All-time Super Bowl power rankings: Which game was the best?
By James Dudko
52. Super Bowl XXIV: San Francisco 49ers 55, Denver Broncos 10
Even Broncos fans didn’t want their team to make it to this Super Bowl. Before Elway rode off into the sunset with a Lombardi Trophy under each arm, he suffered through a hat-trick of title-game massacres, and this beatdown by the San Francisco 49ers to cap the ’89 season was the most brutal to watch.
While Elway ran for his life and still couldn’t escape Charles Haley and the Niners defense, Joe Montana put on a quarterback masterclass. Sadly, anyone living outside San Francisco stopped caring midway through the second quarter.
51. Super Bowl XXXV: Baltimore Ravens 34, New York Giants 7
The stingiest defense since the NFL started keeping stats and playing 16-game seasons helped the Baltimore Ravens step on the New York Giants in style in 2001. Sadly, Ray Lewis and his mates beating up on Kerry Collins and Tiki Barber didn’t make for particularly interesting viewing.
It was obvious from the start the Giants didn’t have the key to unlock a defense no team could expose in the 2000 season. That left the onus on a Ravens offense led by Trent Dilfer to put up enough yards and points to keep a few pulses racing.
In fairness, Baltimore did spring a few surprises on O’. They became one of the first teams to show up then All-Pro cornerback Jason Sehorn’s weakness against the deep ball.
Overall though, watching this one was like living in a punter’s paradise.