Super Bowl 44 Betting – Five Most Memorable Super Bowl Moments

I should point out that this piece is dedicated to those who have a certain grasp of what has happened in every Super Bowl. It is obviously a lot easier to remember something that took place more recently, although thanks to the artistry of NFL Films and youtube, we get to keep a lot of this stuff fresh in our minds.

When compiling a list of the most "memorable" Super Bowl plays, they are not necessarily the five biggest, or the most important, but those that, if you saw them, are truly unforgettable. For their sake, we offer up these gems, and we’ll identify them by player:

JOHN RIGGINS, Super Bowl XVII — Riggins’ 43-yard run in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XVII took place with the redskins trailing Miami by a 17-13 score. That’s big in itself but what makes it so memorable was the play came on a fourth-and-one where Washington coach Joe Gibbs decided to go for a first down. Gibbs sent in a play called "70 Chip" where Riggins had to slant off-tackle, and where all of the Dolphin defenders were picked by blockers except for one – Miami safety Don McNeal. Riggins took him on, beat him easily, and scampered the rest of the way, catapulting him to an MVP award with 166 yards on the day.

MIKE JONES, Super Bowl XXXIV — The Tennessee Titans were driving toward a tying touchdown, trying to come back one more time from a 23-17 deficit after rallying from being down 16-0 to tie. Steve McNair was making acrobatic plays to keep the drive alive, and as the clock wound down, the Titans were in a position to become the first team to win or tie a Super Bowl game on the game’s final play.

The play call from the Titan sideline called for a slant pass to Kevin Dyson, who would have to catch it and run a few steps before diving into the end zone. However, Dyson made his cut a bit too soon, and Rams linebacker Mike Jones, who was supposed to be blanketing tight end Frank Wycheck, was looking over his shoulder and saw Dyson catching the ball. That gave him time to move quickly over and tackle Dyson by the legs, keeping him about a yard short of the goal line. It was arguably the most exciting finish in Super Bowl history.

SCOTT NORWOOD, Super Bowl XXV — The general consensus was that the Buffalo Bills were the better team on the field, as they headed into their first Super Bowl. They were indeed favored by a touchdown when lining up against Bill Parcells’ Giants, who were quarterbacked by Jeff Hostetler who was standing in for the injured Phil Simms.

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On a dramatic last-minute drive in their no-huddle offense, the Bills advanced to the new York 29 and left it in the hands of their kicker, Scott Norwood. He was 72% accurate for his career and had been All-Pro just two seasons earlier, but we all know where this is going. He missed the kick wide right, beginning what many believed to be a Super Bowl curse for the Bills. "Wide right" became part of American culture, and was referenced in movies like "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective" and "Buffalo ’66."

DAVID TYREE, Super Bowl XLII — Sometimes the most memorable plays are made by players who are not immortal in the least. Yet, in an odd way, that gives them even more of a cachet. David Tyree had been to the Pro Bowl in 2005, but it was for his exploits on the New York Giants special teams. He was virtually unknown for his abilities at the wide receiver position. In fact, going into the 2007 post-season, he had made only 54 catches in his career.

With a little more than a minute left in Super Bowl XLII, Eli Manning amazingly eluded a fierce New England pass rush and threw up what amounted to a Hail Mary in the middle of the field. Tyree leaped, caught the ball against his helmet, and held it there with one hand as he went to the ground, keeping New York’s drive going. Four plays later, Manning found Plaxico Burress in the end zone and the Giants had ruined the Patriots’ undefeated season.

GARO YEPREMIAN, Super Bowl VII — Speaking of undefeated seasons, Yepremian, a Cypriot who had never seen an NFL game until he played in one, looked like he was dead set on ruining the Miami Dolphins’ chances to go 17-0. Leading the Washington Redskins by a 14-0 count, the Dolphins lined up to kick a field goal from 42 yards out. Yepremian’s kick was blocked, and as Garo recovered it, he tried to make a play by throwing the ball, but flubbed it. After compounding matters by batting the ball in the air, Mike Bass of the Redskins, a standout on George Allen’s special teams unit, pulled it down and took it 49 yards to the end zone, turning a comfortable game into a nail-biter. Dolphin fans are thankful for the defense, which later held on a last-gasp drive to ensure the victory and a perfect season, which seemed far from perfect as "Garo’s Gaffe" was unfolding.

There are at least 25 plays that could qualify for this list. You’ve got Bob Lilly’s 29-yard sack of Bob Griese (VI), Joe Montana’s last-second TD pass to John Taylor (XXIII), Leon Lett’s fumble return that didn’t quite make it to pay dirt (XXVII), Willie Brown’s TD interception return (XI), Dan Bunz’s goal-line tackle on Charles Alexander (XVI), Kenny King’s 80-yard TD catch (XV), Marcus Allen’s 74-yard TD run (XVIII), Joe Theismann knocking the ball out of Kim Bokamper’s hands (XVII), Desmond Howard’s kickoff return (XXXI), Santonio Holmes’ TD catch or James Harrison’s interception return (XLIII), Adam Vinatieri’s winning field goals, or any of the great plays made by Lynn Swann and John Stallworth.

Maybe we can add some more to this list next Sunday as its sure to be a gem. Arguably the two best aerial assaults in the NFL quarterbacked by Peyton Manning and Drew Breese makes this a can’t miss Super Bowl.

For full coverage leading up to the big game, stay tuned into the BetOnline Locker Room for a full Super Bowl 44 betting breakdown. From props to futures, BetOnline has your game.

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