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Two games prior, Jacoby Jones was the savior of Charm City. He dropped every single pass his way, save one. A spectacular one, at that. He hauled in the Mile High Miracle.
Jacoby Jones wasn’t done after the miracle, though. He went on to bury two touchdowns against the San Francisco 49ers, and most argue he deserved the Pete Rozelle Trophy, as the MVP of Super Bowl XLVII.
1:58 left in the first half, and the Ravens are feasting on the four All-Pro linebackers of the 49ers. But two straight incompletions pinned the Ravens in a 3rd & 10 situation, with just enough clock to give the ball back to Colin Kaepernick and the San Fran offense. But the Ravens had other plans, as Joe Flacco heaved a 50-yard bomb to Jacoby Jones, who beat the coverage, came back to the ball, fell down, danced and juked two defenders while falling forward for the 56-yard touchdown.
As mentioned, Jones wasn’t finished with this game. The Ravens marched out of the tunnel, ready to receive the kickoff for the second half and continue their dominance in the second half. Rather than Joe Flacco return and toss another touchdown on the first drive, Jacoby hauled the kickoff 108 yards for the Super Bowl record return!
This play changed the NFL, and is the catalyst for one of the biggest Super Bowl conspiracies in the NFL today.
Super Bowl XLVII was on pace to become the fastest Super Bowl, which could have killed ad revenue. Right after the kick return touchdown, the 49ers received the kickoff. Three plays later, they were shut down and the momentum was purely on the Ravens’ side. Right before Andy Lee booted the ball back to Baltimore, the Super Bowl’s lights were cut out. Many believe Roger Goodell, the NFL Commissioner, ordered the lights be cut out, in hopes of making the game more competitive, slow down the Ravens’ momentum, and also extend the time of the game to receive the ad revenue.
In truth, it worked. The Ravens lost their momentum, the 49ers mounted a comeback, and the ending to the Super Bowl was incredibly unique. A team opted to take a safety, to better their chances of winning. They held and purposefully received flags, knowing the penalty was no greater than the already decided upon sacrifice.
No doubt, a players’ performance creating a conspiracy theory due to his outstanding play, is the best Super Bowl moment.