Best Super Bowl Countdown - #1

Well, after a week of making you wait (and getting way too caught up in other things to accidentally forget this), it is time to reveal my top Super Bowl since 1993. It shouldn't be much of a surprise when you consider the ones that have come before this. But before I do reveal the top Super Bowl, I want to reveal the bottom 3.

3rd Worst: Super Bowl XXVII (1993)
Dallas 52, Buffalo 17
-- Complete domination from the Cowboys (who I hated then and still do to this day). Only had one lead change. Buffalo QB Jim Kelly injured in 2nd quarter forcing backup QB Frank Reich to finish game. 3rd Super Bowl loss in a row by the Bills. Good halftime show though with Michael Jackson with 3,500 local children. Troy Aikman named Super Bowl MVP.

2nd Worst: Super Bowl XXXVII (2003)
Tampa Bay 48, Oakland 21
-- Way too much pregame talk about Jon Gruden that didn't really matter. Only one lead change. Score was 20-3 at halftime and 34-3 during 3rd quarter. Raiders missed three 2-pt conversions. 3 defensive TD by the Bucs, including 2 interception returns for TD in last 2 minutes of game. 5 INT by Oakland QB Rich Gannon. Halftime show included Shania Twain, No Doubt and Sting. Dexter Jackson named Super Bowl MVP.

THE WORST: Super Bowl XXXV (2001)
Baltimore 34, NY Giants 7
-- Not one lead change the entire game. 10-0 halftime lead. All 21 points scored in 3rd quarter scored in a span of 36 seconds (only excitement of game). Offenses combined for just 24 first downs (4 of them picked up by penalty). Giants QB Kerry Collins threw 4 INT. Giants only touchdown came on a kickoff return. Teams combined to go 5/30 on 3rd down. Trent Dilfer won a Super Bowl...somehow, Halftime show produced by MTV included Aerosmith, Britney Spears, N'Sync, Mary J. Blige and Nelly. Ray ("murderer") Lewis named Super Bowl MVP. Every football fan in America and around the world disappointed.

Alright, with that out of the way, here's my choice of the best Super Bowl since 1993:

#1 Super Bowl XXXIV
St. Louis 23, Tennessee 16
January 30, 2000
Atlanta, GA

Every Super Bowl has a favorite and an underdog. In this one, it was obvious who the favorite was. The Rams were known all season as "The Greatest Show On Turf" while the Titans were just the team that made it to the Super Bowl via the "Music City Miracle". But by the end of this game, what would separate these teams from Super Bowl Champs and Super Bowl losers would be a single yard.

The game started just as the Rams wanted. A nice long drive inside the Titans 20 yard line. But the drive didn't end well. Rams holder Mike Horan bobbled the snap, ruining a 35-yd FG attempt. The Titans responded with a solid drive of their own, going 42 yards. But normal surefire kicker Al Del Greco would miss a 47-yd FG, keeping the game scoreless.

The Rams would take advantage, again, driving into the red zone but instead of touchdowns, the Rams kept coming away with field goals. Jeff Wilkins hit 3 FG and had one blocked in the first half while the Titans would be slowed considerably by the Lovie Smith-coached Rams defense. And despite the Rams outgaining the Titans 294-89, the score would be a lowly 9-0 lead for STL. Fans were eager to see more offense and more excitement. Oh, that was coming.

After a Disney-produced halftime show that included Phil Collins and Christina Aguilera, it was back to football as the Titans looked to score their first points of the game. Tennessee would drive the ball 47 yards to set up another Del Greco 47-yd FG attempt. But just like the first one, this one was no good, thanks to Todd Lyght, who got his big mitts on it to block it to the ground. The Rams came out firing after the block. QB Kurt Warner hit WR Isaac Bruce with a 31-yd pass to begin a drive that would end with a 9-yd TD pass to WR Torry Holt and with 7:20 left in the 3rd quarter, the Rams were up 16-0 and by the looks of things, well on their way to winning Super Bowl XXXIV.

But the Titans were saving their best for the end. The Titans would respond with a 7-minute plus drive which included a 23-yd scramble by QB Steve McNair and a 1-yd touchdown plunge by RB Eddie George. The 2-pt conversion was no good but more importantly, the Titans were finally on the board, cutting the lead to 16-6. The Tennessee defense would stand tall and get the ball back and yet again, would drive down the field. In a drive that took more than 7 minutes, 13 plays and 79 yards, the Titans scored on a 2-yd TD run by Eddie George and all the sudden, the Titans had all the momentum and were down just 16-13 with 7:21 remaining.

The Rams knew they were in trouble and needed to get their offense back on track. But the Titans defense would have none of that. Warner and the Rams failed to pick up a 1st down, leading to another punt. The Titans only drove the ball 28 yds but it was enough to set up Al Del Greco for a 43-yd FG attempt. Del Greco's third FG attempt was the charm, proving the popular saying correct and tying the game at 16 with just 2:12 left. All the momentum was with the Titans. They had overcome a 16-pt deficit, becoming the first team in Super Bowl history to do so. The Rams had not been able to move the ball. But this is the Super Bowl. All of that meant nothing.

After the kickoff, the Rams went to the line, hoping to begin a long, scoring drive. Well, the drive wasn't long but it did end in a score. On the first play from their own 27, Warner launched a long pass to Isaac Bruce down the right sideline. Bruce caught the ball at the Titans 38 and then, turned on the burners, outracing the defense to the endzone. Just like that, the Rams recaptured the lead. With 1:54 left, they led 23-16.

But with such a quick scoring strike, it left plenty of time for the Titans offense to score. McNair and the Titans kept their cool, methodical moving the ball down the field. In the most crucial play of the drive, McNair avoided a sack and connected with WR Kevin Dyson for a 16-yd pass to put Tennessee at the the Rams 10-yd line with just 6 seconds left. With no timeouts, it would all come down to one play. McNair would get the snap, throw a quick pass to Dyson, who was running an inside slant. Dyson would make the catch in stride at the 3-yd line. However, Rams LB Mike Jones reacted quickly, getting ahold of Dyson around the 2-yd line. Dyson tried with all of his might to get out of Jones' grasp but after a long stretch, the football was one yard short. Time had expired. The Rams were Super Bowl Champions.

Kurt Warner was named the game's MVP for his stellar passing performance, throwing for a Super Bowl record 414 yards and 2 TD. And while there was no guarantee that the Titans would have won the game even by scoring on the final play of the game, it would have at least guaranteed the first-ever OT. All I remember is yelling at my TV saying "NO WAY!". And if every Super Bowl ended that way, then the world would be a better place.