Will Ravens’ goal line stand rank among the best?

Last night, the Baltimore Ravens were able to fight off the surging San Francisco 49ers late in the 4th quarter. Just when it looked like Colin Kaepernick was about to take the spotlight from Joe Flacco and Ray Lewis, the Lewis-led defense stood strong and stopped them on fourth down in the red zone. Even though the play was a controversial “no-call”, many fans who weren’t rooting for either team can make a case for both sides. Either way you look at it, the Ravens are your Super Bowl champions.

Feb 3, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; Baltimore Ravens inside linebacker Ray Lewis (52) celebrates after the San Francisco 49ers failed to convert on fourth down in the fourth quarter in Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

With that, I got to thinking about other famous goal line stands in Super Bowl history.

The first that comes to mind involved the 49ers but it went in their favor. Back in Super Bowl XVI, the 49ers defense stopped the Cincinnati Bengals inside the ten yard line on four straight plays. After the stop, legendary Joe Montana went on to solidify the victory by scoring six points, winning 26-21.

In Super Bowl XVII, the Redskins showed us what it was like to overcome a goal line stand. On 4th and 1, John Riggins converted the first down and also locked in the touchdown to put the Skins on top. They went on to win 21-17.

The one that stands out the most to me, was back in Super Bowl XXXIV. The St Louis Rams had their backs against the wall in the final seconds of the game against the Tennessee Titans. Even though it wasn’t four plays to stop the Titans, the Rams shut down receiver Kevin Dyson at the one-yard line as time expired. The play will forever go down as “the play that came up short” for the late Steve McNair at the Titans.

So where will the Ravens’ stand rank among the best? With a guy like Ray Lewis leading the charge for his self proclaimed “final ride”, this goal line stand has the capability of becoming one of the most talked about in recent history.

In any sense, congratulations to the Baltimore Ravens on their Super Bowl victory and making history in more ways than one.

Feb 3, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco hoists the Vince Lombardi Trophy after defeating the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports