The Super Bowl is the biggest stage in American sports. Millions of people tune in to see the final two teams remaining from the NFL playoffs.
It's the perfect time for a coach to dig into his bag of tricks and give his players a chance to do the unexpected. But it's also a high-risk, high-reward decision. If it goes right, the coach is a genius, but if it doesn't, his decision will be questioned forever.
Dialing up a trick play at just the right time can catch the opponent slipping and lead to a huge momentum shift, such as Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles catching a touchdown pass that led to an upset victory over the New England Patriots. It could also put a game out of reach, such as quarterback Phil Simms' flea-flicker pass to Phil McConkey that put the New York Giants two scores ahead of the Denver Broncos.
Here are the 10 most memorable trick plays in Super Bowl history:
COUNTDOWN TO SUPER BOWL LXI: ESPN will televise the Super Bowl for the first time in February. We are counting down to the big game with a Super Bowl Top 10 series, featuring rankings on everything from best catches and performances to biggest upsets, that will run every other Sunday leading up to Super Bowl LXI on Feb. 14, 2027.
1. Philly Special
When: Super Bowl LII -- Feb. 4, 2018
Team: Philadelphia Eagles
Opponent: New England Patriots
Situation: The Eagles were leading 15-12 in the second quarter and facing fourth-and-goal at the 1-yard line.
Philadelphia desperately needed to answer the Patriots' touchdown, which trimmed New England's deficit to 15-12. Eagles coach Doug Pederson went for it rather than kick the field goal. Coming away with anything less than a touchdown going into halftime, leading by three points, would have been a deflating result for the Eagles, considering New England got the ball back to start the third quarter.
"When you're playing the Patriots and Tom Brady, field goals don't win games," Pederson said after the game.
Pederson called a timeout to talk things over with quarterback Nick Foles, who uttered the now-famous words, "Do you want Philly, Philly?" Foles was originally lined up in a shotgun formation before walking to the right side of the offensive line, next to tackle Lane Johnson.
Jason Kelce snapped the ball directly to running back Corey Clement, pitched the ball to tight end Trey Burton as Foles leaked to the back of the end zone. Burton lofted the pass to a wide-open Foles to put the Eagles up 22-12 at halftime. Philadelphia went on to win 41-33 to secure the first Super Bowl victory in team history.
2. "Ambush" onside kick
When: Super Bowl XLIV -- Feb. 7, 2010
Team: New Orleans Saints
Opponent: Indianapolis Colts
Situation: The Saints were trailing 10-6 at halftime.
Saints coach Sean Payton wanted to steal a possession from Indianapolis' high-powered offense, which was led by Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning. The play, which was named "Ambush," called for an onside kick even though teams don't typically do so to start the third quarter.
The Colts never saw it coming.
Saints rookie punter Thomas Morstead executed the kick perfectly. Chaos ensued as both teams scrambled for the ball after it bounced off the hands of Colts receiver Hank Baskett. Saints safety Chris Reis recovered the football in the pile.
"All week we had practiced that onside kick," Payton said. "I told those guys at halftime, 'You've got to make me look good here.' It was a good hit by Thomas, and our guys did a good job of showing a normal kickoff coverage look."
Quarterback Drew Brees and the offense took over at their own 30-yard line and completed a 59-yard touchdown drive that was capped by a 16-yard pass to running back Pierre Thomas. The decision sparked the Saints to outscore Indianapolis 25-7 in the second half and win the game 31-17. It was New Orleans' first Super Bowl win.
3. Antwaan Randle El's pass to Hines Ward
When: Super Bowl XL -- Feb. 5, 2006
Team: Pittsburgh Steelers
Opponent: Seattle Seahawks
Situation: The Steelers were leading 14-10 in the fourth quarter and facing first-and-10 at the Seahawks' 43-yard line.
With nine minutes left in the game, the Steelers were looking to throw the knockout punch to secure their fifth Super Bowl title. Coach Bill Cowher believed the Steelers could have success on a trick play that the offense worked on during the Friday practice before the game. The Steelers needed to get near midfield, perhaps just past the 50-yard line.
Such a moment occurred at the perfect time for the Steelers to utilize the passing skills of receiver Antwaan Randle El, who was a dual-threat quarterback in college at Indiana. Randle El's eyes lit up when he heard the play call, too.
