Most exciting Super Bowl

Saints Rest

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There was some talk in another thread about how the Pats have played in some of the most exciting SuperBowls in history.
I thought it would be interesting to have a thread here to discuss the most exciting games through all 51 games. Then maybe a poll once we get a good number of nominees.

So that this doesn't devolve into a complete navel-gazing exercise, let's stipulate that all 7 Brady Super Bowls will advance to the final poll. Instead please nominate any and all non-TB12 Super Bowls.

I'll start with two:
Super Bowl XXXIV (34). St. Louis Rams beat Tennessee Titans 23-16.
(from Wikipedia)
The first two quarters of Super Bowl XXXIV were largely a defensive battle. Despite outgaining the Titans in total offensive yards in the first half, 294–89,[8] the Rams held only a 9–0 halftime lead on three field goals. St. Louis later scored their first touchdown midway through the 3rd quarter to go up 16–0. Tennessee then responded by scoring 16 consecutive points to tie the game with 2:12 left in regulation. This was the largest deficit to be erased in a Super Bowl and the first deficit that was greater than 10 points. On the Rams' ensuing drive, quarterback Kurt Warner completed a 73-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Isaac Bruce to regain the lead. The Titans then drove to the St. Louis 10-yard line with six seconds remaining, but on the final play of the game, Rams linebacker Mike Jones tackled Tennessee wide receiver Kevin Dyson one yard short of the goal line to prevent a potential game-tying touchdown. This play went into NFL lore as One Yard Short, or simply The Tackle.[9] Warner was then named Super Bowl MVP, becoming the sixth player to win both that award and the NFL MVP during the same season.[10][11] At the time, his 414 passing yards and 45 pass attempts without an interception broke Super Bowl records.

Super Bowl XXIII (23). SF 49ers beat Cincinnati Bengals 20-16.

(from Wikipedia)
The game is best remembered for the 49ers' fourth-quarter game-winning drive. Down 16–13, San Francisco got the ball on their own eight-yard line with 3:10 on the clock and marched 92 yards down the field in under three minutes. They then scored the winning touchdown on a Joe Montana pass to John Taylor with just 34 seconds left in the game. The game was tight throughout. The teams combined for 5 field goals, and battled to a 3–3 score by the end of the second quarter, the first halftime tie in Super Bowl history. Cincinnati's only touchdown, a 93-yard kickoff return by Stanford Jennings in the third quarter, was quickly answered by a four-play, 85-yard drive that ended with San Francisco wide receiver Jerry Rice's 14-yard touchdown reception. Rice, who was named the Super Bowl MVP, caught 11 passes for a Super Bowl record 215 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing once for 5 yards.
 

jablo1312

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Super Bowl XLIII. Featuring one of the 4-5 most insane plays in Super Bowl history (Harrison's 100 yard INT return to end the 1st half). 2 monster Larry Fitz TD's int he 4th quarter, including the go ahead 64 yard score with less than 3 minutes remaining, a TD that came 2 plays after the Steelers conceded a safety. Capped off with a game winning drive from Roethlisberger and one of the best catches you'll ever see from Santonio Holmes.

Game was somewhat of a dud but then came to life during the last 15 minutes. The 2nd Larry Fitz TD is one my all time "holy shit" moments that doesn't involve a team I directly root for.
 

Bergs

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I would say the Scottish Game has to be up there for non-Pats fans.
 

jsinger121

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Super Bowl XXXII - Elway's 1st title where he flew and spun through the air
Super Bowl XXV - Scott Norwood miss
Super Bowl XXXVI - Pats 1st Title
 

Spacemans Bong

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XXIII was one of those boring games that exploded late. Nothing happened until Stanford Jennings's run. It's probably a little overrated, both for the archetypal Montana drive and the fact it came during a spell of very dull Super Bowls where the AFC team got their asses whipped.

Super Bowl V should *not* be on the list, even though it's the first Super Bowl to end on a field goal. By all accounts, it was a miserably played game.
 

BigSoxFan

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I would say the Scottish Game has to be up there for non-Pats fans.
I’ll submit that the Scottish Game was kind of boring until the sad ending. Started out with long, methodical FG drive by Giants. Then, Pats scored TD. Then you had one more Giants TD until deep into the 4th. Maybe it’s because i’m repressing the memory but I was there and really don’t remember much of the game. Only play that I really remember before the ending was the Giants fumble deep in their territory that we somehow didn’t come up with.
 

Ale Xander

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Seahawks Pats
Bengals Niners
Giants 20 Bills 19

Not sure in what order.

Falcons Pats and Titans Rams round out top 5 for me.

Steelers Cards wasn't bad either.
 

Spacemans Bong

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I’ll submit that the Scottish Game was kind of boring until the sad ending. Started out with long, methodical FG drive by Giants. Then, Pats scored TD. Then you had one more Giants TD until deep into the 4th. Maybe it’s because i’m repressing the memory but I was there and really don’t remember much of the game. Only play that I really remember before the ending was the Giants fumble deep in their territory that we somehow didn’t come up with.
It was probably boring without context but with the context it's...well, you know.
 

