Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Lots of media commenting about the Colts fake punt debacle against the Pats, calling it the "worst play ever". I don't think it is really the worst play ever, but its an interesting subject. What constitutes "worst ever"? Does the play have to occur in a meaningful game or a postseason game? Does the play have to result in an opponent scoring a TD? Does the play have to directly alter the outcome of the game? Lets limit this to in-game stuff...no Chuck Hughes references because thats on a different level.

My nomination is Wilford White's play for the Bears against the Rams in 1952. It doesn't really fit any criteria...the game was somewhat meaningful in that the Rams and Bears usually vied for the Western Conference title, but the Rams were leading 24-7 and the outcome was pretty much decided. The Bears are near midfield, and White receives a direct snap and rolls left. Two Rams are almost immediately on him, so White reverses field and goes right. As more Ram defenders enter the picture, White continues to zigzag backwards 51 yards to his own goal-line. Instead of simply being tackled for a safety, White tries to dodge the group of Rams and ends up fumbling. Ram DT Ken Casner scoops up the ball and is credited with a 2-yard fumble return TD. The Bears' rushing stats for the day are 37 carries, 1 yard gained, 1 TD.

1. Abner Haynes
2. Joe Pisarcik
3. Tommy Lewis
4. Woody Hayes
5. Jim Marshall

In a key 1974 game at Oakland, Patriots running back John Tarver threw the ball behind him so that the bad men on the other team would leave him alone. It was the type of play I saw on front lawns when I played tackle football against fellow elementary school students.

Tie between Joe Pisarcik and Garo in SB VII.

I think the first post has the answer, Danny White's father. At least that's the first thing that's always came to mind when I thought of 'worst' play - before getting into the things that annoy me: not understanding rules and/or situations, dropping the ball before the endzone, running the wrong way, etc ...

ChrisBabcock wrote:Tie between Joe Pisarcik and Garo in SB VII.

Of course, Don Shula didn't actually tell Garo to fake a field goal attempt and then to follow it up by throwing the ball like an uncoordinated child.... the Joe Pisarcik play was the most unnecessary and stupid play call ever. A close second would be the NFC Championship game in 1976-- the Rams drive all the way to the Minnesota one yard line, and on fourth-and-goal, when everyone else is thinking they'll go for it, Chuck Knox calls for a field goal. It served him right when the kick got blocked and returned for a touchdown. They might have won, 20-17, instead of losing 24-13.

Reaser wrote:I think the first post has the answer, Danny White's father. At least that's the first thing that's always came to mind when I thought of 'worst' play - before getting into the things that annoy me: not understanding rules and/or situations, dropping the ball before the endzone, running the wrong way, etc ...

That is the play that would get my vote.

I had to nominate the Tarver play, though. The Mark Sanchez butt fumble also needs to be mentioned.

oldecapecod11 wrote:1. Abner Haynes
2. Joe Pisarcik
3. Tommy Lewis
4. Woody Hayes
5. Jim Marshall

I assume that by Abner Haynes, you mean the botched coin toss. That would go down on the all time list of football blunders, but it wouldn't really fit in this particular category. Haynes' goof didn't really come on a "play."

I don't know if any play can top Whizzer White, but a nearly forgotten play is when Rod Woodson intercepted a KC pass at the goal line. Rod was on his way for a touchdown when a teammate, who was trying to block for him, got in his way and knocked him down.

Mark L. Ford wrote:

ChrisBabcock wrote:Tie between Joe Pisarcik and Garo in SB VII.

Of course, Don Shula didn't actually tell Garo to fake a field goal attempt and then to follow it up by throwing the ball like an uncoordinated child.... the Joe Pisarcik play was the most unnecessary and stupid play call ever. A close second would be the NFC Championship game in 1976-- the Rams drive all the way to the Minnesota one yard line, and on fourth-and-goal, when everyone else is thinking they'll go for it, Chuck Knox calls for a field goal. It served him right when the kick got blocked and returned for a touchdown. They might have won, 20-17, instead of losing 24-13.

Thanks for mentioning the !976 NFC Championship game. You have to know the background to really get a hold of what happened. Chuck Knox was in his fourth year and fourth straight divisional title and had failed to make the Super Bowl every time. Ram fans and Carroll Rosenbloom wondered why.

In this game, the Rams were on the road at Minnesota in freezing weather. They had a rookie QB. Their FG kicker was not especially reliable, Tom Dempsey could hit 63 yards away and then miss an extra point. That year Dempsey was 17-26 in field goals, but 38-44 on extra points. In other words, he was shaky close in.

You would think the Rams would have to be a bit daring in their strategy

On their second possession, the Rams reached the Viking four-second and goal. They tried a flanker reverse with Ron Jessie, close call but marked a foot away, third down. A QB sneak with Pat Haden and the Ram OL couldn't move the Vikings an inch. In September the Rams played the Vikings a 10-10 tie in MInnesota, twice they couldn't get it over from the one. McCutcheon fumbled on a first and goal from the one.

So Knox, instead of trying for a TD, Knox goes for three points with his erratic FG kicker and an opponent skilled at blocking kicks. I think Knox believed his OL would fail again. Had Knox decided to take a chance, and gotten a TD, it might have led to a 10-14 point victory.

The Vikinngs blocked the kick. A one in a hundred bounce went right to Bobby Bryant, who ran for a TD, a 14 point swing. In the third quarter, Dempsey shanked an extra point. Somehow he made one shortly after, but the Vikings won 24-13. The Viking got a second quarter FG after blocking a punt.

A few years ago I saw a Jack Youngblood quote: "Our special teams killed us."

Chuck Knox had one year left on his contract and tried to go to Detroit (Rosenbloom wouldn't release him from the contract). Rich Roberts, in Pro Football Weekly, wrote that after his call at Minnesota, most Rams wished Knox would go.

After another playoff flop in 1977, Rosenbloom fired Knox. With Carroll Rosenbloom, a coach was supposed to leave only when he said so.

Have you all seen the Bay Area Sports Collection site? Regarding Rams coaches, there's a clip with an interview of Bill Walsh being asked about the Rams head coaching job in 1978. Check it out: https://diva.sfsu.edu/collections/sfbatv/10509