Who won the Super Bowl in 2015?

Denver was the first team with a previous 0–2 Super Bowl record to win (their record had been 0–4). The Broncos' victory snapped the NFC's 13-game winning streak in the Super Bowl, becoming the first AFC team to win the NFL championship since the Los Angeles Raiders defeated the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XVIII. Denver also became the first team to score on four 1-yard touchdown runs in a Super Bowl. The Packers became the third defending Super Bowl champion to lose the Super Bowl, joining the Dallas Cowboys (won Super Bowl XII, lost Super Bowl XIII) and the Washington Redskins (won Super Bowl XVII, lost Super Bowl XVIII), and would be later joined by the Seattle Seahawks in 2015 (won Super Bowl XLVIII, lost Super Bowl XLIX) and the New England Patriots in 2018 (won Super Bowl LI, lost Super Bowl LII).

Super Bowl XXXII

Super Bowl XXXII was an American football game played between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion and defending Super Bowl XXXI champion Green Bay Packers and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1997 season. The Broncos defeated the Packers by the score of 31–24. The game was played on January 25, 1998 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California, the second time that the Super Bowl was held in that city. Super Bowl XXXII also made Qualcomm Stadium the only stadium in history to have the Super Bowl and the World Series in the same year.

This was Denver's first league championship after suffering four previous Super Bowl losses, and snapped a 13-game losing streak for AFC teams in the Super Bowl (the previous being the Los Angeles Raiders' win in Super Bowl XVIII after the 1983 season). The Broncos, who entered the game after posting a 12–4 regular season record in 1997, became just the second wild card team to win a Super Bowl and the first since the Raiders in Super Bowl XV. The Packers, who entered the game as the defending Super Bowl XXXI champions after posting a 13–3 regular season record, were the first team favored to win by double digits to lose a Super Bowl since Super Bowl IV.

The game was close throughout much of the contest. The Broncos converted two turnovers to take a 17–7 lead in the second quarter before the Packers cut the score to 17–14 at halftime. Green Bay kept pace with Denver in the second half, before tying the game with 13:32 remaining. Both defenses stiffened until Broncos running back Terrell Davis scored the go-ahead touchdown with 1:45 left. Despite suffering a migraine headache that caused him to miss most of the second quarter, Davis (a San Diego native) was named Super Bowl MVP. He ran for 157 yards, caught two passes for 8 yards, and scored a Super Bowl record three rushing touchdowns.

NFL owners awarded Super Bowl XXXII to San Diego during their October 26, 1993 meeting in Chicago. This was the second time San Diego hosted the game; the city previously hosted Super Bowl XXII ten years earlier on January 31, 1988. The Broncos played in both San Diego Super Bowls and became the first franchise to play two different Super Bowls in two stadiums twice. They also played twice at the Louisiana Superdome.

The Packers entered the 1997 season coming off of their win in Super Bowl XXXI. They then repeated as NFC Central division champions, earning a 13–3 regular season record.

Quarterback Brett Favre had another Pro Bowl season and became the first player ever to win the NFL MVP award three times, winning it for the third consecutive year (Favre was named co-MVP in 1997 with Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders). Favre led the league with 35 passing touchdowns and completed 304 out of 513 attempts for 3,867 yards, with 16 interceptions, while ranking second on the team in rushing with 187 yards and a touchdown. Wide receiver Antonio Freeman led the team in receptions with 81 catches for 1,243 yards and 12 touchdowns. Wide receiver Robert Brooks was also a major deep threat, catching 60 passes for 1,010 yards and 7 touchdowns. Pro Bowl tight end Mark Chmura recorded 38 receptions for 417 yards and 6 touchdowns. Pro Bowl running back Dorsey Levens led the team in rushing with 1,435 yards and 7 touchdowns, while also catching 53 passes for 373 yards and 5 touchdowns. Fullback William Henderson rushed for 113 yards and caught 41 passes for 367 yards and a touchdown.

On the Packers' defense, the line was led by veteran Pro Bowl selection Reggie White, who led the team with 11 sacks. Behind him, Santana Dotson recorded 37 tackles and 5.5 sacks. In the secondary, Pro Bowl defensive back LeRoy Butler led the team with 5 interceptions, while also adding 70 tackles. Safety Eugene Robinson led the team with 74 tackles while also recording 2.5 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, and 1 interception. Cornerback Mike Prior recorded 4 interceptions, while rookie Darren Sharper recorded 2 of them, both of which he returned for touchdowns.

The Broncos entered Super Bowl XXXII after suffering four Super Bowl losses: Super Bowls XII, XXI, XXII, and XXIV from 1978, 1987, 1988, and 1990, respectively. In all of those losses, the Broncos never had the ability to rush well enough or score enough points to be competitive. Denver had been defeated by a large margin in each one, losing all four by a combined scoring margin of 163–50.

The previous three Super Bowl losses were under starting quarterback John Elway, whose ad-libbing skills enabled the Broncos to advance to the league's championship game in a span of three out of four seasons. Elway also led his team to the 1991 AFC Championship Game, but they lost in a defensive struggle to the Buffalo Bills, 10–7.

The team's fortunes changed when Mike Shanahan became head coach of the Broncos in 1995. Shanahan was previously Denver's offensive coordinator during those Super Bowl losses, but was fired in 1991 after a power struggle between him and then-head coach Dan Reeves over the offensive personnel. Shanahan then served as the offensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers from 1992 to 1994, including the 49ers' Super Bowl XXIX win. Under Shanahan, the San Francisco offense ranked first in the league in total yards gained for all three of his seasons there.

When Shanahan returned to the Broncos in 1995, he selected running back Terrell Davis in the 6th round of the NFL draft. Davis became the cornerstone of Denver's rebuilt running game, leading the team with 1,117 rushing yards in just his rookie year. The Broncos finished the 1995 regular season with just an 8–8 record. By 1996, the Broncos had the league's best offense, gaining 5,791 total yards, and recorded the AFC's best regular season record at 13–3, but they were upset by the second-year Jacksonville Jaguars, 30–27 in the playoffs.

During the 1997 regular season, the Broncos once again had the league's best offense with 5,872 total yards and led the league in total points scored with 472. Although they recorded a 12–4 regular season record, they finished in second place behind the 13–3 Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West.

Davis, a Pro Bowl selection, remained the team's leading rusher, recording 1,750 yards and 15 touchdowns, while also catching 42 passes for 287 yards. At 37 years old, Elway still posted a Pro Bowl season with 280 out of 502 completions for 3,635 yards, 27 touchdowns, and only 11 interceptions. He also rushed for 215 yards and another touchdown. Pro Bowl tight end Shannon Sharpe led the team with 72 receptions for 1,107 yards. Wide receiver Rod Smith, who was not drafted by any NFL team and recorded only 22 receptions for 389 yards and 3 touchdowns in his two previous seasons, had a breakout year with 70 receptions for 1,180 yards and 12 touchdowns. Wide receiver Ed McCaffrey, who played in Shanahan's 1994 49ers offense, recorded 45 receptions for 590 yards and 8 touchdowns. Denver's offensive line was led by seven-time Pro Bowl left tackle Gary Zimmerman and Pro Bowl center Tom Nalen.

On defense, the major acquisition to the team prior to the season was former Chiefs defensive lineman Neil Smith. Smith had a Pro Bowl season for the 6th time in his career with 28 tackles and 8.5 sacks. Defensive end Alfred Williams recorded 36 tackles, 8.5 sacks, and a fumble recovery. The linebacking corps was led by veteran Bill Romanowski, who had 55 tackles and 2 sacks, and John Mobley, who led the team with 97 tackles while also recording 4 sacks, a fumble recovery, and an interception.

The secondary was led by veteran defensive backs Tyrone Braxton, who led the team with 4 interceptions for 113 yards and 1 touchdown, and Steve Atwater, who had 53 tackles, 1 sack, 2 fumble recoveries, and 2 interceptions for 42 yards and 1 touchdown. Defensive back Darrien Gordon recorded 50 tackles, 2 sacks, 4 fumble recoveries, 4 interceptions, 64 return yards, and 1 touchdown. He also returned 40 punts for 543 yards and 3 touchdowns.

The Broncos entered the playoffs as a wild-card team but defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars, 42–17, the Kansas City Chiefs, 14–10, and the Pittsburgh Steelers, 24–21, making Denver the fifth wild-card team to make it to the Super Bowl. Meanwhile, the Packers were victorious against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 21–7, and the San Francisco 49ers, 23–10.

The Packers came into the game as 11-point favorites, having compiled a 13–3 record regular season record compared to the Broncos' 12–4 and coming in as defending Super Bowl champions after winning Super Bowl XXXI 35–21 over the New England Patriots.

Each player wore a Super Bowl logo patch on their jerseys, but it was not the first Super Bowl game that had them; the first game with it was seven years earlier in Super Bowl XXV. This would become a regular practice in each Super Bowl since.

The game was televised in the United States by NBC, with play-by-play announcer Dick Enberg (calling his eighth and final Super Bowl), color commentators Phil Simms and Paul Maguire, and sideline reporter Jim Gray. Greg Gumbel hosted all the events, and was joined by co-host Ahmad Rashad and commentators Cris Collinsworth, Sam Wyche, and Joe Gibbs. Following the game, NBC aired a special one-hour episode of "3rd Rock from the Sun", which opened live at the game site with Gumbel playing himself before he was "attacked" by show star John Lithgow. During the game, NBC (partnering with Silicon Graphics Inc.) would include real-time 3D computer graphics on SGI's Onyx2 computers to display a model of Qualcomm Stadium and simulating real-time animation of things such as receiver patterns and yards after the catch; along with a second model known as "Football Guy" which allowed viewers to see defensive players from the quarterback's vantage point, with those replays handled by Randy Cross.

