Who won the Super Bowl in 2015?
Super Bowl XLIX
Super Bowl XLIX was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2014 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots defeated the National Football Conference (NFC) champion and defending Super Bowl XLVIII champion Seattle Seahawks, 28–24, to earn their fourth Super Bowl title and their first in ten years. The game was played on February 1, 2015 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. It was the second time the stadium has hosted a Super Bowl, and the third one held in the Phoenix metropolitan area.
Super Bowl XLVIII
Super Bowl XLVIII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos and National Football Conference (NFC) champion Seattle Seahawks to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 2013 season. The Seahawks defeated the Broncos 43–8, the largest margin of victory for an underdog and tied for the third largest point differential overall (35) in Super Bowl history with Super Bowl XXVII (1993). It was the first time the winning team scored over 40 points, while holding their opponent to under 10. This became the first Super Bowl victory for the Seahawks and the fifth Super Bowl loss for the Broncos, tied with the New England Patriots for the most of any team. The game was played on February 2, 2014 at MetLife Stadium at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the first Super Bowl played outdoors in a cold-weather city and the first Super Bowl to be played on February 2.
Super Bowl 50
Super Bowl 50 had nine officials. The numbers in parentheses below indicate their uniform numbers.This was Denver’s first sports championship since the Colorado Rapids won the MLS Cup in 2010. The 2016 NFL season began with the Broncos hosting the Panthers at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. It was the first meeting of both Super Bowl participants during Week 1 of the following season since the 1970 season when the Minnesota Vikings and Kansas City Chiefs held a rematch of Super Bowl IV to kick off the post-merger era of the NFL. The Broncos won 21–20 as Carolina's Graham Gano missed a field goal attempt to win the game.
Brandon Bolden
Bolden was a part of the Patriots Super Bowl XLIX championship team when they defeated the Seattle Seahawks, 28–24, and played in all 19 of the Patriots regular-season and postseason games. On January 9, 2015, Bolden was signed to a two-year extension by the Patriots. On November 9, 2015, Bolden caught his first touchdown pass, an 18-yarder from Tom Brady, against the Washington Redskins. On November 29, Bolden caught his second touchdown pass on a 63-yard catch-and-run in a loss to the Denver Broncos. In the 2016 season, Bolden went back to a reserve role on offense and played mostly on special teams. On February 5, 2017, Bolden was part of the Patriots team that won Super Bowl LI. In the game, he played only on special teams as the Patriots defeated the Atlanta Falcons by a score of 34–28 in overtime. The Patriots trailed 28–3 in the third quarter, but rallied to win the game, 34–28, in the first overtime game in Super Bowl history and the largest comeback in Super Bowl history.
John Elway
After two more Super Bowl losses, the Broncos entered a period of decline; however, that ended during the 1997 season, as Elway and Denver won their first Super Bowl title by defeating the Green Bay Packers 31–24 in Super Bowl XXXII. The Broncos repeated as champions the following season in Super Bowl XXXIII by defeating the Atlanta Falcons 34–19. Elway was voted MVP of that Super Bowl, which was the last game of his career, and in doing so Elway set a then-record five Super Bowl starts which was broken in February 2015 when Tom Brady of the New England Patriots started Super Bowl XLIX. As Denver's quarterback, Elway led his teams to six AFC Championship Games and five Super Bowls, winning two. After his retirement as a player, he served as general manager and executive vice president of football operations of the Broncos, which won four division titles, two AFC Championships, and Super Bowl 50 during his tenure. Elway has been a member of the Broncos organization for all three of their Super Bowl victories, two as a player and one as an executive.
2014–15 NFL playoffs
Trailing 16–0 at halftime and 19–7 with under three minutes left in the game, Russell Wilson, despite throwing four interceptions, rallied the team to 15 unanswered points and won the game on a 35-yard touchdown pass to Jermaine Kearse in overtime to become the first team to make consecutive Super Bowl appearances since the 2004 New England Patriots, and the first NFC team to make consecutive Super Bowl appearances since the 1997 Green Bay Packers. Their 16-point halftime comeback was the largest ever in a conference championship game, besting the 15 point halftime deficit by the Indianapolis Colts against the New England Patriots in 2006. This was also the second largest total comeback in a championship, the first also being the 2006 AFC Championship Game with Indianapolis against New England in which the Colts trailed 21–3.
Vernon Davis
On November 2, 2015, Davis and a 2016 seventh-round draft pick were traded from the San Francisco 49ers to the Denver Broncos for sixth-round picks in 2016 and 2017. His first game as a member of the Broncos was against his brother Vontae and the Indianapolis Colts. With Brock Osweiler as the starting quarterback, he had four receptions for 69 yards in a 17–15 win over the Chicago Bears. He then added a combined four receptions for 35 yards in wins against the New England Patriots and San Diego Chargers. Davis had a season-high seven catches for 74 yards in a 15–12 loss to the Oakland Raiders. On February 7, 2016, Davis won his first Super Bowl championship after the Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers by a score of 24–10 in Super Bowl 50. Despite ending the Super Bowl with no receptions, Davis made a key block downfield during a crucial 34-yard run by teammate C. J. Anderson, the longest rush of the game.
2015 Carolina Panthers season
With the blowout win, the Panthers would improve to 17–1 overall and would head onto the Super Bowl, their first appearance in twelve years and their second in franchise history. They would become the first 15–1 team to do so since the 1985 Bears. The win also made Rivera the fifth man of color and the second Latino head coach to lead a team to the Super Bowl, the first being Tom Flores who'd lead the Raiders to Super Bowl XVIII. Coincidentally, Rivera was a linebacker for the Chicago Bears when they won Super Bowl XX.
History of the Green Bay Packers
The Packers played the Pittsburgh Steelers, who were seeking a record seventh Super Bowl title, in Super Bowl XLV at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The Packers struck first with two touchdowns near the end of the first quarter, one on a Jordy Nelson touchdown catch and the other on a Nick Collins interception return. Collins' touchdown marked the third consecutive playoff game in which the Packers returned an interception for a touchdown. The first half ended with the Packers leading 21–10, but they had lost both cornerback Charles Woodson and wide receiver Donald Driver to injury. The Steelers started to rally, but the Packers defense caused a key fumble on the first play of the fourth quarter and later stopped the Steelers on their final drive, winning their fourth Super Bowl and their record 13th overall NFL championship, 31–25. Aaron Rodgers was voted the game's MVP. With the win, the Packers joined the Steelers, 49ers and Cowboys as the only NFL teams to win at least four Super Bowls. They would eventually be joined by the New York Giants, who won their fourth Super Bowl (Super Bowl XLVI) following the 2011 season, and the New England Patriots, who won their fourth Super Bowl (Super Bowl XLIX) following the 2014 season.
Super Bowl XXXV
Had the Giants won, it would have marked the first year since 1989 that a Super Bowl and World Series champion came from the same metropolitan area. The New York Yankees won the World Series during the Giants' season. Including the New Jersey Devils' win in the Stanley Cup Finals and the New York Mets' runner-up finish to the rival Yankees, there were four teams from the New York metropolitan area that made the championship round of their respective leagues in the same year.
Pete Carroll
On February 2, 2014, Carroll led the Seattle Seahawks to their first Super Bowl win in franchise history after defeating the Denver Broncos, 43–8, in Super Bowl XLVIII. Carroll joined Barry Switzer and Jimmy Johnson as the only coaches to win both an NCAA championship and a Super Bowl. At age 62, Carroll was the third-oldest coach to win a Super Bowl. Tom Coughlin was 65 when his Giants won Super Bowl XLVI and Dick Vermeil was 63 when the St. Louis Rams won Super Bowl XXXIV.
