Your Favorite Super Bowls and where does SB44 rank?

[jtex316]

I'm quite a Super Bowl aficionado. I've watched virtually every game and I've read about every single game. I've watched every Super Bowl consecutively since 1991, and I like to think I know a thing or two about Super Bowls.

I would say that Super Bowl 44 was an overall good Super Bowl. There wasn't an offensive explosion as we anticipated or wild lead changes, and there weren't very many big plays down the field (I believe Austin Collie had 1 40+ yard reception at the end of the game and that's the longest reception / run I can remember). The memorable play of the game was the pick-6 that Manning threw to seal the game for the Saints, followed by the onside kick at the opening of the 2nd half, which provided some excitement. Other than that, it was a very clean game - only 1 major penalty that I can think of, 1 review on the 2 point conversion attempt, and a few false start / holding calls on the Colts. The Saints did come back from 10 points down, tying a SB record, and Drew Brees completed 32 passes, which also tied an SB record.

Every year, people rush to say that the game that they just saw was the best of all-time or in their top 5, and usually forget historical super bowl perspective. I can name you five Super Bowls that were more exciting than this one:

Super Bowl 13
Super Bowl 23
Super Bowl 25
Super Bowl 42
Super Bowl 43

Yes, I picked 2 that the Giants were in, but before you call me a homer, Super Bowl 23 was an incredibly tough battle decided by the miss of a 40+ yard FG as time expired. Super Bowl 42 featured the upset of the century by the Giants beating the 18-0 Patriots (after "spygate") and with Tyree's miraculous catch.

There were other Super Bowls that I liked too, including Super Bowls 34 and 36 (high-drama, frantic finishes).

I'm not saying I didn't like Super Bowl 44, but it was more subdued than I expected.

[Dave Gray]

I think that the Giants/Pats Super Bowl of a few years ago was the best I've ever seen. 

Some recent good ones:
Rams/Pats
Titans/Rams
Giants/Pats

I also think that this Saints/Colts Super Bowls was very entertaining and in the top 25% of the ones I've watched in my life.  I was used to the Super Bowl being a blowout, but this was a game that was a lot closer than the score.  It looked like it was going to overtime and then you saw one of the greatest players in NFL history make a critical error to end the game.  Memorable.

[Brian Fein]

I think last year's Steelers Cardinals was a good one too.  That catch by Holmes inside 2 minutes to take the lead...?

I agree that the Rams Titans was probably the best one ever.  Pats Rams and Pats Giants and Giants Bills.  I can't really remember much other than those as far as nail-biter potential.  I somehow remember Atlanta Denver being a good game too...

But still, this was a very good game to watch, and was much closer than the 14 point spread indicated.

[YoFuggedaboutit]

How could anyone forget the Broncos/Packers one after the 1997 season?  That game was a see-saw all the way through.

[Sunstroke]

As a 49ers fan, most Dolphins fans don't want to hear about my favorite super bowls...

I thought this SB was a little light on the beef, given the amount of sizzle it had going for it. I thought last year's Steelers-Cards SB was a more enjoyable game to watch.

[Frimp]

Broncos/Packers
Patsies/Rams, Panthers
Cards/Steelers
Titans/Rams
Steelers/Cowboys
and of course, Giants/Patsies

This one is top 10 though

[Spider-Dan]

I doubt any Super Bowl will ever top XLII for me.

In fact, the only way I can even see it being possible is if MIA played another undefeated team in the Super Bowl and beat them.

[Thundergod]

Seen every SB since '86, and after much thought and re-shuffling, gotta go with this top 5.

1. XXV New York 20, Buffalo 19
2. XXXIV St. Louis 23, Tennessee 16
3. XLII New York 17, New England 14
4. XXXVI New England 20, St. Louis 17
5. XLIII Pittsburgh 27 Arizona 23

SB 44 is top 10 i'm sure.

[jtex316]

Seen every SB since '86, and after much thought and re-shuffling, gotta go with this top 5.

1. XXV New York 20, Buffalo 19
2. XXXIV St. Louis 23, Tennessee 16
3. XLII New York 17, New England 14
4. XXXVI New England 20, St. Louis 17
5. XLIII Pittsburgh 27 Arizona 23

SB 44 is top 10 i'm sure.

I like this list (it's pretty much mine).

I like Super Bowl 13 a lot. It's a rematch of Super Bowl 10, which was also a good game and the final score was close. Both teams had won a Super Bowl and it was a shootout - and who can forget that dropped pass in the end-zone? "He's GOT to be the sickest man in America!!"

[Dave Gray]

I think the one thing that holds SB44 back from being a legendary game is that is was lost in the hands of its superstars, rather than won.

We saw the best player on the field make a mistake to seal the deal.  Granted, it was a good defensive play, but in the best games, you see the Superstars step up and perform at their highest level.  As good as Fitzgerald was in SB43, his great play was matched by that amazing catch by Holmes.

Still a pretty good game, though, and one that ranks probably just outside of my top 5.

[jtex316]

I think SB44 (I just watched NFL replay of it yesterday) lacked big "fireworks" from Super Bowls past. There were hardly any long bombs, breakout runs, or kickoff returns like Devin Hester. It was a good game, but the #1 and #2 offenses in the NFL should have put up HUGE yards and HUGE numbers, like the Cardinals / Packers wild card game of this year.

It's almost as if both QB's played it as safe as they possibly could, and did not take many deep aerial shots, if any really (Again there was one 40 yard catch I believe in the entire game and that was it).

This game does not make my top 5 Super Bowls and struggles to remain in the top 10. Special Teams actually turned out to really win the game (3 long FG's and 1 onside kick recovery) were the big differences for the Saints that the Colts did not have.

[MaineDolFan]

I realize some of the older folks of the board haven't chimed in yet, but I am surprised that Super Bowl XXIII hasn't been mentioned between the Bengals and 49ers.

3:10 left.  Cincy up 16-13.  San Fran deep in their own territory, starting at their own 8.  With :35 seconds left Montana finds John Taylor for the game winning touchdown.  The 49ers were huge favorites in this one and the Bengals gave them everything they could handle and more.  Half time the score was 3-3. 

People talk about Elway's drive V Cleveland as "the drive."  The last drive of this game was a surgeon at work.  11 plays.  92 yards.  102 yards if you include a 10 yard penalty at mid field.  Chewed up almost every second left on the clock giving Cincy basically nothing to work with to end the game.

Best Super Bowl I ever watched.

Close second would be the Panthers - Patriots shoot out.

[Sunstroke]

^^^ That was a great SB, no doubt about it. I actually spent most of the second half of that game having sex on the floor in front of the TV with a new girlfriend (my requirement for sex during a SB). When Taylor scored the go-ahead TD, I damned near hurt the poor girl on the upstroke.

[Thundergod]

I realize some of the older folks of the board haven't chimed in yet, but I am surprised that Super Bowl XXIII hasn't been mentioned between the Bengals and 49ers.

Totally forgot about that one. I'm ashamed. Yeah, that was a good SB.

[jtex316]

I liked Super Bowl 23 but the game itself didn't really get interesting until this point in my opinion. I would say Super Bowl 23 is higher rated in my brain than Super Bowl 44, because that was Bill Walsh's final game, his 3rd NFL Title and the best damn drive ever. Jerry Rice also had 215 receiving yards.