This broadcast was the last for NBC as the AFC network after 33 years (CBS has held the AFC broadcast rights ever since), their last NFL broadcast overall until 2006, when they signed on to televise "Sunday Night Football", and their last Super Bowl broadcast until 2009 (Super Bowl XLIII). This was also the last time Channel 4 in the UK would show the Super Bowl – and their last NFL coverage until 2010 – after they had been showing the event since 1983 (Super Bowl XVII). Only Sky Sports would show it live until Five joined them in 2003 (Super Bowl XXXVII). It also marked the last Super Bowl until 2007 for CTV in Canada after airing the NFL and the event since Super Bowl XVI; from 1999 to 2006 the Super Bowl aired on the Global Television Network. CTV had aired NFL football since 1970 and the Super Bowl since 1982 (Super Bowl XVI). It was also the final NFL game for GMA Network in the Philippines until the 2006 season; GMA had aired NFL football since 1986 and the Super Bowl since Super Bowl XXI in 1987. The Super Bowl would be broadcast on ABC 5, also from 1999 until 2006. It was also the final Super Bowl in which the Televisa family of networks aired on its own in Mexico, also until 2007, being broadcast on Canal 5; Televisa had aired NFL football since 1970 and the Super Bowl since 1988 (at the time, the only other Super Bowl in San Diego). Azteca 13 likewise would exclusively air the Super Bowl from 1999 until 2006, including Super Bowl XXXVII which would be the next Super Bowl to be played at Qualcomm Stadium.

This game was later featured on "NFL's Greatest Games" as This One's for John.

The pregame show, narrated by actor and comedian Phil Hartman, celebrated the music and history of California. It featured performances by The 5th Dimension, Lee Greenwood, and The Beach Boys. Singer Jewel later sang the U.S. national anthem.

To honor the 10th anniversary of the Washington Redskins' win in Super Bowl XXII, the only other previous Super Bowl played in San Diego, the game's MVP, Doug Williams, and former head coach Joe Gibbs participated during the coin toss ceremony. They were joined by the recently retired, longtime college football head coach Eddie Robinson, who ran the Grambling State University Tigers football team from 1942 until 1997.

The halftime show was titled "A Tribute to Motown's 40th Anniversary" and featured Boyz II Men, Smokey Robinson, Queen Latifah, Martha Reeves and The Temptations.

Packers wide receiver Antonio Freeman returned the opening kickoff 19 yards to the Green Bay 24-yard line. On the third play of the drive, quarterback Brett Favre kept the offense on the field by completing a 13-yard pass to Freeman on 3rd down and 9. Then running back Dorsey Levens rushed the ball on three consecutive plays, gaining 27 yards to advance to the Denver 35-yard line. Favre finished the drive with two completions to Freeman: the first one for 13 yards, and the second one a 22-yard touchdown pass to give the Packers a 7–0 lead (the Packers were the third team to take the opening kickoff down the field and score a touchdown on that drive; the other two were the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl VIII and the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XXIX).

The Broncos responded with a touchdown of their own. Denver running back Vaughn Hebron returned the ensuing kickoff 32 yards to their own 42-yard line. Denver then drove to the Green Bay 46-yard line. On third down, a holding penalty on Packers defensive back Doug Evans nullified quarterback John Elway's incompletion and gave the Broncos a first down. On the next play, running back Terrell Davis ran the ball 27 yards to the 14-yard line. Then after a 2-yard run by Davis, Elway scrambled 10 yards to gain a first down at the 2-yard line. Two plays later, Davis capped off the 10-play, 58-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to tie the game (this is to date the only Super Bowl in which both teams scored TDs on their opening drives).

On the second play of the Packers' next possession, Denver defensive back Tyrone Braxton intercepted a pass from Favre at Green Bay's 45-yard line. Aided by five runs by Davis for 29 yards, the Broncos marched 45 yards to score on Elway's 1-yard touchdown run on the first play of the 2nd quarter, taking a 14–7 lead.

Elway's touchdown play involved a fake handoff to Davis, who was previously taken out of the game during the drive because the onset of a migraine headache after being inadvertently tripped by LeRoy Butler had severely impaired his vision. But head coach Mike Shanahan decided to send him into the game for the 3rd-down play, believing that the Packers would not be fooled by a fake handoff without Davis on the field. Davis later said his vision was so impaired that he was afraid Elway would call an audible at the line and try to hand him the ball. Despite his blurred vision, Davis perfectly executed the play, drawing the Green Bay defense into the middle of the line as Elway rushed to the right and into the end zone completely untouched. By the second half, Davis had taken migraine medication, and his vision had returned to normal, allowing him to play the rest of the game.

On the Packers' ensuing possession, Broncos safety Steve Atwater forced a fumble while sacking Favre, and defensive end Neil Smith recovered the ball on the Packers 33-yard line. Although the Broncos were unable to get a first down, kicker Jason Elam made a 51-yard field goal, the second longest in Super Bowl history, to increase Denver's lead to 17–7. Both teams went three-and-out on their next possessions, and Denver punter Tom Rouen's 47-yard kick planted Green Bay at their own 5-yard line with 7:38 left in the quarter. But Green Bay stormed down the field on their ensuing drive, marching 95 yards in 17 plays and scoring with Favre's 6-yard touchdown pass to tight end Mark Chmura with just 12 seconds left in the half. Thus at halftime, the Broncos held onto a slim 17–14 lead.

Green Bay kicked to Denver to start the second half. On the first play after the kickoff, Packer defensive back Tyrone Williams forced and recovered a fumble from Davis at the Broncos 26-yard line. But Denver's defense forced a three-and-out. However, Denver was called for an offsides penalty on the ensuing field goal attempt, giving Green Bay a new set of downs. The Packers had 1st and 10 inside the Broncos 20-yard line, but the drive stalled at the 9-yard line, forcing the Packers to settle for a 27-yard Ryan Longwell field goal, tying the game at 17–17.

Green Bay kicked off once again and Denver's offense stalled, forcing a punt, giving the Packers good field position again near their 40-yard line. But once again, Denver's defense forced a three-and-out. On the ensuing punt, the Broncos were again called for an offsides penalty, giving Green Bay a fresh set of downs near midfield. But Denver's defense prevented another first down, keeping the score tied.

Later in the quarter, Green Bay punter Craig Hentrich's 51-yard kick pinned the Broncos back at their own 8-yard line. But the Packers' defense could not stop Denver as they marched on a 13-play, 92-yard drive to regain the lead. Aided by a 36-yard reception by receiver Ed McCaffrey, the Broncos advanced to the Green Bay 12-yard line. On 3rd down, Elway scrambled for an 8-yard run and dove for the first down, a play in which he was hit so hard by Packers defenders Butler and Mike Prior that he spun sideways through the air. This run was later referred to as "The Helicopter," and what many consider as Elway's career-defining moment and the defining moment of Super Bowl XXXII. Two plays later, Davis scored on another 1-yard touchdown run, giving the Broncos the lead, 24–17.

On the ensuing kickoff, Denver's special teams player Detron Smith ran full speed into the wedge of the Green Bay blockers, forcing Freeman outside, to his left. Freeman was hit as he held the ball exposed running sideways and fumbled, then Denver defensive back Tim McKyer recovered the ball at the Packers 22-yard line. Immediately, the Broncos tried to capitalize on the turnover by trying to throw for a touchdown, a pass intended for Rod Smith as he ran a post pattern following a fake handoff and a roll out by Elway, but Packers safety Eugene Robinson intercepted Elway's pass in the end zone and returned it to the 15-yard line.

After the interception, the Packers marched 85 yards in just four plays, three of them receptions by Freeman, to tie it up once again 1:28 into the 4th quarter with Freeman's 13-yard touchdown catch. On the scoring play, Freeman and Robert Brooks ran a "criss-cross" pattern, with Freeman on the inside running towards the sidelines. Denver defensive back Darrien Gordon hesitated as to which receiver to cover, and Favre hit Freeman for the score.

Both teams' defenses tightened up, and the clubs exchanged punts twice. With Green Bay pinned at their own 10-yard line, Hentrich then kicked the ball 39 yards to the Packers 49-yard line with 3:27 left in the game. On the first play of the ensuing drive, Packers linebacker Darius Holland committed a 15-yard facemask penalty while tackling Davis on a 2-yard run, moving the ball to the 32-yard line. Two plays later, Elway completed a 23-yard pass to fullback Howard Griffith, aided by a powerful block by McCaffrey. A holding penalty pushed the Broncos back to the 18-yard line, but then Davis rushed 17 yards to the 1-yard line, and the Broncos called a timeout. This left the Broncos facing 2nd and goal with 1:47 left on the clock. Green Bay had two timeouts remaining.

Packers coach Mike Holmgren told his team to let the Broncos score to maximize the time the Packers would have on the clock for a potential game-tying drive. He admitted later that he had thought that it was 1st and goal rather than 2nd and goal, crucial to clock management decision making on the play. Davis did score his third rushing touchdown on 2nd and goal, leaving 1:45 on the clock. The Broncos now had a one-touchdown lead, at 31–24.

