Top 10 trick plays in Super Bowl history: RB passes, onside kicks and Philly Special

Eric Williams

NFL Reporter

One of the main reasons Ben Johnson is the new head coach of the Chicago Bears was his innovation as offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions. Johnson consistently stressed defenses with creative trick plays, forcing defensive coordinators to prepare for anything and everything on game day. 

Unfortunately for Detroit fans, the Lions failed to reach the Super Bowl during Johnson’s tenure with the team, so we have yet to see what he could do on the biggest stage.

Super Bowl history, however, is filled with memorable trick plays in which head coaches took huge swings that changed the momentum and propelled their teams to victory — and immortality.

As we prepare for the Feb. 9 clash between the Chiefs and Eagles, here’s a look at the Top 10 trick plays in the Super Bowl. 

[Prepare for the epic Eagles-Chiefs matchup on FOX Sports’ Super Bowl LIX hub]

10. Super Bowl LVIII: 49ers WR Jauan Jennings‘ pass to Christian McCaffrey

A quarterback in high school who converted to receiver at Tennessee, Jennings showed off his arm talent in last year’s Super Bowl. He caught a pass from quarterback Brock Purdy and then threw the ball across the field to McCaffrey for a 21-yard score.

The trick play gave the 49ers a 10-0 lead with just over four minutes left in the first half. Jennings, San Francisco’s No. 3 receiver, also had four receptions for 42 yards in the game, including a 10-yard reception for a score. He was an early candidate for Super Bowl MVP, but, of course, Patrick Mahomes performed his magic in overtime and the Chiefs won their second Super Bowl in a row with a 25-22 victory. 

9. Super Bowl XXII: Broncos RB Steve Sewell’s throwback pass to John Elway

Elway was one of the most athletic quarterbacks in NFL history, and the Broncos frequently put that athleticism into play during the Hall of Famer’s 16 seasons with the team. Needing a big play to spark Denver in 1988 at San Diego’s Jack Murphy Stadium, head coach Dan Reeves dialed up a throwback pass from versatile running back Steve Sewell.

The play worked perfectly, as Elway hauled in a 23-yard catch to Washington’s 13-yard line, making him the first quarterback to catch a pass in Super Bowl history. Denver’s drive stalled, however, and the Broncos had to settle for a Rich Karlis 24-yard field goal and a 10-0 lead.

The play was one of the few highlights for the Broncos, as Washington scored 42 unanswered points on its way to a 42-10 victory. Quarterback Doug Williams, who threw four touchdown passes, was named Super Bowl MVP. 

8. Super Bowl XIV: Lawrence McCutcheon’s halfback pass to Rod Smith for a TD

In the Rams’ first Super Bowl appearance and the first time an NFL team played a title game in its home market, Los Angeles called a trick play from just outside the red zone. Against one of the top dynasties in Super Bowl history, the Rams took advantage of an aggressive Steelers defense.

“I was looking at film of Pittsburgh at that time, and they were a team of very aggressive corners and safeties,” McCutcheon said. “Once they recognized you were running a sweep, they had a tendency to really rush the line of scrimmage. We felt that the halfback pass would be a great play under those circumstances.”

McCutcheon found receiver Rod Smith in the end zone for a 24-yard touchdown and a 19-17 third-quarter lead. However, Los Angeles could not hold on and lost 31-19 to the Steelers. McCutcheon is one of six non-quarterbacks to throw a touchdown pass in Super Bowl history.

7. Super Bowl XXX: Deon Figures recovers onside kick for Steelers

A former special teams coach, Steelers head coach Bills Cowher knew he needed to steal a possession facing the talented Dallas Cowboys in 1996. And while he contemplated starting the game with it, Cowher decided to wait until the fourth quarter to spring a surprise onside kick. 

“Hey, let’s do it,” Cowher said on the sidelines. “Surprise onside.”

Pittsburgh kicker Norm Johnson hit a perfect ball and speedy cornerback Deon Figures caught it on the run for the recovery. The Steelers marched into scoring position and scored on a 1-yard run by Bam Morris to cut the Cowboys’ lead to 20-17. However, Dallas would score again and win the game 27-17. 

Not surprisingly, Cowher isn’t a fan of the new NFL rule that forces teams to declare when they will try an onside kick.

“As a guy who used an onside kick in the Super Bowl, it made me very sad when I saw that happen,” Cowher said. “I still think that’s an exciting play.”

6. Super Bowl LIV: Chiefs RB Damien Williams direct-snap run on fourth down

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid is one of the most innovative playcallers in league history. It’s been well-documented how he empowers players to help create plays his team can use on game day.

