Looking back at repeat Super Bowl matchups through the years

When the 49ers and Chiefs play Feb. 11 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas in Super Bowl LVIII, it’ll mark the eighth time in the Super Bowl era that teams will meet again for the Lombardi Trophy. 

Since these teams played four years ago in Super Bowl LIV, rematch is a pretty accurate term to use, because many of the key players and coaches from that game in Miami — Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Andy Reid for the Chiefs and Kyle Shanahan, Nick Bosa and George Kittle for the 49ers — will be heavily involved in this year’s game. 

But for other Super Bowl “rematches” over the years, the logos on the helmets might have been the same, but the rosters were dramatically different. And in four of those repeat matchups, the team that won the first game went on to win the second as well. 

New England Patriots vs. St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams (2001 and 2018 seasons)  

When the Patriots shocked “The Greatest Show on Turf” St. Louis Rams in the Superdome on Feb. 3, 2002, they were viewed as the plucky underdog who won 20-17 on a thrilling, game-ending field goal by Adam Vinatieri. 

It was a dramatically different story when the Patriots took on the the Jared Goff- and Sean McVay-led Los Angeles Rams on Feb. 3, 2019, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The Patriots, at that point considered by many fans outside of New England as the NFL’s evil empire, won a punt-filled defensive struggle 13-3 to earn their sixth Lombardi Trophy.   

Philadelphia Eagles vs. New England Patriots (2004 and 2017 seasons) 

The Patriots defeated the Eagles 24-21 to win Super Bowl XXXIX in Jacksonville on Feb. 6, 2005. The victory gave the Pats their third Super Bowl in four seasons, cementing them as the NFL’s newest dynasty. For Philadelphia, it meant a decades-long championship drought would continue. 

Fast forward to Super Bowl LII, held in Minneapolis on Feb. 4, 2018. While Bill Belichick and Tom Brady still roamed the Patriots’ sideline, head coach Andy Reid and QB Donovan McNabb were long gone from Philadelphia. In their places were backup QB Nick Foles and Reid’s understudy, Doug Pederson at head coach. Using aggressive play calls such as "The Philly Special" and relying on an underdog mentality, Philadelphia defeated New England 41-33 to win its first Super Bowl.  

New York Giants vs. New England Patriots (2007 and 2011 seasons)  

New York famously denied New England a chance at an undefeated 19-0 season when the Giants won Super Bowl XLII 17-14 in Glendale, Arizona, on Feb. 3, 2008. Just four years after David Tyree’s helmet catch, the teams met again in Indianapolis, with the Giants shocking the Patriots again. This time, the Giants won 21-17. 

Dallas Cowboys vs. Buffalo Bills (1992 and 1993 seasons)

Dallas and Buffalo battled for NFL supremacy in back-to-back seasons in the early 90s, but the Cowboys won each game decisively. They walloped the Bills 52-17 in Super Bowl XXVII at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, then won Super Bowl XXVIII 30-13 in Atlanta the following year. For Bills fans, those two losses were particularly painful as they marked the third and fourth consecutive Super Bowl losses over a four-year stretch. 

Dallas Cowboys vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (1975, 1978 and 1995 seasons) 

Two of the NFL’s iconic franchises have played each other three times in the Super Bowl era. Pittsburgh won Super Bowl X at the famed Orange Bowl in Miami on Jan. 18, 1976 by a score of a 21-17. The teams would square off in Miami three years later, with the Steelers prevailing again. This time, they won by a score of 35-31. 

The Cowboys would exact revenge two decades later, winning Super Bowl XXX 27-17 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona on Jan. 28, 1996. 

San Francisco 49ers vs. Cincinnati Bengals (1981 and 1988 seasons)

Bengals fans can blame Bill Walsh and Joe Montana for denying them multiple Lombardi trophies. 

San Francisco’s five total Super Bowl wins include two victories over Cincinnati. The 49ers won their first Super Bowl of the Montana/Walsh regime by defeating Cincinnati by a score of 26-21 at the Pontiac Silverdome. Seven years later, the organizations squared off in Miami in Super Bowl XXIII. This time the 49ers won 20-16. The Bengals are still searching for their first Super Bowl title.  

Washington Redskins vs. Miami Dolphins (1972 and 1982 seasons)

The first Super Bowl between Miami and Washington is perhaps best remembered as the coronation of the 1972 Dolphins as the NFL’s only team in the Super Bowl era to go unbeaten. The Dolphins won Super Bowl VII 14-7 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, cementing their immortal status. 

10 years later, the teams would square off for the title again in Southern California. This time, Washington would rumble to a 27-17 victory at the Rose Bowl, giving the franchise its first of three Super Bowl victories under head coach Joe Gibbs.