The 5 greatest Super Bowl moments that history forgot

The Super Bowl is the biggest sporting event of the year, and it has a way of getting certain moments lodged into the memories of people who aren’t even football fans.

We’re talking plays like David Tyree’s helmet catch, James Harrison’s 100-yard interception return for a touchdown, John Elway’s helicopter run, and Mike Jones’ tackle of Kevin Dyson a yard short of glory.

In these games, though, are great plays that get forgotten. Nobody ever remembers the runner-up, and that’s what these highlights are from — Super Bowl championship dreams that fell short.

They’re still phenomenal plays, and we’re here to remind you of them.

Let’s start with the most recent. Jones’ toe-tapping, full-extension grab while maintaining control throughout the catch — or as we say in 2018, “surviving the ground” — made everybody gasp for air:

The catch appeared that it might help the Falcons maintain that 28-3 lead against the Patriots you might have heard a thing or two about. At that point, the Falcons were up 28-20, and the 27-yard reception put them at the New England 22-yard line.

Then a 1-yard loss by Devonta Freeman, a Matt Ryan sack, and a holding call on Jake Matthews pushed the Falcons back and forced them to punt. The rest is history.

McNair’s final drive against the Rams in itself is something that should never be forgotten in Super Bowl history. With 1:48 to go in the game, the Titans had the football and were driving down the field under McNair’s command.

On a third-and-5 with just 22 seconds left and one timeout, McNair scrambled all over the Georgia Dome turf, evaded a tackle, and threw a dart to Dyson for 16 yards to get to the Rams 10-yard line:

Of course, on the next play, McNair completed one last pass. Except it went just 9 yards to Dyson, who was tackled a yard short of the end zone, the moment everyone remembers from Super Bowl XXXIV.

It gave the Rams a 23-16 win, but McNair’s performance on the final drive — and that particular third down — is something that shouldn’t be lost in history.

Remember when the Cardinals had the Steelers on the ropes in Super Bowl XLIII? We all know how this one turned out — with the most iconic play of the game — but Fitzgerald was almost the Super Bowl hero.

Down four, Kurt Warner found Fitzgerald right up the shoot for a 64-yard touchdown to put the Cardinals up 23-20 with 2:37 left:

Ben Roethlisberger would lead the Steelers down the field in just under two minutes, tossing the perfect pass to Santonio Holmes for the game-winning score and one of the best catches in Super Bowl history.

Warner completed a pair of passes to get the Cardinals to their own 43-yard line, but LaMarr Woodley forced a fumble that sealed Pittsburgh’s win. And now the future Hall of Famer Fitzgerald might retire without a Super Bowl win, while his own moment of glory is overshadowed — a true crime.

Super Bowl XLIX was the game that legally changed Malcolm Butler’s name into Super Bowl Hero Malcolm Butler.

Before Butler’s interception at the goal line, Kearse caught this 33-yard pass from Russell Wilson with 1:14 left, somehow maintaining concentration and displaying unbelievable hands:

The Seahawks were down 28-24, set up at the New England 5-yard line. On the next play, they got down to the Patriots 1-yard line — then Butler happened.

The only thing that went right for the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI was the opening kickoff. But it was a beauty.

It was only appropriate that Hester — the best return man the game has ever seen — housed the first kickoff he saw in the biggest game of his life:

The Colts took a 16-14 lead into halftime on a rainy night in Miami and didn’t look back, giving Peyton Manning his first Super Bowl victory.

The Bears were known for two things that season: their defense, and Hester’s speed. At least one of those things showed up when they needed them the most.