The History of Super Bowl Rematches
Forgive Patriots quarterback Tom Brady if he has a moment of deja vu on Feb. 3 when he faces the Rams in Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Brady will be seeking his sixth Super Bowl, and a second Super Bowl win over the Rams. Brady and the Patriots defeated the Rams 20-17 in February 2002.
Los Angeles will have a chance at redemption on Super Bowl Sunday. The battle in Atlanta will mark the seventh time we've seen a Super Bowl rematch—the same combination of teams playing multiple times—and the third rematch of Brady's career.
So which Super Bowl rematches have we previously seen? Here's a brief breakdown.
Dolphins vs. Redskins – Super Bowl VII & XVII
Miami completed the lone undefeated season in the Super Bowl era with its 14-7 victory over Washington in January 1973. The Redskins got their revenge a decade later, though, beating the Dolphins 27-17 as John Riggins ran for 166 yards on 38 carries.
Steelers vs. Cowboys – Super Bowl X, XIII, XXX
Dallas holds the upper hand in the only Super Bowl three-match, winning Super Bowl X and XXX. But Pittsburgh snagged the closest battle, riding a four-touchdown night from quarterback Terry Bradshaw to win 35-31 in January 1979.
49ers vs. Bengals – Super Bowl XVI, XXIII
San Francisco's offense was fairly pedestrian in a 20-16 victory in Super Bowl XVI. That wasn't the case eight years later as wideout Jerry Rice tallied 11 catches for 215 yards in a San Francisco win. The Bengals are still without a Super Bowl victory.
Cowboys vs. Bills – Super Bowl XXVII, XXVIII
Dallas and Buffalo squared off in the only back-to-back matchups in Super Bowl history. The Cowboys won handidly in both. Dallas forced nine turnover to win 52-17 in January 1993, winning 30-13 one year later.
Giants vs. Patriots – Super Bowl XLII, XLVI
New York's ferocious pass rush and a pair of game-winning drives from Eli Manning partially halted New England's dynasty in February 2008 and 2012. Bill Belichick and Co. would likely be happy to never see David Tyree again.
Eagles vs. Patriots – Super Bowl XXXIX, LII
Nick Foles did in 2018 what Donovan McNabb couldn't do in 2005, defeat Brady and the Patriots in the Super Bowl. New England won 24-21 in February 2005, but Philadelphia exacted revenge over a decade later, pulling out a key trick play to defeat the Patriots 41-33 in an instant classic.
