Teams of the world's toughest men working together to take territory away from opponents with military precision: there's nothing quite like professional football.

• Formula for QB Rating

The Greatest Football Players of All Time:

     Here is my All-Time All-Star Team:

QB - Dan Marino. The finest pure passer of all time. Close call over ...

QB - Johnny Unitas. Great leadership qualities, great arm. Before the rules were changed in 1978 to open up the passing game, he was the best.

Honorable mention - Fran Tarkenton (1961-1978, New York Giants/Minnesota Vikings)

Honorable mention - Joe Montana, Brett Favre, Sammy Baugh

RB:

Jim Brown, Cleveland Browns (1957-1965). Perfect combination of grace, speed and power, and he re-wrote the record books.

Barry Sanders (Detroit Lions, 1989-1998). Could turn short yardage into an adventure.

Marshall Faulk (Indianapolis Colts, St. Louis Rams). Most complete back ever to play the game.

Honorable mention - Eric Dickerson (Los Angeles Rams, 1983-1987; Indianapolis Colts, 1987-1991; Los Angeles Raiders, 1992; Atlanta Falcons, 1993).

Honorable mention - Emmitt Smith (Dallas Cowboys)

Short-yardage:

Marion Motley (1946-1955, Browns and Steelers)

Earl Campbell (1976-1985, Oilers and Saints)

Surest hands:

Larry Csonka (Dolphins, 1968-1979)

WR:

Jerry Rice, 49ers/Raiders. Best all-around.

Lynn Swann, Steelers (1974-1982). Second-best all-around.

Deep threat:

Lance Alworth (1962-72, Chargers and 'Boys)

Don Hutson (1935-1945, Packers)

Possession:

Raymond Berry (Colts, 1955-1967)

TIGHT END:

Mike Ditka (Chicago Bears, 1961-1966;  Philadelphia Eagles, 1967-1968;  Dallas Cowboys, 1969-1972).  Outstanding blocker, fast and rugged.

Honorable mention - John Mackey (Baltimore Colts); Jackie Smith (St. Louis Cardinals, 1963-1977; Dallas Cowboys, 1978)

Blocking:

Dave Casper (Raiders, Oilers, Vikings) 1974-84

Receiving:

Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City Chiefs

Shannon Sharpe, Denver Broncos/Baltimore Orioles

Keith Jackson (Eagles, Dolphins, Packers - 1988-1996).

OFFENSIVE LINE:

Jim Otto (C - Raiders, 1960-1974)

Dwight Stephenson (C - Miami, 1980-1987)

Anthony Munoz (OT - Cin, 1980-1992)

Art Shell (OT - Raiders, 1968-1982)

Forrest Gregg (OT - Packers, Cowboys) 1956, '58-71

Ron Mix (OT - Chargers, Raiders) 1960-69, '71

Cal Hubbard (OT - Giants, 1927-28, 1936; Packers, 1929-1933, 1935)

John Hannah (OG - Patriots) 1973-85
Jim Parker (OG - Colts) 1957-67

Bruce Matthews (Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans)

Randall McDaniel (Vikings/Bucs)

DEFENSIVE TACKLE:

Merlin Olsen (Rams) 1962-76.  Big, fast, agile, smart ... Stabilizing leader of famed Fearsome Foursome defensive line.

Speed: Joe Greene (Steelers) 1969-81
All-around: Bob Lilly (Cowboys) 1961-74

Honorable mention - Randy White (DT, Cowboys) 1975-1988

DEFENSIVE END:

Power: Reggie White (Eagles, Packers) 1985-98
Rush: Deacon Jones (Rams, Chargers, Redskins) 1961-74
Rush: Rich Jackson (Raiders, Broncos, Browns) 1966-72

Honorable mention - Gino Marchetti (Colts, 1953-1964, 1966); Bruce Smith (Bills, Redskins)

LINEBACKER:

Strongside: Dave Wilcox (49ers) 1964-74
Weakside: Jack Ham (Steelers) 1971-82
Rush: Lawrence Taylor (Giants) 1981-93
All-around: Ted Hendricks (Colts, Packers, Raiders) 1969-83

Middle: Dick Butkus (Bears, 1965-73)

Middle: Willie Lanier (Chiefs, 1967-77)

Middle: Mike Singletary (Bears, 1981-1992)

Middle: Ray Nitschke (Packers, 1958-1972)

SECONDARY:

