The Ultimate Super Bowl Champion Rankings
Since the Seattle Seahawks shocked the world and destroyed the NFL record breaking Denver Broncos offense in 2014, we started to think about all the previous Super Bowl champions. We started to compile reasons why each one was special and what made each one unique. Then we busted open a bottle of 50 year old scotch and ended up losing all our work.
But that makes our lives even better. Instead of boring you with all this information and crap you honestly don’t care about, why don’t we just cut straight to the chase and rank the Super Bowl champions all the way back to 1967? Yep, all 48 teams.
Which team had, without question, the best lineup before winning the Lombardi? No need to Google it, we have the answers right here and it begins with…
48. New York Giants (XLVI)
Super Bowl Final Score : 21-17 (New England Patriots)
Regular Season : 9-7 (1st, NFC East)
After starting the season 6-2, the Giants hit a wall and dropped five of their next six games before winning the last two games of the season and limping into the playoffs as the NFC East champions. Their defense was ranked 27th in total yards and 25th in scoring. The Giants shocked the world, and even themselves, when they upset New England to win the Super Bowl XLV.
47. Baltimore Colts (V)
Super Bowl Final Score : 16-13 (Dallas Cowboys)
Regular Season :11-2-1 (1st, AFC East)
The Baltimore Colts, just like every other team on my list, were never a bad team. They just made winning a Super Bowl look ugly. To this day, no one knows how they did it with 7 turnovers. Maybe it was the defense who grabbed two INTs in the final two minutes of the game.
46. Baltimore Ravens (XLVII)
Super Bowl Final Score : 34-31 (San Francisco 49ers)
Regular Season : 10-6 (1st, AFC North)
It was supposed to be Peyton Manning vs. Tom Brady in the AFC Championship, not Joe Flacco. The Ravens pulled off one of the greatest upsets in NFL history with an amazing 70 yard pass to Jacoby Jones with under a minute to play to tie the game. They would eventually win in Overtime and go one to defeat the Patriots and 49ers.
45. Oakland Raiders (XV)
Super Bowl Final Score : 27-10 (Philadelphia Eagles)
Regular Season : 11-5 (2nd, AFC West)
Besides Jim Plunkett, the best player from the 1980 season was a punter, Ray Guy. Lester Hayes is still waiting on his call to Canton, Ohio. He had 13 INTs that season and helped anchor a mediocre defense. Jim Plunkett threw for 3 TDs in Super Bowl XV down in New Orleans that day.
44. San Francisco 49ers (XXIII)
Super Bowl Final Score : 20-16 (Cincinnati Bengals)
Regular Season : 10-6 (1st, NFC West)
Joe Montana’s legacy will forever be his ability to come from behind and rally his troops to victory. He did exactly that in Super Bowl XXIII when he took the 49ers 82 yards in three minutes to score the game winning touchdown, a pass to John Taylor. From that point on, he was a regular on Super Bowl Sundays but those 49er teams were much more dominant.
43. Pittsburgh Steelers (XL)
Super Bowl Final Score : 21-10 (Seattle Seahawks)
Regular Season : 11-5 (2nd, AFC North)
A second year kid from Miami of Ohio isn’t supposed to lead a team of veterans to the Super Bowl let alone to victory. In Ben Roethlhisberger’s rookie season they went 15-1 and should have won the Super Bowl but didn’t make it. Instead, they waited a year and won one as a Wild Card defeating the Bengals, Colts, and Broncos before taking down the Seahawks. Once they shut down the NFL’s leading rusher Shaun Alexander, it was over.
42. New England Patriots (XXXVI)
Super Bowl Final Score : 20-17 (St.Louis Rams)
Regular Season : 11-5 (1st, AFC East)
After starting the season 1-3, the New England Patriots struggled. They ended up 5-5 before everything changed for the future of the organization. They rolled off 6 straight wins and ended up winning their first Super Bowl ever. This victory began a dynasty, they just didn’t know it yet.
41. New York Giants (XLII)
Super Bowl Final Score : 17-14 (New England Patriots)
Regular Season : 10-6 (2nd, NFC East)
As a Wild Card team, the Giants didn’t stand a chance against the 16-0 Patriots. However, thanks to David Tyree’s amazing catch, the Giants went from huge underdogs to Grand Champions.
