5. Mike McCrary on Rich Gannon in the 2001 AFC Championship Game ~ On the Raiders first possession, Big Mac exploded through the Raider's offensive line to land a big hit on Gannon for the game's first sack. McCrary jumped onto and through Gannon in a way that was reminiscent of a fresh kill on the fields of The Serengeti. This hit sent a message and set the tone for the rest of the game.  

5A. Ray Lewis on Kansas City's Bam Morris ~ a very rude greeting for an ex-teammate. Ray-Ray laid the wood on Bam as he soared through the air and over a pile of scattered bodies, leaving Morris looking like Black Hawk Down as Morris twisted in the air like a propeller gone bad.                              

4. Rob Burnett on Akili Smith ~ One could argue that Burnett's hit on Smith as he knifed his way through a gaping hole in the Cincinnati offensive line, altered Smith's career indefinitely. On this blind-sided hit, Smith resembled a Pez Dispenser when his head snapped back as though he had been hit by a truck.  

3. Sam Gash on Bill Romanowski ~ In the very first Ravens' home playoff game, Shannon Sharpe snagged an errant Dilfer pass intended for Jamal Lewis and raced down the sideline for a TD. The play electrified the crowd on that cold, blustery January afternoon. However, Sharpe's long TD gallop was made possible by a crushing block thrown by Sam Gash on Bill Romanowski who seemed to have an angle on Sharpe. Romo was reduced to nothing but arms and legs flying out of bounds towards his own bench 

2. Jamie Sharper on Ike Hilliard ~ It's hard not to make this one #1 because of the magnitude of the game. When Hilliard ventured into the middle of the Ravens' defense chasing down a Kerry Collins pass on a crossing route, it was like he had just exited the DMZ and entered into a combat zone. Sharper hit Hilliard so hard he not only separated Hilliard from the ball, he nearly separate Hilliard's head from his torso. After this hit, Giants' receivers were reluctant to go over the middle. Sharper should get an assist on Duane Starks' interception return for a TD. Armani Toomer's very soft cut on his slant pattern was the direct result of intimidation. Starks was able to easily jump the route and take it to the house in Super Bowl XXXV. 

 1. Ray Lewis on Denver's Keith Burns ~ Chris McAlister's record setting return for 107 yards on Monday Night Football was made possible by Ray Lewis' bone crunching hit on Broncos' LB, Keith Burns. Initially, even the most casual observer noticed the hit that likely removed the plaque from Burns' teeth. However, not many knew that the hit actually was delivered by football's best player. No one expected Ray to be in the game as part of a special teams return unit for a seemingly meaningless field goal attempt by Jason Elam. After the game, John Madden called Ray-Ray's overall play in the first half the best by a defensive player since Lawrence Taylor. Before it's all said and done, Ray Lewis will be the standard to which all others will be compared.