Ranking the top 10 Super Bowl performances by a defender: From Aaron Donald to Richard Dent
Courtney CroninNov 15, 2026, 06:00 AM ET
- Courtney Cronin joined ESPN in 2017, originally covering the Minnesota Vikings before switching to the Chicago Bears in 2022. Courtney is a frequent panelist on Around the Horn and host of Best Week Ever and GameNight on ESPN Radio. She also co-hosts The Chicago Bears Podcast on ESPN 1000. She previously worked at the San Jose Mercury News as a multimedia sports journalist.
Super Bowls are mostly remembered for offensive fireworks, miraculous fourth-quarter drives, gravity-defying catches and MVP quarterbacks who hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy in victory.
Yet, as the old adage in football reminds us, offense sells tickets while defense wins championships.
While team defenses such as the 1985 Chicago Bears, 2000 Baltimore Ravens and 2013 Seattle Seahawks dominated as collective units, a select group of defenders delivered singular, dominant, game-altering performances on the NFL's biggest stage.
Here are 10 of the best individual defensive performances in Super Bowl history, including four defenders who earned the game's Most Valuable Player award.
COUNTDOWN TO SUPER BOWL LXI: ESPN will televise the Super Bowl for the first time in February. We are counting down to the big game with a Super Bowl Top 10 series, featuring rankings on everything from best catches and performances to biggest upsets, which will run every other Sunday leading up to Super Bowl LXI on Feb. 14, 2027.
1. Denver Broncos OLB Von Miller in Super Bowl 50
When: Feb. 7, 2016
Score: Broncos 24, Panthers 10
Stats: 2.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 1 pass defended
Miller set the tone with a strip-sack of Cam Newton in the first quarter that was recovered in the end zone for a touchdown to give the Broncos a 10-0 lead. With Denver up 16-10 late in the fourth quarter, Miller once again jarred the ball loose from Newton when he sacked the quarterback deep in Carolina territory to put the Broncos in position to score the game-sealing touchdown four plays later.
Miller's performance was so dominant he earned unanimous Super Bowl MVP honors, becoming the 10th defensive player and fourth linebacker in NFL history to win the award.
2. Oakland Raiders LB Rod Martin in Super Bowl XV
When: Jan. 25, 1981
Score: Raiders 27, Eagles 10
Stats: 3 interceptions, 5 tackles
Martin created the standard for ball-hawking dominance on the biggest stage when he set the Super Bowl record for interceptions -- a record that is shared but still stands -- by picking off Ron Jaworski three times.
The linebacker staved off any chance of a Philadelphia comeback when he intercepted Jaworski in the first, third and fourth quarters of the Raiders' eventual 17-point win. He also added five tackles in Oakland's second Super Bowl victory.
3. Chicago Bears DE Richard Dent in Super Bowl XX
When: Jan. 26, 1986
Score: Bears 46, Patriots 10
Stats: 1.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 1 blocked pass, 3 tackles
The "Sack Man" in Chicago's legendary "46 defense" led the NFL with 17.5 sacks during the 1985 season and gave a master class in pass rushing during Super Bowl XX. Dent wreaked havoc in the backfield with 1.5 sacks, three tackles two forced fumbles while constantly ripping through blocks to keep Patriots quarterback Tony Eason under pressure.
Dent earned Super Bowl MVP honors and is the last true defensive end to win the award.
4. Green Bay Packers DE Reggie White in Super Bowl XXXI
When: Jan. 26, 1997
Score: Packers 35, Patriots 21
Stats: 3 sacks, 4 QB hits, 1 tackle for a loss
White established the Super Bowl record by sacking Drew Bledsoe three times.
After a quiet first half, White lived up to his "Minister of Defense" nickname when it mattered most. With Bledsoe and the Patriots trying to mount a comeback after pulling within a touchdown in the third quarter, White took over and recorded three second-half sacks, which included back-to-back sacks that flipped the game's momentum.
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers CB Dwight Smith in Super Bowl XXXVII
When: Jan. 26, 2003
Score: Buccaneers 48, Raiders 21
Stats: Only player in Super Bowl history with 2 pick-sixes
While his teammate Dexter Jackson captured MVP honors for setting the tone in a rout of the Raiders, Smith delivered the decisive knockout blows against league MVP Rich Gannon when he returned two interceptions for touchdowns.