40. Green Bay Packers (II)
Super Bowl Final Score : 33-14 (Oakland Raiders)
Regular Season : 9-4-1 (1st, NFC Central)
It never hurts to have the top ranked defense in the NFL heading into the Super Bowl as the Packers did. They suffocated the Raiders number one offense in Vince Lombardi fashion, complete and total domination.
39. Baltimore Ravens (XXXV)
Super Bowl Final Score : 34-7 (New York Giants)
Regular Season : 12-4 (2nd, AFC Central)
Defense wins championships. The Baltimore Ravens defense had one of the best seasons in NFL history and they topped it all off with a Super Bowl win. Their offense might not have been anything to brag about but that defense proved that if you can’t score, you better keep your opponent from scoring too.
38. Washington Redskins (XXII)
Super Bowl Final Score : 42-10 (Denver Broncos)
Regular Season : 11-4 (1st, NFC East)
On paper, the Redskins should not have won the Super Bowl. Doug Williams started two games that season and they lost them both. But he was a veteran and he knew what needed to be done. Doug Williams ended up with 340 yards passing, four touchdowns, and an MVP award.
37. Green Bay Packers (XLV)
Super Bowl Final Score : 31-25 (Pittsburgh Steelers)
Regular Season : 10-6 (2nd, NFC North)
Super Bowl XLV was the game that helped Brett Favre fans finally move on. Aaron Rodgers proved that he was just as good, if not better than his predecessor. His near perfect performance helped the Packers claim their first Super Bowl victory since 1997.
36. Pittsburgh Steelers (IX)
Super Bowl Final Score : 16-6 (Minnesota Vikings)
Regular Season : 10-3-1 (1st, AFC Central)
The weather was ugly. It was cold and very windy but both teams struggled to throw the football and this game ended up being a slugfest in the trenches. The Steel Curtain destroyed the Vikings and forced them to under 150 total yards of offense.
35. Kansas City Chiefs (IV)
Super Bowl Final Score : 23-7 (Minnesota Vikings)
Regular Season : 11-3 (2nd, AFL West)
Minnesota was a huge favorite but for some reason, Kansas City didn’t let that slow them down. They didn’t dominate the Vikings, they completely destroyed them.
34. Indianapolis Colts (XLI)
Super Bowl Final Score : 29-17 (Chicago Bears)
Regular Season : 12-4 (1st, AFC South)
Finally! Peyton Manning finally won a Super Bowl after coming close in 2003 before losing, and also starting a rivalry between two of the greatest QBs of all time, to the New England Patriots. From that point on, it was Brady vs. Manning.
33. New York Jets (III)
Super Bowl Final Score : 16-7 (Baltimore Colts)
Regular Season : 11-3 (1st, AFL East)
The New York Jets came into Super Bowl III as the biggest underdogs in Super Bowl history but their top ranked defense overwhelmed the mighty Colts and pulled off the shock of a lifetime. Well, a shock to everyone except Joe Namath, who made the historic prediction that the Jets would win.
32. San Francisco 49ers (XVI)
Super Bowl Final Score : 26-21 (Cincinnati Bengals)
Regular Season : 13-3 (1st, NFC West)
In only his third season, Joe Montana showed the world he was more than just another guy, he was about to become the legendary Hall of Famer we all know today. At 25 years old, Mr. Montana threw for a TD and rushed for another in his first of many Super Bowl victories.
31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (XXXVII)
Super Bowl Final Score : 48-21 (Oakland Raiders)
Regular Season : 11-5 (1st, AFC East)
Derrick Brooks, Warren Sapp, Dexter Jackson, and Simeon Rice completely dismantled the NFL’s top ranked offense, forcing five turnovers and holding the Raiders to only 19 yards rushing. It was a defensive performance the NFL had not seen in several years and it was amazing.
30. New York Giants (XXV)
Super Bowl Final Score : 20-19 (Buffalo Bills)
Regular Season : 13-3 (1st, NFC East)
Poor Buffalo. They are the only NFL team in history to make it to four consecutive Super Bowls. But they somehow managed Zero wins. Scott Norwood had no idea he would be the reason the Bills would head to a world of mediocrity for the next twenty years. All he had to do was make a field goal. Then, who knows how history would have gone.
