The Pick Six: The Six Best Super Bowls That Didn't Actually Happen

#6 Super Bowl XLVI Baltimore Ravens v San Francisco 49ers, February 2012

It took until Thanksgiving of 2011 before the NFL had two brothers facing one another as head coaches, so perhaps we were being greedy when we hoped for it to happen in the Super Bowl. Instead we have a rematch of Super Bowl XLII: Patriots v Giants.

Special teams errors cost both Baltimore and San Francisco from reaching Super Bowl XLVI but it's not out of the question it could happen next year. The 49ers have a very weak division and with Jim Harbaugh at the helm they should dominate that division for the foreseeable future. The Ravens are still stuck with playing the Steelers twice a season though, so John Harbaugh's route back is far harder.

#5 Super Bowl VII: Oakland Raiders v Dallas Cowboys, January 1974

Don't get me wrong, there was nothing wrong with the Dolphins and Vikings, who thoroughly deserved their places in the Super Bowl, it's just that the Raiders and Cowboys were such constants in the postseasons of the 1970s that it feels wrong they never met on Super Sunday. Between them they reached 13 of the 20 Conference Championship games of the 1970s, and also won 13 division titles.

There was never a year in the '70s where one of these two teams didn't make the playoffs. In fact, following the 1970 merger the first time there were playoffs without either the Cowboys or Raiders was the 1986 season!

#4 Super Bowl XXIX: Kansas City Chiefs v San Francisco 49ers, January 1995

Who didn't want to see Joe Montana try to win a Super Bowl after being discarded by the 49ers – while at the same time see Steve Young try to prove he could replace #16 and win a Vince Lombardi trophy himself?

The teams met in the second week of the regular season, with Kansas City coming out on top at Arrowhead. But while the Chiefs only managed to sneak into a wild card spot with a 9-7 record, the 49ers posted a league-best 13-3.

Sadly the chance for this match-up to occur in the Super Bowl was over on the first day of the postseason: Kansas City lost on the road at Miami in Joe Montana's last ever playoff game. Steve Young, the league MVP that year, capped the season by taking MVP honours in Super Bowl XXIX thanks to throwing an amazing six touchdowns.

If only KC had been a bit better and built on the promise shown during the regular season win over the 49ers. Then again, what do you expect from Marty Schottenheimer-coached team in the playoffs?

Click here to see highlights at NFL.com.

#3 Super Bowl XVI: San Diego Chargers v San Francisco 49ers, January 1982

The 49ers played their way to the Pontiac Silverdome by virtue of 'The Catch' (see: The Six Best NFC Championship Games of All Time) but sadly for us it was the Bengals up next, rather than the Chargers. The Bengals were perfectly fine but this was the year we deserved an all-California Super Bowl rather than in Super Bowl XXIX.

Why? Dan freaking Fouts and the Air Coryell offense. Considering how much contact defensive backs were allowed to have with receivers back then, the numbers (Fouts passed for 4,802 yards in 1981) the Chargers put up were insane. But they were no match for the brutal Ohio elements during the AFC Championship game.

Like many I wish they could've had a shot at a Super Bowl, and in a dome against the first 49ers team to reach the big game would've been ideal.

#2 Super Bowl XXXIII Minnesota Vikings v Denver Broncos

I know Atlanta were 14-2 in 1998 but we are all also aware that the Vikings were the best team in football that season. The Broncos were the class of the AFC (also at 14-2) and it would've been fantastic to have seen them face Minnesota.

In a game for the ages the Falcons beat the Vikes in overtime to clinch the franchise's sole Super Bowl berth before Denver beat the Jets at Mile High.

At the time I was cheering on the underdog Falcons but deep down I knew they'd be no match for the Broncos.

If Minnesota had played them it would've been another matter. I think Randall, Randle, Randy and company would've prevented a Denver repeat and finally got the monkey off Minny's back.

Thanks for nothing, Gary Anderson.

To read more about the Vikings' classic NFC Championship defeat against the Falcons click here: The Six Best NFC Championship Games of All Time.

#1 Super Bowl XX: Miami Dolphins v Chicago Bears, January 1986

Many (including me) would say the '85 Chicago Bears were the greatest of all time. The fact that the incredible Bears of this era only earned one Lombardi trophy only serves to pump up the mythology of the 1985 season. During a four-year span starting in '85 they won 52 regular season games (a record later matched in 2004-7 by the Patriots, although those New England teams had the advantage of not suffering through scab players and seeing a game wiped out in 1987 like the Bears did) yet only had two playoff wins under coach Mike Ditka in the years following Super Bowl XX.

But as dominant as they were the previously unstoppable freight train was derailed in week 13 at the Orange Bowl. The Dolphins won - on Monday Night Football (scoring ABC its best MNF ratings ever) to preserve the franchise's exclusive claim to perfection. It must've been especially satisfying for Don Shula: the man who ended with 328 career victories as a head coach was in charge of the unbeaten '72 team as well as this exciting 1985 edition.

The Dolphins had won the AFC in the 1984 season but lost to the 49ers in Super Bowl XIX, and all the signs pointed to them repeating as champs. They won the very competitive AFC East (three teams from this division made the playoffs) with a 12-4 record.

The weekend the Bears beat the Giants 21-0 in the divisional round the Dolphins faced the 8-8 Cleveland Browns. Surely no match for Miami? In fact it took a fourth quarter comeback to prevent the Dolphins from being one and done. They scraped by 24-21 despite trailing for the vast majority if the game.

A week later in the first game of Conference Championship Sunday the Bears destroyed the LA Rams 24-0. Only one more result had to go right and the world would get the heavyweight rematch it craved. For the Patriots to destroy that dream they would have to overcome the Orange Bowl jinx. Miami had not lost at home to New England since 1966 – the year the Dolphins were formed.

The Patriots were the lowest ranked team in the AFC playoffs but had won on the road at divisional rivals the Jets in the wild card round (Giants Stadium's first ever playoff game) and shockingly upset the top seeded Raiders in a come-from-behind win thanks to six LA turnovers.

In heavy rain, New England controlled the AFC Championship game from start to finish and would go on to be hammered by Chicago in New Orleans.

But just imagine if Miami had won. A young Marino getting another shot at a ring, taking on the 46 Defense he'd picked apart. A healthy Jim McMahon ready to lead the Bears. It would've been a classic. Who would've won? The Bears, of course. And it might've been one of the best Super Bowls of all time.