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February 7, 2010

The Sportmeisters Top Ten Super Bowls: Game No. 1 – New York Giants vs. New England Patriots – Super Bowl XLII

Sportmeister Derek: Ryan, today we finish up our countdown, and with Super Bowl 44 on the cusp, let’s look at our top pick for best Super Bowl.

Sportmeister Ryan: Derek, you sound like an Oscar nominee, nevertheless, our number one is Super Bowl XLII between the New York Giants and New England Patriots.

SD: Let’s start with Week 17 of the 2007 NFL season. In a game that had no playoff implications, the 15-0 New England Patriots and the 10-5 New York Giants met in Giants Stadium.

SR: In what has become custom for many teams, fans of both were expecting them to rest their starters, but to everyone’s surprise, the two teams played a thrilling game, risking injuries on both sides, as we saw the New England Patriots become the first 16-0 team since 1972, winning 38-35. It definitely gave some momentum to both teams heading into the playoffs.

SD: New York would have to go on the road in their playoff games, starting with the NFC Wild Card, where they beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24-14. That followed with a road game against the Dallas Cowboys.

SR: Dallas had already beaten New York twice this season, so many were expecting the trifecta to be pulled off by Dallas.

SD: In what would become a recurring theme for the Giants, they defeated Dallas in the NFC Divisional Round 21-17. On the other side, the New England Patriots handily took down the Jacksonville Jaguars 31-20.

SR: The Patriots game saw Tom Brady go 26-of-28 (92.9%), breaking the record for best completion percentage, set by former New York Giant QB Phil Simms.

SD: In the NFC Conference Championship, New York traveled to the frozen tundra of Green Bay, and in a game worthy of its own recognition, Eli Manning and Co. got the best of Brett Favre in his final game as a Packer, winning 23-20 in overtime.

SR: The Patriots didn’t play their best in the AFC Championship Game, but they did what was necessary in a 21-12 win, becoming the first team to go 18-0, and heading into the Super Bowl, they had a legitimate shot at becoming the second undefeated team in NFL history.

SD: New England had one of the best offenses around, led by Tom Brady’s NFL-record 50 touchdown passes, 23 of those to newly acquired WR Randy Moss.

SR: After the week 17 showdown, many expected New England to win again. Even Las Vegas set the line at 14 points. Clearly, all the attention was on New England.

SD: New York received the ball to start Super Bowl XLII, and ran the longest drive in Super Bowl history, a 16-play, 77-yard drive that ended with a Lawrence Tynes 32-yard field goal to put New York up 3-0.

SR: That long drive set the tone, as New England was only able to get one drive off, making the two drives the fewest in Super Bowl history. At the same time, with the number of commercials and such in the Super Bowl, it’s hard to keep the flow of a game going.

SD: New England would take the lead in the second quarter, 7-3, on a one yard Laurence Maroney run.

SR: For the Patriots, who were so offensive-minded, the low-scoring affair had to be in their mind. New York was getting a ton of pressure, led by Justin Tuck, who had two sacks and a forced fumble in the first half alone.

SD: That pressure New York brought, completely wrecked an offense used to scoring at will. The third quarter ended without a score, bringing the Patriots 15 minutes to history, leading 7-3.

SR: New England took a few fourth-quarter chances, even catching New York with too many men on the field at one point. They didn’t convert, but it was easy to see the Patriots were doing whatever they could to attempt to put the game out of reach.

SD: New York would start the fourth quarter on their own 20, and a seven-play, 80-yard drive culminated in a five-yard touchdown pass from Manning to David Tyree, putting the Giants up 10-7 with 11:05 to go in the game.

SR: Tyree, who we will mention later, couldn’t catch a ball in practice, but came up big when necessary. Some players just shine with the spotlight on.

SD: A couple defensive stops from both teams kept the score the same until New England took over with under eight minutes to play. Using that fourth-quarter magic New England is best for, Tom Brady marched them down the field, eating up 5:12 over the 80-yard drive, which ended, how else, from Brady to Moss.

SR: New England had a few games during the season that required those last minute heroics, and this was another one of those moments. New England is up 14-10, with 2:39 to go before 19-0.

SD: Eli Manning would march the Giants to a third and five from the New York 44 with 1:15 remaining, and history happened.

SR: Before we get there, New England had a chance to end the game when the second down pass was just missed being intercepted by Asante Samuel.

SD: Nevertheless, New York had the ball, and Manning took the snap, sitting in the pocket, when Jarvis Green, among other Patriots, collapsed on Manning, but couldn’t sack him. Manning was able to spin out, right himself, and fire a 32-yard pass that was caught by Tyree, who put the ball against his head to keep control of it.

SR: That play was magic for a number of reasons. Manning getting out of the pressure and getting the throw off. Tyree with the catch, while being manhandled by Rodney Harrison. At that exact moment, New York had the entire momentum.

SD: Four plays later, and it was Manning to Plaxico Burress from 13 yards out, giving New York the 17-14 lead with 35 seconds left.

SR: Running a four-wide set, Burress went on a slant-and-go, getting Ellis Hobbs, who single covered Burress, to bite, leaving him wide open.

SD: New England would have enough time to take a shot, but another sack, this one by Jay Alford, and a few incompletions ended the greatest Super Bowl in history.

SR: New York pulled off the perfect upset, using every bit of luck, magic, and skill to win, once again sealing the 1972 Dolphins perfect season.

SD: This game had it all and that is why we have named it our number one Super Bowl ever. Any questions or concerns, feel free to email us at Derek@Sportmeisters.com or Ryan@Sportmeisters.com .

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The Sportmeisters Top 10 Super Bowls Of All-Time: Game #2 – New York Jets vs. Baltimore Colts – Super Bowl III (1/12/1969)

Filed under: AFL, Baltimore Colts, Bobby Boyd, Bubba Smith, Chiefs, Don Maynard, Don Shula, Earl Morrall, Emerson Boozer, Football, George Sauer, Jerry Hill, Jerry Logan, Jim Hudson, Jimmy Orr, Joe Namath, John Mackey, Johnny Sample, Johnny Unitas, Kansas City, Lenny Lyles, Los Angeles Rams, Matt Snell, Mike Curtis, Minnesota Vikings, NFL, New York Jets, Oakland Raiders, Rick Volk, Sports, Super Bowl, Tom Matte, Willie Richardson — Tags: AFL, Baltimore Colts, Bobby Boyd, Bubba Smith, Don Maynard, Don Shula, Earl Morrall, Emerson Boozer, Football, George Sauer, Jerry Hill, Jerry Logan, Jim Hudson, Jimmy Orr, Joe Namath, John Mackey, Johnny Sample, Johnny Unitas, Kansas City Chiefs, Lenny Lyles, Los Angeles Rams, Matt Snell, Mike Curtis, Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets, NFL, Oakland Raiders, Rick Volk, Sportmeisters, Sports, Super Bowl, Tom Matte, Willie Richardson — SportmeisterDerek @ 5:29 am

Game #2 – New York Jets vs. Baltimore Colts – Super Bowl III (1/12/1969)

By Derek of The Sportmeisters

With the pinnacle game of the NFL season nearby, I am going back through the archives to discuss the top ten Super Bowls of all time. Our number two game featured two future Hall Of Fame Quarterbacks. Joe Namath of the New York Jets faced off against Johnny Unitas of the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III.

The New York Jets were a part of the AFL, a conference that was considered inferior to the NFL. They went 8-5-1 in the 1987/1968 season, which was the best record in the team’s short history. In the 1968/1969 season, they went 11-3 and won the Eastern Division.

QB Joe Namath led the Offense with 3147 passing yards and 15 Touchdowns, but also threw 17 Interceptions. FB Matt Snell was the top rusher on the team with 747 yards and 6 Touchdowns, while RB Emerson Boozer contributed 441 yards and 5 Touchdowns, despite a 3.1 average per carry. They also had two excellent Wide Receivers. Don Maynard had 57 Receptions for 1297 Yards and 10 Touchdowns while George Sauer had 66 Receptions for 1141 Yards and three Touchdowns. They were led on Defense by DB’s Johnny Sample (Seven Interceptions), and Jim Hudson (Five Interceptions).

