearly completed a comeback after finding themselves in a 28-6 hole in the third quarter. MVP Joe Flacco finished one of the best postseason runs by a quarterback, Ravens LB Ray Lewis earned a second ring in his final ride and WR/KR Jacoby Jones compiled a single-game record 290 all-purpose yards … just enough to fend off QB Colin Kaepernick and San Francisco.

18. XLIV (44, 2009) New Orleans Saints 31, Indianapolis Colts 17

The Saints ended decades of futility courtesy of MVP Drew Brees’ pinpoint passing, coach Sean Payton’s surprise onside kick to start the second half and CB Tracy Porter’s game-sealing pick six of Indy QB Peyton Manning.

19. XIV (14, 1979) Steelers 31, Los Angeles Rams 19

Despite winning just nine regular-season games, the Rams gave the Steelers all they could handle before Pittsburgh pulled away in the fourth quarter on its way to becoming the only team to win four Super Bowls in six years. QB Terry Bradshaw was named MVP for the second year in a row.

20. III (3, 1968) New York Jets 16, Baltimore Colts 7

It wasn’t a scintillating game, but it was probably the most important one in NFL history. MVP Joe Namath made good on his pre-game guarantee as New York struck a blow for AFL equality a year before the merger took effect by stunning the NFL’s heavily favored Colts. It remains the Jets’ only title.

21. LIV (54, 2019) Kansas City Chiefs 31, 49ers 20

K.C. ended its 50-year championship drought in style. MVP Patrick Mahomes rescued the Chiefs from their third consecutive double-digit deficit of that postseason, starting the fourth-quarterback comeback with his third-and-15 completion to WR Tyreek Hill on a spectacular 44-yard throw. RB Damien Williams’ pair of TDs late in the final period provided the coup de grâce.

22. XXXI (31, 1996) Packers 35, Patriots 21

Thirty years after winning the first Super Bowl, the Pack returned to win their third as Gulf Coast native Favre passed for two TDs and rushed for another in front of a New Orleans crowd. However return man Desmond Howard was named MVP.

23. XXXIX (39, 2004) Patriots 24, Eagles 21

New England withstood a late Philly charge – or did the Pats benefit from a lack of conditioning on the part of Eagles QB Donovan McNabb? – to become the second team to win three Super Bowls in four years.

24. XVII (17, 1982) Washington 27, Miami Dolphins 17

MVP John Riggins’ 43-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter gave Washington a 20-17 lead it wouldn’t relinquish and coach Joe Gibbs the first of his three titles. Riggins finished with a then-record 166 yards, giving him 610 in four playoff games during that postseason.

25. XXX (30, 1995) Cowboys 27, Steelers 17

Dallas endured, thanks to some gift interceptions from Pittsburgh QB Neil O’Donnell, and became the first team to win three Super Bowls in a four-year span. The Cowboys also joined the 49ers as five-time Super Sunday winners.

26. XVI (16, 1981) 49ers 26, Bengals 21

San Francisco launched its dynasty and Montana won the first of his three Super Bowl MVP awards. The Niners hung on thanks in part to a key goal-line stand to thwart Cincinnati, which scored three second-half touchdowns after trailing 20-0 at halftime.

27. XLI (41, 2006) Indianapolis Colts 29, Chicago Bears 17

MVP Peyton Manning earned his only ring with Indy, while Tony Dungy became the first Black coach to win on Super Sunday amid a rainy night in South Florida.

28. VII (7, 1972) Dolphins 14, Washington 7

Miami’s ‘No Name Defense’ didn’t allow a point – Washington scored on K Garo Yepremian’s unforgettable special teams blunder – as the Dolphins, deemed underdogs by some, completed the only undefeated season (17-0) of the Super Bowl era.

29. XXII (22, 1987) Washington 42, Broncos 10

Washington QB Doug Williams struck a social blow as the first Black quarterback to win the Super Bowl after orchestrating a breathtaking, 35-point second quarter that saw him throw four TD passes on his way to MVP honors. Timmy Smith rushed for 204 yards, a record that still stands, behind “The Hogs,” Washington’s famed offensive line.

30. XXI (21, 1986) Giants 39, Broncos 20

MVP Phil Simms had one of the greatest Super Sundays, completing 22 of 25 passes for 268 yards and three TDs, as the Giants rode 30 second-half points to their first Super Bowl triumph.

