NFL Power Rankings: The Greatest Plays Of All-Time
By Erik Lambert
#9: Malcolm Butler Interception
It’s the youngest play on the countdown and perhaps that freshness serves to its advantage. Then again every time it comes up, it’s no less unbelievable than it was when it happened. Late in Super Bowl XLIX, the Seattle Seahawks seemed to have the New England Patriots dead to rights. They’d just completed a circus pass play to enter the red zone followed by a run by Marshawn Lynch to reach the 2-yard line.
It was 2nd down and goal. Everybody in the stadium felt the Seahawks were going to hand it to Lynch again. They had a timeout in their back pocket if he was stopped after all. Instead, to the absolute bafflement of Seahawks fans everywhere, they tried to catch the Patriots off guard with a quick slant pass to receiver Ricardo Lockett.
What they hadn’t counted on was reserve cornerback Malcolm Butler. An undrafted free agent who had been brought back midseason, he was a last-second substitution on the play. He diagnosed the Seahawks formation just in time to know they were throwing. Taking a chance, he drove down hard at the goal line and met with Lockett at the same time as the ball arrived. With more momentum and superior position, Butler intercepted the pass.
It was the single-most stunning and sudden momentum swing in Super Bowl history, handing New England their fourth Super Bowl title.
Next: #8