Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

I thought this deserved its own thread, nstead of expanding the HOF Thread even further.

Already listed:
Kramer in the Ice Bowl
George Wilson in 1940 title game
Al Wistert in 1948 title game.
Rosey Brown takes our 3 Eagles in a 1960's game.
Fred Dryer on Dan Dierdorf in a playoff game, on interception return.
Sammy Baugh in 1945, taking out 2 defenders downfield after throwing the pass.
Willis Adams on Dino Hall's 52 yard pass in 1979.
The best block in a Super Bowl that I've seen came from the Bills in Super Bowl XXVI. On 3rd and goal from the 1, fullback Carwell Gardner leveled LB Andre Collins, and Thurman Thomas walked in untouched. Gardner rarely played on offense, with the 3 WR K-Gun scheme, a FB was not used. The Redskins physically dominated the Bills' offensive line, stuffed Thomas, and battered Jim Kelly and the receivers, but Gardner delivered a rare physical blow for Buffalo.

Art Demmas on Charlie Waters, Super Bowl XIII

John Stallworth in the 1975 AFC Championship Game. Blocked not one, but 2 Raiders as Franco Harris was turning the corner on his way to a touchdown.

Drew Pearson blocking Willie Teal on Tony Dorsett's 99-yard td run.

Regarding the 12/11/1989 MNF 49ers Rams game in which John Taylor scored two touchdowns of greater than 90 yards in a 17 point come from behind (twice) victory:

The first touchdown, of 92 yards, occurred when the Rams D rotated their zone to Jerry rice's side of the field leaving JT with a lone defender.
When the cornerback fell down on the cut Taylor had a whole side of the field to himself as he raced up the sideline. JT juked the safety on his side of the field and the safety from the other side was picked up by Jerry Rice and screened from about the 30 yard line to the 3 yard line where Rice finally knocks down the defender.
A very nice block by Rice downfield that allowed Taylor to finish his 92 yard touchdown run mostly unmolested.

The second TD (95 yards) starts as a baby post (the typical 49ers pattern of that era, sometimes referred to as a slant) from the left split end position and is caught just shy of the center of the field at about the 15 yard line. Taylor moves up field then flattens out his run at about the 25, where he cuts to the other side of the field. As he crosses midfield Jerry Rice runs between JT and the nearest defender on his way up field, changing Jerry Grey's angle and making him miss the tackle on Taylor who also turns up field. At the 30 Rice picks up a block on Michael Stewart whom he pushes off, then screens out of the play and then finally cuts down at the 15 yard line allowing John Taylor to score untouched after his own thirty yard line.
Rice threw three separate blocks on this 95 yard touchdown (85 yards RAC).

It was efforts like this that made Jerry Rice one of the very best football players of all time and not simply the best receiver of all time.

Walter Payton nailing the blitzing Vikings LB who came in clean in a 1985 game. Jim McMahon didn't start because he had missed practice, but he entered the game in the second half with Chicago down 2 scores. On Mac's first play, he stumbled while dropping back, and this LB really could have put him out for the rest of the game. But Payton nailed the LB, and McMahon hit Willie Gault for a long touchdown pass to spark a comeback.
I've always though Jim Brown was the best runner ever, but Payton was the best overall player, maybe ever.

I'm sure you were all waiting for me to name a certain memorable block, but I won't 'bite' either. Simply too obvious. But how about a certain event that took place 36 months later (last play of 2nd half) that not involved just one blocker, but practically all 11 on the field to make it happen? A head coach with simply nothing to do but watch more film late at night and seeing his team defense not all getting together to make a block after INTs in practice. And did that play EVER make a difference against a team that matched up so well against them! Such a vital difference maker! They would have lost otherwise!

What other TEAM blocking plays can you all think of historically?

The mention of Payton reminds me of the best block I've ever seen by a running back in pass protection. It came in that game a few years ago when the Eagles came from 28 points behind (or whatever it was) to beat the Giants on DeSean Jackson's punt return. This was the previous touchdown, the one that tied the game.

MIchael Vick was in the shotgun, with LeSean McCoy to his right. As soon as the ball was snapped, a blitzing linebacker for the Giants (well, I assume it was a linebacker) came through untouched, from Vick's left. McCoy had go around Vick and in front of him in maybe one second to cut off the blitzer in time, and then he just drilled him -- stood him up straight, in his tracks, and Vick threw the relatively easy pass to Jeremy Maclin (I think) for the TD.

Keith Byars on Pepper Johnson, 1989 (?)

Warren Sapp on Chad Clifton, 2002. Dirty and malicious, but certainly memorable.

I love Glenn Ressler's spin block on Jethro Pugh on the 75-yard Unitas to Mackey TD pass in Super Bowl V.