The 10 Ballsiest Gambles in Super Bowl History

The Super Bowl is one of the biggest sporting events in the world, as the two National Football League teams that survived the regular-season gauntlet and postseason tournament square off to determine who will hoist the Lombardi Trophy as NFL champs.

Sometimes, one gutsy call can make the difference between immortality and infamy, so here's a look at 10 of the ballsiest gambles that have ever been attempted on Super Sunday.

10. Super Bowl III: Flea-Flicker Flub

This one's included as a lesson that gambles don't always pay off.

Late in the first half of Super Bowl III with the heavily favored Baltimore Colts trailing the New York Jets by a touchdown, the Colts attempted a flea-flicker, with running back Tom Matte taking a handoff and then flipping the ball back to quarterback Earl Morrall.

Morrall, however, didn't see a wide open Jimmy Orr streaking down the field and threw the ball into coverage, where it was intercepted, helping to pave the way for quarterback Joe Namath and the Jets to pull one of the biggest upsets in NFL history.

You can view the play at the 2:20 mark of the video.

9. Super Bowl X: Noll Gets Nutty

In Super Bowl X, with the Pittsburgh Steelers clinging to a 21-17 lead over the Dallas Cowboys with less than two minutes to go in the game, Pittsburgh head coach Chuck Noll temporarily took leave of his senses.

Facing a 4th-and-9 from the Dallas 41, Noll eschewed a punt even though the Cowboys were out of timeouts, instead choosing a running play that got all of two yards and turned the ball over on downs.

Dallas quarterback Roger Staubach was unable to lead a miracle comeback, throwing an interception to safety Glen Edwards that ended the game.

Noll's bizarre play call still straddles the line between ballsy and just nuts.

8. Super Bowl I: The Party Animal Runs Wild

In the inaugural Super Bowl, Green Bay Packers head coach Vince Lombardi was left with a tricky decision after losing leading receiver Boyd Dowler to an injury early in the game.

Surprisingly, Lombardi turned to 34-year-old Max McGee, who as legend has it, spent the night before the game drinking because he didn't expect to play and had all of four receptions on the season.

McGee went on to have seven catches for 138 yards and two touchdowns in the game, and the Packers throttled the Kansas City Chiefs 35-10.

7. Super Bowl XXV: The 2-3-6

In Super Bowl XXV, the New York Giants and defensive coordinator Bill Belichick were faced with the daunting task of trying to slow down the Buffalo Bills and their vaunted "K-Gun" offense.

To do so, Belichick implemented a game plan that, for all intents and purposes, completely ignored running back Thurman Thomas and the Buffalo ground game, using only two defensive linemen for much of the contest.

Thomas ran for 135 yards and a touchdown, but quarterback Jim Kelly threw for only 212 yards and no scores, and the Bills converted only one of eight third-down opportunities in a 20-19 Giants win.

New York's Super Bowl record 40:33 time of possession probably didn't hurt either.

6. Super Bowl XXII: Timmy Who?

Heading into Super Bowl XXII, Washington Redskins head coach Joe Gibbs was faced with a difficult decision, as starting running back George Rogers was hobbled by numerous nagging injuries.

Rather than roll with Rogers Gibbs turned to rookie running back Timmy Smith, who had all of 29 carries on the year and tabbed him as the starting ball carrier in the biggest game of the season.

Smith rumbled for a Super Bowl record 202 yards on 22 carries, Redskins quarterback Doug Williams put on a historical show of his own, and Washington destroyed the Denver Broncos 42-10.

5. Super Bowl V: Sometimes You Can Trust a Kicker

It may not seem so after Sunday's AFC Championship Game, but sometimes, you really can have faith in a placekicker.

In Super Bowl V, with the score tied 13-13 between the Baltimore Colts and Dallas Cowboys, Colts head coach Don McCafferty was left with the option of calling an offensive play, playing for overtime or chancing a field goal attempt by rookie kicker Jim O'Brien, who had an extra point blocked earlier in the game.

McCafferty rolled the dice, sent O'Brien out there and the kid drilled the game winner from, ironically...32 yards out.

4. Super Bowl XVII: 4th and Run

Down 17-13 to the Miami Dolphins in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XVII, the Washington Redskins faced a 4th-and-1 from the Miami 43-yard line.

Redskins head coach Joe Gibbs decided to go for it, because as he later said "We didn't want to lose a Super Bowl by not being tough enough."

The Dolphins, expecting a punt, called time out, but it didn't do them much good, as bruising running back John Riggins not only got the first down but rumbled all the way to the end zone, propelling Washington to their first championship in 41 years.

3. Super Bowl XL: Reverse Ala Randle El

With the Pittsburgh Steelers nursing a four-point lead against the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XL, Steelers head coach Bill Cowher decided that a little trickeration was in order.

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger pitched the ball to running back Willie Parker, who then handed the ball to wide receiver Antwaan Randle El on an apparent reverse.

Randle El, who played quarterback in college at Indiana, then uncorked a perfect 43-yard strike to wide receiver Hines Ward for a touchdown, and the game was effectively decided.

2. Super Bowl XXXVI: A Legend Is Born

Despite being huge underdogs against the St. Louis Rams and the "Greatest Show on Turf" in Super Bowl XXXVI, the New England Patriots had held their own in the game, and with the score tied 17-17, the Patriots took possession of the ball at their own 17-yard line with 1:21 left in the game.

Rather than play it safe, run out the clock and take their chances in overtime, head coach Bill Belichick decided to go for the win, handing the ball to an unheralded second-year quarterback making only his 17th career start by the name of Tom Brady.

Brady led the Patriots down the field, Adam Vinatieri booted the game-winning field goal and a dynasty was born.

1. Super Bowl XLIV: "The Ambush"

There may have been no more shocking play in the history of the Super Bowl than the second-half kickoff of Super Bowl XLIV between the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints.

Down 10-6 at halftime, New Orleans head coach Sean Payton had no intention of just giving the ball to quarterback Peyton Manning and the prolific Colts offense to start the half, so he did something that absolutely no one saw coming.

The Saints attempted an onside kick and recovered, marching down the field to take a 13-10 lead.

The shift in momentum that play generated was a huge part of the Saints eventually emerging from the game as world champions.