The Steelers tricked the Seahawks by turning a pitch to running back Jerome Bettis into a reverse for Randle El that turned into a deep pass for fellow receiver Hines Ward. The outcome was one of the most memorable plays in Super Bowl history, a perfect connection from Randle El to Ward for a 43-yard touchdown.
"Instinctively, it just took me back to being a kid on the playground," Ward said in a recent interview with ESPN. "You see me take, like, two or three hops into the end zone. I didn't know what to do, you know? And words can't describe scoring a touchdown in the Super Bowl. And being in Detroit, seeing the sea of black and gold, waving the Terrible Towel, words can't describe that feeling."
4. Robert Newhouse to Golden Richards
When: Super Bowl XII -- Jan. 15, 1978
Team: Dallas Cowboys
Opponent: Denver Broncos
Situation: The Cowboys were leading 20-10 in the fourth quarter and facing first-and-10 from the Broncos' 29 yard-line.
A takeaway by the Cowboys created the perfect opportunity for the offense to have some fun. After a fumble recovery by cornerback Aaron Kyle, the Cowboys started their possession at the Broncos' 29-yard line. The Cowboys' trickery began when quarterback Roger Staubach pitched the ball to the left to fullback Robert Newhouse. The Broncos' linebackers moved forward because the Cowboys had two pulling linemen in front of Newhouse. In perfect timing, Newhouse invited the Broncos toward him before he turned his hips and threw a pass that traveled 35 yards. Just as impressive as Newhouse's pass was receiver Golden Richards' leaping reception at the goal line. Richards outjumped cornerback Steve Foley for the ball and celebrated his highlight by high-fiving a few of his teammates.
The moment was historic, too, as Newhouse was the first player who wasn't a quarterback to throw a touchdown pass in the Super Bowl.
5. Phil Simms' flea-flicker to Phil McConkey
When: Super Bowl XXI -- Jan. 25, 1987
Team: New York Giants
Opponent: Denver Broncos
Situation: The Giants were leading 19-10 in the third quarter and facing a second-and-6 from the Broncos' 52.
Giants coach Bill Parcells had been known as a more conservative coach who didn't take many risks offensively. Parcells was looking to go up by three scores and let his defense close the deal. So he called for a flea-flicker to generate a big play.
Simms took the snap and tossed the ball to running back Joe Morris, who tossed it right back. Simms looked downfield and saw McConkey running free and hit him for a 44-yard gain. McConkey caught the pass and got flipped as he was tackled at the 1-yard line. Morris powered his way into the end zone on the next play, pushing the Giants' lead to 26-10.
The Giants went on to win 39-20. Simms was named Super Bowl MVP and became one of the first to use the phrase "I'm going to Disney World!" after winning the big game.
6. Deon Figures' recovery
When: Super Bowl XXX -- Jan. 28, 1996
Team: Pittsburgh Steelers
Opponent: Dallas Cowboys
Situation: The Steelers were trailing the Cowboys 20-10 in the fourth quarter.
Even before the Steelers faced the Cowboys, Cowher had already made a bold decision: He was going to try to steal a possession by using an onside kick. Cowher just didn't know when he would authorize his sneak attack. With 11 minutes left in the game, the Steelers needed more momentum after a field goal from kicker Norm Johnson.
"I knew we were going to [do an onside kick] at some point," Cowher said years later. "It was the right time in the fourth quarter. We'd just scored, and it kind of got us back into the game."
Johnson's precise kick fooled the Cowboys, who had five players move back to set up their return before they realized what was occurring. Figures was the last Steeler on the right side of the field. Figures saw the ball bounce up, and he recovered the kick in stride while running, giving the Steelers possession at their 48-yard line. Even though the Steelers lost to the Cowboys, Pittsburgh capitalized on its gamble by ending the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run by running back Bam Morris.
7. Tom Brady to ... Mike Vrabel?!
When: Super Bowl XXXVIII -- Feb. 1, 2004
Team: New England Patriots
Opponent: Carolina Panthers
Situation: The Patriots faced a second-and-goal while trailing 22-21 in the fourth quarter.
New England trailed an upstart Panthers team after Muhsin Muhammad's 85-yard touchdown reception. Tom Brady led the Patriots to Carolina's 1-yard line. Vrabel lined up at tight end on the left side.
