Eli and Peyton Manning reflect on the David Tyree helmet catch that helped the Giants beat the Patriots in arguably the greatest upset in Super Bowl history. For more Peyton's Places, sign up for ESPN+ today at https://plus.espn.com/. (3:38)

They elicit delight and dismay, depending upon where your fandom resides, of course. But they never disappoint. Not when you take into account the sheer lunacy and, well, luck involved. They are the best postseason plays in NFL history, as voted on by a panel of ESPN reporters who cover the league.

The usual suspects are here, from the Immaculate Reception to The Catch to David Tyree's helmet histrionics. A more recent vintage, like The Minneapolis Miracle, is represented, too.

Our panel of NFL experts ranked the best postseason plays of the Super Bowl era. In and of themselves, it's hard to argue with the "wow" factor of each play. But when you dig deeper, you see just how with one foot, let alone a yard, this way or the other, NFL history is changed and with so many far-reaching ramifications. Big time. Indeed, these plays have helped launch dynasties as well as hastened declines. So let's dive in, the water's fine ... unless it's your team on the business end of one of ESPN's 10 best postseason plays in NFL history.

ESPN Illustration

1. 'Immaculate Reception'

Game: AFC divisional game between Pittsburgh Steelers and Oakland Raiders

Date: Dec. 23, 1972

Situation: Steelers trailed Raiders by one, fourth-and-10 at their own 40 with 22 seconds left

Play result: Running back Franco Harris 60-yard TD pass from quarterback Terry Bradshaw

Final score: Steelers 13, Raiders 7

What this play means to NFL history: In Pittsburgh, it is the equivalent of a religious experience. In Oakland, it is seen as something more sinister -- the "Immaculate Deception." Did running back John "Frenchy" Fuqua touch the ball first, or was it all safety Jack Tatum? (The rules at the time stipulated that only the first offensive player to touch a pass could catch it.) Did the ball touch the Three Rivers Stadium turf before Harris gained possession? Or what about the claim of linebacker Phil Villapiano that he was clipped by tight end John McMakin? The game tape has been scoured more than the Zapruder film and there are still no clear answers. Pittsburgh's first playoff victory meant nothing the next week, as the Steelers lost to the undefeated Dolphins. And the Raiders ended Miami's winning streak at 18 games in Week 2 of the 1973 season. But from the perspective of Pittsburgh, which has a statue of Harris making the catch at its airport, the play helped launch a dynasty, as the Steelers would win four Super Bowls in six years, starting with the 1974 season. And hey, Harris calls Villapiano every Dec. 23, just to ask what he was doing on that day in 1972.

play 1:15 Staubach schools Peyton on the 'Hail Mary' Peyton learns about the origin of the "Hail Mary" pass from Cowboys legendary quarterback, Roger Staubach. For more Peyton's Places, sign up for ESPN+ today at https://plus.espn.com/.

2. 'The Catch'

Game: NFC Championship Game between San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys

Date: Jan. 10, 1982

Situation: Cowboys led 49ers by six, third-and-3 at the Cowboys' 6-yard line with 58 seconds left

Play result: Tight end Dwight Clark 6-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Joe Montana

Final score: 49ers 28, Cowboys 27

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What this play means to NFL history: Clark coming down from the heavens in front of a helpless Everson Walls after Montana had pump-faked defenders Ed "Too Tall" Jones, D.D. Lewis and Larry Bethea out of their cleats was more than a passing of the torch (Dallas had knocked San Francisco out of the playoffs three consecutive times in the early 1970s). The Catch also jump-started the Niners as the Team of the '80s while relegating America's Team to an afterthought for the decade. But keep in mind, were it not for Eric Wright's then-legal horse-collar tackle of a breaking-away Drew Pearson on the Cowboys' ensuing possession, The Catch would be a footnote and the Cowboys would have faced the Bengals in Super Bowl XVI. Instead, the Niners' West Coast offense became all the rage in a copycat league and Joe Montana became Joe Cool.

Bart Starr's 1-yard plunge to beat the Cowboys put the Packers in position to win their second Super Bowl title. Bettman/Getty Images

3. Ice Bowl QB sneak

Game: NFL Championship Game between Green Bay Packers and Cowboys

Date: Dec. 31, 1967

Situation: Packers trailed Cowboys by three, third-and-goal at the Cowboys' 1-yard line with 8 seconds left

Play result: Quarterback Bart Starr 1-yard TD rush

Final score: Packers 21, Cowboys 17

What this play meant to NFL history: It made the QB sneak more than cool, regardless of the minus-15 degree temperature at kickoff, with an average wind chill of minus-48 degrees; it made it, well, iconic. Starr getting in after calling his own number from inside the 1-yard line behind a double-team block by center Ken Bowman and right guard Jerry Kramer without telling any other teammates also solidified Packers coach Vince Lombardi's legend. Sure, the Packers still had one more game to play, against the AFL champion Raiders in Super Bowl II, but at the time, winning the NFL title game was the thing. And beating the Cowboys for the second consecutive season for the NFL championship? How 'bout them Packers?