THE Greatest Game Ever Played was The Greatest Game Ever Played: Baltimore Colts 23, Giants 17 in OT at Yankee Stadium.
After further review, I rank Super Bowl XLIII The Greatest Super Bowl Ever Played.
The Serby Super Seven:
I – Super Bowl XLIII: Steelers 27, Cardinals 23. James Harrison’s 100-yard interception return as the first half expired is the longest play in Super Bowl history, and the best defensive play in Super Bowl history.
Harrison, determined not merely to deny Kurt Warner and Anquan Boldin a one-yard touchdown pass, was so determined to score one himself that he refused to be tackled, refused to be shoved out of bounds, refused to surrender to lungs begging for air.
And it turned out to be the appetizer thanks to a fourth quarter for the ages, a fourth quarter that saw the marvelous Kurt Warner turn back the clock to his Greatest Show on Turf days, saw the wondrous Larry Fitzgerald awaken with a vengeance, saw Big Ben Roethlisberger unflinchingly answer the greatest challenge of his career, saw MVP Santonio Holmes make a game-winning catch with 35 seconds left that even David Tyree would applaud.
II – Super Bowl XLII: Giants 17, Patriots 14. At the end of a season that gave us Spygate, Tom Brady marches the heavily favored Patriots to the go-ahead touchdown that leaves them 2:39 from 19-0.
Enter MVP Eli Manning. Exit Manning, somehow, from a pocket that should have left him buried beneath Patriot defenders, and enter Tyree, and Catch 42, the greatest offensive play in Super Bowl history.
Enter Plaxico Burress, who catches the 13-yard TD pass that shocks the world with 35 seconds left – just like Holmes.
III – Super Bowl III: AFL Jets 16, NFL Colts 7. This wasn’t even one of the 10 top exciting Supes, but Joe Namath’s guarantee only changed the face of football, horrifying the Establishment NFL, which reluctantly decided that if you can’t beat ’em, have ’em join you.
Broadway Joe manages the game, and the Jet defense suffocates Earl Morrall before old John Unitas trudges off the bench and puts a slight scare into the 18-point underdog Jets.
IV – Super Bowl XXXIV: Rams 23, Titans 16. Down 16-0, a heroic comeback led by gritty Steve McNair ties the game with 2:12 left on Al Del Greco’s 43-yard field goal. Warner’s underthrown 73-yard bomb to Isaac Bruce promptly unties it. Here comes McNair again, scrambling at least 10 yards behind the line of scrimmage and refusing to be sacked before hitting Kevin Dyson for 16 yards at the Rams 10. The Titans call time with six seconds left. McNair hits Dyson in stride inside the 5 and linebacker Mike Jones, the only man between Dyson and overtime, grabs hold of his legs as Dyson lunges in vain, a yard short of the end zone.
V – Super Bowl XXV: Giants 20, Bills 19. Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick at their very best. MVP Ottis Anderson enables Phil Simms stand-in Jeff Hostetler to keep the ball away from Jim Kelly’s prolific K-Gun offense for 40:33. Scott Norwood misses his 47-yard field goal wide right at the end.
VI – Super Bowl XXXVI: Patriots 20, Rams 17. Warner and his heavily favored Greatest Show on Turf are stymied by Belichick, but stage a furious fourth-quarter comeback from a 17-3 deficit. Warner, down 17-10, takes over at his 45 with 1:51 left and hits Ricky Proehl with the game-tying 26-yard TD with 1:30 left.
Brady, starting from his 17 with no timeouts, does his first Joe Montana imitation, putting his team in position for Adam Vinatieri’s game-winning 48-yard field goal as time expires.
VII – Super Bowl XXIII: 49ers 20, Bengals 16. Montana loosens his teammates up in the huddle with: “Hey, check it out, John Candy’s over there.” And then directs an 11-play, 92-yard drive that culminates in the game-winning 10-yard TD pass to John Taylor with 34 seconds left.