Top Ten plays for every franchise via NFL YouTube channel

[Ness]

Obviously most won't have time to watch the entire thing, but there is a pinned comment in the comment section at the top where you can quickly jump to the teams you'd like to checkout. As a 49ers fan, I don't have much qualms with what they went with.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wW6eLb ... &index=352

[Jay Z]

Thought it was excellent. Thanks for the post.

[ChrisBabcock]

Interesting. Same opinion from this 49ers fan... no complaints at all! Glancing at a few others it seems weird that they lump together multiple plays as one "play". For example Gabriel Davis' 4TDs vs. the Chiefs as one "play" and all the scores in the Bills comeback vs. Houston as a "play". Mike Stratton's hit on Keith Lincoln not being the Bills' #1 let alone being in their top 10 AT ALL is egregious.

[Mark]

For Washington they lumped together Doug Williams 4 TDs vs the Broncos in the Super Bowl and the two Brunell to Moss TDs vs Dallas in 2005. Two TDs I would included over some that were shown was the Kilmer to Taylor pass in the 1972 NFC Championship and Ken Houston's goal line tackle on MNF the following year.

[Jay Z]

Here are the 10 for the Packers:

10. 1980 Chester Marcol block FG run for TD against the Bears
9. 1966 Max McGee one handed catch for 1st Super Bowl TD
8. 2013 Aaron Rodgers 48 yard TD pass to Randall Cobb on 4th down to beat Bears and make playoffs
7. 2003 Al Harris game winning pick six against Seahawks in playoffs
6. 1993 NFC Wild Card Favre game winning TD pass to Sterling Sharpe
5. 2016 NFC Divisional Rodgers 36 yard pass to Jared Cook (and game winning FG)
4. 2015 NFC Divisional Rodgers game tying Hail Mary to Jeff Janis
3. 2015 Rodgers to Richard Rodgers for game winning Hail Mary against Lions
2. 2000 Antonio Freeman catches pass deflection off his back for game winning TD against Vikings
1. 1967 Bart Starr Ice Bowl sneak

#8 is kind of forgotten but a good pick. They didn't even get all of the Rodgers Hail Marys, I think they got his most important plays though. Got the two best Favre plays. Only argument I can see is maybe putting the goal line stand against the Cowboys in 1966 instead of the McGee catch. But maybe that has to compete against the defensive stand at the end of Super Bowl 45. Plus there's only ever going to be one first TD ever scored in the Super Bowl.

[Ness]

Here are the 10 for the Packers:

10. 1980 Chester Marcol block FG run for TD against the Bears
9. 1966 Max McGee one handed catch for 1st Super Bowl TD
8. 2013 Aaron Rodgers 48 yard TD pass to Randall Cobb on 4th down to beat Bears and make playoffs
7. 2003 Al Harris game winning pick six against Seahawks in playoffs
6. 1993 NFC Wild Card Favre game winning TD pass to Sterling Sharpe
5. 2016 NFC Divisional Rodgers 36 yard pass to Jared Cook (and game winning FG)
4. 2015 NFC Divisional Rodgers game tying Hail Mary to Jeff Janis
3. 2015 Rodgers to Richard Rodgers for game winning Hail Mary against Lions
2. 2000 Antonio Freeman catches pass deflection off his back for game winning TD against Vikings
1. 1967 Bart Starr Ice Bowl sneak

#8 is kind of forgotten but a good pick. They didn't even get all of the Rodgers Hail Marys, I think they got his most important plays though. Got the two best Favre plays. Only argument I can see is maybe putting the goal line stand against the Cowboys in 1966 instead of the McGee catch. But maybe that has to compete against the defensive stand at the end of Super Bowl 45. Plus there's only ever going to be one first TD ever scored in the Super Bowl.

I was a bit surprised that the MNF Antonio Freeman catch made it all the way to #2. I feel like that would have been at most #8 or something. It won the game, but it wasn't a playoff game or anything like that. The Packers didn't even make the playoffs that season. Also, I was a bit disappointed that the Rodgers to Janis catch on 4th down before the Hail Mary didn't make the list. That's honestly in the conversation for my favorite pass completion in NFL history. At the very least they should have included that and the Hail Mary as "one play" like they did with a lot of others in the segment.

[Ness]

For Washington they lumped together Doug Williams 4 TDs vs the Broncos in the Super Bowl and the two Brunell to Moss TDs vs Dallas in 2005. Two TDs I would included over some that were shown was the Kilmer to Taylor pass in the 1972 NFC Championship and Ken Houston's goal line tackle on MNF the following year.

Yeah they kind of "cheated" in that fashion, but I'm indifferent about it as 90% of them for everyone were actual plays. Perhaps they should have retitled it "Top Ten plays/moments".

[Bryan]

Here are the 10 for the Packers:

10. 1980 Chester Marcol block FG run for TD against the Bears
9. 1966 Max McGee one handed catch for 1st Super Bowl TD
8. 2013 Aaron Rodgers 48 yard TD pass to Randall Cobb on 4th down to beat Bears and make playoffs
7. 2003 Al Harris game winning pick six against Seahawks in playoffs
6. 1993 NFC Wild Card Favre game winning TD pass to Sterling Sharpe
5. 2016 NFC Divisional Rodgers 36 yard pass to Jared Cook (and game winning FG)
4. 2015 NFC Divisional Rodgers game tying Hail Mary to Jeff Janis
3. 2015 Rodgers to Richard Rodgers for game winning Hail Mary against Lions
2. 2000 Antonio Freeman catches pass deflection off his back for game winning TD against Vikings
1. 1967 Bart Starr Ice Bowl sneak

#8 is kind of forgotten but a good pick. They didn't even get all of the Rodgers Hail Marys, I think they got his most important plays though. Got the two best Favre plays. Only argument I can see is maybe putting the goal line stand against the Cowboys in 1966 instead of the McGee catch. But maybe that has to compete against the defensive stand at the end of Super Bowl 45. Plus there's only ever going to be one first TD ever scored in the Super Bowl.

