Ranking The Top 30 Performances In Super Bowl History

Darren - January 23, 2020

Ranking The Top 30 Performances In Super Bowl History

Darren - January 23, 2020

14. Terrell Davis vs. Green Bay Packers

You could make a strong argument that Super Bowl XXXII was one of the best. The Denver Broncos came into the showpiece as Wild Cards against the defending champions the Packers. In sum, most people weren’t giving the Broncos much hope. Considering how good the Packers were, it’s not surprising.

What was shocking, though, was the fight the Broncos gave them. At the heart of their victory was Davis, who enjoyed a fantastic game, scoring three touchdowns in the process. With less than two minutes left in the game, he got the decisive score. Finally, he won the MVP award.

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13. Joe Montana vs. Denver Broncos

The first three-time Super Bowl MVP, Montana is a true legend of the league. In the space of nine years, he played in four Super Bowls and shone brilliantly in all of them. In the 24th installment, he put on an absolute clinic against the Broncos to win yet another ring.

Montana completed 22 of his 29 throws for 297 yards and five touchdowns, three of those scores to wide receiver Jerry Rice. The 49ers were emphatic winners, beating the Broncos 55-10. In short, when you have a player of Montana’s ilk on your side, you can expect to do well.

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12. Jack Lambert vs. Los Angeles Rams

It’s tough being a defender because you have to do something truly incredible to be remembered. Quarterbacks and running backs get all the credit because they’re the ones who provide the most exciting moments. But Lamberts’ showing against the Rams proves why defenders need some love too.

He put in a brilliant effort at Super Bowl XIV in the Rose Bowl. The Steelers got the job done, but they had to put in a real grind to get their victory. Without Lambert’s 14 tackles and interceptions, they may have melted under the Rams’ pressure. It was a display of a true warrior spirit.

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11. Marcus Allen vs. Washington Redskins

The LA Raiders put in a perfect game to beat the Redskins in Super Bowl XVIII. It was even more remarkable because the Redskins had set an NFL record for points scored during a season. While the entire Raiders team deserved accolades for their play, Allen was the standout in Tampa.

His most amazing moment was when he ran 74 yards to score a touchdown. This was football at its most breathtaking, as he sliced through the heart of the Redskins defense before veering left towards the endzone. If it happened today, we’d never be able to stop watching the replays.

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10. Lynn Swann vs. Dallas Cowboys

Swann was the star of the Super Bowl X when the Steelers won their second straight title. One of the most astounding moments in this game was Swann’s amazing 53-yard catch in the second quarter. They didn’t score on it, but it looked spectacular. However, his all-round game was on fire that day.

The Pittsburgh wideout caught a total of four passes for 161 yards. That included a 64-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter as the Steelers battled hard to beat the Cowboys. It should come as no surprise that Swann walked away with MVP honors.

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9. James Washington vs. Buffalo Bills

This was the second of the Dallas Cowboy’s three Super Bowls in four years. Emmett Smith was the game’s official MVP with two touchdowns and rushing for 132 yards. However, Washington arguably put in a bigger performance. As a defender, he’s obviously not as glamorous but it’s true.

He totaled 11 tackles, forced a fumble, and intercepted one Jim Kelly pass. To cap it off, he scooped up a fumble by Thurman Thomas and returned it 46 yards for a touchdown. That play in effect gave the Cowboys the momentum to score 24 unanswered points and defend their Super Bowl title.

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8. Jerry Rice vs. Cincinnati Bengals

It takes a lot to overshadow Joe Montana, but somehow Rice managed to do exactly that in Super Bowl XXIII. Montana had one spectacular moment when he orchestrated a 92-yard drive that ended with a 10-yard touchdown. However, it was Rice who set the tone for the afternoon.

He tied the second-most catches in a Super Bowl game with an astounding 11. Rice also set a Super Bowl record with 215 receiving yards in the Niners’ 20-16 triumph. After a tepid start to the game, he was directly responsible for it exploding into life. Definitely the highlight of his career.

