This is a list of several dozenNational Football League (NFL) games and plays that have been given names by the media, football fans, and as part of a team's lore because of a distinctive play, unusual outcome, or other circumstance.[1] This list does not include games named only for their position in the NFL playoff structure—e.g., the1963 AFL Championship orSuper Bowl XXXI.
| Name | Date | Away team | Score | Home team | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iron Man Game | December 4, 1932 | Green Bay Packers | 0–19 | Portsmouth Spartans | Spartans coach Potsy Clark refused to make even a single substitution against the defending NFL championPackers. Portsmouth won 19–0 and used only 11 players for the entire game.[2] |
| First NFL Championship Game | December 18, 1932 | Portsmouth Spartans | 0–9 | Chicago Bears | Because the Spartans and Bears were tied in the standings at the end of the season, the NFL voted to hold the first official playoff game in Chicago at Wrigley Field. Due to severe winter conditions before the game, the game was held indoors at Chicago Stadium which forced some temporary rule changes, such as a modified 80-yard dirt field. |
| The Sneakers Game | December 9, 1934 | Chicago Bears | 13–30 | New York Giants | 1934 NFL Championship Game.Giants players switched to basketball sneakers in the middle of the game.[3] |
| 73–0 | December 8, 1940 | Chicago Bears | 73–0 | Washington Redskins | TheChicago Bears scored 11touchdowns and won 73–0, the most lopsided victory in NFL history.[4] |
| The Greatest Game Ever Played | December 28, 1958 | Baltimore Colts | 23–17 | New York Giants | First NFL playoff game to be decided insudden deathovertime.[10] Marked the beginning of the NFL's popularity surge and eventual rise to the top of theUnited States sports market.[11] |
| Ice Bowl | December 31, 1967 | Dallas Cowboys | 17–21 | Green Bay Packers | 1967 NFL Championship Game. The coldest NFL game ever played, with awind chill of −36 °F (−38 °C).[12] |
| Heidi Game | November 17, 1968 | New York Jets | 32–43 | Oakland Raiders | BroadcasterNBC chose to break coverage in theEast Coast to broadcast thetelevision filmHeidi, causing many viewers to miss theRaiders' two-touchdown comeback.[13][14] |
| The Santa Claus Game | December 15, 1968 | Minnesota Vikings | 24–17 | Philadelphia Eagles | Eagles fans upset by their team's poor season used snowballs to pelt aSanta Claus actor in a halftimeChristmas parade.[15][16] |
| The Guarantee | January 12, 1969 | New York Jets | 16–7 | Baltimore Colts | Super Bowl III. 19-1⁄2-point underdogAmerican Football League (AFL) championNew York Jets upset the NFL championBaltimore Colts, after JetsquarterbackJoe Namath guaranteed his team's victory.[17][18][19] |
| The Draft Lottery Bowl | November 9, 1969 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 7–38 | Chicago Bears | The Bears' victory at Wrigley Field led to a coin toss to determine the NFL Draft lottery; The Steelers won the coin toss, lottery and the right to draftTerry Bradshaw with the first pick in the NFL Draft; game resulted in some picks in future NFL Drafts to be determined by tiebreakers. |
| Miracle at the Met | December 14, 1980 | Cleveland Browns | 23–28 | Minnesota Vikings | Down 23–9 in the fourth quarter, theMinnesota Vikings came back with two touchdowns in the final two minutes towide receiverAhmad Rashad, including a 46-yardHail Mary pass caught with one hand on the last play of the game.[20][21] |
| Announcerless Game | December 20, 1980 | New York Jets | 24–17 | Miami Dolphins | NBC game broadcast withoutcommentators as an experiment.[22] |
| Duel in Dixie | January 4, 1981 | Dallas Cowboys | 30–27 | Atlanta Falcons | Down by 14 points in the fourth quarter, the Dallas Cowboys would outscore the Atlanta Falcons 20–3, including a go-ahead touchdown with 23 seconds remaining to win 30–27.[23] |
| Epic in Miami | January 2, 1982 | San Diego Chargers | 41–38 | Miami Dolphins | Exceptional performances by players on both teams produced 79 combined points in this1981-82 NFL playoff game, setting numerous NFL records.[24] |
| Freezer Bowl | January 10, 1982 | San Diego Chargers | 7–27 | Cincinnati Bengals | 1981 AFC Championship Game. Coldest game temperature in NFL history bywind chill: −59 °F (−51 °C) under the calculation method then in use.[25] |
| Snowplow Game | December 12, 1982 | Miami Dolphins | 0–3 | New England Patriots | Asnowplow operator cleared snow in front ofNew England kickerJohn Smith at the request of Patriots head coachRon Meyer, enabling a game-winning but controversialfield goal.[26][27] |
| Snowball Game (1985) | November 11, 1985 | San Francisco 49ers | 16–17 | Denver Broncos | Spectators atDenver'sMile High Stadium disrupted a49ers'field goal attempt by throwingsnowballs from the stands, helping theDenver Broncos to win.[28][29] |
| Snow Bowl (1985) | December 1, 1985 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 0–21 | Green Bay Packers | Played as asnowstorm dropped more than 14 inches (36 cm) of snow before, during, and after the game.[30][31] |
| Fog Bowl | December 31, 1988 | Philadelphia Eagles | 12–20 | Chicago Bears | Densefog rolled overChicago'sSoldier Field during the 2nd quarter, cutting visibility to 15 to 20 yards for the rest of the game and preventing many players from seeing the sidelines orfirst-down markers.[32][33] |
| Instant Replay Game | November 5, 1989 | Chicago Bears | 13–14 | Green Bay Packers | Apenalty call was overturned by usinginstant replay, allowing a game-winningGreen Bay Packers touchdown to stand against theirdivision rival Chicago Bears.[34][35] |
| Bounty Bowl | November 23, 1989 | Philadelphia Eagles | 27–0 | Dallas Cowboys | Notable for allegations that the Eagles put a $200bounty on CowboyskickerLuis Zendejas, who had been cut by Philadelphia earlier that season.[36] |
