For all the hype leading up to it, the Super Bowl rarely disappoints. Every year, the game delivers at least one incredible, lasting image or moment. There’s something about the big stage that brings out the best of the best. Moments such as Marcus Allen’s 74-yard touchdown run, Santonio Holmes’s game-winning catch in Super Bowl XLIII, and Adam Vinatieri’s game-winning field goal in Super Bowl XXXVI, which jump-started the New England Patriots’ dynasty. No one wants to go home without a ring.
But sometimes, the Super Bowl is a launching pad to infamy, as blunders on the field turn people into household names for the wrong reasons. Think Scott Norwood’s field goal attempt going wide right or Jackie Smith dropping a wide-open touchdown pass. We took a look at these stories of both success and failure, of joy and sorrow, and give you the Greatest Moments in Super Bowl History.
This article was originally published in 2013 and has been updated.
36.Thurman Thomas Loses His Helmet
Date: 1/26/1992
Super Bowl: XXVI
Matchup: Bills vs. Washington
Location: Minneapolis
If you're the star player on your team, it's probably a good idea to keep your helmet with you at all times just in case you want to, you know, go into the game. In a bizarre chain of pregame events, however, Buffalo Bills' future Hall of Fame running back Thurman Thomas managed to lose his helmet before his team's first series of Super Bowl XXVI against Washington. He ended up missing the first two offensive plays of the game and had a miserable day overall, gaining just 13 yards on 10 carries as the Bills lost 37-24.
35.Leon Lett's Premature Celebration
Date: 1/31/1993
Super Bowl: XXVII
Matchup: Cowboys vs. Bills
Location: Pasadena, CA
It takes a special kind of play to overshadow a game in which your team wins the championship by a final tally of 52-17, but that's exactly what happened to Leon Lett in Super Bowl XXVII. With his Dallas Cowboys absolutely eviscerating the Buffalo Bills, Lett recovered a fourth quarter fumble and began rumbling downfield. As it so often does, a premature celebration made a real mess of things, as Bills' receiver Don Beebe caught up and stripped the ball out before Lett had reached the end zone. While it was of little consolation to the Bills, Lett's fumble was one of several gaffes that have become his lasting NFL legacy.
34."Don't Kick it to Devin!"
Date: 2/4/2007
Super Bowl: XLI
Matchup: Bears vs. Colts
Location: Miami
In the buildup to Super Bowl XLI, much of the talk centered around stopping the Bears' dynamic rookie returner, Devin Hester. During the regular season he notched six return touchdowns in the first 14 weeks, and had an additional return TD in the playoffs called back due to a penalty away from the ball. Teams had basically stopped kicking to him. So what did the Colts do to start the game? They kicked it right to Hester, who responded with an electrifying 92-yard touchdown return to give his team the quickest lead in Super Bowl history. Unfortunately, their quarterback was Rex Grossman and thus the Bears would go on to lose the game 29-17.
33.The Fridge Scores a TD
Date: 1/26/1986
Super Bowl: XX
Matchup: Bears vs. Patriots
Location: New Orleans
The Chicago Bears absolutely humiliated the Patriots in Super Bowl XX, and this moment was really the ultimate insult. Portly Bears defensive lineman William "Refrigerator" Perry, who had lined up with the offense in goal line situations during the season, rammed a punctuating two-yard touchdown run right into the heart of the Patriots' defense. Unfortunately, the Bears also managed to insult one of their franchise's greatest players in the process; Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton, the face of the organization, was not given the chance to score in what ended up being the only Super Bowl appearance of his Hall of Fame career.
