Ranking the Most Exciting Plays in Super Bowl History

In just a few, short days, sports fans everywhere will be tuned into their TVs, eating buffalo chicken dip, judging commercials and, most importantly, taking in the 49th edition of the Super Bowl.

Whether you're a diehard sports fan or not, the Big Game is the ultimate in entertainment, pitting two teams against each other for a place in the NFL record books.

The game has also proved to be a moment where even unknown players can stake their claim in the annals for sports lore, coming up with plays and performances that no one could have predicted on the sport's grandest stage.

While it seems like there's an exciting play in every single Super Bowl ever played, I'm giving you the ones that will never be forgotten, as I count down the best ever.

20. Don Beebe Tracks Down Leon Lett

One of the biggest gaffes in Super Bowl history, the premature celebration that Dallas Cowboys defensive linemen Leon Lett had against the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXVII has lived on for more than 20 years now.

With his team leading 52-17 at the time, the play didn't have much of an impact on the final outcome or cost Lett's team a championship—which is why it's No. 20 on this list—but it was one that was unpredictable and exciting due to Beebe's hustle to catch the big man from behind, even though the Buffalo Bills were trailing by 35 points.

19. Peyton Manning's Safety Net

The very first offensive play of last year's Super Bowl is one that Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos would rather forget.

As the No. 1-ranked offense of Denver matched up against the No. 1-ranked defense of the Seattle Seahawks, an errant snap over Manning's head proved costly, as the future Hall of Famer had to track down the ball in his own end zone for a quick safety.

It wasn't the start anyone expected, and it set the mark for the quickest score in Super Bowl history at 12 seconds.

18. Devin Hester Is a Return Freak

Anytime a score happens before people have even made their way from the kitchen to the couch, it's an exciting play.

With flash bulbs going off as Super Bowl XLI was getting underway, historic return man Devin Hester knew this was his moment to shine and show he's the best at his particular craft.

Receiving the ball at the 8-yard-line, Hester blew by Indianapolis Colts tacklers on his way to the end zone, setting the mark for the fastest score in Super Bowl history—since broken.

It also marked the second opening kickoff returned for six in a championship game that year, as former Ohio State Buckeyes returner Ted Ginn Jr. did the same versus the Florida Gators in the BCS title game a month earlier.

Unfortunately, neither return helped, as both the Chicago Bears and Buckeyes lost.

17. Antwaan Randle El Shows off His Arm

Trick plays are always fun to attempt while playing in a backyard football game with buddies on Thanksgiving Day, but they're riskier when an NFL title is at stake.

It didn't matter to former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Bill Cowher in Super Bowl XL, though, as he made a gutsy call that secured his first and only championship.

Leading by four points early in the fourth quarter against the Seattle Seahawks, Cowher's team ran a wide receiver reverse toss, with former college quarterback Antwaan Randle El tossing a perfect strike to Hines Ward for a 43-yard touchdown for the game's final points in the 21-10 Pittsburgh victory.

It was the only touchdown pass by a wideout in Super Bowl history.

16. John Elway's Helicopter

In his 15th NFL season at the time, then-37-year-old quarterback John Elway wasn't supposed to be doing this type of stuff.

In search for his first Super Bowl victory after coming up short in his previous three attempts, Elway let his entire heart pour out in one of his most famous plays ever—The Helicopter—refusing to slide down to avoid hits from Green Bay Packers defenders to pick up extra yards.

It came in a tie game with three minutes left in the third quarter on a 3rd-and-6, and he inspired his Denver Broncos teammates to finish strong. The team scored two plays later to take the lead before winning by a 31-24 tally to give the Hall of Famer his first of back-to-back titles to end his career.

15. A Hail Mary Prayer Unanswered

Unidentified AP photographer/Associated Press

A Hail Mary is one of the most exciting plays football has to offer, as it puts fans, coaches and even players on the edge of their seats, hoping that a prayer will be answered as the ball sails through the air.

So when Super Bowl X between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys came down to one last heave, it surely left fans in both cities cringing at the outcome.

Trailing 21-17, Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach dropped back from the Pittsburgh 38 and launched one toward the end zone, with the ball being batted down and then picked off by Steelers defensive backs Mike Wagner and Glen Edwards to secure the dramatic victory for the Steel City's second straight Super Bowl win.

14. Adam Vinatieri Has the Greatest Kick on Turf

It really was David vs. Goliath in Super Bowl XXXVI between the New England Patriots and the favored St. Louis Rams.

