Remember these guys? Top 10 forgotten plays in Super Bowl history
The only thing worse than getting to the Super Bowl is to reach that game, make amazing plays and lose anyway. There are countless times big moments have been overshadowed by the final score. Here are the 10 biggest, yet forgotten, plays in Super Bowl history.
10. Steelers' onside kick in Super Bowl XXX
With 11:48 left in the game against the Cowboys, Norm Johnson kicked a 48-yard field goal, putting the score at 20-10 Dallas. On the ensuing kickoff, Pittsburgh surprised Dallas with an onside kick, which was recovered by defensive back Deon Figures. The Steelers then went on a 52-yard touchdown drive that made it 20-17. Unfortunately for the Steelers, the Cowboys scored a touchdown on their next drive, and Pittsburgh quarterback Neil O'Donnell threw four straight incompletions to end his team's next drive and the game. The Cowboys won, 27-17.
9. Earl Morrall missing wide-open Jimmy Orr in Super Bowl III
Super Bowl III is arguably one of the greatest upsets in sports history. The Jets, 18-point underdogs, beat the Colts 16-7 in the third NFL-AFL championship game, giving the younger league a serious dose of credibility. Still, the Colts would have had a chance in this game had Morrall not thrown three backbreaking interceptions. The most embarrassing pick came when Morrall tried handing off to halfback Tom Matte, who flipped the ball back to Morrall. This was supposed to discombobulate New York's defense, but Morrall didn't see Orr, the primary receiver on the play, wide open downfield. Instead, Morrall threw an intermediate pass to Jerry Hill, which was intercepted by safety Jim Hudson. Orr would have scored easily, making things more interesting, but was left wondering what might have been.
ALL FOOTBALL:Latest news and notes from Touchdown Wire
8. Asante Samuel's dropped interception in Super Bowl XLII
Remember David Tyree's incredible helmet catch for the Giants in Super Bowl XLII? Of course you do. But the play that didn't happen on the snap before that moment certainly set it up, and not in a good way for the Patriots. With 1:20 left in the game, Giants QB Eli Manning threw a helium ball to Tyree on the right sideline, and Samuel had an easy interception. All Samuel had to do was … catch it. Manning hit Tyree for a miraculous completion on the next play and threw the game-winner to Plaxico Burress five plays later, ending the Patriots' hopes for a perfect season.
7. Burress' game-winning catch in Super Bowl XLII
The talk of Super Bowl XLII was Tyree's helmet catch, and rightly so. But few people seem to remember that until Manning hit Burress in the corner of the end zone on a backdoor fade with 35 seconds remaining, the Patriots were still up 14-10. So let's give a little love to the guy who didn't catch the ball with his helmet, but did win the game for the Giants in one of the biggest upsets ever.
6. Ricky Proehl's game-tying TDs
If anyone has a right to a beef against the Patriots, it's Proehl, who caught what might have been pivotal touchdown passes in two different Super Bowls against New England with two different teams -- the Rams and Panthers. Proehl nabbed a 26-yard touchdown pass from Kurt Warner with 1:30 left in the fourth quarter to tie Super Bowl XXXVI at 17, only to be foiled by Adam Vinatieri's game-winning field goal as time expired. Then, two years later, he caught a 12-yarder from Jake Delhomme to tie the Patriots at 29 with 1:08 left in the game, only to be upstaged by Vinatieri again.
YOUR DAILY DOSE: Top sports headlines, delivered daily
5. Devin Hester's opening kickoff return in Super Bowl XLI
In his prime, Hester was one of the most dangerous return threats in NFL history, with 11 touchdowns on punt and kick returns in his first two seasons alone. And in his rookie season of 2006, Hester started the Super Bowl for the Bears with a 92-yard dash at the beginning of the game. The Bears were unable to match Peyton Manning and his Colts in a 29-17 loss, but Hester continued to put the league on notice.
4. Larry Fitzgerald's sprinting touchdown in Super Bowl XLIII
Though his Cardinals couldn't quite overcome the Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII, Fitzgerald had one of the greatest postseasons of any receiver in NFL history at the end of the 2008 season, catching 30 passes on 42 targets for 546 yards and seven touchdowns in four games. This 64-yard sprint for a touchdown near the end of the game put the Cardinals up 23-20 with 2:37 left, but Arizona couldn't stop Ben Roethlisberger's touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes with 35 seconds remaining. Had the Cardinals pulled this out, Fitzgerald - who caught seven passes for 127 yards and two touchdowns - would have been the Super Bowl MVP. Maybe he should have been anyway.
3. Julio Jones' sideline catch in Super Bowl LI
There is no more agonizing Super Bowl loss than Atlanta's meltdown after leading the Patriots 28-3 in the third quarter, especially when Jones made plays like this. With 4:47 left in regulation, Matt Ryan threw 27 yards downfield to the wideout, who made one of the most amazing sideline catches you'll ever see. The Falcons were up 28-20 at this point, but they followed Jones' reception with a disastrous end of a drive that included a sack and a holding penalty on left tackle Jake Matthews. Atlanta had to punt with 3:38 left in the game, and the rest is history.
2. Steve McNair's scramble drill in Super Bowl XXXIV
When we think about the Titans' offense in Super Bowl XXXIV, it's of course receiver Kevin Dyson falling one yard short of the touchdown that could have tied the game at 23. But the play before was one of the Tennessee quarterback's truly great escapes. With 22 seconds left, McNair dived around St. Louis' defense and somehow flung the ball to Dyson for 16 yards.
1. Jermaine Kearse's miraculous catch in Super Bowl XLIX
Under different circumstances, this would arguably be considered the most amazing catch in NFL history. But because of what happened to the Seahawks two plays later, most don't remember Kearse's 33-yard reception with 1:14 left. On their next play, the Seahawks, down 28-24 to the Patriots, handed the ball to running back Marshawn Lynch for a four-yard gain to the New England 1-yard line. And then, with their second consecutive Super Bowl win so close, the Seahawks called this play. Whoops. Should have run the ball, guys. Not only to win the game, but to ensure that Kearse got credit for the damnedest catch in Super Bowl history.