32.Mahomes' Scrambles to Glory
Date: 2/12/23
Super Bowl: LVII
Matchup: Chiefs vs. Eagles
Location: Glendale
Super Bowl LVII is best remembered for a questionable holding call on the Eagles that allowed the Chiefs to run down the clock and ice the game. But it wouldn’t have gotten to that point if not for a heroic performance from Patrick Mahomes. A high ankle sprain had hobbled the Chiefs all-world quarterback leading up to the Super Bowl, yet he delivered a gutsy performance completing 21-of-27 passes for three touchdowns. He made his most impactful play with his legs though. Deep in the fourth quarter with the game tied at 35, Mahomes avoided the Philly pass rush and galloped 26 yards to set up the game-winning field goal. It would send the Chiefs to their second Super Bowl title in four years and their first of back-to-back championships.—TG
31.The Original Gatorade Bath
Date: 1/25/1987
Super Bowl: XXI
Matchup: Giants vs. Broncos
Location: Pasadena, CA
As the final seconds ticked off the clock on the Giants' 39-20 shellacking of the Broncos in Super Bowl XXI, linebacker Harry Carson carried out a tradition that had been a Giants staple after a big win for the last couple seasons: he dumped a cooler of Gatorade on coach Bill Parcells' head. This time, though, 87.2 million people saw him do it, and he birthed a movement that has branched out into pretty much every single sport on Earth. It has gotten to be so predictable a moment that you can now go on any gambling site before the Super Bowl and bet what the color of the Gatorade will be.
30.Max McGee's One-Handed Grab
Date: 1/15/1967
Super Bowl: I
Matchup: Packers vs. Chiefs
Location: Los Angeles
Few (if any) of our readers will be old enough to remember Super Bowl I, but the very first touchdown in the game's history was also one of its best. Packers backup receiver Max McGee, who only had four receptions all season, made a spectacular one-handed grab for a 37-yard touchdown to give his team an early lead. McGee would finish the game with seven receptions for 138 yards and two touchdowns, but lost out on the MVP award to his teammate Bart Starr.
29.Jackie Smith Drops the Ball
Date: 1/21/1979
Super Bowl: XIII
Matchup: Cowboys vs. Steelers
Location: Miami
Tight end Jackie Smith is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It's the hardest Hall of Fame to gain entry to in all of sports, so you'd think he'd be pretty pleased with himself and content over how his career turned out. But if you asked him, he'd probably trade it all to just take back this one moment for which he is most remembered. With his Cowboys trailing the Steelers by a touchdown in the 3rd quarter of Super Bowl XIII, Smith found himself all alone in the end zone with nobody even close to him. Quarterback Roger Staubach delivered a very catchable ball, and Smith straight up dropped it. They'd go on to lose by four points and force Smith to forever live in infamy.
28."Purple Rain" in the Rain
Date: 2/4/2007
Super Bowl: XLI
Matchup: Bears vs. Colts
Location: Miami
Thank the Wayans Brothers for the modern version of the Super Bowl Halftime Show. For 26 years, it was a staid, family-oriented event featuring marching bands, choirs, and sometimes performances by Up With the People, a multifaith organization. Super Bowl XXVI continued that tradition; “Winter Magic,” the 1992 show featured Gloria Estefan and ice skating routines from Olympians Brian Boitano and Dorothy Hamill. Meanwhile, across the dial on Fox, the lewd, rude, and crude, (and hilarious) sketch comedy show In Living Colour aired live, luring approximately 20-25 million Super Bowl viewers to change the channel. Something had to change. Enter Michael Jackson.
In 1993, the King of Pop became the first performer to headline the new and improved halftime show. But no one did it better than Jackson’s ‘80s rival, Prince. At Super Bowl XLI, His Purpleness took the stage in a downpour at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens and proceeded to tear the house down with a 12-minute medley of hits: “Let’s Go Crazy.” “Baby I’m a Star.” “Proud Mary.” “1999.” “All Along the Watchtower.” “Best of You.” And finally, “Purple Rain.” When the Colts and Bears emerged from the locker room to start the second half, they’d been relegated to an afterthought.—Thomas Golianopoulos
27.Garo Yepremian's Gaffe
Date: 1/14/1973
Super Bowl: VII
Matchup: Dolphins vs. Washington
Location: Los Angeles
There are few teams more insufferable than the 1972 Dolphins, a collective who hold on to their distinction as the only undefeated squad in NFL history so zealously that it long ago crossed the boundary separating pride from bitterness and contempt. Things almost fell apart for them in the Super Bowl, when kicker Garo Yepremian managed to turn a fumbled snap into six points for Washington with one of the most ridiculous bloopers in league history. The TD made the game a one-score contest, but fortunately for the hopeless Garo the Dolphins managed to hold on for the win.
