For a record 11th time, South Florida will host the Super Bowl. And the previous 10 contests have featured some incredible moments and historic contests.
On the first Sunday of February this year, the San Francisco 49ers will take on the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV. It’s the 11th time this championship setting will take place in South Florida, breaking a tie with the city of New Orleans (10). The first five games took place in the fabled Orange Bowl and this will be the sixth in a venue currently known as Hard Rock Stadium.
There have been some amazing performances, memorable contests and iconic images that have come from the first 10 games. Here’s a look at how those Super Bowls rank from 10 to No. 1.
10. XLI: Indianapolis Colts 29, Chicago Bears 17
It remains the only contest of the 53-game series that began with a kickoff return for a touchdown. Chicago rookie Devin Hester had set the league on fire on special teams that season so it was only fitting that he became the first player in Super Bowl annals to take the opening kickoff the distance for a score. Hester’s 92-yard return helped give the Bears a 7-0 lead after just 14 seconds of play.
Things only got worse on the Colts’ first possession as a promising drive as quarterback Peyton Manning served up an interception. The next time Tony Dungy’s team got the ball, the veteran signal-caller found wide receiver Reggie Wayne for a 53-yard scores. But kicker Adam Vinatieri missed the PAT and by the end of the first quarter, Lovie Smith’s squad owned a 14-6 advantage.
But this contest would be hampered by the weather. By game’s end, the Colts turned over the ball three times and the Bears did them two better. Chicago quarterback Rex Grossman lost one of his two fumbles and was picked off twice – one of those returned 56 yards for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter by Indianapolis’ Kelvin Hayden. Manning would capture MVP honors but a strong case could have been made for running backs Dominic Rhodes (121-1 TD) and/or Joseph Addai (143) – both finishing with well over a C-note worth of scrimmage yards.
Next: XXIX
9. XXIX: San Francisco 49ers 49, San Diego Chargers 26
This was the second of what now will be three Super Bowl appearances at the currently-named Hard Rock Stadium for the 49ers. On this day against the then-San Diego Chargers, George Seifert’s squad struck early and ever often in a blowout win over the AFC champion Bolts.
Of course, this was also the celebrated “monkey off the back” game for Pro Football Hall of Fame-bound quarterback Steve Young. The talented pro had some big shoes to fill in the form of Joe Montana. The fellow member of Canton’s amazing fraternity had taken San Francisco to the Super Bowl four times and in those contests, threw for 11 scores without an interception and captured game MVP honors three times.
Against the Chargers, the skilled southpaw made it look easy. On the team’s third play from scrimmage, Jerry Rice split the San Diego secondary and Young found him for a 44-yard score. Later in the quarter, he would connect with running back Rickey Watters for a similar 51-yard touchdown. The Colts would answer with a TD drive of their own. But by intermission, George Seifert’s club owned a 28-10 advantage, Young had thrown for three scores and San Francisco had racked up 304 total yards.
The San Francisco signal-caller would throw for 325 yards and a Super Bowl record six TD tosses. He also led the Niners with 49 yards on the ground. While the game lacked excitement, it did feature one of the greatest postseason performances ever.
Next: XXXIII
8. XXXIII: Denver Broncos 34, Atlanta Falcons 19
The 1998 NFL season featured a lot of highlights. Rookie wide receiver Randy Moss helped make the Minnesota Vikings the highest-scoring team in NFL history for one season (a record since broken numerous times). Bill Parcells brought the New York Jets to within one game of the Super Bowl. And running back Jamal Anderson and the Falcons were doing the “Dirty Bird” in Atlanta.
But it was also a year in which the then-defending Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos would embark on a campaign that saw them win their first 13 games of the season. The catalyst was running back Terrell Davis, who would finish the year with 2,008 yards on the ground and 21 scores on the way to capturing league MVP honors. And after playoff wins over the Dolphins and Jets, the father of current 49ers’ head coach Kyle Shanahan had his team in Miami set to defend their Super Bowl crown.
Both the Broncos and Falcons came into Super Bowl XXXIII with 14-2 records. And Atlanta’s Dan Reeves was looking for his first Lombardi Trophy as a head coach after failing with Denver three times. But this turned out to be no contest for the most part as Mike Shanahan’s club opened up a 17-3 lead and owned a 31-6 advantage in the fourth quarter. And in his final game, Broncos’ quarterback John Elway overcame an early interception by throwing for 336 yards and one score (80 yards to Rod Smith) and ran for another touchdown.
Next: V
7. V: Baltimore Colts 16, Dallas Cowboys 13
It would eventually be dubbed the “Blunder Bowl” thanks to the numerous turnovers committed by both the Baltimore Colts and Dallas Cowboys on this Super Sunday at Miami’s Orange Bowl. The game would be best known for its miscues as well as a clutch kick by a rookie wearing No. 80?
