Fansided

Super Bowl power rankings: Which winner is the greatest?

By Cody Williams

St. Louis Rams quarterback Kurt Warner looks to make pass in a 23-16 win over the Tennessee Titans in Super Bowl XXXIV on January 30, 2000 at Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Allen Kee/Getty Images)
St. Louis Rams quarterback Kurt Warner looks to make pass in a 23-16 win over the Tennessee Titans in Super Bowl XXXIV on January 30, 2000 at Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Allen Kee/Getty Images) /
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Colts quarterback Peyton Manning enters the field for warm-ups before Super Bowl XLI between the Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears at Dolphin Stadium in Miami, Florida on February 4, 2007. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)
Colts quarterback Peyton Manning enters the field for warm-ups before Super Bowl XLI between the Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears at Dolphin Stadium in Miami, Florida on February 4, 2007. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images) /

40. 2006 Indianapolis Colts (SB XLI)

When you talk about exorcising demons, you have to talk about the 2006 Indianapolis Colts and Peyton Manning. After coming up short time and again in the postseason, Manning finally made it to the Super Bowl with the Colts and finally got over the hump to get his ring. However, that doesn’t mean that the Colts as a whole were all that impressive in comparison to other Super Bowl champs of years passed.

Peyton and the offense were certainly rolling with the likes of Joseph Addai, Marvin Harrison, and Reggie Wayne as they had the No. 2-ranked unit in the NFL. However, they played a bit over their heads in going 12-4 on the years considering how lackluster their defense was in allowing 22.5 points per game and ranking 23rd in the league. Moreover, they really struggled in the second half of the season as they went just 3-4 over their last seven games of the regular season.

However, they did have a solid showing in the playoffs as they beat the Chiefs in the Wild Card game, 23-8, the Ravens, 15-6, in the Divisional Round, and then outdueled the Patriots in the AFC title game before toppling the Chicago Bears in the Super Bowl, 29-17. Because of their defense, it’s hard to put them higher than this, even if Peyton and the offense were fantastic that season.

Next: No. 39

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