They would await the winner of the Western Division playoff game between the Oakland Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs. The Raiders stomped the Chiefs 41-6, setting up the AFL Championship Game. The Raiders had defeated The Jets earlier in the year 43-32. However, The Jets would come out victorious this time, winning 27-23 in a highly contested game.

The 1968 Baltimore Colts were coming off a disappointing end to the 1967 season. They had gone 11-1-2, but lost to The Los Angeles Rams for the Coastal Division Championship and the playoff spot. The 1968 season wouldn’t start out well as QB Johnny Unitas would suffer an elbow injury in the final preseason game. However, backup Earl Morrall would lead them to a 13-1 record and the Coastal Division Title.

Morrall led the way, throwing for 2909 Yards and 26 Touchdowns. He threw to Wide Receivers Jimmy Orr (29 receptions, 743 yards, 6 touchdowns) and Willie Richardson (37 receptions, 698 yards, 8 touchdowns), which provided Baltimore with two deep threats, with Orr averaging 25.6 yards per catch, and Richardson averaging 18.9. TE John Mackey also recorded 45 Receptions for 644 yards and 5 touchdowns. RB Tom Matte was the team’s top rusher with 662 yards and 9 touchdowns. He also caught 25 passes for 275 yards and another touchdown. The Defense was led by Bubba Smith, a 6′7″ 295 pound DE who was considered the NFL’s best pass rusher, LB Mike Curtis, who was considered one of the top linebackers in the NFL, and DB’s Bobby Boyd (8 interceptions), Rick Volk (6 interceptions), Lenny Lyles (5 interceptions), and Jerry Logan (3 interceptions).

Their divisional matchup pitted them against the Minnesota Vikings. The Colts would win 24-14, earning the trip to the Super Bowl. After winning the NFL Championship Game, the Colts were deemed “The Greatest Team In Pro Football History”.

This game is also known for one other thing. “The Guarantee”. You see, the AFL was considered to be a league that didn’t measure up in talent to the NFL. This game was pretty much considered over before it began and the Colts were expected to stomp right over the Jets. However, QB Joe Namath was at The Miami Touchdown Club and in responding to the audience, he boldly proclaimed “We’re gonna win the game. I guarantee it.” That setup one of the greatest games in Super Bowl history.

The first half was relatively quiet. Mostly it was marred by turnovers and poor decisions. The only score was a Snell four yard Touchdown run and the Jets led 7-0 at halftime.

The Jets would control the third quarter, holding the ball for all but three minutes. They kicked two Field Goals and were up 13-0 with four minutes left in the third quarter. At that point, Colts Head Coach Don Shula would pull Morrall for the injured Unitas trying to spark the Offense. However, they still couldn’t really do much against the Jets Defense and went into the fourth quarter down 13-0.

The Jets would kick another Field Goal early in the fourth, putting them up 16-0 and completely stunning everyone, including the Colts. The two teams would then trade mishaps, with a Unitas Interception turned into a Jets missed Field Goal. The Colts finally got into the end zone as RB Jerry Hill scored on a one yard run with 3:19 left in the game. The Colts then recovered an onside kick and proceeded to drive the field. However, they would fall short as Unitas would throw three incomplete passes and turn the ball over on downs. The Jets would run time off the clock and punt to give the Colts the ball back with just eight seconds. The game was over after two incomplete passes and the Jets had shocked the world, winning Super Bowl III 16-7.

This game had it all and that is why we have named it our number 2 Super Bowl game of All-Time. Stay tuned for the rest of our Top 10 coming up in the next few days. Any questions or concerns, feel free to email us at Derek@Sportmeisters.com or Ryan@Sportmeisters.com.

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February 6, 2010

The Sportmeisters Top 10 Super Bowls Of All-Time: Game No.3 – New York Giants vs. Buffalo Bills – Super Bowl XXV (1/27/1991)

Filed under: AFC, AFC East, Andre Reed, Bruce Smith, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Dave Meggett, Denver Broncos, Don Smith, Everson Walls, Football, Jeff Hostetler, Jim Kelly, Joe Montana, Lawrence Taylor, Los Angeles Raiders, MVP, Mark Bavaro, Mark Ingram, Matt Bahr, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, NFC, NFC East, NFL, New York Giants, Ottis Anderson, Phil Simms, San Francisco 49ers, Scott Norwood, Sports, Stephen Baker, Super Bowl, Thurman Thomas — Tags: AFC, AFC East, Andre Reed, Bruce Smith, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Dave Meggett, Denver Broncos, Don Smith, Everson Walls, Football, Jeff Hostetler, Jim Kelly, Joe Montana, Lawrence Taylor, Los Angeles Raiders, Mark Bavaro, Mark Ingram, Matt Bahr, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, MVP, New York Giants, NFC, NFC East, NFL, Ottis Anderson, Phil Simms, San Francisco 49ers, Scott Norwood, Sportmeisters, Sports, Stephen Baker, Super Bowl, Thurman Thomas — SportmeisterDerek @ 4:46 am

Game # 3 – New York Giants vs. Buffalo Bills – Super Bowl XXV (1/27/1991)

By Derek of The Sportmeisters

With the pinnacle game of the NFL season nearby, I am going back through the archives to discuss the top ten Super Bowls of all time. Our number three game featured one team that would be on the rise for years with a few star players and one team that was playing with a backup QB. The Buffalo Bills against The New York Giants would be the Super Bowl XXV matchup.

The New York Giants had just won Super Bowl XXI back in the 1986/1987 season, defeating the Denver Broncos. The team came out strong, going 4-0 before the bye and was on a tear after the bye, going 6-0 right after the bye. However, they would lose the next two games. They then defeated Minnesota and faced Buffalo in week 15, where they suffered a huge loss. Quarterback Phil Simms went down with a broken foot and would miss the rest of the season and the playoffs. That would mean that backup Jeff Hostetler would have to lead them. They would finish the season with the loss to Buffalo and then two wins to finish 13-3 and win the NFC East Division Title, locking up the No. 2 seed in the NFC.

Even though he missed the final two games, QB Phil Simms led the team with 2284 passing yards and 15 touchdowns. RB Ottis Anderson led the way on the ground with 784 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns. RB Dave Meggett led the team in Receptions with 39 for 410 yards and a Touchdown and TE Mark Bavaro had 33 Receptions for 393 yards and five Touchdowns. WR Mark Ingram also had five Touchdowns. They were led on Defense by LB Lawrence Taylor (10.5 sacks, one Interception) and CB Everson Walls (six Interceptions).

Their divisional matchup was against the Chicago Bears and the Giants would dominate that game, winning 31-3. The NFC Championship Game pitted them against the number one seed San Francisco 49ers and QB Joe Montana. The 49ers defeated the Giants 7-3 in week 13 and the NFC Championship would also be a defensive game. The Giants would narrowly get the victory, 15-13 and would go on to their second Super Bowl in five years.

The 1990 Buffalo Bills would take a similar route to the playoffs. They would start the year 4-1 going into the bye and would go 9-2 after to finish 13-3 with the number one seed in the AFC and an AFC East Title.

QB Jim Kelly led the way, throwing for 2829 yards and 24 Touchdowns. Running Back Thurman Thomas was a huge weapon in the offense and had 1297 rushing yards and 11 rushing Touchdowns to go with 49 Receptions for 532 yards and two more Touchdowns. WR Andre Reed was Kelly’s main target with 71 Receptions for 945 yards and eight Touchdowns. The defense was led by DE Bruce Smith (19 sacks).

Their divisional matchup pitted them against their divisional rivals the Miami Dolphins. The game turned into a shootout and the Bills would come out victorious 44-34. They then faced the Los Angeles Raiders in the AFC Championship. This game was completely one-sided as the Bills dominated 51-3 and went to the Super Bowl for the first time in team history.

