The appetite for gadgets and gimmicks at the Super Bowl is typically low. Surprising the other team with a safety blitz or deep pass, sure, but the risk of true trickery can often seem too steep with a title on the line.
Mess up a clever play in a game of this magnitude and lose a close one in the end? Good luck living that decision down for the rest of your coaching career. The reward of a momentum swing, though, remains a viable reason to roll the dice.
Here’s a look back at some of the most memorable trick plays in Super Bowl history:
STICK IT TO ‘EM
Dallas had a 10-point lead midway through the fourth quarter in New Orleans on Jan. 15, 1978. After Denver lost a fumble on a sack at its 29-yard line, Cowboys coach Tom Landry ordered the kill shot.