The Packers attempted one final drive to try to tie the game before the end of regulation and send the contest into overtime. Shanahan famously instructed his defensive coordinators to keep playing the same prevent defense as Green Bay attempted to drive downfield in the final two minutes of the game. Freeman returned the Broncos' kickoff 22 yards to the 30-yard line, and the Packers advanced to the Broncos 35-yard line with 1:04 left in the game on a pair of completions from Favre to Levens for gains of 22 and 13 yards. After a 4-yard pass to Levens, Favre's next two passes fell incomplete. The 2nd down play was a bullet throw to a wide open Freeman around the 15-yard line, which would have given the Packers a first down, but Freeman could not handle the pass. On the 3rd down incompletion, both intended receiver Brooks and Denver's Randy Hilliard were blasted by Atwater's seismic hit. All three players were knocked out of the game with :32 remaining, and both teams were charged a timeout. Then on 4th down, Denver linebacker John Mobley broke up a pass intended for Chmura, enabling the Broncos to take the ball back and run out the clock for the victory.

During the post-game victory celebration, Broncos owner Pat Bowlen held the Vince Lombardi Trophy in the air and said, "This one's for John," referring to the fact that Elway's long quest for a Super Bowl victory was finally complete.

A remarkable fact about Denver's offensive performance was that, except for two penalties and Elway's kneel-downs to end each half, the Broncos did not lose yardage on any play from scrimmage. Green Bay's Reggie White, Gilbert Brown, LeRoy Butler and others were unable to register a sack against the Broncos' front line. Elway finished the game with 12 out of 22 pass completions, for 123 yards and 1 interception. Elway became the sixth player to score touchdowns in three different Super Bowls, joining Lynn Swann, Franco Harris, Thurman Thomas, Jerry Rice, and Emmitt Smith. He was also the Broncos' second-leading rusher behind Davis with 17 yards and a touchdown on 5 carries. Terrell Davis became the only player to rush for three touchdowns in a Super Bowl, and the only non-San Francisco 49er to score three touchdowns in a Super Bowl; Roger Craig, Jerry Rice, and Ricky Watters were the only other players to do so. Rice had 3 touchdown catches in two different Super Bowls. Davis' three touchdowns in this Super Bowl gave him a total of 48 points (8 touchdowns) during the postseason, an NFL record.

Levens was Green Bay's leading rusher with 90 rushing yards, and was their second-leading receiver with 56 yards on 6 receptions. Both Freeman and Favre had outstanding performances for the second Super Bowl game in a row. Favre completed 25 out of 42 passes for 256 yards and 3 touchdowns, with 1 interception. Freeman caught 9 passes for 126 yards and 2 touchdowns, and also gained another 104 yards on 6 kickoff returns, giving him 230 total yards, the third highest total in Super Bowl history. Freeman also tied himself for second all-time in touchdown catches in Super Bowls with three, joining Lynn Swann, John Stallworth, and Cliff Branch, trailing only Rice's eight. He also became just the third player to have at least 100 yards receiving in back-to-back Super Bowls, joining Rice and Stallworth.

Sources: NFL.com Super Bowl XXXII, Super Bowl XXXII Play Finder Den, Super Bowl XXXII Play Finder GB

Completions/attempts
Carries
Long gain
Receptions
Times targeted

One new record was set and several were tied in Super Bowl XXXII, according to the official NFL.com boxscore, the 2016 NFL Record & Fact Book and the ProFootball reference.com game summary.

Source:

Since joining the Patriots broadcast, Socci and Zolak have called three Super Bowl Championships. In February 2015 the Patriots won the franchises fourth Super Bowl defeating the Seattle Seahawks when rookie cornerback Malcolm Butler intercepted a pass at the goal line sealing the title. In February 2017 the duo called "The Greatest Comeback in Super Bowl History" when the Patriots rallied from a 28-3 third quarter deficit to beat the Atlanta Falcons 34-28 in the first overtime game in 51 years of the Super Bowl.

Bob Socci

Bob Socci (born 1968) is an American TV and radio sports broadcaster. He is currently the radio play-by-play voice of the NFL's New England Patriots.

Socci was born in Auburn, New York. He is a 1985 graduate of Auburn High School, where he was a member of the school's 1985 New York state championship baseball team.

Socci is a 1989 graduate of the University of Dayton.

Socci was hired as the new play-by-play voice of the New England Patriots in April 2013, replacing Gil Santos, who retired after 36 years with the team. Socci is partnered with Scott Zolak on Patriots broadcasts.

Before joining the Patriots, Socci's previous broadcasting experience included 15 seasons as the play-by-play voice of Navy Midshipmen football (1998–2012), 11 seasons as the voice of Navy basketball (1997–2008), and a decade of calling Patriot League basketball games for networks including CSTV, ESPNU, and CBS Sports Network.

Socci also has over two decades of experience as a minor league baseball radio play-by-play announcer, calling games for the Pawtucket Red Sox (2013), Norfolk Tides (2006–11), Albuquerque Isotopes (2003–05), Frederick Keys (1999–2001), Delmarva Shorebirds (1996–1998), and Peoria Chiefs (1993–1995).

Socci lives in Milton, Massachusetts, with his wife, Monique Tello, and their two children, Gio and Maria.

This marked Revis' first trip to the Super Bowl. The Patriots faced the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX on February 1, 2015, and won 28-24. Revis tallied a sack in the game. During the AFC Championship Game and Super Bowl combined, Revis allowed one completion on passes thrown to receivers he was covering.

Darrelle Revis

Darrelle Shavar Revis (born July 14, 1985) is a former American football cornerback. He played college football for the University of Pittsburgh and was drafted in the first round (14th overall) by the New York Jets in the 2007 NFL Draft. He also played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots. With the Patriots, he won Super Bowl XLIX over the Seattle Seahawks.

His spot on the field was nicknamed "Revis Island," a phrase Revis trademarked, for his ability to shut down the opposing number one receiver. By 2010, he was considered one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL.

Revis attended Aliquippa High School in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania. His high school accolades included "Pittsburgh Tribune-Review" 2003 Player of the Year, "Pittsburgh Post-Gazette" 2003 WPIAL Class AA Player of the Year, and 2003 "Pittsburgh Post-Gazette" “Fabulous 22”.

In the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Class AA State Championship football game, he led Aliquippa to a come-from-behind 32–27 win over Northern Lehigh by scoring five touchdowns, including three rushing touchdowns, a punt return, and the return of a blocked Northern Lehigh field goal attempt. He also completed a 39-yard pass, had a reception, and an interception in the game.

In his junior and senior years of high school, Revis led Aliquippa to Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) basketball championships, leading the team in scoring both years, culminating with a 25.2 PPG average his senior season. He also had the most interceptions out of any cornerback for high school. In track & field, Revis ran on the Quips' WPIAL Class AA champion 4x100-metres relay team that placed third at the state championships.

Revis attended the University of Pittsburgh, and played for the Pittsburgh Panthers football team. He earned first-team freshman All-America honors his 2004 freshman campaign. Revis played all 12 games, and started 11 of those 12. Revis tied for fifth on the team with 49 tackles, tied for team lead with 12 broken-up passes, and second on the team with 14 defended passes. Revis also had two interceptions. The most important of the two interceptions was against the West Virginia Mountaineers, when he intercepted a late pass that set up the Panthers' game-winning drive. Revis also had a career-high seven tackles against the Boston College Eagles. With Pitt leading 17–10, the Boston College Eagles elected to go for it late in the fourth on fourth-and-goal. The pass got to the one-yard line, but Revis hit the receiver and stopped him from getting the score.

Revis's sophomore season in 2005 was another excellent campaign. Revis earned first-team All-Big East at cornerback. Revis led the Panthers with four interceptions and was second-team with 13 defended passes. Revis was ranked second in the Big East with two recovered fumbles. Revis had a 79-yard punt return for a score against the Cincinnati Bearcats, and blocked a field goal against Connecticut Huskies which was returned for the score. Revis also had an interception and totaled 119 punt return yards against Rutgers Scarlet Knights.

Revis's final year at Pitt, his 2006 junior campaign, was where he established himself on the national stage. He was a candidate for Jim Thorpe Award and Bronko Nagurski Trophy at the end of the season. Revis recorded interceptions against the Virginia Cavaliers and Cincinnati, which were both taken back for touchdowns.

During the 2006 Backyard Brawl game with rival West Virginia, Revis made a dynamic, 73-yard punt return, while breaking several tackles, and finally scoring a touchdown late in the second quarter. The key block to spring him, by Pitt wide receiver Derek Kinder, took out two Mountaineers. The play was nominated for "Best Play" at the 2007 ESPY Awards and was voted the best College Football Play of the Year.On January 10, 2007, Revis announced he would forgo his senior year at Pittsburgh to enter the 2007 NFL Draft. He was considered one of the top three cornerbacks available, along with Leon Hall of Michigan and Aaron Ross of Texas, and was one of 30 drafted. He received an invitation to the NFL Scouting Combine however, he chose not to attend after suffering a strained hamstring. Revis impressed scouts at Pittsburgh's Pro Day, impressing them with his 40-yard dash, a main concern scouts had prior to him completing the test. Teryl Austin, the Arizona Cardinals' defensive backs coach at the time stated, "nobody went away disappointed." Revis was touted by ESPN analyst Len Pasquarelli as having "terrific coverage techniques".

New York Jets scout Terry Bradway was impressed by Revis' workout but was concerned by the level of competition Pittsburgh played, as Louisville's Mario Urrutia was the toughest receiver Revis faced during the season. Despite this concern, the organization was so impressed by his man and zone coverage techniques and his ability to play the run that they decided to trade up for him in the draft. Originally, New York discussed trading draft selections with the Houston Texans who had the 10th overall pick however, when the deal fell through, they traded their first, second and fifth round picks to the Carolina Panthers, moving from 25th overall to 14th overall, to select Revis.