The first quarter of the Super Bowl was relatively quiet as both teams kicked Field Goals, making it a 3-3 game going into the second quarter.

Buffalo would score first in the second quarter, with a one yard run from Don Smith. Then Bruce Smith would strike, sacking Hostetler in the end zone for a Safety and putting Buffalo ahead 12-3. However, Hostetler would find WR Stephen Baker in the end zone near the end of the quarter making it 12-10 at the half.

The Giants would pull ahead in the third quarter, with a one yard Touchdown run from eventual Super Bowl MVP Otis Anderson, making the score 17-12 going into the fourth quarter.

The Bills would strike quickly as Thomas would take a 31 yard run to the house on the first play of the quarter, putting the Bills up 19-17. The Giants would retake the lead with 7:20 left in the game on a 21 yard Field Goal by Kicker Matt Bahr. The score was 20-19, but the game was far from over. The Bills would have their final chance and that’s when a legendary Super Bowl mishap happened. Kelly and Thomas had led the team down the field, setting up Kicker Scott Norwood with a 47 yard chance to win the game. However, the kick sailed Wide Right and the Giants would hold on to win Super Bowl XXV 20-19.

This game had it all and that is why we have named it our number 3 Super Bowl game of All-Time. Stay tuned for the rest of our Top 10 coming up in the next few weeks. Any questions or concerns, feel free to email us at Derek@Sportmeisters.com or Ryan@Sportmeisters.com.

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February 5, 2010

The Sportmeisters Top Ten Super Bowls of All-Time: Number 4: Super Bowl XXXIII

Filed under: AFC Central, Boomer Esiason, Buffalo Bills, Charles Haley, Cincinnati Bengals, Eddie Brown, Eric Thomas, Football, Ickey Woods, Jerry Rice, Jim Breech, Joe Montana, MVP, NFC, NFC West, NFL, Pro Bowl, Roger Craig, Ronnie Lott, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, Sports, Stanford Jennings, Stanley Wilson, Steve Young, Super Bowl, Tim Krumrie — Tags: AFC Central, Boomer Esiason, Buffalo Bills, Charles Haley, Cincinnati Bengals, Eddie Brown, Eric Thomas, Football, Ickey Woods, Jerry Rice, Jim Breech, Joe Montana, MVP, NFC, NFL, Pro Bowl, Roger Craig, Ronnie Lott, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, Sportmeisters, Sports, Stanford Jennings, Stanley Wilson, Steve Young, Super Bowl, Tim Krumrie — SportmeisterRyan @ 5:00 am

By Ryan of The Sportmeisters

With the pinnacle game of the NFL season nearby, I am going back through the archives to discuss the top ten Super Bowls of all time. Our number four game came down to the game winning drive, so lets look back on the 1988-89 season and Super Bowl 23.

The San Francisco 49ers were working on being the team of the 80s. They had won two Super Bowls already, and were ready for number three. Despite consistent playoff appearances, they were trying to make it back to the Super Bowl for the first time in five years. The 49ers started off winning four of their first five, putting them in contention early. They slipped however, losing four of their next six to sit at 6-5, in danger of missing the playoffs. However, they would reel off wins in four of the next five games, clinching the NFC West at 10-6.

The team used both QBs Joe Montana and Steve Young, but Montana played most of the season, compiling 2981 yards and 18 touchdowns. Pro Bowlers Roger Craig (2036 all purpose yards, 10 touchdowns) and Jerry Rice (1306 receiving yards, nine touchdowns) paced the rest of the top ten offense. The team was led on the other side of the ball by two other Pro Bowlers, FS Ronnie Lott (74 tackles, five interceptions) and LOLB Charles Haley (69 tackles, 11.5 sacks).

The divisional playoffs was the Montana to Rice show, as the two combined for three straight touchdowns, giving San Francisco a 21-3 lead. Two touchdown runs by Craig in the fourth quarter sealed the 34-9 victory. The NFC Championship game, in freezing cold weather, again showed off the offensive power of Montana to Rice. The two hooked up for a 61 yard touchdown and a 27 yard touchdown, and San Francisco stayed in control, winning handily and earning a Super Bowl berth with the 28-3 win.

The Cincinnati Bengals were coming off a miserable 4-11 season in 1987. They managed to put it behind them, and atrted off 1988 winning six in a row. They fell off slightly, losing three of their next five, but quickly rebounded, winning four of their final five to finish 12-4, clinching the AFC Central.

The nation’s number one offense was led by Pro Bowl and MVP QB Boomer Esiason, who threw for 3572 yards and 28 touchdowns. Rookie RB Ickey Woods provided a change of pace, rushing for 1066 yards and 15 touchdowns, and WR Eddie Brown was the top receiving target with 1273 yards and nine touchdowns. On the defensive side of the ball, the Bengals were led by NT Tim Krumrie (152 tackles, three sacks), as well as CB Eric Thomas (64 tackles, seven interceptions).

The Bengals began their playoff run against the Seattle Seahawks, where, behind Woods 126 yards and touchdown and two from RB Stanley Wilson, they were able to hold onto their 21-0 lead and won 21-13. The AFC Conference Championship saw the Bengals clamp down against the Buffalo Bills. They held the Bills to 181 yards on offense and forced three turnovers. Despite only being down four at halftime, Buffalo would manage merely 53 second half yards, and Cincinnati prepared for a Super Bowl trip with a 21-10 win.

Heading into the game, Cincinnati found they would not be without the rushing services of RB Stanley Wilson, who was suspended for cocaine use.

When the game kicked off, it marked the third time in the Super Bowl two teams were facing off against each other again. San Francisco had won the first matchup of the two, 26-21, in Super Bowl 26.

The two teams would trade field goals in the first half, going into the halftime 3-3, marking the first time in Super Bowl history the game was tied at halftime. The teams would trade field goals again in the third quarter, but, on San Francisco’s ensuing kickoff following their field goal, Stanford Jennings would return is 93 yards for the first touchdown of the game. Cincinnati would take the 13-6 lead into the fourth quarter.

San Francisco struck right back, marching 85 yard on four plays, culminating in a 14 yard touchdown to Rice, and the game was tied once again 13-13.

The game stayed tied until 3:20 left in the game, when Jim Breech’s 40 yard field goal ended a 10 play, 46 yard drive, and gave Cincinnati the 16-13 lead.

San Francisco would start their next drive on their eight yard line thanks to penalties. Owning up to his “Joe Cool” nickname, Montana would calmly lead the team on an 11 play, 92 yard drive. Montana completed four straight passes, moving the 49ers to the Bengals 35 yard line. A penalty backed them up to the 45 yard line, but Montana to Rice worked once again. The two hooked up for a 27 yard completion, followed by an eight yard pass from Montana to Craig to move the 49ers to the ten yard line.

The penultimate play came from Montana to Taylor, who caught the pass in the end zone, giving San Francisco the 20-16 lead with under a minute ago. The San Francisco defense would hold, and the 49ers walked away with their third Super Bowl in the 1980s.

Last minute heroics make Super Bowl heros. For the San Francisco 49ers, they have plenty on the 1988 squad that came back and won Super Bowl 23. That’s what makes it the fourth best Super Bowl on The Sportmeisters Top Ten Super Bowls list.