| Bounty Bowl II | December 10, 1989 | Dallas Cowboys | 10–20 | Philadelphia Eagles | Rematch of Bounty Bowl I. Eagles fans threw objects atCowboys players and coaches,game officials, and game announcers.[37] |
| Body Bag Game | November 12, 1990 | Washington Redskins | 14–28 | Philadelphia Eagles | NineWashington Redskins (now Washington Commanders) players left with injuries.[38] |
| No Punt Game | September 13, 1992 | Buffalo Bills | 34–31 | San Francisco 49ers | First NFL game without apunt by either team. Featured multiple futureHall of Famers; widely regarded as one of the NFL's best games.[39] |
| The Comeback | January 3, 1993 | Houston Oilers | 38–41 | Buffalo Bills | During this1992–93 playoff game, theBuffalo Bills overcame a 35–3 deficit to defeat the visitingHouston Oilers 41–38 inovertime—thelargest comeback in NFL history until the2022 NFL season.[40][41][42] |
| Fake Spike Game | November 27, 1994 | Miami Dolphins | 28–24 | New York Jets | DolphinsquarterbackDan Marino ran atrick play, pretending to stop the game clock but instead threw apass that scored the game-winningtouchdown, ultimately givingMiami the 28–24 victory.[43] |
| Snowball Game (1995) | December 23, 1995 | San Diego Chargers | 27–17 | New York Giants | After a snowstorm, fans threw snowballs in the stands and onto the field. The Giants were nearly forced toforfeit the game.[44][45][46] |
| Ambush at Mile High/Mile High Miracle (1996) | January 4, 1997 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 30–27 | Denver Broncos | The Jacksonville Jaguars performed a historic upset against the Denver Broncos, in which the Broncos were 14-point favorites entering the matchup. |
| The Catch II | January 3, 1999 | Green Bay Packers | 27–30 | San Francisco 49ers | Wild Card Playoff game which saw a 49ers game-winning pass toTerrell Owens with 8 seconds left in regulation.[47][48] |
| Monday Night Miracle | October 23, 2000 | Miami Dolphins | 37–40 | New York Jets | In aMonday Night Football game between the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets, the Jets came back with 23 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 30, winning in overtime.[49] |
| Bottlegate | December 16, 2001 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 15–10 | Cleveland Browns | Browns fans threwbeer bottles and other objects onto the field after referees overturned a Browns 4th-down conversion made two plays earlier. This decision, which violated NFL rules, ended the game early.[50][51] |
| Tuck Rule Game | January 19, 2002 | Oakland Raiders | 13–16 | New England Patriots | 2001 AFC Divisional Playoff game in which a Patriotsfumble was ruled anincomplete pass by officials because Patriots quarterbackTom Brady appeared to "tuck" the ball in. The Patriots won the game, and thenSuper Bowl XXXVI.[52][53] |
| The Controversial Comeback | January 5, 2003 | New York Giants | 38–39 | San Francisco 49ers | Down 38–14 in a Wild Card playoff game against the Giants, the 49ers would come from behind to take a 39–38 lead with a little over a minute left, giving the Giants one last drive and an opportunity to kick a walk-off field goal to win the game. Due to a bad snap, the Giants' holder was forced to throw a pass towards the end zone, and guardRich Seubert was tripped up before the ball could get to him, making itpass interference on the 49ers. However, Seubert was flagged for being anineligible receiver downfield despite reporting as eligible before the field goal attempt, ending the game.[54] |
| Monday Night Miracle (2003) | October 6, 2003 | Indianapolis Colts | 38–35 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | In Week 5 of the 2003 season, the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers hosted the Indianapolis Colts on Monday Night Football. Down 35–14 with 5:09 remaining in the game, the Colts miraculously scored 21 unanswered points against the league's top defense to force overtime, where they would win 38–35 on a walk-off field goal, which was controversially redone after a missed attempt due to a leaping penalty bySimeon Rice.[55] |
| Favre's Dad Game | December 22, 2003 | Green Bay Packers | 41–7 | Oakland Raiders | Packers quarterbackBrett Favre threw for 399 yards and 4 touchdown passes the day after his father died of a heart attack. The game kept the Packers' playoff hopes alive and extended Favre's consecutive-start record.[56][57] |
| "We want the ball and we're going to score!" | January 4, 2004 | Seattle Seahawks | 27–33 | Green Bay Packers | 2003 NFC Wild-Card Playoff Game in which Seahawks' quarterbackMatt Hasselbeck won the overtime coin toss; proclaimed, "We want the ball and we're going to score!"; and threw a game-losingpick-six.[58][59] |
| 4th and 26 | January 11, 2004 | Green Bay Packers | 17–20 | Philadelphia Eagles | 2003–04 playoff overtime victory for the Eagles, whose quarterbackDonovan McNabb completed a 28-yard pass on 4th-down-and-26-yards-to-go to wide receiverFreddie Mitchell in the 4th quarter.[60][61] |
| Monday Night Miracle (2005) | September 19, 2005 | Washington Redskins | 14–13 | Dallas Cowboys | Down 13–0 in the fourth quarter against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football, the Redskins would come from behind, scoring 14 points in just three minutes to win 14–13. |
| Fútbol Americano | October 2, 2005 | San Francisco 49ers | 14–31 | Arizona Cardinals | Marketing name for the first NFL game held outside theUnited States, atEstadio Azteca inMexico City.[62][63] |
| Monday Night Massacre | December 5, 2005 | Seattle Seahawks | 42–0 | Philadelphia Eagles | In a Monday Night Football game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Philadelphia Eagles, the Seahawks dominated the entire game, forcing six turnovers, including two pick-sixes and a scoop-and-score, resulting in the largest shutout win in Monday Night Football history. |