Patriots offensive coordinator Charlie Weiss had a mesh concept with Vrabel and tight end Daniel Graham running crossing routes from opposite sides. Vrabel leaked out as a receiver coming across the formation after a run fake. Two Carolina defenders collided as they tried to defend the crossing routes, leaving Vrabel wide open in the end zone for an easy score.
The Patriots took a 29-22 lead on the score and went on to a 32-29 Super Bowl victory. Vrabel's touchdown reception was the first of two in his career, with his second one coming the following year in Super Bowl XXXIX against the Eagles. He frequently lined up as an eligible receiver or tight end in short-yardage and goal-line packages for the Patriots and eventually for the Chiefs. All 12 of his career receptions were touchdowns.
8. Jauan Jennings' WR pass to Christian McCaffrey
When: Super Bowl LVIII -- Feb. 11, 2024
Team: San Francisco 49ers
Opponent: Kansas City Chiefs
Situation: The 49ers were leading the Chiefs 3-0 in the second quarter.
In a back-and-forth game, the 49ers, led by coach Kyle Shanahan, were hoping to take control after moving the ball into the Chiefs' territory. With the ball just outside the red zone, the 49ers used the Chiefs' aggressiveness against them. Quarterback Brock Purdy executed a quick run-pass option fake with running back Christian McCaffrey and then threw a short pass to receiver Jauan Jennings, giving the impression that the play would be a screen on the perimeter.
The brilliance of the play was that Jennings waited long enough for the 49ers to set up a screen on the opposite side of the field for McCaffrey. A perfect pass from Jennings allowed McCaffrey to have plenty of space to sprint downfield. No defender touched McCaffrey, who reached the end zone for a 21-yard touchdown.
The score gave the 49ers a 10-point lead with less than five minutes left before halftime. The highlight was special for Jennings, who played quarterback in high school.
9. William Perry touchdown run
When: Super Bowl XX -- Jan. 26, 1986
Team: Chicago Bears
Opponent: New England Patriots
Situation: The game was already out of hand, with Chicago up 37-3 over the Patriots in the third quarter.
Bears coach Mike Ditka decided to have some fun with rookie defensive tackle William "The Refrigerator" Perry lined up at fullback. Perry notched his first rushing touchdown earlier in the year against the Green Bay Packers; now he got the opportunity to do so in the Super Bowl. Having put the play on tape against the Packers, it shouldn't have come as a surprise trick play like the others on the list.
Perry lined up in the backfield behind quarterback Jim McMahon with running back Walter Payton on his side. Perry took the handoff from McMahon and bowled his way into the end zone to increase Chicago's lead to 44-3. The Bears won the game 46-10.
At 335 pounds, Perry became the heaviest player to score a touchdown in Super Bowl history. The record still stands. Ditka often said not giving Payton, a future Hall of Fame running back at the time, the chance to score a touchdown in the Super Bowl was one of his biggest regrets.
10. 'Shift to Rose Bowl Right Parade'
When: Super Bowl LIV -- Feb. 2, 2020
Team: Kansas City Chiefs
Opponent: San Francisco 49ers
Situation: The 49ers were leading 3-0 in the first quarter, facing fourth-and-1.
Imagine working on a special play all season, having executed it week after week but never believing you would run it in a game. That was the situation the Chiefs faced before coach Andy Reid called the play that was nicknamed "Shift to Rose Bowl Right Parade."
Reid decided to be bold, helping the Chiefs win their first Super Bowl in 50 years, when his team needed just a yard and was 5 yards from the end zone.
Once the Chiefs broke their huddle, quarterback Patrick Mahomes, running back Damien Williams and receivers Sammy Watkins and Demarcus Robinson -- all lined up in a full-house backfield -- all spun to the right to surprise and distract the 49ers. Except for center Austin Reiter, the rest of the offensive linemen also shifted to the right.
The ball was then directly snapped to Williams, who ran forward for a 4-yard gain. The Chiefs scored two plays later, when Mahomes ran into the end zone.
Reid was inspired to develop the play after reviewing film from the 1948 Rose Bowl, a game that featured Michigan and USC.
"We kept working on it every single week and kept executing it and doing it the right way, waiting for the perfect time to call it," Mahomes said that night. "When we were there, and Coach said it, I was like, 'It's time, so let's do it.'"