Reliving Greatness: Iconic Super Bowl Moments as We Look Ahead to Super Bowl 2025
Contents
- Reliving Greatness: Iconic Super Bowl Moments as We Look Ahead to Super Bowl 2025
- # 1 No Helmet for One of the Best All-Time Offensive Players (Super Bowl XXVI, 1992)
- # 2 Elway’s “Helicopter Dive” (Super Bowl XXXII, 1998)
- # 3 Manning Exploiting the “Helmet Catch” (Super Bowl XLII, 2008)
- # 4 Bradshaw’s Accidental Touchdown (Super Bowl XLVI, 2012)
- # 5 Bowling in the Dark (Super Bowl XLVII, 2013)
- # 6 Butler’s Game-Winning Interception (Super Bowl XLIX, 2015)
- # 7 The Greatest Ever Comeback (Super Bowl LI, 2017)
- Everything You Need to Know About Super Bowl 2025 Between the Chiefs and Eagles
- Pros and Cons of Super Bowl 2025 Rivals
- Frequently Asked Questions
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- The Super Bowl is the ninth most-watched sporting event in the world ever, as its edition in 2024 attracted 124 million viewers
- The New England Patriots appeared most of all teams on our list of the most memorable Super Bowl moments: four times.
- he Philadelphia Eagles will play the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl 2025—a rematch of the Super Bowl 2023.
Photo: The Seattle Seahawks stadium (https://unsplash.com/photos/a-football-stadium-filled-with-lots-of-people-TngXXOz6QY0)
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The most prominent showcase for the NFL is the Super Bowl. Everyone puts all on the line to win the Lombardi trophy in the event, which serves as the grand climax to the regular season and postseason. The result is that the Super Bowl is especially prone to big moments, as broadcasters usually hope. It’s really difficult to narrow it down to any number of top moments from the single-game championship match in the highest level of professional American football since there have been so many, but we (hopefully) pulled it off.
These are seven of the most iconic Super Bowl moments, each of which offered something slightly unique to help NHL fans remember it. Since we’re not to judge which is more iconic than the other, we ordered them by the year they occurred.
# 1 No Helmet for One of the Best All-Time Offensive Players (Super Bowl XXVI, 1992)
When you unzip your backpack and discover that you have forgotten your kit for the day, it’s every schooler’s nightmare. That’s awful enough at school but at the year’s most important NFL game?
The franchise that was formerly known as the Washington Redskins was playing the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXVI in 1992 at the Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Thurman Thomas, a running back, who was lining up for the Bills, was considered by many to be among the greatest offensive players of the time. He’d place his helmet on the 34-yard line as part of his pregame ritual. Unfortunately for him, during the build-up to Super Bowl, there was a mix-up. Before the game started, Thomas’ helmet was moved to make room for a makeshift stage when Harry Connick Jr. performed the national anthem.
Thomas missed the first two plays of the game because he couldn’t find his helmet at kickoff. Neither his nor the Bills’ day got much better, as they dropped 37-24 to lose their second straight Super Bowl, which was the franchise’s record-breaking fourth Super Bowl loss.
# 2 Elway’s “Helicopter Dive” (Super Bowl XXXII, 1998)
In the third quarter of Super Bowl XXXII, the Denver Broncos and Green Bay Packers were tied at 17-17, and it was third and six. The now-famous quarterback John Elway was set to snap the ball. After taking the ball effectively, he took a step back to consider his options before effortlessly slicing through the shattered line of scrimmage. Three Packers defenders closed in on Elway as he rushed for the end zone. Elway was only eight yards away when he propelled himself. He took a low hit to his left and a mid-level hit to his right by two rival defenders, then twirled into and over another defender before flying forward, always having the ball tucked into his chest.
Now referred to as the “Helicopter Dive”, it’s regarded as the pivotal moment of the 1998 big game and set up a foundation for the touchdown for the Broncos just two plays later, which was scored by Super Bowl MVP Terrell Davis. Fans turn to NFL betting on the best online American football betting sites every year to support the bolder bets on great quarterbacks after witnessing quarterbacks’ amazing Super Bowl moments like this one from Elway.
# 3 Manning Exploiting the “Helmet Catch” (Super Bowl XLII, 2008)
We speak about a clash between Eli Manning’s New York Giants and Tom Brady’s New England Patriots (the team with the most Super Bowl appearances: 11; and the most-titled NFL team, along with the Pittsburgh Steelers: six titles) for the first time out of two on our list. It takes place at Super Bowl XLII in 2008 this time. The other Giants vs. Patriots game we’ll mention will take place in four years.
Manning had to scamper around the backfield on a totally broken play because his offensive line had collapsed. The quarterback threw the ball into triple coverage, defying every coach’s advice. David Tyree was his target; he jumped up, grabbed the ball with one hand, and secured it by holding it to his helmet. The 32-yard play was completed as the receiver came down to the turf with the ball pinned to his head.
Manning harnessed the momentum of the “Helmet Catch” to fly toward the unbeaten Patriots’ end zone with one minute remaining. Four plays later, he sent Plaxico Burress the game-winning touchdown ball.
# 4 Bradshaw’s Accidental Touchdown (Super Bowl XLVI, 2012)
Every American football player’s childhood fantasy must be to score the game-winning field goal, run, or, most importantly, touchdown. However, it’s safe to assume that Ahmad Bradshaw’s pivotal moment from Super Bowl XLVI won’t have gone as planned. In 2012, the New York Giants’ running back scored the game-winning touchdown, though not totally intentionally.