Smith picked off a third-quarter pass and took it 44 yards for a touchdown to extend Tampa Bay's lead to 34-3. He then punctuated the win with a 50-yard pick-six in the final seconds. Smith capped off a dominant five-interception defensive clinic by Monte Kiffin's "Tampa 2" unit and cemented his place in postseason lore.
6. Los Angeles Rams DT Aaron Donald in Super Bowl LVI
When: Feb. 13, 2022
Score: Rams 23, Bengals 20
Stats: 2 sacks, 2 tackles for losses, 4 tackles, 3 QB hits
Donald's second-half takeover came after fighting through constant double-teams and triple-teams. With Cincinnati trailing by three after just crossing into LA's territory with less than a minute to play, Donald blew up a run play on third-and-1 for no gain. He sealed the victory by pressuring quarterback Joe Burrow on fourth down and forcing an incomplete pass.
The Rams took over in victory formation, and many believed Donald's effect should have earned him game MVP honors over Rams' wide receiver Cooper Kupp.
7. Dallas Cowboys LB Chuck Howley in Super Bowl V
When: Jan. 17, 1971
Score: Colts 16, Cowboys 13
Stats: 10 tackles, 2 interceptions and a fumble recovery
Howley made history as the first non-QB and player from the losing team to win Super Bowl MVP.
The linebacker was a bright spot in a sloppy game that was nicknamed "The Blunder Bowl" due to 11 combined turnovers. He recorded two interceptions and recovered a fumble while single-handedly terrorizing Johnny Unitas and the Colts' passing game.
8. Dallas Cowboys S James Washington in Super Bowl XXVIII
When: Jan. 30, 1994
Score: Cowboys 30, Bills 13
Stats: 1 interception, forced fumble and fumble recovery, which he returned for a TD
Trailing 13-6 at halftime, the Cowboys desperately needed a spark, and Washington provided it 54 seconds into the third quarter when he recovered a fumble from Bills running back Thurman Thomas and returned it 46 yards for a game-tying touchdown.
The safety anchored Dallas' secondary with a team-high 11 tackles and terrorized Buffalo's offense by adding a crucial interception and another forced fumble later in the second half. He played a direct role in three turnovers that fueled Dallas's second-half takeover.
9. Carolina Panthers DE Kony Ealy in Super Bowl L
When: Feb. 7, 2016
Score: Broncos 24, Panthers 10
Stats: 3 sacks, 2 tackles for a loss, 3 QB hits, an interception, pass defended, fumble recovery and forced fumble
Despite the Panthers' loss, Ealy delivered the most stat-sheet stuffing defensive performance in Super Bowl history. While logging only 23 defensive snaps (38%) as a rotational edge rusher, the second-year defender harassed Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning all night and matched the Super Bowl single-game sack record.
Ealy's efforts kept the game close. He intercepted Manning in the second quarter and forced a fumble in the fourth to put the Panthers within a touchdown. He became the only player in Super Bowl history to record multiple sacks and an interception in the game.
10. Seattle Seahawks LB Malcolm Smith in Super Bowl XLVIII
When: Feb. 2, 2014
Score: Seahawks 43, Broncos 8
Stats: An interception, touchdown, fumble recovery and 10 tackles.
Smith was at the center of the Legion of Boom's dominant defensive performance. He racked up a team-high 10 tackles, recovered a forced fumble and blew the game open in the second quarter when he intercepted an errant Peyton Manning pass and returned it 69 yards for a touchdown. His opportunistic play made him just the third linebacker at the time to win Super Bowl MVP.
Honorable mentions
Miami Dolphins S Jake Scott, Super Bowl VII (Dolphins 14, Redskins 7): 2 interceptions, MVP
New England Patriots CB Stephon Gilmore, Super Bowl LIII (Patriots 13, Rams 3): 1 interception, 3 passes defended, 1 forced fumble
Dallas Cowboys CB Larry Brown, Super Bowl XXX (Cowboys vs. Steelers) 2 interceptions, 77-yard INT return, MVP
Pittsburgh Steelers DE L.C. Greenwood, Super Bowl X (Cowboys 27, Steelers 17): Unofficially 3 sacks (before it was an official stat), 1 forced fumble
Patriots S Rodney Harrison, Super Bowl XXXIX (Patriots 24, Eagles 21): 2 interceptions, 1 sack, 7 tackles, 2 passes defended
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