| The Manning Bowl | September 10, 2006 | Indianapolis Colts | 26–21 | New York Giants | The first game in whichthe Manning Brothers,Peyton andEli, played against each other.[64] |
| "Rebirth" | September 25, 2006 | Atlanta Falcons | 3–23 | New Orleans Saints | The first game played at theLouisiana Superdome followingHurricane Katrina.[65] |
| Monday Night Meltdown | October 16, 2006 | Chicago Bears | 24–23 | Arizona Cardinals | Bears won after trailing by 20 points at halftime; notable post-game rant by Cardinals head coachDennis Green.[66][67] |
| The Queen City Comeback | November 12, 2006 | San Diego Chargers | 49–41 | Cincinnati Bengals | The Chargers overcame a 28–7 deficit on the road to beat the Cincinnati Bengals 49–41.[68] |
| Monday Night Mud Bowl | November 26, 2007 | Miami Dolphins | 0–3 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Before a Monday Night Football game between the Miami Dolphins and the Pittsburgh Steelers, a monsoon hit the area, and due to the playing surface being grass instead of turf, the entire field was muddy. The whole game was scoreless for over 59 minutes before Jeff Reed kicked the game-winning field goal with 17 seconds remaining. |
| Snow Globe Game | January 12, 2008 | Seattle Seahawks | 20–42 | Green Bay Packers | 2007 NFC Divisional playoff game in which the Packers mounted their largest comeback in playoff franchise history.[69] |
| Torn ACL Game | January 20, 2008 | San Diego Chargers | 12–21 | New England Patriots | In the 2007 AFC Championship Game, Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers played the entire game on a tornACL, making it widely considered one of the gutsiest performances in NFL history.[70][71] |
| Snafu in the Superdome | January 24, 2010 | Minnesota Vikings | 28–31 | New Orleans Saints | In the 2009 NFC Championship Game, the Vikings, despite dominating the Saints in many offensive categories, turned the ball over five times, one of which was a costly interception that sent the game to overtime, where the Saints would win to advance tothe Super Bowl.[72] |
| Monday Night Massacre (2010) | November 15, 2010 | Philadelphia Eagles | 59–28 | Washington Redskins | In Donovan McNabb's second game against the Eagles after his departure in 2010, the Eagles dominated, scoring a 88-yard touchdown on their very first offensive play of the game and leading 45–14 at halftime. Eagles quarterback Michael Vick would score six touchdowns (four passing, two rushing), for one of the best statistical performances of his career. |
| Miracle at the New Meadowlands | December 19, 2010 | Philadelphia Eagles | 38–31 | New York Giants | Comeback victory for the Eagles after being down by 21 points with eight minutes left in the 4th quarter, scoring four unanswered touchdowns andDeSean Jackson winning on apunt return as time expired for the first time in NFL history.[73][74] |
| The Letterman Jacket Game | December 10, 2012 | Houston Texans | 14–42 | New England Patriots | Before a Monday Night Football game against the New England Patriots, the Houston Texans wore custom-made letterman jackets. The Patriots would then blow out the Texans 42–14. |
| Mile High Miracle | January 12, 2013 | Baltimore Ravens | 38–35 | Denver Broncos | 2012 AFC Divisional playoff game with 28 points scored in the first 11 minutes, five lead changes, decided bydouble overtime.Baltimore quarterbackJoe Flacco threw a game-tying 70-yard touchdown pass to receiverJacoby Jones with under a minute left in regulation.[75][76] |
| The Pick at the Stick | December 23, 2013 | Atlanta Falcons | 24–34 | San Francisco 49ers | The 49ers clinched a playoff spot whenNaVorro Bowman intercepted Falcons quarterbackMatt Ryan and returned the interception for an 89-yard touchdown. This was the last 49ers home game played atCandlestick Park.[77] |
| Andrew Luck's Masterpiece | January 4, 2014 | Kansas City Chiefs | 44–45 | Indianapolis Colts | Down 38–10 against the Chiefs in the Wild Card Round of the2013–14 NFL playoffs, Colts quarterbackAndrew Luck mounted an incredible comeback, scoring four touchdowns to win the game. It was the second-largest comeback in playoff history and the largest comeback in the history of the Colts franchise.[78][79] |
| The Emerald City Miracle/Miracle at the Clink | January 18, 2015 | Green Bay Packers | 22–28 | Seattle Seahawks | In the2014 NFC Championship Game against the Green Bay Packers, the Seattle Seahawks would fall behind 19–7 with 5 minutes left in the game, but would perform a miraculous comeback, scoring 15 points within 44 seconds of game time, and would score the winning touchdown in overtime, sending them tothe Super Bowl for the second straight season.[80][81][82] |
| The Superdome Duel | November 1, 2015 | New York Giants | 49–52 | New Orleans Saints | A historic duel between the New York Giants and New Orleans Saints, in which both Eli Manning andDrew Brees combined for 13 touchdown passes.[83] |
| Miracle in Motown | December 3, 2015 | Green Bay Packers | 27–23 | Detroit Lions | Packers quarterbackAaron Rodgers threw a 61-yard (56 m)Hail Mary pass into the end zone that was caught by tight endRichard Rodgers for the game-winning touchdown after trailing 20–0 in the second half.[84][85] |
| Odell & Norman Brawl Game | December 20, 2015 | Carolina Panthers | 38–35 | New York Giants | In a 2015 game between the Carolina Panthers and New York Giants,Odell Beckham Jr. andJosh Norman would fight for nearly the entire game, and both players would combine for 5 personal foul penalties, with Beckham Jr. having 3 of them.[86] |
| The Meltdown at Paul Brown | January 9, 2016 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 18–16 | Cincinnati Bengals | Game with multiple injuries and personal fouls by both teams, culminating in two game-losing penalties: one issued for a helmet strike by BengalslinebackerVontaze Burfict against Steelers wide receiverAntonio Brown, the second forAdam "Pacman" Jones arguing with Steelerslinebackers coachJoey Porter. |
