Super Bowl blunders: 13 of the most memorable gaffes in history

From dropped passes to missing helmets to forgetting what down it was, these Super Bowl blunders, listed in chronological order, happened on the sport's biggest stage. 

HE WAS WIDE OPEN

Just before halftime in Super Bowl III with the Jets leading 7-0, the Baltimore Colts ran a flea flicker. Quarterback Earl Morrall did not see wide receiver Jimmy Orr wide open at the 20-yard line and instead threw an interception to Jets safety Jim Hudson. The Jets went on to win their first and only Super Bowl, 16-7.

YOU’RE A KICKER, NOT A QUARTERBACK!

Attempting a field goal in the fourth quarter to ice the game in Super Bowl VII, Miami Dolphins kicker Garo Yepremian’s kick was blocked, and the ball wound up in his hands. He tried to throw the ball downfield, but it slipped out of his hands and was returned for a touchdown by Washington's Mike Bass. Luckily for Yepremian, the Dolphins won 14-7 and completed their undefeated season.

BUTTER-FINGERS

Down 21-14 in the third quarter of Super Bowl XIII, Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach drove his team into Steelers’ territory. On third down, Staubach found backup tight end Jackie Smith wide open in the end zone, but Smith dropped the ball, forcing the Cowboys to settle for a field goal. Terry Bradshaw and the Steelers hung on to win 35-31.

WIDE RIGHT

The Giants held a 20-19 lead over the Bills in Super Bowl XXV with 2:16 left. Bills quarterback Jim Kelly took over on his own 10-yard line. With eight seconds to go, the Bills got the ball to the Giants’ 29-yard line, setting up a 47-yard field goal. Scott Norwood’s kick had plenty of distance, but it was wide right. The loss started the Bills’ streak of four consecutive Super Bowl defeats.

WHERE’S MY HELMET?

Bills star running back Thurman Thomas somehow lost his helmet, forcing him to miss the Bills’ first possession. He rushed for just 13 yards on 10 carries as the Bills lost Super Bowl XXVI, 37-24, to Washington. 

DON'T LETT GO OF THE BALL TOO EARLY

Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Leon Lett wasn’t used to scoring touchdowns when he recovered a fumble in Super Bowl XXVII and headed for the end zone. He began celebrating at about the 10-yard line, not knowing that Buffalo Bills wide receiver Don Beebe was sprinting after him. Beebe stripped the ball just before Lett crossed the goal line to prevent the score. It didn’t affect the game’s outcome — Cowboys 52, Bills 17 — but did put Lett on lists and highlight reels like this. 

NEIL O’NO!

Steelers quarterback Neil O’Donnell would like to forever forget the final minutes of Super Bowl XXX. Trailing 20-17, O’Donnell threw a pass that was picked off by Cowboys cornerback Larry Brown — his second of the game — and returned to the Steelers’ 6-yard line. The Cowboys immediately scored a touchdown to put the game out of reach, 27-17.

PACKERS MISCOUNT DOWNS AND LOSE

Mistakenly believing it was first down and not second down, a gaffe he was unaware of until the following day when asked about it by reporters, Green Bay Packers coach Mike Holmgren had his defense allow Denver Broncos running back Terrell Davis to walk untouched into the end zone from the 1-yard line for the go-ahead touchdown with 1:45 remaining in Super Bowl XXXII. The Packers wanted enough time on the clock to tie the score, but the Broncos defense forced a turnover on downs: Denver 31, Green Bay 24.

GOT OFF ON THE WRONG FOOT

Normally rock-solid Carolina Panthers kicker John Kasay had a costly blunder in Super Bowl XXXVIII against the New England Patriots. After his team tied the score at 29 with 1:04 left, Kasay kicked the ensuing kickoff out of bounds, giving the Patriots and quarterback Tom Brady the ball at the 40-yard line. A minute later, Adam Vinatieri kicked the game-winning 41-yard field goal: New England 32, Carolina 29.

WHO PULLED THE PLUG?

A power outage in the Superdome caused a 34-minute delay during the second half of Super Bowl XLVII between the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers. An investigation concluded the outage was caused by an electrical relay device that malfunctioned and triggered an automatic shutdown to protect the system, although most people blame Beyonce’s halftime performance for draining the voltage from the building. The incident disrupted momentum and the 49ers scored 17 straight points but the Ravens — led by current Giants head coach John Harbaugh — eventually won, 34-31.

MILE HIGH MISHAP

It was bad right from the start for the Denver Broncos. On the first play from scrimmage in Super Bowl XLVIII at MetLife Stadium, center Manny Ramirez snapped the ball over Peyton Manning's head for a safety and 2-0 lead for the Seattle Seahawks. The Broncos turned the ball over four times and fell to the Seahawks, 43-8.

LEAST MODE

The Seahawks trailed the Patriots, 28-24, late in Super Bowl XLIX but found themselves at the Patriots' 1-yard line on second down with 26 seconds remaining and two timeouts. But instead of giving the ball to bruising halfback Marshawn Lynch, head coach Pete Carroll called a pass play. The call backfired, as undrafted rookie Malcolm Butler jumped in front of Ricardo Lockette — who was running a slant route over the middle — and intercepted Russell Wilson's pass at the 1-yard line to seal the victory.

BRADY’S DROP

Tom Brady was known for his passing prowess in Super Bowls but when it came to catching the football in Super Bowl LI he was a flop. Danny Amendola attempted to throw the ball to a wide-open Brady on a trick third-down play that he dropped. The game would eventually become known more for a quarterback who actually did catch a pass — Nick Foles on the end of the Philly Special — as the Eagles beat the Patriots, 41-33.