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7. Tom Brady vs. Seattle Seahawks

The first of two Brady installments, this just goes to show how influential he is. The indefatigable Patriots quarterback delivered a show for the ages in a stellar comeback against the Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX. With the Patriots facing a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit, the game seemed out of reach. But love or hate them, you can never count them out.

Brady recovered from two earlier interceptions to stifle the Seattle defense. He completed 14 of 16 passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns. The Patriots finally won the game 28-24 after their late rally. Without Brady would they have been able to achieve the same result? Unlikely.

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6. John Riggins vs. Miami Dolphins

1982 was a very messy year for the NFL because labor issues limited the season to nine games. The NFL got around this by putting 16 teams in the playoffs. Finally, the Washington Redskins and the Dolphins were the last teams standing. The former won the game 27-17 with Riggins their star man.

The running back set a Super Bowl record with 38 carries while running for 166 yards and a fourth-quarter touchdown in his team’s 10-point victory. Riggins just totally overwhelmed the Dolphins, who had no answer for his questions. As the fans used to say, “Crank up that diesel.”

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5. Tom Brady vs. Atlanta Falcons

Brady is in the twilight of his career, but what a player he is. The Patriots quarterback put on one of the most influential performances of all-time when he helped his side to glory against the Falcons. Down 28-3 in the third quarter, it looked like it was all over. But then we got the greatest Super Bowl comeback ever.

The Patriots won 34-28 in overtime to stun the Falcons. Meanwhile, Brady had broken Super Bowl records for completions and pass attempts. Not only that, but he scored two touchdowns and finished the game 43 of 62 for 446 yards. One of the best individual games you’ll ever see.

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4. Doug Williams vs. Denver Broncos

Williams wasn’t supposed to be the Redskins’ starting quarterback in Super Bowl XXII. The veteran started their Super Bowl-winning year as a backup to Jay Schroeder. But he regained his place as their signal-caller for the biggest game of them all, and what a show he put on. It’s fair to say the Redskins wouldn’t have won without him.

They were 10-0 down in the first quarter, with Williams carrying a knee injury. To sum up, it all looked lost before it even began, but Williams had a different idea. He guided an attack that scored an exceptional 35 points and 356 yards in the second quarter alone. In short, this was a relentless display from Williams.

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3. Joe Montana vs. Miami Dolphins

In 1984 all eyes were on Dan Marino. The Miami Dolphins quarterback looked like the most important player in the game. He was just two seasons into his pro career when the Dolphins reached Super Bowl XIX against the 49ers. Marino had massive star potential. But then Montana said, ‘hold my beer.’

The 49ers quarterback was the man behind their intense offense. They overwhelmed the Dolphins in a 38-16 win, with Montana their main man. First of all, he threw for 331 yards and three scores. Then he ran for 59 yards and a touchdown while helping guide his club to a 537-yard performance.

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2. Phil Simms vs. Denver Broncos

Simms was the star of Super Bowl XXI, as the New York Giants ran out winners over the Broncos. With just two minutes left in the first half, he threw his final incompletion of the game. But from then on, he was absolutely perfect as the Giants went on to claim glory in the NFL’s showpiece event.

His play was out of this world. Simms finished the day 22-of-25 for 268 yards and three scores in his team’s 39-20 victory. Meanwhile, his completion percentage is still a Super Bowl record as he turned in an 88% success rate. That’s an absolutely insane statistic. In short, Simms turned in one of the best individual efforts on this list.

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1. Steve Young vs. San Diego Chargers

After back-to-back losses in the NFC Championship game for two years running, the San Francisco 49ers finally made it to the Super Bowl. Their opponents in the showpiece event were the unfavored Chargers. Super Bowl XXIX was an absolute doozy, with 49ers quarterback Young in the middle of it all.

Fans were saying that he was never going to win it. Well, he definitely proved them wrong as he put in the performance of a lifetime. To sum up, he completed two-thirds of his passes (24-of-36) for 325 yards and a Super Bowl-record six touchdown passes. Young also ran 49 yards on five carries as the 49ers became the first franchise to win five Super Bowls.

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Ranking The Top 30 Performances In Super Bowl History