Top 5 Super Bowl’s at the Superdome
Super Bowl XLVII will take place on February 3, 2013 in New Orleans, LA at the Superdome. Some of the greatest Super Bowl’s in NFL history took place in that very stadium. Since Super Bowl XII on January 15, 1978, there have been six Super Bowl’s in the Superdome. Those Super Bowl’s included names such as Roger Staubach, Mike Singletary, Joe Montana, Brett Favre, Tom Brady and Kurt Warner. All of those names carry an aura about them, and without further ado. Here are the Top five Super Bowls at the Superdome.
5. Super Bowl XV: Oakland Raiders vs. Philadelphia Eagles
On January 25, 1981 Super Bowl XV was held at the Superdome and it was a game for the ages. The main story line going into the game was whether the undisciplined, wild and rambunctious Oakland Raiders could beat the strict disciplinarian Philadelphia Eagles.
Raiders’ owner Al Davis was also suing the NFL at the time for the Raiders right to move the team to Los Angeles, and many news outlets speculated whether NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle, would present the Lombardi trophy to Davis if the Raiders won or not, because of the legal battle. However the Raiders eventually dominated the Philadelphia Eagles and Rozelle did indeed present the Lombardi trophy to Al Davis.
This game was one of the best at the Superdome, because of the controversy entering the game. Everyone knew that if the Raiders had won, then it would cement Al Davis as one of the greatest owners in NFL history and validate his management decisions. That is exactly what Super Bowl XV did for Al Davis, and made the Oakland Raiders one of the greatest franchises in NFL history.
4. Super Bowl XXXI: New England Patriots vs. Green Bay Packers
On January 26, 1997 Super Bowl XXXI was held at the Superdome, and it was kind of a reunion party for Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre. Favre grew up on the panhandle in Mississippi and his performance was nothing short of brilliant.
However it was Desmond Howard, the Packers return specialist that stole the show. Howard was able to make a 99 yard kickoff return touchdown to take the wind out of the sails of the New England Patriots who managed to bring the game back within six points on the previous play.
The Packers ended up beating the Patriots 21-35, and placed Brett Favre right up there as one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history.
3. Super Bowl XXIV: San Francisco 49ers vs. Denver Broncos
On January 28, 1990 Super Bowl XXIV was held at the Superdome and this game marked the completion of the San Francisco 49ers 80′s dynasty. After this game, the 49ers became the team of the decade, and boy did they make a statement against the Denver Broncos that day.
The 49ers beat the Broncos 55-10 and Joe Montana had one of the greatest Super Bowl performances of all time with five touchdown passes finishing with a passer rating of 147.6. That game defined what the San Francisco 49ers were in the 80′s as one of the most dominant teams in the history of the NFL.
Is it a glorified 49ers love fest type of game? Yes, but when you put on a performance so great people start to talk about a 49ers three-peat next season. You know it has to rank high on this list.
2. Super Bowl XX: Chicago Bears vs. New England Patriots
On January 26, 1986 Super Bowl XX was held at the Superdome and it ranks pretty high among the greatest Super Bowls ever played. It was the culmination of one of the greatest teams in NFL history in the 1985 Chicago Bears making their first appearance in a Super Bowl and winning it as well.
It was a complete domination of the New England Patriots with a final score of 46-10 that included a safety and 1 interception for a touchdown. Blowouts don’t always seem to be the best candidates for being ranked on this list, but it has more to do with how memorable the game actually was.
The media hype of this game, including the Super Bowl shuffle, the memorable characters including Mike Ditka as the Head Coach, Jim McMahon as the quarterback, and who could forget “Refrigerator Perry”? Make Super Bowl XX one of the most memorable, and as a result the 2nd best Super Bowl in the Superdome ever.
1. Super Bowl XXXVI: St. Louis Rams vs. New England Patriots
On February 3, 2002 Super Bowl XXXVI was held at the Superdome and will go down as one of the biggest underdog wins in NFL history. People don’t normally consider the New England Patriots an underdog now, but back in 2001.
The Pats were not considered much of anything. This was before the Pats won three Super Bowls and had their undefeated season in 2007. These Pats were raw, and they were going up against what was dubbed “The Greatest Show on Turf” in the St. Louis Rams offense.
An offense that had two-time NFL MVP Kurt Warner, and the previous year’s MVP in Marshall Faulk. They were an offensive juggernaut, that was going up against the lowly New England Patriots that were not known for being dominant on either side of the ball.
The Pats shocked the world by holding the Rams to three points for three quarters, and winning the game by a field goal in the closing seconds. It was one of the greatest Super Bowls in NFL history and easily the biggest surprise win ever.
James Cobern is a Featured Journalist for TPF and can be contacted at JCobern@ThePenaltyFlagBlog.com.