| The Frostbite Fight | January 10, 2016 | Seattle Seahawks | 10–9 | Minnesota Vikings | A game that ultimately became the third coldest game in NFL history at −6 °F (−21 °C) at kickoff time. It was so cold that Seahawks safetyKam Chancellor stated that his fingers nearly got amputated after the game due to the sweat on his fingers that froze. Vikings kickerBlair Walsh missed a 27-yard field goal in the closing seconds, giving the Seahawks the victory.[87][88][89] |
| 28–3 | February 5, 2017 | New England Patriots | 34–28 | Atlanta Falcons | Super Bowl LI. Down 28–3 midway through the third quarter, the Patriots won the first Super Bowl to go to overtime, overcoming an estimated 99.8% chance of a Falcons victory in the third quarter. Regarded by many media outlets as the best Super Bowl of all time.[90][91][92][93] |
| Snow Bowl (2017) / Snowvertime | December 10, 2017 | Indianapolis Colts | 7–13 | Buffalo Bills | Game held in the midst of a heavylake-effect snow storm that ultimately dumped 16.7 inches (42 cm) of snow inOrchard Park, with 8 to 9 inches (20 to 23 cm) falling during the game alone. Alternate name due to the fact it went into overtime.[94][95] |
| Index Card Game | December 17, 2017 | Dallas Cowboys | 20–17 | Oakland Raiders | In order to determine a close first down late in the game, after the initial measurement, refereeGene Steratore controversially placed an index card between the ball and the yardage chains, giving the Cowboys a first down and eventually the win.[96][97] |
| Same Old Browns | January 10, 2021 | Cleveland Browns | 48–37 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 2020–21 NFL playoff game with the Browns leading against the Steelers 28–0 by the end of the first quarter, resulting in the Browns' first playoff win in26 years. The victory followed derogatory comments made by Steelers wide receiverJuJu Smith-Schuster , calling the Browns' roster "nameless gray faces" and saying "The Browns is the Browns".[98][99][100] |
| The Return | October 3, 2021 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 19–17 | New England Patriots | Tom Brady's first game at the New England Patriots'Gillette Stadium after leaving the team and signing with theTampa Bay Buccaneers.[101][102][103] |
| Take the Tie | January 9, 2022 | Los Angeles Chargers | 32–35 | Las Vegas Raiders | In week 18 of the 2021 season, the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders played in a game where, if it ended in a tie, both teams would make it to the playoffs. The Raiders had a 29–14 lead late in the fourth quarter, but the Chargers came back to tie the game and force overtime. After both teams traded field goals, the Raiders thought of taking the tie, but the Chargers called a timeout, causing the Raiders to change their minds and kick a field goal instead, sending the Raiders to the playoffs and eliminating the Chargers.[104] |
| 13 Seconds | January 23, 2022 | Buffalo Bills | 36–42 | Kansas City Chiefs | The 2021 AFC Divisional playoff game featured both the Bills' quarterbackJosh Allen and the Chiefs' quarterback Patrick Mahomes throwing for 300 yards, three touchdowns, nointerceptions, and rushing for at least 50 yards, culminating in a Mahomes 44-yard drive with 13 seconds left to bring the game to overtime for the Chiefs to win ultimately. The game also resulted in changes to overtime rules to allow both teams to possess the ball.[105][106] |
| Minneapolis Miracle II | December 17, 2022 | Indianapolis Colts | 36–39 | Minnesota Vikings | Thelargest comeback in NFL history, with theMinnesota Vikings overcoming a 33–0 halftime deficit.[107][108] |
| Damar Hamlin In-game Collapse | January 2, 2023 | Buffalo Bills | 3–7 (cancelled) | Cincinnati Bengals | Bills safetyDamar Hamlin collapses mid-game after tackling Bengals wide receiverTee Higgins. After 10 minutes of CPR, automated external defibrillation, and other treatments, Hamlin's heartbeat was restored; he would later be transported by ambulance off the field while being administered oxygen and anintravenous solution. The game would be cancelled entirely by the NFL, the first such instance since 1987.[109] |
| Monday Night Miracle (2023) | December 11, 2023 | Tennessee Titans | 28–27 | Miami Dolphins | Down 27–13 with three minutes left in a Monday Night Football game against the Miami Dolphins, the Tennessee Titans would score 15 unanswered points and hold the Dolphins off on the last drive to win the game. This was the first time in NFL history that a team had blown a 14-point lead with three minutes left in regulation.[110][111][112] |
| Mile High Meltdown | October 19, 2025 | New York Giants | 32–33 | Denver Broncos | The Giants blew an 18-point lead with under six minutes to play. Denver was held scoreless through the first three quarters, only to score 33 points in the fourth quarter. The game ended on a game-winning field goal byWil Lutz with time expiring.[113] |
| Legion of Whom | October 20, 2025 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 9-24 | Detroit Lions | The Lions won against the Buccaneers despite missing most, if not all, of their starting defensive backs. The "Legion of Whom" stems from the backups who unexpectedly played a huge role in the Lions' victory.[114] |