With minutes left, the Giants were only two points behind the New England Patriots, the ferocious favorites, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Giants knew that a field goal could be sufficient to win when they had the ball near the Patriots’ end goal, but they also wanted to use up as much time as they could to keep their opponents from making a comeback of their own.
Bradshaw was instructed by quarterback Eli Manning, who sent him the ball, to get close to the end goal but not cross into it. However, the Patriots defense’s plan was to not stop the running back. In order to give themselves the remaining time to try to score a touchdown of their own and win the game, New England wanted to give up a touchdown. One of the most bizarre plays in Super Bowl history ensued when Bradshaw rushed in anticipation of a tackle, only to have the defense stand to one side.
It was too late for Bradshaw to realize what was going on. Despite his best efforts to halt, he flipped over into the end zone as he attempted to “brake”. Fortunately for him and his teammates, New York won their fourth Super Bowl ever after the Patriots’ last-minute scoring tries failed.
# 5 Bowling in the Dark (Super Bowl XLVII, 2013)
A power outage is the last thing you need when the entire world is watching your big event. However, that’s what occurred at the 2013’s Super Bowl XLVII. The Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, was abruptly enveloped in darkness as the Baltimore Ravens led the San Francisco 49ers 28-6 in the first few minutes of the third quarter. The stadium experienced a 34-minute delay as engineers worked feverishly to restore power after it had failed.
When the lights came back on, the 49ers were energized and inspired by the break and scored 17 straight points to pull within one touchdown of winning the championship. However, the Ravens scored two more field goals to win, ending San Francisco’s hopes of winning the Super Bowl.
# 6 Butler’s Game-Winning Interception (Super Bowl XLIX, 2015)
The Patriots and Seattle Seahawks faced off in a close game at Super Bowl XLIX, pitting one of the most successful coach-QB teams in history against the most formidable defense in modern history.
The Patriots were held to 14 points after three quarters by the “Legion of Boom” (Seattle’s secondary), while the Seahawks scored 24 points. However, Brady and company made a breakthrough with two scores in the fourth. Trailing 24-28, Russell Wilson managed to find Jermaine Kearse, who made a spectacular catch to put Seattle near the Patriots’ goal line. Giving the “rock” to Marshawn Lynch was the obvious course of action with 26 seconds remaining. Since he was, after all, in beast mode, the finest rushing back in the NFL at the time would’ve dominated on his first or second crack regardless of the defensive front. The call was to make a passing play instead.
Malcolm Butler, a rookie cornerback, duly picked it off after Wilson stepped out and threw it, ending the game on the goal line. It concluded on the narrowest margin in a game that no one could predict.
# 7 The Greatest Ever Comeback (Super Bowl LI, 2017)
This time, Tom Brady was on the winning side of one of the most famous Super Bowl moments, and it was undoubtedly one of the most exciting games of the modern age.
After trailing the unrelenting Atlanta Falcons 3-28 at the half, Brady and his coach Bill Belichick pulled off the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history, bringing the score even at 28-28 and forcing the first-ever overtime.
The Pats won the coin toss, took the ball, and proceeded from their 25-yard line to James White’s last two-yard scramble. The historic comeback in the first-ever Super Bowl overtime session was secured when the running back was ruled to have extended himself just enough to break the plane before his knee went down and scored the clinching touchdown.
Super Bowl LI in 2017 is one of only two Super Bowls that went to overtime.
Everything You Need to Know About Super Bowl 2025 Between the Chiefs and Eagles
In the Super Bowl 2025, the Philadelphia Eagles will play the Kansas City Chiefs. The game is a rematch of Super Bowl LVII in 2023 in which the Chiefs defeated the Eagles 38-35 after rallying from behind.
Before kickoff, here’s what you need to know:
- On Sunday, February 9, at 6:30 p.m. ET, Super Bowl 2025 will begin at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.
- Four Super Bowls have been won by the Chiefs: in 1970, 2020, 2023, and 2024. They are competing to become the first club to win three straight titles in the Super Bowl era.
- Philadelphia had previously appeared in four Super Bowls: in 1981, 2005, 2018, and 2023. With their 41-33 triumph over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 52 (2018), the Eagles have only won once.
- Jon Batiste, Trombone Shorty, Lauren Daigle, and Ledisi are among the celebrities on the pregame Super Bowl entertainment list. The national anthem will be played by Batiste. “America the Beautiful” will be performed by Trombone Shorty and Lauren Daigle. One of Ledisi’s songs will be “Lift Every Voice and Sing”.
- Kendrick Lamar, a Grammy-winning rapper, will be the main attraction at the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show.
Pros and Cons of Super Bowl 2025 Rivals
The Chiefs perform better when the competition gets more fierce. Even if Mahomes and the Chiefs’ offense don’t appear to be as potent as they were in previous seasons, they perform well when it counts. When you combine that with a strong Kansas City defense, this side is difficult to defeat.
In addition to their capability to win on the edges, the Eagles’ run game with Saquon Barkley and a pass rush can put pressure on the interior to throw off Mahomes’ timing. Philly is a cohesive team whose strength is built upon itself. They are also motivated to get revenge for their defeat in Super Bowl LVII.
TEAMS | Philadelphia Eagles | Kansas City Chiefs |
PROS | They commit very little to no turnovers in Playoffs. Their run game led by Saquon Barkley appears unstoppable. | They are driven by a feat that no one has done before: 3 Super Bowls in a row. They haven’t been allowing a turnover since Week 11. Strong defense. |
CONS | They barely survived the Packers and Rams. | Their right side—Trey Smith and Jawaan Taylor—is their huge weakness. Not sharp enough in tackling. Their offense doesn’t appear to be as potent as it was in previous seasons. |