The Biggest Game
Welcome to 'The Biggest Game,' a new video podcast where we talk all things Super Bowl. The history of the game, its impact, its place in the world of sports and beyond. From its humble beginnings to its rise to the pinnacle of the American sports and cultural landscape. No aspect of the game is too obscure to escape our gaze. We are interested in the players and coaches, the winners and losers, the most spectacular performances and plays. But we're also interested in the drama and stories behind the scenes. The business of the Super Bowl. The commercials. The halftime shows. The greatest renditions of the national anthem. All of it. We'll be joined by the men who played in the game and by other people who played a role in the growth and development of the Super Bowl. Join Jeremy Schaap, one of ESPN's most respected and longest-tenured personalities, as he explores the evolution of America's biggest game.
Archived Podcasts
No Chalk! Seth Walder's Super Bowl LXI Predictions | The Biggest Game: 9/8/26
ESPN National NFL Analyst Seth Walder joins Jeremy Schaap and The Biggest Game to explore how ESPN analytics see's the landscape, ahead of the season starting. And gives his predictions for who will still be standing when the dust clears. 00:00 Intro 03:40 Is there an analytical Super Bowl championship template? 05:11 How the projections evaluate offense vs defense & passing vs rushing 12:01 Projections vs Predictions 20:47 Picking the championship game teams - the NFL's Final Four 26:45 Who makes Super Bowl LXI? Who wins it all?! Subscribe to ESPN Unlimited: https://plus.espn.com/nfl #ESPN Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Steve Atwater on what it took to DOMINATE the Super Bowl TWICE! | The Biggest Game: 9/1/26
Steve Atwater was one of the NFL's most feared safeties during his career. Three Super Bowl appearances, two rings, and a bevy of accolades saw him inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020. Jeremy Schaap and The Biggest Game sat down with the man known as the Smiling Assassin for a special conversation from Canton, Ohio. 00:00 - Introduction 02:21 - Atwater redefines the role of the safety in NFL defenses 04:40 - Lessons from defeat in Super Bowl XXIV 09:58 - Atwater & the Broncos finally return to the biggest game 13:56 - Atwater & the Broncos breakthrough in Super Bowl XXXII 22:03 - Going back to back with a Super Bowl XXXIII victory 24:31 - How being a Super Bowl champion shapes Atwater's life Subscribe to ESPN Unlimited: https://plus.espn.com/nfl #ESPN Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Inside the Pro Football Hall of Fame: Rare Artifacts & Super Bowl History | The Biggest Game: 8/25/26
The Biggest Game heads to Canton, Ohio and the Pro Football Hall of Fame! Join Jeremy Schaap and Jon Kendle, the Director of Archives & Exhibits for the Hall of Fame Museum, as they parse through: the sport's origins, the birth of the NFL, Super Bowl relics, and more! 00:00 - Meet Jon Kendle; the Man Behind the Pro Football Hall of Fame 02:32 - Pro Football's Origins Revealed 05:10 - The NFL is Born! 06:10 - Entering the Super Bowl Gallery; The Origin of the Super Bowl 08:13 - Behind the Scenes with the Lombardi Trophy 09:40 - Super Bowls in the 1970s 10:29 - The 49ers Dominate the 1980s 11:45 - William 'Refrigerator' Perry's Super Bowl Ring is Larger than Life! 12:35 - The HELMET Catch on Display 13:34 - The Evolution of the Ring at the Super Bowl Ring Gallery 17:22 - Inside the Pro Football Hall of Fame Archives 19:38 - A Letter From Lamar Hunt 21:27 - Tom Brady's Draft Card & Reflection Subscribe to ESPN Unlimited: https://plus.espn.com/nfl #ESPN Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How Drew Pearson's Legendary Hands Made America's Team P | The Biggest Game: 8/18/26
In this episode of The Biggest Game, Jeremy Schaap is joined by legendary Cowboys receiver and the first of the many great #88s, Drew Pearson. Mr. Clutch revisits his Super Bowl appearances, including his win in Super Bowl XII, his part in the original Hail Mary play, and what it was like playing for such fixtures in Cowboys history in Tom Landry and Roger Staubach. 0:00 Intro 0:48 The great Cowboys of the 70s 2:45 Americas Team 3:43 Tom Landrys legacy 5:56 Staubachs top target 7:44 high school teammates with Joe Theismann 9:46 playing for the University of Tulsa 10:46 Super Bowl X 12:07 The Original Hail Mary play 18:47 Super Bowl XII Subscribe to ESPN Unlimited: https://plus.espn.com/nfl #ESPN Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
What it's Really Like to be a Super Bowl Pool Reporter | The Biggest Game: 8/12/26