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The Sportmeisters Top Ten Super Bowls of All-Time: Number 5: Super Bowl XXXVII

Filed under: AFC East, Adam Vinatieri, Aeneas Williams, Antowain Smith, Baseball, Brett Favre, Charles Woodson, David Patten, Donovan McNabb, Drew Bledsoe, Football, Green Bay Packers, Isaac Bruce, Jermaine Wiggins, Kurt Warner, Lawyer Milloy, Leonard Little, London Fletcher, MLB, MVP, Marshall Faulk, NCAA, NFC, NFL, NFL MVP, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, Oakland Raiders, Otis Smith, Philadelphia Eagles, Pro Bowl, Ricky Proehl, Sports, St. Louis Rams, Super Bowl, Tommy Polley, Torry Holt, Troy Brown, Ty Law, Wild Card — Tags: Adam Vinatieri, Aeneas Williams, AFC East, Antowain Smith, Brett Favre, Charles Woodson, David Patten, Donovan McNabb, Drew Bledsoe, Football, Green Bay Packers, Isaac Bruce, Jermaine Wiggins, Kurt Warner, Lawyer Milloy, Leonard Little, London Fletcher, Marshall Faulk, MVP, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, NFC, NFL, NFL MVP, Oakland Raiders, Otis Smith, Philadelphia Eagles, Pro Bowl, Ricky Proehl, Sportmeisters, Sports, St. Louis Rams, Super Bowl, Tom Brady, Tommy Polley, Torry Holt, Troy Brown, Ty Law, Wild Card — SportmeisterRyan @ 4:28 am

By Ryan of The Sportmeisters

With the pinnacle game of the NFL season nearby, I am going back through the archives to discuss the top ten Super Bowls of all time. Our number five game saw an upstart team, The Greatest Show on Turf, and a game winning field goal. Let’s go back to Super Bowl 36.

The St. Louis Rams came in 2001 bitter over their Wild Card loss to the New Orleans Saints, who they had just beat the week prior. That bitterness was prevalent in their play, as they rushed out to a quick 6-0 record, becoming the first NFL team to do so. They would split their next four games, going 2-2, including a win over the New England Patriots. The Rams turned up the heat, winning six more in a row to finish 14-2, a franchise record.

The NFLs number one offense was lead by QB Kurt Warner and RB Marshall Faulk. The two, who had combined to win three straight NFL MVPs, once again dominated the NFL. Warner threw for 4830 yards and 36 touchdowns, while Faulk had 2147 all-purpose yards and 21 total touchdowns. Pro Bowl WRs Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce (2469 combined yards, 13 combined touchdowns), were Warner’s primary targets.

Defensively, the Rams went from one of the worst to a top ten squad in yards and points. Their biggest contributor was All-Pro CB Aeneas Williams (56 tackles, four interceptions), but the squad also received contributions from LB London Fletcher (90 tackles, 4.5 sacks, two interceptions), and DE Leonard Little (23 tackles, 14.5 sacks).

With the NFCs top seed, the Rams had the benefit of home field throughout the playoffs. After a week to rest they took the field against Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers. Using their new and improved defense, St. Louis forced Favre to throw an NFL playoff record six interceptions. Three of those, by LB Tommy Polley and two by Williams, went for touchdowns, and St. Louis won handily 45-17.

The NFC Conference Championship was a little closer. Facing off against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Rams were able to take an early 10-3 lead, but a 14 point second quarter by the Eagles put them in control at halftime 17-13. The second half became the Marshall Faulk show, who scored two one yard run touchdowns to give St. Louis a 29-17 lead. Philadelphia cut the lead to 29-24 on QB Donovan McNabb’s sneak from three yards out, but on their next possession, McNabb was picked off by Williams, and the Rams were returning to the Super Bowl.

The New England Patriots were just looking for success. The Patriots finished last in 2000, and starting QB Drew Bledsoe was injured during the second game of the 2001 season. Little-known backup Tom Brady was elevated to starter, and after a 1-3 start, pulled the team to 5-5 before reeling off six straight wins to take the AFC East, and the #2 seed, with an 11-5 record.

After being forced into the starter’s role, Brady had quite the season, throwing for 2843 yards and 18 touchdowns. His top target was Pro Bowl WR Troy Brown, who caught 101 balls for 1199 yards and five touchdowns. RB Antowain Smith had a solid rushing season, gaining 1157 yards and scoring 12 touchdowns.

On the other side, the Patriots had some ball hawking secondary members. CB Otis Smith led the squad with five interceptions, and was joined by Pro Bowlers Ty Law (three interceptions) and Lawyer Milloy (two interceptions).

The Patriots started their playoff run in the divisional round, hosting the Oakland Raiders. Oakland came out as hot as possible in the cold snow, going up 13-3 heading into the fourth quarter. Brady would lead the Patriots to their first touchdown on the game, cutting the lead to three. With under two minutes to go, Brady was leading the Patriots to the tying field goal when he was sacked by Raiders DB Charles Woodson, and fumbled the ball, sealing the victory for Oakland. However, the now infamous “Tuck Rule” came into play and New England was given the ball back. Brady led them down the field and K Adam Vinatieri tied the game up with a 45 yard field goal as time expired. In overtime, Vinatieri hit a 23 yarder and New England claimed the victory, 16-13.

The AFC Championship would make things even weirder for New England, as, nursing a 7-3 lead, Brady was injured, bringing in the man he formerly backed up, Drew Bledsoe. Bledsoe came right in and marched New England the rest of the way, ending the drive with an 11 yard pass to David Patten, and New England went up 14-3. They would extend the lead to 21-3 after a blocked kick was returned for a touchdown, and from there, the Saints would hold on to clinch a Super Bowl berth with the 24-17 victory.

Despite one of the NFLs top offenses, St. Louis only managed a field goal while holding New England scoreless. The 3-0 lead held itself until midway through the second quarter, when Law intercepted a Warned pass, returning it 47 yards to give New England the 7-3 lead. A St. Louis fumble with under two minutes gave Brady a short field, and he hit Patten from eight yards out to let New England go into the half up 14-3.

New England would take a two touchdown lead into the fourth quarter when St. Louis struck back. The Rams scored on a Warner sneak on their next drive, cutting the lead to one touchdown, 17-10. Defense would hold until St. Louis got the ball back with 1:51 on the clock. Three plays later, Warner hit WR Ricky Proehl from 26 yards out and St. Louis tied the game 17-17.

New England had the ball with 90 seconds and no timeouts. While most teams would go to overtime, New England wasn’t ready to let the clock strike midnight on their Cinderella season. Brady got to the New England 41 with 33 seconds left, and following a 23 yard pass to Brown and a six yard pass to TE Jermaine Wiggins, Vinatieri came on for the game winning field goal. Vinatieri knocked down the 48 yarder, giving New England the upset victory over St. Louis.

The first Super Bowl to be decided on the final play? That’s a top ten Super Bowl, hands down.

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February 4, 2010

The Sportmeisters Top Ten Super Bowls: Number 6 St. Louis Rams vs. Tennessee Titans—Super Bowl XXXIV

Filed under: Arena League, Buffalo Bills, Eddie George, Football, Frank Wycheck, Indianapolis Colts, Isaac Bruce, Jacksonville Jaguars, Jeff Wilkins, Kevin Dyson, Kurt Warner, Lorenzo Neal, MVP, Marshall Faulk, Mike Jones, Minnesota Vikings, Music City Miracle, NFC, NFL, NFL Europe, NFL MVP, Sports, St. Louis Rams, Steve McNair, Super Bowl, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans, Torry Holt, Trent Green — Tags: Arena League, Buffalo Bills, Eddie George, Football, Frank Wycheck, Indianapolis Colts, Isaac Bruce, Jacksonville Jaguars, Jeff Wilkins, Kevin Dyson, Kurt Warner, Lorenzo Neal, Marshall Faulk, Mike Jones, Minnesota Vikings, Music City Miracle, MVP, NFC, NFL, NFL Europe, NFL MVP, Sportmeisters, Sports, St. Louis Rams, Steve McNair, Super Bowl, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans, Torry Holt, Trent Green — SportmeisterRyan @ 4:18 am

By The Sportmeisters

Sportmeister Derek: Ryan, today we are here to discuss something that will be debated for the next few weeks. With Super Bowl 43 upcoming, The Sportmeisters are discussing their top ten Super Bowls of all time.

Sportmeister Ryan: Moving on in our countdown, we once again look at Super Bowl 34 between the St. Louis Rams and the Tennessee Titans.

SD: Let’s start with a quick history recap. The Rams had signed Trent Green to play quarterback and traded for Marshall Faulk to be their starting running back. The Titans had actually just become the team we know today as they moved from Houston in 1998 and officially became the Titans in 1999.