| Windy City Miracle | December 20, 2025 | Green Bay Packers | 16–22 | Chicago Bears | The Bears hosted the Packers in a crucial Week 16 division game, where whoever won would take the lead in the NFC North. The Packers had a 16-6 lead with less than 4 minutes left. Bears kicked a field goal and then converted an onside kick recovered byJosh Blackwell. The Bears marched down the field, and on 4th and 4,Jahdae Walker caught a touchdown pass fromCaleb Williams to make the score 16-16 with less than 30 seconds left in regulation. The game went into overtime, where the Bears won the toss and decided to give the Packers first possession. The Packers fumbled the ball on 4th and 1, which gave the Bears possession. Caleb Williams went on to throw a 46-yard walk-off touchdown pass toD. J Moore, where the Bears would ultimately win and take the lead in the NFC North. |
| Name | Date | Away team | Score | Home team | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Hit | November 20, 1960 | Philadelphia Eagles | 17–10 | New York Giants | The Eagles'Chuck Bednarik tackled the Giants'Frank Gifford, knocking him unconscious and giving him a deepconcussion that required hospitalization. Considered to be among the most vicious tackles in professional football history.[115] |
| The Wrong Way Run | October 25, 1964 | Minnesota Vikings | 27–22 | San Francisco 49ers | Minnesota Vikings defensive endJim Marshall accidentally ran the wrong way into his own end zone after retrieving an offensive fumble, causing asafety.[116][117] |
| 65 Toss Power Trap | January 11, 1970 | Kansas City Chiefs | 23–7 | Minnesota Vikings | Super Bowl IV. Misdirection play called by Chiefs coachHank Stram on third and goal on the 5-yard line, leading to a touchdown. Remembered as the decisive moment of the Chiefs' upset victory, as well as for the on-field recordings of Stram byNFL Films in the first NFL game featuring a head coach wearing a microphone.[118][119] |
| Immaculate Reception | December 23, 1972 | Oakland Raiders | 7–13 | Pittsburgh Steelers | In a 1972AFCdivisional playoff game, a Steelers pass bounced off of a Raider's helmet before being caught by SteelersfullbackFranco Harris for a game-winningtouchdown.[120][121] |
| The Sea of Hands | December 21, 1974 | Miami Dolphins | 26–28 | Oakland Raiders | In a1974–75 NFL playoff game, Oakland quarterbackKen Stabler launched a touchdown pass to running backClarence Davis, who wrestled the ball away from Miami defenders to secure victory for the Raiders and end Miami's historic run ofSuper Bowl appearances.[122] |
| Hail Mary | December 28, 1975 | Dallas Cowboys | 17–14 | Minnesota Vikings | In aNFL playoff game, Cowboys quarterbackRoger Staubach threw a long last-ditch game-winning touchdown pass to wide receiverDrew Pearson. He later called it aHail Mary pass, inventing the term.[123][124] |
| Ghost to the Post | December 24, 1977 | Oakland Raiders | 37–31 | Baltimore Colts | A 42-yard pass from Raiders QBKen Stabler toDave Casper, nicknamed "The Ghost", set up a game-tying field goal in the final seconds of regulation in thedouble-overtime1977-1978 AFC divisional playoff game.[125][126] |
| Holy Roller | September 10, 1978 | Oakland Raiders | 21–20 | San Diego Chargers | Controversial game-winning play in which Raiders quarterbackKen Stabler fumbled the ball forward, followed by several other Raiders players pushing the ball towards the end zone for a touchdown that was ruled a forwardfumble instead of aforward pass.[127] |
| Miracle at the Meadowlands | November 19, 1978 | Philadelphia Eagles | 19–17 | New York Giants | Needing only to run out the final seconds to win, the Giants botched ahandoff, causing a fumble that Eagles defensive backHerm Edwards recovered for a touchdown. Led to the universal adoption of thequarterback kneel to end games and the firing of Giantsoffensive coordinatorBob Gibson.[128][129][130] |
| Red Right 88 | January 4, 1981 | Oakland Raiders | 14–12 | Cleveland Browns | In a1980–81 NFL playoff game, the Browns passed up a field-goal attempt to run their "Red Slot Right, Halfback Stay, 88," pass play. RaiderssafetyMike Davis intercepted the pass, ending the Browns' season.[131][132][133] |
| The Catch | January 10, 1982 | Dallas Cowboys | 27–28 | San Francisco 49ers | During the1981 NFC Championship Game,Dwight Clark made a leaping grab in the back of the end zone to complete a 6-yard touchdown pass fromquarterbackJoe Montana, enabling the 49ers to defeat the Cowboys and go on to winSuper Bowl XVI.[134][135] |
| The Drive | January 11, 1987 | Denver Broncos | 23–20 | Cleveland Browns | Broncos quarterbackJohn Elway led a 98-yard, 5-minute-2-second drive in the 4th quarter of the1986 AFC Championship Game to tie the game and allow a game-winning field goal in overtime.[136][137] |
| The Fumble | January 17, 1988 | Cleveland Browns | 33–38 | Denver Broncos | The1987 AFC Championship Game, a rematch of The Drive game, saw the Browns fumble away a chance to pull ahead in the 4th quarter.[138][139] |
| Wide Right | January 27, 1991 | Buffalo Bills | 19–20 | New York Giants | Bills kickerScott Norwood missed a 47-yard, would-be game-winning field goal, allowing the New York Giants to winSuper Bowl XXV.[140][141] |
| Leon Lett Thanksgiving Blunder | November 25, 1993 | Miami Dolphins | 16–14 | Dallas Cowboys | During anNFL Thanksgiving game, Cowboys tackleLeon Lett slips on sleet and accidentally touches a partially-blocked field goal, awarding the ball back to the Dolphins on the 1-yard line, allowing them to kick another field goal and win. It was Lett's second blunder of the calendar year, following his premature celebration inSuper Bowl XXVII.[142] |
| Clock Play | November 27, 1994 | Miami Dolphins | 28–24 | New York Jets | SeeFake Spike Game above. |
| Immaculate Deflection | January 14, 1996 | Indianapolis Colts | 16–20 | Pittsburgh Steelers | In the1995 AFC Championship Game,Colts quarterbackJim Harbaugh threw aHail Mary pass that was deflected by multiple players in the end zone and was almost caught by receiverAaron Bailey before being ruled incomplete, enabling the Steelers to advance toSuper Bowl XXX.[143][144] |
