Super Bowl XXIII: 49ers vs. Bengals
I love the big finish. Super Bowls with dramatic,
decided-in-the-last-minute-of-the-game endings are what are memorable to me. Thus, I
strongly considered Super Bowl V (a mistake-filled contest that nonetheless was won on Jim
O’Brien’s field goal in the final five seconds), Super Bowl XXV (Scott
Norwood’s miss in the final seconds that would have won the game for Buffalo) and
Super Bowl XXXII (the Broncos’ defense finally putting the clamps on a Brett
Favre-led drive in the final minute of an exciting, seesaw battle). These nail-biters all
take a backseat, however, to Super Bowl XXIII, when Joe Montana led the 49ers on a
heart-stopping, come-from-behind 92-yard TD drive that ended with an elegant 10-yard TD
pass to John Taylor with 34 seconds remaining, giving San Francisco a pulsating 20-16 win
over the Bengals. The fact that this 11-play march down the field came in the Super Bowl
makes it the greatest drive in pro football history, in my opinion.
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John Elway
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Super Bowl XXXII: Broncos vs. Packers
The debate began almost instantaneously. In fact, before the game had even ended, many
of the media members sitting around me in San Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium began to
debate whether this was the most exciting Super Bowl ever. I hope this does not smack of
recency, but Super Bowl XXXII gets my vote. It had it all. Superstar QBs in Brett Favre
and John Elway. Elway finally got his ring, eliminating the Super Bowl-loser label. The
AFC’s 13-game Super Bowl losing streak came to an end. It had memorable collisions,
including Elway’s now-famous dive that resulted in him being spun around like a
helicopter propeller. There was controversy when it appeared as if Green Bay had allowed
Terrell Davis to score the go-ahead touchdown so the Packers could get the ball back with
enough time to score. Most important, the game came down to the waning seconds. Super Bowl
XXXII: the best ever.
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Super Bowl XV: Raiders vs. Eagles
Whoa. I get a hangover just thinking about it. And I’m sure the Raiders players in
this game — the ones who are still alive — get one too, considering I actually
saw a great many of them tripping the Bourbon Street lights fantastic into the wee hours
the entire week leading up to Oakland’s easy 27-10 victory, having the time of their
lives. The game itself had its moments — Kenny King’s 80-yard TD catch-and-run,
LB Rod Martin’s three interceptions — but what really made this Super Bowl rock
was the ultimate study in contrasts provided by the two teams involved. Al Davis’
renegade Raiders were wild cards with a capital "W" — a flat-out crazy pack
of party animals who played hard, on and (especially) off the field. On game day, most of
the players’ eyes were bloodier than "Saving Private Ryan." The Eagles, on
the other hand, were as tight as a drum, and no one was more uptight than Philadelphia
head coach Dick Vermeil, who looked as if he were going to snap in half at any moment.
Great characters. Great memories. And definitely (hiccup!) the most fun I ever had at a
Super Bowl.
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Super Bowl XXV: Giants vs. Bills
Even before the game started, you knew this one would be special. Whitney
Houston’s rendition of the national anthem brought tears to the eyes of millions
whose emotions were riled by the Gulf War. The comparatively inconsequential war on the
field turned out to be a classic. The game was exceptionally well-played, with no
turnovers and a total of only 11 penalties. It was nip-and-tuck throughout, with neither
team ever leading by double digits. And, of course, the outcome wasn’t decided until
the final seconds. You can have Lynn Swann’s elegance and John Elway’s
grittiness and Leon Lett’s carelessness, but you can’t tell me there’s a
more famous Super Bowl moment than Scott Norwood’s missed field goal at the end of
XXV. The young Bills were heartbroken but figured they’d get another shot. They would
get three more. But who knew Norwood’s near miss would be the closest they’d
come to winning it?
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Super Bowl XX: Bears vs. Patriots
As a Chicago native, there can be only one game that stands out in my mind. After all,
people in these parts are still talking about it. You can have your memorable nail-biters
and fantastic finishes. This 46-10 Bears victory featured the type of dominance that a
team had never shown in Super Bowl history. The images are plentiful. Willie Gault hauling
in a 60-yard pass after the Bears were pinned near their own goal line. Reggie Phillips
returning an interception for a touchdown. William Perry’s one-yard scoring dive. The
countless times Patriots QBs Tony Eason and Steve Grogan were pressured and sacked. And
I’ll never forget the flip Jim McMahon made after taking a first-half hit. The only
painful memory I have is Walter Payton walking off the field seemingly dejected, despite
the outcome. Payton had carried 22 times for 61 yards for an ugly 2.8-yard average. Worse
yet, he did not score. Mike Ditka gave that carry to Perry. But while Payton’s
TD-less performance was upsetting, it could not take away from nearly 60 minutes of
domination — or make my favorite Super Bowl any less enjoyable.
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Super Bowl XXXII: Broncos vs. Packers
I’ve been called many things around the Pro Football Weekly offices, but
perhaps the most accurate name used to describe me is "contrarian." I hate
playing the chalk. Give me an underdog and put me out on a limb. I want something
unexpected to happen. Hence, my favorite Super Bowl has to be an upset. And with apologies
to Super Bowl III — a massive upset but a boring game that was before my time —
I’ll go with Denver’s surprise victory over Green Bay in XXXII. The Packers were
monumental favorites, both because of their own strong play and because of the NFC’s
13-year stranglehold on the Super Bowl. Denver was a wild-card team and a franchise that
had flamed out in the big game before. But this Broncos team was different. John Elway, in
the fourth of his five Super starts, got plenty of help from Terrell Davis, and the
Broncos pulled the upset in a 31-24 thriller. Plus, a truly great Super Bowl should have a
signature highlight, and Elway’s helicopter spin in the red zone fills that
requirement. A close game, a memorable play and a big upset — I couldn’t ask for
more.
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