Rating the ten earlier Tremendous Bowls held in New Orleans

With the Tremendous Bowl set to be performed in New Orleans for a record-tying eleventh time, now is a superb alternative to look again on the earlier 10 Tremendous Bowls hosted by town. A lot of these Tremendous Bowls in New Orleans have launched or validated among the biggest dynasties in NFL historical past, and have additionally been the finale to among the biggest postseason runs we’ve got ever seen. With this in thoughts, and Tremendous Bowl LIX on the horizon, let’s take look again and rank the earlier Tremendous Bowls hosted by New Orleans.

10. Tremendous Bowl VI (6): Dallas Cowboys 24, Miami Dolphins 3 (1971 season)

Coming into this Tremendous Bowl the Dallas Cowboys had come to be often called “next year’s champions” because of their current proclivity for shedding on the massive stage. Regardless of a 52-16-2 file and a roster filled with Corridor of Famers, over the earlier 5 seasons the Cowboys had misplaced two NFL Championship Video games and Tremendous Bowl V the earlier 12 months. The Cowboys would show their greatness in Tremendous Bowl VI nevertheless by dominating the Miami Dolphins in a 21-point win. The distinction between this and the earlier Cowboy groups would show to be future Corridor of Fame quarterback Roger Staubach. After successful an early season QB controversy, Staubach went 13-0 in video games he began and received Tremendous Bowl MVP.

The sport was comparatively mundane, because the Dolphins had been unable to seek out the top zone, making them the one crew to fail to attain a landing within the Tremendous Bowl till the Rams in 2018. Mike Ditka caught a landing go early within the 4th quarter to seal the Cowboys first ever championship, whereas cornerback Herb Adderley received his third Tremendous Bowl within the final six years after successful Tremendous Bowls I and II with Inexperienced Bay. This may be the final sport the Dolphins would lose till the 1973 season.

Picture by Give attention to Sport by way of Getty Photos

9. Tremendous Bowl XII (12): Dallas Cowboys 27, Denver Broncos 10 (1977 season)

One other uncompetitive Tremendous Bowl that includes the Cowboys, this time towards a Broncos crew that includes an all-time nice protection often called the “Orange Crush”. Denver had overwhelmed the Oakland Raiders and the Pittsburgh Steelers within the AFC playoffs, the 2 groups that had mixed to win the earlier three Tremendous Bowls, however nonetheless entered the primary ever Tremendous Bowl performed within the Superdome as 6-point underdogs to the powerhouse Cowboys. Denver starter Craig Morton, the quarterback that Roger Staubach had overwhelmed out in Dallas in 1971, would full the identical variety of passes to the Cowboys as he did to the Broncos, throwing 4 interceptions and finishing simply 4 of 15 passes, solely one in all which went for optimistic yards. The Broncos had been unable to maintain up with Staubach and rookie operating again Tony Dorsett, as they might fail to attain any factors within the first half and fourth quarter. This sport would cement the Cowboys legacy within the Seventies, successful their second world title through the decade.

Picture by Sylvia Allen/Getty Photos

8. Tremendous Bowl XV (15): Oakland Raiders 27, Philadelphia Eagles 10 (1980 season)

One other unremarkable Tremendous Bowl due to unhealthy quarterback play on behalf of the shedding crew. Eagles quarterback Ron Jaworski would throw 3 interceptions (all to Raiders linebacker Rod Martin) and lose one fumble because the Eagles wouldn’t discover the endzone till the 4th quarter when the sport was already in hand. The Raiders would turn out to be the primary ever wild card crew to win the Tremendous Bowl, as quarterback Jim Plunkett was named MVP following a 3-touchdown sport. There was extra drama off the sector than on throughout this Tremendous Bowl, as previous to the season NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle had denied Raiders proprietor Al Davis’s request to maneuver his crew to Los Angeles. This may lead Davis to sue Rozelle and the NFL for the proper to maneuver his crew, a lawsuit that was ongoing on the time Rozelle offered Davis with the Lombardi Trophy.

