Five QBs who made their only completion of the game count
Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2019 3:45 pm
If a quarterback finishes a ball game with just a single completion, usually that's a day they would like to forget. However, I humbly present five signal callers who made their lone completion one to remember.
ED BROWN, CHICAGO VS. SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 31 1954
The Niners had just taken a late lead over the Bears at Kezar Stadium with only seconds to play. Although Bear starter George Blanda had already throw three TD passes, George Halas put backup Ed Brown in the game for what was certain to be the last few plays on the belief that Brown could throw the ball further. Halas' move paid off handsomely as Brown immediately hit Harlon Hill for the game-winning touchdown - Hill's fourth score of the afternoon - putting the Bears on top by the final of 31-27.
JOHN BRODIE, SAN FRANCISCO VS. BALTIMORE, Dec. 8 1957
The 49ers were losing to the Colts in the game's closing moments, and starter Y.A. Tittle had been ineffective in moving the team. Although Brodie's lone completion was twenty less than Tittle's on this day, it did what they had not been able to do - put the ball in the end zone. Hugh McElhenny's 14-yard catch gave San Fran a 17-13 win.
DON HORN, GREEN BAY VS. ATLANTA, Sep. 27 1970
Perhaps no quarterback in NFL history had a more spectacular finish to a game after having such a horrendous start than Don Horn. Forced into the game in the second half after an injury to Bart Starr, Horn misfired on his first seven passes as the Pack watched a 17-point lead over the Falcons evaporate. Trailing 24-20 with time running out and the ball on his own 11, Horn found that the eighth time was a charm. His spectacular 89-yard bomb to Carroll Dale won the game for Green Bay and set the record for the most yardage on just one completion for a QB.
KENT NIX, CHICAGO VS. PITTSBURGH, Sep.. 19, 1971
The Bears had one last chance to pull the game out as Kent Nix came on in relief of starter Jack Concannon. Nix, a former Steeler got back at his old team by making his only completion of the day an 8-yard game-winner to George Farmer. Bears, 17-15.
WADE WILSON, OAKLAND VS. SAN DIEGO, Oct. 11, 1998
The Oakland Raiders were putting on a show of offensive futility at home against the Chargers. Not only had they compiled just 88 yards on offense, but they posted an incredible FIFTEEN consecutive drives ending with a punt - all but one of those a three-and-out. Raider starter Donald Hollas had been woeful, but his replacement, the ancient Wade Wilson, wasn't faring any better. Wilson had failed to find the mark on his first six passes. Now there were less than two minutes to play. Although the Chargers themselves could manage only a pair of field goals, nothing in the Raiders performance up to now gave any reason for San Diego faithful to worry about the safety of the lead. The Raiders quickly found themselves with a third-and-ten - which in this game had long become a familiar situation. Then Wilson wound up and struck gold; hitting on his first pass, converting Oakland's first third down since early in the game, and winning the game all at once. The recepient of the 68-yard home run was James Jett, a man I was once enrolled in a class with at WVU (he was a no-show).
ED BROWN, CHICAGO VS. SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 31 1954
The Niners had just taken a late lead over the Bears at Kezar Stadium with only seconds to play. Although Bear starter George Blanda had already throw three TD passes, George Halas put backup Ed Brown in the game for what was certain to be the last few plays on the belief that Brown could throw the ball further. Halas' move paid off handsomely as Brown immediately hit Harlon Hill for the game-winning touchdown - Hill's fourth score of the afternoon - putting the Bears on top by the final of 31-27.
JOHN BRODIE, SAN FRANCISCO VS. BALTIMORE, Dec. 8 1957
The 49ers were losing to the Colts in the game's closing moments, and starter Y.A. Tittle had been ineffective in moving the team. Although Brodie's lone completion was twenty less than Tittle's on this day, it did what they had not been able to do - put the ball in the end zone. Hugh McElhenny's 14-yard catch gave San Fran a 17-13 win.
DON HORN, GREEN BAY VS. ATLANTA, Sep. 27 1970
Perhaps no quarterback in NFL history had a more spectacular finish to a game after having such a horrendous start than Don Horn. Forced into the game in the second half after an injury to Bart Starr, Horn misfired on his first seven passes as the Pack watched a 17-point lead over the Falcons evaporate. Trailing 24-20 with time running out and the ball on his own 11, Horn found that the eighth time was a charm. His spectacular 89-yard bomb to Carroll Dale won the game for Green Bay and set the record for the most yardage on just one completion for a QB.
KENT NIX, CHICAGO VS. PITTSBURGH, Sep.. 19, 1971
The Bears had one last chance to pull the game out as Kent Nix came on in relief of starter Jack Concannon. Nix, a former Steeler got back at his old team by making his only completion of the day an 8-yard game-winner to George Farmer. Bears, 17-15.
WADE WILSON, OAKLAND VS. SAN DIEGO, Oct. 11, 1998
The Oakland Raiders were putting on a show of offensive futility at home against the Chargers. Not only had they compiled just 88 yards on offense, but they posted an incredible FIFTEEN consecutive drives ending with a punt - all but one of those a three-and-out. Raider starter Donald Hollas had been woeful, but his replacement, the ancient Wade Wilson, wasn't faring any better. Wilson had failed to find the mark on his first six passes. Now there were less than two minutes to play. Although the Chargers themselves could manage only a pair of field goals, nothing in the Raiders performance up to now gave any reason for San Diego faithful to worry about the safety of the lead. The Raiders quickly found themselves with a third-and-ten - which in this game had long become a familiar situation. Then Wilson wound up and struck gold; hitting on his first pass, converting Oakland's first third down since early in the game, and winning the game all at once. The recepient of the 68-yard home run was James Jett, a man I was once enrolled in a class with at WVU (he was a no-show).
