Professional Football Researchers Association Forum
PFRA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the history of professional football. Formed in 1979, PFRA members include many of the game's foremost historians and writers.
My favorite is the 50-yard TD pass from David Garrard to Mike Thomas in a 2010 game between Houston and Jacksonville. With the scored tied at 24, Garrard threw the Hail Mary, that was batted down by Texans safety Glover Quin (who now is a member of the Lions), but to the hands of a surprised 5-8 Thomas, who scored an improbable touchdown.
An honorable mention has to go to the 2003 play on the final play of regulation of the Jaguars Saints game, when the Saints actually pulled off the Cal/Stanford play in an NFL game (which is a thread in itself and I don't think has happened a handful of times in the NFL), to pull within a point of the Jags, but John Carney missed the extra point, and the Saints lost the game 20-19 and missed out on a playoff spot as a result.
Rupert Patrick wrote:An honorable mention has to go to the 2003 play on the final play of regulation of the Jaguars Saints game, when the Saints actually pulled off the Cal/Stanford play in an NFL game (which is a thread in itself and I don't think has happened a handful of times in the NFL), to pull within a point of the Jags, but John Carney missed the extra point, and the Saints lost the game 20-19 and missed out on a playoff spot as a result.
Back in 1954 the Bears defeated the 49ers with a last-minute 66-yard "long, arching pass" by Ed Brown to Harlon Hill. It wasn't exactly a hail-mary pass but considering the era it was a spectacular play and finish to what was an important game in that season's Western Conference race. http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1954 ... beat-49ers
I like Billy White Shoes Johnson "Big Ben" for the Falcons to beat the 49'ers - 1983, last play began with 0:02 left, 46 yd pass from Bartkowski. Johnson slipped and fell on muddy field, caught tipped ball and zipped through last defensive players to fall with ball landing on goal line. Today's review probably would have showed ball did not make it in when first body part touched ground.
Mike Quick was one of those guys who it seemed was well on his way to Canton when knee problems derailed his career. At his peak, he was arguably the top receiver in the NFL, and he was the last person you could say that about before Jerry Rice came along and held the title for a long time.
"Every time you lose, you die a little bit. You die inside. Not all your organs, maybe just your liver." - George Allen
Mike Quick was one of those guys who it seemed was well on his way to Canton when knee problems derailed his career. At his peak, he was arguably the top receiver in the NFL, and he was the last person you could say that about before Jerry Rice came along and held the title for a long time.
The fourth WR taken in '82, and in retrospect, should have been the first--although Mark Duper fans would argue otherwise: Anthony Hancock (KC), Lindsay Scott (NO), Perry Tuttle (BUF)