“This series is powered by EA Sports Active 2: The complete at-home digital trainer”

The Scores Report has teamed up with EA Sports to discuss the best Heart Pumping Moments in sports. We thought it would be fun to take a look at the most heart-pumping Super Bowl moments from the 2000s. If you would like to share your most Heart Pumping Moments, leave them in the comments section and we’ll pick five readers to receive a copy of EA Sports Active 2 for the system of your choice! (Check out the rules and requirements at the bottom of this post.)

On to the heart-pumping Super Bowl moments of the 2000s!

1. David Tyree’s “helmet catch.”
Is there a better Super Bowl moment in the past decade than David Tyree’s “helmet catch?” Super Bowl XLII will best be remembered as one of the best upsets in the history of the NFL. The Patriots were looking to become only the second team in league history to finish the season undefeated and all that stood in their way was a Giants team that had been inconsistent before making the playoffs. The Giants were heavy underdogs coming into the game, but their pass rush stifled Tom Brady and held the explosive New England offense to only 14 points. Down 14-10 with only 1:15 remaining in the game, the Giants faced a 3rd-and-5 at their own 44. Eli Manning took the snap from shotgun and immediately had defensive linemen Richard Seymour, Jarvis Green and Adalius Thomas in his face. Thomas grabbed Manning by the shoulder while Seymour had the back of his jersey. Somehow Manning escaped the sack, scrambled backwards and then heaved a desperation pass downfield towards Tyree at the 34-yard line. Tyree, who had to adjust his route because of the Patriots’ pressure, caught the ball with both hands but safety Rodney Harrison had swiped his other arm. Amazingly, Tyree was able to secure possession of the ball with one hand by pressing it against the top of his helmet as both players fell to the ground. Given the situation, it was easily the play of the decade. It netted 32 yards and four players later, Manning hit Plaxico Burress for a touchdown to eventually give the Giants a 17-14 victory. Remarkable.

2. One…yard…short.
With the Rams leading 23-16 in Super Bowl XXXIV, Steve McNair drove his Titans down to the 10-yard-line with just six seconds remaining. Tennessee had time for just one last play. Score and force overtime. Don’t score and fade to the back pages of Super Bowl history with all the other runner-ups. Those were the only two outcomes for the Titans…or so everyone thought. McNair hit receiver Kevin Dyson on a slant pattern at the 3-yard-line. Rams linebacker Mike Jones, who left the receiver he was covering after he saw Dyson had secured the catch, met the receiver at the 2 and wrapped him up. As both players fell to the ground, Dyson stuck his arm out and reached for the end zone but after the referee marked the ball, he was one yard short. Had Jones not made a picture-perfect tackle, Dyson would have easily scored and then who knows? Maybe the Titans go on to win the Super Bowl instead.

3. Adam Vinatieri’s game-winning kick.
Thanks to Mike Martz’s high-powered offense, many believed that the Rams would win their second Super Bowl of the decade when they took on the Patriots in XXXVI. But with both teams deadlocked at 17-17, Tom Brady drove the Pats downfield (thanks in large part to a 23-yard pass to Troy Brown) to put his team into field goal range for kicker Adam Vinatieri. Why do so many big games come down to kickers? With just seconds left on the clock, Vinatieri split the uprights at the Superdome and as time expired, the Patriots’ dynasty was born.

4. Holmes gets two-feet in.
This moment wouldn’t have happened had the Cardinals not mounted an impressive second half comeback. After Arizona took a 23-20 lead on a 63-yard touchdown from Kurt Warner to Larry Fitzgerald, the Steelers got the ball back on their own 22-yard line with 2:37 remaining in the game. A holding penalty pushed Pittsburgh back 10 yards on their first play, but then quarterback Ben Roethlisberger completed two passes to Santonio Holmes for a net of 27 yards. After a four-yard completion to Nate Washington, Big Ben found Holmes on a 40-yard pass to put the ball at Arizona’s 6-yard line. Two plays later, Roethlisberger slung a pass to the corner of the end zone and while managing to catch the ball and land with his toes in bounds, Holmes made the play of the game. After a booth review, the touchdown reception stood and the Steelers went on to hang on, 27-23. Holmes’ touchdown immediately became one of the most talked about replays in Super Bowl history, as fans debated for weeks whether or not he actually had to feet/toes down. (In the eyes of this writer, he did.)

5. Warner finds Bruce for the eventual game-winning touchdown.
Super Bowl XXXIV will always be remembered for the play that we discussed at No. 2 on this list. But everyone forgets that it was won not only on Mike Jones’ tackle, but on the possession before that play. With the score tied 16-16 with 2:05 remaining, Rams’ quarterback Kurt Warner heaved a long, high pass to receiver Isaac Bruce, who out-jumped cornerback Denard Walker for the ball. Bruce then slipped past safety Anthony Dorsett for a 73-yard touchdown pass that proved to be the game-winning score. If it weren’t for Jones’ tackle of Dyson, Bruce’s touchdown would have been the defining moment in SB XXXIV.

Want to win a copy of EA Sports Active 2? In the comments section, let us know what your favorite Heart Pumping Moment is in sports. It doesn’t have to be a moment in the Super Bowl – it can be from any sport. For more information, click here for terms & conditions.