The Colts were in the Super Bowl in Miami’s Orange Bowl for the second time in three years. This time around, the head coach was Don McCafferty and not Don Shula. Aging Johnny Unitas would start the game but would be injured and replaced by Earl Morrall.
It was a contest that should have been a bit more lopsided than the final score indicated, mainly because Baltimore kept shooting itself in the hoof…foot. The Colts would outgain Tom Landry’s squad, 329-215, in total yards. But McCaffery’s squad would lose four of their five fumbles and Unitas (2) and Morrall (1) were picked off three times. All told, there were seven Baltimore turnovers – the most by a Super Bowl winning team.
But there were also four Cowboys’ miscues – including three interceptions by quarterback Craig Morton. The second was a high throw late in the fourth quarter that bounced off the hands of teammate Dan Reeves and into the hands of Colts’ linebacker Mike Curtis. It would pave the way for Jim O’Brien’s 32-yard field goal with five seconds to give Baltimore the three-point win.
Next: II
6. II: Green Bay Packers 33, Oakland Raiders 14
It would wind up being the final game of head coach Vince Lombardi tenure with the Green Bay Packers. There are few more fabled photos in league annals than the proud Packers carrying their legendary sideline leader off the field after the club’s 33-14 victory over the Oakland Raiders.
In terms of the game itself, it was another dominant performance by the NFL’s dynasty of the 1960s. The win gave the Pack a third consecutive league title and five championships in a seven-year span (1961-67). Green Bay quarterback Bart Starr was named the game’s Most Valuable Player for the second time in two tries. The Hall of Fame signal-caller connected on 13 of his 24 throws for 202 yards –including a 62-yard scoring strike to Boyd Dowler early in the second quarter that would give Green Bay a 13-0 advantage and a 16-7 edge by halftime. Green Bay easily won the time of possession battle, holding the football for an impressive 35:54.
Kicker Don Chandler was busy this day, hitting on field goals of 39, 20, 43 and 31 yards, to go along with three PATs. After intermission, the Packers added 17 straight points – including a 60-yard interception return for a score by Hall of Fame cornerback Herb Adderley off Raiders’ quarterback Daryle Lamonica. And that day in the Orange Bowl would be capped off by Lombardi’s final ride with the franchise he had resurrected.
Next: III
MIAMI, FL – JANUARY 12, 1969: Runningback Matt Snell #41 of the New York Jets runs with the ball during Super Bowl III on January 12, 1969 against the Baltimore Colts at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. The Jets beat the Colts, 16-7.
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1969 Kidwiler Collection/Diamond Images
5. III: New York Jets 16, Baltimore Colts 7
In case it has gone unnoticed, the Colts have made a habit of playing Super Bowls in South Florida. All four the franchise’s appearances have occurred in this area. Of course, their first Super Sunday appearance is best known for what they didn’t do. Led by head coach Don Shula, the then-Baltimore Colts went 13-1 in 1968 their only loss at home to Cleveland. They would avenge that defeat by blasting the Browns in the NFL title game, 34-0, and were huge favorites to dismiss the upstart New York Jets from the American Football league.
It made sense. After all, the NFL heavyweight from Green Bay had taken care of business in the first two Super Bowls by rolling the Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders, respectively, by a combined 68-24 score. Of course, Jets’ quarterback Joe Namath uttered the G-word poolside in Miami and it was game on.
But Shula’s team was not on its game. There were five Baltimore turnovers, including three interceptions by quarterback Earl Morrall. The game’s only score of the first half came via running back Matt Snell’s four-yard run. New York’s unsung hero totaled 30 carries for 121 yards. Namath threw for 206 yards on 17-of-28 throwns and Weeb Ewbank’s club owned the ball for 36:10.
You could make a case that this is the most famous of the 10 South Florida Super Bowls. And what it lacked in thrills it made up for in its importance to the league.
Next: XLIV
4. XLIV: New Orleans Saints 31, Indianapolis Colts 17
There was a lot of discussion leading up to Super Bowl XLIV about quarterback Peyton Manning and whether a second Lombardi Trophy in four years would place him among the top players at his position in the history of the league.
Jim Caldwell’s club would take a 10-0 first-quarter lead via a 38-yard field goal from Matt Stover (Adam Vinatieri missed the majority of the season) and a Peyton Manning 19-yard TD toss to Pierre Garcon. Sean Payton’s club would settle for a pair of second-quarter field goals, the last on the final play of the half. And with the Colts’ expecting to get the ball via the second half kickoff, Payton called for an onside kick and it stunned Indianapolis. Just over three minutes later, the New Orleans Saints had the lead thanks to Drew Brees’ 16-yard pass to running back Pierre Thomas. Still, Manning and company reclaimed the lead, 17-13, on Joseph Addai’s four-yard run roughly five minutes later.’
