The Most Surprising Super Bowl Wins of the 21st Century

The most shocking Super Bowl wins of the 21st century

The Super Bowl is the marquee event of the year in the NFL. It is therefore in the best interest of the league that the game is a competitive one.

It’s easy to market a match-up that’s difficult to call in the two weeks of pre-game predictions leading up to the big game.

But sometimes the match-up on paper doesn’t seem to add up to that competitive tug-of-war that NFL and neutral fans want. That’s when the sport’s unpredictable nature makes itself known, and how the phrase “Any Given Sunday” has become synonymous with the NFL.

The 21st Century in particular has offered match-ups with a big favourite heading into the season’s finale- only for the underdog franchise to shock the world and take home the Lombardi Trophy.

These are the most surprising Super Bowl wins of the 21st Century, based on the media perception heading into the game, and what actually occurred on the day.

Super Bowl XXXVI- New England Patriots Beat St Louis Rams

Kurt Warner was, and perhaps still is, one of the greatest stories in NFL history.

The Rams quarterback had worked his way up from Undrafted rookie, who gave up playing for a while, to the league and Super Bowl MVP for the Rams, two years previous to this contest with the Patriots.

The Rams “Greatest Show on Turf” offence was expected to light up a young, inexperienced Patriots team that many thought had already overachieved in 2002.

However, second-year quarterback for New England, Tom Brady, was fast writing his own story, not too dissimilar to Warner’s. Brady, a 6th-round pick the year before, had stepped in for injured starter Drew Bledsoe during the regular season and played with poise and composure well beyond his years.

New England’s defence restricted the Rams’ offence to 17 points, and the game was tied at 17-17 in the final two minutes of the 4th quarter. The Patriots had the ball and, famously, FOX announcer John Madden suggested that the Patriots should run out the clock and attempt to win in overtime.

Instead, Brady drove the offence down the field with relative ease, leading to a game-winning 48-yard field goal by Adam Vinatieri, and the Patriots’ dynasty began.

Super Bowl LV- Tampa Bay Buccaneers Beat Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs, led by their superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes, headed into Super Bowl LV as big favourites to defend their Super Bowl crown.

They would become the first team to win back-to-back Super Bowls since the New England Patriots in the early 2000s. They dismantled the Buffalo Bulls in the AFC Championship Game, and consecutive Super Bowl victories for Mahomes likely would have placed him on a pedestal in many analysts’ minds as the face of the league.

However, the quarterback on the opposite touchline to Mahomes was the same man who led the Patriots to those consecutive Super Bowl victories- Mr Tom Brady. Brady threw three touchdown passes and the Bucs’ defence shut down the previously explosive Kansas offence. Todd Bowles’ unit had Mahomes running for his life all four quarters and limited the Chiefs to a mere 9 points, and no touchdowns.

Interestingly, with the game being held in Tampa, Florida, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the only team to win a home Super Bowl. Tom Brady led the Bucs to victory in Super Bowl 55 and, according to the opening odds, they are major favourites to defend the Super Bowl 56 title. However, they won’t have the benefit of home-field advantage in 2022 if they were to get there, as Super Bowl LVI will be held in Los Angeles.

Super Bowl XLII- New York Giants beat New England Patriots

It doesn’t get much more surprising in Super Bowl history than the Giants beating the Undefeated Powerhouse Patriots team in Super Bowl XLII.

New England won the Lombardi Trophy at the end of the 2001, 2003, and 2004 seasons. However, the 2007 Patriots were, in a lot of people’s minds, better than all those squads.

Brady (50 Passing TD’s) and great wide receiver Randy Moss (23 Receiving TD’s) each set new touchdown records through the regular season, during which the team didn’t lose a single game, going 16-0. They were on the course to victory and expected to become the first team to go an entire season undefeated and win the Super Bowl since the 1972 Miami Dolphins. Eli Manning and the Giants clearly didn’t read that script.

Down 14-10 with five minutes left in the game, Manning orchestrated one of the most memorable drives in NFL history. No play was more incredible than the “Helmet Catch.” Manning, on third down, escaped pressure from three Patriots defenders and launched the ball downfield to his tight end, David Tyree. Tyree leapt for the ball, and under pressure from a defender he somehow managed to pin the ball against the side of his helmet as he fell to the ground, completing the catch.

The Giants scored a touchdown on the drive and held on through the ensuing New England drive to shock the world, winning 17-14.

Super Bowl XLVIII- Seattle Seahawks Beat Denver Broncos (By a Landslide!)

It’s not so much a surprise Seattle beat Denver at Super Bowl XLVII, but the game was a close one to call.

The previews highlighted a battle between the best defence in the league, Seattle, against the best offence in the league, led by Peyton Manning for Denver.

Indeed, Manning and an explosive Broncos offence set numerous offensive records through the 2013 regular season. Manning threw for NFL records at the time in passing yards (5,477) and touchdowns (55). Denver was considered the favourite to win, due to just how consistent that offence had been throughout the year.

However, the first play of the game set the tone for the day. The snap flew well over Manning’s head, into his own end-zone for what became a safety for Seattle. From there, the Seahawks’ defence, led by their Legion of Boom secondary, forced several Denver turnovers, including a Pick-Six for a touchdown by MVP of the game, linebacker Malcolm Smith.

Up 22-0 at half-time, Percy Harvin returned the opening kick-off of the 2nd half for an 87-yard touchdown return that increased Seattle's lead to 29–0. Seattle blew the doors off Denver, surprising most with just how dominant their victory was. The final score was 43-8.

Super Bowl LII- Philadelphia Eagles Beat New England Patriots

We couldn’t end the article without another Brady Super Bowl, right? After all, he has been to ten in the 21st century, winning seven.

This one got away from him though, as Super Bowl LII will be remembered for one of the more improbable and impressive quarterback performances in NFL history. By none other than Super Backup QB, Nick Foles.

Foles took over the starting gig from injured quarterback Carson Wentz, who was enjoying an MVP calibre season before tearing his ACL in Week 15 of the regular season. Despite being surrounded by a solid unit on offense, no one expected journeyman quarterback Foles to lead Philadelphia through the playoffs the way he did. Lighting up the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship game, and then the defending Super Bowl champion Patriots for 41-points in Super Bowl LII.

This game was back-and-forth bonkers football for all four quarters, with very little defence. Until the Eagles’ defensive end, Bradon Graham made the standout defensive play of the game, strip-sacking Brady as they were driving to take the lead in the 4th quarter.

The Eagles recovered the fumble and extended their lead with a field goal, but still had to hang on through a nail-biting hail-mary from Brady on the ensuing drive that fell incomplete, ending the game.

It was an incredible performance from Foles, who was written off by most of the league prior to the season. Have faith in your backup quarterback!