**Super | 2004 End Of An Error

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Leon Lett Thanksgiving and Super Bowl Blunders

On Thanksgiving Day in 1993, during a rare snow and sleet storm in Dallas, the Cowboys were leading the Miami Dolphins 14-13 with mere seconds remaining in the game. The Dolphins attempted a 41-yard field goal to take the lead but the kick was blocked. While most of his teammates began celebrating, Lett attempted to recover the ball but slipped on the ice as he attempted to pick the football up, and Miami recovered the “muff” on the Dallas one yard line. There was no need to pick up the ball as the Cowboys would have automatically received possession and could have simply run out the clock. By touching the ball and then failing to hold onto it, Lett enabled the Dolphins to take possession and then try another field goal. This second attempt was successful and the Dolphins won the game 16-14. Late in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XXVII, Lett made a play by recovering a fumble on Buffalo’s 45 yard line and proceeded to run it back towards the endzone. When he reached the 10 yard line, he started to slow, and held the ball out as he approached the goal line. However, he didn’t see a hustling Don Beebe, who was chasing him down from behind. Beebe knocked the ball out of Lett’s outstretched hand just before he crossed the goal line, which sent the ball through the endzone, and resulted in a touchback that cost Lett his touchdown. Lett later said he was watching the Jumbotron, and trying to do a “Michael Irvin”, where he put the ball out across the goal line.