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As of Saturday, the road on Tremendous Bowl LVI is Rams -4, some of the nearer spreads within the large recreation’s historical past. Even though the Bengals are technically the house crew, the Rams are, in fact, taking part in in their very own house stadium, so the present line suggests those are two frivolously matched groups. Even though the Tremendous Bowl is supposed to check up the 2 preferrred groups within the game, the sport hasn’t all the time been so frivolously matched.
Which recreation is the largest disillusioned? We rank them, see for those who agree.
10. New England Patriots over St. Louis Rams, 2002
It’s onerous to believe, however there used to be a time when Tom Brady used to be the opposite quarterback within the Tremendous Bowl. This used to be our advent to TB12, who had crammed in for injured Drew Bledsoe and used to be more than likely most renowned on the time for the “tuck rule” in his debatable non-fumble in opposition to the Oakland Raiders in his first playoff recreation. Brady misplaced the ball on a success through Charles Woodson, and the Raiders it sounds as if recovered, nevertheless it used to be dominated an incomplete move. Brady himself stated he more than likely would have long past again to being Bledsoe’s backup if now not for the tuck rule.
In Tremendous Bowl XXXVI, Brady and Invoice Belichick received their first name in combination because the Pats beat the closely appreciated St. Louis Rams. The Rams had a high-powered offense that includes Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk, and Tory Holt, however Belichick’s protection saved them in test and Brady did what would quickly transform an overly Brady factor: production a game-winning pressure within the ultimate mins. It used to be the primary Tremendous Bowl win for an AFC East crew for the reason that Miami Dolphins in 1974.
Ranking: New England Patriots 20, St. Louis Rams 17
9. Philadelphia Eagles over New England Patriots, 2018
Some other Tom Brady-Invoice Belichick recreation is at the record, however 16 years after our advent to Brady on soccer’s greatest degree, he discovered himself at the different finish of the disillusioned. This used to be probably the most explosive recreation in Tremendous Bowl historical past, as the 2 groups blended for 1,151 yards and 74 issues and only one punt. The Eagles have been 5.5-point underdogs, dealing with the protecting Tremendous Bowl champions and taking part in with backup quarterback Nick Foles. Foles used to be the MVP of the sport, as he finished 28 of 43 for 373 yards and maximum famously stuck a 1-yard landing on a 4th-down conversion trick play that changed into referred to as the “Philly Particular.”
It used to be the Eagles’ first Tremendous Bowl victory in franchise historical past, in addition to a measure of revenge in opposition to Brady and Belichick, who beat them in 2005.
Ultimate rating: Philadelphia Eagles 41, New England Patriots 33
8. New York Giants over New England Patriots, 2012
We’re again to Brady — once more, at the different finish of an disillusioned, this time in opposition to an Eli Manning-led Giants crew that entered the playoffs with a 9-7 common season file. In a carefully matched recreation that noticed the Giants take an early 9-0 lead, after which noticed Brady triumph over the deficit to make it 17-9, it used to be a choice within the ultimate minute through Invoice Belichick that determined this one. With a minute last within the recreation and the Giants trailing through two, the Patriots protection allowed Ahmad Bradshaw to attain in order that Brady would have abundant time to make a game-winning pressure down the sphere. Bradshaw discovered too past due what they have been doing and attempted to prevent himself from falling into the tip zone, however his momentum carried him via and put the Giants up 21-17.
However Brady, for as soon as in his existence, come what may wasn’t in a position to engineer a game-winning pressure again downfield. Pats TE Rob Gronkowski used to be taking part in on an injured ankle, restricting his productiveness, and the Giants protection stepped up in opposition to all odds to carry off Brady. Brady additionally value his crew a security early within the recreation on an intentional grounding name.
Ultimate rating: New York Giants 21, New England Patriots 17
7. Oakland Raiders over Philadelphia Eagles, 1981
The Raiders have been the primary ever wild card crew to win a Tremendous Bowl, following a four-turnover recreation from Ron Jaworski and the Eagles. Heading into the season, the Raiders had the Sixteenth-best odds to win the Tremendous Bowl and misplaced their beginning quarterback early on within the season, decreasing their probabilities much more. However out of the woodwork got here backup Jim Plunkett, a Heisman trophy winner who were the primary select of the 1971 draft however had in large part did not translate his good fortune to the professionals — till 1980. The Raiders boasted the DPOY in Lester Hayes that 12 months, who used to be an interception device. After a 2-3 begin to the season, an antitrust lawsuit in opposition to the NFL, and a weekend of partying within the French Quarter, the Raiders discovered some way.
Ultimate rating: Oakland Raiders 27, Philadelphia Eagles 10
6. Kansas Town Chiefs over Minnesota Vikings, 1970
The Vikings entered the sport as 12-point favorites, making this recreation some of the biggest level unfold upsets in Tremendous Bowl historical past. It used to be Tremendous Bowl IV (again when the Latin numerals have been nonetheless slightly simple to decipher), and the Chiefs protection completely smothered the Vikings, forcing 3 interceptions and two fumbles and restricting them to just 7 issues — an actual feat making an allowance for that the Vikings had scored 50-plus issues in 3 other video games that season. The Vikings protection used to be within the generation of the “Pink Other people Eaters,” but the Chiefs, led through QB Len Dawson, exhibited overall domination all over all 4 quarters.