Chandler Jones
For the season, Jones recorded 43 tackles and 6 sacks in 10 games. In week 2 Jones recorded 2 sacks; he also blocked a field goal and returned it for a touchdown. On February 1, 2015, he won his first Super Bowl ring when the Patriots defeated the Seattle Seahawks 28-24 in Super Bowl XLIX. In the waning seconds of the match, Jones and then-teammate Jonathan Casillas provided the New England coaching team with the ceremonial Gatorade shower.
Robert Myers (offensive lineman)
In the 2015 season, Myers and the Broncos made the Super Bowl. Myers was inactive for Super Bowl 50. The Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers by a score of 24–10.
Dwayne Joseph
Joseph was hired as the director of pro personnel of Philadelphia Eagles in May 2015. Joseph won his first Super Bowl when the Eagles defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII.
Super Bowl XXXVI
The game heralded the Patriots dynasty, being the first of nine Super Bowl appearances under the duo of head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady. The Patriots finished the 2002 NFL season 9-7, missing the playoffs. But they went on to win Super Bowl XXXVIII, Super Bowl XXXIX, thus winning three Super Bowls in four years. Then, they won their fourth and fifth Super Bowls (Super Bowl XLIX and Super Bowl LI) a decade after their third. Brady also won three more Super Bowl MVP awards in Super Bowl XXXVIII, Super Bowl XLIX, and Super Bowl LI, making him the only player to be named Super Bowl MVP four times. Super Bowl XXXVI later became part of the wider 2007 New England Patriots videotaping controversy, also known as "Spygate". In addition to other videotaping allegations, the "Boston Herald" reported, citing an unnamed source, that the Patriots had also taped the Rams' walkthrough practice prior to the game. After further investigations, the league determined that no tape of the Rams' Super Bowl walkthrough was made, and the "Herald" later issued an apology in 2008 for their article about the alleged walkthrough tape. Nevertheless, the Patriots finished the 2007 regular season with a perfect 16–0 record, but failed to record an undefeated 19–0 championship season after losing Super Bowl XLII to the New York Giants. And at the conclusion of the 2015 NFL season, the Patriots held the NFL's best record since Spygate, compiling a 96-32 record from 2008 to 2015.
The Patriots' win in this Super Bowl, beyond just serving as a springboard to four more championships, also became the starting point for a decade of success in Boston sports, with the city's teams winning seven championships in the four major North American sports leagues (the NFL, the NBA, the NHL and MLB), including at least one in each league. Over the next fifteen years, in addition to the Patriots' four additional Super Bowls:
Super Bowl XV
The Raiders were making their third Super Bowl appearance after posting an 11–5 regular season record, but losing a tiebreaker to the AFC West division winner San Diego Chargers. Oakland then advanced to the Super Bowl with playoff victories over the Houston Oilers, Cleveland Browns, and San Diego. The Eagles were making their first Super Bowl appearance after posting a 12–4 regular season record and postseason victories over the Minnesota Vikings and the Dallas Cowboys.
Super Bowl 50
The Panthers finished the regular season with a 15–1 record, racking up the league's top offense, and quarterback Cam Newton was named the NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP). They defeated the Arizona Cardinals 49–15 in the NFC Championship Game and advanced to their second Super Bowl appearance since the franchise began playing in 1995. The Broncos finished the regular season with a 12–4 record, bolstered by having the league's top defense. The Broncos defeated the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots 20–18 in the AFC Championship Game joining the Patriots, Dallas Cowboys, and Pittsburgh Steelers as one of four teams that have made eight appearances in the Super Bowl. This record would later be broken the next season, in 2017, when the Patriots advanced to their ninth Super Bowl appearance in Super Bowl LI.
Super Bowl XLVI
Super Bowl XLVI was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 2011 season. The Giants defeated the Patriots by the score of 21–17. The game was played on February 5, 2012 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, the first time that the Super Bowl was played in Indiana.
2015 Denver Broncos season
The Panthers took the opening possession of the second half, and drove to the Broncos' 26-yard line. However, placekicker Graham Gano missed on a 44-yard field goal attempt that hit the right upright. During the Panthers' drive, Miller broke up a pass from Newton to wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery that would have given the Panthers a first-and-goal. McManus added a 30-yard field goal to extend the Broncos' lead. Early in the fourth quarter, Panthers' defensive end Kony Ealy forced a strip sack and fumble recovery off Broncos' quarterback Peyton Manning near midfield, but were forced to settle on a 39-yard field goal by Gano to narrow the Broncos' lead to 16–10. With 4:51 remaining, Miller then forced yet another strip sack and fumble off Newton, ending the Panthers' drive, with safety T. J. Ward recovering the football at the Panthers' 4-yard line. Following a defensive holding penalty on Panthers' cornerback Josh Norman on a third-and-goal, the Broncos added to their lead, with running back C. J. Anderson rushing for a 2-yard touchdown, coupled with Manning completing a pass to wide receiver Bennie Fowler for a two-point conversion with 3:13 remaining. The Panthers had two more offensive possessions, but the Broncos' defense stood their ground, preventing a first down on both drives to win their third Super Bowl.
List of NFC champions
The Super Bowl is played annually between the AFC champion and the NFC champion. The first four Super Bowls were played prior to the AFL/NFL merger between the AFL and NFL champion. The 1970 NFC champion Dallas Cowboys lost the first Super Bowl played after the merger, but the 1971 Cowboys were the first NFC team to win the Super Bowl. The NFC had a streak in which its champion won 13 consecutive Super Bowls, from the 1984 NFC champion San Francisco 49ers through the 1996 NFC champion Green Bay Packers. Overall, the NFC champion has won 24 of the 45 Super Bowls played since the formation of the NFC with the AFL/NFL merger through the end of the 2014 season.
2015 Denver Broncos season
The Broncos clinched their fifth-consecutive AFC West division title, fourth consecutive first-round bye and the AFC's No. 1 playoff seed for the third time in four seasons. As was the case during the regular season, the Broncos' defense dominated their playoff opponents. During the Broncos three playoff games, they recorded 14 sacks, forced seven turnovers, surrendered only one touchdown pass and gave up just 44 combined points (an average of just 14.7 points a game). The Broncos defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 23–16 in the Divisional round and the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots 20–18 in the AFC Championship Game. The Broncos then defeated the Carolina Panthers 24–10 in Super Bowl 50 — the franchise's third Super Bowl championship, and the first since winning back-to-back Super Bowls in 1997 and 1998.
2016 New England Patriots season
In Super Bowl LI, the Patriots rallied from a 28–3 deficit – with 2:12 left in the third quarter – to win in overtime, with a score of 34–28. This would be the franchise's fifth Super Bowl title. Super Bowl LI was the first Super Bowl to be decided in overtime and constituted the first time the winner erased a deficit higher than ten points. This would also be a record fifth Super Bowl victory for the Brady–Belichick quarterback-head coach combo. For Tom Brady, this would be his fifth. With the Super Bowl win, he broke his tie with hall of fame quarterbacks Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw who both have four wins each. Moreover, head coach Bill Belichick's fifth Super Bowl meant he surpassed Hall of Fame coach Chuck Noll (4) for most wins in the Super Bowl by a head coach.
Super Bowl XV
Aided by two touchdown passes from quarterback Jim Plunkett, the Raiders jumped out to a 14–0 lead in the first quarter of Super Bowl XV, from which the Eagles never recovered. Oakland linebacker Rod Martin also intercepted Philadelphia quarterback Ron Jaworski three times for a Super Bowl record. Plunkett was named the Super Bowl MVP after completing 13 of 21 passes for 261 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing for 9 yards. Plunkett was also the second Heisman Trophy winner to be named Super Bowl MVP after Roger Staubach in Super Bowl VI.