Ale Xander

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Seahawks Pats
Bengals Niners
Giants 20 Bills 19

Not sure in what order.

Falcons Pats and Titans Rams round out top 5 for me.

Steelers Cards wasn't bad either.
I can't read

Nominating Steelers Cards and Broncos Packers among ones not mentioned before.
 

E5 Yaz

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Steelers-Cardinals and Bengals-49ers are the first that came to mind
 

tims4wins

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XLVIII

Seahawks 43, Broncos 8.

I have never enjoyed a non-Pats Super Bowl more than that glorious, glorious night.
 

BigSoxFan

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XLVIII

Seahawks 43, Broncos 8.

I have never enjoyed a non-Pats Super Bowl more than that glorious, glorious night.
I went to that one and it was almost as fun as the Pats SB wins. Broncos fans were so sure of a victory and then watched their team get absolutely trucked. Sadly, the pain was erased 2 years later.
 

tims4wins

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I went to that one and it was almost as fun as the Pats SB wins. Broncos fans were so sure of a victory and then watched their team get absolutely trucked. Sadly, the pain was erased 2 years later.
The Broncos winning in 2015 was probably the least deserved title ever. That sucked. That team had to have so many things go their way just to be the 1 seed. Then they were so ridiculously lucky to beat a Steelers team that didn't have AB.
 

Wallball Tingle

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It's supposedly bad luck to say Macbeth in the theater world, so people call it the "Scottish play". I don't remember who coined "Scottish game" but it's genius.
 

loshjott

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Nah, too obvious. I'm sure Cafardo or whoever had Notes back then wrote "Worcester's own". Not even the best obvious nickname - Eyechart for Mientkiewicz was better.

The genius of this is it's somewhat obscure yet perfect, drop dead perfect, for the game.
It's much better than the riff on "he who must not be named" that we started with.

I wish I could claim credit for the Scottish Game but it wasn't me.
 

E5 Yaz

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Well, the search only goes back to 2015 on the phrase. It's him unless for some reason any mention of it was made in the 7 years in between but not found in the search
 

Leather

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Jul 18, 2005
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The Broncos winning in 2015 was probably the least deserved title ever. That sucked. That team had to have so many things go their way just to be the 1 seed. Then they were so ridiculously lucky to beat a Steelers team that didn't have AB.
Note: I don't think the game is rigged.

That being said, if I was looking for a place to start such a conspiracy, I would not be looking at the Patriots, but at the 2015 Broncos. Even in the Super Bowl, SUPER BOWL L, the big 5-0, so easy to hype/script as the New Exciting Guy (Newton) vs. the Old Traditional Guy (Manning) who was looking to one-up his old rival (Brady) for the final time*, turned out to be a shit show, with Newton suddenly forgetting how to fucking play football. The Broncos got 4 turnovers, and needed every single one. Oh, and the Panthers were penalized 12/101 vs 6/51. Then the corporate kiss-ass at the end with Manning and Papa John...Jesus.

*Eat it, asshole.
 

Hoya81

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More of a great ending (rest of the game was a bit of a slog) but Super Bowl XXIII has Montana putting together a 92 yard drive to finish off the Bengals. I was 7 and remember asking my dad if Joe Montana would ever play for the Pats and he said something like “I hope not for his sake”.

The NFL put it up on YouTube a few years ago and the 80’s game seems so much slower now.

 

wilked

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I have Super Bowl XXV at the top, and it will be hard to top.

Before the first snap you've got the backdrop of the Gulf War, Whitney singing that anthem, and the place was electrified. You've got David vs Goliath, offense vs defense, hall of fame coach vs hall of fame coach.

Then you've got the actual game, tight game throughout, ending with a win or lose kick. It's hard to even think how you would top it
 

Leather

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I have Super Bowl XXV at the top, and it will be hard to top.

Before the first snap you've got the backdrop of the Gulf War, Whitney singing that anthem, and the place was electrified. You've got David vs Goliath, offense vs defense, hall of fame coach vs hall of fame coach.

Then you've got the actual game, tight game throughout, ending with a win or lose kick. It's hard to even think how you would top it
Pats/Rams had a similar David v Goliath angle, plus the whole 9/11 backdrop, and the first halftime show of the recent iteration with a band actually performing (and a tribute to 9/11 victims, no less) instead of a shitty hodge-podge (which is now coming back into vogue, for better and for worse).
 

dynomite

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Super Bowl X (Steelers 21, Cowboys 17) and XVII (Redskins 27, Dolphins 17) deserve mention as two of the rare pre-90s Super Bowls to actually be close in the 4th.
Super Bowl X (Steelers 21, Cowboys 17) would be near the top of any list if more of us were alive at the time/watching the game.

From what I’ve heard that game is legendary. It matched up the two best coaches and franchises in that era, and the 4th quarter was bonkers: Cowboys were up 10-7, then the Steelers went up 21-10 (on a bomb to Swann where Bradshaw got knocked out), then Staubach made it 21-17 and got the ball back with 1:22 to drive for the win. He almost made it, too — Steelers picked it in the end zone.

