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Super Bowl heroes’ names go down in history. Either they had a big game or made the game-winning play. But we never hear about the guys who had the game of their lives, but went home with a loss.

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Here are the biggest performances from players who did everything right but left empty-handed.

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QB Tom Brady (Super Bowl LII)

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Tom Brady’s third Super Bowl loss came at the hands of Nick Foles and the Philadelphia Eagles. In a high-scoring blow-for-blow matchup, the Eagles walked away winning their first franchise Super Bowl 41-33.

Despite the loss, Brady was masterful. The future Hall of Fame quarterback completed 28 of his 48 pass attempts for 3 touchdowns and a Super Bowl record 505 yards.

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Brady was surgical all night. His ball placement was from what you’d expect from the NFL great, and he continued to make plays to keep the New England Patriots in contention. Brady led the Patriots’ offense to a Super Bowl record 613 yards and stayed efficient. Despite his efforts, the New England defense couldn’t keep up with Philadelphia’s offense.

Brady did have a few chances to be the hero, however. With 2:16 remaining in the game, down five, Brady was strip-sacked and lost possession of the ball, negating a chance at taking the lead. The Eagles’ offense would then chew a minute off the clock before settling for a field goal to extend their lead to eight, giving Brady one more chance.

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The Patriots’ offense got the ball with 58 seconds remaining in the game at their own nine-yard line. While the Eagles’ defense played prevent, Brady took advantage, driving the offense to their own 49-yard line as nine seconds remained. New England would have to settle for a Hail Mary attempt. Brady was able to maneuver a tackle before heaving the ball downfield, but it would ultimately fall incomplete.

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LB Chuck Howley (Super Bowl V)

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USA Today via Reuters

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Chuck Howley is the only player to earn the Super Bowl MVP award despite a loss. In a low-scoring 16-13 affair, Howley snagged two interceptions, returning one for 22 yards. Howley also logged two tackles.

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Super Bowl V was a mess. There were a total of 11 turnovers between the two teams, with five of them occurring in the fourth quarter. The Baltimore Colts were able to pull away with the win despite seven turnovers, as the Cowboys committed 10 penalties for 133 yards.

When offered the MVP trophy, Howley was going to decline. But once he heard the station wagon prize, he accepted.

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QB Jalen Hurts (Super Bowl LVII)

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Despite leading the Eagles offense to 35 points, Jalen Hurts lost Super Bowl LVII to the Kansas City Chiefs 38-35. Even with the loss, Hurts put together one of the best stat lines in Super Bowl history from a quarterback.

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The former Alabama quarterback ended the day completing 27 of his 38 pass attempts for 304 yards and a passing touchdown. Hurts also made a big impact on the ground, adding 70 yards and 3 touchdowns as a runner, averaging 4.7 yards per carry.

Hurts opened up scoring for the Eagles’ offense with a tush push from the one-yard line. After Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs answered back, the Eagles quarterback would respond with a perfectly placed touchdown throw to A.J. Brown. In a continued back-and-forth shootout, Hurts would add two more rushing touchdowns and a game-tying two-point conversion with five minutes remaining. Despite his efforts, the Kansas City offense proved to be too much.

In his efforts, Hurts tied Terrell Davis for most rushing touchdowns in a single Super Bowl with three.

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DE Kony Ealy (Super Bowl 50)

Carolina Panthers defensive end Kony Ealy only spent five seasons in the NFL, but he happened to have his best game in the Super Bowl. Ealy recorded 3 sacks in the Panthers’ 24-10 loss to the Denver Broncos, tied for the second most in a single game Super Bowl history.

Along with his three sacks, Ealy created two turnovers. The former second-round pick grabbed a one-handed interception and took it 19 yards into Broncos territory late in the second quarter. Ealy would make another potential game-changing play, strip-sacking Peyton Manning while a teammate recovered.

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Ealy’s efforts were more than enough to set his team up to succeed. He produced two turnovers, set the offense up in good field position, and his other two sacks forced three-and-outs.

Ealy’s impressive performance ranks as one of the best defensive games in Super Bowl History. Despite cementing himself in postseason history, however, Ealy would go on to record just one more sack in his career.

WR Larry Fitzgerald (Super Bowl XLIII)

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Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald has been famously humble in his career, making it no surprise that he left it all on the field in the Super Bowl during a loss.

As the Arizona Cardinals went down 20-7, they turned to Fitzgerald. The wide receiver caught two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, including a go-ahead score with 2:37 left.

Unfortunately for Fitzgerald, the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ offense would respond with a two-minute drive to put them ahead with 35 seconds remaining, ultimately resulting in a loss. Fitzgerald ended the day with 7 receptions on 8 targets for 127 yards and 2 touchdowns.

RB Thurman Thomas (Super Bowl XXV)

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The Buffalo Bills have had disastrous luck in the Super Bowl. From 1991 to 1994, the Bills made four consecutive Super Bowls, failing to win once.

In Super Bowl XXV, running back Thurman Thomas was everything Buffalo could’ve asked for. Thomas rushed for 135 yards and a touchdown while adding 55 yards on 5 receptions. The Bills’ running back’s 190 scrimmage yards rank among the highest totals in Super Bowl history.

Thomas would make it to the Super Bowl three more times with the Bills, recording just 195 total scrimmage yards between those three Super Bowls.

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