Bobby Wagner
On February 1, 2015, the Seattle Seahawks played in Super Bowl XLIX after defeating the Carolina Panthers and then the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship. Wagner recorded 12 combined tackles, deflected a pass, and intercepted a pass attempt by Tom Brady in the Seahawks 28–24 last-second loss to the New England Patriots. He is the current all-time career leader for tackles in Super Bowls with 22. Wagner made the NFL Top 100 Players for the first time in his career after he garnered enough votes from his NFL peers to finish No. 69 in the "NFL Top 100 Players of 2014".
2015 Sugar Bowl
With the huge win, the Buckeyes advanced to their first national championship game since 2007, and played the Rose Bowl champion Oregon Ducks, whom they defeated 42-20 for their 8th national championship. This was Ohio State's first win over Alabama in 4 tries. They had been 0-3 in the other games played between the teams. The loss by Alabama was the Southeastern Conference's second straight loss in a major bowl game to the Buckeyes, along with Arkansas's loss in the 2011 Sugar Bowl. Alabama's loss meant that 2015 was the first national championship to not feature an SEC team since 2005, when USC and Texas played in that season's Rose Bowl. The loss also assured the Crimson Tide a second straight season without appearing in the national championship, the first time that Alabama has missed the national championship in back to back seasons since 2007 and 2008. Ohio State's 15-point comeback over the Tide is the largest ever comeback against a Nick Saban-led team in a bowl game and the 2nd largest comeback against the Crimson Tide under Saban all time, with the largest being Auburn's 24-0 comeback in 2010. The loss by Alabama also dropped them to 0-3 under Saban in Sugar Bowls. However, they would eventually win a Sugar Bowl in 2018, beating Clemson 24-6. This was the 3rd time in the Saban era that Alabama had blown a lead of 14 or more points, with each of the other losses to Auburn in 2010 and 2013. Alabama would return to the playoffs the next year, and would win the Cotton Bowl over another Big 10 team, Michigan State, 38-0, and championship over Clemson, 45-40. As of 2019, Alabama has appeared in the playoffs in each season since it's existence, and has been to 4 national championships, winning 2 and losing 2. Ohio State would return to the playoffs again in 2016, but they would lose to Clemson 31-0 in the Fiesta Bowl. As of 2019, this remains the last time that these 2 teams have met. No future regular season meetings are scheduled and they haven't met in a bowl game since this one.
2015 New England Patriots season
The 2015 New England Patriots season was the franchise's 46th season in the National Football League, the 56th overall and the 16th under head coach Bill Belichick. The Patriots entered the season as the defending Super Bowl champions.
West Coast offense
Although Andy Reid has never won a Super Bowl, his former offensive coordinator, Doug Pederson, has succeeded in both reaching and winning a Super Bowl. Pederson, who served as the Chiefs' offensive coordinator under Reid from 2013-2015, became head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2016 and installed his own version of the West Coast offense. The following year, despite losing rising star quarterback Carson Wentz to a torn ACL, Pederson was still able to guide his team to a world championship. The Eagles, with the help of backup QB and Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles, defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII.
2015 Denver Broncos season
With the win, the Broncos advanced to their eighth Super Bowl in team history.
2015 DFL-Supercup
The 2015 DFL-Supercup was the sixth edition of the German Super Cup under the name DFL-Supercup, an annual football match contested by the winners of the previous season's Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal competitions. It featured Bayern Munich, the winners of the 2014–15 Bundesliga and VfL Wolfsburg, the winners of the 2014–15 DFB-Pokal.
Super Bowl XLIX
In winning, Brady became the third quarterback in NFL history with four Super Bowl victories. Brady was also named MVP for a third time, tying the record set by Joe Montana. The Seahawks became the first defending champion since the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XXXII to lose in the Super Bowl the next year. This also marked the 10th consecutive Super Bowl without a repeat winner (with the last one being the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXIX).
Super Bowl
The Baltimore Colts, now a member of the AFC, would start the decade by defeating the Cowboys in Super Bowl V, a game which is notable as being the only Super Bowl to date in which a player from the losing team won the Super Bowl MVP (Cowboys' linebacker Chuck Howley). Beginning with this Super Bowl, all Super Bowls have served as the NFL's league championship game.
The Cowboys, coming back from a loss the previous season, won Super Bowl VI over the Dolphins. However, this would be the Dolphins' final loss in over a year, as the next year, the Dolphins would go 14–0 in the regular season and eventually win all of their playoff games, capped off with a 14–7 victory in Super Bowl VII, becoming the first and only team to finish an entire perfect regular and postseason. The Dolphins would repeat as league champions by winning Super Bowl VIII a year later.
John Schneider (American football executive)
Since arriving, Schneider and Carroll have orchestrated a complete overhaul of Seattle's roster. In 2010, Schneider completed 284 roster transactions, including trading for Marshawn Lynch. On February 2, 2014, the Seahawks won Super Bowl XLVIII, their first championship in their existence. Of those on the championship roster, only Max Unger, Red Bryant, Jon Ryan and Brandon Mebane were Seahawks prior to Schneider's arrival in Seattle. Schneider and Seattle followed their Super Bowl win with another NFC Championship, but lost to New England in Super Bowl XLIX. In 2015, the Seahawks clinched a wild card berth, but fell in the NFC Divisional Round to the Panthers. Schneider signed a 5-year contract extension with the Seahawks in July 2016 that keeps him in Seattle through the 2021 season. The Seahawks won their fourth NFC West title under Schneider in 2016, but were eliminated in the divisional round of the playoffs for the second straight year.
Alan Branch
On October 21, 2014, it was reported that Branch had signed a 1-year deal with the New England Patriots. The team officially announced the signing on October 29. On February 1, 2015, Branch won his first Super Bowl, defeating his former team, the Seattle Seahawks, by a score of 28–24.
2015 NFL season
Super Bowl 50 decided the 2015 NFL Champion and was played at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California on Sunday, February 7, 2016. Instead of naming it Super Bowl L with Roman numerals like in previous Super Bowls, this game was marketed with the Arabic numeral "50". According to Jaime Weston, the league's vice president of brand and creative, the primary reason was that the league's graphic designers had difficulty designing a suitable, aesthetically pleasing logo with only the Roman numeral "L".
2016 New England Patriots season
For the first time in Super Bowl history, a game went into overtime. New England won the coin toss, calling "heads" and chose to receive the kick. After passes from Brady to White, Amendola, Chris Hogan, and Julian Edelman, as well as a 10-yard rush by White, the Patriots had first-and-10 at the Falcons' 15-yard line. A pass interference penalty against De'Vondre Campbell put the ball at the Atlanta 2. After an incomplete pass intended for Martellus Bennett, James White took a toss to the right and dove at the goal line for a touchdown, winning Super Bowl LI for the Patriots, 34–28.
Super Bowl XLVI
The Giants jumped to a 9–0 lead in the first quarter of Super Bowl XLVI before the Patriots scored 17 unanswered points to take a 17–9 lead in the third quarter. But the Giants prevented the Patriots from scoring again, and two consecutive New York field goals chipped away New England's lead, 17–15, late in the third quarter. The Giants capped off an 88-yard drive with running back Ahmad Bradshaw's 6-yard game-winning touchdown with 57 seconds left in the game. Eli Manning, who completed 30 of 40 passes for 296 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions, was named Super Bowl MVP for the second time in his career. He became the third consecutive quarterback to win the award after Aaron Rodgers in Super Bowl XLV and Drew Brees in Super Bowl XLIV.