Revis missed the first 21 days of training camp while his agents negotiated a contract. At one point, Revis' mother was flown in from Pittsburgh to help expedite the negotiation process. On August 15, 2007, the Jets came to an agreement with Revis. The 47-page contract was worth approximately $36 million over five years according to ESPN writer John Clayton.

Head coach Eric Mangini expected Revis to contribute immediately citing his abilities on defense and special teams. He likened Revis' talents to that of Ty Law, who was once described as a "shutdown" cornerback. After signing his contract, Revis had his first day of practice four days later with veteran Kerry Rhodes providing guidance throughout the session. Revis made his preseason debut against the New York Giants on August 25, 2007 after less than a week of practice. In his debut, he recorded five tackles and one pass defended against receiver Sinorice Moss and had one punt return for 13 yards. Revis was named the starting cornerback for the Jets at the end of the preseason, becoming the first Jets rookie cornerback to start since Ray Mickens in 1996.

In his first game against the New England Patriots, Revis recorded 7 tackles and held Wes Welker to 6 catches for 61 yards in the 38–14 loss. He recorded the first interception of his career against the division-rival Buffalo Bills during their week 8 matchup. Revis would show great progression throughout the season, remaining as the Jets' solid starter and one of their best defensive players. Starting all 16 games, Revis ended his rookie season with 87 total tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, and 3 interceptions. Revis was only beaten for touchdowns three times during his rookie season by Braylon Edwards, Lee Evans, and Terrell Owens.

The Jets opened the season with a match-up against the Miami Dolphins. Revis, the established starter, intercepted former Jet Chad Pennington's pass in the end zone with five seconds remaining in the game to preserve the Jets' 20–14 victory. A week later, Revis held Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss to two catches for 22 yards. Mangini praised Revis' attention to detail and perfecting the flaws of his game. Revis was beaten by Chris Chambers for a 27-yard touchdown during the Jets' week three contest against the San Diego Chargers—he recorded two tackles in the loss to San Diego. The following week, the Jets faced the Arizona Cardinals with wide receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. He intercepted two Kurt Warner passes, one of which he returned 32 yards for a touchdown, the first of his NFL career.

Despite his performance alongside All-Pro safety Kerry Rhodes, the Jets' pass defense was ranked 28th which prompted coach Eric Mangini to sign free agent All-Pro cornerback and former New York Jet Ty Law in November. Though the addition of Law was made to bolster the Jets' pass defense, the pass defense continued to struggle and would rank 29th overall by season's end in spite of Revis' positive performance. It should be noted that Revis' side of the field was known not to be tested as teams instead chose to attack rookie cornerback Dwight Lowery.

For his efforts, Revis was elected to the 2009 Pro Bowl. During the Pro Bowl, Revis intercepted a pass intended for Anquan Boldin with one hand.

Revis started off the 2009 season matched up against some of football's best wide receivers. In Week 1, he helped limit Houston Texans Pro-bowler Andre Johnson to four receptions for 35 yards. Revis then faced Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, when he matched up against another Pro-bowl receiver, Randy Moss, and limited him to four receptions and 24 yards after catching 14 passes for 141 yards the week prior. Revis also had an interception against Brady, helping the Jets defense to be the first team since 2006 to stop the Patriots from scoring a touchdown.

Week 5 against the Miami Dolphins was the lone blemish on Revis's season, as he was beaten by wide receiver Ted Ginn, Jr. for a 53-yard touchdown reception on "Monday Night Football", during the Jets 31–27 week 5 loss to the Dolphins.

Jets head coach Rex Ryan has stated on several occasions that he thinks Revis is the "best" cornerback in the NFL, and that he is also the best cornerback he's worked with, in all of his years of coaching defenses. NFL Total Access ranked him as the No. 3 cornerback in the league on a Best In The Biz list before the '09 season kicked off. Deion Sanders also said "Revis is going to be the best corner in the game for years."

Revis ended the year winning a Pro Bowl spot, and earned major respect inside and outside the league. In Week 17 (the NFL's last regular season week), he locked up Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chad Ochocinco, preventing Ochocinco from making a single reception, in part because a win would not advance Cincinnati to a higher playoff seed, and also because Ochocinco left the game with an injured knee. The Jets won the game 37–0, their second shutout, and third 'defensive' shutout. The victory qualified the Jets for the postseason, and the two teams met up again six days later in the first round. During the Jets' 24–14 victory over the Bengals, Revis again shut down Ochocinco, limiting him to two catches for 28 yards and collecting an interception.
In the second week of the playoffs, Revis and the Jets defeated the AFC's #2 seed San Diego Chargers, 17–14. Since the Chargers had a large variety of well acclaimed receivers, Revis was forced to cover most of them, yet San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers only threw the ball to a receiver covered by Revis three times during the entire game. Two of the three were tipped away by Revis for an incomplete pass, and the third was an interception. His interception was made diving to the ground to catch a ball that was deflected off the shoe of Chargers' wide receiver Vincent Jackson. Revis' interception changed the momentum of the game and was instrumental in the Jets' 17–14 victory. The win led the Jets to the AFC Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts, their first trip to the AFC Championship since 1998. The Jets lost 30–17, due to a lack of scoring in the second half (0 points), and poor secondary playing, with the exception of Revis himself, who only allowed 2 receptions.

Revis lost in the Defensive Player of the Year voting to Charles Woodson, 28–14.

Revis missed the majority of training camp and all four of the team's preseason contests while holding out for a new contract. He was to receive approximately $1 million in the fourth year of a six-year contract. On September 5, an agreement was reached on a four-year $32 million guaranteed contract, and Revis subsequently reported to camp the next day, a week before the team's season opener.

During the team's Week 2 matchup against the New England Patriots, after getting beaten for a deep touchdown by Randy Moss, Revis left the game with what was later revealed to be a strained hamstring. Revis would miss two weeks of the season. Revis reaggravated the hamstring following the team's matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. On October 17, 2010, Revis was activated two hours prior to kickoff against the Denver Broncos and started the game. The Jets headed into a bye week following their victory over Denver thus allowing Revis to rehab his hamstring. Revis has since declared himself to be 100 percent.

During the 2011 AFC Wild Card Round, Revis held Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne to one catch for a yard in a victory over the Colts. The Jets went on to defeat the New England Patriots in the divisional round but would lose to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship game. Revis finished the year with 32 tackles but did not record an interception in 13 games.
The Jets opened their 2011 season against the Dallas Cowboys on September 11, 2011. The game was played at MetLife Stadium on "Sunday Night Football" on the ten-year anniversary of the September 11 attacks. The Jets were tied with the Cowboys 24-24 in the final minutes when Revis intercepted a Tony Romo pass intended for Dez Bryant to put the Jets in field goal range. Nick Folk converted the game-winning field goal to give the Jets the win 27-24. In Week 6, the Jets were playing the Dolphins with a 2-3 record in what some considered a must win game. Revis intercepted a pass intended for Brandon Marshall and ran it back 100 yards for a touchdown on October 17, 2011, tying the longest interception return in Jets history, first set by Aaron Glenn in 1996. Later in the same game against the Miami Dolphins, he intercepted another Matt Moore pass in the fourth quarter to preserve the Jets' victory with a score of 24-6. On Sunday, October 23, 2011, the Jets were playing the San Diego Chargers. In the fourth quarter, the Jets were down 21-17 and the Chargers had the ball in Jets territory when Darrelle Revis intercepted a pass intended for Vincent Jackson which was deflected right into the hands of Revis. Later on in the drive Mark Sanchez would complete a touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress, his 3rd of the game. The Jets would win 27-21. After 13 games, the Jets were 8-5 going on a 3-game winning streak and looking to make the playoffs for 3 straight years. But the Jets would lose their next 3 games and miss the playoffs by 1 game with a record of 8-8. After the season it came out that the Jets locker room was having problems. Revis ended the year with 52 tackles and 4 interceptions and was elected to his fourth Pro Bowl and third All-Pro team.

Revis entered the 2012 season hinting that he may not attend training camp, with the hope of reworking his contract. Despite the uncertainty regarding his contract status, Revis attended training camp. The Jets' season opener was played against the Buffalo Bills on September 9, 2012. Revis intercepted a Ryan Fitzpatrick pass which set up a Mark Sanchez touchdown on the ensuing drive. The Jets would go on to defeat the Bills 48–28. Revis recorded five tackles in addition to the interception but was taken out of the game in the fourth quarter after teammate Bart Scott accidentally hit Revis in the head with his knee while Revis was still on the ground. Revis was diagnosed with a mild concussion and subsequently ruled out for Week 2 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He returned the following week against the Miami Dolphins where he recovered a fumble but later left the game with an undisclosed knee injury. An MRI taken the following day revealed Revis suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and would be out for the remainder of the season. He was placed on injured reserve on October 12, 2012.

On April 21, 2013, Revis was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Revis flew a private jet to travel to Tampa, Florida for an official physical. After being examined by team doctors, including head team orthopedist John Zvijac and director of sports medicine Todd Toriscelli, Revis was deemed healthy.

The Jets gave Revis permission to visit the Buccaneers on Sunday morning after reaching an agreement with Tampa Bay on the transaction. Revis was successful in getting one of the biggest contracts in the NFL, in line with other elite players such as defensive end Mario Williams (six years, $96 million), wide receivers Calvin Johnson (eight years, $132 million) and Larry Fitzgerald (eight years, $113 million) received. Revis' 6-year deal was worth $96 million, making him the highest paid defensive back in NFL history, however there was no guaranteed money included.

The Jets received the Buccaneers' 2013 first round pick (13th overall, used on Sheldon Richardson) and a 2014 fourth round conditional pick, which could become a third round pick.