26.The Philly Special
Date: 2/4/18
Super Bowl: LII
Matchup: Patriots vs. Eagles
Location: Minneapolis
A trick play so nice they had to name it twice. Up 15-12 in the final minute of the first half of Super Bowl LII, the Eagles faced a fourth-and-goal at the Patriots one yard line. Nowadays, they’d likely opt for a tush push. But this was a different time. Nick Foles, the backup quarterback who’d led the Eagles to the Super Bowl, then made a suggestion. “You want Philly, Philly?”
“Yeah, let’s do it,” head coach Doug Pederson responded.
Foles trotted back onto the field, huddled up, and called for the “Philly Special.” He then drifted off towards the tackle while running back Corey Clement took a direct snap. Clement then tossed the ball to tight end Trey Burton, who rolled right and found Foles for an easy touchdown in the end zone. The Philly Special, as it came to be known, put the Eagles ahead 22-12 at the half and had them on their way to a 41-33 upset over Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.—TG
25.Vince Lombardi is Carried Off the Field
Date: 1/14/1968
Super Bowl: II
Matchup: Packers vs. Raiders
Location: Miami
The gruff, eminently quotable Vince Lombardi had finally reached the end of his illustrious coaching career when Super Bowl II rolled around, and the Packers were determined to send their legendary coach out with a win. Their 33-14 drubbing of the Oakland Raiders solidified Lombardi's legacy as the greatest coach in the history of the NFL. And the team carrying their coach off the field on their shoulders has become the indelible image of one of the game's most legendary, prolific figures. In a manner befitting of his winning ways, Lombardi's Packers won nine playoff games in a row to close out their coach's career.
24.Desmond Howard's 99-Yard TD Return
Date: 1/26/1997
Super Bowl: XXXI
Matchup: Packers vs. Patriots
Location: New Orleans
After winning the Heisman Trophy at Michigan, Desmond Howard carried the burden of high expectations. He was never much of a receiver in the professional ranks, but he did excel as a kick returner and in 1996 he returned three punts for touchdowns in the regular season and tacked on one more in the playoffs. The Patriots apparently didn't get that memo, though, because after getting within six points in the third quarter they allowed Howard to take the subsequent kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown. Howard tied a Super Bowl record with 244 all-purpose yards on the day, and for his effort was named the game's MVP as the Packers won 35-21.
23.The Blackout
Date: 2/3/13
Super Bowl: XLVII
Matchup: 49ers vs. Ravens
Location: New Orleans
Super Bowl XLVII was looking like a dud with the Ravens leading the 49ers 21-6 at halftime. But the game changed following what could best be described as an act of God—or Beyonce. The lights in the New Orleans Superdome went out soon after Queen Bey exited the stage and the blackout lasted an uncomfortable 34 minutes. When the teams emerged from the locker room, the 49ers had all the momentum. But Colin Kaepernick’s comeback fell a bit short, ending on a fourth-and-goal from inside the ten with less than two minutes to go.—TG
22.49ers Epic Goal Line Stand
Date: 1/24/1982
Super Bowl: XVI
Matchup: 49ers vs. Bengals
Location: Pontiac, MI
The Bengals stood first and goal from the three-yard line against the stalwart 49ers defense late in the third quarter of Super Bowl XVI, and given that they were trailing 20-7 it was vital that they get some points out of the drive. On first down, they ran it to the one yard line. On second down, another run got stopped for no gain. On third down, a completion into the flat looked like a sure touchdown, but the 49ers dragged the Bengal receiver down just shy of the goal line. Eschewing the points, the Bengals went for another run on fourth down and were summarily stuffed. The epic stand proved vital, as the Bengals offense would furiously rally to make it 26-21 with 20 seconds to go. The 49ers recovered the Bengals' onside kick, however, and won the first Super Bowl in franchise history.
