WoodysGirl
01-29-2005, 11:01 AM
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=list/050124/supergoats
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5. Thurman Thomas, Bills, Super Bowl XXVIII
At halftime, it looked as if the Bills would finally pull one out.
Three years, three losses, two straight poor performances by star running back Thurman Thomas -- they all would be forgotten if Buffalo could hold onto the 13-6 lead it held over the Cowboys midway through the game at the Georgia Dome.
But hope was quickly quashed shortly after the second half began, when a Thomas fumble was picked up by James Washington and returned for a 46-yard TD to tie the game. "We were really moving the ball," said Bills QB Jim Kelly. "When something like that happens, it hurts, and that was a big turning point."
It was Thomas' second fumble of the game -- the first coming in the first quarter and leading to a Cowboys field goal. The Cowboys won, 30-13. Thomas rushed for 37 yards on 16 carries.
4. Thurman Thomas, Bills, Super Bowl XXVI
I know, I know. It seems like we're piling on Thurman and the Bills, but it's for a good reason. In the Bills' second straight SB defeat, this one at the hands of the Redskins, Thomas began the game in the worst possible way: While the Bills were starting their first drive, Thomas was on the sideline, frantically searching for his lost helmet. The two plays he missed happened to be running plays, and he was supposed to be the ball carrier.
Thomas ended the day with 13 yards on 10 carries, and the Bills lost 37-24. Shortly before the game, Thomas had complained about not getting enough attention despite being named MVP.
3. Neil O'Donnell, Steelers, Super Bowl XXX
O'Donnell's final numbers weren't that bad -- 28-for-49 for 239 yards (a meager 4.8 yards per attempt) -- but two of the worst throws in Super Bowl history earned him a spot on this list. Both ended up in the hands of Cowboys CB Larry Brown.
No. 1: The Steelers trailed the Cowboys 13-7. On third-and-nine from their own 48, O'Donnell threw right to Brown, a misfire that wasn't within 10 yards of the nearest Steelers receiver. Brown returned the pick 44 yards to the Pittsburgh 18; and 38 seconds later, Emmitt Smith ran in from the 1 for a 20-7 Cowboys lead.
No. 2: Trailing 20-17, the Steelers had the ball on their own 32 with 4:15 to go in the game. On second-and-10, O'Donnell again tossed it to Brown, who caught it on the Steelers' 39 and ran 33 yards to set up another Smith TD. Dallas went on to a 27-17 victory.
2. Jackie Smith, Cowboys, Super Bowl XIII
Smith, a great tight end in the 1960s and early 1970s, announced his retirement in 1977 after he'd caught only eight passes in his final two years with the Cardinals. After Super Bowl XIII at the Orange Bowl, he probably wished he'd stayed retired. Instead, the former Cardinal (and future Hall of Famer) agreed to one more year, with Dallas. He didn't catch a single pass during the regular season, but came through with three big grabs (one for a TD) in the Cowboys' 27-20 divisional playoff win over Atlanta.
In the third quarter of the Super Bowl against Pittsburgh, the Cowboys trailed 21-14 when they started a drive from the Steelers' 42. Eight plays later, on third-and-three from the 10, Smith got wide open in the end zone. Roger Staubach lobbed it right to him in the chest -- and he dropped it. The Cowboys settled for three points instead of seven. The difference turned out to be crucial, as the Steelers held off a late rally to win 35-31.
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5. Thurman Thomas, Bills, Super Bowl XXVIII
At halftime, it looked as if the Bills would finally pull one out.
Three years, three losses, two straight poor performances by star running back Thurman Thomas -- they all would be forgotten if Buffalo could hold onto the 13-6 lead it held over the Cowboys midway through the game at the Georgia Dome.
But hope was quickly quashed shortly after the second half began, when a Thomas fumble was picked up by James Washington and returned for a 46-yard TD to tie the game. "We were really moving the ball," said Bills QB Jim Kelly. "When something like that happens, it hurts, and that was a big turning point."
It was Thomas' second fumble of the game -- the first coming in the first quarter and leading to a Cowboys field goal. The Cowboys won, 30-13. Thomas rushed for 37 yards on 16 carries.
4. Thurman Thomas, Bills, Super Bowl XXVI
I know, I know. It seems like we're piling on Thurman and the Bills, but it's for a good reason. In the Bills' second straight SB defeat, this one at the hands of the Redskins, Thomas began the game in the worst possible way: While the Bills were starting their first drive, Thomas was on the sideline, frantically searching for his lost helmet. The two plays he missed happened to be running plays, and he was supposed to be the ball carrier.
Thomas ended the day with 13 yards on 10 carries, and the Bills lost 37-24. Shortly before the game, Thomas had complained about not getting enough attention despite being named MVP.
3. Neil O'Donnell, Steelers, Super Bowl XXX
O'Donnell's final numbers weren't that bad -- 28-for-49 for 239 yards (a meager 4.8 yards per attempt) -- but two of the worst throws in Super Bowl history earned him a spot on this list. Both ended up in the hands of Cowboys CB Larry Brown.
No. 1: The Steelers trailed the Cowboys 13-7. On third-and-nine from their own 48, O'Donnell threw right to Brown, a misfire that wasn't within 10 yards of the nearest Steelers receiver. Brown returned the pick 44 yards to the Pittsburgh 18; and 38 seconds later, Emmitt Smith ran in from the 1 for a 20-7 Cowboys lead.
No. 2: Trailing 20-17, the Steelers had the ball on their own 32 with 4:15 to go in the game. On second-and-10, O'Donnell again tossed it to Brown, who caught it on the Steelers' 39 and ran 33 yards to set up another Smith TD. Dallas went on to a 27-17 victory.
2. Jackie Smith, Cowboys, Super Bowl XIII
Smith, a great tight end in the 1960s and early 1970s, announced his retirement in 1977 after he'd caught only eight passes in his final two years with the Cardinals. After Super Bowl XIII at the Orange Bowl, he probably wished he'd stayed retired. Instead, the former Cardinal (and future Hall of Famer) agreed to one more year, with Dallas. He didn't catch a single pass during the regular season, but came through with three big grabs (one for a TD) in the Cowboys' 27-20 divisional playoff win over Atlanta.
In the third quarter of the Super Bowl against Pittsburgh, the Cowboys trailed 21-14 when they started a drive from the Steelers' 42. Eight plays later, on third-and-three from the 10, Smith got wide open in the end zone. Roger Staubach lobbed it right to him in the chest -- and he dropped it. The Cowboys settled for three points instead of seven. The difference turned out to be crucial, as the Steelers held off a late rally to win 35-31.