Timeless
By: Peyton Schultze
The Super Bowl has been home to some of the most iconic moments in sports history, such as the wild and spectacular game between the Seahawks and Patriots in Super Bowl XLVIII.
And after all that, here we are, as another intriguing Super Bowl matchup awaits. As the exciting and eventful week begins, leading up to Sunday’s matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots, coaches, players, and fans alike are chomping at the bit until the kickoff of Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta. There have been many outstanding games played in the Super Bowl’s now-53 year history, with career-changing plays and bold decisions that have shaped the National Football League for decades. Each new year brings another iconic moment, and this year will likely be much of the same. Without further ado, here’s our list of the top ten moments in Super Bowl history.
10. The “Philly Special” - Eagles vs. Patriots (Super Bowl LII)
While it is the most recent Super Bowl and still fresh off everyone’s minds, the play call by Doug Pederson and the Philadelphia Eagles at the end of the first half stands as one of the boldest calls in Super Bowl history. Here’s the scene. A backup quarterback in for an injured MVP candidate. Against the mighty New England Patriots with Tom Brady and Bill Belichick at the helm. Only up by three with 38 seconds left in the half. And going for it on 4th and Goal on the Patriots’ 1-yard line? With one of the most creative, yet truly stunning, play calls in the history of the Super Bowl, Eagles’ tight end, Trey Burton, ended up finding quarterback, Nick Foles, in the end zone to put the Eagles up by 10 at the half. While the game would not be over by any means just yet with the comeback-seeking Brady helping the Patriots get back in the game, the Eagles’ play call set the tempo for the rest of the game, which ended with the underdog Eagles capturing their first Super Bowl title in franchise history.
9. Elway’s Helicopter Play - Broncos vs. Packers (Super Bowl XXXII)
Throughout most of John Elway’s Bronco career, he developed a strange reputation as someone who could not get it done on the biggest stage of the Super Bowl. In the Broncos three previous trips to the big game, Elway led Denver to a 0-3 record, with losses to the Giants, Redskins, and 49ers. And coming into Super Bowl XXXII against Brett Favre and the defending champion Green Bay Packers, Elway and the Broncos looked like they would once again fall and take his career Super Bowl record to a shocking 0-4. Yet that would not be the case in the end. Although Green Bay and Denver would go back and forth throughout, the game-changing play took place on a 3rd and 6 with about a minute and a half left in the 3rd quarter, tied at 17. The 37-year old Elway took the ball and scrambled to his right before leaping for a first down and spinning into the air for a huge Broncos’ first down. Energizing Denver’s sideline, Elway brought hope to Denver’s fan base that this year was not going to be the same, even in the late-stages of his Hall of Fame career. In the end, Denver would take their momentum and lean heavily on a great running game with Terrell Davis, and wind up securing a 31-24 win for Elway and the Broncos’ first title in franchise history.
8. One Yard Short - Rams vs. Titans (Super Bowl XXXIV)
23-16. Six seconds left. Ball on the Rams' 10-yard line. The Rams and Titans had played a phenomenal Super Bowl so far, with Kurt Warner just having connected with Rams’ WR, Isaac Bruce, for a 73 yard touchdown to put the Rams on top. However, the Titans would move the ball down the field quickly to attempt to tie the game. On the fateful last play of the game, Titans’ quarterback, Steve McNair would drop back to pass before delivering to an open man in Kevin Dyson. Dyson would be wrapped up by Rams linebacker, Mike Jones, before Dyson could have a chance to extend his arm over the goal line to make it a 1 point game with a PAT left to tie it up. Although Dyson almost punched it in and the Titans almost had a chance at an unlikely win, the St. Louis Rams and the Greatest Show on Turf would hold on for their first championship in franchise history behind one of the craziest endings in any Super Bowl.
7. Pick-6 for the Saints - Saints vs. Colts (Super Bowl XLIV)
Down 24-17 late in the 4th quarter, it seemed as if Peyton Manning would deliver for the Colts once again. Although New Orleans had put together a game plan for the ages on both sides of the ball that rattled the Colts all night, Indianapolis still found themselves with a chance to tie the game late. However, with 3:24 left in the quarter, Manning dropped back and looked for Reggie Wayne on an inside dig route. However, Saints’ cornerback, Tracy Porter, would jump the route and take it all the way to the house, putting New Orleans up 31-17. Shockingly, the Saints had finally shut the door on the Colts and were in position to secure a Super Bowl XLIV win. While the defeat would give Peyton his first Super Bowl loss in his illustrious career, Super Bowl MVP, Drew Brees, and the underdog New Orleans Saints would capture their first and only title in franchise history partially based off Porter’s late game heroics.
6. Vinatieri for the Win - Patriots vs. Rams (Super Bowl XXXVI)
For Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, it has not always been that easy. In the first Super Bowl matchup between the Patriots and Rams, the heavily-favored Rams would have issues all game with the game plan created by Bill Belichick. However, the Patriots would not break away from the Rams until late in the 4th quarter. Engineered by Tom Brady, New England was able to stir up a great drive and set up kicker, Adam Vinatieri, for a game winning, 48-yard attempt. Vinatieri was able to drill the kick, and the Patriots secured their first championship in franchise history. It has been nothing short of excellence since then, but the Patriots’ dynasty kicked off with Vinatieri’s dramatic game-winner in one of the most clutch moments in Super Bowl history.
