Super Bowl 53 between the Rams and the Patriots will be the first Super Bowl played at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium, but it is not the first time Atlanta has hosted the biggest game in American sports.
Atlanta played host to Super Bowls 28 and 34 after the 1993 and 1999 NFL seasons, respectively. Those games were played in the Georgia Dome, which was demolished in 2017 upon the completion of Mercedes-Benz Stadium, built right next door.
SIGN UP to watch Super Bowl 53 and the 2019 NFL Draft on DAZN
Super Bowl 53 marks Atlanta's first Super Bowl in 19 years. But, as SN's Vinnie Iyer writes, the city likely will never again have such a drought when it comes to hosting a Super Bowl. Mercedes-Benz Stadium is that special as a host venue.
SUPER BOWL 53 PICKS:
Rams-Patriots predictions from SN's experts
Below is a look at what happened the last two times Atlanta hosted Super Bowls.
Super Bowl 28
The first Super Bowl played in Atlanta was Super Bowl 28. It took place at the Georgia Dome on Jan. 30, 1994. Super Bowl 28 was a matchup between the NFC-champion Dallas Cowboys and the AFC-champion Buffalo Bills, with both teams arriving as the No. 1 seeds in their respective conferences.
The Cowboys won, 30-13 — their fourth Super Bowl championship, tying what was then the record for all-time Super Bowl wins (49ers, Steelers). Dallas trailed 13-6 at halftime but went on to score 24 unanswered points to claim the Lombardi Trophy.
Super Bowl 28 marked the Bills' fourth consecutive Super Bowl appearance and their fourth straight Super Bowl loss. The Cowboys and Bills had faced each other in the Super Bowl the year prior — the only time two teams have played each other in back-to-back Super Bowls.
The 1993 Cowboys are ninth in SN's ranking of all 52 Super Bowl winners.
Super Bowl MVP: Emmitt Smith
National anthem: Natalie Cole
Commercial cost: A 30-second commercial cost $900,000.
Halftime show: The Judds, Clint Black, Travis Tritt and Tanya Tucker
Future Cowboys Hall of Famers: Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin
Viewers: 90 million
Attendance: 72,817
MORE: Top 10 Super Bowls of all time
Super Bowl 34
The other Super Bowl played in Atlanta prior to Super Bowl 53 was Super Bowl 34 on Jan. 30 2000, when the Georgia Dome hosted the NFC-champion St. Louis Rams and the AFC-champion Tennessee Titans.
The Rams won by a score of 23-16. The Titans had reached the 10-yard line on their final drive. On the last play of the game, Rams linebacker Mike Jones tackled Titans wide receiver Kevin Dyson one yard short of the goal line as time expired, securing the Rams victory.
Months after the game, SN convinced Dyson to fly to St. Louis for a sit-down with Jones to watch the play that became known as "The Tackle," the most iconic play in Rams history. The two players discussed the play together, and SN chronicled the interaction for a feature story in the July 3, 2000 issue of its magazine.
Rams quarterback Kurt Warner's 414 passing yards and 45 pass attempts without an interception were Super Bowl records at the time. The 1999 Rams are 13th in SN's ranking of all 52 Super Bowl winners, and SN considers Super Bowl 34 the sixth greatest Super Bowl of all time.
Super Bowl MVP: Kurt Warner
National anthem: Faith Hill
Commercial cost: A 30-second commercial cost $2.2 million.
Halftime show: Phil Collins, Christina Aguilera, Enrique Iglesias, Toni Braxton and Edward James Olmos
Future Rams Hall of Famers: Marshall Faulk, Orlando Pace and Kurt Warner
Viewers: Estimated 88.5 million
Attendance: 72,625
Fun fact: The Super Bowl has been played one week (rather than two) after conference championship weekend just four times, including Super Bowl 28 and Super Bowl 34.
MORE: Top 10 Super Bowl-winning teams
Super Bowl 53
The NFC-champion Rams will take on the AFC-champion Patriots in a rematch of Super Bowl 36, the game that started New England's dynasty. The Rams and Patriots arrive as the No. 2 seeds in their respective conferences.
New England is looking for its sixth Super Bowl title in franchise history, which would tie the Steelers for most all time. The Patriots also are looking for their 37th postseason win in franchise history; they're currently in a tie with the Steelers for that mark. Coach Bill Belichick would join George Halas and Curly Lambeau as the only coaches to win six NFL championships. He already has the most Super Bowls.
As for the Rams, they're looking for their second Super Bowl title in franchise history after the aforementioned victory in Super Bowl 34. Sean McVay, 33, would be the youngest coach ever to win a Super Bowl, and quarterback Jared Goff would be come the first QB selected No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft to lead his team to a Super Bowl victory within his first three seasons.
The Patriots enter Super Bowl 53 as three-point favorites over the Rams. Here are Sporting News' picks and predictions for the game.
National anthem: Gladys Knight
Halftime show: Maroon 5 featuring Travis Scott
Commercial cost: A 30-second commerical costs $5.3 million.
Contributing: Tadd Haislop