It's a job you probably didn't even know existed, pool reporter for the Super Bowl. One journalist, gets unlimited access to each team in the week leading up to the NFL's signature event every season. But they can't share what they see. Just sanitized reporters for the rest of the media corps covering the game.So when ESPN's Kalyn Kahler filled that role, and saw Seattle Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori injure his ankle, she couldn't share everything that she knew.Today on The Biggest Game, Kalyn explains to Courtney Cronin what it's like to have all of the access...and none of the freedom to report. Subscribe to ESPN Unlimited: https://plus.espn.com/nfl #ESPN Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How One Team's Dynasty Defined COOL for a Generation | The Biggest Game: 7/28/26
NFL fans of a certain age remember 'dem Cowboys of the 1990s. America's Team, breakthrough star power, and a fanbase that invaded areas outside of Dallas. One of those fans is Andscape's Justin Tinsley. Justin grew up a Cowboys fan, in central Virginia. So today on The Biggest Game Tinsley explains to Courtney Cronin, filling in for Jeremy Schaap, how those Dallas teams defined fandom and culture for an entire generation. Subscribe to ESPN Unlimited: https://plus.espn.com/nfl #ESPN Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Bill Barnwell Says DO NOT Bet Against Safeties in the Super Bowl! | The Biggest Game: 7/21/26
Sometimes the sure money doesn't hit, as ESPN senior NFL writer Bill Barnwell found out the hard way when Tom Brady took a safety on the Patriots first play of Super Bowl XLVI. So today on The Biggest Game, Barnwell and Jeremy Schaap explore the role that the safety has played in Super Bowl history, and it turns out to be a bigger factor than you might expect! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Phil McConkey on Fashion, Football, and Winning Super Bowl XXI with the Giants | The Biggest Game: 7/14/26
Former New York Giants wide receiver and return man, Phil McConkey, joins The Biggest Game to tell Jeremy Schaap about: 80's fashion, football at Navy and under Bill Parcells, and winning Super Bowl XXI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Field Yates relives Patriots-Giants Super Bowl XLII from sidelines | The Biggest Game: 7/7/26
Welcome back to "The Biggest Game" hosted by Jeremy Schaap. On this episode, ESPN NFL Insider, Draft & Fantasy analyst, Field Yates, joins the show to reflect on his upbringing in the football ranks, which included an experience of a lifetime being on the sidelines for Super Bowl XLII (Giants def. Patriots, 17-14). Plus, Field relives his favorite Super Bowl memories and shares his path from NFL scout to ESPN football analyst. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Super Bowl XLVII Blackout: What REALLY Happened in New Orleans? | The Biggest Game: 6/30/26
Welcome back to The Biggest Game! Former San Francisco 49er Joe Staley; ESPN's own Dan Graziano and Sam Borden; and Brian Boyles, the author of "New Orleans Boom & Blackout: One Hundred Days in America's Coolest Hot Spot" join Jeremy Schapp to relive the surreal moment that Super Bowl XLVII went dark. Learn how the biggest event on the football calendar, transformed into a scene of utter confusion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Super Bowl XXXI MVP Desmond Howard on the Packers' Super Bowl Dominance | The Biggest Game: 6/23/26
Desmond Howard joins Jeremy Schaap on The Biggest Game to explain how he became the ONLY special teams player to ever win Super Bowl MVP in the Green Bay Packers Super Bowl XXXI win. A performance that almost didn't happen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The First But Not The Last: Doug Williams Super Bowl XXII MVP | The Biggest Game: 6/16/26
When Doug Williams took a knee at the end of Super Bowl XXII he made history. Becoming the first Black quarterback to start a Super Bowl, win a Super Bowl, and win the biggest game's MVP award. It was the culmination of a career steeped in firsts. One where he had to prove himself at every step, and overcome racism and challenges, on and off the field. Today, Doug joins Jeremy Schaap to relive what is maybe the greatest quarter of football anyone has ever played. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mel Kiper's FAVORITE Super Bowls + UNTOLD NFL Draft stories | The Biggest Game: 6/9/26