29. Dallas Cowboys (VI)
Super Bowl Final Score : 24-3 (Miami Dolphins)
Regular Season : 11-3 (1st, NFC East)
In one of the coldest Super Bowls ever, the Dallas Cowboys decided to run the football a thousand times until just about every single player on the offense had a carry. They rushed 48 times for 252 yards and seven different players had at least one carry. That is how you pound the rock.
28. Denver Broncos (XXXII)
Super Bowl Final Score : 31-24 (Green Bay Packers)
Regular Season : 12-4 (2nd, AFC West)
Terrell Davis, remember him? He ran more times than a Chinese woman in a Godzilla movie. He ended up with 157 yards on the ground and three TD’s, including the eventual game-winner with under two minutes to go in the game. That is the easiest way to win a Super Bowl MVP award.
27. Washington Redskins (XVII)
Super Bowl Final Score : 27-17 (Miami Dolphins)
Regular Season : 8-1 (1st, NFC East)
If you think TD was impressive in Super Bowl XXXII, above, then you probably haven’t heard of a guy named John Riggins. He only rushed for 166 yards on 38 carries and added a TD to secure the win over the Dolphins in Super Bowl XVII.
26. Dallas Cowboys (XXVIII)
Super Bowl Final Score : 30-13 (Buffalo Bills)
Regular Season : 13-3 (1st, NFC East)
The Buffalo Bills made it to their 4th consecutive Super Bowl to face the mighty Cowboys of Texas for the second straight year. There is no way they can lose four in a row, right? Especially after already losing to Dallas a year prior. Well, they found a way to lose and thus began the years of mediocrity the poor town of Buffalo has faced for many, many years.
25. Pittsburgh Steelers (XIII)
Super Bowl Final Score : 35-31 (Dallas Cowboys)
Regular Season : 14-2 (1st, AFC Central)
Franco Harris and Terry Bradshaw combined for all five of the Steelers touchdowns in Super Bowl XIII. If they knew they would be beating up on a team loaded with future Hall of Famers, the victory would have been that much sweeter. Tony Dorsett, Roger Staubach, Randy White, Rayfield Wright, and even Head Coach Tom Landry and General Manager Tex Schramm.
24. New England Patriots (XXXVIII)
Super Bowl Final Score : 32-29 (Carolina Panthers)
Regular Season : 14-2 (1st, AFC East)
Tom Brady isn’t a Saint. He isn’t the greatest football player in the world and he isn’t the coolest dude in the locker room. However, the guy knows how to win Super Bowls. He got the Patriots their second title in three years after defeating Jake Delhomme’s Carolina Panthers.
23. Pittsburgh Steelers (XIV)
Super Bowl Final Score : 31-19 (Los Angeles Rams)
Regular Season : 12-4 (1st, AFC Central)
Terry Bradshaw had one of the worse best season a QB can have for a 12-4 team with a Super Bowl ring. He threw 26 TD’s in the regular season, which is great. But he also had 25 INTs, which is terrible. Thankfully, Franco Harris ran the football better than Terry Bradshaw could wax his dome.
22. Los Angeles Raiders (XVIII)
Super Bowl Final Score : 38-9 (Washington Redskins)
Regular Season : 12-4 (1st, AFC West)
Jim Plunkett became the oldest Super Bowl winning QB when he and the rest of the 1983 Raiders took out the Redskins with ease. On the other hand, Marcus Allen ran for 191 yards so you could always give him the credit for this win.
21. Green Bay Packers (XXXI)
Super Bowl Final Score : 35-21 (New England Patriots)
Regular Season : 13-3 (1st, NFC Central)
Desmond Howard did what no other special teams player in Super Bowl history has been able to accomplish, winning a Super Bowl MVP award. He totaled 244 return yards including the historic 99 yard kickoff return that was the longest in Super Bowl history until Jacoby Jones ran one back from Akron a few years ago.