| The Helicopter | January 25, 1998 | Denver Broncos | 31–24 | Green Bay Packers | InSuper Bowl XXXII, Broncos quarterbackJohn Elway was hit so hard by three Packers defenders that he spun sideways in mid-air, yet recovered to dive for a first down. This play led to a Broncos lead and eventually their first world championship. |
| The Phantom Touchdown | December 8, 1998 | Seattle Seahawks | 31–32 | New York Jets | In Week 14 of the1998 season, the Seahawks were clinging to a late lead against the Jets. The Jets were at the Seahawks' 5-yard line, and Jets quarterbackVinny Testaverde tried to sneak into the end zone. Replays of the play showed that Testaverde's helmet had crossed the goal line, but the ball did not. Despite this, however, the referees ruled it a touchdown, giving the Jets the win.[145] |
| Music City Miracle | January 8, 2000 | Buffalo Bills | 16–22 | Tennessee Titans | In a1999–2000 playoff game, Titans tight endFrank Wycheck threw alateral pass across the field toKevin Dyson, who ran 75 yards to score the game-winningtouchdown.[146][147] |
| One Yard Short | January 30, 2000 | St. Louis Rams | 23–16 | Tennessee Titans | On the final play ofSuper Bowl XXXIV, Rams linebackerMike Jones tackled Titans wide receiverKevin Dyson on the one-yard line, preventing a game-tying touchdown.[148][149] |
| "He did what!?" | November 6, 2000 | Minnesota Vikings | 20–26 | Green Bay Packers | Duringovertime of a Monday night game,Antonio Freeman caught what initially appeared to be an incomplete pass while lying on his side—after almost being intercepted byMinnesota Vikings cornerbackCris Dishman, the ball actually bounced off multiple parts of Freeman's body without hitting the ground. Untouched by the defender, Freeman jumped to his feet and ran the ball in for the winning touchdown. The touchdown promptedABC play-by-play announcerAl Michaels, who was stunned by the play, to shout, "He did WHAT?!" |
| The Hit That Changed History | September 23, 2001 | New York Jets | 10–3 | New England Patriots | Tackle by Jets linebackerMo Lewis on Patriots quarterbackDrew Bledsoe that left him severely injured which led to rookieTom Brady relieving him for the rest of the game. Cited as the genesis ofBrady's future dominance in the NFL over the next 21 years.[150][151] |
| The Helmet Toss | September 8, 2002 | Kansas City Chiefs | 40–39 | Cleveland Browns | With the Browns leading the Chiefs 39–37, the Browns needed one defensive stop to seal the win. After Chiefs quarterbackTrent Green took the snap, he was under pressure from Browns linebackerDwayne Rudd, who barely missed a sack as Green managed to lateral the ball to linemanJohn Tait. While the play was going on, Rudd took his helmet off and threw it to the ground, believing he had sacked Green, which led to the referees calling a penalty and giving the Chiefs an untimed down, which led to a game-losing field goal for the Browns. |
| River City Relay | December 21, 2003 | New Orleans Saints | 19–20 | Jacksonville Jaguars | The Saints used threelaterals to score a touchdown as time expired in regulation. New Orleans kickerJohn Carney missed the extra point that would have sent the game into overtime, givingJacksonville the 20–19 victory.[152][153] |
| The Immaculate Redemption | January 15, 2006 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 21–18 | Indianapolis Colts | In a2005 AFC Divisional playoff game, a late-gamefumble by Steelers running backJerome Bettis was recovered by Colts playerNick Harper, who was stopped near midfield by QBBen Roethlisberger in a shoestring tackle that likely prevented a game-winningtouchdown for the Colts.[154][155] |
| Receiver to Receiver | February 5, 2006 | Seattle Seahawks | 10–21 | Pittsburgh Steelers | In the fourth quarter ofSuper Bowl XL, Steelers WRAntwaan Randle El threw a 43-yard touchdown reception to fellow WRHines Ward, which increased the Steelers' lead. Ward went on to become the second foreign-born player, and first player of Asian descent, to win thePete Rozelle Trophy as postseason MVP. |
| The Safety Valve | February 5, 2006 | Seattle Seahawks | 10-21 | Pittsburgh Steelers | In the final play ofSuper Bowl XL, Steelers centerJeff Hartings tried to hand the football to relief QBTommy Maddox, but couldn't let go of it. Hartings and Maddox nailed the football into the turf before time expired, ending the Steelers' 26-year championship drought. |
| The Helmet Catch | February 3, 2008 | New York Giants | 17–14 | New England Patriots | In the final two minutes ofSuper Bowl XLII, Giants QBEli Manning escaped from threeNew England Patriots defensive players and threw a pass thatDavid Tyree leapt and pressed against his helmet. A subsequent touchdown cemented an upset victory over the Patriots, who were on the verge of becoming the firstNational Football League (NFL) team to finish a seasonundefeated and untied since the1972 Miami Dolphins.[156][157][158] |
| The Orlovsky | October 12, 2008 | Detroit Lions | 10–12 | Minnesota Vikings | Lions quarterbackDan Orlovsky, making his first NFL start, accidentally ran out of the back of the end zone, helping to lose the game amid the Lions' eventual 0–16 season.[159][160] Similar blunders by later quarterbacks, includingJimmy Garoppolo andGardner Minshew, have been called "pulling a Dan Orlovsky".[161][162][163] |
| The Immaculate Interception | February 1, 2009 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 27–23 | Arizona Cardinals | Super Bowl XLIII; On the final play of the first half,Kurt Warner and the Arizona Cardinals were driving near the end zone, facing a 10–7 deficit. On 1st-and-Goal, Warner threw the ball, and the pass was intercepted by linebackerJames Harrison at the goal line, who returned it 100 yards for a touchdown, the longest play in Super Bowl history at the time. |
