Super Bowl rematches are usually a case of the same old story

History dictates that the Giants and the Patriots will cook up another thriller in Super Bowl XLVI on Feb. 5. Eli Manning and the Giants won their Super Bowl XLII matchup, 17-14.

As the Giants and Patriots prepare to launch a sequel to their epic Super Bowl tussle from a few years back, it brings to mind other occasions when the big game has featured rematches. The good news, in this case, is that the second editions tend to not stray too far from the originals, meaning history would dictate that we can expect something close to the hard-fought, 17-14 Giants victory that was laden with incredible moments.

Super Bowl XIII — Pittsburgh 35, Dallas 31 (Jan. 21, 1979)

First Matchup: Super Bowl X — Pittsburgh 21, Dallas 10 (Jan. 18, 1976)

Often cited as the greatest Super Bowl, if not the greatest NFL game, of all time, this rematch was a battle of styles and cultures, with nothing less than the very soul of 1970s football at stake. The winner would be crowned the indisputable Team of the Decade, with each sqaud having won two championships to that point. The Steelers were sitting on a 35-17 lead in the 4th quarter — thanks to such indelible plays as Terry Bradshaw’s record-setting 75-yard touchdown pass to John Stallworth, and Dallas tight end Jackie Smith’s inexplicable drop in the end zone — before the Cowboys surged back with two late scores. Fourteen players on the field, as well as both head coaches, have been enshrined in the Hall of Fame.

Note: These teams also met a third time, 17 years later, in Super Bowl XXX. That was also a great game, 27-17, with the Steelers coming up just two head-scratching (I’m a Steelers fan, so that’s the most diplomatic adjective I can muster) Neil O’Donnell interceptions short of pulling the huge upset. But it’s hard to count that as a true sequel, seeing as none of the original players or coaches was still around.

Super Bowl XVII — Washington 27, Miami 17 (Jan. 30, 1983)

First Matchup: Super Bowl VII — Miami 14, Washington 7 (Jan. 14, 1973)

Ten years after Miami dominated Washington to complete its perfect 17-0 season, the two teams met again in a solid Super Bowl that, despite the final score, was much more competitive. The Dolphins’ Killer B’s defense couldn’t quite rein in the Hogs on the Redskins’ offensive line, allowing Joe Theismann and John Riggins to cement their place in the NFL firmament. Riggins’ 43-yard run on 4th down put the ‘Skins ahead, and became one of the signature plays in Super Bowl history.

Super Bowl XXIII — San Francisco 20, Cincinnati 16 (Jan. 22, 1989)

First Matchup: Super Bowl XVI — San Francisco 26, Cincinnati 21 (Jan. 24, 1982)

When they first met in the Super Bowl, the 49ers and Bengals were both upstarts looking for their first world championship. But seven years later the 49ers were in the midst of one of the most dominant dynasties the game has ever seen, and they were able to deny Cincy yet again with a game-winning drive that concluded with Joe Montana’s iconic touchdown pass to John Taylor in the final minute. Unlike the first matchup, where the Bengals were playing catchup most of the game, the teams traded scores until San Fran finally emerged victorious. A tight game like this was sorely needed, as the Super Bowl had suffered a rash of blowouts the previous few years.

Super Bowl XXVIII — Dallas 30, Buffalo 13 (Jan. 30, 1994)

First Matchup: Super Bowl XXVII — Dallas 52, Buffalo 17 (Jan. 31, 1993)

This is one you always skip when NFL Network runs that marathon of Super Bowl highlights. It was a bad sequel in so many ways, not just in repeating the Cowboys’ beatdown of the Bills from just the year before, but it marked the fourth year in a row — Fourth. Year. In a row. — that audiences were subjected to endless camera shots of sadsack faces on the Buffalo sidelines. The Bills’ stretch of futility occurred smack dab in the middle of a 13-year reign of terror the NFC exerted over the AFC in the Super Bowl, and western New York arguably still hasn’t recovered. At least in this game, Bills RB Thurman Thomas didn’t misplace his helmet before kickoff, and Buffalo even managed to lead 13-6 at halftime. But the second half was like watching a condemned prisoner slowly walk to the electric chair.

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