BY ERIC NGUYEN - FAN FUEL BLOGGER
On Sunday, the world gets to see the matchup that many were hoping for: Brady's Patriots vs. Manning's Giants Part Two. Who will be the hero? If it's anything like last time, it won't be decided until late in the fourth quarter.
To tide you over, let's take a look at the Top 5 Super Bowl heroes of all time:
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5. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints (Super Bowl XLIV: Saints 31, Colts 17)
The Super Bowl MVP was the main reason the Saints were able to win such an emotional game. With the city still reeling from the effects of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Brees went 32 for 39 with 288 yards passing and two touchdowns in a game that truly united not only the city of New Orleans, but also the state of Louisiana.
Despite being the underdogs, the Saints beat the Colts (led by Louisiana native Peyton Manning), who almost went 16-0 during the regular season. Brees distributed the ball so evenly and wore down the Colts defence as the game wore on. The Saints' Super Bowl XLIV victory was not only huge for the organization itself, but was also a key factor in the city's continuing recovery from Hurricane Katrina.
4. Manny Fernandez, Miami Dolphins (Super Bowl VII: Dolphins 14, Redskins 7)
To this very day, many still believe that Fernandez should have been the Super Bowl MVP instead of safety Jake Scott. In the most dominating performance by a linebacker in NFL history, Fernandez had 17 tackles and one sack in a tight game that resulted in the only truly perfect season in NFL history. Along with their 14-0 record in the regular season, the Dolphins won two more playoff games and then the Super Bowl to go 17-0.
An unsung hero, Fernandez was a key player on defence along with Scott in this defensive struggle. Redskins' QB Billy Kilmer finished the game 14 for 28 with 104 yards passing and three interceptions. Fernandez simply made the pocket a nightmare for Kilmer.
3. Steve Young, San Francisco 49ers (Super Bowl XXIX: 49ers 49, Chargers 26)
Young may have won three Super Bowl titles in his career, but this is his first and only Super Bowl title as a starting QB. He delivered the most dominating performance in the Super Bowl by not only a quarterback, but by any player in NFL history. His final line included 325 yards passing and a record six touchdown passes. With the help of fellow Hall of Famer Jerry Rice, who caught for 149 yards and three touchdowns, Young finally proved to the world that he was ready to step out of Joe Montana's shadow.
2. David Tyree, New York Giants (Super Bowl XLII: Giants 17, Patriots 14)
One catch. One life altering moment that proved hard work would lead to redemption. Battling alcohol and drug abuse problems since the start of his NFL career, Tyree then turned his life around in 2004 after the birth of his second child. From there, his career skyrocketed. Despite being a backup wide receiver for the Giants, he made the 2005 Pro Bowl for his special teams ability. Then, in Super Bowl XLII with one TD reception already in the game, he made a catch that is not only the greatest play in the 2000s decade, but perhaps the greatest play in NFL history.
On third down, Eli Manning somehow managed to escape three defenders, then threw the ball to Tyree, who made a remarkable helmet catch despite being heavily blanketed by Rodney Harrison. The play eventually culminated in a Giants' touchdown that won them the game.
Being 12-point underdogs, the Giants managed to beat the previously undefeated Patriots to cause one the largest upsets in Super Bowl history.
1. The New York Jets (Super Bowl III: Jets 16, Colts 7)
To say that this was an upset doesn't do justice to demonstrate the magnitude of the Jets' victory. Being 17-point underdogs, the Jets stunned their NFL rivals in a game that proved literally anything is possible (pardon the cliche). AFL teams were thought of as vastly inferior to NFL teams at the time. Analysts projected that if the Jets had played in the NFL, they would have gone 9-5 instead of 11-3, meaning that they would not have made the playoffs.
In perhaps the most famous guarantee of all time, Joe Namath made good on his promise to beat the heavily favored Colts. An iconic moment that culminated in an iconic game, Broadway Joe led the Jets to the biggest upset in NFL history and was eventually enshrined in the Hall of Fame 1985.
Namath was the Super Bowl MVP, but despite receiving the most credit, this victory was (and should) be remembered as a complete team effort. To single out any one person would be unfair to this astonishing team achievement.
Related read:
More Football: Best Super Bowls ever
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