Hail Mary as time runs out to win the game

[conace21]

Maybe longest final play from scrimmage would be more fitting.

Did Tim Couch have the longest game winning Hail Mary before this? His completion against the Jaguars went for 56 yards.

Longest play at the end of either half (that I've ever heard of) was Joe Ferguson to Jerry Butler 's NYJ. It went for 75 yards. I've never seen the play, but I've read that it was a "Big Ben" play.

[mwald]

I had the Lions +3. Said to my buddy at work as I walked out the door yesterday, "Packers 21-20."

Grrrrrr

If you're out there, John Maxymuk, do not let my anguish diminish your joy.

[Bryan]

Longest play at the end of either half (that I've ever heard of) was Joe Ferguson to Jerry Butler 's NYJ. It went for 75 yards. I've never seen the play, but I've read that it was a "Big Ben" play.

Samari Rolle had an 81-yard INT return TD at the end of the first half for the Titans against the Redskins. I remember watching the play (think it was a MNF game) and it was pretty incredible that he didn't get caught short of the endzone.

The Jerry Butler play had Ferguson taking the snap on the 25, dropping back 10 yards to the 15, then heaving the ball into a mass of players at the Jet 35. The ball gets tipped backwards to the Jet 30, where Butler grabs it behind the "scrum" and runs the rest of the way into the endzone.

[ChrisBabcock]

The Jerry Butler play had Ferguson taking the snap on the 25, dropping back 10 yards to the 15,

It seems like Fergie was always taking ridiculously long drop backs. Probably a function of the offense he was in. Completions that looked like a big gain sometimes actually weren't because of so far the ball traveled through the air before it actually crossed the line of scrimmage.

[conace21]

Longest play at the end of either half (that I've ever heard of) was Joe Ferguson to Jerry Butler 's NYJ. It went for 75 yards. I've never seen the play, but I've read that it was a "Big Ben" play.

Samari Rolle had an 81-yard INT return TD at the end of the first half for the Titans against the Redskins. I remember watching the play (think it was a MNF game) and it was pretty incredible that he didn't get caught short of the endzone.

The Jerry Butler play had Ferguson taking the snap on the 25, dropping back 10 yards to the 15, then heaving the ball into a mass of players at the Jet 35. The ball gets tipped backwards to the Jet 30, where Butler grabs it behind the "scrum" and runs the rest of the way into the endzone.

Actually James Harrison in the Super Bowl is even longer.

[Reaser]

Antonio Cromartie ...

[Reaser]

It pales in comparison to Kordell Stewart's Hail Mary pass at Colorado, but a pretty remarkable throw-and-catch nonetheless.

The throw was awesome.

Hail Mary's aren't routine, yet, but they happen with much more frequency nowadays which - for me - takes away from what made the completed ones special, a bit. Once the ball was in the air it wasn't that surprising that GB came down with it, practically was expected. Minus saying to myself "nice throw" there wasn't much of a reaction when it was caught, see it a bunch of times a year (saw one in HS playoffs a couple weeks ago)*. They don't have the aura of BC-Miami, BYU-SMU, etc ...

* - It wasn't a true "hail mary" since it was thrown to one WR then he ran past the defense for a TD - which kind of goes with what I'm saying since it's easier now. You don't even have to throw it up for grabs, you can just throw a 50 yard pass to one guy and it doesn't get defended.

At least for myself, I can name more completed hail marys in the past 2-3 years (NFL, college, high school) than every year previous combined. There was almost a hail mary a week last year in college football - a few that were defended as badly as Detroit defended last night. They're kind of in the same category as 'amazing' comebacks now, which for the era aren't all that amazing since they happen every week and it isn't at all surprising if a team is down double digits late and throws to open receivers over and over towards the end of the game and comes back and wins. That's kind of what football is today; throw it as far as you can, either will be caught or will be a penalty on the defense. Seeing a big comeback in the 90's was special, seeing it today is either expected or not surprising, ho hum.

The modern culture of defense is that you're not allowed to play defense, so that probably plays a part (can't hit QB, can't touch WR, so just let them complete 61 yard pass) though DB's are playing hail mary's terrible these days: Coaching, players, not enough practice time? Not sure, but it's bad. Made me think of when USC DB's were standing in the endzone and the ASU receiver caught the ball on the run and untouched, last year.

[SixtiesFan]

On 11-22-81, Joe Ferguson hit Roland Hooks on what was called a Hail Mary to give the Bills a 20-17 win over the Patriots. It was 36 yards from scrimmage (I just saw it on youtube). Ferguson threw it from the 46 and it went 50 yards in the air. Frank Lewis went for it with three NE DBs surrounding him. One of them deflected it right to Roland Hooks.

There were 12 seconds on the clock at the snap.

[John Maxymuk]

In my Quarterback Abstract book 6 or 7 years ago, I compiled a list of last play td passes, not necessarily hail marys. My top two were overtime gamewinners...Favre to Greg Jennings for 82 yards against the Broncos on the first play of ot and Ron Jaworski to Mike Quick for 99 yards against Atlanta in 1985.

And,no, Mark, your point spread distress does not detract a bit from my enjoyment of that ending.

[JohnH19]

Tommy Kramer to Ahmad Rashad against the Cardiac Browns was a beauty.

In 2006, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers scored on a 100 yard pass from Kevin Glenn to the great Milt Stegall against Edmonton as time expired. Stegall caught the ball on the left sideline, two defenders collided, and the Big Blue won the game.