| The Tampa Toe Tap | February 1, 2009 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 27–23 | Arizona Cardinals | In the closing minutes of Super Bowl XLIII, the Cardinals had come back from a 20–7 deficit to take a 23–20 lead. However, the Pittsburgh Steelers engineered a last-minute drive and were down at the Arizona 7-yard line with under a minute to play. On 2nd-and-Goal,Ben Roethlisberger fired a pass into the back of the endzone, which was caught by wide receiverSantonio Holmes, keeping both toes in bounds for the game-winning score. |
| Minneapolis Miracle (2009) | September 27, 2009 | San Francisco 49ers | 24–27 | Minnesota Vikings | With less than 10 seconds remaining in a 2009 game against the San Francisco 49ers, Vikings quarterback Brett Favre heaved a 32-yard pass intended for wide receiverGreg Lewis, who made a toe-tapping catch in the back of the endzone for the victory. |
| Ambush | February 7, 2010 | New Orleans Saints | 31–17 | Indianapolis Colts | In the first minutes of the second half ofSuper Bowl XLIV, the New Orleans Saints executed anonside kick. This was the first onside kick attempted before the fourth quarter in Super Bowl history, a play the Saints referred to as "The Ambush." |
| Miracle In Miami (2010) | February 7, 2010 | New Orleans Saints | 31–17 | Indianapolis Colts | In the final minutes ofSuper Bowl XLIV,Tracy Porter intercepted aPeyton Manning pass and returned it for a touchdown. The Colts retook possession of the ball with 3:12 remaining, only to turn over the ball on downs in six plays, leading to aDrew Brees quarterback kneel with 44 seconds left that gave the Saints their first world championship. |
| Beast Quake | January 8, 2011 | New Orleans Saints | 36–41 | Seattle Seahawks | Seattle Seahawks running backMarshawn "Beast Mode" Lynch broke nine tackles on a 67-yard touchdown run. The subsequent celebration of Seahawks fans registered on a nearbyseismograph.[164][165][166] |
| The Catch III | January 14, 2012 | New Orleans Saints | 32–36 | San Francisco 49ers | Last-second, game-winning touchdown pass caught byVernon Davis. |
| Fail Mary | September 24, 2012 | Green Bay Packers | 12–14 | Seattle Seahawks | The Seahawks won on a Hail Mary pass for a touchdown despite an offensivepass interference penalty and a simultaneous possession catch.[167][168] |
| Butt Fumble | November 22, 2012 | New England Patriots | 49–19 | New York Jets | Jets quarterbackMark Sanchez collided with thebuttocks of his teammate, offensive linemanBrandon Moore, causing afumble that was recovered by the Patriots' safetySteve Gregory and returned for atouchdown.[169][170] |
| 4th and 8 | December 29, 2013 | Green Bay Packers | 33–28 | Chicago Bears | With 43 seconds left in a week 17 game in 2013 between the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers found a wide-open Randall Cobb for a go-ahead touchdown to give the Packers a 33–28 win. |
| The Tip | January 19, 2014 | San Francisco 49ers | 17–23 | Seattle Seahawks | With 30 seconds left in the2013 NFC Championship Game, 49ers quarterbackColin Kaepernick threw a pass toMichael Crabtree that was deflected in the right corner of the endzone by cornerbackRichard Sherman into linebackerMalcolm Smith's hands for an interception, sealing the Seahawks victory and allowing them their first Super Bowl win atSuper Bowl XLVIII.[171] |
| Colts Catastrophe | October 18, 2015 | New England Patriots | 34–27 | Indianapolis Colts | An unsuccessful Coltsfake punt trick play in whichupbackColt Anderson was to receive the ball from gunnerGriff Whalen with no protection, resulting in an immediate tackle for a loss after the ball was snapped and anillegal formation penalty on the Colts. New England took over on downs. Broadly regarded as one of the worst plays in NFL history.[172][173][174] |
| Kick Six | November 30, 2015 | Baltimore Ravens | 33–27 | Cleveland Browns | With the game tied at 27, Browns kickerTravis Coons lined up for a 51-yard game-winning field goal. However, the kick was blocked by Ravens defensive endBrent Urban, and the ball was picked up by Ravens safetyWill Hill, who returned it for a 64-yard game-winning touchdown. |
| Immaculate Extension | December 25, 2016 | Baltimore Ravens | 27–31 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Catch by Steelers wide receiverAntonio Brown at the Baltimore 1-yard line, which he extended over the goal line despite being tackled by two Baltimore defenders to take the lead and win the game.[175] |
| Minneapolis Miracle | January 14, 2018 | New Orleans Saints | 24–29 | Minnesota Vikings | 2017–18 playoff game play where on the last play of the game, Vikings quarterbackCase Keenum threw a pass to wide receiverStefon Diggs; Saints safetyMarcus Williams missed a tackle, allowing Diggs to run to the end zone to complete the 61-yard touchdown pass. The game became the first inNFL playoff history to end in a touchdown as time expired.[176][177] |
| Philly Special | February 4, 2018 | Philadelphia Eagles | 41–33 | New England Patriots | Super Bowl LII trick play with the ball snapped by EaglescenterJason Kelce to running backCorey Clement, flipped toTrey Burton, and thrown to Eagles QBNick Foles who ran for a touchdown, helping the Eagles win their first championship in 57 years. Nick Foles became the first player inSuper Bowl history to both throw and catch a touchdown pass during a Super Bowl game. This is actually what the play is called in the Eagles’ playbook.[178][179][180] |
| Miracle in Miami | December 9, 2018 | New England Patriots | 33–34 | Miami Dolphins | The first walk-off game-winning touchdown inNFL history to involve multiplelateral passes.[181][182] |
| Double Doink | January 6, 2019 | Philadelphia Eagles | 16–15 | Chicago Bears | 2018 NFC Wild Card game-ending field goal attempt by Bears kickerCody Parkey that was partially deflected by Eaglesdefensive linemanTreyvon Hester before the ball hit the left upright and then bounced off the crossbar away from the scoring goal, resulting in a Bears loss.[183][184] |