Welcome back to "The Biggest Game" hosted by Jeremy Schaap. On this episode, ESPN NFL Draft analyst, Mel Kiper Jr., joins the show to discuss the Super Bowl that made him fall in love with football (Super Bowl V: Jan. 17, 1971 - Baltimore Colts def. Dallas Cowboys, 16-13). Plus, we dive into Mel's path from self-publishing college scouting reports to ESPN and popularizing the NFL Draft. (0:00) Welcome in Mel Kiper Jr. (1:55) Mel's Super Bowl Sundays (3:16) Balancing NFL & College Football (4:36) Why Mel's never been to a Super Bowl (6:20) Super Bowl V: Colts vs Cowboys (11:25) Mel's love for Rams' uniforms + early memories (14:40) Super Bowl V continued (17:46) Colts leave Baltimore for Indianapolis (24:46) Mel explains evolution of NFL Draft (29:45) Mel's UNIQUE habits covering NFL Draft (33:57) Reliving Mel's legendary 1994 NFL Draft moment w/Bill Tobin (41:26) Jeremy's NFL Draft story covering Tim Tebow (43:08) Finals thoughts & comments! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How the NFL Kept COVID from Shutting Down Super Bowl LV | The Biggest Game: 6/2/26
When the Covid-19 pandemic brought the sports world to a halt in March of 2020, the NFL had a built in advantage. Unlike the NBA, NHL, and MLB, the football season was months away, giving the league time to implement plans to keep the season from being derailed. Through rigorous testing, tracking, and adjustments to the calendar, the 2020 NFL season reached its conclusion without cancelling a single game. And at the end of that road lay Super Bowl LV. The premier event on the American sports calendar every year. Today on The Biggest Game: former Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David, Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL's Chief Medical Officer, and longtime NFL executive Jeff Miller explain how the season and the biggest game took place in the midst of a global pandemic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
From Fan to Analyst to Father: Ben Solak's Eagles Super Bowl Journey | The Biggest Game: 5/26/26
You probably recognize ESPN NFL analyst Ben Solak from his appearances on ESPN during the NFL season. His mix of analytical analysis, and football knowledge create a compelling package, dedicated to helping you understand not just what happened on the field, but why it happened. And for Ben, he's come by that knowledge through a lifelong love of the Philadelphia Eagles. Not quite his hometown team, but the one he adopted early in life. But the tale of the team he's followed has meant more than bragging rights and heartbreaks. Because all three of Philly's most recent trips to the Super Bowl have also marked forks in the road for Ben, in his own life. Today on The Biggest Game, he explains to Jeremy Schaap how Super Bowls LII, LVII, and LIX shaped who he is today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Super Bowl I Lore: A Hungover Max McGee Scored the First TD in Super Bowl History | The Biggest Game: 5/19/26
On The Biggest Game, Ryan McGee joins the show to discuss Green Bay Packers legend Max McGee. McGee was under the assumption he would get no play time in the first ever Super Bowl... he was wrong. After a wild night out in Los Angeles, that ended as the Packers iconic quarterback Bart Starr was rising for breakfast, Max McGee's number was called early in Super Bowl I! Taking the field in one of his teammate's helmets, with visions of the night before still echoing in his head...what followed was the first spectacular performance in Super Bowl history. Jeremy Schaap and Ryan McGee break down the full story on The Biggest Game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
TRAILER <ž A Hungover Max McGee Scored the First TD in Super Bowl History | The Biggest Game: 5/18/26
Coming Tuesday, May 19, at NFL on ESPN. Ryan McGee and Jeremy Schaap break down the legendary performance of Max McGee in Super Bowl I. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Chris "Mad Dog" Russo on how Super Bowl III Took the NFL Mainstream | The Biggest Game: 5/12/26
Fresh off First Take, Chris "Mad Dog" Russo tells us that back in 1969 the NFL and AFL were two separate leagues. They didn't even call the championship game the "Super Bowl" yet. But when Joe Namath guaranteed victory and led the New York Jets to a shocking upset victory over Don Shula's Baltimore Colts, all that began to change. The impending merger between the two leagues suddenly seemed less like the junior varsity joining the big time, and more like a marriage between equals. And with a cross cultural icon like Namath leading the way, the NFL had its leading man. On this episode of The Biggest Game, we look at the moment, that the NFL became MAINSTREAM. Subscribe to ESPN Unlimited: https://plus.espn.com/nfl #ESPN Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
TRAILER =Chris "MAD DOG" Russo Says that Super Bowl III Took the NFL MAINSTREAM >/ | The Biggest Game: 5/11/26