1989 World Series
The A's victory continued a string of success for any Bay Area-based professional sports team. The San Francisco 49ers of the NFL continued its '80s dynasty by winning Super Bowl XXIII and XXIV in between the Athletics' World Series triumph. The next championship for the city of Oakland came in 2015, when the Golden State Warriors of the NBA won the 2015 NBA Finals. Later, the Golden State Warriors would win the 2017 and 2018 NBA Finals, defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers.
History of the New England Patriots
The Patriots defeated the Baltimore Ravens 35–31 in the Divisional Round of the playoffs, advancing to their fourth consecutive AFC Championship game. There, they defeated the Indianapolis Colts 45–7 to advance to their eight Super Bowl appearance, making them only the third team to reach the Super Bowl eight times, with the other teams being the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys. On February 1, 2015, the Patriots played the defending Super Bowl champions Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX. After a scoreless first quarter, both teams exchanged two touchdowns to make it 14-14 at halftime. Seattle then scored a field goal and a touchdown to take a 10-point lead going into the final quarter. The Patriots rallied, scoring two touchdowns to take a 28-24 lead with 2:02 remaining. After the Seahawks drove all the way to the 1 yard line with under a minute to go, rookie cornerback Malcolm Butler caught a critical interception on Seattle's final offensive play that helped to seal the victory. Brady won his third Super Bowl MVP award.
NBC Sunday Night Football
The 2015 schedule was released on April 21, 2015. The defending Super Bowl champions the New England Patriots faced the Pittsburgh Steelers during the NFL Kickoff Game on Thursday, September 10, 2015. Other notable games included the Seattle Seahawks versus the Green Bay Packers (Week 2) and the New England Patriots versus the Indianapolis Colts (Week 6) in a rematch of their respective conference championship games. It also placed a Sunday night game (Green Bay Packers at Denver Broncos) against a World Series game for the sixth straight year. The final Sunday night game of the season – January 3, 2016 – likewise was a flex game; the slot was left vacant when the schedule came out as has been the practice over the past seven seasons. The game's teams (and by extension, its location) was announced after most Week 16 games. It was filled by the Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers. The Arizona Cardinals wound up playing on consecutive Sunday nights — at the Seattle Seahawks in Week 10 and then, at home against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 11 (Cardinals won both of those games), with the latter being flexed into the Sunday night slot. The December 20 game (Cincinnati Bengals at San Francisco 49ers) reverted to the afternoon, replaced by the Arizona Cardinals-Philadelphia Eagles game. The Minnesota Vikings also wound up playing on consecutive Sunday nights beginning in Week 16 at home against the New York Giants and on the road in Week 17 against the Green Bay Packers.
Kyle Roberts
On February 7, 2016, Roberts was part of the Broncos team that won Super Bowl 50. In the game, the Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers by a score of 24–10.
Super Bowl
Super Bowl XXXII saw quarterback John Elway and running back Terrell Davis lead the Denver Broncos to an upset victory over the defending champion Packers, snapping the NFC's 13-year winning streak. The following year, the Broncos defeated the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl XXXIII, Elway's fifth Super Bowl appearance, his second NFL championship, and his final NFL game. The back-to-back victories heralded a change in momentum in which AFC teams would win nine out of 12 Super Bowls. In the years between 1995 and 2016, five teams – the Steelers, New England Patriots, Broncos, Baltimore Ravens, and Indianapolis Colts – accounted for 20 of the 22 AFC Super Bowl appearances (including the last 14), with those same teams often meeting each other earlier in the playoffs. In contrast, the NFC saw a different representative in the Super Bowl every season from 2001 through 2010.
2015 Arizona Cardinals season
The second-seeded Cardinals began their playoff run by defeating the fifth-seeded Green Bay Packers 26–20 in overtime in the divisional round, giving quarterback Carson Palmer his first career playoff win. However, they were blown out by the top-seeded Carolina Panthers in the NFC championship by a score of 49–15, with the Cardinals committing seven turnovers, tied for the most turnovers in a conference championship game since the Los Angeles Rams were defeated by the Cowboys abruptly in the 1978 season by a score of 28–0. The 2015–16 NFC Championship Game was a rematch of the 2008–09 NFC Divisional Round, which saw the 9–7 Cardinals upset the Panthers in their home stadium. The Panthers themselves would go on to have an embarrassing loss in Super Bowl 50 against the Denver Broncos, losing 10–24.
James Morris (American football)
Morris was signed as an undrafted free agent by the New England Patriots on May 16, 2014. He was then released on May 20, 2014. Morris was then re-signed by the New England Patriots on August 3, 2014. He was placed on injured reserve during final cuts on August 30 of that year. Morris won Super Bowl XLIX with the Patriots after they defeated the defending champion Seattle Seahawks 28-24. On September 4, 2015, Morris was waived by the Patriots.
Colts–Patriots rivalry
The Patriots defeated the Colts 45-7 in the at Gillette Stadium on January 18, 2015 following Indianapolis playoff wins over Cincinnati and Denver and New England's divisional round win over Baltimore. With the victory the Patriots moved on to defeat the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX to win their fourth championship. New England's victory has been controversial, as the Patriots were alleged to have deliberately or negligently underinflated footballs used in the game, which has been dubbed "Deflategate". The controversy was addressed by Bill Belichick in a snap press conference a week before Super Bowl XLIX and took a bizarre turn when Adam Schefter reported a league employee was fired after this game for stealing footballs and illegally selling them.The rivalry forms the basis of a Sprint telecommunications television ad for their service providing NFL updates to cell phones. In the ad, a cell phone opens up to form a miniature NFL stadium with the Patriots logo in one end zone and the Colts logo in the other (the only scenarios in which this type of field layout would occur are the Pro Football Hall of Fame exhibition game and the NFL International Series). As two men watch, a winning field goal is kicked and fireworks erupt. The winner is not named but evidence suggests the Patriots, as the "game" call is by New England's radio play-by-play announcer Gil Santos.
The rivalry is also referenced in a MasterCard ad in which Peyton Manning is staying in hotels in New England as well as San Diego and Cleveland while misunderstanding taunting comments made to him by fans of the opposing teams, as well as taking their taunts literally (In New England: "Going down" to 4th floor of the hotel; Cleveland: "Don't choke on it" Planning on cutting the fruit into a fruit salad so he won't choke on it; San Diego: "Take a hike" Literally planning on taking a hike).
2015 Indianapolis Colts season
In the Super Bowl rematch between the two teams, the Saints started the first half, dominating the Colts 20-0, in which stunned Indy's home crowd. The Colts looked for answers in the second half, but Andrew Luck struggled to find open receivers and he was intercepted twice on defense.
Pete Carroll
The following season, the Seahawks started off their quest to repeat as champions with a 36–16 defeat of the Green Bay Packers on "Thursday Night Football" in the first game of the NFL season. A Super Bowl XLVIII rematch came in Week 3, with Seattle again defeating Peyton Manning and the Broncos, 26–20 in overtime. However, losses to San Diego, Dallas, St. Louis, and Kansas City caused the defending champions to start the season with a 6-4 record, three games behind the division leading Cardinals. After a team meeting following a Week 11 loss, the Seahawks finished the regular season 6-0 to finish with a 12-4 record. As the #1 seed in the playoffs, the Seahawks beat the Panthers in the Divisional Round, 31–17, to get to their second straight NFC Championship. After trailing 19–7 to the Packers with just over two minutes remaining in the NFC Championship, the Seahawks launched a furious comeback to force overtime. On the first possession of overtime, Russell Wilson hit wide receiver Jermaine Kearse for a game-winning touchdown that sent the Seahawks to their second straight Super Bowl. On February 1, 2015, Carroll's Seahawks lost Super Bowl XLIX to the New England Patriots, 28–24. With 25 seconds to go on second down and goal at the Patriots' 1-yard line, and the Seahawks trailing by four points, Carroll called for a pass play. Wilson's pass was intercepted by Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler on the goal line, and the Patriots ran out the clock. Some have called Carroll's play-call on the play "the worst play-call in NFL history."
