Two weeks ago, The List looked at the biggest goats in NFL playoff history. For the second of our three-part series on players whose legacies were written by one game rather than an entire career, we look at five quarterbacks who buckled under the pressure of playing in the most watched championship game of any American sport.

No. 5: Joe Theismann, meet Jack Squirek
Super Bowl XVIII
Before he decided to become the second most-irritating color commentator this side of Cris Collinsworth, Theismann quarterbacked the Washington Redskins to consecutive Super Bowls in 1983-’84.

Super Bowl XVIII, which matched the Redskins and Raiders, was perhaps the most hyped of the 38 AFC-NFC championships. The two teams had played the wildest game of the season earlier that year, with the Redskins winning 37-35 on Theismann’s 417 yards passing. 

Theismann’s performance in the rematch was a different story. With Washington trailing 14-3 with 12 seconds remaining in the half and pinned on its own 12-yard line, Joe Gibbs called for a screen pass to Joe Washington. Third-string Raiders linebacker Jack Squirek read the play perfectly for an interception and an easy 5-yard touchdown. The Redskins, who had come back from 17 points down in the regular season win in the fourth quarter, never recovered this time.

Theismann’s stats were not pretty: 16-35 for 243 yards and two interceptions. Despite winning Super Bowl XVII and being one of the most respected quarterbacks of his era, his name will first evoke one of the following two memories: A leg being horrifically broken by Lawrence Taylor on Monday Night Football; and that ill-advised flare pass to Squirek.

No. 4: Kerry Collins has worst day at wrong time
Super Bowl XXXV
Perhaps the most forgettable Super Bowl in recent memory, Baltimore-New York II for the NFL championship was not exactly a repeat of 1958’s “greatest game ever played” between the Colts and Giants.

Yes, the 2000-2001 Ravens defense was the second-greatest of all-time (no team touches the ‘85 Bears), but it was still susceptible in the secondary, ranked eighth in pass defense in the regular season. 

The Giants, already lacking a power back to challenge the Ravens’ front seven, decided to abandon the run seemingly before the coin toss. As a result, Kerry Collins needed to play as well as he did against the Vikings the week before (a 41-0 New York demolition), but instead played his worst game as a pro.

Collins finished the day 15-39 for 112 yards, and was sacked four times. He also tossed four interceptions, one of which was returned for a score. The Giants' only points came from a kickoff return in a 34-7 embarrassment.

No. 3: Neil O’ Donnell’s primary target is Larry Brown
Super Bowl XXX
Ranking only second in the “what was he thinking” category to Theismann’s flare against the Raiders was O’Donnell’s two interceptions in the second half against the Cowboys in 1996.

Despite being 10-point underdogs to Dallas in Super Bowl XXX, the Steelers were within a touchdown for most of the game. Down 13-7 and driving in the third quarter, O’Donnell hurled a pass that wasn’t within 15 yards of any Pittsburgh receiver, although he did hit Cowboys’ defensive back Larry Brown between the numbers for a 44-yard interception return to help set up an Emmitt Smith touchdown plunge to put the Cowboys up 20-7.

Still, with four minutes left and the Steelers riding the momentum of 10 unanswered points to only trail 20-17, O’Donnell again found his favorite receiver -- Brown -- for a 33-yard interception return to the Steelers 6-yard line to set up another Smith touchdown. Dallas would win 27-17 despite being dominated by the Pittsburgh defense.

O’Donnell finished 28-49 for 239 yards, coupled with those two killer interceptions. Pittsburgh running back Bam Morris (remember him?) almost averaged as many yards per carry (3.9) as O’Donnell did per pass (4.8).

No. 2: Rich Gannon looks like Division I-A
Super Bowl XXXVII
The Raiders were favored to win the Super Bowl matchup against their former coach thanks to the former Delaware Blue Hen at quarterback. Rich Gannon, a journeyman before signing with the Raiders, was on a roll few expected to slow down. Unfortunately for those in Raider Nation, Gannon picked Super Bowl Sunday to play the worst game in his 15-year career.

Thanks to the Raiders' one-dimensional approach (16 yards rushing for the game), Gannon was forced to throw nearly every down against a Bucs defense that had allowed the third lowest points in an NFL season all-time. The result was Gannon being sacked five times and throwing an NFL-record five interceptions, with three being returned for scores in the second half. 

After averaging one interception every 62 attempts in the regular season, the 2002 NFL MVP was picked off five times on 44 passes in a 48-21 Super Bowl humiliation.  

No. 1: What do Tony Danza and Tony Eason have in common?
Super Bowl XX
The answer to that question? Try, zero pass completions in the Super Bowl.

As mentioned earlier, no defense was more fearsome and intimidating than that of the 1985 Chicago Bears. Still, one would expect an opposing quarterback to at least complete one pass against the vaunted “46 defense” with everything on the line. Right?

Wrong. Eason looked like a fighter entering the ring against Mike Tyson back in his heyday in the 1980s. Before getting the hook in favor of Steve Grogan in the second quarter, Eason was 0-for-6 with a fumble and was also sacked three times.

"I saw the confusion in his eyes," Bears linebacker Mike Singletary said of Eason. "We got to him early and I think he got rattled."

That's an understatement.

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