31. I (1, 1966) Packers 35, Chiefs 10

Green Bay, with help from hung-over backup WR Max McGee (138 receiving yards, 2 TDs), did the expected in the first AFL-NFL World Championship Game – that’s what the Super Bowl was called at the time – which didn’t even sell out the Los Angeles Coliseum. However not everyone remembers that Vince Lombardi’s troops only led by four points at halftime. 

32. V (5, 1970) Baltimore Colts 16, Cowboys 13

It was the first Super Bowl with any sense of drama as rookie K Jim O’Brien, who had an extra point blocked earlier in the game, drilled the decisive 32-yard FG with 5 seconds left. But a sloppy game was marred by 11 turnovers and a rib injury to Colts QB Johnny Unitas.

33. LIII (53, 2018) Patriots 13, Los Angeles Rams 3

This one lacked the offensive fireworks that had been a hallmark of the season. But even if there were nearly as many punts (14) as total points in a game where New England matched Pittsburgh with its sixth Lombardi – while putting a dent in McVay’s genius label – this matchup wasn’t lacking for drama. It was only the second Super Bowl to enter the fourth quarter with the score tied (3-3) though, ultimately, the Rams would match Miami’s 47-year old mark for fewest points scored on Super Sunday.

34. XXVIII (28, 1993) Cowboys 30, Bills 13

Buffalo gave Dallas a better fight, leading 13-6 at the half, in a rematch but ultimately couldn’t contain league MVP (and Super Bowl MVP) Emmitt Smith (132 rushing yards, 2 TDs). It was the Bills’ fourth consecutive Super Bowl loss, a dual accomplishment and curse.

35. XL (40, 2005) Steelers 21, Seahawks 10

Pittsburgh joined the club of five-time Lombardi Trophy winners as RB Jerome Bettis ended his career in style in Detroit (his hometown) and Roethlisberger, 23, became the youngest quarterback to win the game despite forgettable numbers and amid controversial officiating that hurt Seattle.

36. 50 (2015) Broncos 24, Panthers 10

Super Bowl MVP Von Miller (2½ sacks, 2 forced fumbles) terrorized league MVP Cam Newton from the start, triggering a golden defensive effort on Super Sunday’s golden anniversary and allowing Peyton Manning to shift into game-management mode as he captured his long-awaited second crown in what turned out to be his final NFL appearance.

37. XIX (19, 1984) 49ers 38, Dolphins 16

A highly anticipated matchup between Montana and Dan Marino fizzled after the first quarter. MVP Montana (331 yards, 3 TDs) completely outclassed fellow western Pennsylvania native Marino (in his lone Super Bowl), as the Niners became the first team to win 18 games in a season.

38. XI (11, 1976) Oakland Raiders 32, Minnesota Vikings 14

At the sun-splashed Rose Bowl, the Raiders won their first title – and only one under coach John Madden – by physically dominating the Purple People Eaters. The Vikings failed to win the Super Bowl in their fourth and most recent attempt.

39. IX (9, 1974) Steelers 16, Vikings 6

After 42 barren seasons, a young Steel Curtain gave Pittsburgh its first NFL title thanks to suffocating defense and MVP Franco Harris’ 158 rushing yards, a Super Bowl record at the time.

40. XX (20, 1985) Bears 46, Patriots 10

The upstart Patriots actually led 3-0 before the vaunted ’85 Bears defense shuffled its way to a blowout that did not include the touchdown Hall of Famer Walter Payton had long desired.

41. XXXIII (33, 1998) Broncos 34, Falcons 19

Elway’s final game minted him as an all-time great, Denver repeating thanks to an MVP effort (336 passing yards, TD pass, TD run) from its 38-year-old gunslinger.

42. XXVII (27, 1992) Cowboys 52, Bills 17

Dallas’ Triplets – MVP QB Troy Aikman (4 TD passes), RB Smith (108 rush yards, TD) and WR Michael Irvin (114 receiving yards, 2 TDs) – were too much for the Bills (9 turnovers) in the final Super Bowl played at the iconic Rose Bowl. However Buffalo WR Don Beebe’s goal-line strip of DT Leon Lett, who was returning a recovered fumble, prevented Dallas from setting a new scoring record for the game.

43. XV (15, 1980) Oakland Raiders 27, Eagles 10

With the New Orleans Superdome wrapped in a yellow ribbon welcoming home American hostages from Iran, the Raiders were less than hospitable to Philly as they became the first wild-card team to go all the way.

44. IV (4, 1969) Chiefs 23, Vikings 7

In a dominant performance, the Chiefs ensured the AFL-NFL rivalry would forever be knotted 2-2 just months before the leagues officially merged. QB Len Dawson won MVP honors after being erroneously linked to a gambling scandal before the game.