Super Bowl
Super Bowl XLVIII, played at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium in February 2014, was the first Super Bowl held outdoors in a cold weather environment. The Seattle Seahawks won their first NFL title with a 43–8 defeat of the Denver Broncos, in a highly touted matchup that pitted Seattle's top-ranked defense against a Peyton Manning-led Denver offense that had broken the NFL's single-season scoring record.
Kyle Williams (wide receiver)
On February 7, 2016, Williams was part of the Broncos team that won Super Bowl 50. In the game, the Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers by a score of 24–10.
Tavon Wilson
The New England Patriots finished atop the AFC East division with a 12–4 record. They received a first round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Patriots went on to reach the Super Bowl after defeating the Baltimore Ravens 35–31 in the AFC Divisional round and defeating the Indianapolis Colts 45–7 in the AFC Championship Game. On February 1, 2015, Wilson played on special teams in Super Bowl XLIX as the Patriots defeated the Seattle Seahawks 28–24.
Super Bowl VIII
The Vikings earned their second appearance in the Super Bowl after defeating the wild card Washington Redskins, 27–20, and the NFC East champion Dallas Cowboys, 27–10, in the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Dolphins defeated the AFC Central champion Cincinnati Bengals 34–16 in the divisional round, and the AFC West Champion Oakland Raiders, 27–10 for the AFC Championship. The Dolphins were the first team to appear in three consecutive Super Bowls. Just as in the regular season, Miami relied primarily on their run game in the playoffs, racking up 241 rushing yards against Cincinnati and 266 vs the Raiders. The ground game was particularly crucial against Oakland, as it enabled them to win despite completing just 3 of 6 passes for 34 yards in the game.
Bennie Fowler III
Fowler played in all 16 regular season games for the Broncos, ending the 2015 season with 16 receptions for 203 yards. On February 7, 2016, Fowler was part of the Broncos team that won Super Bowl 50. In the game, the Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers by a score of 24–10. During the game, he caught a two-point conversion from quarterback Peyton Manning to make it a 14-point game late in the fourth quarter. It was Peyton Manning's final NFL pass. 
On April 15, 2016, Fowler re-signed with the Broncos.
Bill Walsh (American football coach)
Many of Bill Walsh's assistant coaches went on to be head coaches themselves, including George Seifert, Mike Holmgren, Ray Rhodes, and Dennis Green. After Walsh's retirement from the 49ers, Seifert succeeded him as 49ers head coach, and guided San Francisco to victories in Super Bowl XXIV and Super Bowl XXIX. Holmgren won a Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers, and made 3 Super Bowl appearances as a head coach: 2 with the Packers, and another with the Seattle Seahawks. These coaches in turn have their own disciples who have used Walsh's West Coast system, such as former Washington Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan and former Houston Texans head coach Gary Kubiak. Mike Shanahan was an offensive coordinator under George Seifert and went on to win Super Bowl XXXII and Super Bowl XXXIII during his time as head coach of the Denver Broncos. Kubiak was first a quarterback coach with the 49ers, then offensive coordinator for Shanahan with the Broncos. In 2015, he became head coach and led Denver to victory in Super Bowl 50. Dennis Green trained Tony Dungy, who won a Super Bowl with the Indianapolis Colts, and Brian Billick with his brother-in law and linebackers coach Mike Smith. Billick won a Super Bowl as head coach of the Baltimore Ravens. Mike Holmgren trained many of his assistants to become head coaches, including Jon Gruden and Andy Reid. Gruden won a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Reid served as head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles from 1999-2012, and guided the Eagles to multiple winning seasons and numerous playoff appearances. In addition to this, Marc Trestman, former head coach of the Chicago Bears, served as Offensive Coordinator under Seifert in the 90's. Gruden himself would train Mike Tomlin, who led the Pittsburgh Steelers to their sixth Super Bowl championship, and Jim Harbaugh, whose 49ers would face his brother, John Harbaugh, whom Reid himself trained, and the Baltimore Ravens at Super Bowl XLVII, which marked the Ravens' second World Championship.
Super Bowl XXX
The Cowboys entered the 1995 regular season attempting to become the first team in NFL history to win three out of the last four Super Bowls. They had previously won Super Bowls XXVII and XXVIII but their chance of a "three-peat" (winning three consecutive championships) was thwarted when they lost the NFC Championship Game to the San Francisco 49ers, the eventual Super Bowl XXIX champions. This was the Cowboys’ eighth appearance in the Super Bowl, the most of any franchise; the Steelers tied this record in 2010 when that team advanced to Super Bowl XLV. The Patriots became the third team to reach the mark in 2014 when that team went on to win Super Bowl XLIX, and the Denver Broncos the fourth team in 2015 in Super Bowl 50.
Super Bowl XVI
Super Bowl XVI was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion San Francisco 49ers and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Cincinnati Bengals to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1981 season. The 49ers defeated the Bengals by the score of 26–21 to win their first Super Bowl.
Chris Matthews (gridiron football)
In the 2014-15 NFC Championship Game versus the Green Bay Packers, Matthews recovered a critical onside kick, which gave the Seahawks an opportunity to score and eventually win the game in overtime. In Super Bowl XLIX against the New England Patriots, Matthews had his first NFL catch, a 44-yard pass from Russell Wilson which led to a Seahawks touchdown. He then caught an 11-yard pass for a touchdown at the end of the first half, tying the game 14–14. Matthews finished the game with four catches for 109 yards, tied with the Patriots' Julian Edelman as the game’s leading receiver, but the Patriots defeated the Seahawks 28-24. For his performance he received consideration for Super Bowl MVP honors which was ultimately won by Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. During the game, the value of Matthews's rookie card reportedly soared by 3,500%.
Evan Mathis
On August 25, 2015, Mathis agreed to a one-year, $2.5 million contract with the Denver Broncos. On February 7, 2016, Mathis won his first career Super Bowl when the Broncos beat the Carolina Panthers 24-10 in Super Bowl 50.
List of Super Bowl champions
The Pittsburgh Steelers (6–2) have won the most Super Bowls with six championships, while the New England Patriots (5–5), the Dallas Cowboys (5–3), and the San Francisco 49ers (5–1) have five wins. New England has the most Super Bowl appearances with eleven, while the Buffalo Bills (0–4) have the most consecutive appearances with four (all losses) from 1990 to 1993. The Miami Dolphins (1971–1973) and New England Patriots (2016–2018) are the only other teams to have at least three consecutive appearances. The Denver Broncos (3–5) and Patriots have each lost a record five Super Bowls. The Minnesota Vikings (0–4) and the Bills have lost four. The record for consecutive wins is two and is shared by seven franchises: the Green Bay Packers (1966–1967), the Miami Dolphins (1972–1973), the Pittsburgh Steelers (1974–1975 and 1978–1979, the only team to accomplish this feat twice), the San Francisco 49ers (1988–1989), the Dallas Cowboys (1992–1993), the Denver Broncos (1997–1998), and the New England Patriots (2003–2004). Among those, Dallas (1992–1993; 1995) and New England (2001; 2003–2004) are the only teams to win three out of four consecutive Super Bowls. The 1972 Dolphins capped off the only perfect season in NFL history with their victory in Super Bowl VII. The only team with multiple Super Bowl appearances and no losses is the Baltimore Ravens, who in winning Super Bowl XLVII defeated and replaced the 49ers in that position. Four current NFL teams have never appeared in a Super Bowl, including franchise relocations and renaming: the Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Houston Texans, though both the Browns (1950, 1954, 1955, 1964) and Lions (1935, 1952, 1953, 1957) had won NFL championship games prior to the creation of the Super Bowl.