Coming Tuesday May 12th at NFL on ESPN. Chris "Mad Dog" Russo joins The Biggest Game to tell us how Joe Namath and the New York Jets took the NFL into the mainstream at Super Bowl III. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Great Super Bowl Rings Heist | The Biggest Game: 5/5/26
When New York Giants wide receiver David Tyree pinned a desperation pass from Eli Manning against his helmet and fell to the ground in Patriots territory in the closing moments of Super Bowl 42, New England was robbed of its undefeated season. But that wasn't the only heist of Super Bowl 42. Enter Sean Murphy, a Boston area mover by day, and jewel thief by night. Today on The Biggest Game, were joined by ESPN global sports correspondent Sam Borden who tells us how "helmet catch" robbed the Patriots of perfection. And Murphy stole the Super Bowl rings from the Giants as revenge. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
TRAILER <ž - The Great Super Bowl Rings Heist =Ž| The Biggest Game: 5/1/26
Tuesday May 5th, on The Biggest Game. Join Jeremy Schaap & ESPN global sports correspondent Sam Borden on Tuesday May 5th for the story of Sean Murphy. The Boston area mover, and jewel thief, who stole the New York Giants Super Bowl XLII rings as revenge. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This Trade Built the Team of the 90s * | The Biggest Game: 6/30/26
Today on The Biggest Game, former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jimmy Johnson, the architect of the team of the 90's, explains how the most crucial building block in the Cowboys' dynasty wasn't named Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, or Michael Irvin. His name was Herschel Walker. Because trading Walker to the Minnesota Vikings on October 12, 1989 gave Dallas five players and three draft picks to jump start their rebuild. But for Jimmy Johnson, it was getting the option to cut those players in exchange for Vikings draft picks that changed everything. Coach Johnson, former Cowboys safety Darren Woodson, longtime Dallas media members Norm Hitzges and Ron St. Angelo, and Minnesota radio voice Dan Barreiro break it all down, on The Biggest Game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
TRAILER - The Trade That Built a Dynasty | The Biggest Game Ep.02: 4/20/26
Tuesday April 21st on The Biggest Game... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Chris Berman's Super Bowl Memories | The Biggest Game: 2/10/26
The Seattle Seahawks 29-13 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX not only put a button on the 2025 NFL season, but it also started the clock on America's biggest game, coming to ESPN for the first time ever. To celebrate the event, we present "The Biggest Game." A podcast dedicated to exploring the lore and legacy of Lombardi's Trophy. ESPN reporter Jeremy Schaap talks with the heroes and villains; stars and celebrities; chroniclers and enjoyers of a game that has become more than just a football game. Today, recorded ahead of Super Bow LX, ESPN legend Chris Berman, who has seen all 60 Super Bowls, joins the program to share his memories, and explain what it means for the matchup that captures all of our attention, to come to ESPN. ---- 00:00 - What does it mean for the Super Bowl to come to ESPN? 03:04 - What has the Super Bowl meant to Chris Berman? 05:02 - Chris Berman's first time covering the Super Bowl 09:44 - The greatest play in Super Bowl history 12:35 - Helmet catch changed modern NFL history 15:08 - How Joe Namath's "Guarantee" changed the Super Bowl forever 19:52 - Great performances in Super Bowl history 25:18 - Nobody circles the wagons like the Buffalo Bills 33:37 - How the Super Bowl has evolved over time Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Introducing 'The Biggest Game': 2/1/26
Welcome to 'The Biggest Game,' a new video podcast where we talk all things Super Bowl. The history of the game, its impact, its place in the world of sports and beyond. From its humble beginnings to its rise to the pinnacle of the American sports and cultural landscape. No aspect of the game is too obscure to escape our gaze. We are interested in the players and coaches, the winners and losers, the most spectacular performances and plays. But were also interested in the drama and stories behind the scenes. The business of the Super Bowl. The commercials. The halftime shows. The greatest renditions of the national anthem. All of it. Well be joined by the men who played in the game and by other people who played a role in the growth and development of the Super Bowl. Join Jeremy Schaap, one of ESPNs most respected and longest-tenured personalities, as he explores the evolution of Americas biggest game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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