20. New Orleans Saints (XLIV)
Super Bowl Final Score : 31-17 (Indianapolis Colts)
Regular Season : 13-3 (1st, NFC South)
It only took 44 years for the New Orleans Saints to win a Super Bowl for the city that has stuck beside them even through all the years of the “Aints” and those classy trash bag head pieces. The sigh of relief that the entire city of New Orleans let out the moment Tracy Porter picked off Peyton Manning to secure the win could have knocked down the Great Wall of China.
19. St.Louis Rams (XXXIV)
Super Bowl Final Score : 23-16 (Tennessee Titans)
Regular Season : 13-3 (1st, NFC West)
The greatest show on turf tallied 436 yards in Super Bowl XXXIV. The only problem was, they didn’t score as many TDs as they would have liked and almost lost on a last second touchdown pass that was two yards shy of the end zone.
18. Dallas Cowboys (XXVII)
Super Bowl Final Score : 52-17 (Buffalo Bills)
Regular Season : 13-3 (1st, NFC East)
The Buffalo Bills have experienced something that no other franchise in the history of the NFL has encountered, losing four consecutive Super Bowls. Super Bowl XXVII was their third straight and by this one, the sympathy vote was beginning to grow.
17. New England Patriots (XXXIX)
Super Bowl Final Score : 24-21 (Philadelphia Eagles)
Regular Season : 14-2 (1st, AFC East)
Three Super Bowls in four years. After the Patriots took home their 3rd ring, fans began shouting dynasty and anointing Tom Brady the next greatest human alive ever. On the other side of the field, Donovan McNabb finally reached the pinnacle of his career and fell one field goal short. He never recovered.
16. Dallas Cowboys (XII)
Super Bowl Final Score : 27-10 (Denver Broncos)
Regular Season : 12-2 (1st, NFC East)
The 1977 Denver Broncos had issues passing the football during Super Bowl XII. They went 8-25 for 61 yards and four interceptions. It was one of the worse passing performances in Super Bowl history and helped the Cowboys bring home their second ring.
15. Dallas Cowboys (XXX)
Super Bowl Final Score : 27-17 (Pittsburgh Steelers)
Regular Season : 12-4 (1st, NFC East)
Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin, and Emmitt Smith made up one of the greatest offensive dynasty’s in NFL history in the 90’s. They put up video game numbers and won 3 Super Bowls in four years including Super Bowl XXX.
14. Miami Dolphins (VIII)
Super Bowl Final Score : 24-7 (Minnesota Vikings)
Regular Season : 12-2 (1st, AFC East)
The Miami Dolphins ran the ball and they did it often. In fact, Bob Griese only had to throw the rock seven times for 73 yards and they didn’t even need him to do that. The ground and pound running game helped secure this Super Bowl.
13. Pittsburgh Steelers (XLIII)
Super Bowl Final Score : 27-23 (Arizona Cardinals)
Regular Season : 12-4 (1st, AFC North)
Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald connected for an amazing 64 yard touchdown pass to take the lead late in Super Bowl XLIII. However, everyone forgot about it because Santonio Holmes only needed two toes to make the second most spectacular Super Bowl TD catch.
12. New York Giants (XXI)
Super Bowl Final Score : 39-20 (Denver Broncos)
Regular Season : 14-2 (1st, NFC East)
Phil Simms played a little football before he became an announcer with CBS. In fact, he was never the best QB but he was always the smartest. It was the reason he was able to get the Giants to Super Bowl XXI.
11. Oakland Raiders (XI)
Super Bowl Final Score : 32-14 (Minnesota Vikings)
Regular Season : 13-1 (1st, AFC West)
John Madden coached in Oakland for ten seasons where he accumulated 103 wins, seven divisional championships, and a Super Bowl. Under Madden, the Raiders won 8 or more games each season too.
10. Green Bay Packers (I)
Super Bowl Final Score : 35-10 (Kansas City Chiefs)
Regular Season : 12-2 (1st, NFC West)
The measure of success in the NFL is not only the statistics, it is also the victories including Super Bowls. Bart Starr, Mac McGee, and Vince Lombardi all cemented their legacy winning the NFL’s first ever Super Bowl over the vastly under-matched Kansas City Chiefs.
