Yeah, it was 92 yards on the biggest stage, with a championship at stake. But if you watch it as a series of plays, the drive itself is pretty underwhelming.
that fact that the Holmes catch has been rated by some as the greatest Superbowl play of all-time, was just an attempt to dethrone the Tyree catch. There's really no other explanation when you look at the Holmes catch. It really was just "a little more than routine"....that's it.
As much as I hold up the Tyree catch as probably the best Super Bowl play of all time, the Holmes catch the following year was almost as good. That was an all-time throw from Big Ben over 2 defenders and just in the right spot for Holmes to JUST catch it an get two tip toes in-bounds for the game-winning TD of the Super Bowl, with seconds to spare I'll add. Sounds like a lot more than routine to me.
the James Harrison touchdown return. I think I've seen that rated as the best play in Superbowl history. The most amazing thing about that play is that there was a penalty called on it and it wasn't against the Steelers. There must have been 2 or 3 blocks in the back or holds that were clear as day watching the play on TV at the time.
Roethlisberger to Holmes was brilliant execution...
...of something they had practiced since the first day of camp. Manning to Tyree was pure improvisation on both ends. Apples and oranges. A better comp for the Holmes play would be Manning to Manningham, although it wasn't a touchdown.
Another overrated play: Marcus Allen's 74-yard TD run in SB XVIII. Pretty change of direction, nice burst after the cutback; but the game was already over, and the Redskin defense quit. Barry Sanders had runs like that almost every year of his career.
As much as I hold up the Tyree catch as probably the best Super Bowl play of all time, the Holmes catch the following year was almost as good. That was an all-time throw from Big Ben over 2 defenders and just in the right spot for Holmes to JUST catch it an get two tip toes in-bounds for the game-winning TD of the Super Bowl, with seconds to spare I'll add. Sounds like a lot more than routine to me.
Amani Toomer in the 08 playoff run SuperBowl win. Would you rate any of Amani's catches as good?
And the answer is absolutely YES...."a little more than routine"...If that catch was in a regular season game, it would have been long forgotten by now...long forgotten...Lynn Swann tipping the ball to himself as he's going down would not have been, which is also true of the Tyree catch....
I don't understand why people hold the Holmes catch with such reverence...he stretched, kept his toes in bounds and came down with a very very nice reception for a TD...I'll give it that, but that's all.....We see this all the time...It doesn't even come close to what Tyree did...Hell, I'd even say that the Manningham reception in 46 was better than the Holmes reception....all day...
Amani Toomer in the 08 playoff run SuperBowl win. Would you rate any of Amani's catches as good?
And the answer is absolutely YES...."a little more than routine"...If that catch was in a regular season game, it would have been long forgotten by now...long forgotten...Lynn Swann tipping the ball to himself as he's going down would not have been, which is also true of the Tyree catch....
I don't understand why people hold the Holmes catch with such reverence...he stretched, kept his toes in bounds and came down with a very very nice reception for a TD...I'll give it that, but that's all.....We see this all the time...It doesn't even come close to what Tyree did...Hell, I'd even say that the Manningham reception in 46 was better than the Holmes reception....all day...
You can't take a catch out of context and judge it the same. Yes, Toomer had a great habit of making fantastic catches while keeping his feet inbounds, but none were the game-winning catch of the Super Bowl. That counts for a lot.
I'm not saying that Holmes' catch was the best. To me, the Tyree and Manningham catches top it. But I'm not going to downplay it's greatness either.
but I would argue that Manning to Tyree is actually underrated by a lot of people. Folks often remember it for the helmet catch part but ignore how amazing Eli was in escaping from a sure sack.
As soon as I saw two Patriots get hold of Eli, I figured the game was going to hinge on a 4th and 15 desperation play.
was a fantastic catch under that pressure, but the great play was the throw. Just like MM's catch in the Super Bowl was a great catch under intense pressure, I think the great play was the throw from Eli.
was Jeff Hostetler NOT fumbling away the ball on the Bruce Smith sack near the end of the first half. Had he dropped that ball the Bills would no doubt have recovered it for a touchdown and gotten their only superbowl win.
Spot on, and exactly the play I think about most often when underrated/overlooked key SB plays are discussed. It defied logic how he was able to hang onto that ball.
In comment 11746119 Giants Fan in Steelers Land said:
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In comment 11745539 Natek212 said:
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3rd and long conversion along the sideline, diving forward and barely getting the first down. Set up the Burress game winning grab. Often overlooked.
Totally agree.
It was a great play call, but he made the 1st down by well over a yard. To me that was a significant but routine play.
the leon lett fumble in super bowl 28 where steve tasker caught up to him and knocked the ball out of his nonchalant hands just before the goalline. as bad as that was, the game was a cowboys blowout so it was pretty insignificant.
underrated:
the asante samuel dropped interception in super bowl 42; that would have been a game clincher
Another overrated play: Marcus Allen's 74-yard TD run in SB XVIII. Pretty change of direction, nice burst after the cutback; but the game was already over, and the Redskin defense quit. Barry Sanders had runs like that almost every year of his career.
Amani Toomer in the 08 playoff run SuperBowl win. Would you rate any of Amani's catches as good?
And the answer is absolutely YES...."a little more than routine"...If that catch was in a regular season game, it would have been long forgotten by now...long forgotten...Lynn Swann tipping the ball to himself as he's going down would not have been, which is also true of the Tyree catch....
I don't understand why people hold the Holmes catch with such reverence...he stretched, kept his toes in bounds and came down with a very very nice reception for a TD...I'll give it that, but that's all.....We see this all the time...It doesn't even come close to what Tyree did...Hell, I'd even say that the Manningham reception in 46 was better than the Holmes reception....all day...
Quote:
Amani Toomer in the 08 playoff run SuperBowl win. Would you rate any of Amani's catches as good?
And the answer is absolutely YES...."a little more than routine"...If that catch was in a regular season game, it would have been long forgotten by now...long forgotten...Lynn Swann tipping the ball to himself as he's going down would not have been, which is also true of the Tyree catch....
I don't understand why people hold the Holmes catch with such reverence...he stretched, kept his toes in bounds and came down with a very very nice reception for a TD...I'll give it that, but that's all.....We see this all the time...It doesn't even come close to what Tyree did...Hell, I'd even say that the Manningham reception in 46 was better than the Holmes reception....all day...
You can't take a catch out of context and judge it the same. Yes, Toomer had a great habit of making fantastic catches while keeping his feet inbounds, but none were the game-winning catch of the Super Bowl. That counts for a lot.
I'm not saying that Holmes' catch was the best. To me, the Tyree and Manningham catches top it. But I'm not going to downplay it's greatness either.
As soon as I saw two Patriots get hold of Eli, I figured the game was going to hinge on a 4th and 15 desperation play.
I personally believe that ball touched the ground before Harris snagged it and ran for a TD.
Figured I'd just throw this one in the mix.
Me either.
Totally agree.
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3rd and long conversion along the sideline, diving forward and barely getting the first down. Set up the Burress game winning grab. Often overlooked.
Totally agree.
It was a great play call, but he made the 1st down by well over a yard. To me that was a significant but routine play.
underrated:
the asante samuel dropped interception in super bowl 42; that would have been a game clincher