K. J. Wright
The Seattle Seahawks atop the NFC West with a 12-4 record, marking their second consecutive season in first place. They went on to defeat the Carolina Panthers 31-17 and then defeated the Green Bay Packers 28-22 to win the NFC Championship. On February 1, 2015, Wright recorded 11 combined tackles as the New England Patriots defeated the Seattle Seahawks 28-24 to win Super Bowl XLIX.
2009 New Orleans Saints season
With a victory over the Carolina Panthers on November 8, the Saints jumped out to an 8–0 start, the best in franchise history. They went on to set the record for the longest undefeated season opening (13–0) by an NFC team since the AFL–NFL merger, eclipsing the previous record (12–0) held by the 1985 Chicago Bears. This record has since been tied by the 2011 Green Bay Packers and surpassed by the 2015 Carolina Panthers. Despite losing the last three games of the season to finish 13–3, the team clinched a playoff berth, a first-round bye and—for the first time ever—the top seed in the NFC. The Saints defeated Kurt Warner and the defending NFC Champions Arizona Cardinals in the , and proceeded to host the NFC Championship Game for the first time in franchise history. There, they defeated Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings in overtime, then went on to face Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts at Super Bowl XLIV in the franchise's first-ever Super Bowl appearance. The Saints won the Super Bowl 31–17, giving the city of New Orleans its first NFL championship. The Saints are the first team to defeat three former Super Bowl winning quarterbacks in a row in the playoffs to win the Super Bowl. The Saints, along with the New York Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, are the only teams to go to one Super Bowl and win it.
Devin McCourty
The New England Patriots finished atop the AFC East with a 12–4 record, clinching a first round bye and home-field advantage. On January 10, 2015, he made four combined tackles, two pass deflections, and intercepted a pass by Joe Flacco during a 35-31 victory against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Divisional Round. The Patriots reached Super Bowl XLIX after routing the Indianapolis Colts 45–7 in the AFC Championship Game. On February 1, 2015, McCourty collected five combined tackles and helped the Patriots defeated the 2014 Seattle Seahawks 28–24 and win Super Bowl XLIX.
Tom Brady
Despite missing the first four games of the 2016 season, Brady would lead the Patriots (3-1 before he rejoined them) to win 11 out of the 12 remaining regular season games and two postseason games to make his seventh Super Bowl appearance. Brady and the Patriots would overcome a 25-point deficit against the Atlanta Falcons (down 28-3 in the third quarter) to force the first overtime in Super Bowl history, winning 34-28 to give Brady his fifth Super Bowl title. He earned his fourth Super Bowl MVP award after setting title-game records for appearances, pass attempts, completions, passing yards and fourth-quarter comebacks. In his eighth appearance, capping the 2017 season, Brady threw for 505 yards at 40 years old, setting a record for most passing yards in a Super Bowl, but the Patriots lost to the Philadelphia Eagles, denying Brady his sixth Super Bowl ring.
Steve Young
After an easy 44-15 victory over the Chicago Bears in the divisional round of the playoffs, the 49ers jumped out to a 31-14 halftime lead over the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Championship Game, holding on to win 38-28. Young threw for two touchdowns, while adding 47 yards and another touchdown on the ground. As a result, he would head to his first Super Bowl as a starting quarterback. The 49ers were heavy favorites to become the first team with five Super Bowl victories.
49ers–Raiders rivalry
Although the Walsh-led Niners suffered losing seasons in 1979 and 1980 and the Raiders won Super Bowl XV in 1980 as the first wild-card team to win the Super Bowl, their fortunes were about to change. In 1980, Raiders owner Al Davis's failure to get luxury boxes added to the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum resulted in a hard-fought legal battle that made 1981 the Raiders' last year in Oakland. That same year, the 49ers with Montana under center led a dramatic comeback in the NFC championship to earn their first ever Super Bowl appearance, which they won against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Super Bowl XV
Super Bowl XV was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Oakland Raiders and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Philadelphia Eagles to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1980 season. The Raiders defeated the Eagles by the score of 27–10, becoming the first wild card playoff team to win a Super Bowl.
Tom Brady
In the 2011 season, Brady led the Patriots to their first AFC Championship since 2007 and appeared in the Super Bowl for a fifth time; but the Patriots would lose again to the Giants. Following AFC Championship Game losses in the following seasons (2012 and 2013), Brady and the Patriots made their sixth trip to the Super Bowl after the 2014 season (Brady's 15th as a professional). There, he led the Patriots to a fourth-quarter comeback over the defending champion Seattle Seahawks. He would lift his fourth Super Bowl trophy (the Patriots' first in ten seasons) and was named Super Bowl MVP for the third time.
Malcolm Smith (American football)
The Seattle Seahawks finished first in the NFC West with a 12–4 record and secured a playoff berth. On January 18, 2015, the Seattle Seahawks played the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game after defeating the Carolina Panthers 31–17 in the NFC Divisional Round. Smith made two combined tackles as Seattle defeated the Packers 28-22. On February 1, 2015, Smith appeared in Super Bowl, but was held without a stat as the New England Patriots defeated the Seattle Seahawks 28–24.
Super Bowl
In Super Bowl LII, the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the defending Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots, 41–33. It was the Eagles' third Super Bowl appearance, and their first win in franchise history. It was the Patriots' tenth Super Bowl appearance, and their fourth appearance in ten years; had the Patriots won, they would have tied the Pittsburgh Steelers with the most Super Bowl wins (six).
Bill Belichick
In the 2015 season, Belichick's Patriots recorded a 12–4 record for the fourth straight season. They reached the AFC Championship, where they lost to the eventual Super Bowl 50 champion Denver Broncos by a score of 20–18.
2015 UEFA Super Cup
Barcelona introduced Pedro in place of Mascherano at the start of the additional half-hour. With five minutes to play in the second half of extra time, he pounced on the rebound from yet another Messi free kick to put Barcelona ahead, just as he had against Shakhtar Donetsk in 2009. Adil Rami had an attempt on goal from the edge of the goal area in injury time at the end of the extra period, but he missed and Barcelona won the Super Cup for a record fifth time. With nine goals shared between the two teams, this was the highest scoring Super Cup.The match was shown on beIN Sports in Spain.
Josh Kline
Kline made his first postseason start January 18, 2015 in the AFC Championship Game against the Indianapolis Colts following an injury to rookie center Bryan Stork, which resulted in guard Ryan Wendell moving to center and Kline at right guard. Kline earned praise for his performance as the Patriots dominated the Colts 45-7 to advance to Super Bowl XLIX. Kline then earned a Super Bowl ring as the Patriots defeated the Seattle Seahawks 28-24 in Super Bowl XLIX on February 1, 2015. Kline was one of two Patriots (the other being backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo) who was active but did not play any snaps.
Super Bowl XXIII
With the win, the 49ers became the first team to win Super Bowls televised on three different networks (CBS–XVI, ABC–XIX, and NBC). Since then, the Washington Redskins (in 1992), the Green Bay Packers (in 1997), the Pittsburgh Steelers (in 2006), the New York Giants (in 2008), and the New England Patriots (in 2015) have accomplished this same feat.
Bill Kollar
After the 2014 season, Kollar left the Texans and became the Denver Broncos defensive line coach, where he reunited with Gary Kubiak. On February 7, 2016, Kollar was part of the Broncos coaching staff that won Super Bowl 50. In the game, the Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers by a score of 24–10.
