While it would be a stretch to call Super Bowl 60 a rematch between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots − 11 years on from their epic first meeting on Super Sunday − their upcoming meeting in Santa Clara, California on Feb. 8 is certainly going to dredge up memories, excellent ones in the Atlantic Northeast ... not so much in the Pacific Northwest.
But if this year's Super Bowl comes remotely close to replicating 'Hawks-Pats I in the drama department, NFL fans will surely count themselves lucky.
While Super Bowl 60 will be assessed and slotted in due time, here are my rankings of the first 59 Super Bowls − and it won't take long to find Super Bowl 49 (cardinal number, season noted in parentheses):
This game lacked nothing. Patriots QB Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick cemented their legacies, each becoming the first at his respective post to earn five Super Bowl titles (at that time). But securing immortal greatness required an all-time performance. Brady threw for a then-Super Bowl record 466 yards, leading his team to 31 unanswered points and earning MVP honors a record-breaking fourth time as New England forged the greatest comeback ever on Super Sunday – Atlanta led 28-3 in the third quarter – while taking the game into overtime for the first time. WR Julian Edelman made a miraculous catch – one that benefited New England for a change in the Super Bowl. RB James White was the unsung hero, catching a record 14 passes while also scoring the game-tying and game-winning TDs on his way to a game record 20 points. Oh, and the Falcons, with league MVP Matt Ryan and Co., sure were impressive on both sides of the ball for nearly three quarters before their epic collapse.