7. Tremendous Bowl XXIV (24): San Francisco 49ers 55, Denver Broncos 10 (1989 season)

The biggest margin of victory and probably the most factors ever scored in a Tremendous Bowl is an effective way to cement your legacy. The 49ers led by Joe Montana and Jerry Rice utterly dominated John Elway’s Broncos, scoring precisely two touchdowns in each single quarter. Montana and Rice would set the file for many landing passes and landing receptions in a single Tremendous Bowl with 5 and three respectively, whereas Montana received his then file third Tremendous Bowl MVP. The 49ers repeated as Tremendous Bowl champions whereas the Broncos misplaced their third Tremendous Bowl prior to now 4 years by a mixed rating of 136-40. The sport, whereas a blowout, was nonetheless thrilling all through given the sheer degree of domination leveed by the 49ers offense, and the greatness on show by Montana and Rice.

SetNumber: X19240

6. Tremendous Bowl IX (9): Pittsburgh Steelers 16, Minnesota Vikings 6 (1974 season)

A slugfest in each sense of the phrase between two of the best defenses in NFL historical past, Tremendous Bowl IX matched the Metal Curtain vs the Purple Individuals Eaters, defenses which featured a mixed eight future Corridor of Famers between them. Regardless of a matchup of future Corridor of Fame quarterbacks Terry Bradshaw and Fran Tarkenton, the 2 defenses dominated all through, because the rating at halftime was a measly 2-0 following a security pressured by Pittsburgh. The Vikings offense can be shutout, as their solely factors got here by the use of a blocked punt returned for a landing within the fourth quarter. This may pull the Vikings to inside 3, however the Steelers responded with an 11-play 66-yard landing drive lasting 6:47 which put them up by 10.

The distinction proved to be Steelers operating again Franco Harris, who ran 34 occasions for a then Tremendous Bowl file 158 yards and one landing. The Steelers solely gave up 119 complete yards, nonetheless the fewest quantity of yards ever given up in a Tremendous Bowl. This may be the Vikings second Tremendous Bowl loss in a row, and the third of in the end 4 misplaced by the crew within the decade. The Steelers had been a playoff crew the earlier two years, however this 12 months had been supplemented by a draft through which they chose 4 future Corridor of Famers and signed a fifth as a UDFA. This may be the primary of 4 Tremendous Bowls in a six-year interval for the Steelers, beginning a dynasty many would take into account to be the best of all-time in a single decade.

Picture by Wealthy Pilling/Diamond Photos by way of Getty Photos

5. Tremendous Bowl XX (20): Chicago Bears 46, New England Patriots 10 (1985 season)

One other sport which showcased one of the vital dominant groups in NFL historical past, the New England Patriots merely didn’t belong on the identical subject because the ‘85 Chicago Bears. A Patriots upset of the Miami Dolphins in the AFC championship game prevented a rematch with the only team that had beaten the Bears that season, as New England advanced to their first ever Super Bowl, doing so as a wild card team. The game did not start so smoothly for the Bears, as Walter Payton fumbled on the second play of the game leading to the Patriots taking a 3-0 lead, the first points the Bears had allowed that postseason (yes you read that right). The Bears would then score 44 unanswered points, capped off by a 1-yard touchdown run by William “The Refrigerator” Perry. Despite being a blowout, the ‘85 Bears are perhaps the greatest team and defense we have ever seen in a single season. After the game both head coach Mike Ditka and defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan were carried off the field by the Bears players, the only time two coaches have been carried off the field after a Super Bowl. This would be Ditka’s third Tremendous Bowl win in New Orleans, the primary two coming as a participant after which as an assistant coach each with the Cowboys. This sport was probably the most considered Tremendous Bowl on the time and completed because the second most considered of the twentieth century.

4. Tremendous Bowl IV (4): Kansas Metropolis Chiefs 23, Minnesota Vikings 7 (1969 season)

The ultimate Tremendous Bowl earlier than the NFL-AFL merger, the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs validated the AFL’s place as a league equal to the NFL following the New York Jets upset of the Baltimore Colts the 12 months earlier than with their very own upset of the Minnesota Vikings. The primary ever Tremendous Bowl performed in New Orleans additionally featured the primary time a coach wore a microphone through the Tremendous Bowl, as Chiefs coach Hank Stram’s quotes from the sideline through the sport turned among the most well-known NFL Movies clips of all-time. The Chiefs earned redemption for his or her loss in Tremendous Bowl I, as their protection, which featured an unbelievable six future Corridor of Famers, would utterly dominate the Vikings for your entire sport. The Chiefs opened up a 16 level lead within the first half following a 5-yard landing run on the play often called 65 toss energy lure. The Vikings would ultimately discover the top zone, however Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson would matriculate his manner down the sector and throw a sport sealing 46-yard landing go late within the third quarter.

