By The Associated Press
Super Bowl XLIV
Feb. 7, 2010
At Miami, 74,059
New Orleans 0 6 10 15—31
Indianapolis 10 0 7 0 —17
Super Bowl MVP Tracy Porter’s 74-yard interception return with 3:12 remaining capped a fourth-quarter comeback and lifted the Saints to their first Super Bowl title.
The Colts took a 10-0 lead in the first with a 38-yard field goal by Matt Stover and Peyton Manning’s 19-yard touchdown pass to Pierre Garcon. Garrett Hartley kicked two field goals for the Saints in the second quarter.
New Orleans opened the second half by recovering an onside kick, which led to a 16-yard touchdown pass from Drew Brees to Pierre Thomas and the Saints’ first lead.
Indianapolis came back with a 76-yard scoring drive capped by Joseph Addai’s 4-yard touchdown run. Hartley’s 47-yard field goal pulled the Saints within one point through three quarters.
In the fourth, Matt Stover missed a 51-yard field goal attempt with 10:39 to play. Brees completed all seven pass attempts on the ensuing drive, capped by Jeremy Shockey’s 2-yard scoring catch with 5:42 remaining. The Saints scored their two-point attempt to take a 24-17 lead.
The Colts quickly drove to the Saints 31, but on third-and-5 Manning’s short pass to the left side intended for Reggie Wayne was intercepted by Porter.
Super Bowl XLIII
Feb. 1, 2009
At Tampa, Fla., 70,774
Pittsburgh 3 14 3 7—27
Arizona 0 7 0 16—23
Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh offense ended a game of incredible swings with a final-minute touchdown for an historic victory over the Cardinals. Santonio Holmes made a brilliant 6-yard catch deep in the right corner of the end zone with 35 seconds remaining, lifting the Steelers to a record-setting sixth Super Bowl win.
The stunning swings overshadowed Pittsburgh linebacker James Harrison’s record 100-yard interception return for a touchdown to end the first half.
Pittsburgh’s 79-yard, 16-play drive ended with Jeff Reed’s 21-yard field goal for a 20-7 lead after three quarters.
Kurt Warner and the Cardinals staged a remarkable rally in the fourth quarter to go in front 23-20 with 2:37 remaining.
Warner hit all eight passes for all the yards of an 87-yard drive capped by a leaping 1-yard TD catch by Larry Fitzgerald over Ike Taylor. After an exchange of possessions, the Cardinals scored a safety when J. Hartwig was called for a holding penalty in the end zone.
Two plays later, Warner hit Fitzgerald in stride for a 64-yard touchdown and the lead.
With 2:30 left, Roethlisberger engineered a 78-yard drive out of the shotgun. Roethlisberger connected with Holmes on passes of 14, 13 and 40 yards before hitting him in the right corner.
Super Bowl XLII
Feb. 4, 2008
At Glendale, Ariz., 71,101
N.Y. Giants 3 0 0 14 — 17
New England 0 7 0 7 — 14
The New York Giants shattered New England’s unbeaten season as Eli Manning hit Plaxico Burress on a 13-yard fade with 35 seconds left in the game.
The win was the Giants’ 11th straight on the road, and the first time the Patriots tasted defeat in more than a year. New England (18-1) was one play from winning, but its defense couldn’t stop a 12-play, 83-yard drive that featured a spectacular leaping catch by David Tyree, who scored New York’s first touchdown early in the fourth quarter.
After an exchange of punts and trailing 10-7, the Patriots took possession on their own 20-yard line with 7:54 to play. Tom Brady completed 8 of 11 passes on the drive which ended with a 6-yard touchdown pass to Randy Moss with 2:42 to play.
With only 1:15 left when Manning faced a third-and-5 at his own 44. The Patriots brought pressure, and Manning somehow shook loose from the grasps of Jarvis Green and Richard Seymour. Scrambling to his right, he made a desperate, dangerous toss deep down the middle.
Tyree jumped up and with Rodney Harrison on his back, managed to get both hands on the ball. Harrison fought him the whole way, slapping at the ball and momentarily pinning it to Tyree’s helmet. That gave Tyree a chance to get a better grip and as he fell backward, he had the presence to hold the ball aloft to show it was his.
Super Bowl XLI
Feb. 4, 2007
At Miami, 74,512
Indianapolis 6 10 6 7—29
Chicago 14 0 3 0—17
Peyton Manning of the Colts added a Super Bowl MVP award to his long list of achievements. The two-time NFL MVP was 25-of-38 for 247 yards and a touchdown pass as he rallied the Colts to a 29-17 victory in the South Florida rain.
