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Given the lengthy and rich history of the NFL, fans can recount dozens of famous plays, from the Immaculate Reception to the Music City Miracle. However, the ones that matter most are the ones that happen in the ultimate game – the Super Bowl. Some of these will cause nightmares for some fans and bring back fond memories for others, but we’ve shared our top five Super Bowl moments.
There’s no doubt that the top five Super Bowl moments are subjective, especially if your favorite team or team’s biggest rival was a part of any in consideration. So, while New England Patriots fans hate the phrase, leading off our list of the top five Super Bowl moments is what has been dubbed “The Helmet Catch.”
The Patriots were on the brink of completing the second-ever perfect NFL season and the first since it expanded to 16 games. However, the New York Giants had something to say about them going 19-0 by upsetting them in Super Bowl 42. WR David Tyree made the catch of a lifetime, leaping over SS Rodney Harrison to snatch the ball out of the air and trap it against the top of his helmet as he fell to the ground.
It was a play as improbable as any, and it occurred with less than a minute left in the game en route to the Giants’ game-winning-touchdown just four plays later.
Rather than a catch, next on our list of the top five Super Bowl moments is arguably the most iconic tackle in NFL history. It’s a picture that’s been shown thousands of times, and it’s the one in which Tennessee Titans WR Kevin Dyson was brought down at the one-yard line by St. Louis Rams LB Mike Jones.
Not only did his out-stretched arm go down just three feet from the endzone, but it happened as time expired! As if that wasn’t enough, it was a touchdown that would have completed the Titans’ comeback and given the franchise their only Super Bowl victory. However, thanks to the clutch tackle by Jones, the Rams came away with the 23-16 victory.
Don’t worry Patriots fans – although we began our list of the top five Super Bowl moments with one you’d prefer to forget, we know that New England has had plenty of great moments themselves. One was in their Super Bowl 49 victory over the Seattle Seahawks and the play that sealed the victory.
It’s one that sparked debate that has continued to this day. The Seahawks were just inches away from the end zone with seconds left in the game and were down just four points. Their RB, Marshawn Lynch, had been an absolute beast the entire season, so they just needed to hand him the ball and steal the Super Bowl victory…right?
Well, they decided to throw, and it was intercepted by Patriots CB Malcolm Butler. As if the decision to pass wasn’t unlikely enough, Butler was just an undrafted rookie that many fans didn’t even know existed. After looking as if there was no way the Seahawks could snatch the Lombardi Trophy, the Pats were able to begin their run of three Super Bowl wins in five years.
Incredible catches are a theme of our top five Super Bowl moments, as the next play brings us to Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. It was a Super Bowl between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals, and it was the Steelers that were able to grab their sixth Lombardi Trophy, which is tied with the Patriots for the most in NFL history.
That was thanks to an incredible catch by Pittsburgh WR Santonio Holmes. It wasn’t one that he had to pin against his helmet, but rather one where incredible body control was needed. It took place along the sideline and back corner of the endzone, where fully extended feet were needed to complete the top-tapping catch.
The play in itself is already a beauty to watch, but having it happen with just 35 seconds on the clock to give the Steelers a tight 27-23 Super Bowl victory is what makes it truly special.
Admittedly, there may be some recency bias when it comes to piecing together a list of the top five Super Bowl moments. However, there was no way that we could leave out a play from 35 years ago. The 1980s were all about the San Francisco 49ers, specifically Joe Montana and Jerry Rice.
However, one of the most iconic plays in 49ers history was caught by John Taylor rather than Rice. The fact that it is so memorable is even more meaningful given “The Catch,” but that was in the 1981 NFC Championship Game. This Montana-to-Taylor catch occurred with just 34 seconds left in the game to cap off an incredible 92-yard drive that gave the 49ers a 20-16 Super Bowl victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. It’s also worth noting that this was just one of their five Lombardi Trophies – tied for the second most in NFL history.
Mark has been a lifelong fan of all sports, and five years ago turned it into a profession, specializing in the NFL, NHL and MLB. He is a diehard Baltimore Ravens fan and has had his work published in sites such as Sports Illustrated, Pickswise and other top outlets.