45. II (2, 1967) Packers 33, Oakland Raiders 14

The aging Pack won their fifth and final championship of the 1960s in Lombardi’s last game coaching the franchise.

46. XVIII (18, 1983) Los Angeles Raiders 38, Washington 9

Washington entered the game viewed as one of the most formidable teams of all time. The Raiders put that notion to rest with MVP Marcus Allen (then-record 191 rushing yards) providing the exclamation point with his epic 74-yard TD run.

47. XXIX (29, 1994) 49ers 49, San Diego Chargers 26

No one gave the Bolts a chance, and the Niners proved that outlook correct. MVP Steve Young emerged from Montana’s shadow to pass for a game-record six TDs as San Francisco became the first team to win five Super Bowls.

48. LV (55, 2020) Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31, Chiefs 9

The ballyhooed battle between Brady and Mahomes – ‘The GOAT vs. The Kid’ – never materialized, the showdown every bit as dissatisfying as Montana vs. Marino years before. TB12 was stellar (3 TD passes) on the way to bolstering his legacy with a seventh ring and fifth Super Bowl MVP trophy. Fleeing on a bad foot behind a tattered O-line, Mahomes had the worst game of his four-year career as the Bucs, largely propelled by their relentless defense, became the first team to hoist the Lombardi on its home field.

49. XXXVII (37, 2002) Buccaneers 48, Oakland Raiders 21

It’s remembered as the Jon Gruden Bowl after the coach was traded from the Raiders to Tampa Bay before the season. But an elite defense that returned three Rich Gannon INTs for TDs highlighted the first title in Bucs history.

50. XXIV (24, 1989) 49ers 55, Broncos 10

Montana saved his best Super Sunday for last, winning his third MVP with 297 passing yards and five touchdowns as the Niners repeated while setting Super Bowl records for points scored and margin of victory.

51. XXVI (26, 1991) Washington 37, Bills 24

The game wasn’t nearly as close as the score indicates. Washington won its third and final championship under Gibbs, who had a different quarterback each time, including MVP Mark Rypien on this day.

52. XII (12, 1977) Cowboys 27, Broncos 10

In the first Super Bowl staged indoors (the Superdome opened in 1975), Dallas crushed its former quarterback, Craig Morton, and error-prone Denver (eight turnovers). It’s the only Super Bowl with co-MVPs (D-linemen Harvey Martin and Randy White).

53. VIII (8, 1973) Dolphins 24, Vikings 7

MVP Larry Csonka rushed for a then-Super Bowl record 145 yards (QB Bob Griese only threw seven passes) as Miami repeated with a team some consider stronger than the 1972 17-0 group.

54. XXXV (35, 2000) Ravens 34, Giants 7

One of the most dominant defenses in history pitched a shutout (the Giants’ points came via a kickoff return). Controversy swirled around Lewis all week, but he finished it with MVP honors.

55. VI (6, 1971) Cowboys 24, Dolphins 3

Coach Tom Landry’s team finally shed a reputation for choking in big games by holding Miami to a FG (tied for fewest points with the 2018 Rams) on a 39-degree day at New Orleans’ Tulane Stadium.

56. XLVIII (48, 2013) Seahawks 43, Broncos 8

The chasm between pre-game expectations and outcome may have been the widest in the game’s history. Seattle’s Legion of Boom defense stifled a Peyton Manning-led offense that scored a league-record 606 points but surrendered two on a safety to start game.  

***

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis on Twitter @ByNateDavis.

The last time the Super Bowl 57-bound Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles faced each other was during the second month of the 2021 season.

Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes threw five touchdown passes in a 42-30 win, while Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts threw for 387 yards with two touchdowns as three other touchdowns were taken off the board due to penalties.

The Chiefs finished last year in the AFC title game, while the Eagles had a first-round loss to Tom Brady and the Buccaneers.

Look at them now.

The Chiefs are back in the Super Bowl, hoping to win their second title under Mahomes and coach Andy Reid in four years. The Eagles hope to lead the franchise to another Super Bowl after they beat Brady and the Patriots in 2017.

Super Bowl Central: Super Bowl 57 odds, Eagles-Chiefs matchups, stats and more

Hurts provided some wisdom after that Chiefs-Eagles game in his second season in the NFL.

“We played a good football team out there today – a team many say generationally is one of the best,” Hurts said of the Chiefs on Oct. 3, 2021.

“We have to put it together and we will. We’re not a finished product.”