SR: A Super Bowl run is not a bad way to start a season in a new town, especially when it’s the first for your franchise.

SD: In a fit of irony, the move for Green ended up being a waste as he was injured and lost for the year in the third preseason game.

SR: That opened up the opportunity for Kurt Warner, an undrafted free agent who had played in the Arena League and NFL Europe, to step into the role. For a team that had just gone 4-12 the previous season, it was understandable that they were concerned about putting their season into Warner’s hands.

SD: Yet Warner and Faulk were the best thing to happen to St. Louis. They ended up leading the Rams to a 13-3 record, the best in the NFC.

SR: We also saw Warner earn NFL MVP, with a résumé that included throwing for 4,353 yards and 41 touchdowns. Faulk also had a great year, rushing for 1,381 yards and seven touchdowns to go with a team-leading 87 receptions for 1,048 yards and five more touchdowns.

SD: One could definitely argue Faulk led the way for the more versatile running backs that can run and catch.

SR: The Titans were also led to a 13-3 record by the QB/RB tandem of Steve McNair and Eddie George. McNair only played in 11 games but still managed to throw for 2,179 yards and 12 touchdowns and rushed for 337 yards and eight more touchdowns. George rushed for 1,304 yards and nine touchdowns and caught 47 balls for 458 yards and another four touchdowns.

SD: Interesting note—these two teams met in week six, with Tennessee narrowly winning, 24-21. That knocked St. Louis from the ranks of the undefeated and put both teams at 6-1.

SR: The Rams got a first round bye and then defeated the Minnesota Vikings 49-37 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 11-6 to reach the Super Bowl.

SD: The Titans had a bit more trouble, as they almost lost in the wild card round to the Buffalo Bills until the Music City Miracle happened.

SR: A side bar for those who don’t remember: Buffalo had taken a 16-15 lead, and on the ensuing kickoff, Lorenzo Neal gave the ball to Frank Wycheck. Wycheck proceeded to throw the ball across the field to Kevin Dyson, who ran 75 yards for the touchdown.

SD: The Titans would hold on for the 22-16 win and then defeat the Indianapolis Colts 19-16 and the Jacksonville Jaguars 33-14 to get the opportunity to face the Rams in the Super Bowl.

SR: The Rams ended up defeating the Titans 23-16, but what puts this game on our list are the events that made fans sit on the edge of their seats until the end.

SD: The Rams went into the half up 9-0 on three Jeff Wilkins field goals. They would extend the lead to 16-0 with a Warner pass to rookie Torry Holt for a nine-yard score with 7:20 left in the third quarter.

SR: Tennessee would not be the first team shut out in the Super Bowl, however. They scored 16 unanswered points to tie the game with 2:12 left in the fourth quarter.

SD: Following the ensuing kickoff, St. Louis spent little time regaining the lead. Warner, who would set an NFL Super Bowl record with 414 passing yards, threw his last pass of the game to WR Isaac Bruce, who would scamper 73 yards to put St. Louis on top 23-16.

SR: The following kickoff would set McNair at his own 10-yard line, with 90 yards and a touchdown needed to win the game, and the Super Bowl.

SD: With only 1:54 on the clock, McNair benefited from 20 yards of St. Louis penalties, as he completed four passes for 39 yards, including a 16-yarder to WR Kevin Dyson to put Tennessee on the St. Louis 10 with six seconds left.

SR: Tennessee would use their last timeout to set up what would be the final play. Tennessee came out with the expectation of running Wycheck up the right side of the field to attract LB Mike Jones. Dyson would then slant left into the opening left by Jones. The play went off perfectly.

SD: Dyson caught the ball at the three with an opening towards the end zone. Jones, however, noticed the open Dyson catching the ball, quickly changing directions and wrapping Dyson’s legs up at the two-and-a-half-yard line.

SR: Both players rolled with Dyson stretching his arm in an attempt to get the ball across the plane for the winning touchdown. It would not be, however, and St. Louis prevented an amazing comeback and won Super Bowl XXXIV, 23-16.

SD: Warner was named the MVP of the game as he threw for the aforementioned Super Bowl-record 414 yards and two touchdowns. Bruce had six receptions for 162 yards and a touchdown, and Holt had seven receptions for 109 yards and a touchdown.

SR: Even though the game was a defensive showdown, St. Louis’s phenomenal offense showed why they were dubbed “The Greatest Show on Turf.”

SD: This game had it all, from comebacks to big plays, and that’s why Super Bowl XXIV is one of our Top Super Bowls. Any questions or concerns, feel free to email us at Derek@Sportmeisters.com or Ryan@Sportmeisters.com .

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February 3, 2010

The Sportmeisters Top 10 Super Bowls Of All-Time: Game #7 – Arizona Cardinals vs. Pittsburgh Steelers – Super Bowl XLIII (2/1/2009)

Filed under: AFC North, Adrian Wilson, Anquan Boldin, Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Ben Graham, Ben Patrick, Ben Roethlisberger, Brandon Stokley, Carolina Panthers, DeSean Jackson, Donovan McNabb, Football, Gary Russell, Hines Ward, Indianapolis Colts, J.J. Arrington, Jake Delhomme, James Farrior, James Harrison, Jeff Reed, Justin Hartwig, Karlos Dansby, Kurt Warner, LaMarr Woodley, Larry Fitzgerald, Marvin Harrison, Matt Leinart, Mewelde Moore, NFC, NFC West, NFL, Nate Washington, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, Reggie Wayne, San Diego Chargers, Santonio Holmes, Sports, Steve Breaston, Super Bowl, Tim Hightower, Troy Polamalu, Willie Parker — Tags: Adrian Wilson, AFC North, Anquan Boldin, Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Ben Graham, Ben Patrick, Ben Roethlisberger, Brandon Stokley, Carolina Panthers, DeSean Jackson, Donovan McNabb, Football, Gary Russell, Hines Ward, Indianapolis Colts, J.J. Arrington, Jake Delhomme, James Farrior, James Harrison, Jeff Reed, Justin Hartwig, Karlos Dansby, Kurt Warner, LaMarr Woodley, Larry Fitzgerald, Marvin Harrison, Matt Leinart, Mewelde Moore, Nate Washington, NFC, NFC West, NFL, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, Reggie Wayne, San Diego Chargers, Santonio Holmes, Sportmeisters, Sports, Steve Breaston, Super Bowl, Tim Hightower, Troy Polamalu, Willie Parker — SportmeisterDerek @ 12:28 pm

Game #7 – Arizona Cardinals vs. Pittsburgh Steelers – Super Bowl XLIII (2/1/2009)

By Derek of The Sportmeisters

With the pinnacle game of the NFL season nearby, I am going back through the archives to discuss the top ten Super Bowls of all time. Our number seven game featured two Quarterbacks that had already had the fortune of winning a Super Bowl. Kurt Warner of the Arizona Cardinals had won Super Bowl XXXIV with the St. Louis Rams and Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers had won Super Bowl XL. Both faced off for their second ring in Super Bowl XLIII

The Pittsburgh Steelers came out strong, going 4-1 and then went 8-3 after the bye week to finish with the AFC North Division Title at 12-4 and locking up the No. 2 seed in the AFC, earning a first round bye.

QB Ben Roethlisberger led the team with 3301 passing yards and 17 touchdowns while RB’s Willie Parker and Mewelde Moore led the way on the ground with 791 and 588 rushing yards and 5 rushing touchdowns each. WRs Hines Ward (1043 yards, seven touchdowns) and Santonio Holmes (821 yards, five touchdowns) paced the offense. They also had the number one ranked Defense in the NFL, led by LB’s James Harrison (later the NFL Defensive Player Of The Year) (16 sacks), LaMarr Woodley (11.5 sacks), and James Farrior (133 tackles, 3.5 sacks), and SS Troy Polamalu (seven interceptions).

Their divisional matchup was against the San Diego Chargers, who the Steelers narrowly defeated in week 11, 11-10. This game was a bit higher scoring as they won 35-24. The AFC Championship against Baltimore saw the defense step up, as a crucial interception by Polamalu turned into a Touchdown that put them ahead by the final score of 23-14, clinching their second trip to the Super Bowl in four years.