Revis made his debut with the Buccaneers on September 8, 2013, playing against his former team, the New York Jets. He had his first interception as a Buccaneer on September 29, against the Arizona Cardinals. On December 27, Revis was selected to his 5th Pro Bowl, his first with Tampa Bay. After the season, he was named SN Comeback Player Of The Year. During his first and only season with Tampa Bay, Revis started all 16 games with a sack, 2 interceptions, 11 passes defended, 2 forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and 50 tackles.

Despite Revis' outstanding season, he was not an ideal fit for Tampa Bay's defensive system. When Lovie Smith was hired to replace Greg Schiano, he brought his Tampa 2 defense with him, a zone defense that is focused on an elite middle linebacker, not a shutdown corner. Revis, being an elite man-to-man cornerback, was rumored to be on the trading block because of his large $16 million salary for the 2014 season.

On March 12, 2014, the Bucs released Revis after several failed attempts to trade him, making him an unrestricted free agent for the first time of his career.

On March 12, 2014, within hours of being released by the Buccaneers, Revis signed a 1-year contract worth $12 million with the New England Patriots, with the salary cap hit spread over two years. In Revis' first and only season in New England, he had 47 tackles, 2 interceptions, 14 passes defensed, and 1 forced fumble. The Patriots finished the season 12-4.

In the Divisional Round against the Baltimore Ravens, Revis had 2 pass interference calls against wide receiver Steve Smith Sr.. The Patriots would go on to win the game 35-31 and advance to the AFC Championship game. In the AFC Championship game, Revis recorded an interception on Andrew Luck and the Patriots went on to defeat the Indianapolis Colts 45-7.

This marked Revis' first trip to the Super Bowl. The Patriots faced the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX on February 1, 2015, and won 28-24. Revis tallied a sack in the game. During the AFC Championship Game and Super Bowl combined, Revis allowed one completion on passes thrown to receivers he was covering.

After the season, the Patriots did not pick up a $20 million option in his contract to bring Revis back for a second year following the 2014 season.

The New York Jets signed Revis to a five-year, $70 million contract with $39 million guaranteed on March 10, 2015. The Jets were, however, the subject of investigation into tampering after charges were filed by the Patriots. Jets owner Woody Johnson made comments about Revis, who was still under contract with New England at the time. Johnson was fined $100,000; however, the Jets' counter-investigation into Patriots owner Robert Kraft's comments about Revis upon re-signing with New York was dismissed by the league. Revis sustained a concussion against the Houston Texans on November 22, 2015. He was named to his seventh Pro Bowl and was ranked 24th on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2016. In 14 games of 2015, Revis finished with 39 tackles, five interceptions, and nine passes defended.

The 2016 season was one of Revis' worst outings, with opposing quarterback ratings recorded at 91.7 compared to 59.3 his previous years. He finished 2016 playing 15 games with 53 tackles, five passes defended, and one interception.

On February 28, 2017, the Jets announced that Revis would be released at the start of free agency on March 9, 2017.
On November 22, 2017, Revis signed a two-year, $11 million contract with the Kansas City Chiefs. On February 8, 2018, Revis was released by the Chiefs after only playing six games for the team, including the playoffs.

On July 18, 2018, Revis announced his retirement from the NFL after 11 seasons. On July 24, the New York Jets held a mini celebration honoring Revis for his retirement. The Jets made a miniature makeshift "Revis" island for his retirement.
New York Jets franchise records

Revis is the nephew of former NFL defensive tackle Sean Gilbert. Revis has a daughter and a son. On December 2012, Darrelle released his own shoe, the Nike Zoom Revis, which is available in various colors. Revis is the cousin of Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Jordan Whitehead.

On February 16, 2017, Revis was involved in a street brawl in Pittsburgh around 2:40 a.m. Revis was suspected to have attacked two men, knocking them unconscious. One follower attempted to record Revis on a cell phone, prompting Revis to snatch the phone and throw it out at the street. That night, Revis was charged for aggravated assault, robbery, terroristic threats and conspiracy stemming. Revis turned himself into police the following day and was released on non-monetary bond. All charges were dismissed March 15 after a friend of Revis testified that he was responsible for knocking the two men out.

Super Bowl XLIX was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2014 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots defeated the National Football Conference (NFC) champion and defending Super Bowl XLVIII champion Seattle Seahawks, 28–24, to earn their fourth Super Bowl title and their first in ten years. The game was played on February 1, 2015 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. It was the second time the stadium has hosted a Super Bowl, and the third one held in the Phoenix metropolitan area.

Super Bowl XLIX

With the loss, the Seahawks became the fourth defending Super Bowl champions to lose in the following year's title game, after the 1978 Dallas Cowboys, 1983 Washington Redskins and the 1997 Green Bay Packers. After finishing the previous season by defeating the Denver Broncos, 43–8, in Super Bowl XLVIII, Seattle completed the 2014 regular season with a 12–4 record. The Patriots, who also posted a 12–4 record, joined the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers as one of the three teams to have made eight appearances in the Super Bowl. For the second straight season, but only the third time in the prior 21 seasons, the number one seeds from both conferences met in the league championship game. Seattle became the first team to appear in consecutive Super Bowls since New England won two straight (XXXVIII and XXXIX).

After the teams were tied 14–14 at halftime, the Seahawks built a 10-point lead to end the third quarter. The Patriots, however, rallied to take a 28–24 lead with 2:02 left in the game. Seattle threatened to score in the final moments, driving the ball to New England's 1-yard line. With 26 seconds remaining in the game, Seattle decided to pass the ball in a highly scrutinized call that resulted in Patriots undrafted rookie Malcolm Butler making a game-saving interception of Russell Wilson's throw. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was named the game's Most Valuable Player (MVP) after a then Super Bowl-record 37 completions on 50 attempts for 328 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions (a record Brady himself would break 2 years later in Super Bowl LI).

NBC's broadcast of Super Bowl XLIX remains the most-watched program in the network's history, as well as the most watched program in American television history, surpassing the previous year's game. The game was seen by an average of 114.4 million viewers, with it reaching to 118.5 million during the Super Bowl XLIX halftime show featuring Katy Perry, and then peaking to 120.8 million during New England's fourth-quarter comeback.

NFL owners initially voted in November 2005 to award a Super Bowl to Kansas City, Missouri, in honor of Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt, the founder of the American Football League (AFL) in the 1960s who helped engineer the annual game. Then-NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue further announced on March 5, 2006, that Kansas City would host Super Bowl XLIX. However, the game was contingent on the successful passage of two sales taxes in Jackson County, Missouri, on April 4, 2006.

The first tax to fund improvements to Arrowhead and neighboring Kauffman stadiums passed with 53 percent approval. However, the second tax that would have allowed the construction of a rolling roof between the two stadiums was narrowly defeated, with 48 percent approval. In the wake of the defeat, and opposition by the Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and several civic and business groups, Hunt and the Chiefs announced on May 25, 2006, that they were withdrawing the request to host Super Bowl XLIX.

After the Kansas City plan fell through, the following submitted bids to host Super Bowl XLIX:

Tampa and Miami both submitted bids after losing the Super Bowl XLVIII bid to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Arizona had declined to bid for Super Bowl XLVIII, citing the economy, to focus on bidding for Super Bowl XLIX.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello confirmed in April 2011 that Tampa and Arizona were selected as finalists. The league then announced on October 11, 2011, that University of Phoenix Stadium will host Super Bowl XLIX. This is the second Super Bowl contested at University of Phoenix Stadium, which hosted Super Bowl XLII in February 2008, and the third Super Bowl played in the Phoenix area, as Super Bowl XXX was held at Sun Devil Stadium in nearby Tempe in January 1996.

The New England Patriots had a rough start to their 2014 season, starting the season with a 2–2 record and hitting a low point with a humiliating 41–14 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in week four. By this point, the Patriots faced heavy criticism in the media, especially quarterback Tom Brady. Former Patriots safety and teammate Rodney Harrison declared Brady "looked scared to death" in the pocket and "doesn't have any confidence in his offensive line." However, New England recovered with an NFL season long seven game winning streak, beginning with a dominating 43–17 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in week five, and went on to lose only two more games for the rest of the year (the latter of which was done while resting the starters the final week of the season), finishing the season with a 12–4 record and the number one seed in the AFC. They finished fourth in the NFL in scoring (468 points) and eighth in points allowed (313), and had the largest point differential in the NFL (with an average margin of victory of 9.7 points). The Patriots defeated the Baltimore Ravens 35–31 in the AFC Divisional playoffs, and then defeated the Indianapolis Colts 45–7 in the AFC Championship Game.

Brady had another fine season in his 14th year as the team's starter, earning his 10th Pro Bowl selection with 4,109 passing yards and 33 touchdowns, with just eight interceptions. His top target was Pro Bowl tight end Rob Gronkowski, who caught 82 passes for 1,124 yards and 12 touchdowns, along with wide receiver Brandon LaFell, who caught 74 passes for 954 yards and seven touchdowns. Wide receiver Julian Edelman was another key aspect of the passing game, with 92 receptions for 974 yards and four touchdowns, while also rushing for 92 yards and returning 25 punts for 299 yards and a touchdown. Running back Jonas Gray was the team's leading rusher with 412 yards and a 4.6 yards per carry average, while Stevan Ridley added 340 yards and Shane Vereen had 391. Vereen was also a reliable pass catcher, hauling in 52 receptions for 447 yards. On special teams, kicker Stephen Gostkowski was selected to his third Pro Bowl and became the third player ever to lead the NFL in scoring four times (and the first since the NFL-AFL merger), converting 35 of 37 field goals (94.6 percent) and racking up 156 points. Special teamer Matthew Slater also made the Pro Bowl for the fourth time.

