The five best Super Bowl matchups ever

Super Bowl XLIX is a fantastic matchup, with the Seattle Seahawks taking on the New England Patriots. Seattle is looking for its second consecutive championship while New England hopes for its fourth since 2001.

So is this the best Super Bowl matchup? Well, not quite. Here are the top five of all-time:

5. Super Bowl XLII: New York Giants vs. New England Patriots

These two teams had played in Week 17, and the Giants almost knocked off the undefeated Patriots. When the teams got together a month later, New England was expected to complete its perfect season. Still, New York had respect going in and showed why, holding the Patriots’ prolific offense to 14 points in a stunning 17-14 win. The Giants would win another Super Bowl four years later, once again defeating Tom Brady and Bill Belichick in heart-stopping fashion.

4. Super Bowl XVIII: Los Angeles Raiders vs. Washington Redskins

Washington and Los Angeles had played earlier in the 1983 season, and the Redskins prevailed late on a Joe Washington touchdown. The Redskins were defending champs and the highest-scoring offense in NFL history to that point, and were thought superior to the Raiders. However, Los Angeles had a great front featuring Howie Long, Lyle Alzado and Ted Hendricks. Los Angeles rolled Washington 38-9, punctuated by Marcus Allen’s famous 74-yard touchdown scamper in the third quarter.

3. Super Bowl XXVII: Dallas Cowboys vs. Buffalo Bills

The game featured a bevy of future Hall of Fame players, including Troy Aikman, Jim Kelly, Emmitt Smith, Thurman Thomas, Michael Irvin, Andre Reed and Bruce Smith. Buffalo was making its third straight trip to the Super Bowl, having lost in both prior appearances. Dallas was a team on the rise, and it proved why in a 52-17 rout of the Bills. It would be the first of three championships in four seasons, establishing a dynasty for head coach Jimmy Johnson and his Cowboys.

2. Super Bowl XIII: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Dallas Cowboys

Few games will ever have the star-power this one can boast. The Steelers had an incredible nine starters who ended up in the Hall of Fame, while the Cowboys had Roger Staubach, Randy White, Rayfield Wright and Tony Dorsett. The teams had both won two Super Bowls in the 1970’s leading up to the contest, including when Pittsburgh topped Dallas in Super Bowl X. The Steelers emerged victorious once again, beating the Cowboys 35-31. It was the first time Terry Bradshaw threw for 300 yards in his career.

1. Super Bowl XIX: San Francisco 49ers vs. Miami Dolphins

No game had more buildup than Super Bowl XIX. Dam Marino vs. Joe Montana. Bill Walsh vs. Don Shula. Despite the 49ers going 15-1 in 1984, the Dolphins were only three-point underdogs and the trendy pick going into the contest. San Francisco never allowed the game to be in doubt, rolling to a 28-16 halftime lead before finishing off Marino and Shula by shutting them out in the second half. In the 38-16 victory, the 49ers won their second Super Bowl and continued the march to their Team of the ’80’s moniker.

About Matt Verderame

Matt Verderame, 26, is a New Yorker who went to school at the frozen tundra of SUNY Oswego. After graduating, Verderame has worked for Gannett and SB Nation among other ventures.

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