21.Whitney Houston's National Anthem
Date: 1/27/1991
Super Bowl: XXV
Matchup: Bills vs. Giants
Location: Tampa, FL
After her death, Whitney Houston was the subject of a myriad of tributes and testimonies as to how talented she was. If you thought it was all a bit too much hype, we dare you to watch this video and try to not get a little misty. Remember that Houston delivered this incredible rendition at the height of the Gulf War with patriotism at an all-time high, and you'll begin to appreciate the impact of the performance. While she did admit to lip syncing the entire thing, for some reason it just doesn't take anything away from how good it sounds. It was a great start to a game that would have one of the craziest finishes in Super Bowl history.
20.John Riggins' TD Run on Fourth and 1
Date: 1/30/1983
Super Bowl: XVII
Matchup: Washington vs. Dolphins
Location: Pasadena, CA
Trailing with about 10 minutes to go in Super Bowl XVII, Washington coach Joe Gibbs decided to roll the dice and go for it on fourth and 1 from the Miami 43. That decision proved to be a good one, as running back John Riggins went beast mode all over the Don McNeal and rumbled into the end zone to give his team the lead. The man known as "The Diesel" ended up with then-Super Bowl record totals of 38 attempts and 166 rushing yards, winning game MVP honors as Washington held on for a 27-17 victory.
19.Warner to Bruce
Date: 1/30/2000
Super Bowl: XXXIV
Matchup: Titans vs. Rams
Location: Atlanta
Super Bowl XXXIV will be remembered mainly for its final play, but the moment that set the wheels in motion for the Titans' dramatic drive was equally amazing. With 2:05 to go in a tie game, Rams quarterback and reigning league MVP Kurt Warner delivered his only completion of the 4th quarter, a majestic pass to Isaac Bruce who then juked two defenders en route to giving his team the lead. It was an especially demoralizing moment for the Titans, who had just clawed their way back from a 16-0 deficit, and punctuated Warner's MVP performance and the Rams' first Super Bowl title.
18.Julian Edelman's Circus Catch
Date: 2/5/17
Super Bowl: LI
Matchup:Patriots vs. Falcons
Location: Houston
The Patriots were dead in the water in the third quarter of Super Bowl LI, down 28-3 to the Atlanta Falcons. Everyone knows what happened next. The Patriots’ comeback though started out as a desperate scramble. By the time they lined up for a 1st and 10 at their 36 yard line with just under three minutes left, it felt inevitable. That’s when Tom Brady threw a pass deep down the middle to Julian Edelman, who was blanketed by Falcons defenders. The pass was broken up. Edelman stuck with it though, somehow corralling it for a 23-yard gain. Four plays later, the Patriots tied the score and would win it in overtime. If not for Edelman’s catch, the Falcons might not have blown a 28-3 lead.—TG
17.Bradshaw to Stallworth
Date: 1/20/1980
Super Bowl: XIV
Matchup: Steelers vs. Rams
Location: Pasadena, CA
Terry Bradshaw may now be known as the guy who played Matthew McConaughey's goofy dad in the cinematic classic Failure to Launch, but there was also a time when he was a superstar quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Down 19-17 to the Rams in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XIV, Bradshaw connected on a 73-yard bomb over the top of the Rams defense to Hall of Famer John Stallworth, putting his team ahead for good. Bradshaw threw for 309 yards and two touchdowns and was still named MVP of the game despite tossing three interceptions.