 
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Al Zarilla

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More of a great ending (rest of the game was a bit of a slog) but Super Bowl XXIII has Montana putting together a 92 yard drive to finish off the Bengals. I was 7 and remember asking my dad if Joe Montana would ever play for the Pats and he said something like “I hope not for his sake”.

The NFL put it up on YouTube a few years ago and the 80’s game seems so much slower now.

I was watching with my oldest son and I said 49ers ought to put in Steve Young for that drive. Shows you how dumb a guy could be, although Steve was great too once he got up on the system. But, Joe had it ("hey, there's John Candy down there in the end zone").
 

DennyDoyle'sBoil

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It doesn't belong on this list, but for the sake of completeness XXX was actually kind of exciting -- for a moment. The Steelers mounted a comeback and actually got the ball with 4 minutes left down by 3, with a chance to win or tie. The drama didn't last long, though, because Neil O'Donnell quickly threw a pick, Dallas scored, and that was that.

It was simplyeric, wasn't it?
Hmm. Even a blind squirrel, I guess. I kid, eric, I kid. Kind of. :0)
 

dbn

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I have Super Bowl XXV at the top, and it will be hard to top.

Before the first snap you've got the backdrop of the Gulf War, Whitney singing that anthem, and the place was electrified. You've got David vs Goliath, offense vs defense, hall of fame coach vs hall of fame coach.

Then you've got the actual game, tight game throughout, ending with a win or lose kick. It's hard to even think how you would top it
You left out the best part!
 

Al Zarilla

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It doesn't belong on this list, but for the sake of completeness XXX was actually kind of exciting -- for a moment. The Steelers mounted a comeback and actually got the ball with 4 minutes left down by 3, with a chance to win or tie. The drama didn't last long, though, because Neil O'Donnell quickly threw a pick, Dallas scored, and that was that.
XIV was good that way too as the Rams had the lead over the Steelers going into the fourth quarter. With Bradshaw vs. Ferragamo though, you knew it couldn't last.
 

8slim

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XIV was good that way too as the Rams had the lead over the Steelers going into the fourth quarter. With Bradshaw vs. Ferragamo though, you knew it couldn't last.
Just realizing that this SB was played at the Rose Bowl. I get that no team has ever played in their home stadium in a SB, but the Rams playing in Pasadena sure seems close enough to count it.
 

Al Zarilla

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Just realizing that this SB was played at the Rose Bowl. I get that no team has ever played in their home stadium in a SB, but the Rams playing in Pasadena sure seems close enough to count it.
Talked about somewhere else, also, Dolphins/49ers at Stanford for SB XIX. The "He lost, but Dan Marino will get back to many more of these" bowl.
 

TheoShmeo

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Another vote for the Cards-Steelers game. Back and forth. The Holmes catch. The incredible play by Patriots Hero James Harrison. I would put that SB at the top of the list of games not involving the Pats.

The destruction of Peyton was the most enjoyable non-Pats SB, not the most exciting.

And here's a vote to ignore both of the Abominations when we start putting the lists together. Accuracy is less important than sanity.
 

8slim

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Talked about somewhere else, also, Dolphins/49ers at Stanford for SB XIX. The "He lost, but Dan Marino will get back to many more of these" bowl.
Oh, right. That too.

Not to derail, but in looking at Wikipedia at a list of regions that have hosted the game, surprising that cities like Charlotte, Nashville and Washington have never been selected.
 

Buffalo Head

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A vastly underrated exciting Super Bowl was XIV in 1980 between the Steelers and Rams. On one side, the final jewel of the Pittsburgh dynasty of the 1970s, going for their fourth title in six years. That was also, I believe, the only team in Super Bowl history with a roster comprised entirely of original draft picks and UFAs. On the other side, a 9-7 Rams team -- the worst record to appear in a Super Bowl -- led by a back-up QB (Vince Ferragamo), having ended Roger Staubach's career in the divisional round.

The Steelers were, predictably, a huge favorite, but the Rams kept the game close throughout and actually led 19-17 entering the fourth quarter, going ahead on a halfback-option TD pass. It took an epic Bradshaw-to-Stallworth 73-yard TD bomb early in the fourth to wrest the lead back for the final time at 24-19 (the seventh lead-change of the game). The Rams defender just missed knocking the ball away on the play and it made for a terrific SI cover shot.

The Rams had one final drive to take the lead back, but Ferragamo got picked off by Jack Lambert in Pittsburgh territory, then Bradshaw hit Stallworth again on a long bomb to set up the TD that made it 31-19.
 

dcmissle

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I had a pretty big parlay on the Giants +7.5 and Under 40.

Wide right won the bet for me.

So SB 25 it is.
You got 7.5? Good Lord.

BB’s defensive game plan for that game is in the museum in Canton. He composed it while flying from SF back to NY after Giants beat the 49ers.
 

Spelunker

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You left out the best part!
What the living fuck. I somehow missed this at the time. Were people recovering from an 80s cocaine hangover?

edit: what the fuck is Warren Moon doing on stage? That has to be embarrassing after he was trounced earlier in the playoffs.
 
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