Patriots and Steelers Share the Super Bowl Record at Six Titles Apiece, With New England Able to Break the Tie Sunday

The New England Patriots can take sole ownership of the NFL's Super Bowl record on Sunday. A victory over the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara would give them a seventh title and end their tie with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who also have six.

Pittsburgh was the first franchise to reach six Lombardi trophies. Four of them came during the Steelers' dynasty of the 1970s, built around coach Chuck Noll and starting quarterback Terry Bradshaw.

The first of those was Super Bowl IX after the 1974 season, a 16-6 defeat of the Minnesota Vikings. Running back Franco Harris was named MVP after gaining 158 yards, including a nine-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. A year later, Pittsburgh edged the Dallas Cowboys 21-17 in Super Bowl X. Swann took MVP honors with four catches for 161 yards, among them a 64-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.

The Steelers beat Dallas again, 35-31, in Super Bowl XIII following the 1978 season. Bradshaw threw for 318 yards and four touchdowns, two to John Stallworth and one each to Rocky Bleier and Swann, along with one interception, and was named MVP. In Super Bowl XIV the next year, Pittsburgh defeated the Rams 31-19. Bradshaw passed for 309 yards and overcame three interceptions with scoring throws of 47 yards to Swann and 73 yards to Stallworth, earning MVP for the second year in a row.

A long gap followed before the fifth title. In Super Bowl XL after the 2005 season, the Steelers beat the Seahawks 31-19, and receiver Hines Ward was MVP with five catches for 123 yards. That included a 56-yard touchdown from fellow receiver Antwawn Randle El in the fourth quarter. Three years later, Pittsburgh beat the Arizona Cardinals 27-23 in Super Bowl XLIII. Santonio Holmes was MVP after nine catches for 131 yards, capped by a toe-tapping end-zone reception with 35 seconds remaining.

New England earned all six of its championships during the two decades it dominated the league under coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady. The first came in Super Bowl XXXVI after the 2001 season, when Adam Vinatieri's game-ending field goal beat the St. Louis Rams 20-17. Brady, who threw for 145 yards and a touchdown, was MVP.

Two years later, Vinatieri again kicked the winner, this time with four seconds left, in a 32-29 victory over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl XXXVIII. Brady was MVP once more, throwing for 354 yards and three touchdowns, one of them to current Patriots coach Mike Vrabel, with one interception. The following year, New England beat the Philadelphia Eagles 24-21 in Super Bowl XXXIX, and receiver Deion Branch was MVP with 11 catches for 133 yards.

The Patriots waited 10 years for their fourth title, a 28-24 win over the Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX. Rookie Malcolm Butler sealed it with a goal-line interception, and Brady, with 328 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions, was MVP. In Super Bowl LI two years later, New England erased a 28-3 third-quarter deficit to beat the Atlanta Falcons 34-28 in overtime. Brady was MVP again, with 466 passing yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

The last title of that era followed the 2018 season, a 13-3 win over the Rams in Super Bowl LIII. Julian Edelman was named MVP after 10 catches for 141 yards.