16.Tracy Porter's Pick Six
Date: 2/7/2010
Super Bowl: XLIV
Matchup: Saints vs. Colts
Location: Miami
After Hurricane Katrina, the New Orleans Saints became a walking metaphor for their city: A beleaguered franchise that with a lot of effort and pride was going to pick itself back up. Behind quarterback Drew Brees and coach Sean Payton, the once-woeful Saints made it all the way to the Super Bowl, in 2009. With the Colts driving late and trying to tie the game, Saints cornerback Tracy Porter intercepted a pass from regular season MVP Peyton Manning and returned it 74 yards to seal the franchise's first Super Bowl championship.
15.Elway's Spinning Scramble
Date: 1/25/1998
Super Bowl: XXXII
Matchup: Broncos vs. Packers
Location: San Diego
John Elway's career had been marked by disappointment, as the Broncos' star had reached and been soundly beaten in three different Super Bowls. By the time he got to a fourth one, Elway was 37 years old and nearing the end of his decorated career. He proved just how badly he wanted to win on this mad scramble, where he sold out his body and got helicoptered for his trouble. What mattered, though, was that he also got the first down. Denver would go on to win the game, and for good measure they'd win another one the next season as well.
14.Doug Williams Makes History
Date: 1/31/1988
Super Bowl: XXII
Matchup: Washington vs. Broncos
Location: San Diego
As the legend goes, on media day a reporter by the name of Butch John who wrote for Jackson, MS's Clarion-Ledger asked Williams, "How long have you been a Black quarterback?" While this wasn't actually what Williams was asked (apparently, the real question was "it's obvious you've always been a black quarterback all your life. When did it start to matter?"), it nevertheless created quite a stir before the game was even played.
For decades, NFL GM's shunned Black quarterbacks, holding the racist belief that they couldn't handle the mental aspect of the position. Veteran quarterback Doug Williams helped shatter that ugly trope. Against the Broncos, Williams made history, powering Washington to a 42-10 win as he threw for 340 yards and four touchdowns to win game MVP honors.
13.Marcus Allen's 74-yard TD Run
Date: 1/22/1984
Super Bowl: XVIII
Matchup: Raiders vs. Washington
Location: Tampa, FL
This run might be one of the craziest, most absurd gallops in the history of the NFL; we defy you to find a more outrageous display of speed and athleticism on so grand a stage. When Marcus Allen completely reverses field, you have to remember that he's not doing it against just anybody. These were professional athletes on a Washington defense that was the defending Super Bowl champion and one of the most feared units in the league. Allen's run effectively put Washington down for good, as the Raiders went on to win the game 38-9 on the strength of their star running back's MVP-winning, 191 rushing yards performance.
12.James Harrison's Pick Six
Date: 2/1/09
Super Bowl: XLIII
Matchup: Steelers vs. Cardinals
Location: Tampa
Is it the best defensive play in Super Bowl history? Probably not. It ranks slightly below Mike Jones’ game-saving tackle in Super Bowl XXXIV. But James Harrison’s 100-yard interception return was a 13-point swing that would propel Pittsburgh to their sixth Super Bowl title.
Down 10-7, with 18 seconds left in the second quarter, the Cardinals seemed poised to take the lead with a first-and-goal at the Pittsburgh two. But quarterback Kurt Warner misread a blitz and didn't see Harrison dropping into coverage. The Steelers linebacker then stepped in front of a pass and raced down the sidelines. Harrison would break three tackles before crossing the goal line, exhausted, for what was then the longest touchdown in Super Bowl history.—TG
11.Swann's Miraculous Catch
Date: 1/18/1976
Super Bowl: X
Matchup: Steelers vs. Cowboys
Location: Miami
We're just going to come right out and say it: there has not been a more acrobatic, athletic catch made in the history of the Super Bowl. Swann hopped way up into the air to steal an interception from the defensive back, only in doing so bobbled it a little. For most players that would have been a fine enough play, but Swann wasn't done. Instead, he never took his eye off the ball as he fell to the ground, plucking the it out of the air and hanging on to it as he landed. He would go on to win game MVP honors with 161 receiving yards and a touchdown, becoming the first wide out to win the award.