| NOLA No-Call | January 20, 2019 | Los Angeles Rams | 26–23 | New Orleans Saints | Missedpass interference call on the Rams during the2018 NFC Championship Game, resulted in backlash against NFL officiating.[185][186][187] |
| The Helmet Swing | November 14, 2019 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 7–21 | Cleveland Browns | After Browns defensive end Myles Garrett tackled Mason Rudolph after a pass, Rudolph attacked Garrett by grabbing his facemask, and Garrett retaliated by ripping Rudolph's helmet off and swinging it at him. |
| Jet Chip Wasp | February 2, 2020 | San Francisco 49ers | 20–31 | Kansas City Chiefs | Super Bowl LIV. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes' largest 2019 season air-distance completion at 57.1 yards in the air to wide receiverTyreek Hill.[188][189] |
| Hail Murray | November 15, 2020 | Buffalo Bills | 30–32 | Arizona Cardinals | Cardinals quarterbackKyler Murray threw a 43-yardHail Mary pass into the end zone that wide receiverDeAndre Hopkins caught over three Bills defenders for the game-winning touchdown.[190][191] |
| The Butt Punt | September 25, 2022 | Buffalo Bills | 19–21 | Miami Dolphins | Dolphins punterThomas Morstead kicked the ball into the backside of Dolphins blockerTrent Sherfield, causing the ball to roll out of the end zone for a safety.[192][193][194] |
| Lunatic Lateral | December 18, 2022 | New England Patriots | 24–30 | Las Vegas Raiders | Game-losing double lateral thrown to Raiders defenderChandler Jones for a walk-off touchdown.[195][196] |
| The Fumble in the Jungle | January 15, 2023 | Baltimore Ravens | 17–24 | Cincinnati Bengals | Baltimore Ravens quarterbackTyler Huntley fumbled at the goal line, which was recovered by Bengals defensive endSam Hubbard and returned for a 98-yard touchdown, the longest fumble return in NFL postseason history. |
| Corn Dog | February 12, 2023 | Kansas City Chiefs | 38–35 | Philadelphia Eagles | Super Bowl LVII; A misdirection offensive play that the Chiefs used to score two touchdowns in Super Bowl LVII to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles. |
| Hell Mary | November 24, 2023 | Miami Dolphins | 34–13 | New York Jets | A failed Hail Mary pass by Jets quarterbackTim Boyle that led to a 99-yard pick-six by Dolphins safetyJevon Holland.[197][198][199][200] |
| Wide Right II | January 21, 2024 | Kansas City Chiefs | 27–24 | Buffalo Bills | Bills kickerTyler Bass missed a game-tying 44-yard field goal wide right, losing the game for Buffalo and sending the Kansas City Chiefs to the AFC Championship Game.[201] |
| Tom and Jerry | February 11, 2024 | San Francisco 49ers | 22–25 | Kansas City Chiefs | Super Bowl LVIII; On the last play of the game, quarterbackPatrick Mahomes threw a game-winning touchdown to wide receiverMecole Hardman, securing the Chiefs' second consecutive Super Bowl victory and third in five seasons. |
| Hail Maryland | October 27, 2024 | Chicago Bears | 15–18 | Washington Commanders | Commanders rookie quarterbackJayden Daniels threw a Hail Mary pass as time expired that was tipped at the goal line by Bears cornerbackTyrique Stevenson to Commanders wide receiverNoah Brown to win the game 18-15.[202][203][204] |
| The Dagger | February 9, 2025 | Kansas City Chiefs | 22–40 | Philadelphia Eagles | Super Bowl LIX. Eagles quarterbackJalen Hurts threw a 46-yard touchdown pass toDeVonta Smith to make the score 34-0 late in the third quarter. The broadcast crew (Kevin Burkhardt andTom Brady) dubbed the play "The Dagger", as the Eagles chose to score quickly rather than run down the clock to protect their lead.[205] |
| Stumble-Six | October 6, 2025 | Kansas City Chiefs | 28–31 | Jacksonville Jaguars | With less than a minute to go in a Monday Night Football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars, the Jaguars were down 28–24 and at the Chiefs' 1-yard line on 1st down. Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence took the snap, and a guard stepped on his foot, causing him to stumble to the ground twice. However, Lawrence managed to get up before being touched, dodged defenders, and dove into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown.[206] |
| Zachwards Pass | December 18, 2025 | Los Angeles Rams | 37–38 | Seattle Seahawks | A two-point conversion play that was initially ruled no good, but the ruling was overturned due to a backwards pass being fumbled and recovered by Seahawks running backZach Charbonnet in the end zone to tie the game in regulation and eventually force overtime, where the Seahawks would win.[207] |
| Wide Right (Baltimore Ravens) | January 4, 2026 | Baltimore Ravens | 24–26 | Pittsburgh Steelers | With the AFC North title and the final AFC playoff spot on the line in a Week 18 matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers in the2025 season, Ravens kickerTyler Loop lined up for a 44-yard game-winning field goal. However, the kick sailed wide right, eliminating the Ravens from playoff contention.[208] |
| Shaheed Quake | January 17, 2026 | San Francisco 49ers | 6–41 | Seattle Seahawks | Seahawks kick returnerRashid Shaheed returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown in a Divisional Round game against the San Francisco 49ers. The crowd's reaction was so loud that it registered on a seismograph, similar to the Beast Quake (see above).[209][210] |
Buffalo Bills-From 32 points behind to win
The Buffalo Bills overcame a 32-point third-quarter Houston lead
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)Of course, afterward in the locker room Stabler said he intentionally had fumbled the ball forward, which would have been an incompleted, forward pass under the rule.
There was the 1995 AFC championship game against the Steelers in Pittsburgh, when the Colts trailed 20–16 in the final minutes
