Top 10 Super Bowl Moments: #10

10. Vinatieri Comes Up Clutch.  Twice.

Admit it.  Adam Vinatieri is the most clutch kicker to ever play the game.  Vinatieri's effort in Super Bowl XXXVI against the St. Louis Rams was historic; nailing a 48-yard field goal with 7 seconds remaining.  Who ever would have thought he would do it again just two years later?

Let's set the scene.  Super Bowl XXXVI was the first Super Bowl played in February following the attacks on September 11th forcing the NFL to move their season back a week.  The Patriots went into Super Bowl XXXVI against the Rams as one of the biggest underdogs in Super Bowl history. The Rams were looking to start a dynasty of their own as they had made their third Super Bowl appearance and second in a three year span.  Dubbed "The Greatest Show on Turf," the Kurt Warner led Rams, were a force in the NFC. St. Louis'  running game was led by Hall of Fame back Marshall Faulk; which led many experts to believe this team should have been the overwhelming favorite heading into the game.

With a 17-3 lead heading into the fourth quarter, Warner and the Rams mounted a steady comeback capped off by a 26-yard TD reception from Warner to Ricky Proehl, knotting the game at 17 with 1:30 left in regulation.

That's when the legend of "Tom Terrific" began.  With no timeouts, Brady went 5 of six leading the Patriots down the field to the Rams 30-yardline with 7 seconds left.

That was where Vinatieri kicked his way into history.  Vinatieri made the 48-yard field goal, making Super Bowl XXXVI the first Super Bowl ever to end on the final play.

But Vinatieri wasn't done just yet.

Two years later in Super Bowl XXXVIII (The Janet Jackson game) against the Carolina Panthers he did it again; drilling a 41-yard field goal with 4 seconds left after Brady had drove the team down the field again like he had two years prior.

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Vinatieri's late heroics deserve to be on this list.  Think of it this way: he's probably the first kicker who's name you remembered from a Super Bowl not named Scott Norwood.  Overall, Vinatieri made these Super Bowls some of the best games the NFL has ever seen and that's why Vinatieri's double-clutch performances belong on this list.

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