| Detroit Free Press
Detroit shone in the NFL spotlight when it hosted Super Bowl XL 15 years ago, on Feb. 5, 2006. Sunday’s game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be the 15th Super Bowl since that ’06 game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks. Here’s a look at the 14 Super Bowls in between.
XL FLASHBACK: Here’s what has changed in Detroit sports in 15 years
DREW EVERLASTING: Stanton was semi-retired when Bucs called with chance to win Super Bowl
SHAWN WINDSOR: Two decades into his career and Tom Brady is still weirdly underrated. How?
XLI: Colts 29, Bears 17
Fast facts: Feb. 4, 2007; Dolphin Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida.
MVP: Colts QB Peyton Manning.
The game: Manning passed for 247 yards, a touchdown and an interception, but the run game was the backbone of the attack, with a combined 190 yards rushing from Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai.
Michigan connection: Jackson native Tony Dungy became the first Black head coach to win a Super Bowl title.
XLII: Giants 17, Patriots 14
Fast facts: Feb. 3, 2008; University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona.
MVP: Giants QB Eli Manning.
The game: The Pats’ dreams of perfection were dashed with a 2-minute, 6-second drive led by Manning and kept alive by David Tyree’s 32-yard “Helmet Catch” on third-and-5 with just over a minute remaining.
Michigan connection: Ex-Michigan State wide receiver Plaxico Burress caught a 13-yard TD for the winning score four plays after Tyree’s grab.
XLIII: Steelers 27, Cardinals 23
Fast facts: Feb. 1, 2009; Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida.
MVP: Steelers WR Santonio Holmes.
The game: The Cards scored 16 points in five minutes to take a 23-20 lead with 2:37 left, but Holmes’ TD with 35 seconds remaining capped off a nearly perfect two-minute drill.
Michigan connection: Ex-Michigan linebacker LaMarr Woodley (Saginaw) had two sacks, a tackle-for-loss and a forced fumble for the Steelers.
XLIV: Saints 31, Colts 17
Fast facts: Feb. 7, 2010; Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida.
MVP: Saints QB Drew Brees.
The game: Peyton Manning passed for 333 yards, but his pick-six with 3:24 remaining and the Colts trailing 24-17 ended any hopes of a comeback.
Michigan connection: Former U-M running back (and future U-M running backs coach) Mike Hart rushed twice for a total of 4 yards rushing.
XLV: Packers 31, Steelers 25
Fast facts: Feb. 6, 2011; Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas.
MVP: Packers QB Aaron Rodgers.
The game: Rodgers threw for 304 yards and three touchdowns as the Packers built up a 21-3 lead in the first half.
Michigan connection: Ex-Western Michigan wide receiver Greg Jennings put the Packers on his back with four catches for 64 yards and two touchdowns.
XLVI: Giants 21, Patriots 17
Fast facts: Feb. 5, 2012; Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis.
MVP: Giants QB Eli Manning.
The game: Tom Brady completed 16 straight passes at one point for the Pats, but an offense that averaged 32.1 points a game sputtered against the Giants’ defense.
Michigan connection: U-M’s Mario Manningham had five catches for 73 yards, with three catches and 56 yards coming on the Giants’ winning drive in the final four minutes.
XLVII: Ravens 34, 49ers 31
Fast facts: Feb. 3, 2013; Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans.
MVP: Ravens QB Joe Flacco.
The game: Down 34-29, the 49ers had three tries in the final two minutes from the Ravens’ 5. All three plays were Colin Kaepernick passes to Michael Crabtree; all three fell incomplete.
Michigan connection: Call this the Brother Bowl, as the sons of former Western Michigan coach Jack Harbaugh faced off — Ravens coach John and 49ers coach Jim, a former U-M QB (and future coach in Ann Arbor).
XLVIII: Seahawks 43, Broncos 8
Fast facts: Feb. 2, 2014; MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey.
MVP: Seahawks MLB Malcolm Smith.
The game: A bad snap on the first play from scrimmage set the tone, as ex-Lions center Manny Ramirez sent the ball over Peyton Manning’s head for a safety. The Broncos didn’t score until time expired at the end of the third quarter.
Michigan connection: At least one ex-Lion had a good game — DE Cliff Avril had three solo tackles, including a tackle-for-loss, and two QB hits.
XLIX: Patriots 28, Seahawks 24
Fast facts: Feb. 1, 2015; University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona.
MVP: Patriots QB Tom Brady.
The game: The play that launched a thousand hot takes — Malcom Butler picked off a Russell Wilson pass from the Patriots’ 3 (give it to Beast Mode!) with 26 seconds left — sealed the win.
Michigan connection: Uber-Michigan Man Tom Brady passed for 328 yards and four TDs, including the final score just before the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter.
50: Broncos 24, Panthers 10
Fast facts: Feb. 7, 2016; Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, California.
MVP: Broncos LB Von Miller.
The game: The Panthers’ No. 1 offense crumbled as QB Cam Newton was sacked six times and hit 13 while completing just 18 of 41 passes for 265 yards and an interception.
Michigan connection: Ex-Michigan receiver Devin Funchess had two catches for the Panthers, including a 24-yarder late in the second quarter.
LI: Patriots 34, Falcons 28
Fast facts: Feb. 5, 2017; NRG Stadium, Houston.
MVP: Patriots QB Tom Brady.
The game: The Falcons were up, 28-3, with 8:31 remaining in the third quarter. And then the Patriots stormed back to tie it with 57 seconds left and win it less than 4 minutes into OT.
Michigan connection: Brady threw it 62 times, completing 43 of them for 466 yards and two TDs; 26 of those completions, for 284 yards, came after the 28-3 deficit.
LII: Eagles 41, Patriots 33
Fast facts: Feb. 4, 2018; U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis.
MVP: Eagles QB Nick Foles.
The game: Foles, a former MSU QB, shredded the much-hyped Patriots defense (led by future Lions coach Matt Patricia), passing for 373 yards and three touchdowns (and catching a 1-yard TD just before the half).
Michigan connection: U-M’s Tom Brady wasn’t bad, either, completing 28 of 49 passes for 505 yards and three TDs (although points deducted for not catching a pass from future Lion Danny Amendola early in the second quarter).
LIII: Patriots 13, Rams 3
Fast facts: Feb. 3, 2019; Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans.
MVP: Patriots WR Julian Edelman.
The game: One good drive was enough as Sony Michel scored the game’s only touchdown with 7 minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Michigan connection: Former Lions LB (and second-round pick) Kyle Van Noy had four tackles and a sack of future Lion Jared Goff.
LIV: Chiefs 31, 49ers 20
Fast facts: Feb. 2, 2020; Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida.
MVP: Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes.
The game: Dearborn native Robert Saleh and his defense had K.C. just where they wanted them, with a 21-10 lead entering the fourth quarter. And then Mahomes went off in the fourth, completing 10 of 17 passes for 131 yards and two touchdowns.
Michigan connection: At least one Detroit team can lay claim to a Super Bowl-winning QB — the Tigers drafted Mahomes, the son of a major-league pitcher, in the 37th round (No. 1,120 overall) in 2014.
Contact Ryan Ford at rford@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @theford.