Last night’s Super Bowl XLIX had Seattle fans in a panic. With the Seahawks trailing close behind the New England Patriots at 28-24 with 20 seconds left at the one-yard line, head coach Pete Carroll called for a pass play, as opposed to letting runningback Marshawn Lynch take the ball and score, which ended up in a devastating loss for Seahawks fans. Here we take a look back at five of the biggest goats in Super Bowl history.
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1. Scott Norwood is remembered for one of the biggest Super Bowl blunders, if not the most widely known, during the 1991 Super Bowl XXV when the Buffalo Bills played the New York Giants. Norwood, then a placekicker on the Bills, had his named forever cemented in Super Bowl blunders history when he missed a 47-year field goal attempt at the end of the game. The Giants were winning by only one point at 20-19 with 2:16 remaining. When Bills quarterback Jim Kelly dominated the field and set the Bills up into a position to win with just eight seconds remaining, Norwood’s kick sailed wide right, and the mistake awarded the Giants with the win. Many refer to this legendary play as “wide right.â€
2. Jon Kasay was a kicker on the Carolina Panthers and played in Super Bowl XXXVIII, where the Panthers took on the Patriots. With just
over one minute remaining, Kasay kicked the ball, earning an extra point to tie the score 29-29. At kickoff, he kicked the ball out of bounds, which enabled the Patriots to start their final descent and drive at the 40-yard line. The Panthers’ fate was sealed as the Patriots won, because of the costly blunder, with nine seconds left.3. During Super Bowl XXX, Neil O’Donnell had two of the worst throws in Super Bowl history, where the Pittsburgh Steelers played the Dallas Cowboys. The Steelers were trailing behind by a mere three points toward the end of the fourth quarter, when O’Donnell threw the ball to an area with seemingly no receivers, other than Dallas CB Larry Brown. Brown quickly returned the interception and led Dallas to victory with a final score of 27-17.
4. Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Leon Lett’s actions may not have lost his team the Super Bowl XXCII, but it did earn him attention worldwide. The Cowboys were up 52-17 against the Bills when Lett grabbed a fumble during the fourth quarter. After the catch, he slowed down to dance and celebrate around the Bills’ 5-yard line. Buffalo wide receiver Don Beebe caught up to him and knocked the ball out of his hands, which resulted in a touchback. If Lett hadn’t started a celebration early he would have scored a touchdown, earning Dallas a record Super Bowl win at 59 points. Quarterback Jim Kelly also makes the list, as he threw four interceptions during this game.
5. In The Super Bowl XIII, scores and tension ran high, when the Cowboys and Steelers battled each other during an intense first half. During the second half, Dallas was down 21-14, and QB Roger Staubach began to march Dallas down the field. He threw a perfect spiral pass to Jackie Smith, who dropped the ball. Smith exploded in anger, and Dallas never regained the lead. The result was a 35-31 heartbreaking loss.
Do you think Seattle’s call was one of the biggest blunders? Share your thoughts with us below.