10.Manning to Manningham
Date: 2/5/12
Super Bowl: XLVI
Matchup: Patriots vs. Giants
Location: Indianapolis
Eli Manning’s legacy is that of a slightly above average quarterback with a famous last name who routinely turned into a postseason God in the biggest of moments. Never was that more apparent than late in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LXVI. With the Giants down 17-15 and backed up near their own end zone, Manning started the Giants game-winning drive with a perfect pass, maybe the greatest throw in the history of the Super Bowl, a gorgeous spiral down the sideline to Mario Manningham slotted into a tight window between two Patriots defenders. The 38-yard connection propelled the Giants to victory and secured Manning’s legacy as the most clutch quarterback in his family.—TG
9.Janet Jackson's "Wardrobe Malfunction"
Date: 2/1/2004
Super Bowl: XXXVIII
Matchup: Patriots vs. Panthers
Location: Houston
It's pretty hard for anyone or anything to steal the spotlight from the Super Bowl. However, Janet Jackson's naked breast is not just anything. Never mind the fact that it overshadowed a thrilling second half between the Patriots and Panthers that in the 4th quarter alone saw 37 points scored and another Adam Vinatieri game-winning field goal; this one incident changed the way we watch television.
Thanks to the infamous "wardrobe malfunction," all live television events started airing with a 10-second delay that previously did not exist. It led to an act of Congress. the "Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act of 2005" if you're interested in some really dry reading.
8.Big Ben to Holmes FTW
Date: 2/1/2009
Super Bowl: XLIII
Matchup: Steelers vs. Cardinals
Location: Tampa, FL
Prior to Super Bowl XLIII, the Pittsburgh Steelers were tied with the Cowboys and 49ers for most Super Bowl titles for a franchise with five. After Larry Fitzgerald hauled in a 64-yard touchdown pass to put the Cardinals up by three with 2:37 to play, it looked like the Steelers would remain in that three-way deadlock. However, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger drove his team 78 yards down the field, delivering their sixth championship with an incredibly precise six-yard touchdown pass to game MVP Santonio Holmes. The catch, which Holmes made between three Cardinals while dragging the tips of his toes inbounds, has to go down as one of the best in Super Bowl history.
7.The Guarantee
Date: 1/12/1969
Super Bowl: III
Matchup: Jets vs. Colts
Location: Miami
Before he was propositioning sideline reporters on live TV, Joe Namath was also a professional quarterback for the New York Jets. Despite throwing more interceptions (215) than touchdowns (170) over the course of his career, Namath was feeling confident enough in his ability that he guaranteed victory for his team in the run-up to Super Bowl III. Joe was a man of his word, as the Jets shocked the heavily favored Colts 16-7. Despite a very modest stat line (17-for-26, 206 yards, zero touchdowns), the Jets' fur coat-sporting QB took home game MVP honors.
6.Vinatieri's Kicks Off a Dynasty
Date: 2/3/2002
Super Bowl: XXXVI
Matchup: Patriots vs. Rams
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
It's hard to remember a time when the Patriots weren't a juggernaut loathed by pretty much every NFL fan. However, led by second-year quarterback Tom Brady, the 2001 Pats were a plucky upstart who entered Super Bowl XXXVI as 14-point underdogs to the St. Louis Rams. After the "Greatest Show on Turf" tied the game with 1:30 to go, venerable TV commentator John Madden suggested the Patriots should just kneel on the ball and take their chances in overtime. Brady had other plans. He instead marched his team down to the Rams' 30 yard line. Vinatieri took it from there, splitting the uprights with a 48-yard field goal as time expired. His kick was the first time in Super Bowl history that the game was decided by a score on the final play.