A a laugh reality about this recreation: The halftime display used to be a reenactment of the Combat of New Orleans. They only don’t do it like that anymore, I assume.
Ultimate rating: Kansas Town Chiefs 23, Minnesota Vikings 7
5. Denver Broncos over Carolina Panthers, 2016
Within the ultimate recreation of Peyton Manning’s occupation, the Broncos — having already made it previous the protecting champion Patriots crew within the AFC championship — took an early lead in opposition to Cam Newton’s Panthers in Tremendous Bowl 50 and not let up. This Tremendous Bowl holds the file for many sacks — Manning used to be sacked 5 instances to Newton’s seven — in addition to for the blended third-down conversion fee for each groups.
The considered a 39-year-old, deteriorating Manning who hadn’t even began for the second one part of the common season overcoming a dynamic younger QB with a Professional-Bowl-filled offensive roster like Newton appeared outlandish, however Von Miller, DeMarcus Ware, and the Denver protection stepped as much as the plate to suffocate the league MVP.
Ultimate rating: Denver Broncos 24, Carolina Panthers 10
4. New York Giants over Buffalo Expenses, 1991
The one Tremendous Bowl in historical past to be determined through a unmarried level, the Expenses dropped the sport after their position kicker Scott Norwood ignored a last-second walk-off 47-yard box function, sending the ball simply slightly large proper of the goalposts and giving the Giants the sport. The “Large Proper” used to be the primary lack of a four-game Tremendous Bowl dropping streak that the Expenses would revel in over the process the next 3 years. The Expenses, coming off a 51-3 drubbing of the Oakland Raiders within the AFC Championship Recreation, had entered the sport appreciated through seven issues, the one favorable unfold they’d see in that four-year streak within the early ’90s, led through QB Jim Kelly.
The Giants held off the Expenses’ hurry-up offense through using a heavy run recreation, depending on Ottis Anderson to devour up the clock. The sport plan labored, because the Giants had ownership of the ball for over 40 mins of the sport, a Tremendous Bowl file. Despite that statistic, the sport nonetheless got here all the way down to that ultimate kick.
Ultimate Ranking: New York Giants 20, Buffalo Expenses 19
3. Denver Broncos over Inexperienced Bay Packers, 1998
John Elway modified his legacy ceaselessly on this recreation, because the Broncos snapped a 13-year AFC dropping streak with a surprising disillusioned over Brett Favre’s Packers. The Packers have been protecting champions, double-digit favorites and a franchise having a look to determine a dynasty. The Broncos had misplaced 4 Tremendous Bowls, 3 of them with Elway, all in blowout style.
Denver’s Terrell Davis used to be the celebrity of the sport, speeding for 157 yards and a Tremendous Bowl file 3 speeding touchdowns. Denver changed into simply the second one wild card crew to win the Tremendous Bowl.
Ultimate rating: Denver Broncos 31, Inexperienced Bay Packers 24
2. New York Jets over Baltimore Colts, 1969
“We’re gonna win this recreation. I ensure it.”
Heading into Tremendous Bowl III, the Jets have been 18-point underdogs. Jets QB Joe Namath’s public reaction to a Colts fan would, in truth, come to move in a stunning disillusioned in opposition to a crew that used to be touted through media on the time because the “largest crew in professional soccer historical past,” in spite of the Colts taking part in with a backup quarterback all season. The Jets’ celebrity large receiver were injured within the AFL championship recreation, however that knowledge wasn’t made public, so the Jets have been in a position to make use of him as a decoy for the Colts protection to concentrate on, permitting Namath to benefit from different open receivers — specifically George Sauer, Jr.
In spite of a fourth-quarter effort during which Johnny Unitas, the Colts’ authentic starter who were injured, used to be put at the box for the primary time that season and scored a landing, adopted through the Colts convalescing an onside kick, the Jets have been in a position to carry off the NFL champions.
Ultimate rating: New York Jets 16, Baltimore Colts 7
1. New York Giants over New England Patriots, 2008
The Patriots entered Tremendous Bowl XLII with a super file. That they had long past undefeated all common season, simply defeating the Jaguars and Chargers within the playoffs after overcoming a decent victory over the Giants of their final recreation of the season. The road used to be Patriots -12, and with 2:42 left within the recreation, the Patriots have been up 14-10. It used to be Eli Manning’s flip to steer a game-winning pressure, and pressure he did — the general couple of minutes of this Tremendous Bowl are NFL legend. On a Third-and-5 play, David Tyree finished the well-known helmet catch for a achieve of 32 yards, actually the use of his head to stay ownership of the ball.
The Giants went on to attain, and Brady used to be now not in a position to get again downfield in 29 seconds. The easiest season used to be ruined in some of the largest all-time upsets in skilled sports activities historical past.
Ultimate rating: New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14