The 2008 Arizona Cardinals took a different road to the playoffs. They thought their starting QB would be Matt Leinart, but Kurt Warner outplayed him in Preseason and took the job back. He would lead them to a stunning 4-2 record going into the bye week. They then proceeded to go 5-5 the rest of the way and narrowly won the NFC West with a 9-7 record. Needless to say they were pretty much being overlooked by everyone going into the playoffs with the fourth seed in the NFC.

Despite being 37, Warner still managed to have a phenomenal year, throwing for 4583 yards and 30 Touchdowns. Rookie Running Back Tim Hightower had just 399 yards rushing, but had 10 Touchdowns and they had three Wide Receivers reach the 1000 yard mark. Larry Fitzgerald (1431 yards, 12 Touchdowns), Anquan Boldin (1038 yards, 11 Touchdowns), and Steve Breaston (1006 yards, 3 Touchdowns) were the first to accomplish that feat since the 2004 Indianapolis Colts (Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, and Brandon Stokley). The defense was led by LB Karlos Dansby (119 tackles, four sacks, two Interceptions) and SS Adrian Wilson (75 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and 2 interceptions).

Their wild card matchup pitted them against another surprise team, the Atlanta Falcons. Arizona would come out on top of a highly contested game, 30-24. Their divisional showdown was against the Carolina Panthers and most expected Carolina to dominate as they had won their week 8 matchup 27-23. However, the playoff game wouldn’t be as tightly contested as their regular season matchup as Arizona dominated 33-13 behind Larry Fitzgerald’s 166 yards and a touchdown and six turnovers from Carolina QB Jake Delhomme. They then faced the heavily favored Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship. This game looked to be one-sided as Larry Fitzgerald led the Cardinals to a 24-6 lead at halftime with three touchdown catches. The Eagles would catch up in the third quarter and it was 24-20 going into the fourth quarter. The Eagles struck first with a 62 Yard Touchdown from Donovan McNabb to DeSean Jackson, putting them in the lead 27-24. However, Warner would throw his fourth Touchdown pass of the day and the Cardinals would hold on to win 32-25. They had clinched a Super Bowl berth for the first time in team history.

The first quarter of the Super Bowl was relatively quiet as the Steelers struck first with an 18 yard Field Goal from Jeff Reed and were up 3-0 going into the second quarter.

They would extend the lead to 10-0 in the second quarter, with a one yard run from Gary Russell. This time, the Cardinals came back and scored on a one yard pass from Warner to TE Ben Patrick, but the big play was right before the half. Warner was driving the Cardinals down the field and they were in the red zone. However, he would throw a bad pass that was picked off by James Harrison and taken back 100 yards for a Touchdown, putting Pittsburgh up 17-7 at the half.

The third quarter was much like the first, quiet with just a 21 yard Field Goal from Reed, putting Pittsburgh in total control with a 20-7 lead with just one quarter left.

The Cardinals would not go down without a fight though, and would score on a one yard pass from Warner to Fitzgerald, making it 20-14. Then, Arizona Punter Ben Graham would punt the ball and put the Steelers on their own two yard line and an Unnecessary Roughness penalty would put them on their own one yard line. Then, Steelers Center Justin Hartwig would commit a Holding penalty in the end zone, resulting in a Safety and that made the score 20-16 and we have ourselves a ballgame.

The Cardinals would come right back riding the momentum and scored quickly on a 64 yard strike from Warner to Fitzgerald, putting them ahead for the first time 23-20 with 2:37 left to play.

The Steelers faltered on their first play of their next drive, committing another holding penalty, making it 1^st and 20 on their own 12 yard line. That is when Big Ben found Santonio Holmes for 14 yards and then an incomplete pass took them to the two minute warning and a 3^rd and 6. Roethlisberger would again find Homes for a 13 yard gain and a first down. They then went to the no huddle and Roethlisberger found Nate Washington for 11 yards and then scrambled for four more yards before calling their second timeout with 1:02 left to play. That’s when Roethlisberger and Holmes connected with the big play. Roethlisberger threw a little short pass to Holmes and he broke a few tackles for a 40 yard gain that put them on Arizona’s six yard line. They used their final timeout with 49 seconds left. Roethlisberger would try again for Holmes, but the pass would fall incomplete. The next play was magical. With 42 seconds left, Roethlisberger scrambled to keep the play alive and found Holmes triple covered in the corner of the end zone and he made a phenomenal catch and kept his feet in to give Pittsburgh the lead 27-23 with 35 second left. That gave Arizona one last chance. Warner would throw a 20 yard pass to Fitzgerald and call timeout with 22 second left. Then, he completed a pass to RB J.J. Arrington for 13 yards and called another timeout with 15 seconds left. Then, the end finally came. Warner was sacked by Woodley and Fumbled the ball and Pittsburgh recovered the Fumble. Big Ben came out and kneeled the ball for the game’s final play and the Pittsburgh Steelers had won Super Bowl XLIII.

This game had it all and that is why we have named it our number 7 Super Bowl game of All-Time. Stay tuned for the rest of our Top 10 coming up in the next few weeks. Any questions or concerns, feel free to email us at Derek@Sportmeisters.com or Ryan@Sportmeisters.com.

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The Sportmeisters Top Ten Super Bowls of All-Time: Number 8: Super Bowl XXXVIII

Filed under: AFC East, Adam Vinatieri, Antowain Smith, Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, Dallas Cowboys, David Givens, DeShaun Foster, Deion Branch, Football, Indianapolis Colts, Jake Delhomme, John Kasay, Mike Rucker, Mike Vrabel, Muhsin Muhammad, NFC South, NFL, New England Patriots, Peyton Manning, Reggie Howard, Ricky Proehl, Rodney Harrison, Sports, Stephen Davis, Steve Smith, Super Bowl, Tennessee Titans, Tom Brady, Ty Law — Tags: Adam Vinatieri, AFC East, Antowain Smith, Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, Dallas Cowboys, David Givens, Deion Branch, DeShaun Foster, Football, Indianapolis Colts, Jake Delhomme, John Kasay, Mike Rucker, Mike Vrabel, Muhsin Muhammad, New England Patriots, NFC South, NFL, Peyton Manning, Reggie Howard, Ricky Proehl, Rodney Harrison, Sportmeisters, Sports, Stephen Davis, Steve Smith, Super Bowl, Tennessee Titans, Tom Brady, Ty Law — SportmeisterRyan @ 3:49 am

By Ryan of The Sportmeisters

With the pinnacle game of the NFL season nearby, I am going back through the archives to discuss the top ten Super Bowls of all time. Our number eight game started with a fizzle and ended with a sizzle, so lets look back at the New England Patriots vs. the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 38.

The New England Patriots were trying to make it back to the Super Bowl after their 2001 win and missing the playoffs in 2002. They didn’t start off too hot, going 2-2 in their first four games. This included a 31-0 shellacking at the hands of Buffalo in the first game of the season. Something clicked, and the team reeled off 12 straight wins to finish 14-2, clinching the AFC East and No. 1 seed in the AFC.

The Patriots were led by the nations number one scoring defense, which gave up only 14 points a game. SS Rodney Harrison was the biggest contributor, recording 94 tackles, three sacks, and three interceptions. Pro Bowler Ty Law recorded six interceptions, one for a touchdown. Brady was arguably the biggest name on the offense, and threw for 3620 yards and 23 touchdowns while in control of the offense.

In the freezing confines of Gillette Stadium, the New England Patriots and Tennessee Titans went back and forth, until Adam Vinatieri’s field goal with four minutes left in regulation proved to be the winning points, 17-14. The AFC Championship would also be a rematch, as the Indianapolis Colts, who lost 38-34 to New England during the regular season, came to town. Behind pressure that forced four sacks and four interceptions off of Peyton Manning, and five field goals from Adam Vinatieri, the Patriots beat up the Colts 24-14 to clinch a Super Bowl berth.

