The NFL is the best professionally run sports league in the world, and in a fitting manner it ends with arguably the largest spectacle in the sport.
While much of the attention goes to the glitz and glamour off the field, with celebrities and fans flocking to be part of the festivities, the main show is, of course, still on the turf.
With that show often providing us with some jaw-dropping moments, it is time to revisit a few of them, just to remember some of the greatest matches etched into the history of the sport’s biggest stage.
There is no better way, in my mind, to do that than by looking at some of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history, especially ahead of the showdown in Santa Clara, which could provide one of those moments come Monday afternoon.
No. 3 Super Bowl LI | New England Patriots vs Atalanta Falcons
Now, in theory, this might not have been the biggest upset in Super Bowl history, because anytime Tom Brady’s Patriots were hoisting the Lombardi Trophy at the end of the year, it was never a surprise. However, halfway through the third quarter of Super Bowl LI, with the score being 28–3 in favour of the Atlanta Falcons, I would say the fact the Patriots managed to come back and win, in a situation where their win probability was just 1%, is quite the upset.
As mentioned, the Atlanta Falcons started the game with a hiss and a roar, as NFL MVP Matt Ryan and his high-powered offence were tearing apart what was generally a very solid Patriots defensive unit. Ryan, together with the likes of Julio Jones and Devonta Freeman, put together a three-touchdown half, while the Patriots only managed three points. In any normal game, the Patriots would have needed to be the next team to score, but in fact they weren’t, with the Falcons finding the end zone again, making the scoreline read that infamous 28–3.
From there, it was Tom Brady time, as he and his offensive unit made play after play in the final third of the game, quickly erasing what seemed like a mountainous deficit. A group of playmakers led by Julian Edelman, James White, and Danny Amendola came up with big plays snap after snap, with freakish efforts as everything went right for the Patriots. After tying the game at 28–28, Tom Brady led his team down the field, which ended in yet another James White rushing touchdown to win the Super Bowl.
No. 2 Super Bowl III | New York Jets vs Baltimore Colts
As we roll into the second biggest upset in Super Bowl history, it is time to really wind back the clock to 1969, the year Apollo 11 landed on the moon and The Beatles played their famous rooftop concert in central London. However, before those major events in history, Joe Namath and the New York Jets won Super Bowl III while facing the largest ever pre-game spread of 18 points.
The game was between, of course, the New York Jets and the Baltimore Colts, who, based on their truly dominant season, were expected to destroy the side from East Rutherford. However, from what bookmakers, pundits, and fans all believed would be the game script, there was one man who had completely different ideas.
That man was one of the truly special quarterbacks in league history, Joe Namath, AKA Broadway Joe. He was the heart and soul of New York at the time and remains an icon of the city after all he did with the Jets. Namath went on to win MVP honours in the game, and much of that was due to him not making the mistakes his counterparts did. Colts quarterbacks Johnny Unitas and Earl Morrall combined to throw four interceptions, which essentially handed the Jets 16 points, while the Colts only managed to add to their tally late in the fourth quarter. This meant that Broadway Joe and the New York Jets became just the third team to win it all in the Super Bowl era, in what remains one of the biggest upsets the sport has ever seen.
No. 1 Super Bowl XLII | New York Giants vs New England Patriots
In regard to Super Bowl upsets, there is one game that clearly stands out above the rest, as a historically special New England Patriots side clashed with what could only be described as a good New York Giants team. Now, don’t get me wrong, the Giants had some superstars like Eli Manning, Steve Smith, and Michael Strahan, but on paper they were nothing in comparison to the 18-0 New England Patriots, led of course by Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, while being heralded as the greatest team of all time.
If there was ever one kryptonite in the story of Brady and Belichick, though, it was seemingly the New York Giants, who managed to put the greatest dynasty on hold a couple of times. This night in Arizona, with 70,000 fans in the stadium, was no different. The game was a tightly fought, one-score contest throughout, and it was the type of situation where the Patriots were generally the team that did not flinch and found a way to win. After going down and scoring a touchdown with only 2:42 on the clock, the Patriots and their high-powered defence had Manning and the Giants right where they wanted them.
In that two-minute drill, it showed why there is a reason Eli Manning will be a Hall of Famer one day, as he escaped multiple dire situations and turned them into big plays on season-defining snaps. Manning led Big Blue down the field in just over two minutes, before finding Plaxico Burress for a touchdown that gave the Giants a 17-14 lead with 35 seconds left on the clock. From there, the Giants defence called game, forcing a turnover on downs by the Patriots, sealing potentially the most unlikely of victories while also destroying the Patriots’ pursuit of the perfect season.