15 Most Iconic Super Bowl Moments
15. Joe Namath Makes Good on His Guarantee
Super Bowl III
Jan. 12, 1969
"We're going to win Sunday. I guarantee it." Joe Namath made that audacious statement a few days before Super Bowl III against the heavily favored Baltimore Colts, and then he delivered on his promise, leading the Jets to a stunning 16-7 win in a game that would set the stage for the merger of the AFL and the NFL. The image of Namath running off the field with his index finger wagging in the air is one of the most memorable — and most significant — in league history.
14. Tracey Porter’s Pick Six
Super Bowl XLIV
Feb. 7, 2010
With just over three minutes left in the fourth quarter, the New Orleans Saints held a 24-17 lead, but Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning had led his team into Saints territory looking for a game-tying score. Instead, Tracy Porter intercepted a pass by Manning and ran it 74 yards for a touchdown, clinching the victory and the first championship for the Saints.
13. Lynn Swann’s Leaping Catch
Super Bowl X
Jan. 18, 1976
Swann racked up 161 receiving yards and a touchdown and was named the Super Bowl MVP, but the grace and athleticism he showed on a couple of key plays left a more lasting impression than any statistic. Late in the second quarter, with the Cowboys ahead 10-7, Swann managed to make a leaping catch near midfield, even after Cowboys cornerback Mark Washington tipped the ball. After juggling the ball for a couple seconds, Swann grasped onto it right before stumbling to the ground.
12. The Diesel Rumbles for a Touchdown
Super Bowl XVII
Jan. 30, 1983
With 10:10 remaining, Washington trailed the Miami Dolphins by 17-13 and faced fourth down and a yard to go at the Dolphins’ 43-yard line. Washington’s bruising, 240-pound running back John Riggins took the handoff, broke a tackle and chugged for a touchdown. Riggins would end the game with 166 yards rushing, as Washington won 27-17.
11. A Dynasty Is Born
Super Bowl XXXVI
Feb. 3, 2002
It’s now hard to think of the Bill Belichick-Tom Brady Patriots as anything other than a dynastic juggernaut, but back in 2002, New England was a scrappy underdog facing the 14-2 St. Louis Rams’ and their overwhelmingly favored “Greatest Show on Turf” offense. Adam Vinatieri’s 48-yard field goal as time expired sealed a shocking 20-17 win for the Patriots — the first of three Super Bowl championships in four seasons.
10. James Harrison’s 100-yard TD
Super Bowl XLIII
Feb. 1, 2009
Two plays defined the matchup between the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers. On the final play of the first half, Steelers linebacker James Harrison intercepted a pass from Cardinals QB Kurt Warner and returned it 100 yards for a touchdown.
9. Marcus Allen’s Record Run
Super Bowl XVIII
Jan. 22, 1984
Raiders running back Marcus Allen, who carried the ball 20 times for a total of 191 yards and two touchdowns, saved his best play of the game for the final snap of the third quarter. After being stymied on a sweep left, Allen cut back to the middle and took off for a then-Super Bowl record 74-yard touchdown run. The Raiders cruised to an easy 38-9 win.
8. Remember the Titans?
Super Bowl XXXIV
Jan. 30, 2000
Attempting to score a game-tying touchdown, the Tennessee Titans drove to the St. Louis Rams’ 10-yard line. On the final play of the game, Rams linebacker Mike Jones tackled Titans wide receiver Kevin Dyson one measly yard short of the goal line, clinching a Rams win. The play became known as simply “The Tackle.”
7. Santonio Holmes’ Game-Winner
Super Bowl XLIII
Feb. 1, 2009
With three defenders between Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Santonio Holmes and QB Ben Roethlisberger, a catch just didn’t seem in the cards. But Holmes snagged the six-yard pass and somehow got both feet in the back of the end zone to score the game-winning touchdown with just 35 seconds left.
6. John Elway’s Helicopter Act
Super Bowl XXXII
Jan. 25, 1998
The 37-year-old Elway had lost three Super Bowls and his Broncos came into the matchup against the defending champion Green Bay Packers as underdogs. Late in the third quarter, on a third-and-6 from the Packers’ 12-yard line, Elway scrambled eight yards and hurtled himself through the air reaching for a first down. He was hit mid-air and spun like a helicopter — but his age-defying acrobatic moves propelled the Broncos to a big first down en route to a 31-24 win. Elway had his career-defining moment and his first of two Super Bowl wins.
5. Nipplegate
Super Bowl XXXVIII
Feb. 1, 2004
Few on-field plays have generated as much controversy and discussion as the half-second from the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show when Justin Timberlake accidentally exposed Janet Jackson’s breast. The FCC received 540,000 complaints after the infamous nip slip and fined CBS a record $550,000, but the fine was later voided. “Janet Jackson” became the most searched term in Internet history following the fiasco.
4. Joe Cool
Super Bowl XXIII
Jan. 22, 1989
The king of the comeback, 49ers QB Joe Montana showed he was unflappable even on the biggest stage. Down three with only 3:20 left against the Bengals, Montana loosened up his teammates by pointing out comedian John Candy in the stands, then led the 49ers on a game-winning 92-yard drive that was capped off with a 10-yard touchdown pass to John Taylor with only 34 seconds left on the clock.
3. Scott Norwood, Wide Right
Super Bowl XXV
Jan. 27, 1991
Buffalo Bills kicker Scott Norwood had a chance to give his team a last-second win, but his 47-yard field goal attempt with seconds left in the game was “no good…wide right,” as announcer Al Michaels called it. Those two words, “wide right,” continue to haunt Bills fans.
2. Malcolm Butler Saves the Day
Super Bowl XLIX
Feb. 1, 2015
The Seattle Seahawks were poised to repeat as Super Bowl champions. They were trailing by four, but perched on the New England Patriots 1-yard line with plenty of time to punch in the winning score — except Seattle then made a highly scrutinized call for QB Russell Wilson to throw the ball. Patriots rookie Malcolm Butler made an game-winning interception, and Patriot fans could celebrate what might be the most shocking ending of any Super Bowl.
1. David Tyree’s Helmet Catch
Super Bowl XLII
Feb. 3, 2008
The most memorable play in what’s widely seen as the most memorable Super Bowl upset. Down 14-10 with just over a minute left in the fourth quarter, Giants QB Eli Manning somehow escaped being sacked and heaved a pass downfield. Wide receiver David Tyree made a physics-defying catch at the Patriots’ 24-yeard line, using one hand to pin the football against the crown of his helmet. The Giants would go on to score a touchdown and crush the heavily favored Patriots’ hopes of an undefeated season.