Strong Safety - Ken Houston (Oilers, Redskins) 1967-80

Free safety - Cliff Harris (Cowboys) 1970-79
Free safety - Willie Wood (Packers) 1960-71

Free safety - Ronnie Lott (Niners)

Cornerback (downfield cover): Jimmy Johnson (49ers) 1961-76; Deion Sanders

Bump-and-run: Dick (Night Train) Lane (Rams, Cardinals, Lions) 1952-65; Willie Brown (Broncos, Raiders) 1963-78

   The Rams had gone 4-12 in 1998, but in 1999 they were unstoppable. Led by quarterback Kurt Warner, who had previously been cut by the Green Bay Packers then played in the Arena League and supplemented his income by stacking shelves at the local grocery store, the Rams averaged 33 points per game (3rd highest in NFL history), and simply blew people out week after week, going 13-3. Warner began the season fighting for a backup job in St. Louis, and got the call when QB Trent Green was injured; he ended the season as the NFL's MVP. RB Marshall Faulk was the AP Offensive Player of the Year, becoming the second man in NFL history (after Roger Craig) to gain 1,000 yards both rushing and receiving. His 2,429 yards from scrimmage set a new NFL standard.

   The Tennessee Titans, on the other hand, got no respect - their offense was a respectable 7th in the NFL in points, 13th in yards, but they did it with an unspectacular running game and a scrambling, opportunistic quarterback named Steve McNair. Despite a 13-3 record of their own, they had to manufacture a Music City Miracle (a gimmick play on the game's final kickoff return) to get past Buffalo, 22-16, in the AFC wild card game. They followed that up with two upset wins over good teams on the road, and they had beaten the Rams 24-21 in Week 8 on the grass in Tennessee, but they were considered heavy underdogs on the turf in Atlanta's GeorgiaDome - especially since injuries to key players (FS Marcus Robertson and WR Yancey Thigpen) left them looking to their backups.

   The legend of Kurt Warner added a new chapter in the first half, as he picked apart the Tennessee defense, passing for 277 yards, and going 19-35. The Rams outgained the Titans 294-89 in the first half, and Warner took the Rams into the red zone in each of their five first-half possessions; still, the Rams only were ahead 9-0 at the half, thanks to two missed field goal attempts and the timely stiffening of the Titan defense. The Rams became the first team in Super Bowl history to come up without a touchdown in five straight trips to the red zone.

   The Rams went ahead 16-0 in the third quarter, and it looked like the Titans would finally break. But not so: the Titans offense finally came alive, with a 12 play, 66 yard touchdown drive in 7:06, highlighted by McNair's 23-yard scramble to the Ram 2. They missed the 2-point conversion, but trailed at the end of the third quarter 16-6.

   The Rams went three-and-out for the first time on the ensuing possession, and Tennessee responded with a magnificent 13 play, 79-yard drive, highlighted by a key conversion on 4th-and-1 and two 3rd down conversions. That made it 16-13. Again the Rams offense sputtered badly, and again the Titans improvisational offense struck: an 8 play drive - including a few more scrambles by McNair, a clutch 6-yard pass to Jackie Harris on 3rd-and-2 at the St Louis 28, and fumble recovery by Isaac Byrd off of a Harris fumble at the St Louis 28 - covering 28 yards, and resulting in a game-tying 43-yard field goal.

   But Warner wasn't done: having blown a 16-point lead, he lofted a perfect 73-yard TD pass to Isaac Bruce on the first play of the next possession to put his team ahead 23-16, with 1:54 left. That gave Warner a Super Bowl record 414 yards through the air, and left him 24-for-45 for the game.

   But neither were the Titans done. They staged a thrilling final drive, working the ball methodically down the field with two big plays - 27 yards on McNair's scramble and the ensuing penalty and a 16-yard pass to Kevin Dyson to put the ball on the 10 with five seconds left. On the final play of the game, he completed a pass to Dyson at the 5 on a slant. Dyson grabbed the ball and lunged for the end zone, just as the clock ticked to zero. But 295-pound defensive tackle Mike Jones grabbed the nimble Dyson by the ankles, and brought him down with a great open field solo tackle less than a yard from the goal. Dyson stretched mightily to get the ball over the goal line, but he came up just short.

   In those four final, thrilling drives, McNair completed nine straight passes; in the game, he threw for 214 yards and scrambled for a Super Bowl-record 64 more. That included a 23-yard run that set up the first score and a 12-yard scramble with a 15-yard face mask penalty added in the final rally.