The Patriots defensive line was led by five-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Vince Wilfork and defensive end Rob Ninkovich, who compiled eight sacks. Behind them, linebacker Jamie Collins led the team in tackles (116) and forced fumbles (four), while also intercepting two passes. Linebacker Dont'a Hightower was also a big contributor with 89 tackles and six sacks. The secondary was led by Pro Bowl cornerback Darrelle Revis, along with safety Devin McCourty, who recorded two interceptions and Brandon Browner, who added a physical presence to the secondary.

After winning Super Bowl XLVIII the previous season, the Seahawks also struggled to begin the season, floundering near the season's midpoint with a 3–3 record. However, they went on from there to win nine of their final 10 regular season games, preventing their opponents from scoring any touchdowns in five of them. By the time they finished with a 12–4 record and entered the playoffs, they had earned the number one seed, and not allowed any touchdowns in the previous 10 quarters. Their defense ranked first in the NFL in fewest points allowed (254) and their offense was tied at first in rushing yards (2,762). The Seahawks defeated the Carolina Panthers 31–17 in the NFC Divisional playoffs, and then defeated the Green Bay Packers 28–22 in overtime in the NFC Championship Game. Seattle became the first NFC team to advance to consecutive Super Bowls since the 1996–97 Packers in Super Bowls XXXI and XXXII.

Quarterback Russell Wilson was back in control of the Seattle offense, completing 63.1 percent of his passes for 3,475 yards and 20 touchdowns, with seven interceptions, while also rushing for 849 yards and six touchdowns. The team's leading receiver was Doug Baldwin, who caught 66 passes for 825 yards and three touchdowns. Receiver Jermaine Kearse was another reliable target with 38 catches for 537 yards, while tight end Luke Willson caught 22 passes for 362 yards. Running back Marshawn Lynch was selected to his fourth Pro Bowl, ranking fourth in the NFL with 1,306 rushing yards and first in rushing touchdowns with 13. He also caught 37 passes for 364 yards and four more touchdowns. Running back Robert Turbin chipped in 310 yards and 16 receptions. On special teams, kicker Steven Hauschka ranked fourth in the NFL with 134 points and made 31 of 37 field goals (83.8 percent).

Michael Bennett anchored the Seattle defensive line, leading the team with seven sacks, while teammate Bruce Irvin ranked second with 6.5 and intercepted two passes, returning both for touchdowns. Behind them, linebackers K. J. Wright and Pro Bowl selection Bobby Wagner combined for a staggering 211 tackles (107 for Wright, 104 for Wagner), while Wright also forced three fumbles. But the strongest aspect of the team's number one ranked defense was their secondary. Known as the "Legion of Boom", they sent three of their four starters to the Pro Bowl for the second year in a row: cornerback Richard Sherman, free safety Earl Thomas, and strong safety Kam Chancellor. Sherman led the team with four interceptions, while Thomas had 97 tackles and forced four fumbles. Chancellor had 78 tackles and also recorded six passes deflected.

New England became the first playoff team to overcome two 14-point deficits to win a game as they defeated the Baltimore Ravens 35–31, pulling ahead for the first time in the game on Brady's 23-yard touchdown pass to LaFell with 5:13 left in regulation. Then safety Duron Harmon iced the game by intercepting a pass from Joe Flacco in the end zone on Baltimore's ensuing drive. Although New England only had 14 rushing yards, Brady's franchise playoff record 33 completions for 367 yards and three touchdowns, along with a rushing score, were able to make up the difference.

The Patriots had a much easier time in the AFC Championship Game against the Indianapolis Colts. Although the score was still a close 17–7 by the end of the half, New England dominated the game in the second with touchdowns on their first four drives. Brady had another great game, throwing for 226 yards and three touchdowns with one interception, while Blount rushed for 148 yards and three scores. New England's defense held Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, who had thrown for 4,761 yards and 40 touchdowns during the season, to just 12/23 completions for 126 yards. By the end of New England's two postseason games, Brady set new NFL records for postseason passing yards and touchdowns, while coach Bill Belichick set the all-time record for most playoff wins.

Seattle started off their postseason with a 31–17 win over the Carolina Panthers. The score was just 14–10 at the end of the first half, but the Seahawks took control of the game in the second, scoring 17 unanswered points. After a field goal and Russell Wilson's 25-yard touchdown pass to Luke Willson, Chancellor put the game completely out of reach by intercepting a pass from Cam Newton and returning it 90 yards for a touchdown.

Seattle had to mount a furious comeback to defeat their next opponent, the Green Bay Packers, as they fell behind 16–0 before Jon Ryan's 19-yard touchdown pass to Garry Gilliam on a fake field goal in the third quarter got them their first score. They still found themselves trailing 19–7 with just over 5 minutes left when Wilson threw his fourth interception of the day. But after Green Bay was forced to punt, Wilson led the team 69 yards to make the score 19–14 on his 1-yard touchdown run. On the ensuing kickoff, receiver Chris Matthews recovered an onside kick for Seattle, and they took their first lead on a 24-yard touchdown run from Marshawn Lynch. Now with the score 20–19, the Seahawks managed to go up by 3 points on a dramatic 2-point conversion play in which Wilson was forced to run all the way back to the 17-yard line near the right sideline before hurling the ball to the opposite side of the field, where Luke Willson, who had only been assigned as a blocker for the play, caught the ball and took it into the end zone. Although Green Bay kicked a field goal to send the game into overtime, Seattle's comeback could not be stopped. After winning the coin toss, the Seahawks took the ball and drove 87 yards to win the game on Wilson's 35-yard touchdown pass to Kearse, sending the Seahawks to the Super Bowl for the second year in a row.

Super Bowl XLIX was the first Super Bowl matchup, and the first postseason matchup, between the Patriots and Seahawks; while Seattle was part of the AFC before moving to the NFC in the NFL's 2002 realignment, the teams had never met beyond the regular season.

The game was notable for featuring the coach of one team who had replaced the other as head coach; Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was hired in 2000 to replace Pete Carroll, who went on to become the coach of the Seahawks. This was only the fourth time this has occurred. The other three times were in Super Bowl III (Weeb Ewbank's New York Jets vs. Ewbank's former team, Don Shula's Baltimore Colts), Super Bowl XXXIII (Dan Reeves's Atlanta Falcons vs. Mike Shanahan's Denver Broncos), and Super Bowl XXXVII (Jon Gruden's Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Gruden's former team, Bill Callahan's Oakland Raiders). The only previous time that the old coach's former team had won was in Super Bowl XXXIII.

Seahawks linebacker Malcolm Smith, despite being the MVP of the preceding Super Bowl XLVIII, had been returned to a reserve role for the 2014 season and did not play in Super Bowl XLIX, since defensive coordinator Dan Quinn opted to retain Bruce Irvin, K. J. Wright and Bobby Wagner as the starting linebacker trio.

The betting odds for Super Bowl XLIX initially opened after the conclusion of the conference championship games with the Seahawks favored by 2.5 points, but within hours of opening, heavy betting on the Patriots had moved the line to a pick 'em at most sportsbooks. Over most of the two-week run-up to the Super Bowl, the line held steady with the Patriots as slight 1-point favorites, but, on the day before the Super Bowl, a surge of large bets on the Seahawks pushed the line back to a toss-up.

After the AFC Championship Game, ESPN reported an NFL investigation discovered 11 of 12 footballs the Patriots had used during it were under-inflated, while none of the balls used by the Colts had been, although these findings were later shown to be false. Patriots coach Bill Belichick denied any knowledge that the footballs his team used were not inflated to NFL standards. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick became large targets as controversy swirled around what colloquially became known as Deflategate just before the week of Super Bowl XLIX. The effects of the incident would drag on for nearly two years, finally being resolved with Brady receiving a 4-game suspension at the start of the 2016 season.

As the designated home team in the annual rotation between AFC and NFC teams, the Seahawks elected to wear their college navy home jerseys with navy pants, which meant that the Patriots would wear their white road jerseys.

Super Bowl XLIX was the first Super Bowl to be played in a retractable roof stadium with the roof open by league decision (previous Super Bowls played in such stadiums, including Super Bowl XLII, were played with the roof closed). The gametime temperature was, with clear conditions. It was the second time all season, along with the Pro Bowl, the stadium had its roof open during an NFL game or the College Football Playoff's Fiesta Bowl. It is the home stadium of the Arizona Cardinals, but all Cardinals home games in 2014 had it closed either because of warm temperatures or to provide home field advantage and hold in crowd noise.

The Patriots had also appeared in the only other Super Bowl to be held at University of Phoenix Stadium to date, having fallen short in their quest for a 19–0 undefeated season with a 17–14 loss to the New York Giants there in Super Bowl XLII. In fact, this game marked the Patriots' return to University of Phoenix Stadium for the first time since that contest.

The Patriots used the Arizona Cardinals headquarters, in Tempe, Arizona, while the Seahawks used the Arizona State University practice facilities, also in Tempe.

Ticket prices for Super Bowl XLIX rose quickly, with the lowest-cost tickets reaching over $8,000 by January 29. The average ticket price charged by brokers was $10,352, an increase of more than three times over the previous year's prices. The raise in ticket prices was due to a shortage caused by the short selling practice of brokers and resale sites. Jeff Miller, writing for the "Orange County Register", observed that the cheapest tickets were nearly as expensive as a year's tuition at the University of Phoenix, and commented that the $28,888 price of seats near the 50-yard line "should not only buy you Katy Perry's halftime show but also Katy Perry singing again from your backseat halfway through your drive home."

