We have all watched in awe as players have taken over the Super Bowl with dominating performances – both individually and with how their NFL teams have won pro football’s biggest game.
There’s no greater way of grabbing control of a playoff game than finding an opponent’s end zone.
The following is a look at the players and teams who have produced the most touchdowns in various ways in a Super Bowl game:
Most TD Passes: 6
Steve Young – San Francisco 49ers 49, San Diego Chargers 26 in Super Bowl 29 (Jan. 29, 1995)
Long before LeBron took his talents to South Beach, Young set the Super Bowl record at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami with for not one, not two, not three… but a half-dozen touchdown completions to go along with 325 passing yards in the 49ers’ 49-26 rout of the AFC champs. Joe Montana previously held the single-game record for most touchdown passes with five scores five years earlier, so it was appropriate Jerry Rice, whose Hall of Fame career spanned both signal callers, caught the MVP Young’s record sixth scoring pass early in the fourth quarter.
Troy Aikman of the Dallas Cowboys, Terry Bradshaw of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Doug Williams of Washington and Tom Brady of the New England Patriots have all thrown four TDs in the Big Game. Jake Delhomme of the Carolina Panthers, Joe Flacco of the Baltimore Ravens, Nick Foles and Donovan McNabb of the Philadelphia Eagles, Jim Plunkett of the Oakland Raiders, Phil Simms of the New York Giants, Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams and Kurt Warner of the Arizona Cardinals are among those who have thrown for three scores.
Most TD Runs: 3
- Terrell Davis – Denver Broncos 31, Green Bay Packers 24 in Super Bowl 32 (Jan. 25, 1998)
- Jalen Hurts – Kansas City Chiefs 38, Philadelphia Eagles 35 in Super Bowl 57 (Feb. 12, 2023)
Davis missed much of the second quarter with a migraine headache, but ultimately provided one to the NFC champion Packers in Denver’s 31-24 victory. All three of his touchdowns came from 1-yard out – the final one with 1:45 remaining proved to be the difference – and he finished with 157 rushing yards, earning Super Bowl MVP honors in his hometown of San Diego. Davis’ performance helped John Elway get the better of Brett Favre, who would not get back to the Super Bowl before getting traded and replaced by Aaron Rodgers in 2008.
A player matching the record for the most rushing touchdowns in a Super Bowl surely will play on the winning team, right? It wasn’t the case with Hurts in the Eagles’ loss, although he became the first quarterback to rush for three touchdowns, scoring from 1-, 4- and 2-yards out.
Most TD Receptions: 3
Jerry Rice – San Francisco 49ers 55, Denver Broncos 10 in Super Bowl 24 (Jan. 28, 1990)/49ers 49, Broncos 26 in Super Bowl 29 (Jan. 29, 1995)
Catching a record three touchdowns in a Super Bowl was so much fun for the best receiver in NFL history that he did it a second time. Rice caught 20-, 38- and 28-yard scores from Montana in the 49ers’ 55-10 drubbing of the Broncos, which still ranks as the largest margin of victory in the Super Bowl. In Young’s record-setting performance five years later, Rice hauled in 44- 15- and 7-yard scoring pass in a 49-26 win over poor Denver in Super Bowl XXIX. While several players have caught two TDs in a single Super Bowl, Rob Gronkowski is the only player to do it twice (once with the Patriots and once with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers).
Most Overall TDs: 4
- Jalen Hurts – Kansas City Chiefs 38, Philadelphia Eagles 35 in Super Bowl 57 (Feb. 12, 2023)
While Davis and Hurts share the single-game Super Bowl record for rushing touchdowns and Rice holds it for TD catches, Hurts used a combination of passing and rushing scores to find the end zone four times in Philadelphia’s heartbreaking loss to Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in Arizona. Hurts accounted for one passing and three rushing scores, while Mahomes finished with three passing touchdowns and Kansas City kicked the winning field goal with 11 seconds left.
Most Defensive TDs: 2
Dwight Smith – Tampa Bay Buccaneers 48, Oakland Raiders 21 in Super Bowl 37 (Jan. 26, 2003)
Compared to having only one Pick 6 in 120 other games (regular season and postseason) over his eight-year career, Smith picked the right stage to return two interceptions for scores. The Buccaneers’ win was not in doubt when the safety scored on a 44-yard return in the third quarter. He scored again on a 50-yard return with two seconds remaining to cap the blowout.
Most Defensive TDs in a Playoff Game: 2
- Dwight Smith – Tampa Bay Buccaneers 48, Oakland Raiders 21 in Super Bowl 37 (Jan. 26, 2003)
- Aeneas Williams – St. Louis Rams 45, Green Bay Packers 17 in Divisional Playoff (Jan. 20, 2002)
Most Special Teams TDs: 1
The Super Bowl is still waiting on having a punt returned for a touchdown, but 10 players have scored on kickoff returns, including the New York Giants’ Ron Dixon and the Baltimore Ravens’ Jermaine Lewis on consecutive plays in the third quarter of Super Bowl 35. Note that Ravens cornerback Duane Starks scored on an interception return before the kickoff to Dixon, so Lewis’ return made it three straight plays with a TD over an amazing 36-second span.
Most Special Teams TDs in a Playoff Game: 2
Trindon Holliday – Baltimore Ravens 38, Denver Broncos 35, 2OT, in Divisional Playoff (Jan. 12, 2013)
Holliday had a 90-yard punt return for a touchdown and a 104-yard kickoff return for a score to become the first player to bring back both a punt and a kickoff for a touchdown in a postseason game. He had the longest kickoff return in playoff history until Jones had his 108-yard return in the Super Bowl three weeks later. Justin Tucker finally ended this double-overtime thriller with a 47-yard field goal in a game now known as the ‘Mile High Miracle.’
Most Overall TDs by a Team: 8
San Francisco 49ers 55 vs. Denver Broncos 10 in Super Bowl 24 (Jan. 28, 1990)
Just hearing the Who’s Who of 49ers players who scored touchdowns – Rice with three, fullback Tom Rathman with two and Craig, tight end Brent Jones and wide receiver John Taylor with one each – explains how the Super Bowl champ found the Broncos’ end zone twice in each of the four quarters. Oh yes, Montana was at the controls of the offense.
Most Defensive TDs by a Team: 3
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 48 vs. Oakland Raiders 21 in Super Bowl 37 (Jan. 26, 2003)
Tampa Bay’s defense dominated the Raiders as quarterback Rich Gannon threw five interceptions for 172 return yards, and linebacker Derrick Brooks joined Smith’s two Pick 6s with a 44-yard scoring return late in the fourth quarter. For context, only one other team in Super Bowl history has multiple defensive TDs in a game (the Cowboys had two fumble returns in their Super Bowl 27 win over the Buffalo Bills).
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