With a moniker as the Greatest Show on Turf, the Rams were led by an explosive offense with names like Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk and receivers Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt.

The Patriots, on the other hand, had some unknown, former sixth-round draft pick named Tom Brady guiding them in his first season as the starter after taking over for an injured Drew Bledsoe earlier in the year.

After Brady led his Pats down the field in a tie game to get to the St. Louis 31, New England kicker Adam Vinatieri proved why he's Mr. Clutch, hitting the 48-yard field goal that shocked the entire country.

13. Lynn Swann's Ballet Catch

Associated Press

Prior to a certain other catch that you might just see on this list, Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Fame wide receiver Lynn Swann might have had the most memorable grab in Super Bowl history.

Finishing Super Bowl X against the Dallas Cowboys with four catches for 161 yards, his majestic, slow-motion-like, 64-yard grab in the fourth quarter became the most iconic in his career.

The Steelers won the game 21-17 for their second straight title, as Swann finished as the game's MVP—the first wide receiver to earn the honor.

12. Desmond Howard Goes the Distance

I mentioned history-making return man Devin Hester earlier, but fellow special teams speedster Desmond Howard proved that he had a flair for the dramatic during his playing days, too.

Of course, his Heisman-striking pose as a member of the Michigan Wolverines is his most famous return touchdown, but Howard has another score that is just as remembered.

With the opposing New England Patriots cutting into the Green Bay Packers' lead in the third quarter, Howard received the kickoff from his 1-yard line and dashed by defenders for a then-record 99-yard score.

It was the final points in Super Bowl XXXI, earning Howard the game's MVP in the Pack's 35-21 win.

11. Marcus Allen Ducks and Dodges

With the then-Los Angeles Raiders leading the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XVIII 28-9 in the third quarter, the silver and black's running back Marcus Allen proved why he was a former Heisman Trophy winner and future Hall of Famer.

Taking a pitch from quarterback Jim Plunkett, Allen ran into a wall of Washington defenders, redirecting himself to the inside and bursting 74 yards for a score to end the quarter and give his team a huge cushion.

Going for 191 yards—the second-most gained in Super Bowl history—Allen would be named the game MVP, with this dart being his most memorable run from the performance.

10. Jackie Smith Is the Sickest Man in America

Not every exciting moment is one that always ends happily for those who take part.

Take, for instance, former Dallas Cowboys tight end Jackie Smith, who dropped a potential game-tying touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XIII, which led announcer Verne Lundquist to declare him as feeling like "the sickest man in America."

Standing as wide open in the end zone as possible, Smith slipped a bit as the Roger Staubach pass sailed into his chest. The Boys had to settle for a field goal.

Fatefully, the four-point swing was the difference on the scoreboard, with Pittsburgh winning 35-31.

9. John Riggins Rumbling, Bumbling, Stumbling

Trailing the opposing Miami Dolphins in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XVII, the Washington Redskins—who had lost just one game during the strike-shortened 1982 regular season—needed a spark.

That's why Washington head coach Joe Gibbs elected to go for it on 4th-and-1 from the Miami 43-yard-line.

Bulldozer-like running back John Riggins showed he had some speed in addition to so much power, running over and eluding Miami defenders to finish across the goal line for the winning touchdown in an eventual 27-17 win.

8. Phil Simms Flea-Flicks the Denver Broncos

Known to be a bit more conservative in his approach, former New York Giants head coach Bill Parcells used a little trickery during Super Bowl XXI to help guide his team to a victory.

Stuffed all day on the ground by the Denver Broncos, the Giants figured they would use a flea-flicker to gain some big-time yards.

As running back Joe Morris took a handoff from quarterback Phil Simms, he pitched it back to the signal-caller, who hurled the ball 44 yards to receiver Phil McConkey. The Giants scored a touchdown one play later, and this became one of the best trick plays in Super Bowl history.

It gave New York a 16-point lead and was the nail in Miami's coffin.

7. James Harrison's 100-Yard Interception Return

A key element to every exciting play is having the viewers yell at the TV, either screaming the words "go" or "no," depending on which team they're cheering for.

The 100-yard interception return in Super Bowl XLIII by Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison definitely accomplished that.

Rather than doing his typical blitzing, Harrison dropped into coverage, picking off a Kurt Warner pass just before halftime of a 10-7 Steelers lead.