Super Bowl XLIX was televised by NBC in the United States, with play-by-play announcer Al Michaels and color analyst Cris Collinsworth calling the game from the booth and Michele Tafoya working as sideline reporter. Game coverage was preceded by a six-hour pre-game show featuring the "Football Night in America" crew, including Bob Costas, Dan Patrick, Josh Elliott, Tony Dungy, Rodney Harrison, Hines Ward, Mike Florio and Peter King. John Harbaugh served as a guest analyst. Michaels, Collinsworth and Tafoya also contributed to the pre-game coverage along with Liam McHugh, Carolyn Manno, Randy Moss and Doug Flutie. It became the most watched broadcast in the history of American television, only one year removed from Fox's previous year's record-setting telecast of Super Bowl XLVIII. The presentation of the Lombardi Trophy was handled by Dan Patrick of NBC.

A Spanish language telecast of the game was carried by NBC Universo, which featured commentary and surrounding coverage in that language; Jessi Losada, René Giraldo and Edgar López. Formerly known as mun2, the network's re-branding was scheduled to coincide with the game. As with other major events broadcast by the network, the telecast was cross-promoted with other NBCUniversal properties: various NBC News and NBC Sports programs were either broadcast from Phoenix or featured reports from the game, and Golf Channel cross-promoted the game with its coverage of the Phoenix Open golf tournament and live episodes of "Feherty" from the Orpheum Theatre.

An episode of "The Blacklist", "Luther Braxton", served as NBC's lead-out program. Following a break for local newscasts, a live episode of "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" from the Orpheum was also broadcast.

NBC set the sales rate for a 30-second advertisement at US$4.5 million, a price $500,000 above the record set by the two preceding Super Bowls. For the first time, the network also offered 15-second ad spots. A large number of automotive advertisers reduced their advertising during the game, replaced by a wave of fifteen first-time Super Bowl advertisers, including Skittles, Carnival Cruise Lines, Loctite, Wix.com, Jublia, a coalition of Mexican avocado growers, and Always among several others. NBC posted the commercials on a Tumblr blog as they aired throughout the game; the blog was promoted through NBC's own live stream, as it did not contain all of the same commercials as the television broadcast. The network had more difficulty than in recent years selling out the advertisements, with the last ads selling out four days before the game.

Paramount Pictures, Universal Studios, Walt Disney Studios, 20th Century Fox, and Lionsgate paid for movie trailers to be aired during the Super Bowl. Paramount paid for "" and "Terminator Genisys". Universal paid for "Fifty Shades of Grey", "Pitch Perfect 2", "Jurassic World", "Minions", "Furious 7", and the debut trailer for "Ted 2". Fox paid for "". Lionsgate paid for "" during the pre-game show. Disney paid for "Tomorrowland".

"Super Bowl XLIX" aired on Seven Network, 7mate, and ESPN in Australia, CTV in Canada, Sky Television in New Zealand, and Channel 4, Sky Sports, and BBC Radio 5 Live in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

NFL Network produced an international television feed of the game carried in some markets, with alternate English-language commentary provided by Bob Papa (play-by-play) and Charles Davis (color analyst).

The Canadian broadcast was the most-watched broadcast on television that week, with 8.26 million viewers, while the pregame ceremonies in the half-hour preceding the game attracted 5.16 million viewers, making it the second most-watched program of the week. In the United Kingdom, the game was watched by 191,000 viewers, making it the eighth highest-rated program on Sky Sports 1 that week. It was the most viewed broadcast on pay television in Australia that day, with 94,000 viewers.

The game aired live in France on channel W9.

The game was broadcast live in India on Sony SIX channel.

NBC also livestreamed the game for free on NBCSports.com on computers and the NBC Sports Live Extra app on tablets. Mobile device rights were exclusive to Verizon Wireless NFL Mobile for its subscribers who pay for NFL Mobile and they had to use NFL Mobile app instead of NBC Sports Live Extra.

The game was broadcast nationally on Westwood One radio, with Kevin Harlan as play-by-play announcer, Boomer Esiason as color analyst, and James Lofton and Mark Malone as sideline reporters. Jim Gray anchored the pre-game and halftime coverage, with Larry Fitzgerald, Tom Brady, Scott Graham, Rod Woodson and Kurt Warner contributing. Scott Graham also handled public address duties inside the stadium for pregame introductions and postgame awards.

The flagship stations of each station in the markets of each team carried their local play-by-play calls. In Seattle, KIRO-FM (97.3) and KIRO (710 AM) carried the game, with Steve Raible on play-by-play and Warren Moon on color commentary. As a clear-channel station, KIRO's commentary was audible over much of the West Coast of North America after sunset. In Greater Boston, WBZ-FM (98.5) carried the game, with Bob Socci on play-by-play and Scott Zolak on color commentary. Per contractual rules, the rest of the stations in the Seahawks and Patriots radio networks carried the Westwood One feed.

Westwood One's coverage was simulcasted on TSN Radio in Canada.

In the United Kingdom, BBC Radio 5 Live returned to coverage after the previous year's NFL broadcaster, Absolute Radio 90s, dropped out of sports coverage. Rocky Boiman and Darren Fletcher return as commentators.

Idina Menzel performed the national anthem and John Legend performed "America the Beautiful".

On October 9, 2014, "Billboard" announced that Katy Perry would perform at halftime and the NFL confirmed the announcement on November 23, 2014. At the start of the halftime show, on-field participants held up light globes which created a bird's-eye view of the Pepsi logo. Perry entered the stadium riding atop a large, golden mechanical lion, opening her set with a performance of "Roar". She then proceeded to sing "Dark Horse", with 3D rendering on the field creating a chessboard visual where the turf constantly turned into "different shapes and sizes", as acrobats surrounded the singer. Following this, Perry joined Lenny Kravitz for a duet version of "I Kissed a Girl", which included her "rubbing up against" Kravitz and flames exploding behind them. During these three songs, Perry was clothed in a "flame-adorned" dress, with her black hair in a ponytail. The costume has been described as the "clothing equivalent of a flame", and "dress of fire". The stage and field rendering transitioned into a "breezy" beach setting, with dancers dressed as sharks, palm trees and smiling beach balls dancing around Perry. She underwent a wardrobe change, and progressed into a "campy" medley of "Teenage Dream" and "California Gurls". Rapper Missy Elliott subsequently appeared, performing her songs "Get Ur Freak On" and "Work It", while Perry played "hype-woman" beside her, having now changed once again into a custom Super Bowl 49 jersey. After Perry briefly disappeared, Elliott performed "Lose Control". Perry returned, now sporting a "star-encrusted gown" for her closing song, "Firework". She rose out of midfield on a narrow platform that was attached to a shooting star prop, and flew above the crowds. During this performance, fireworks exploded around Perry and the stadium. The star Perry flew around the stadium attached to was heavily compared to "The More You Know"s public service announcements logo. It was the most-watched halftime show of all time, with a total TV audience of 120.7 million.

In August 2014, it was reported that the NFL had a short list of three potential acts for the Super Bowl XLIX halftime show, including Coldplay, Katy Perry, and Rihanna. It was also reported by "The Wall Street Journal" that league representatives asked representatives of potential acts if they would be willing to provide financial compensation to the NFL in exchange for their appearance, in the form of either an up-front fee, or a cut of revenue from concert performances made following the Super Bowl. While these reports were denied by an NFL spokeswoman, the request had, according to the "Journal", received a "chilly" response from those involved.

After the first two drives of the game ended in punts, New England got the first scoring opportunity with a drive to the Seattle 10-yard line. However, on third-and-six, quarterback Tom Brady threw a pass that was intercepted by cornerback Jeremy Lane and returned to the 14-yard line. Lane broke his wrist and tore his ACL on the play when he tried to break his fall with his arm extended after being tackled by Julian Edelman, and subsequently missed the rest of the game. The game remained scoreless until New England's first drive of the second quarter, which began with Brady's 17-yard completed pass to Danny Amendola. Brady later completed a 23-yard pass to Edelman on third-and-nine, and eventually finished the drive with an 11-yard touchdown pass to receiver Brandon LaFell.

Seattle began to make progress when Russell Wilson completed his first pass of the day, a six-yard completion to Jermaine Kearse on third-and-six and with 5:36 left in the second quarter. After a five-yard run by Marshawn Lynch, Wilson completed a 44-yard pass to receiver Chris Matthews on the Patriots 11-yard line, setting up Lynch's three-yard touchdown run to tie the game. Only 2:16 remained in the half after Lynch's touchdown, but the scoring was far from over. Brady completed 5/6 passes for 59 yards on New England's ensuing possession, the last one a 22-yard touchdown completion to tight end Rob Gronkowski with 31 seconds remaining. Taking the ball back on their own 20, Seattle started off their drive with a 19-yard burst from Robert Turbin and a 17-yard scramble by Wilson. Then Wilson completed a 23-yard pass to Ricardo Lockette, with a facemask penalty on defensive back Kyle Arrington adding additional yardage that gave the team a first down on the Patriots 11-yard line. Only six seconds remained until halftime at this point, but coach Pete Carroll decided to take a shot at the end zone rather than kick a field goal, a gamble that paid off as Wilson threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Matthews on the next play, tying the game at 14 with just two seconds showing on the clock.