Both teams made significant roster moves over to reach Super Bowl 57. Here are some of the key ones:

EAGLES MOVES

A.J. Brown

It’s amazing what a star receiver can do for a young quarterback.

The Tennessee Titans traded Brown to the Eagles at the 2022 draft after he did not reach a new deal. (He signed one with the Eagles.)

Brown has transformed the Eagles offense, leading the team with 11 touchdowns and 1,496 yards receiving, while allowing receiver Devonta Smith to also shine.

Haason Reddick

The Eagles signed Reddick in the offseason to a three-year, $45 million deal to bolster their defensive line.

Reddick led the Eagles with 16 sacks on a team that had three other players reach double-digits, and he also led the way with five forced fumbles and 26 hits on the quarterback.

Reddick was considered a first-round bust after four seasons with the Cardinals, but he proved himself worthy of a long-term deal after a stellar season in Carolina last year. Now, he’s the first player in league history with double-digit sacks for three different teams in three consecutive seasons.

James Bradberry

The Eagles signed Bradberry to a one-year, $10 million deal after he was released by the Giants, and he provided Philadelphia with another shutdown cornerback opposite Darius Slay.

Bradberry was first on the team with 17 pass deflections and tied with Slay for second with three interceptions.

But Bradberry’s most impressive statistic is his 51.6 passer rating allowed when targeted , which ranks second in the entire NFL.

Chauncey Gardner-Johnson

Like Brown, the Eagles’ acquisition of Gardner-Johnson, who is one of the best young nickel cornerbacks in the NFL, was a signal to the entire franchise.

The Eagles were in win-now mode, and landing Gardner-Johnson from the New Orleans Saints before the season was the final piece to a menacing defense.

Gardner-Johnson led the Eagles with six interceptions, and he has returned after suffering a lacerated kidney in late November for the Eagles’ playoff run.

Kyzir White

White, who signed a one-year, $3 million deal, has also been a bargain that has paid off for the Eagles.

White is a former college safety whose range at linebacker is ideal.

He has shored up the middle of Philadelphia’s defense, with 110 total tackles, second on the team.

CHIEFS MOVES

Isiah Pacheco

Two years after drafting Clyde Edwards-Helaire with a first-round pick, the Chiefs added another starter by discovering Pacheco in the seventh round of the 2022 draft.

Pacheco has been instrumental as a hard-running rookie, helping Kansas City realize it must commit to the run game in order to balance its offensive attack behind Mahomes.

Pacheco led the Chiefs with 830 rushing yards and five touchdowns in the regular season, and he had 101 total yards against the Jaguars that helped them advance in the first round of the playoffs.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling

While tight end Travis Kelce gets most of the attention and fellow offseason addition Juju Smith-Schuster has contributed as the team’s second-leading receiver, Valdes-Scantling proved his worth during the AFC title game.

Valdes-Scantling stretched the fieldto haul in six catches for 116 yards against the Bengals, including a 19-yard touchdown that gave Kansas City a lead in the second half. He also was the team’s third-leading receiver this season.

Signed to a three-year, $30 million contract during the offseason to help bolster the receiving core after the loss of Tyreek Hill, Valdes-Scantling will be key in helping Kansas City chase another championship.

Jerick McKinnon

Re-signing McKinnon, a seven-year veteran, may have been one of the Chiefs’ most important moves in hindsight.

McKinnon went on a tear in the final six games of the regular season, catching eight of his nine receiving touchdowns, while also adding a rushing touchdown in the mix, to help the Chiefs clinch the No. 1 seed in the AFC.

McKinnon’s experience, ability to pass block, and pass-catching talent have been vital to Kansas City’s success on offense.

Justin Reid

While the Chiefs have used a rookie secondary of Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, Bryan Cook and Joshua Williams, the offseason signing of Reid has provided a steady veteran presence in the back end.

Reid, who who was signed to replace Tyrann Mathieu, is tied for fourth with seven pass deflections and is fourth with 83 total tackles.

George Karlaftis III

Karlaftis, a first-round rookie out of Purdue, has turned it on during the second half of the season with 6 ½ sacks (of seven) coming in the Chiefs’ last nine games.

Karlaftis finished second behind the 15 ½  sacks provided by star defensive tackle Chris Jones. 

Karlaftis’ 48 pressures on the quarterback rank second among rookies behind Detroit Lions standout Aiden Hutchinson, who was the No. 2 pick in the 2022 NFL draft.

Karlaftis has started every game for the Chiefs, and he has been a key part of the team’s edge setting behind Jones and Frank Clark.