As it is, the remarkable Kearse catch can't quite be put up there with David Tyree and all the others. But it definitely does deserve a place among the best Super Bowl plays ever. Since it's 2015, my list is going to have 15 plays on it, with a few restrictions. Well, one main one. Only one play from the same game (sorry, Larry Fitzgerald). And they don't just have to be by the winners. Plays can come from either team, although the ones that rank more highly were obviously big plays in clutch situations. And this was completely unintentional, but a lot of the 15 happened in the last few years. I guess that's what happens when you have a bunch of good games (including this year's).
And with that, here we go...
15. Adam Vinatieri, Patriots (Super Bowl XXXVI)
The kick that started it all. The game-winning field goal on the final play to beat the Rams and start the Patriots' dynasty.
14. Johnny Unitas to John Mackey, Colts (Super Bowl V)
This is the oldest play that makes the cut. A great 75-yard touchdown pass from one Hall of Famer to another. This was Baltimore's first score of a game they ultimately won on a last-second field goal.
13. Mark Ingram, Giants (Super Bowl XXV)
Mark Ingram, Sr., the one in jail, had what might've been the decisive play of Super Bowl XXV before Scott Norwood's stroke of misfortune. On the drive that put the Giants ahead, he evaded six would-be tacklers on 3rd-and-13 for a big first down that set up a field goal.
12. Antwaan Randle El to Hines Ward, Steelers (Super Bowl XL)
Who doesn't think this play is just cool? You had the big Barry Foster run at the start of the second half that basically iced the game, but a wide receiver throwing a touchdown pass to another wide receiver? Too good.
11. Mike Jones, Rams (Super Bowl XXXIV)
The 85-yard Kurt Warner-to-Torry Holt TD pass to give St. Louis the winning points could've been the call, but it's the game-saving tackle by Mike Jones that gets the nod. He stopped the Titans' Kevin Dyson one yard short of the end zone on the final play of the game.
10. Marcus Allen, Raiders (Super Bowl XVIII)
The game was long decided (an interception return late in the first half did that), but the highlight of the Raiders' demolition of the Redskins was handled by MVP Marcus Allen with his electrifying 74-yard TD run.
9. Thomas Moorstead, Saints (Super Bowl XLIV)
One of the ballsiest calls in Super Bowl history, Sean Payton's onside kick on the second half kickoff in Super Bowl XLIV. It wasn't sealed until Peyton threw that pick-6 when the Colts were driving late, but the onside kick is what won the game for New Orleans.
8. Jake Delhomme to Muhsin Muhammad, Panthers (Super Bowl XXXVIII)
In that crazy shootout that was the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XXXVIII, the Panthers took the lead on the longest touchdown pass in Super Bowl history, Jake Delhomme's 85-yard strike to Muhsin Muhammad that capped a 45-second drive. Of course, it was all for naught thanks to Adam Vinatieri.
7. Russell Wilson to Jermaine Kearse, Seahawks (Super Bowl XLIX)
If Seattle had won the game, this would've been the defining play, and it would certainly rank much higher on the list if that was the case. As it is, it was still pretty damn spectacular.
6. Eli Manning to Mario Manningham, Giants (Super Bowl XLVI)
Not as spectacular as Tyree, but this was the defining play the second time the Giants beat the Patriots. It was on the drive that was capped by Ahmad Bradshaw's accidental winning touchdown. The best part? It happened right in front of Bill Belichick.
5. Terry Bradshaw to Lynn Swann, Steelers (Super Bowl X)
The first really "defining" Super Bowl play, it's the one that they always feature in the opening of those Super Bowl highlights marathons that used to be on ESPN and are now on NFL Network. It also made Swann a Hall of Famer.
4. Desmond Howard, Packers (Super Bowl XXXI)
Just when the Patriots thought they were back in the game, Desmond Howard made one of the most electrifying plays in Super Bowl history. Using the stadium video board as a rearview mirror, he ran 99 yards to pay dirt and an MVP award.
3. James Harrison, Steelers (Super Bowl XLIII)
With all due respect to Larry Fitzgerald and Santonio Holmes, the best play of Super Bowl XLIII was the longest play in Super Bowl history. James Harrison's 100-yard pick-6 at the end of the first half in that classic between the Steelers and Cardinals.
2. Joe Montana to John Taylor, 49ers (Super Bowl XXIII)Perhaps the defining play of Joe Montana's outstanding career, the capper of the 92-yard drive that won Super Bowl XXIII. Montana found John Taylor in the back of the end zone to beat Cincinnati and give San Francisco the first of back-to-back titles.
1. Eli Manning to David Tyree, Giants (Super Bowl XLII)
Even though I'm a Giants fan, I think this ranks No. 1 for a couple of other reasons. First, the obvious and how spectacular it was. Then there's the fact that Eli Manning was almost sacked on the play. But most importantly, you've got the historical context. Without this catch, one of the defining plays in Super Bowl history, there's no Plaxico Burress go-ahead touchdown and Patriots finish 19-0.
So, there you have it. My Top 15 Super Bowl plays ever. There were obviously plenty more to choose from, but I think I'll get very little argument about the ones I've selected, especially at the top of the list.
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