5.Montana to Taylor
Date: 1/22/1989
Super Bowl: XXIII
Matchup: 49ers vs. Bengals
Location: Miami
There's a reason they call Montana "Joe Cool." Super Bowl XXIII cemented the 49ers' quarterback as one of the all-time greats, as he led his team on a 92-yard scoring drive with almost no time left to deliver San Francisco its third title. Pinned back to his own eight-yard line, it took Montana 10 plays to get down to the Bengals' 10-yard line with just 39 seconds to play. His strike down the middle to John Taylor perfectly split two defenders, giving the 49ers, at the time, the latest game-winning TD in Super Bowl history.
4."Wide Right!"
Date: 1/27/1991
Super Bowl: XXV
Matchup: Bills vs. Giants
Location: Tampa, FL
Poor, poor Buffalo. In four years, they managed to lose four consecutive Super Bowls despite having a Hall of Fame quarterback, running back, and coach. If only they had a Pro Bowl kicker—oh wait, they did! Scott Norwood, who made the Pro Bowl in 1988 with the Bills, lined up what looked to be a makeable 47-yard field goal that would have won Super Bowl XXV against the New York Giants. Unfortunately for the Bills and their fans, Norwood pushed the kick wide right, sending the Giants into delirium putting his team into utter despair and himself into the pantheon of all-time biggest goats in the history of sports.
3.A Game of Inches
Date: 1/30/2000
Super Bowl: XXXIV
Matchup: Titans vs. Rams
Location: Atlanta
The Super Bowl clash between the Rams and the Titans was a wildly entertaining game, and with time left for just one more play the Rams were attempting to hold off a furious Titans comeback. After trailing by as many as 16 points in the second half, the Titans drove down to the St. Louis 10-yard line with just six seconds to play. It looked like Kevin Dyson was going to reach the end zone after making a catch on a quick slant, but out of nowhere Rams' linebacker Mike Jones grabbed his ankles and hauled him down just short of the goal line. Dyson's vain attempt to reach the ball out into the end zone has become one of the NFL's most iconic photos, and has been known to reduce die-hard Titans fans to tears.
2.The Helmet Catch
Date: 2/3/2008
Super Bowl: XLII
Matchup: Patriots vs. Giants
Location: Glendale, AZ
In one of the craziest plays in the history of the NFL, let alone the Super Bowl, a seldom-used backup receiver for the Giants became one of the greatest heroes in the history of the game. Facing third down and five at their own 44-yard line and down three points with just 1:15 to go, the Giants looked poised to fall to the undefeated New England Patriots. The combination of Eli Manning's escape from the Patriots' pass rush and David Tyree's pinning the ball to his helmet as he fell down with Patriots' safety Rodney Harrison on top of him is the most miraculous (i.e. luckiest) catch in Super Bowl history.
1.Malcolm Butler Jumps the Route
Date: 2/1/15
Super Bowl: XLIX
Matchup: Patriots vs. Seahawks
Location: Glendale
After three Super Bowl titles in four years, the Patriots were on the verge of becoming something like the Buffalo Bills. Over the next decade, they lost three times in the AFC Championship Game and lost two Super Bowls to the New York Giants. Despite leading the Seattle Seahawks 28-24 in the final minute of Super Bowl XLIX, the Patriots appeared headed towards another heartbreaking defeat.
Seattle had a second-and-goal at the Pats’ one-yard-line. Everyone on the field and watching at home assumed Russell Wilson would hand the ball to Marshawn Lynch, the Seahawks bruising back nicknamed Beast Mode. Instead, Wilson took the snap and fired a quick slant to Ricardo Lockette. Pats corner Malcolm Butler knew what was coming; the Pats practiced defending the pick play during the week. He then jumped the route and corralled the game-winning interception to give the Pats their first Super Bowl title in a decade and leave the Seahawks in stunned dismay.—TG