Gioffreda's Top Five Super Bowls of All Time List

The Super Bowl is more than a championship game—it's the moment when pressure, talent, and history collide on the biggest stage in sports. While every Super Bowl crowns a winner, only a select few rise above the rest, delivering unforgettable drama that lingers long after the final whistle. These games feature impossible comebacks, iconic plays, and performances that define careers, turning a single night into a permanent chapter of NFL history.

Ranking the top five best Super Bowls means revisiting games where every snap mattered, and momentum could shift in an instant. From underdogs shocking dynasties to last-second finishes that stunned millions watching worldwide, these matchups represent football at its most intense and entertaining. Together, they showcase why the Super Bowl remains the ultimate stage—and why these five games stand apart from all the rest.

No. 5: Super Bowl XXV (New York Giants vs. Buffalo Bills)

Sorry, Bills Mafia, this one still stings, but we, as fans who watched this game, can all agree it was a thriller down to the wire. Had it not been for a missed field goal, the Bills' Super Record would be 1-3 and not 0-4. To this day, this Super Bowl is the only one in history to be decided by one point, and the last to feature two New York Teams. A defensive classic down to the finish, the Bills' no-huddle offensive strategy, which led the league in total points scored with 428, could not overcome the Giants' razor-sharp defense led by legendary safety Greg Jackson. While there was no turnover by either team in this game, it proved how high the stakes were for both. Had it not been for Bills kicker Scott Norwood to kick the ball wide right on a 47-yard attempt, the Bills might've finally had their chance to hold the Lombardi Trophy.

No. 4: Super Bowl XLIII (Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Arizona Cardinals

As a Ravens fan, I hate having to put this on the list, but it was such a classic game. Not to mention this was John Madden's last broadcast before retiring 2 months later. You had Kurt Warner and Ben Roethlisberger. Larry Fitzgerald and Troy Polamalu. The moments in this game were absolutely insane, most notably the toe-tap touchdown by Steelers wide receiver Santonio Holmes and the 100-yard pick-six by Steelers linebacker James Harrison (an NFL record). An absolute heartbreaker for Cardinals (and Ravens) fans, but this Super Bowl was the last time the Steelers appeared there, having not reached this threshold since then.

No. 3: Super Bowl XLII (New York Giants vs. New England Patriots)

The Underdog Bowl, as I like to call it. The Giants had no business beating the Patriots, who (controversially) were supposed to cap off their perfect season with the Lombardi Trophy. But Eli Manning and the Giants' defense had other plans. The Giants' defense held the nearly unstoppable Patriots offense to just 14 points, and Randy Moss scored the lone touchdown on a pass from Tom Brady. When Eli Manning made that desperation throw, and David Tyree hugged the football to his helmet (now christened in football lore as the helmet-catch), the momentum completely changed, and the Giants pulled away with the Super Bowl victory, stunning fans and media alike. This game certainly gave Tom Brady and Patriots fans PTSD, but it didn't stop him from achieving GOAT status.

No. 2: Super Bowl XXXIV (St. Louis Rams vs. Tennessee Titans)

Definitely earns a spot because of how wild the ending was. The St. Louis Rams and Tennessee Titans battled back and forth all game, but the real drama came on the very last play. Titans receiver Kevin Dyson was stopped just one yard short of the end zone, keeping the Rams' 23–16 lead and sealing their win. That moment—forever remembered as "One Yard Short"—is pure Super Bowl heartbreak and excitement all at once. Add in Kurt Warner putting on a show and the Rams' high-flying offense, and you've got a game that was tense, thrilling, and unforgettable, even if it didn't have the flashiest plays throughout.

No. 1: Super Bowl LI (New England Patriots vs. Atlanta Falcons)

The Patriots were down 28‑3 against the Falcons late in the third quarter, and honestly, it looked like the game was over. I turned off my TV and went to bed, thinking there was no way the Patriots could make this comeback. But then Tom Brady and the Patriots pulled off one of the craziest comebacks in sports history, scoring 31 straight points to tie the game and send it into the first-ever Super Bowl overtime. There were huge plays everywhere—Julian Edelman's unbelievable catch, key turnovers, and clutch drives that kept us fans on the edge of our seats the whole time. The swing from almost certain defeat to a historic win, full of jaw-dropping moments, is why Super Bowl LI isn't just remembered—it's the gold standard for Super Bowl thrillers.

Main Image via