   The greatest wide receiver of all time, before rule changes opened up the passing game in 1978, was Green Bay Packer wideout Don Hutson. The graceful Hutson loomed 6'1", taller than most defensive backs of his day, and he never made what he did look difficult. Like DiMaggio in center field, he ran the ball down with seeming effortlessness; but the fact that he could run the 100-yard dash in 9.8 seconds indicated just how fast he really was. When he left the game in 1945, his 99 touchdown receptions was more than three times greater than his nearest rival.

   His greatest day came against the Detroit Lions in Milwaukee, when he scored 29 points in a single quarter. The Packers were defending NFL champions, and Coach Curly Lambeau was using a new halfback (the position from which most passes were thrown in those days) named Roy McKay. McKay started a little slowly, and the Lions jumped out to a 7-0 lead five seconds into the second quarter.

   Then Hutson went to work. He bobbed and weaved past Art Van Tone, the Lions defensive back, and McKay hit him with a 59-yard touchdown score to make it 7-6; Hutson (who had, at various times during his football career, played safety, defensive end and running back) kicked the extra point himself to make it 7-7.

   Lions coach Gus Dorais then assigned a second defensive back, Bob Sneddon to shadow Hutson - on the next drive, Hutson cruised around Sneddon, who was defending against the short pass, and outran Van Tone to the Detroit end zone. McKay's long bomb rainbowed into Hutson's hands for a second touchdown; Hutson knocked in the PAT.

     A Packer interception gave them the ball on the Detroit 17, and again Hutson made a leaping touchdown catch over Sneddon, this time in man coverage. Sneddon sank to his knees and began pounding the turf.

   In the last minute of the quarter, McKay lofted another touchdown pass to Hutson, this time from the Detroit 6.

   Mercy came in the form of half-time, with the Pack ahead 41-7; Hutson had scored 4 touchdown passes and kicked five PAT in 13 minutes, for 29 points - still an NFL record for points in a single quarter.

   Beyond it's significance as the first NFL championship game ever, this was one of the most exciting shootouts ever, with six lead changes, some razzle-dazzle, and a memorable finish.

   The NFL was split into two divisions for the 1933 season, paving the way for the title game. The Eastern Division New York Giants played the Western Division titleist Chicago Bears at Wrigley Field. Relaxed passing rules and the introduction of hashmarks had led to a new round of offensive inventiveness in the NFL that year; one example put the Giants up 21-16 in the fourth quarter. QB Ken Strong got bottled up on a reverse to the left, and lateraled back to Harry Newman. Newman scrambled right and noticed that Strong had drifted into the end zone; he threw the pass across the field, and Strong caught it before falling out of the end zone and into the first base dugout.

   But the Bears retaliated by driving to the Giants' 33. Massive (for the time - he was 225 pounds) Bears running back Bronko Nagurski faked a dive into the line, then hit tight end Bill Hewitt on a cross pattern. Hewitt found right end Bill Karr on a lateral, an instant before being tackled, and Karr carried the ball the final 19 yards for a touchdown, and a 23-21 lead. The game wasn't settled until the last play of the game, when Red Grange made a chest-high, game-saving, open field tackle on Giant halfback Dale Burnett, preventing him from lateraling to a trailing Mel Hein. 

   The Steelers won the Super Bowl for the second year in a row on Terry Bradshaw's 64-yard touchdown pass to Lynn Swann and an aggressive defense that snuffed out a late rally by the Cowboys with an end-zone interception on the final play of the game.

   In the fourth quarter, Pittsburgh ran on fourth down and gave up the ball on the Cowboys' 39 with 1:22 to play. Roger Staubach ran and passed for two first downs but his last desperation pass was picked off by Glen Edwards.

   Dallas's scoring was the result of two touchdown passes by Staubach - one to Drew Pearson for 29 yards and the other to Percy Howard for 34 yards. Toni Fritsch had a 36-yard field goal. 

   The Steelers scored on two touchdown passes by Bradshaw - one to Randy Grossman for seven yards and the long bomb to Swann. Roy Gerela had 36- and 18-yard field goals. Reggie Harrison blocked a punt through the end zone for a safety. Swann set a Super Bowl record by gaining 161 yards on his four receptions.

   This was a good, close fought game, highlighted by a veteran superstar doing what he did best, and a rookie kicker coming through under pressure.

