The Cincinnati Bengals have now appeared in three Super Bowls, so as the offseason gets started, it’s worth wondering where those games actually rank in terms of entertainment value compared to others.
That’s exactly what Will Brinson over at CBS Sports just did by tackling rankings for all 56 Super Bowls so far.
In 25th place is Super Bowl XVI, the 26-21 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Super Bowl XXIII, the 20-16 loss to the 49ers in which Jerry Rice put up 215 yards.
The most recent Super Bowl from just one year ago? That actually cracks the top 20 at No. 17 and highlights some of the controversy:
“The latest Super Bowl created a lot of controversy in the CBS rankings lab, with noted Bengals homer John Breech pounding the table to move this Super Bowl up into the top 15 or even top 10. Very weird for someone who watched his lifelong favorite team lose in person! It was a fun game — Matthew Stafford and Joe Burrow each had their moments, we saw a running back throw a touchdown pass, there was a thrilling end … and yet it was somehow a little underwhelming. I would have probably gone a little bit lower myself, but it cemented Stafford’s Hall of Fame legacy and I ultimately got sick of Breech complaining about where I wanted to rank it.”
While the Bengals have yet to win one, it’s pretty clear they help make for some entertaining Super Bowls once they reach the big game.
Given the current program built around Joe Burrow and some interesting comments from Ja’Marr Chase about Burrow’s upcoming extension, the Bengals could very well have some more entries on this list soon enough.