In Kansas City’s Super Bowl victory over the 49ers in 2020, Reid dipped into his bag of tricks by going back in history for a play Michigan ran against USC in the 1948 Rose Bowl. The result was a direct-snap play to running back Damien Williams on fourth-and-1 from the 49ers’ 5-yard line in the first quarter. Williams took the ball to the 1, and Patrick Mahomes scored two plays later.

“I’ve got these coaches here that have creative minds, and they love doing it,” Reid said about trick plays. “We get the players involved, too. It doesn’t matter if it’s a lineman or a quarterback, whoever, if they’ve got something good, let’s put it out on the table and see what you’ve got.”

5. Super Bowl XXI: Giants QB Phil Simms’ flea flicker to Phil McConkey

Phil McConkey’s dream was to score in the Super Bowl. And it almost happened on a 44-yard flea-flicker against the Broncos in 1987. Giants quarterback Phil Simms handed off to running back Joe Morris, who tossed it back to Simms, who delivered a pinpoint pass to McConkey deep down the field.

McConkey only had one man to beat but was flipped by Broncos defensive back Mark Haynes trying to dive for the end zone.

“I remember thinking, ‘This is it,'” McConkey recalled. “I’m going to score a touchdown in the Super Bowl.”

Instead, Morris ran the ball in from a yard out, giving New York a 26-10 lead. McConkey got his touchdown later when a 6-yard Simms pass took a fortuitous bounce off tight end Mark Bavaro’s hands into the waiting arms of the receiver. The Giants won 39-20.

4. Super Bowl XII: Cowboys FB Robert Newhouse’s halfback pass to Golden Richards for TD

With the Cowboys ahead 20-10 in the fourth quarter, Newhouse took a pitch from Roger Staubach, expertly sold the run before flipping his hips to sling a 29-yard pass to Richards for the score.

The first touchdown ever thrown by a non-quarterback in a Super Bowl, the explosive play would cement Dallas’ second of five Lombardi trophies as the Cowboys beat the Broncos 27-10. 

3. Super Bowl XL: Steelers WR Antwaan Randle El finds Hines Ward for a TD

A quarterback in college at Indiana, Randle El completed 22-of-27 passes for 323 yards and six touchdowns during his nine-year NFL career. So, it was not surprising that the Steelers leaned on one of the team’s most versatile players when they needed a play in crunch time in 2006.

Holding a tenuous 14-10 lead over the Seahawks with just under 10 minutes remaining, Randle El came around on a reverse and found Super Bowl MVP Hines Ward behind the Seattle defense for a game-sealing, 43-yard touchdown.

2. Super Bowl XLIV: Saints coach Sean Payton’s “Ambush” onside kick

Down 10-6 starting the second half, Saints head coach Sean Payton made one of the most daring play calls in Super Bowl history. Rather than give the ball back to an explosive Indianapolis Colts offense led by Peyton Manning, Payton chose to onside kick.

Called “Ambush,” the play was inspired by Payton’s mentor, Bill Parcells, who used a fake punt as head coach of the Giants to defeat San Francisco in the 1990 NFC Championship Game. 

Thomas Morstead executed a good kick, but it took officials nearly 90 seconds to dig through a scrum of players before signaling that New Orleans defensive back Chris Reis had recovered the ball at the Saints’ 42-yard line.

Drew Brees led New Orleans on a scoring drive, and the daring call provided momentum for a 31-17 Saints win, still the franchise’s only Super Bowl victory.

1. Super Bowl LII: Philly Special 

It’s the play that made Nick Foles a legend in Philadelphia, as it helped take down one of the most storied dynasties in NFL history. With 38 seconds left in the first half and the Eagles facing a fourth-and-goal from the New England Patriots’ 2-yard line, Philadelphia head coach Doug Pederson decided to go for the touchdown.

“We’re rolling,” Press Taylor, then the Eagles’ assistant quarterback coach, said on Peter Schrager’s podcast “The Season.” “We’d hit a flea flicker. We hit all this stuff. The crowd is going wild, and he’s just going to feed the momentum right here. Doug goes, ‘I’m going to go Philly Special here, you guys good?’ … And we’re all screaming in the headset, ‘No, no, no!'” 

Thankfully, Pederson didn’t listen, leading to the best trick play in Super Bowl history. Tight end Trey Burton took a reverse handoff from running back Corey Clement after a direct snap and hit a wide open Foles in the end zone. The Eagles led 21-12 going into halftime. They needed some more magic in the fourth quarter, but Philadelphia pulled off the monumental 41-33 upset over New England.  

Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.

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