The Carolina Panthers had only made the playoffs once in franchise history, but just finished making a six game improvement, going from 1-15 in 2002 to 7-9 in 2003. They would use that momentum in the regular season, winning five in a row to start in control of the NFC South. The momentum would wade, going 3-5 over their next eight games before ending their season with a three game winning streak, clinching the NFC South and a playoff berth.

RB Stephen Davis led a rushing attack that was top ten in the NFL, gaining 1444 yards and eight touchdowns. QB Jake Delhomme (3219 yards, 19 touchdowns), had quite the top target in WR Steve Smith (1110 yards, seven touchdowns). Defensively, the team was led by Pro Bowler Mike Rucker, who led the team with 12 sacks.

The playoff run started in the wild card game against the Dallas Cowboys, where Carolina put 13 points on the board. John Kasay would kick five field goals, and Steve Smith had 135 receiving yards and a touchdown as Carolina won 29-10. The Divisional playoff round was long enough it almost became a second game. Carolina had an 11 point lead late in the fourth quarter, but the Rams kicked a game-tying field goal with no time remaining to send the game into overtime. It would be two overtimes before Delhomme found Smith for 69 yards and the game-winning score 29-23. The defense would strike again in the Conference Championship, causing five sacks and three interceptions to win an ugly game 14-3. The Super Bowl would be the first in Carolina history.

Defense claimed the first quarter of the Super Bowl, as Vinatieri would miss two field goals to keep the game scoreless. Another twelve minutes would pass before Brady found Deion Branch from five yards out to take the 7-0 lead.

Carolina struck right back, going eight plays and 95 yards, capped by a Delhomme to Smith 39 yard pass to tie the game up 7-7 with 62 seconds left in the half. New England thought that was plenty of time, and promptly scored on another five yard pass from Brady, this one to David Givens, giving New England the 14-7 lead with 18 ticks on the clock. Carolina still managed to cut into the lead before halftime, using good starting field position to give Kasay a 50 yard field goal attempted, which he nailed to make the halftime score 14-10.

The scoring would halt until the beginning of the fourth quarter, when Antowain Smith rushed in from two yards out to give a wide advantage to New England, 21-10.

Four plays later, DeShaun Foster took a handoff from Delhomme, and went 33 yards for the Carolina Panthers score. The two point conversion would fail, and New England would keep the lead, 21-16. New England would drive to Carolina’s nine yard line on the next drive, but an interception by DB Reggie Howard gave Carolina new life. Two plays later, Delhomme found Muhsin Muhammad for 85 yards and the touchdown. Carolina would miss the two point conversion again, but held the lead for the first time all game, 22-21.

Despite holding the lead now, New England wasn’t worried, and in fact, took the lead right back. Brady completed his third touchdown pass of the game, a one yarder to TE-eligible Mike Vrabel, and took a 29-22 lead thanks to the two point conversion.

Carolina wasn’t out of it yet though, and with one minute, eight seconds left in the game, Delhomme found WR Ricky Proehl from 12 yards out to tie the game up 29-29.

The ensuing kickoff went out of bounds, giving New England field position at their own 40. That was a huge mistake for Carolina. With a small field, Brady methodically moved down the field, and on a crucial third down, completed a 17 yard pass to Branch, putting New England on the Carolina 25 with four seconds left.

Adam Vinatieri, known as Mr. Clutch in the playoffs, then calmly kicked a 41 yard field goal to give New England the 32-29 lead. Carolina did nothing on the kickoff, and New England were champions again.

Four Super Bowls required last second kicks, but none had the amount of offense and firepower that Super Bowl 38 had, making it one of the best Super Bowls of all time.

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The Sportmeisters Top Ten Super Bowls of All-Time: Number 9: Super Bowl XXXII

Filed under: AFC West, Antonio Freeman, Brett Favre, Chiefs, Denver Broncos, Dorsey Levens, Eugene Robinson, Football, Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars, John Elway, John Mobley, Kansas City, LeRoy Butler, MVP, Mark Chumra, NFC, NFL, New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers, Reggie White, Robert Brooks, San Francisco 49ers, Shannon Sharpe, Sports, Super Bowl, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Terrell Davis, Trent Dilfer — Tags: AFC West, Antonio Freeman, Brett Favre, Denver Broncos, Dorsey Levens, Eugene Robinson, Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars, John Elway, John Mobley, Kansas City Chiefs, LeRoy Butler, Mark Chumra, MVP, New England Patriots, NFC, NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers, Reggie White, Robert Brooks, San Francisco 49ers, Shannon Sharpe, Sportmeisters, Sports, Super Bowl, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Terrell Davis, Trent Dilfer — SportmeisterRyan @ 3:28 am

By Ryan of The Sportmeisters

With the pinnacle game of the NFL season nearby, I am going back through the archives to discuss the top ten Super Bowls of all time. Our number nine game reminds us of this Sunday’s matchup, as two top tier QBs in Brett Favre of the Green Bay Packers and John Elway of the Denver Broncos face off in Super Bowl 32.

The Green Bay Packers were the reigning world champions, having defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 31, and were looking to become only the second team to win back to back Super Bowls twice (Pittsburgh Steelers were the first). The team struggled early, going 3-2, before reeling off ten wins in their next eleven games, including five in a row to end the season at 13-3. The Packers would clinch the No. 2 seed in the NFC, earning a first round bye as the NFC Central Division Winners.

QB Brett Favre led the team with 3867 passing yards and 35 touchdowns, clinching his third straight MVP. Pro Bowler RB Dorsey Levens churned out 1435 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground, while WRs Robert Brooks (1010 yards, seven touchdowns) and Antonio Freeman (1243 yards, 12 touchdowns) paced the offense. Defensively, the team was led by DE Reggie White (11 sacks) and SS LeRoy Butler (five interceptions). Both were 1997 Pro Bowlers.

Their divisional matchup was against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who the Packers beat twice in the regular season. Behind a stifling defense that picked off QB Trent Dilfer twice, the Packers rode Levens legs and Favre’s arm to the 21-7 win. The NFC Championship against San Francisco once again saw the defense step up, as a crucial interception by Eugene Robinson set up a Favre to Freeman score, and Green Bay used their defense again to win 23-10, and clinch a return trip to the Super Bowl.

The 1996 Denver Broncos went 13-3 and fell short in the divisional playoffs. Determined not to fail, especially as leader John Elway was aging, the Broncos came out hot in 1997. They won six straight games, and then the bye week hit. Denver would win three of their next four out of the break, before losing three of six to finish 12-4, second in the AFC West.

Despite being 37, Elway still managed to throw for 3635 yards and 27 touchdowns. Hot-shot Running Back Terrell Davis was a huge boon for Denver, racking up 1750 yards and 15 touchdowns. TE Shannon Sharpe earned another Pro Bowl nod with 1107 receiving yards and three touchdowns. The defense was led by LB John Mobley, who had 96 tackles, four sacks, and an interception.

Their wild card matchup once again pitted them against the Jacksonville Jaguars. This time, however, Denver would be victorious, racking up 511 yards of offense, 184 of them from Davis on the ground, as Denver scored 21 straight points and Jacksonville never recovered, losing to the Broncos 42-17. Their divisional showdown was against AFC West rivals Kansas City Chiefs. The two teams split their season series. The playoff game would be as tightly contested as their regular season matchups, but behind two touchdowns from Davis, Denver would prevail 14-10. In the AFC Championship game, two touchdowns by Elway gave the Broncos enough breathing room, and they held on for the 24-21 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, and clinched a Super Bowl berth.

Heading into the game, much talk was made of the 13 game winning streak by the NFC, as well as Denver’s ineptitude in Super Bowls (0-4). At the same time, Green Bay had the first ever three time MVP in Favre, as well as a Super Bowl title to their name.

The Packers struck first in the Super Bowl, becoming the third team to score a touchdown on the opening drive, thanks to a 22 yard Favre to Freeman pass, and the score was 7-0. Denver, not to be outdone, promptly returned the favor, tying the game up on a one yard touchdown run by Davis.

