Ranking every Super Bowl rematch: Chiefs, Eagles each make list before both teams face off again for NFL crown​on February 4, 2025 at 4:35 pm

The Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles already know something about Super Bowl rematches. Both teams, in a rematch from two years ago, face off in Super Bowl LIX in what will be the second time these franchises have faced off on pro football’s biggest stage. 

In Super Bowl LVII, the Chiefs recorded a 38-35 win on Harrison Butker’s 27-yard field goal with just eight seconds remaining. The Chiefs’ win overshadowed what was a Herculean performance from Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, who became the second player to run for three touchdowns in the Super Bowl. 

Sunday marks the second time that two franchises are playing in a Super Bowl within a three-year span. In January of 1994, the Bills and Cowboys faced off in the Super Bowl a year after they had squared off in the big game. While that is the only “true” Super Bowl rematch, teams that had previously played each other in the Super Bowl have met on eight other occurrences. 

Of the previous nine matchups, six of those were won by the team that had won the first matchup between two teams. That’s obviously good news for the Chiefs, who are 1-0 in Super Bowl rematches after defeating the 49ers in last year’s Super Bowl. 

Here’s a ranking of each previous Super Bowl rematch, a list that Super Bowl LIX will quickly join. 

9. Super Bowl XXVIII (1994) — Cowboys 30, Bills 13 

The only real rematch in Super Bowl history (Dallas recorded a 52-17 win over Buffalo in the previous year’s Super Bowl), the Cowboys actually trailed at halftime before outscoring the Bills 24-0 in the second half. The game’s turning point was defensive back James Washington’s touchdown off a fumble by Bills running back Thurman Thomas at the start of the second half. The fumble started an immediate downward spiral for Buffalo, which would become the first team to lose four consecutive Super Bowls. 

8. Super Bowl LIII (2019) — Patriots 13, Rams 3 

The lowest-scoring Super Bowl of all time was the sixth and final Super Bowl win for the Tom Brady/Bill Belichick Patriots. The secret behind the Patriots’ defensive success that day was Belichick befuddling the Rams’ high-scoring offense by completely revamping his defensive alignments. Instead of being primarily man-to-man, Belichick switched to two types of zone coverage. He also installed a new defensive front that held the Rams to just 260 total yards. 

On offense, the Patriots got just enough offense from Brady and game MVP Julian Edelman, who caught 10 passes for 141 yards. 

7. Super Bowl XXX (1996) — Cowboys 27, Steelers 17 

A double-digit underdog, the Steelers had the ball and were trailing the Cowboys by just three points with just over four minutes left. But Pittsburgh’s comeback bid was quickly extinguished by Cowboys cornerback Larry Brown, who recorded his second pick of the half after jumping on an errant pass by Steelers quarterback Neil O’Donnell. Brown’s picks set up both of the Cowboys’ second-half touchdowns as Dallas became the first team to win three Super Bowls in a four-year span. 

6. Super Bowl XVII (1983) — Washington 27, Dolphins 17 

This game is remembered for John Riggins’ iconic, game-winning touchdown run that came on a fourth-and-1 play. The 42-yard-touchdown run (which at the time was the longest touchdown run in Super Bowl history) was part of a historic performance by Riggins, whose 38 carries and 166 rushing yards that day were Super Bowl records at the time. Defensively, Washington did not allow Miami to complete a single pass in the second half. 

5. Super Bowl XLVI (2012) — Giants 21, Patriots 17 

While the first Super Bowl between these teams has gone down as an all-time great, the rematch was pretty good, too. Like the original, this game’s biggest play came off the arm of Eli Manning, whose 38-yard dime to Mario Manningham with just under four minutes left set up the game-winning score. 

Just moments earlier, Tom Brady and Wes Welker failed to connect on a deep pass that would have given the Patriots the ball deep in Giants territory. 

4. Super Bowl LII (2018) — Eagles 41, Patriots 33 

The Eagles’ first Super Bowl win will always be remembered for the “Philly Special,” a trick play on fourth-and-goal that resulted in a touchdown pass from tight end Trey Burton to quarterback Nick Foles. That play was part of a memorable performance from Foles, who won MVP honors after throwing for 373 yards and three touchdowns. 

Brady threw for a Super Bowl-record 505 yards in a losing effort. Brady, however, dropped his opportunity to catch a pass on a third-down play that forced a Patriots punt. The Eagles scored a touchdown on their ensuing possession. 

3. Super Bowl XIII (1979) — Steelers 35, Cowboys 31 

Trailing 21-14, the Cowboys had a disastrous sequence of events unfold in the second half that included a gut-wrenching, dropped touchdown pass from Jackie Smith, a controversial pass interference call and a fumbled kickoff return. The penalty and turnover set up two Steelers touchdowns in 11 seconds, as Pittsburgh took a commanding 35-17 lead late in the fourth quarter. Roger Staubach rallied the Cowboys’ offense on two quick touchdown drives, but it was too little, too late.  

Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw set then-Super Bowl records with 318 yards and four touchdown passes, as Pittsburgh became the first team to win three Super Bowls. 

2. Super Bowl XXIII (1989) — 49ers 20, Bengals 16 

This rematch featured the most iconic drive in Super Bowl history. Trailing 16-13, Joe Montana led the 49ers on a 92-yard drive that was punctuated by Montana’s game-winning touchdown pass to John Taylor, who hadn’t caught a pass until that point in the game. 

Montana’s brilliance was only part of the reason why the 49ers won their third Super Bowl of the decade. While Montana threw for a then-Super Bowl record 356 yards, Jerry Rice tallied 215 yards receiving, which remains the Super Bowl single-game record. 

1. Super Bowl LVIII (2024) — Chiefs 25, 49ers 22 (OT) 

The longest Super Bowl ever and the second one that’s been decided in overtime. This game ended with seven consecutive scoring drives, with the final score being Patrick Mahomes‘ game-winning completion to Mecole Hardman with six seconds left in overtime. 

It was another banner Super Bowl performance for Mahomes, who threw for 333 yards and two touchdowns. The 49ers received an MVP-caliber performance from Christian McCaffrey, who tallied 162 total yards in a losing cause.