SetNumber: X52104

3. Tremendous Bowl XXXI (31): Inexperienced Bay Packers 35, New England Patriots 21 (1996 season)

The Inexperienced Bay Packers made their return to the Tremendous Bowl after successful the primary two ever performed below coach Vince Lombardi. Now competing for the trophy named after their former coach, the Packers met the Patriots making their second journey to the Tremendous Bowl, this time below future Corridor of Fame coach Invoice Parcells who had turned the crew round from a 2-14 file simply 4 seasons prior. The Packers, led by Brett Favre on offense and Reggie White on protection, would maintain a 27-14 lead at halftime after trailing 14-10 early thanks to 2 50+ yard landing passes by Favre. The Patriots would lower the result in 27-21 within the third quarter, however return specialist and sport MVP Desmond Howard would return the following kickoff 99 yards for a landing to place the Packers again up by two scores. White would have a Tremendous Bowl file three sacks, together with one which all however sealed the Packers’ first Tremendous Bowl title since Tremendous Bowl II. White would famously run across the perimeter of the sector within the Superdome holding the Lombardi Trophy excessive over his head to have fun the win.

2. Tremendous Bowl XLVII (47): Baltimore Ravens 34, San Francisco 49ers 31 (2012 season)

The latest Tremendous Bowl in New Orleans is maybe probably the most notorious. Due to a partial energy outage within the Superdome, the sport was delayed for 34 minutes early within the third quarter with the Ravens holding a 28-6 lead. The 49ers and quarterback Colin Kaepernick would benefit from the delay, and rating 17 unanswered factors within the third quarter to chop the result in 5. The 49ers would have an opportunity to win the sport on their closing drive nonetheless down 5 factors, and managed to set themselves up with a 1st-and-goal from the Ravens 7-yard line with simply over two minutes remaining. The drive would stall nevertheless, due to Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith getting away with a go interference on 4th down within the eyes of some. This may be the primary Tremendous Bowl the 49ers franchise would lose after successful their earlier 5 journeys. This sport would even be the final within the careers of each Ray Lewis and Randy Moss, arguably the best defensive and offensive gamers within the league within the late Nineteen Nineties and 2000s.

Picture by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe by way of Getty Photos

1. Tremendous Bowl XXXVI (36): New England Patriots 20, St. Louis Rams 17 (2001 season)

Up till this level, the Patriots had not fared too properly within the Tremendous Bowl. Making their third look within the Tremendous Bowl, all of which in New Orleans, the Patriots entered the sport as 14-point underdogs to the St. Louis Rams and their Best Present on Turf offense. The Rams had received the Tremendous Bowl two years prior after a beforehand unknown backup QB Kurt Warner took over within the preseason following an damage to starter Trent Inexperienced. Now, the Patriots had been additionally led by an unknown backup QB named Tom Brady who took over for starter Drew Bledsoe who sustained an damage in Week 2 towards the Jets. On this similar sport, a Jets fumble can be reversed by a bit recognized rule referred to as the Tuck Rule, a rule that will later assist the Patriots attain the Tremendous Bowl in New Orleans.

The Patriots would construct a 17-3 lead late within the third quarter, because the Invoice Belichick coached protection would stymie the Best Present on Turf for the primary three quarters. Warner and the Rams would mount a comeback nevertheless, scoring two touchdowns within the 4th quarter to tie the sport at 17 with 1:30 remaining within the sport. The Patriots took over on their very own 17-yard line with no timeouts left, and had been nonetheless simply on their very own 41-yard line with 29 seconds left to go. Brady would then hit receiver Troy Brown over the center for a achieve of 23 yards to arrange a 48-yard subject purpose made by Adam Vinatieri for the win, the primary Tremendous Bowl ever received on the ultimate play of the sport. The win can be the start of the Patriots dynasty which lasted till 2018 and earned six Tremendous Bowl titles and 9 appearances general.