Running into a group of Arizona Cardinals players at his own 40-yard line, Harrison somehow remained standing, fighting through tacklers to take the ball down the sideline and having just enough oxygen to dive into the end zone as the clock expired on the first half.

After review, the refs determined that the linebacker did cross the goal line, giving the Steelers a 17-7 halftime lead. In the final seconds of the fourth quarter, they scored again to take a 27-23 victory.

6. Sean Payton Sneaks the Onside Kick

Sometimes, it takes some serious guts to win a Super Bowl, forcing coaches to do some untraditional things in order to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton proved that in Super Bowl XLIV against the Indianapolis Colts.

Trailing 10-6 at halftime in a sloppy game, New Orleans looked stagnant on offense and needed a lift to get the team going.

It came in the form of a remarkable onside kick to start the second-half.

Rather than kicking deep and giving Peyton Manning the ball, the Saints head coach saw his team execute the shocking play to perfection. New Orleans recovered the ball and scored a touchdown on the subsequent drive for the lead.

The Saints eventually won by a two-touchdown margin.

5. Joe Cool Finds John Taylor for the Win

There just wasn't anyone quite like Joe Cool, was there?

Trailing the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl XXIII with just over three minutes left in the game, former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Joe Montana lived for these types of moments, calmly loosening his teammates up by famously declaring "Look, isn't that [actor] John Candy?" while taking the huddle at his own 8-yard line. 

Leading his team 92 yards in 10 plays, Montana hit wide receiver John Taylor on a 10-yard slant with just 34 seconds left for the game's final points, earning the Niners a 20-16 victory.

4. Scott Norwood Pushes It Right

Few things are more exciting than the Super Bowl coming down to a final field-goal attempt for a win.

That was the situation for Buffalo Bills kicker Scott Norwood during Super Bowl XXV, as he lined up to take the Bills to the promised land against the New York Giants from 47 yards out—which was just one yard shy of his long of 48 on the season.

With eight seconds left and the Bills trailing by just one point, Norwood did his normal routine, swung his right foot and...well, as the title of the slide describes, pushed it to the outside of the upright, giving the Giants the victory and starting a string of four straight Super Bowl losses for the Bills.

3. Santonio Holmes Uses His Tippy Toes

I already listed the aforementioned James Harrison 100-yard interception return touchdown to end the first half of Super Bowl XLIII, but the toe-tapping touchdown by his Pittsburgh Steelers teammate, Santonio Holmes, to end the second half was even more exciting.

Trailing the Arizona Cardinals 23-20 in the final quarter with 35 seconds left, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger delivered a strike to Holmes, who was able to toe the sideline before being pushed out for the game-winner.

Had Holmes worn a shoe even a half-size smaller, the outcome may have been different—that's how close this catch was.

2. Mike Jones Leaves Kevin Dyson 1 Yard Short

The Tennessee Titans were just three feet away.

Trailing the St. Louis Rams 23-16 with six seconds left and snapping the game's final play from the Rams' 10-yard line, Titans quarterback Steve McNair hit Kevin Dyson in stride at the 3-yard line. Dyson looked like he'd get across the goal line for the tying touchdown to send the game to overtime.

Rams linebacker Mike Jones wouldn't allow it, though.

With a perfectly timed tackle, Jones got just enough of Dyson to prevent him from stretching in for the score. As the final seconds ticked off, the receiver continued to put the nose of the football toward the white line but to no avail.

1. Eli Manning to David Tyree for the Helmet Catch

Forget the fact that former New York Giants wide receiver David Tyree made the greatest catch in Super Bowl history against the New England Patriots in the 42nd installment of the Big Game.

What makes this play the most exciting in the game's history is that so much was at stake and so much could have gone wrong.

Lining up for a 3rd-and-5 from the Giants own 44-yard line and trailing 14-10 with just over one minute remaining, quarterback Eli Manning looked destined to get sacked by New England's Jarvis Green but was able to escape and, shockingly, not get the play whistled down by head referee Mike Carey.

He heaved a prayer toward one of his receivers, and the little-used Tyree battled safety Rodney Harrison for the ball, pinning it against his helmet to maintain control to keep the drive alive and lead to the game's winning score.

Tyree's remarkable catch took history from the Pats, who were looking to become the second undefeated and first 19-0 team in NFL history. It also served as Tyree's final reception in an NFL game.

Talk about exiting with a bang, though.