back-to-back interceptions

[JWL]

I attended today's Jets-Buccaneers game and I got to see the rare case of interceptions on consecutive plays. On the way home it made me wonder how many times this sort of thing has happened. I don't even know if anyone has the number handy.

Over/under 100? Do you think this has happened less than or more than 100 times?

[ChrisBabcock]

Just a wild guess.... 35 times in NFL history?

[Jay Z]

I attended today's Jets-Buccaneers game and I got to see the rare case of interceptions on consecutive plays. On the way home it made me wonder how many times this sort of thing has happened. I don't even know if anyone has the number handy.

Over/under 100? Do you think this has happened less than or more than 100 times?

More than 100 times.

Suppose each team averaged one interception a game. Used to be higher, now INTs are becoming more rare. Anyway, if each team has an INT in a game, each team runs about 70 offensive plays, the chance the INTs are back to back is about 1 in 70. One of the INTs has to occur sometime, and the other one is going to be one of 70 plays.

Probably happens a few times a year. So more than 100 times.

[JWL]

More than 100 times.

Suppose each team averaged one interception a game. Used to be higher, now INTs are becoming more rare. Anyway, if each team has an INT in a game, each team runs about 70 offensive plays, the chance the INTs are back to back is about 1 in 70. One of the INTs has to occur sometime, and the other one is going to be one of 70 plays.

Probably happens a few times a year. So more than 100 times.

I don't know that it happens a few times a year. I've been trying to think of other examples beyond the recent Jets-Buccaneers game and I just can't come up with any. I seem to recall one time it happened where Lawrence Taylor intercepted a pass. The preceding play or following play involved a Giants passer (likely Phil Simms) throwing an interception. I know that the 12-10-78 49ers-Buccaneers game saw four consecutive passes result in an interception but they were definitely not on four straight plays. The first two may have been on consecutive plays. I'd have to look at the play-by-play again. But, that's all I've got.

Are there any famous games that saw interceptions on consecutive plays?

[BD Sullivan]

9/9/90: Giants and Philly--Simms and Cunningham
10/20/91: Houston and Miami--Moon and Marino
10/15/95: Giants and Philly--Maddox and Cunningham

[Todd Pence]

The 1980 Thanksgiving game between the Cowboys and the Seahawks featured interceptions on THREE consecutive plays. In one sequence of plays midway through the third quarter, Cowboy QB Danny White threw a pick to Seattle linebacker Joe Norman. On the very next play, Seahawk QB Sam Adkins (the only Seahawk ever to wear number 12) was intercepted by Bob Breunig. White came back in and promptly tossed another INT to safety John Harris.