The stuff of legends
Sports activities are solely as attention-grabbing because the theater they produce, whether or not it’s Week One of many preseason or the Tremendous Bowl.
Scores have ranged from as extensive a margin as 55-10 to as shut as 20-19
There have been 56 Tremendous Bowls within the NFL’s 100+ years of operation and, of the 32 fashionable franchises, 20 champions. Scores have ranged from as extensive a margin as 55-10 to as shut as 20-19.
Each second of the NFL yr is spent in anticipation of successful the coveted Lombardi Trophy. For 31 groups, these moments die in useless, however for one, they’re ingrained into everlasting soccer lore. At the moment, we revisit essentially the most dramatic finishes in Tremendous Bowl historical past.
Tremendous Bowl XLIX: New England Patriots 28, Seattle Seahawks 24
The 2014 NFL playoffs went simply as anticipated within the early phases. The Patriots and Seahawks, the highest seeds of their respective conferences, stormed their manner by the bracket till they lastly met in Tremendous Bowl XLIX.
The Patriots had been recent off of a 45-7 demolition of the Indianapolis Colts within the AFC Championship Sport, whereas the Seahawks had been emblazoned with youthful ardour from the “Legion of Increase” and a smashmouth offense.
14 unanswered of their very own within the fourth quarter
The groups traded blows by the primary half and went into the intermission knotted at 14. The Seahawks then scored ten unanswered factors within the third quarter to go up 24-14. Tom Brady and the Pats, as they’ve been recognized to do, responded with 14 unanswered of their very own within the fourth quarter, together with a go-ahead landing with 2:02 remaining.
The Seahawks weren’t able to roll over and die. In lower than one minute, they moved the ball all the way down to the Patriots’ one-yard line and had been on the verge of clinching their second straight Tremendous Bowl – then got here probably the most notorious performs in franchise historical past.
Quite than handing the ball to bruising again Marshawn Lynch, Seattle dialed up a fast slant cross that was intercepted by undrafted rookie free agent Malcolm Butler. New England took a few knees, and the sport was over.
Tremendous Bowl XXV: New York Giants 20, Buffalo Payments 19
Some issues in life simply can’t be defined. Many Buffalo natives imagine that Tremendous Bowl XXV was the beginning of a supernatural curse positioned over the franchise, and for good cause.
The Payments entered the 1991 championship bout with one of the best document within the AFC and the sensation that they might win their first title in franchise historical past. With Jim Kelly and Thurmon Thomas on the controls and a terrifying protection to enrich them, they only wanted yet another win.
The sport went backwards and forwards and was outlined by defensive stands quite than spotlight performs. The Giants led a lot of the fourth quarter, however had succumbed to the mercy of the Payments, who had the ball lined up for a 47-yard discipline aim with simply 4 seconds left.
pushed his would-be game-winner extensive proper
With over 73,000 followers current within the stands, Buffalo kicker Scott Norwood pushed his would-be game-winner extensive proper, handing the Giants the primary one-point win in Tremendous Bowl historical past.
Seems like easy unhealthy luck, proper? The place was the curse in all of this?
A lot to the horror of Payments personnel and supporters, the workforce made it to every of the subsequent three Tremendous Bowls and misplaced all of them. To at the present time, no workforce in league historical past has made 4 straight Tremendous Bowls aside from Buffalo, and they didn’t win any of them.
Tremendous Bowl XLII: New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14
Everybody is aware of the story of David and Goliath. Tremendous Bowl XLII was simply that, and it performed out precisely the identical manner.
they went 16-0 within the common season
The Patriots had been the massive unhealthy menaces of the NFL in 2007. They went 16-0 within the common season, throughout which Tom Brady gained league MVP and Randy Moss set the document for many touchdowns in a season (23). Additionally they gained every of their first two playoff video games by two scores and regarded fully unstoppable.
The Giants, in the meantime, completed the yr 10-6 and had been the fifth seed within the NFC. They barely snuck by the Inexperienced Bay Packers within the NFC Championship 23-20 and had been huge underdogs heading into the massive recreation.
New England led 7-3 by the point the fourth quarter got here round. Each defenses had been enjoying lights out and neither offense regarded snug.
The tide lastly turned when the Giants scored a go-ahead landing, just for the Patriots to reply with one in every of their very own. That left the underdogs trailing 14-10 on what turned their last drive of the sport.
With their backs in opposition to the wall, backup extensive receiver David Tyree made probably the most memorable receptions ever with what’s remembered as “the helmet catch.”
That arrange a 13-yard landing cross to Plaxico Burress with 35 seconds left and secured the win for the Giants, their first since 1987.
Tremendous Bowl LI: New England Patriots 34, Atlanta Falcons 28
One of the best gamers step up when the lights are the brightest.
In 2017, Brady was again within the Tremendous Bowl for the seventh time in his profession. He’d already gained 4 instances, however was hungry for an additional as his 14-2 Pats met up with MVP Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons.
Bostonians in every single place had been shocked when their hometown heroes went into halftime trailing 28-3. No one had ever embarrassed Brady, Invoice Belichick, or the franchise the identical manner the Falcons had within the first half, and hopes of coming again appeared bleak at greatest.
Quick ahead to the tip of the third quarter, and there was nonetheless critical doubt that New England may come again. Each groups scored one landing and the Falcons’ lead was nonetheless a frightening 28-9.
Fortunately for the Patriots, the G.O.A.T. was able to play. They burst into the fourth quarter with 18 straight factors, together with a one-yard landing run with 57 seconds left, to drive additional time. By then, there was merely an excessive amount of momentum for the Falcons to beat.
New England solidified the victory with a James White two-yard run within the further interval and took house their fifth Tremendous Bowl as a franchise.
Brady completed with 466 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception, and was named Tremendous Bowl MVP. The Pats scored 31 unanswered to shut out the sport.
Tremendous Bowl XXXIV: St. Louis Rams 23, Tennessee Titans 16
Soccer is a recreation of inches. No one is aware of that higher than ex-Titans receiver Kevin Dyson, who got here up a hair wanting altering NFL historical past without end in 2000.
The high-powered Rams offense had run roughshod over the league all through the common season, a lot in order that they earned the nickname “The Biggest Present on Turf.” The Titans weren’t as traditionally dominant, however had a well-rounded squad that had constructed actual momentum all through the previous playoff video games.
Steve McNair led the Titans on a last-second drive down the sector for a possible game-tying rating
To nobody’s shock, St. Louis had its manner with the Tennessee protection. Kurt Warner racked up 414 passing yards and two touchdowns, with wideout Isaac Bruce claiming 162 yards and one landing from that whole. Nonetheless, they might do nothing however stand on the sidelines as Steve McNair led the Titans on a last-second drive down the sector for a possible game-tying rating.
Tennessee labored its option to the 10-yard line with simply six seconds on the clock and dialed up what they knew would grow to be the ultimate play: a fast slant off the appropriate facet to the appropriate hash.
McNair delivered a bullet to Dyson, simply as anticipated, who caught the ball in stride on the 5-yard line. Rams linebacker Mike Jones hustled over and wrapped him up, however couldn’t fully cease the ahead momentum, and the 2 went spiraling to the bottom.
As they had been tumbling collectively, Dyson stretched his lengthy arm in the direction of the aim line…and got here up just some inches quick. The clock ran out three seconds later, and the Rams had been champions.
No recreation has ended as bodily shut, actually, as this one.