Super Bowl LI
The game set the record for the largest deficit overcome to win the Super Bowl (the previous record was ten points, set by the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XXII and matched by the New Orleans Saints in Super Bowl XLIV and by the Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX); it is the third-largest comeback win in NFL playoff history, behind The Comeback (32-point deficit; Buffalo Bills trailed 35–3 and won 41–38) and the between the Indianapolis Colts and the Kansas City Chiefs during the 2013–14 NFL playoffs (28-point deficit; Colts trailed 38–10 and won, 45–44). In addition to being the largest Super Bowl comeback, the game set the record for the largest fourth-quarter comeback in NFL playoff history, as no team had previously won a playoff game after trailing by 17 or more points entering the final quarter; the Patriots were trailing by 19 points at the start of the fourth quarter by a score of 28–9. The Patriots won their fifth franchise championship, all under the leadership of starting quarterback Tom Brady, the most by a single quarterback. Brady won his fourth Super Bowl MVP, the most such awards by a single player in history. This game represented the largest comeback in the history of the New England Patriots' regular season or post-season games, and Tom Brady's NFL career.
John Elway
Elway hired Gary Kubiak, his former backup quarterback and former Broncos offensive coordinator, as the new head coach for the 2015 season. Elway and Kubiak also brought back Wade Phillips, a former Broncos head coach, for his second stint as the team's defensive coordinator. Elway won a third Super Bowl as part of the Broncos franchise, when on February 7, 2016 Denver defeated the Carolina Panthers 24-10 in Super Bowl 50. This gave him his first Super Bowl win as Executive VP/GM, to go along with the two he won as the team's quarterback.
Super Bowl XL
With the win, the Steelers tied the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys with the then-record five Super Bowls. The Steelers' victory was their first Super Bowl victory since Super Bowl XIV. Pittsburgh, who finished the regular season with an 11–5 record, also became the fourth wild card team, the third in nine years, and the first ever number 6 seed in the NFL playoffs, to win a Super Bowl. The Seahawks, on the other hand, in their 30th season, were making their first ever Super Bowl appearance after posting an NFC-best 13–3 regular season record.
Super Bowl XVIII
The Raiders were the first team to score an offensive, defensive, and special teams touchdown in the same Super Bowl. The Redskins became the second defending champion to lose a Super Bowl (their divisional rivals, the Dallas Cowboys, were the first, losing Super Bowl XIII after winning Super Bowl XII). The Redskins would be joined by the Green Bay Packers in 1998 (won Super Bowl XXXI, lost Super Bowl XXXII), the Seattle Seahawks in 2015 (won Super Bowl XLVIII, lost Super Bowl XLIX), and the New England Patriots in 2018 (won Super Bowl LI, lost Super Bowl LII).
The Play (American football)
Ron Rivera, a starting defensive end for California, went on to play for the 1985 Chicago Bears, who went 15–1 during the regular season and won Super Bowl XX over the New England Patriots. Rivera was named head coach of the Carolina Panthers in January 2011. He won Coach of the Year in 2013 and 2015, and took the Panthers to Super Bowl 50 in 2015.
History of the Atlanta Falcons
The 2016 season was the Falcons 25th and final season at the Georgia Dome. They finished with an 11-5 record, earning them a first-round bye in the playoffs. After defeating the Seattle Seahawks in the Divisional Round and blowing out the Green Bay Packers in the title game, the Falcons advanced to the Super Bowl for the first time in 18 years, but lost to a New England Patriots team led by Tom Brady. The Falcons dominated the first half by 21 unanswered points, but in the second half, they could not hold on to a 28-3 lead as the Patriots bounced back to eventually win the game in overtime, 34-28. Matt Ryan was named league MVP for the season.
Gary Kubiak
In the postseason, the Broncos defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers by a score of 23-16 in the Divisional Round and the New England Patriots 20-18 in the AFC Championship, advancing to Super Bowl 50. The Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers, 24-10 in Super Bowl 50, winning the title and giving Kubiak his first Super Bowl win as a head coach. Kubiak became the fourth head coach to win a Super Bowl in his first season with a team, after Don McCafferty, George Seifert, and Jon Gruden. Kubiak became the third head coach in NFL history to win a Super Bowl with the same team that he once played for, joining Mike Ditka and Tom Flores, and is the first person to have played in the Super Bowl and later win it as a head coach both with the same team.
Tom Brady
Brady and the Patriots faced the NFC champion Atlanta Falcons—who boasted the league's highest scoring offense—in Super Bowl LI at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas on Sunday, February 5, 2017. Brady threw for 43 completions on 62 attempts for 466 passing yards—all Super Bowl records at the time. Brady also threw for two touchdowns and an interception. After trailing 28–3 midway through the third quarter, Brady and the Patriots scored 25 unanswered points to tie the game at the end of regulation. This resulted in the first overtime in Super Bowl history. After winning the overtime coin toss, Brady marched the Patriots down the field to score a touchdown and win the game by a score of 34–28, completing the largest comeback win in both team history and Super Bowl history. With the victory, Brady won his fifth Super Bowl, which set a record for most Super Bowl victories of any quarterback in history and tied defensive player Charles Haley for the most Super Bowl victories for any player. In addition, Brady set another record by winning his fourth Super Bowl MVP award for his clutch performance.
Patrick Chung
The New England Patriots finished first in the AFC East with a 12–4 record, clinching a first round bye and home-field advantage. On January 10, 2015, Chung started in the AFC Divisional Round and recorded seven combined tackles during a 35–31 victory against the Baltimore Ravens. The Patriots reached the Super Bowl after defeating the Indianapolis Colts 45–7 in the AFC Championship Game. On February 1, 2015, Chung started in Super Bowl XLIX and made a solo tackle in their 28–24 victory against the Seattle Seahawks.
Super Bowl X
Super Bowl X was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Dallas Cowboys and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1975 season. The Steelers defeated the Cowboys by the score of 21–17 to win their second consecutive Super Bowl. They were the third team to win back-to-back Super Bowls. (The Miami Dolphins won Super Bowls VII and VIII, and the Green Bay Packers won Super Bowls I and II.) It was also the first Super Bowl in which both participating teams had previously won a Super Bowl, as the Steelers were the defending champions and the Cowboys had won Super Bowl VI.
Who Dat?
After the Saints won the on January 24, 2010, against the Minnesota Vikings in the Superdome, fans from all across New Orleans, including fans who were exiting the game, started a Mardi Gras-style "Who Dat" on Bourbon Street with modified lyrics, chanting, "Who Dat, Who Dat, Who Dat in the Super Bowl!" in reference to the Saints advancing to the Super Bowl for the first time ever in their 43-year history. In Super Bowl XLIV, on February 7, 2010, the Saints beat the Indianapolis Colts 31-17. "Drew Dat" has occasionally been used in honor of quarterback Drew Brees.
2015 New England Patriots season
Denver would lead the entire game, as their number 1 ranked defense outlasted Tom Brady and New England's number 1 ranked offense 20-18. Towards the end, the Patriots would score with 18 seconds left, and tried to tie the game, but Brady's 2-point pass was intercepted and was no good. The Patriots would try an onside kick, but it wouldn't hold up, and the Broncos won, advancing to Super Bowl 50. This would be the last time that Tom Brady and Peyton Manning would play each other, as Manning would retire the following season. Manning would ultimately end his career 3-1 against Brady in the AFC Championship game.
Super Bowl XXXVIII
The Panthers were making their first ever Super Bowl appearance after posting an 11–5 regular season record. They also made it the second straight year that a team from the NFC South division made the Super Bowl, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers winning Super Bowl XXXVII. The Patriots were seeking their second Super Bowl title in three years after posting a 14–2 record.
