Just one moment can change the outcome of a game. No two teams may be more aware of that than the Giants and Patriots. Four years ago, an unknown Giants receiver made a miraculous catch on top of his helmet, and the Patriots went from being renowned as the greatest team of all time to just another Super Bowl loser. As the two teams meet again in Super Bowl XLVI, the helmet catch has been brought to the forefront. So where does that unlikely grab by David Tyree rank among the greatest moments in Super Bowl history? 10 Elway helicopter (Super Bowl XXXII) » John Elway had led the Broncos to three previous Super Bowls but lost each time. At 37 years old, he was more determined than ever, and no play epitomized that better than this 8-yard run. The Broncos faced a third down in the red zone. When the play broke down, Elway saw an opening and took off running. He was met by two Packers defenders and spun completely around, but he picked up the first down.
9 Harrison on the run (Super Bowl XLIII) » Who would have thought Steelers linebacker James Harrison would own the record for longest scoring play in Super Bowl history? Right before the end of the first half, the Cardinals were on the Pittsburgh 1-yard line when Kurt Warner was intercepted by Harrison in the end zone. The 242-pound linebacker then rumbled down the sideline to score with no time left in the first half.
8 Allen runs free (Super Bowl XVIII) » In the Raiders’ 38-9 blowout of the Redskins, one play stood out. Running back Marcus Allen appeared to be stopped behind the line of scrimmage when he quickly spun, changed direction and blew past the rest of the Redskins’ defense. The 74-yard run was the longest in Super Bowl history at the time. Allen ran for 191 yards and was named the MVP.
7 Kick-starting legacy (Super Bowl XXXVI) » The legacy of Adam Vinatieri — the best clutch kicker in NFL history — began with a 48-yard game-winner that gave the Patriots a 20-17 victory over the Rams. Vinatieri went on to win three more Super Bowls — two with the Patriots and one with the Colts — and had another game-winner in Super Bowl XXXVIII vs. the Panthers.
6 Riggo breaks through (Super Bowl XVII) » Down by four points in the fourth quarter, the Redskins faced a fourth-and-1 on the Miami 43-yard line. Instead of punting, Washington decided to put the game in the hands of running back John Riggins, who did much more than just pick up the first down. He broke a tackle from Miami cornerback Don McNeal near the line of scrimmage and scampered 43 yards for the go-ahead touchdown.
5 Montana to Taylor (Super Bowl XXIII) » The drive began with the 49ers down by three to the Bengals with 3:20 remaining. It ended with Joe Montana completing a 10-yard touchdown pass to John Taylor — his lone catch of the game — with just 34 seconds left. Montana, in “Joe Cool” fashion, calmed his teammates by asking “Hey, isn’t that John Candy?” in the huddle before the game-winning drive.
4 Just out of reach (Super Bowl XXXIV) » The Titans fell 1-yard short of sending the game into overtime. With six seconds left, Tennessee had the ball on the St. Louis 10-yard line. Steve McNair completed it to Kevin Dyson in stride on the 5-yard line, but Rams linebacker Mike Jones tackled Dyson just short of the end zone. The receiver’s outstretched arm only made it to the 1-yard line as time expired.
3 Wide right (Super Bowl XXV) » The Bills drove down to the New York 29-yard line in the final seconds. Down 20-19, Buffalo sent out kicker Scott Norwood to attempt a game-winning, 47-yard field goal with eight seconds remaining. The kick sailed wide right. This was the first of four straight Super Bowl losses for the Bills, who lost the next three by 13 or more points.
2 Helmet catch (Super Bowl XLII) » With a little more than a minute left and down by four points, the Giants faced a third-and-5 on their own 44. It appeared Eli Manning was going to get sacked, but somehow he spun out of the grasp of a Patriots defender and launched a deep pass down the middle of the field. Giants receiver David Tyree and Patriots safety Rodney Harrison wrestled for the ball. Tyree used his head and won.
1 Namath’s guarantee (Super Bowl III) » This moment happened before the teams took the field, but none may have been as influential to the league. In the third championship game, the AFL champion New York Jets were heavy underdogs to the NFL champion Baltimore Colts. But that didn’t stop quarterback Joe Namath from predicting a win, and the Jets lived up to his prediction.