I guess the trick is to determine whether the list is simply 'great plays' in a limited context, or is it 'historically significant plays'. Marcol's run was the most incredible play on this list, but it didn't really achieve anything greater. The Packers won a boatload of titles in their history, yet only 2 of the 10 plays really had any impact on title wins. I would agree that Tom Brown's INT of Don Meredith should be on the list. To me, George Teague's long INT TD return in the 93 wild card game was the more amazing play than Sharpe's TD, but that's JMO. The most memorable Packer play I've seen in my lifetime isn't in the top 10...the Don Majikowski instant replay TD to Sterling Sharpe against the Bears in 1989. No "million dollar fumble" play by Willie Davis in 1966, either. Desmond Howard kick return in 96 Super Bowl was exciting and helped win a title. I guess I disagree with the majority of this list. It's poorly researched.

[GameBeforeTheMoney]

Here are the 10 for the Packers:

10. 1980 Chester Marcol block FG run for TD against the Bears
9. 1966 Max McGee one handed catch for 1st Super Bowl TD
8. 2013 Aaron Rodgers 48 yard TD pass to Randall Cobb on 4th down to beat Bears and make playoffs
7. 2003 Al Harris game winning pick six against Seahawks in playoffs
6. 1993 NFC Wild Card Favre game winning TD pass to Sterling Sharpe
5. 2016 NFC Divisional Rodgers 36 yard pass to Jared Cook (and game winning FG)
4. 2015 NFC Divisional Rodgers game tying Hail Mary to Jeff Janis
3. 2015 Rodgers to Richard Rodgers for game winning Hail Mary against Lions
2. 2000 Antonio Freeman catches pass deflection off his back for game winning TD against Vikings
1. 1967 Bart Starr Ice Bowl sneak

#8 is kind of forgotten but a good pick. They didn't even get all of the Rodgers Hail Marys, I think they got his most important plays though. Got the two best Favre plays. Only argument I can see is maybe putting the goal line stand against the Cowboys in 1966 instead of the McGee catch. But maybe that has to compete against the defensive stand at the end of Super Bowl 45. Plus there's only ever going to be one first TD ever scored in the Super Bowl.

I remember the Marcol play like it was yesterday. That was so much fun to watch!

Yeah, I would have liked to have seen the 66 Dave Robinson play and the 66 Willie Davis play on there. And the Desmond Howard return -- that was huge. Favre's rushing TD in that game was also great. We are kind of limited by the available film. Who knows what plays Don Hutson made that would make this list.

A couple others worth mentioning -- Majik's TD to Sharpe in the instant replay game -- there were 5-6 guys around Sharpe and 2-3 other Bears were chasing Majkowski. Favre had a scramble for a TD against the Rams fairly early in his career -- maybe in 95, 96, that was one of his most incredible plays that I remember.

[Jay Z]

I remember the Marcol play like it was yesterday. That was so much fun to watch!

Yeah, I would have liked to have seen the 66 Dave Robinson play and the 66 Willie Davis play on there. And the Desmond Howard return -- that was huge. Favre's rushing TD in that game was also great. We are kind of limited by the available film. Who knows what plays Don Hutson made that would make this list.

A couple others worth mentioning -- Majik's TD to Sharpe in the instant replay game -- there were 5-6 guys around Sharpe and 2-3 other Bears were chasing Majkowski. Favre had a scramble for a TD against the Rams fairly early in his career -- maybe in 95, 96, that was one of his most incredible plays that I remember.

By way of comparison, here is Cowboys' top 10:

10. 1977 Newhouse option pass to Golden Richards in SB XII
9. 1992 Emmitt Smith 29 yard TD run Week 16 against Falcons
8. 1974 Clint Longley
7. 2002 Emmitt Smith sets NFL rushing record
6. 1992 Michael Irvin TD catch in SB
5. 1980 Danny White 2 TDs in playoff against Falcons
4. 1971 Lilly 29 yard sack in SB 6
3. 1982 Dorsett 99 yard run vs Vikings
2. 1992 Aikman to Harper NFC Championship
1. 1975 OG Hail Mary

I think the listmakers prioritize these two things above others:

A. Hail Marys or tipped balls and other goofy plays that win any game
B. Last minute plays that win big games

For the Packers, 10, 4, 3, and 2 qualify under A (I know the Packers didn't win that game, but it's a playoff game, and it really was a double Hail Mary (the first pass was not shown.)
8-5 and 1 qualify under B.
That leaves 9. Let's make a 3rd category, C. Record setting performances.

For the Cowboys 1 would qualify under A or B, but let's put it under A.
5 qualifies under B.
7 and 3 qualify under C.
8 is a remembered play but basically a weak version of A and B, since the play really isn't quirky enough in and of itself to qualify for A, and the game wasn't important enough, as the Cowboys didn't even make the playoffs that year.
10, 6, 4, and 2 are a different category, D, that the Packers don't have at all, which would be Significant Play In A Big Game.

2 wasn't last minute enough, the Cowboys were already ahead, and it wasn't a scoring play. 4 was a big play but not especially significant to the game itself. 6 likewise, nice TD catch but not all that significant in its game. 10, option pass not that quirky, game already in hand.

9 is another category the Packers don't have, Spectacular Looking Play. Other teams have a few of these, player makes a dramatic run, but the play isn't particularly important. The Cowboys were going to the playoffs anyway, this play really didn't matter that much.

I just think the Packers have a stronger collection of plays for a list like this. A lot of these plays don't make the Packers' list.