5. The John Candy Game - 49ers vs. Bengals (Super Bowl XXIII)
As one of the iconic moments of the San Francisco dynasty, Joe Montana and the 49ers were able to beat the Cincinnati Bengals, led by a long, late game drive from the great Montana. The Super Bowl XXIII matchup is certainly one of the most iconic in NFL history, and was just another game that once again showed Joe Cool at his finest. Before driving down the field with 3:20 left in the game, Montana brought the 49ers’ offense together in the huddle, pointed somewhere in the stands, and asked “Isn’t that [actor} John Candy?” Montana seemed to calm down the 49ers’ offense in one of the biggest moments of their lives, before leading San Francisco on 92 yard drive. To put the 49ers on top late in the game, Montana threw to an open WR, John Taylor, in the endzone and San Francisco would go up 20-16 with 34 seconds left in the 4th quarter. Joe Montana was at his finest on the 49ers last second drive of Super Bowl XXIII and delivered one of the most calm and clutch moments in Super Bowl history.
4. The Guarantee - Jets vs. Colts (Super Bowl III)
Way back in January of 1969, Jets’ quarterback, Joe Namath, guaranteed that his team would upset the favored Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III. In the infamous Orange Bowl, the Jets were able to dominate the Colts all game long, and remain the only team in NFL history to win a Super Bowl with only one offensive touchdown. Although the game is known more for the comments made by Namath three days earlier at a Miami club, the Jets pulled off a major upset on their way to their first and only win in Super Bowl history. Broadway Joe’s big moment is one that will forever be a part of Super Bowl history, with that iconic image of him walking towards the locker room after the victory with one wagging finger pointed up towards the sky.
3. The Unlikely Pick - Patriots vs. Seahawks (Super Bowl XLIX)
In perhaps the best Super Bowl of all-time, two heavyweight teams went all the way down to the wire. A battle between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks was tight throughout and was determined by a few small inches (literally) that would change the course of NFL history. With 26 seconds left and on the Patriots’ 1-yard line, Seattle’s quarterback, Russell Wilson, dropped back to attempt to throw to wide receiver, Ricardo Lockette, on a slant route for a go-ahead touchdown. However, little-known Patriots’ corner, Malcolm Butler would jump the route and pick off Wilson’s pass, securing the fourth Super Bowl win in franchise history for the Patriots. The reasoning behind why Seattle did not give the ball to running back, Marshawn Lynch, is still debated today, causing Seattle’s promising and upcoming dynasty to start to unravel before it had ever really began. Butler’s interception is one of the all-time Super Bowl plays and one that will live in infamy for eternity.
2. Toe-Tap Touchdown - Steelers vs. Cardinals (Super Bowl XLIII)
Toe-tapping in the back of the end zone for a touchdown is hard in any NFL game. Toe-tapping in the back of the end zone for a touchdown in a Super Bowl is as hard as it gets, especially with everything an athlete could imagine on the line. Yet in Super Bowl XLIII, that type of absurdity is exactly what happened. In the highly-anticipated matchup between the Steelers and Cardinals that went down to the wire, Santonio Holmes of the Steelers made of the best grabs in NFL history with his late touchdown catch from Ben Roethlisberger with 35 seconds left. Although the game was full of iconic Super Bowl moments such as James Harrison’s interceptions return for a touchdown and Larry Fitzgerald’s late game score, Holmes’ catch stands out as one of the greatest moments in the history of the Super Bowl. After a game for the ages, Pittsburgh’s late game run towards a game-winning score makes this moment truly one of the most special of all-time.
1.The Helmet Catch - Giants vs. Patriots (Super Bowl XLII)
The top spot goes not only to the best moment in Super Bowl history, but one of the best in the history of professional sports. Coming into Super Bowl XLII, the New England Patriots were expect to roll through the New York Giants. After all, New England was undefeated at 18-0 and looked to cap off the best season in NFL history. But the Giants did not want to hear any of that. Although New York played outstanding on defense, holding Tom Brady and the dynamic Patriots to only 14 points, the Giants found themselves trailing late in the 4th quarter, 14-10. Yet on the New York 41-yard line and facing 3rd and 5 with 1:15 left, Giants’ quarterback, Eli Manning, found himself swarmed by multiple Patriot defenders. However, Manning somehow escaped the mayhem, was thrown backwards and to the right, stayed on his feet, and chucked a prayer down the field. However, Giants’ little-used wide receiver, David Tyree, leaped up and caught Manning’s launched pass, somehow coming down with the ball basically attached to his helmet. As one of the greatest catches of all-time, the Giants found themselves with a chance to score. Eventually, New York would punch it in the end zone on a throw from Manning to Plaxico Burress to put the Giants in position to upset the Patriots with a 17-14 lead. However, Tyree’s miraculous catch set them up in position to win and will forever be etched into the lore of the Super Bowl. With the Giants’ spectacular spoiler over the then-undefeated Patriots, Tyree and the Giants found themselves as part of the greatest Super Bowl moment in the history of the National Football League.