Seattle took the second half kickoff and drove 72 yards to the Patriots eight-yard line, featuring a 15-yard run by Lynch and a 45-yard reception by Matthews. After Lynch was stopped on third-and-one in the red zone, Steven Hauschka finished the drive with a 27-yard field goal, giving Seattle their first lead of the game at 17–14. On New England's next possession, linebacker Bobby Wagner's interception of a Brady pass and six-yard return gave the Seahawks the ball at midfield. Just as with their last interception, Seattle lost a key defensive player due to injury. Defensive end Cliff Avril lay on the field motionless. After finally getting to his feet, he entered concussion protocol and did not re-enter the game. Seattle's pass rush, particularly Bennett inside and Avril outside, had hurried Brady into several drive-ending incompletions as well as the first interception. "At times that night in the desert Bennett and Avril controlled the line of scrimmage almost by themselves." With Avril out, the Patriots were able to double-team Bennett and give Brady more time in the pocket.

Following Wagner's interception, Seattle's offense took advantage of the turnover, driving 50 yards in six plays and scoring on Wilson's three-yard touchdown pass to Doug Baldwin, who was penalized 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct for an improper end-zone celebration. This made the score 24–14, and it would remain this way going into the fourth quarter. Until this game, no team in Super Bowl history had come back to win after facing a fourth-quarter deficit of more than seven points.

With 12:10 left in the game, New England mounted a 68-yard drive to cut their deficit to 24–21 on Brady's four-yard touchdown toss to Amendola. The drive included two 21-yard completions from Brady to Edelman, the first one converting a third-and-14 in what was described by Bleacher Report as "the NFL's worst nightmare." Edelman was clearly concussed by Chancellor's helmet-to-helmet hit "suffering an apparent brain injury, staggering around on the field in plain view of the biggest television audience ever, per Deadline.com, and receiving no treatment." Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reported that "a medical observer was overheard radioing someone a second time saying Edelman needed to be examined." "I thought he was going to go to sleep the way he was running," fellow Patriots receiver Brandon LaFell told Matt Pentz of The Seattle Times. Nevertheless, Edelman remained in the game and eventually caught the game-winning touchdown pass.

Following a three-and-out for Seattle, New England got the ball back on their own 32 at the 6:52 mark. Brady started off the possession with two completions to running back Shane Vereen for 13 total yards, and followed it up with a nine-yard pass to Edelman. Following a penalty against New England, Gronkowski caught a pair of passes that moved the team up 33 yards to the Seattle 19. Over the next three plays, Vereen rushed for seven yards, Brady passed to LaFell for seven more, and Blount ran the ball two yards to the three-yard line. Finally, with 2:02 left in the game, Brady gave his team a 28–24 lead with a three-yard touchdown toss to Edelman.

After a touchback gave Seattle the ball on their 20, Wilson started off the Seahawks drive with a 31-yard completion to Lynch. Then after two incompletions, he picked up another first down with an 11-yard pass to Lockette. The following play gave Seattle an opportunity to win the game. Wilson threw a deep pass down the right sideline to Kearse, who was covered by rookie reserve cornerback Malcolm Butler. Both players dove through the air for the ball, and Butler managed to deflect it with one hand, but the pass fell right into the hands of Kearse, who tipped it to himself and caught the ball while he was lying on his back. Butler managed to recognize the catch and recover in time to shove Kearse out of bounds as he got up, preventing a Seattle touchdown, but the play netted 33 yards and gave the Seahawks a first down at the Patriots five-yard line with 1:05 left in regulation. Announcer Cris Collinsworth compared the play to two other acrobatic receptions by Patriots opponents that had defeated them in prior Super Bowls: David Tyree's Helmet Catch in Super Bowl XLII and Mario Manningham's sideline catch in Super Bowl XLVI. Al Michaels also compared it to Antonio Freeman's famous "Monday Night Football" catch known as "He did what?" (a play that Michaels had himself called).

On the next play, Lynch ran the ball four yards to the Patriots one-yard line where he was brought down by Dont'a Hightower. Since New England did not call a timeout, Seattle was able to run the clock down to 26 seconds before taking the snap for the next play. The Seahawks called a pass play in which Kearse would run a pick on the right side of the field to draw defensive backs away from Lockette as Lockette ran a slant to the middle, but Brandon Browner blocked Kearse at the line of scrimmage, preventing him from reaching Butler. Lockette appeared to be uncovered at the one-yard line when Wilson threw him the ball, but before the ball arrived, Butler correctly read the play and rushed into position to make the interception. The turnover—after an unsportsmanlike conduct call for excessive celebration—gave New England the ball on their own one-yard line with 20 seconds remaining in regulation.

The game was not quite over at this point. Since the ball was placed on the one-yard line, Brady had to take the snap in the end zone. If he took a knee or the Patriots otherwise failed to advance the ball beyond the goal line, this would be a safety, awarding Seattle two points and forcing the Patriots to kick the ball back to the Seahawks. Seattle would then have one time out and about 18 seconds to advance the ball into field goal range with the chance to win. However, the Patriots took a time out then held the ball as the play clock ran in the attempt to draw a Seattle defense player across the line of scrimmage. Had it run out, the delay of game penalty would have merely moved the ball back half the distance to the goal.

The strategy worked. Defensive lineman Michael Bennett moved across the line of scrimmage, earning a five-yard encroachment penalty and moving the ball to the New England six-yard line. Brady then took a knee, Seattle called its final time-out, and Seattle linebacker Bruce Irvin rushed some of the Patriots players, starting a brawl involving players from both teams that resulted in a personal foul penalty for Seattle. Irvin received the first ejection in Super Bowl history for throwing a closed hand punch at Rob Gronkowski. Brady knelt one more time and the Patriots were victorious.

Brady completed 37 of 50 passes for 328 yards and four touchdowns, with two interceptions. His 37 completions set a new Super Bowl record, surpassing Peyton Manning's 34 set the previous year against Seattle in Super Bowl XLVIII. He also surpassed Joe Montana's record for career touchdown passes in Super Bowls, setting a new record with 13. His top receiver was Edelman, who caught 9 passes for 109 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for seven yards and returning three punts for 27 additional yards. Vereen caught 11 passes for 64 yards and rushed for 13. For Seattle, Wilson completed 12 of 21 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception, while also rushing for 39 yards. Lynch was the top rusher of the game with 102 yards and a touchdown, and also caught a pass for 31 yards. Matthews, an undrafted rookie who had not caught any passes in the regular season or postseason before the Super Bowl, caught four passes for 109 yards and a touchdown. Wagner had 12 tackles (10 solo) and an interception. Linebacker K. J. Wright had 11 tackles (10 solo). New England became only the fourth team to win a Super Bowl despite losing the turnover battle (after the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl V and the Pittsburgh Steelers in both Super Bowls XIV and XL).

In winning, Brady became the third quarterback in NFL history with four Super Bowl victories. Brady was also named MVP for a third time, tying the record set by Joe Montana. The Seahawks became the first defending champion since the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XXXII to lose in the Super Bowl the next year. This also marked the 10th consecutive Super Bowl without a repeat winner (with the last one being the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXIX).

In a poll conducted by NFL.com a couple of months after the game, Super Bowl XLIX was voted by its readers as the "greatest Super Bowl game" of all time. The article does report that the voting was structured to try to account for "recency bias" in relation to the game at the time when the poll was conducted, but voters still "pushed it through the competition". Most lists of greatest Super Bowls continue to list it in the top few games.

After the game, Seattle faced heavy criticism for their decision to call a pass play on second and goal from the 1-yard line with 26 seconds and one timeout left instead of a rushing play. Following the play, Collinsworth stated, "I'm sorry, but I can't believe the call. … I cannot believe the call. You've got Marshawn Lynch in the backfield. You've got a guy that has been borderline unstoppable in this part of the field. I can't believe the call." He further added, "If I lose the Super Bowl because Marshawn Lynch can’t get it in from the 1 yard line, so be it. So be it! But there is no way... I don’t believe the call." "Sports Illustrated" writer Peter King called the play one of the worst calls in Super Bowl history, as did retired Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders. Retired running back Emmitt Smith, the NFL's all-time leading rusher, went even further, calling it the worst play call in the history of football. Others, including University of Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh and Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath, defended the call, crediting Butler for the play he made and pointing out that the Seahawks only had one time-out left. Writing for Grantland, Bill Simmons said the Seahawks "took too much heat for the final play call" and noted Carroll opted to run the ball on fourth down at the end of the 2006 Rose Bowl, costing his team the game.

Butler's interception, thanks to his quick "read-and-react to Ricardo Lockette's underneath route", has been considered one of the top clutch plays in Super Bowl history.

In the game, Lynch had gained at least one yard on 22 of 24 carries. While the Patriots in 2014 were ranked fifth-worst (28th overall) in the league in holding opposing backs for no gain or a loss, they had stopped him for no gain on both a third-and-2 and a third-and-1, the latter in the red zone. On the season, Lynch had scored just once on his five attempts from his opponent's 1-yard line. From 2010 to 2014, he scored 45 percent of the time, ranking 30th out of 39 running backs; for his career to that point, he was successful on 42 percent of his attempts (15 of 36).

Seattle offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell acknowledged making the call, but also remarked that Lockette could have been more aggressive on the play. Wilson said the play was a "good call", and lamented throwing the interception and "not making that play." Carroll, though, said the last play was "all my fault", and called Bevell "crucially important to our future." The head coach added that Seattle would have run the ball on a subsequent play, as well that "we don't ever call a play thinking we might throw an interception." Butler's interception was the only one against all 109 pass attempts during the 2014 NFL season from the 1-yard line.

Sources: NFL.com, Pro Football Reference.com, The Football Database Super Bowl XLIX

Completions/attempts
Carries
Long gain
Receptions
Times targeted

Super Bowl XLIX had nine officials. The numbers in parentheses below indicates their uniform numbers.