The best Super Bowl moments of all time
There are very few sporting events on the planet that match the sheer spectacle and magnitude of overwhelming popularity that the Superbowl game brings in every year, with each rendition offering its fair share of high-profile action featuring the absolute best from the NFL’s rivalling conferences.
The annual NFL Superbowl game remains as one of the most widely watched broadcasts in the world across its near 60-year history, dating back to the merger between the AFL and NFL.
Some of the world’s most renowned and coveted athletes have collected a vast number of Vince Lombardi championship rings over the decades with this title being the greatest crown to earn across all professional football competitions.
Ahead of this season’s game, fans can check out all the latest Superbowl odds via the BetUS sportsbook which has the Buffalo Bills ranked as the perennial favorites at +400 on moneyline, followed closely by former champions Kansas City Chiefs (+450), Philadelphia Eagles (+500) and San Francisco 49ers (+500).
When reminiscing on the absolute best individual Superbowl moments throughout the event’s long and prosperous history, there is an endless amount of prestigious high marks to select from that all football fans remember with the greatest of fondness (or distain should their team be on the receiving end).
These are some of the all-time greatest Superbowl moments:
3Superbowl LI – The infamous 28-3 choke:
There maybe no greater comeback in both Superbowl and NFL history than the one witnessed at Superbowl LI which featured the dynasty labelled New England Patriots taking on an imposing Atlanta Falcons team that came straight out of the gates with a decisive lead, or so we thought!
The Falcons lead the Pats by a 25-point margin with just shy of two minutes left in the third quarter, leaving many to believe that Brady and Belichick’s championship ladened years had finally run out of gas.
However, Brady’s stellar fourth quarter play and the Pats excellent defensive presence brought the game back to a 28-28 tie at the end of regulation, which marked the first time ever that the Superbowl game would head to overtime.
The Pats would win the coin toss with Brady leading a game-winning overtime drive that would result in a touchdown and thus culminated in a truly remarkable 34-28 comeback victory as Brady collected his fifth championship ring to the dismay of Falcons fans, which is a result that the franchise is still relentlessly mocked about to this day.
2Superbowl XLIX – Malcolm Butler’s game-winning interception:
After the Seattle Seahawks’ legendary Superbowl showing the prior year, the ‘Legion of Boom’ would once again guide the Seahawks to consecutive Superbowl appearances with Tom Brady’s New England Patriots being their only adversary standing between the defensive juggernauts and the prestigious Vince Lombardi trophy.
This game went straight down to the wire with the Pats dominating the decisive fourth quarter up 28-24 with just two minutes remaining.
However, the Seahawks struck back with a tremendous offensive drive that pushed the reigning champions to the Pats’ one-yard line, knowing that a touchdown would win them the game.
In a shocking conclusion, Seahawks all-pro Quarterback Russell Wilson threw the ball into the endzone, but saw his pass picked off by Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler whose pick ensured the Patriots win and ending the Seahawks once touted potential defensive dynasty as they would never truly reach the heights that the franchise achieved during these impressive years.
1Superbowl XLII – David Tyree’s remarkable helmet catch:
Whilst Eli Manning may be questioned as a candidate for the Hall of Fame given his prior years of inconsistency, there is no denying his status as a New York Giants legend and as one of the main reasons as to why Tom Brady and the New England Patriots did not win even more championship rings than they already have.
Heading into the fourth quarter of Superbowl XLII, the Pats were leading 14-10 meaning that if the Giants wanted to walk away from Glendale with championship glory, they would need to stage a game-winning drive unlike any other.
Despite the glaring deficiencies, Manning inspired the Giants to a tremendous offensive drive when he broke away from the Pats fierce tacklers and launched the ball down field, which was miraculously caught by receiver David Tyree in one of the most dramatic ways imaginable.
Tyree caught and appeared to pin the ball to the side of his helmet whilst under pressure from the Pats defense which completed a first down inside the twenty-yard line with just under a minute to play from an initial 3rd and 5.
The Giants would complete the drive with Plaxico Burress scoring a touchdown from a 13-yard reception with only 35 seconds left on the clock, marking this as one of the greatest winning drives that the NFL fandom has ever witnessed and one that is still widely discussed to this day.
