Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Veeshik_ya wrote:

74_75_78_79_ wrote:You may find that not all eras in a franchise's history may have a signature play. This could also go for a winning or even championship era in a franchise's history. Example - Jimmy Johnson era Dallas. If you want to extend signature play to a full game, then I guess Dallas winning at undefeated SB-Champ-to-be Washington in '91 (hint of greatness to come), but of course Troy was injured that game. There really is no true epitomizing play that stands out in that particular era. Just a young super-talented team that suddenly got great, won 3 Bowls in 4 years and then that was that.

I offer up the the 14 yard pass, 70 yard gain Troy Aikman threw to Harper in the 4th quarter of the 1992 NFC Championship game as the signature play of the Jimmy Johnson era Dallas Cowboys.

This was the famous "print it in 6 inch type - we will win the game" guarantee by Jimmy Johnson game.

Byron wrote:

Veeshik_ya wrote:
The 1993 Championship game (the following season) was when Johnson made his "put it in 3 inch letters: WE WILL WIN THE GAME!" prediction. He was in a press conference and got fed up with all of the questions about Dallas' ability to beat what was then considered a very powerful San Francisco team. Dallas dominated the game and went on to soundly defeat the Bills for the second time in two years.

Rupert Patrick wrote:

Bob Gill wrote:

luckyshow wrote:I am not looking it up. NY Giants, where Mel Hein was center-eligible and took the ball, and I think scored a touchdown. I'll look it up tomorrow...

I think you're remembering a play from the 1933 championship game. Before the snap, the Giants shifted so Hein was actually on the end of the line, which made him an eligible receiver by the rules of the day. (I don't believe that would be true today.) Harry Newman moved up under center to take a direct snap, but gave the ball right back to Hein. Then Newman, who everybody thought had the ball, turned around, rolled toward the other end of the line, and pretended to trip. While everybody piled on him, Hein took off downfield. Well, "took off" isn't right; actually, he was supposed to jog downfield until he was far enough in the clear that nobody could catch him, and THEN start running. But according to the story he got excited and started to run too early, and one of the Bears' backs caught him after a gain of 42 yards or something like that.

The 1933 game was full (well, "full" by 1933 standards) of passes and trick plays, and might well have been the best football game every played up until that time. It was a perfect debut for the concept of a championship game. And then in 1934 came the Sneaker Game, in which the Bears were ahead 13-3 after three quarters, only 15 minutes away from completing an undefeated season, before the Giants exploded for 27 points in the fourth quarter. I think two great games like that really helped to establish the title game as an annual institution.

I remember Coach Troup once said that the 1933 Championship Game was the only Championship game or Super Bowl that had six lead changes in it.