A Favre pick gave Denver the ball at the Green Bay 45, and a QB bootleg by Elway gave Denver their first lead of the game 14-7. Another turnover by Green Bay gave Denver good field position, and a 51 yard field goal capped 17 straight unanswered points, and Denver took a 17-7 lead.

Green Bay would hold onto the ball on their next drive, marching 95 yards down the field, and a six yard pass to TE Mark Chumra with 12 seconds left in the half cut the lead to three, 17-14 Denver.

The Packers would force a fumble of their own on Denver’s first drive of the third quarter, but after stalling at the nine, managed only a field goal to tie the game up 17-17.

Denver would regain the lead on a 13 play, 92 yard drive, capped by a one yard rush by Davis, his second of the day, and Denver was up 24-17. This drive was famous for the “Helicopter Play” that saw Elway spin in the air after being hit trying to gain a first down.

Heading into the fourth quarter, Denver maintained the slim margin, but Green Bay tied it up on four plays 90 seconds in, thanks to Freeman’s second touchdown reception, 24-24.

The game stayed tied until 1:45 left in the game, when Denver capped a 51 yard drive with Davis’s third rushing touchdown, 31-24. Green Bay wasn’t finished, marching down to the Broncos 35 yard line with 64 seconds left. However, the drive stalled, and Denver was finally victorious.

Two Hall of Fame QBs. A famous play. A game that wasn’t decided until the end. That is what makes a great Super Bowl of all time.

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February 1, 2010

The Sportmeisters Top Ten Super Bowls of All-Time: Number 10: Super Bowl X

Filed under: AFC East, Andy Russell, Baltimore Colts, Dallas Cowboys, Drew Pearson, Ed “Too Tall Jones”, Football, Franco Harris, Jack Ham, Larry Cole, Los Angeles Rams, Lynn Swann, Mel Blount, Mel Renfro, Mike Wagner, Minnesota Vikings, NFL, Oakland Raiders, Orange Bowl, Percy Howard, Pittsburgh Steelers, Preston Pearson, Pro Bowl, Randy Grossman, Roger Staubach, Sports, Super Bowl, Terry Bradshaw, “Mean” Joe Greene — Tags: "Mean" Joe Greene, AFC East, Andy Russell, Baltimore Colts, Dallas Cowboys, Drew Pearson, Ed "Too Tall Jones", Football, Franco Harris, Jack Ham, Larry Cole, Los Angeles Rams, Lynn Swann, Mel Blount, Mel Renfro, Mike Wagner, Minnesota Vikings, NFL, Oakland Raiders, Orange Bowl, Percy Howard, Pittsburgh Steelers, Preston Pearson, Pro Bowl, Randy Grossman, Roger Staubach, Sports, Super Bowl, Terry Bradshaw — SportmeisterRyan @ 2:59 pm

By Ryan of The Sportmeisters

With the pinnacle game of the NFL season nearby, I am going back through the archives to discuss the top ten Super Bowls of all time. The discussion starts with Super Bowl X between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys.

The Pittsburgh Steelers had just come off a Super Bowl victory against the Minnesota Vikings, and were looking to become the second straight team to win two Super Bowls in a row. Behind the “Steel Curtain” defense, with eight Pro Bowl selectees, including “Mean” Joe Greene, Jack Ham, and Mel Blount, the Steelers finished with a 12-2 record, including winning 11 in a row. The offense was nothing to shake a finger at either, combining the strength of FB Franco Harris (1,246 rushing yards, 10 touchdowns), and the arm of QB Terry Bradshaw (2,055 passing yard, 18 touchdowns). WR Lynn Swann led the team with 781 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Despite losing the last game of the season, the Steelers were still the number one seed in the AFC playoffs. Facing the AFC East winner Baltimore Colts, the relentless defense forced four turnovers, including a 93 yards fumble return by Andy Russell to lead the Steel City to a 28-10 victory. The conference championship started with defense, but ended with a flurry of scoring, as Pittsburgh stopped the Oakland Raiders during their final drive, prevailing 16-10, and preserving a return to the Super Bowl.

The Dallas Cowboys were looking to get back to the big game since their win four years prior in Super Bowl VI. With QB Roger Staubach (2,666 passing yards, 17 touchdowns) at the helm, and a “Flex” defense led by Ed “Too Tall Jones” and Mel Renfro, the Cowboys were able to bounce back from a 5-3 start. They ran off wins in five of their last six to finish 10-4 and clinch the only playoff spot in the NFC.

The Cowboys playoff run was almost over as quickly as it began. Down 14-10 with 24 seconds left in the game, Staubach found WR Drew Pearson for a 50 yard, Hail Mary touchdown pass to clinch the 17-14 victory. The victory over the No. 1 NFC Seed provided huge motivation leading into the Conference Championships, where Dallas threw all over the Los Angeles Rams. Staubach threw for 220 yards and four touchdowns, three to RB Preston Pearson, and the Dallas defense shut down Los Angeles, holding them to 118 yards. With the win, Dallas became the first ever wild-card team to advance to the Super Bowl.

Super Bowl X was played in the cozy confines of the Orange Bowl in Miami, FL. A fumbled punt snap gave Dallas the ball at Pittsburgh’s 29, and on the next play, Staubach found WR Drew Pearson for a touchdown pass, giving Dallas first blood and a 7-0 lead.

Pittsburgh responded, using four straight runs to lull Dallas’s defense, before Bradshaw hit Lynn Swann for a 32 yard gain. That play was big in itself as Swann had been injured in the AFC Championship, and was not expected to play. Nevertheless, Pittsburgh found itself on Dallas’ 16 yard line, advancing to the seven before using some trickeration.

With third down and one on the seven, Pittsburgh lined up with two tight ends, signaling run. Instead, TE Randy Grossman faked an inside block, and ran into the end zone, where Bradshaw found him, tying the game up at 7-7.

Dallas came right back, kicking a 36 yard field goal seconds into the second quarter, giving them the 10-7 lead. Pittsburgh had a chance to tie, but a 36 yard field goal of their own was missed, giving Dallas the lead at halftime. A scoreless third quarter put Dallas 15 minutes away from Super Bowl glory.

In the fourth quarter, the defense that put Pittsburgh on the map came through, forcing Dallas to punt from their end zone. The punt was blocked, making the score 10-9. With great field position thanks to the free kick, Pittsburgh was able to put another three points on the board, taking their first lead of the game six minutes into the fourth quarter, 12-10.

On Dallas’ ensuing drive, DB Mike Wagner picked off Staubach, returning the ball to the Dallas seven yard line. The offense would stall, but did manage three points, extending the lead to 15-10. All in all, the Pittsburgh defense and special teams combined to put eight points on the board in a mere five minutes, clearly putting the momentum in their favor.

Pittsburgh would get the ball back with enough time to run out the clock, but a third down situation forced a pass call. Instead of throwing short, Bradshaw hooked up with Swann on a deep post for a 64 yard touchdown. Bradshaw would subsequentially get knocked out of the game by a hit from Larry Cole, but Pittsburgh had taken a two score lead, 21-10.

Staubach, using his QB magic, marched Dallas 80 yards in five plays, culminanting in a 34 yard touchdown pass to WR Percy Howard, cutting the deficit to 21-17. After recovering the onside, Pittsburgh would turn the ball over to Dallas after four straight rushing plays.

This gave Dallas the ball on their 39 yard line with 82 seconds left in the game. After marching to the Pittsburgh 38, Staubach would get no further, throwing an interception into the end zone, sealing the victory for the Steelers.

WR Lynn Swann would be named MVP, with four catches for 161 yards, but it was the defense that once again proved it’s mettle for Pittsburgh, sacking Staubach seven times and picking him off three times. There efforts at the beginning of the fourth quarter were key in giving Pittsburgh the lead and the win in the fourth quarter.

A game that goes down to the wire is a great Super Bowl, and that’s why Super Bowl X is the tenth best Super Bowl of all time.

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