    The game between the champions of the AFC and NFC was played on artificial turf for the first time. Dallas led 13-6 at the half, but an interception by Rick Volk set up a Baltimore touchdown. Earl Morrall relieved an injured Johnny Unitas late in the first half, although Unitas completed the Colts' only scoring pass.

   It was a 75-yard touchdown pass to John Mackey, who turned a tip drill into a 75-yard touchdown reception. Receiver Eddie Hinton tipped a Unitas pass intended for him, which then bounced off Dallas cornerback Mel Renfro's fingers, only to fall into the hands of the Colts tight end, Mackey, who went 45 yards to score on a 75-yard play.

   Late in the fourth quarter, with the game tied 13-13, another interception by Colts DB Mike Curtis set up a 32-yard field goal by rookie kicker Jim O'Brien, which brought the Baltimore Colts a victory over the Dallas Cowboys in the final five seconds of Super Bowl V.

   For about one quarter, it looked like the jinx of the 1983 quarterback draft would end. The greatest draft class of passers in history included Dan Marino, John Elway and Jim Kelly. Together, they took their teams to 10 of the next 15 Super Bowls. Unfortunately, they would lose the first 8 of those, often by landslide margins.

   Marino's Dolphins had gotten creamed by the 1985 49ers (probably the best edition fo that team) by a score of 38-16 in Super Bowl XIX, and the Dolphins had reached the AFC Championship game in 1986 before losing in an upset to the Patriots. In 1987, it was Elway's turn, and he led the Broncos to the short end of a 39-20 score in Super Bowl XXI.

   So in Super Bowl XXII, in 1988, when the Broncos jumped out to a 10-0 lead, it appeared that the monkey was off the collective backs of the 1983 class. The Broncos broke in front 10-0 when quarterback John Elway threw a 56-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Ricky Nattiel on the Broncos' first play from scrimmage. Following a Washington punt, Denver's Rich Karlis kicked a 24-yard field goal to cap a seven-play, 61-yard scoring drive. 

   But the monkey hadn't met Doug Williams: the first black quarterback to start a Super Bowl led his team to five straight touchdowns on five second-quarter possessions - a record for most points in a quarter and most points in a half. They added another touchdown in the second half, but by then the fate of the Broncos was long sealed and the tailgate parties underway.

    In addition to this being the biggest points turnaround in Super Bowl history, a number of records fell that day: 602 total net yards of offense was a new mark; Timmy Smith ran for 204 yards on 22 attempts, topping Marcus Allen's 191 yards gained in 1984; Williams passed for 340 yards, then a record (it would be broken by Montana the following year and broekn again by Kurt Warner in 2000); Williams TD strike to Ricky Sanders went 80 yards, then a record, tied with Jim Plunkett's 1981 TD pass; and Williams 4 TD passes tied Terry Bradshaw's 1979 Super Bowl record as well (it would be broken by Montana in 1990 and broken again by Steve Young in 1995).

   And the 1983 jinx? It wouldn't relent: Denver came back but lost to the 49ers 55-10; then Jim Kelly took the Bills to 4 Super Bowls in a row, and lost each one of them 20-19, 37-24, 52-17 and 30-13. John Elway finally slew the beast when he and Terrell Davis led the Broncos to a fourth-quarter game winning drive in 1998.

   The Miami Dolphins became the only NFL team to have an unbeaten, untied season, finishing 17-0 with a 14-7 victory over the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII. Relying on a ball-control offense, with fullback Larry Csonka running for 112 yards on 15 carries, quarterback Bob Griese threw only 11 passes. One of his eight completions was a 28-yard touchdown pass to Howard Twilley in the first quarter to give Miami a 7-0 lead. Jim Kiick's one-yard run made it 14-0 just before halftime.

   The Redskins got their only score when a botched field-goal attempt by Miami's Garo Yepremian resulted in a 49-yard touchdown return by Mike Bass with 2:07 left in the game. Miami's "No-Name Defense" held the Redskins to 228 yards and safety Jake Scott makes two of the Dolphins' three interceptions to win MVP honors.

   The National Football League championship game was played on a frozen field at the Polo Grounds. To the amazement of the Bears and some 37,000 fans, the Giants came out for the second half wearing basketball sneakers. This unorthodox equipment helped the Giants gain better traction and rally from a 10-3 halftime deficit. Scoring 27 points in the fourth quarter, they defeated the previously undefeated Bears, who had beaten them twice during the regular season, by a 30-13 margin.