9. San Francisco 49ers (XIX)
Super Bowl Final Score : 38-16 (Miami Dolphins)
Regular Season : 15-1 (1st, NFC West)
Only one team was able to keep the 49ers from perfection, the Pittsburgh Steelers did it with a last second Gary Anderson field goal. That is football folks. The 49ers were a field goal away from being perfect and probably should have been if anyone remembers the game. Miami just wasn’t ready to handle the big play offense of San Francisco. Not at all.
8. Seattle Seahawks (XLVIII)
Super Bowl Final Score : 43-8 (Denver Broncos)
Regular Season : 13-3 (1st, NFC West)
Seattle had the NFL’s top ranked defense. Denver had the NFL’s top ranked offense. This was set up to be the best match-up money could buy. Too bad the Broncos didn’t seem to care. They fumbled on the opening play and it went downhill quick and in a hurry after that.
7. Pittsburgh Steelers (X)
Super Bowl Final Score : 21-17 (Dallas Cowboys)
Regular Season : 12-2 (1st, AFC Central)
Super Bowl X was a slugfest until the 4th quarter when both teams opened up and starting putting real points on the board. This was also the game where Lynn Swann caught a beautiful 64 yard TD pass from Mr. Terry Bradshaw to seal the deal.
6. San Francisco 49ers (XXIX)
Super Bowl Final Score : 49-26 (San Diego Chargers)
Regular Season : 13-3 (1st, NFC West)
Stan Humphries led the San Diego Chargers to their first Super Bowl appearance, and last, against the 49ers for Super Bowl XXIX. Looking back, he should have just led them to the team hotel. The closest this game was, was during the National Anthem and that was only because both teams had to stand next to each other.
5. Denver Broncos (XXXIII)
Super Bowl Final Score : 34-19 (Atlanta Falcons)
Regular Season : 14-2 (1st, AFC West)
There isn’t a soul on this planet that doesn’t appreciate the Broncos beating the Falcons and that annoying “Dirty Bird” dance we had to watch. The game was never even close enough for anyone in the black and red to attempt a dance. John Elway helped the Broncos secure their second straight Super Bowl and become one of only seven teams to repeat as Super Bowl Champions.
4. Washington Redskins (XXVI)
Super Bowl Final Score : 37-24 (Buffalo Bills)
Regular Season : 14-2 (1st, NFC East)
The AFC was so dominate in the early years of the Super Bowl but when the late 80’s hit, things began to change. It was almost as if the Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers, and the Washington Redskins were representing the NFL alone. Those three teams dominated everyone including the Buffalo Bills.
3. San Francisco 49ers (XXIV)
Super Bowl Final Score : 55-10 (Denver Broncos)
Regular Season : 14-2 (1st, NFC West)
Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Roger Craig, Bill Romanowski, John Taylor, Brent Jones, Charles Haley, Tom Rathman, Steve Young, and Matt Millen. Those are just a few of the athletes on this 49ers squad. Had it not been for the perfect Dolphins or the Super Bowl shuffle, this would be the greatest team to ever play a Super Bowl. The icing on the cake was the 45 point victory over John Elway and his Broncos.
2. Miami Dolphins (VII)
Super Bowl Final Score : 14-7 (Washington Redskins)
Regular Season : 14-0 (1st, AFC East)
What can be better than 14-0 in the regular season? How about 17-0 and a Super Bowl ring? Because no one really cares if you don’t win the last game of the season. Just ask the 2008 Patriots about being perfect but losing a Super Bowl.
1. Chicago Bears (XX)
Super Bowl Final Score : 46-10 (New England Patriots)
Regular Season : 15-1 (1st, NFC Central)
Between 1984 and 1987, Jim McMahon won 25 consecutive stars. He missed a few games in between but when he wasn’t hurt, he won games. He didn’t start against Miami earlier in the 1985 season and they lost. It was the only loss of the season. Besides just having a terrific offense, the Bears defense was just plain sick. They are the only team in NFL history to have two consecutive shutouts before heading to the Super Bowl. They didn’t even give up a field goal until the 1st quarter of Super Bowl XX. Everyone talks about Seattle’s defense but the Chicago Bears 1985 defense is the best I think anyone will ever see.
