The Conference Championship games have been decided and the Super Bowl match-up is set in stone.

With the New England Patriots confirmed to be taking on the Philadelphia Eagles at U.S. Bank Stadium on February 4th, we can’t think of a better time to take a trip through Super Bowls of the past and remember the finest moments from the pinnacle of the NFL season.

So, without further ado, here are the 10 greatest plays to ever grace football’s finest stage…

10) Devin Hester’s Opening Kick-Off TD - Super Bowl XLI

Devin Hester should go down in NFL history as the best return man the game has ever seen. A dynamic, explosive threat with ball in hand - Hester terrorised every single special teams unit across the league. There is a reason why, “Never ask a woman if she's pregnant, never buy half-price sushi, and never kick it to Devin Hester” became a well-known phrase.

The Indianapolis Colts didn’t heed that advice, with Adam Vinatieri launching the opening kickoff of Super Bowl XLI directly to Hester, who with a stutter-step, a juke and his trademark elite burst of pace, took Vinatieri’s kick 92 yards to the house - barely breaking a sweat in the process.

9) Lynn Swann’s Diving Circus Catch - Super Bowl X

The first wide receiver to ever be named Super Bowl MVP, Lynn Swann’s 161-yard performance against the Dallas Cowboys won the Steelers their second-consecutive Super Bowl.

But the defining moment of the game will always be Swann’s diving catch that he had no right to haul in. With the Steelers in trouble and pinned back on their own goal line, quarterback Terry Bradshaw threw up a prayer that looked to be out of reach - until Swann tipped it into the air and managed to haul it into his body while on the ground.

8) James Harrison’s 100-yard Pick Six - Super Bowl XLIII

James Harrison’s entire career has been spent terrorising offensive lineman and sacking quarterbacks. It is the only thing he knows how to do and it’s what his body is made for. A lean, mean, quarterback-crushing machine.

What James Harrison is not is a skill position player. He should not be intercepting passes and taking them 100 yards the other way for a touchdown on the grandest stage of all. But against the Cardinals, Harrison suckered Arizona QB Kurt Warner perfectly with a fake blitz before dropping into coverage and intercepting a pass intended for Anquan Boldin. He then sprinted and stumbled his way down the field, reaching the end zone. Cameras caught Harrison with a gas mask on getting extra oxygen after the play, showcasing just how out of character a moment it was for the pass rusher. 

7) Julian Edelman’s Catch Off the Floor - Super Bowl LI

The most recent entry on the list, coming in last year’s matchup between the Patriots and the Falcons, Julian Edelman wowed the world with his desperation catch as New England kept their incredible comeback bid rolling.

With just over two minutes left on the clock in the fourth quarter, and the Patriots down by 8, Tom Brady looked for his trusty slot receiver over the middle. The pass was tipped by a Falcons defender and looked ready to either fall incomplete or be picked off. The ball deflects, once off a leg then off a hand, but before it hits the ground a diving Edelman grasps possession with centimetres left to spare as time seemed to stand still. 

6) Titans Stopped 1-yard Short - Super Bowl XXXIV

Let’s set the scene for this one, a combination of excellence and heartbreak that sums up just how cruel sport can be. With under two minutes left on the clock, the Tennessee Titans found themselves down by seven points after a touchdown from Rams wide receiver Isaac Bruce.

Steve McNair then put together a masterful drive, leading his Titans down the field, giving them a chance to force overtime. But with the ball on the Rams 10-yard line, and only five seconds left with no timeouts - it really was do-or-die. McNair found his wide receiver Kevin Dyson on a slant, but Rams defender Mike Jones grabbed and tackled Dyson. Dyson reached his arm out as far as he could, ending up a heartbreaking one yard short of the end zone as the clock hit zero and the Titans lost.

5) Joe Montana to John Taylor - Super Bowl XXIII

From one last-minute drive that fell despairingly short, to one that was perfectly executed and ended with a Super Bowl trophy. Down 16-13 with the ball on their own 8-yard line, this is the night Joe Montana cemented his and the 49ers’ dynasty.

With a third Super Bowl win slipping away, Montana hit game MVP Jerry Rice multiple times as he led his offense down the field with the solid Bengals defense proving no match. The 92-yard drive culminated in a 10-yard touchdown pass to Jon Taylor to take the lead and eventually The Lombardi Trophy. There’s a reason they call Montana ‘The Comeback Kid’.

4) John Riggins on 4th & 1 - Super Bowl XVII

“Here comes The Diesel”. A piece of commentary that expertly summed up the moment. Trailing to the Miami Dolphins in the fourth quarter, Washington Redskins head coach Joe Gibb made the gutsy call to leave his offense out on the field on 4th & 1.

70 Chip was the now infamous play call and it meant one thing: getting the ball into John Riggins’ hands and letting the Redskins’ burly running back do what he did best. It worked better than Gibb could’ve asked, with Riggins bouncing it outside, shaking off a Dolphins defender, and taking it all the way to the house for a 43-yard score in an eventual MVP performance.

3) Santonio Holmes’ Toe-Tapping TD - Super Bowl XLIII

The only game that features twice on this list. Not only did Super Bowl XLIII include James Harrison’s incredible pick-6, it also contained one heck of a finale. Santonio Holmes netted himself the Super Bowl MVP trophy and what he did with just 35 seconds left to play is a big reason why. 

Trailing 23-20 and heading into the final minute, Ben Roethlisberger threw one up for his trusted number one receiver, who repaid that faith with an incredible catch that Holmes was only able to reach thanks to his tiptoes staying inbounds.

2) Malcolm Butler’s Interception - Super Bowl XLIX

The Butler did it. With one play, Malcolm Butler went from New England’s third-choice cornerback to a household name. And all because Pete Carroll refused to run the ball with Marshawn Lynch on the one-yard line.

26 seconds remained and the Seahawks trailed 28-24. Seattle had a 2nd & Goal from one yard out. They needed one yard to likely win the Super Bowl. Lynch had battered and bruised the Patriots defensive line all game long to the tune of 102 rushing yards on 24 carries. But Carroll opted to pass, a slant/pick play that Butler saw coming from a mile off; hanging back before braking at speed on Russell Wilson’s pass, with Jermaine Kearse - the intended target - bouncing straight off as the ball nestled into Butler’s arms.

1) The Helmet Catch - Super Bowl XLII

A play that is so famous it has its own name. David Tyree’s helmet catch is easily the most famous play in Super Bowl history. Trailing to the rival Patriots, Eli Manning and the New York Giants had one objective: touchdown or bust.

Manning pulled a rabbit out of the hat in escaping the Patriots’ pass-rushers who looked certain to sack him, before unleashing a long pass that Tyree managed to pin against his helmet while fighting off New England safety Rodney Harrison as they fell to the ground.

It was, and still is, a miracle. Tyree didn’t record another catch in the NFL after Super Bowl XLII. Not a bad way to bow out.