However, the rest of the game belonged to the team from the Big Easy. Brees would finish with 288 yards through the air, connecting on 32-of-39 throws. His second touchdown pass of the game came with 5:42 to play and the team trailing by one point. The two-yard strike to tight end Jeremy Shockey was followed by a two-point conversion toss to wide receiver Lance Moore. Moments later, Saints’ cornerback Tracy Porter stepped in front of a Manning pass intended for Reggie Wayne and raced 74 yards for the exclamation point.
Next: X
3. X: Pittsburgh Steelers 21, Dallas Cowboys 17
Two weeks earlier, Pittsburgh Steelers’ wide receiver Lynn Swann had been knocked out of the AFC Championship Game in frigid Pittsburgh. There were some doubt that he might not have been able to suit up for this clash with the wild card Dallas Cowboys. He was certainly up to the task and then some.
But it was Tom Landry’s upstart team that would take the early lead as a botched punt by Chuck Noll’s squad set up Roger Staubach’s 29-yard scoring pass to wideout Drew Pearson. The defending Super Bowl champions would respond with a Terry Bradshaw short TD toss to tight end Randy Grossman.
There were so many side stories to this entertaining clash. Cowboys’ linebacker Thomas “Hollywood” Henderson almost took back the opening kickoff for a score if not for Steelers’ kicker Roy Gerela. He would suffer bruised ribs on the play and it hampered him for the rest of the game. There was Dallas’ safety Cliff Harris, who will be enshrined in Canton this August but on this afternoon would be thrown to the turf by Pittsburgh middle linebacker Jack Lambert after taunting Gerela following a missed field goal. And there was Cowboys’ wide receiver Percy Howard, who hauled in a 34-yard TD pass from Staubach with 1:48 to play. It would prove to be the only reception of his NFL career.
However, it was mostly Swann. He finished with only four receptions but for an amazing 161 yards – including the game-winning 64-yard score in the fourth quarter. And perhaps the most memorable was his 53-yard catch in the second quarter – a leaping attempt that bounced off his hands but hauled in before it touched the ground.
Next: XXIII
2. XXIII: San Francisco 49ers 20, Cincinnati Bengals 16
For the better part of three quarters, this looked like one of the worst Super Bowls. There were mistakes, missed field goals and a combined 12 points after 44:10 minutes of action.
Then in the blink of an eye, this contest became a back-and-forth affair. After the 49ers tied the score at 6-6 on Mike Cofer’s second field goal of the day, Bengals’ running back Stanford Jennings returned the ensuing kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown and Cincinnati owned a seven-point lead with 34 seconds left in the third quarter.
But four plays, 85 yards and 1:31 later, it was all even again as San Francisco quarterback Joe Montana finally got his team in the end zone, connecting from 14 yards out. The defenses took over for a spell but once again, Cincinnati grabbed the lead as a 40-ayrd field goal by Jim Breech have Sam Wyche’s squad a three-point lead with 3:20 remaining.
It took 11 plays and 92 yards for Bill Walsh’s team to capture its third Super Bowl title. Montana was brilliant and earned his “Stripes” once again as comedian John Candy watched from the stands. Rice would finish with 11 catches for 215 yards and the aforementioned score and earned game MPV honors. But it was Montana to John Taylor from 10 yards out (with 34 seconds to play) that proved to be the difference.
Next: XIII
1. XIII: Pittsburgh Steelers 35, Dallas Cowboys 31
The match-up had everything you wanted in a Super Bowl and the game lived up to its lofty billing. Either the Pittsburgh Steelers or the Dallas Cowboys would become the first franchise to win three Super Bowls. Three years earlier, Chuck Noll’s defending NFL champions held off Tom Landry’s wild card squad, 21-17. Now the clubs were back at it at the same venue, Miami’s fabled Orange Bowl, this time with a grass field and not artificial turf and in a clash that today is a who’s who from the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The ‘Boys came out strong with second-year running back Tony Dorsett running at will. Then a fumble by Drew Pearson on an attempted reverse would pave the way for Terry Bradshaw’s 28-yard TD pass to John Stallworth. But a couple of turnovers by the Steelers’ signal-caller would eventually result in Dallas taking a 14-7 second-quarter lead. However, Bradshaw found Stallworth again and a short toss turned into a 75-yard score and the teams were all even again. A third touchdown pass by the league’s MVP in 1978 and Noll’s club owned a seven-point lead at intermission.
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Dallas closed the gap to 21-17 in the third quarter after Cowboys’ star quarterback Roger Staubach and tight end Jackie Smith failed to connect on a throw when the latter was wide open. Then came the controversial pass interference call on Benny Barnes vs. Lynn Swann. It set the table for Franco Harris’ 22-yard TD run. Defensive tackle Randy White tried to pick up the sloppy ensuing kickoff but dropped the ball and linebacker “Dirt” Winston recovered. It was Bradshaw to Swann on the next play at Pittsburgh opened up a 35-17 lead and then held off a late Cowboys’ rally for the win.