Football fans love a good legacy talk. But if you look back at the past 10 Super Bowl matchups, the story isn't just about who hoisted the Lombardi Trophy. It’s about the weird, heartbreaking, and frankly ridiculous moments that don't always make the highlight reels. We've seen dynasties crumble, backup quarterbacks become immortals, and more than one game-winning drive that probably should have ended in a sack.
Honestly, the NFL has changed so much since 2016. We went from the sunset of the Peyton Manning era to the absolute dominance of Patrick Mahomes, with a side helping of Tom Brady refusing to age. Looking at these games as a single timeline shows you exactly how the league evolved into the high-scoring, pass-happy machine it is today.
The Mahomes Era and the Modern Past 10 Super Bowl Matchups
Just this past February, we saw a massive shift in the hierarchy. Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans felt like a changing of the guard, or maybe just a very loud "not so fast" from the NFC. The Philadelphia Eagles absolutely dismantled the Kansas City Chiefs 40–22. It wasn't even as close as the score looked. Jalen Hurts looked like he was playing a different game, and the Chiefs' bid for a "three-peat" went up in smoke at the Caesars Superdome. People were calling it a rematch of the thriller from two years prior, but this time, Philly didn't leave it up to a late-game holding call.
The year before that? Total chaos in Las Vegas. Super Bowl LVIII was only the second time in history the big game went to overtime. The Chiefs topped the 49ers 25–22. You might remember Mecole Hardman catching that winning toss, but the real story was the defenses. The Niners had Mahomes seeing ghosts for three quarters. Then, the inevitable happened. Mahomes threw for 333 yards, Travis Kelce started screaming at Andy Reid on the sideline, and Taylor Swift watched from a suite. It was the peak of "Chiefs fatigue" for most fans, but you can't deny the greatness of that final drive.
When the Eagles and Chiefs First Collided
Going back to 2023, Super Bowl LVII was basically a track meet in Glendale. Final score: Chiefs 38, Eagles 35. This was the "Corn Dog" game—the nickname for the misdirection play that led to two wide-open touchdowns for Kansas City. It was also the game where the field was so slippery it looked like the players were wearing bowling shoes. George Toma, the "Sod God" who had prepared every single Super Bowl field since the 60s, retired after this one. Not exactly the exit he wanted.
The Underdog Stories and the GOAT’s Last Laughs
Before the Chiefs took over everything, we had the "Hollywood" Super Bowl. In 2022, the Los Angeles Rams bought themselves a ring. They traded for Matthew Stafford, who had spent a decade rotting in Detroit, and it actually worked. They beat the Cincinnati Bengals 23–20. Joe Burrow almost pulled it off, but Aaron Donald did Aaron Donald things on the final play. Donald basically tackled Burrow and the ball at the same time.
But if we're talking about pure dominance, we have to talk about Super Bowl LV. 2021 was the year Tom Brady moved to Tampa Bay just to prove he could win without Bill Belichick. He did. The Bucs crushed the Chiefs 31–9. It was the only time Patrick Mahomes looked truly human. He spent the entire night running for his life because his offensive line was basically a group of turnstiles.
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- Super Bowl LIV (2020): Chiefs 31, 49ers 20. The first one for Mahomes.
- Super Bowl LIII (2019): Patriots 13, Rams 3. The most boring game ever? Probably.
- Super Bowl LII (2018): Eagles 41, Patriots 33. The "Philly Special."
That 2018 game was something else. Nick Foles, a backup, went toe-to-toe with Tom Brady in a game where almost 1,200 yards of offense were gained. Brady threw for 505 yards and lost. Think about that. The Eagles finally got their first ring, and the "Philly Special" became the most famous trick play in history.
The Greatest Comeback and the End of an Era
We can't talk about the past 10 Super Bowl matchups without mentioning the 28–3 disaster. Super Bowl LI in 2017. The Atlanta Falcons had the New England Patriots buried. Then, Julian Edelman made a catch that defied physics, James White couldn't be tackled, and the Patriots won 34–28 in the first-ever Super Bowl overtime. It broke the city of Atlanta. People still don't talk about it there.
Further back, in 2016, we saw Peyton Manning’s "Last Dance" at Super Bowl 50. The Denver Broncos' defense, led by Von Miller, basically bullied Cam Newton for 60 minutes. Denver won 24–10. Manning could barely throw the ball 20 yards at that point, but it didn't matter. He rode off into the sunset with a second ring, leaving a shell-shocked Panthers team in his wake.
Why These Matchups Matter for the Future
The biggest takeaway from the last decade isn't just the scores. It’s the shift in how teams are built. We’ve seen a move toward "all-in" windows—like the Rams and Buccaneers—versus the sustainable "dynasty" model the Chiefs are trying to maintain. We've also seen that a great defense can still win a championship (see: Denver 2016), but you better have a superstar under center if you want to stay in the conversation.
If you’re looking to get an edge in your local sports bar debates or even your betting pool, pay attention to the trenches. In almost every one of these ten games, the winner was the team that won the line of scrimmage, regardless of who the "prettier" quarterback was.
To really understand the current NFL landscape, your next step should be to look into the 2026 salary cap changes. These financial shifts are already dictating which of these legendary teams can afford to keep their rosters together and which ones are about to hit a forced rebuild. Keep an eye on the Eagles' cap space specifically; their recent win over the Chiefs was expensive, and the bill is coming due.