Top Super Bowl Performances

Top Super Bowl Performances

Super Bowl XXII, 1/31/88, Washington Redskins 42, Denver Broncos 10: A rookie who ran for only 126 yards on 29 carries during the regular season, Smith set a Super Bowl record that still stands by rushing for 204 yards on 22 carries in the Redskins' 42-10 rout of the Broncos. Smith put up a game's worth of stats in the second quarter alone as he ran for 122 yards on five carries (including a 58-yard TD run), helping Washington erupt for a record 35 points in the period. For good measure, he added a 4-yard TD run in the fourth quarter and finished the game with an average of 9.3 yards per carry.

Super Bowl XXIX, 1/29/95, San Francisco 49ers 49, San Diego Chargers 26: With Joe Montana retired, Steve Young had one of the most impressive QB stats in Super Bowl history: 24-for-36, 325 yards, six (6) (SIX!) TD passes, no INTs in San Francisco's 49-26 destruction of the San Diego Chargers. Young also had: five carries, 49 yards rushing. On the 49ers' first seven plays against the Chargers, Young throws TD tosses of 44 and 51 yards. Helpful receivers: Jerry Rice (10 catches and three TDs), John Taylor, TE Brent Jones, and RBs Ricky Watters and William Floyd were instrumental in Young's successful Super Bowl performance.

Super Bowl XV, 1/25/81, Oakland Raiders 27, Philadelphia Eagles 10: Martin set the tone quickly by intercepting Ron Jaworski's first pass to set up an Oakland touchdown. He went on to pick-off a Super Bowl-record three interceptions.

Super Bowl XXI, 1/25/87, New York Giants 39, Denver Broncos 20: Giants QB Phil Simms had the best game of his life, completing 22 of 25 passes for 268 yards, three TDs and no INTs as the Giants tear apart the Broncos 39-20. "This might be the best game a quarterback has ever played," Giants coach Bill Parcells said. Simms went on to say: "I was like a fastball pitcher," he says. "I had great location all day. Almost every pass landed exactly where I wanted it to. I've never played better. I told 'em before the game I was smoking."

Super Bowl XVIII, 1/22/84, L.A. Raiders 38, Washington Redskins 9: Even though the Redskins had the league's best defense against the run during the 1983 season, Raider running back Marcus Allen ran for 191 yards on 20 carries in the Raiders' 38-9 drubbing of Washington. Among the highlights during his MVP performance: a 74-yard run on the final play of the third quarter, which remains the longest run from scrimmage in Super Bowl history. After the game, Allen admitted his big play was actually a big mistake. "I was supposed to stay inside the guard on the play, but for some reason I wound up on the outside. Then I cut back inside, saw a huge hole and tore upfield."

Super Bowl X, 1/18/76, Pittsburgh Steelers 21, Dallas Cowboys 17: Lynn Swann caught just four passes in the Steelers' 21-17 victory over the Cowboys -- but two of them were among the most memorable grabs in Super Bowl history. In the second quarter, Swann leapt over Dallas cornerback Mark Washington and maintained his concentration while falling to the turf to haul in a 53-yard catch. With Pittsburgh clinging to a 15-10 lead in the fourth quarter, Swann flew high to pull down a 64-yard TD pass from Terry Bradshaw that helped Pittsburgh to its second consecutive Super Bowl victory. At the time his 161 yards receiving were a Super Bowl record.

Super Bowl XXXIV, 1/30/00, St. Louis Rams 23, Tennessee Titans 16: Just four years before, Rams QB Kurt Warner was a grocery clerk. But in the Super Bowl he was anything but a clerk. Kurt Warner's MVP Super Bowl performance has one of those storybook endings. He had 414 yards passing, setting a Super Bowl record, as the Rams barely squeezed past the Titans 23-16. Warner's first-half stats alone would be a pretty great day for most QBs: 19-for-35 for 277 yards. But his second half was more dramatic, as it included a 73-yard TD pass to Isaac Bruce with just under 2 minutes left to put the Rams ahead for good. "Kurt had a marvelous game," Titans coach Jeff Fisher said. "He took a pounding. He was getting hit, hit, hit, but he just hung in there and made the big plays to win the game."

Super Bowl XVII, 1/30/83, Washington Redskins 27, Miami Dolphins 17: Behind the famous offensive lineman, The Hogs, Redskins fullback John Riggins ran over and through the Dolphins' defense (the best in the NFL during the 1982 season) for 166 yards on 38 carries as the Redskins won their first Super Bowl and their first NFL title in 40 years with a 27-17 victory over Miami. On the play famous to all Skins' fans, on a crucial fourth-and-1 play in the fourth quarter, Riggins broke through the line and brushed aside Gerald McNeil's attempted tackle, and sprinted to the end zone to put the Redskins ahead with a 43-yard TD run. "I'm very happy," Riggo said after the game. "At least for tonight, Ron's the president, but I'm the king."

Super Bowl XXIV, 1/28/90, San Francisco 49ers 55, Denver Broncos 10: One of the most amazing performances for a QB in the Super Bowl could very well be any of Joe Montana's three MVP performances, but his effort during the Niners' 55-10 downing of the Broncos. Joe Montana picked apart the Broncos' defensive secondary with ease and completed 22 of 29 passes for 297 yards and five TDs to win his fourth Super Bowl ring.

Super Bowl XXIII, 1/22/89, San Francisco 49ers 20, Cincinnati Bengals 16: 49ers wide receiver Jerry Rice's amazing performance speaks for itself as one of the most stunning performances ever by a wide receiver in the clutch of the Super Bowl. Rice set a mark that still stands by gaining 215 yards on a whopping 11 catches. On the winning drive, he caught three passes for gains of seven, 17, and 27 yards. Rice was named the game's MVP, but said he thought Montana deserved it.