Tony Dungy became the first black coach to win the championship, beating good friend and protege Lovie Smith in a game that featured the first two black coaches in the Super Bowl.
Chicago’s Devin Hester opened the game with a 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, the first time a Super Bowl began with a touchdown. Two possessions later Manning connected on a 53-yard pass to Reggie Wayne. Hunter Smith mishandled the snap on the extra point in the steady rain, allowing the Bears to hold a 7-6 lead. The Bears took a 14-6 lead later in the quarter on Muhsin Muhammad’s 4-yard touchdown reception.
The Colts scored 10 points in the second quarter, capped by Dominic Rhodes’ 1-yard run, for a 16-14 halftime lead.
Indianapolis scored field goals in its first two possessions of the third quarter and put the game away on Kelvin Hayden’s 56 interception return for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter.
Super Bowl XL
Feb. 5, 2006
At Detroit, 68,206
Seattle 3 0 7 0—10
Pittsburgh 0 7 7 7—21
A record-setting run, game-turning interception and trick play, gave the Steelers their record-tying fifth Super Bowl title.
Pittsburgh’s Willie Parker broke free for a Super Bowl-record 75 yards on the second play of the second half to give the Steelers a 14-3 lead.
The Steelers had a chance to close out the Seahawks later in the third quarter. On a third-and-6 from the Seahawks’ 7-yard line, Ben Roethlisberger threw an interception that Kelly Herndon returned a Super Bowl-record 76 yards. That set up the Seahawks’ only touchdown, a 16-yard pass by Matt Hasselbeck to Jerramy Stevens.
Early in the fourth quarter Seattle drove to the Steelers’ 19. Hasselbeck’s worst pass of the game was intercepted by Ike Taylor, ending Seattle’s drive and saving the Steelers’ lead.
The clincher for the Steelers was Antwaan Randle El’s 43-yard pass to Hines Ward, the first Super Bowl touchdown pass by a receiver and one of the most decisive trick plays in championship game history.
That catch clinched the MVP trophy for Ward, who had five catches for 123 yards.
Super Bowl XXXIX
Feb. 6, 2005
At Jacksonville, Fla., 78,125
New England 0 7 7 10—24
Philadelphia 0 7 7 7 —21
The New England Patriots won their third Super Bowl in four years. It was their ninth straight postseason victory, equaling Vince Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers. It was coach Bill Belichick’s 10th playoff victory in 11 games, one better than the great Lombardi.
Deion Branch had 11 receptions for 133 yards to win MVP honors and the Patriots’ defense forced four turnovers to become the eighth team to win consecutive Super Bowl titles.
The Patriots took a 21-14 lead early in the fourth quarter on a 2-yard run by Corey Dillon. New England forced a three and out and Branch’s 19-yard reception set up Adam Vinatieri’s 22-yard field goal with 8:40 to play.
The Eagles pulled within three, on Donovan McNabb’s 30-yard pass to Greg Lewis with 1:48 to play.
Philadelphia’s final drive started on its own 4, with 46 seconds left. Rodney Harrison ended the Eagle’s hopes three plays later, with his second interception of the game.
Super Bowl XXXVIII
Feb. 1, 2004
At Houston, 71,525
Carolina 0 10 0 19 — 29
New England0 14 0 18 — 32
The Patriots won their second Super Bowl in three seasons after Adam Vinatieri kicked a field goal with four seconds left to lift his team to victory.
The teams went a record 26:55 without any points before Tom Brady hit Deion Branch for a 7-0 Patriot lead. The teams combined for 24 points in the final 3:05 of the half after both defenses had been dominant. After a scoreless third quarter, the teams went back and forth, scoring a total of 37 points over the final quarter.
Jake Delhomme and Muhsin Muhammad hooked up for the longest pass in Super Bowl history, an 85-yard touchdown that gave the Panthers a brief 22-21 lead with 6:53 left.
Mike Vrabel, a linebacker playing offense for a play, caught a touchdown to put New England back ahead 29-22 at 2:51. Delhomme’s 12-yard pass to Ricky Proehl capped an 80-yard drive to tie the game with 1:08 remaining.
John Kasay’s ensuing kickoff went out of bounds, giving the Patriots the ball on their own 40-yard line. Brady, who earned his second MVP award, moved New England to the Carolina 23 in five plays, leaving the game up to one of the best clutch kickers in the game.