   A week before he's scheduled to enter the Maritime Service, Sid Luckman single-handedly sank the Washington Redskins in the NFL championship game. On offense he became the first to throw five touchdown passes in a playoff game, and on defense he intercepted two passes as he led the Bears to a 41-21 victory at Wrigley Field. He also was involved in the play which sends Redskins star Sammy Baugh to the sidelines in the first quarter. While tackling Luckman, who is returning his punt, Baugh was knocked unconscious by a blow from Luckman's knee. Baugh returned for the second half and led the Redskins to two touchdowns, but he couldn't prevent the Bears from winning their third title in four years and fifth in 12.

   Featuring a tragic ending that qualifies as one of the top 20 moments of infamy, the game itself was also a classic.  Jim Kelly had the Buffalo Bills offense two-minute drill honed into a weapon - an offensive strategy, really - and lit up the Giants pass defense.  The Bills quickly went up 12-3.

     But  and the Giants began adapting, allowing Kelly time to throw pressuring and punishing the receivers.  They effectively took Andre Reed out of the game after the first quarter, and forced Kelly to find Thomas and his outlet receivers underneath.  Thomas was up to the challenge - he ended up with 190 total yards - and ran wild through a defense designed to stuff the pass.

     But the Giants real success came on offense.  With an 87-yard second quarter drive and a 75-yard third quarter drive, they ran the clock down and kept Kelly and Thomas on the sidelines.  New York, employing its ball-control offense, had possession for 40 minutes, 33 seconds, a Super Bowl record. The Bills, who scored 95 points in their previous two playoff games leading to Super Bowl XXV, had the ball for less than eight minutes in the second half and just 19:27 for the game.

     Fourteen of New York's 73 plays came on its initial drive of the third quarter, which covered 75 yards and consumed a Super Bowl-record 9:29 before running back Ottis Anderson (and the game MVP) ran one yard for a touchdown.  Giants quarterback Jeff Hostetler kept the long drive going by converting three third-down plays – an 11-yard pass to running back David Meggett on third-and-eight, a 14-yard toss to wide receiver Mark Ingram on third-and-13 (an incredible play, with Ingram breaking three tackles to push 8 yards after the catch and get the first down), and a 9-yard pass to Howard Cross on third-and-four-to give New York a 17-12 lead in the third quarter.

     Buffalo's Thurman Thomas ran 31 yards for a touchdown on the opening play of the fourth quarter to help Buffalo recapture the lead 19-17.  Again, the Giants drove back in determined and Matt Bahr's 21-yard field goal gave the Giants a 20-19 lead, but Buffalo's Scott Norwood had a chance to win the game with seconds remaining before his 47-yard field-goal attempt sailed wide right.

     Maybe the most entertaining Monday Night Game ever, and the longest on record.  It was also a comeback of epic proportions.

     The Jets quickly fell behind 23-0, and although they scored their first touchdown with 31 seconds to go in the first half,  the game appeared lost.  The Dolphins stopped the Jets cold on the second half's opening drive, and Lamar Smith put the Fish on top 30-7.  As the Giants Stadium emptied in the third quarter, the demoralized Jets began to stitch together some offense.  Then, on the biggest play in the game, momentum began to turn - a pass from Vinnie Testaverde intended for Laverenues Coles was intercepted by Sam Madison in the back of the end zone, but Madison bobbled the ball, and as it came loose Coles grabbed it for a touchdown.  With the score 30-14, the Jets defense shut down the Dolphin offense, and Testaverde struck again ... and again ... and again.  With four minutes to go, Miami's lead melted away - a TD pass to Wayne Chrebet tied it up at 30-30.  Fans  who had left were back - presumably, they had heard what was going on on the radio, and turned around.

       It took Miami just 11 minutes to blow a 23-point lead, but they regained it in just one play - a 46-yard TD pass from Jay Fielder put them ahead 37-30.  But the Jets wouldn't quit.  They came back yet again, tying the score with an unusual play call - a short TD pass to Jumbo Elliott, an eligible receiver in an unusual formation.

     In overtime, the Dolphins won the important coin toss, but again the Jets weren't to be denied.  Linebacker Marco Coleman picked off a slant pass, but then fumbled it back into Dolphin hands.  Luckily for him, redemption was just nearby - he picked off Jay Fielder again in the same series, and this time held on to the pigskin.  The Jets marched quickly into field goal range, and finally, at 1:22 am, K John Hall ended it.