Giants head coach Tom Coughlin poses with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after the Giants defeated the Patriots by a score of 21-17 in Super Bowl XLVI. (Feb. 5, 2012) Credit: Getty Images
Only one of the last eight Super Bowl champions have gone into the playoffs as the top seed in their conference. Four of the eight were seeded fourth or lower. A look at where the champs came from:
| SUPER BOWL | WINNER | SEED | RECORD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Super Bowl XLVI | Giants | NFC No. 4 | 9-7 |
| Super Bowl XLV | Packers | NFC No. 6 | 10-6 |
| Super Bowl XLIV | Saints | NFC No. 1 | 13-3 |
| Super Bowl XLIII | Steelers | AFC No. 2 | 12-4 |
| Super Bowl XLII | Giants | NFC No. 5 | 10-6 |
| Super Bowl XLI | Colts | AFC No. 3 | 12-4 |
| Super Bowl XL | Steelers | AFC No. 6 | 11-5 |
| Super Bowl XXXIX | Patriots | AFC No. 2 | 14-2 |