Super Bowl LI
The Patriots' victory was their fifth, moving them into a three-way tie with the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers for second place on the all-time Super Bowl wins list, trailing only the Pittsburgh Steelers who have six victories. New England, after finishing the regular season with a league-best 14–2 record, advanced to their record-setting ninth Super Bowl appearance, their second in three years, and their seventh under the leadership of head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady. The Falcons entered the game after completing an 11–5 regular season record, and were trying to win their first Super Bowl title, having lost their only previous appearance in Super Bowl XXXIII.
Buccaneers–Saints rivalry
Tampa Bay was the defending Super Bowl champion, while New Orleans was looking to be a contender for the playoffs. During the first meeting, the Saints once again appeared to have the Buccaneers in check, pulling out to a 14-0 lead. In the fourth quarter, the Buccaneers rallied, and tied the score at 14-14. In the final two minutes, the Saints got the ball and kicked a game-winning field goal with 8 seconds left. It was the Saints third consecutive victory over the Buccaneers.
Everson Walls
Coached by Bill Parcells, with defensive coordinator Bill Belichick, the Giants posted a 13-3 record and reached the NFC Championship game, where they traveled to San Francisco to face the two-time defending Super Bowl champion 49ers. With a late field goal, the Giants were able to pull off the upset, 15-13, to advance to Super Bowl XXV, where they met the AFC champion Buffalo Bills. During the game, Walls made a critical play when he tackled Thurman Thomas in the open field with less than two minutes to play - a tackle that likely stopped a sure touchdown for the Bills. The Giants would win the Super Bowl, 20-19, on Scott Norwood's missed field goal attempt as time ran out. Walls was on the Sports Illustrated cover photo as he was captured with his arms raised in victory after the Giants won the game.
Buccaneers–Panthers rivalry
The Panthers swept the Buccaneers in 2013, 2014, and 2015. In 2015, Carolina won both meetings en route to their appearance in Super Bowl 50. In week 17, Carolina's 38-10 victory gave them a franchise-best 15-1 regular season record. A few days after the game, Buccaneers head coach Lovie Smith was dismissed.
Super Bowl LII
Super Bowl LII was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2017 season. The National Football Conference (NFC) champion Philadelphia Eagles defeated the American Football Conference (AFC) and defending Super Bowl LI champion New England Patriots, 41–33, to win their first Super Bowl and their first NFL title since 1960. The game was played on February 4, 2018, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This was the second time that a Super Bowl was played in Minneapolis, the northernmost city to ever host the event, after Super Bowl XXVI at the Metrodome during the 1991 season, and the sixth Super Bowl held in a cold-weather city.
Bruce Irvin (American football)
The Seattle Seahawks finished first in the NFC West with a 12-4 record and received a first-round bye. They reached the Super Bowl for the second season in a row after defeating the Carolina Panthers in the divisional round and the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship. On February 2, 2015, Irvin started his second consecutive Super Bowl and recorded two solo tackles and a sack on Tom Brady during the Seahawks' 28-24 loss to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX. In the final 20 seconds of Super Bowl XLIX, Irvin was ejected from the game after committing an unnecessary roughness penalty by throwing a closed-hand punch at New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski that incited a brawl on the penultimate play. He was the first player in NFL history to ever be ejected from a Super Bowl and was fined $10,000 by the NFL. At the time of the penalty, the Patriots had the game in hand after a fourth-quarter comeback victory over the Seahawks.
Dont'a Hightower
The New England Patriots finished atop the AFC East with a 12–4 record and clinched home field advantage and a first round bye. They defeated the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Divisional round and the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Championship and went on to Super Bowl XLIX. On February 1, 2015, Hightower started in Super Bowl XLIX and recorded five combined tackles during the Patriots' 28–24 victory against the Seattle Seahawks. He made key play in the fourth quarter, tackling Marshawn Lynch at the one-yard line to prevent a touchdown. The Patriots secured their victory the next play after teammate Malcolm Butler intercepted a pass by Russell Wilson.
Records for safeties in football
The Pittsburgh Steelers trailed the Dallas Cowboys 10–7 early in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl X when Dallas punter Mitch Hoopes was forced to punt from inside his own goal line. As Hoopes stepped up to make the kick, Steelers running back Reggie Harrison broke through the line and blocked the punt. The ball went through the end zone for a safety, cutting the Dallas lead to 10–9. Then Pittsburgh's Mike Collier returned the ensuing free kick 25 yards to the Cowboys 45-yard line. Roy Gerela later kicked a 36-yard field goal to give Pittsburgh its first lead of the game, 12–10, and the Steelers went on to repeat as Super Bowl champions with a 21–17 victory. As of 2015, the Steelers are the only team to score a safety in back-to-back Super Bowls.
Taurean Nixon
The Denver Broncos selected Nixon in the seventh round with the 251st overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft. On May 15, 2015, Nixon signed a four-year contract. On September 6, 2015, Nixon was signed to the practice squad. On January 19, 2016, Nixon was promoted to the active roster.
On February 7, 2016, Nixon was part of the Broncos team that won Super Bowl 50. In the game, the Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers by a score of 24–10.
Nixon was inactive for the game.
Vance Walker
On March 12, 2015, Walker signed with the Denver Broncos. On February 7, 2016, Walker was part of the Broncos team that won Super Bowl 50. In the game, the Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers by a score of 24–10. Walker recorded two tackles in the Super Bowl. On August 19, 2016, Walker was placed on the Broncos' injured reserve.
DeAndrew White
On September 14, 2016, White was signed to the Patriots' practice squad. As a member of the practice squad, he won his first Super Bowl championship when the Patriots defeated the Atlanta Falcons 34-28 in Super Bowl LI.
NFL Kickoff Game
2015: The New England Patriots, after winning Super Bowl XLIX, hosted the 2015 Kickoff Game on September 10 at Gillette Stadium, with the Pittsburgh Steelers as their opponent. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was originally not going to play due to his four-game suspension as a result of his involvement in the Deflategate scandal, but a court threw out the suspension on September 3, 2015 and ordered the league to let him play. It also marked the first time NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell did not attend a Kickoff Game, stating that he did not want to be a distraction.
Jonathan Casillas
Casillas, along with a 2015 sixth-round draft pick, was traded to the New England Patriots on October 28, 2014, for the Patriots' 2015 fifth-round draft pick.
On February 1, 2015, he won his second Super Bowl ring when the Patriots defeated the Seattle Seahawks, 28–24, in Super Bowl XLIX.
2015 Indian Super League Final
The 2015 Indian Super League Final was a football match between Goa and Chennaiyin who reached the final of 2015 Indian Super League played on 20 December 2015 at the Fatorda Stadium in Goa. Chennayin defeated Goa 3-2 in the match to win the season.
West Coast offense
Gary Kubiak has had a stellar career as an NFL head coach as well. Kubiak served as the head coach of the Houston Texans from 2006-2013. After serving as the Baltimore Ravens' offensive coordinator in 2014, he became head coach of the Broncos in the 2015 season, and won Super Bowl 50.
Super Bowl XLI
Meanwhile, the Bears started out their post-season with a 27–24 win over the Seattle Seahawks with Robbie Gould's 49-yard field goal in overtime. One week later, they defeated the New Orleans Saints 39–14 in the NFC Championship Game. Chicago dominated most of the game, jumping to a 16–0 early lead. Two touchdown passes from Saints quarterback Drew Brees, cut the score to 16–14, but the Bears responded with 23 unanswered points to propel them to their first Super Bowl since 1985. Thomas Jones finished the game with a franchise postseason record 123 rushing yards and two touchdowns.