Top 10 Game Winning Plays In The NFL

The NFL celebrates its 100th season in 2019. The great game of football has had some of the most exciting, nail-biting, game-winning plays. Continue reading and link on the links to see some of the best game-winning plays in the NFL! 

10. Mason Crosby Game-winning Field Goal vs Cowboys. January 15th, 2017. The Green Bay Packers were playing the Dallas Cowboys in the divisional round of the playoffs. The score was close the whole game. Late in the 4th quarter, the score was tied 31-31. The Packers had the ball with only a few seconds left. They managed to get to the 32-yard line and set up their kicker Mason Crosby to try a 51-yard field goal attempt to win the game. With only three seconds left in the game, the ball was kicked, and it went straight through the goalposts. The Packers went on to the 2017 NFC championship game. 

9. James White Overtime Run. February 5th, 2017.  It’s Super Bowl 51. The New England Patriots play the Atlanta Falcons. The game went into forced overtime after the Patriots came back by 28 points. They get the ball first in overtime and curse down to the 3 three-yard line. It’s 2nd down, the Patriots pitch the ball to the right to running back James White. White runs to the bottom right of the end zone, reaches out,  and scores a touchdown! The Patriots win the Super Bowl 34-28.

8. Miracle at the Meadowlands, November 19, 1978, It’s the 4th quarter with 30 seconds left. The Giants are playing the Eagles and are winning 24-22 for the chance of getting the wild card in the playoffs. Quarterback Joe Pisarcik called a run play to chew the clock. He snapped the ball and his running back fumbled the ball and linebacker Herm Edwards picked up the ball and ran it 30 yards, all the way for a touchdown.

7. The Catch: It’s the 4th quarter with 7 seconds left. The 49ers are playing the Cowboys. Quarterback Joe Montana snaps the ball and throws to the back of the end zone right into the hands of Dwight Clark for the touchdown.

6. Russel Wilson’s deep pass to Jermaine Kearse It’s the 2014 NFC championship game. The Green Bay Packers played the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks had the ball in overtime and were at the 35-yard line. On 1st down Russel Willson, the Seahawks quarterback threw the ball to the end zone and Jermaine Kearse, a Seahawks receiver, caught the ball and sent the Seahawks to go on to Super Bowl 48. They won 28-22 in overtime. 

5. Steve Young Run, 1988: The play clock is winding down with 3:17 left. The San Francisco 49ers were playing. Quarterback Steve Young called a small three-step drop into the pocket. He fakes the throw, drops back again, broke a tackle of one of the defensive linemen, and cut to the outside. He then ran the ball 49 yards, shedding 4 tackles to the endzone, for a touchdown.

4. Larry Fitzgerald’s flip catch. It’s the 2016 divisional round of the NFL Playoffs. The Green Bay Packers played the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals are at the 5-yard line in overtime, looking to end the game and go to the Super Bowl 50. On second down, the Cardinals quarterback, Carson Palmer snaps the ball, moves right, and flips the ball to Larry Fitzgerald, a Cardinals receiver, and runs into the endzone to send the Cardinals to the NFC championship game. They won the game  26-20.

3. The Music City Miracle:  It’s the AFC championship. The Titans are playing the Bills and are trailing with 16 seconds left. The Bills kick the ball high and short to Lorenzo Neal, who ditched it to Frank Wycheck, who throws the ball to Kevin Dyson, who takes the ball all the way back for a touchdown.

2. The Minneapolis Miracle. It’s the 2018 NFL playoffs. The Minnesota Vikings hosted the New Orleans Saints in the NFC divisional round. The winner would go on to the NFC championship, which leads to the Super Bowl so the stakes were high. The game was mostly back and forth the whole way through until the Saints pulled ahead by one by a field goal they scored with just 1 minute left to play. The Vikings had the ball on their own 39-yard line with only 10 seconds remaining on the clock. On third down and ten, Quarterback Case Keenum called a deep route, snapped the ball and saw Stefon Diggs streaking down the sideline. He heaved the ball up, and Diggs jumped over a defender, caught the ball, and ran all the way for the touchdown, securing the Vikings spot in the NFC championship game

1. The Immaculate Reception: The Steelers are losing to the Cowboys in the Playoffs with little time on the clock left. Quarterback Terry Bradshaw heaved the ball up to a receiver, but the cornerback of the Cowboys deflects the ball, RIGHT INTO THE HANDS OF FRANK O’HARRIS. He runs the ball back for a touchdown and the Steelers win the game.

Honorable Mention: Immaculate Reception Part 2:  It’s 4th down with 1 second to go. The Jaguars are playing there rivals the Texans, and the Texans are winning 24-23. Quarterback David Garrard throws a ball deep into the endzone, and the ball is swatted down… INTO THE ARMS OF MIKE THOMAS. Thomas plowed through the secondaries and takes it for a jags touchdown.

The Future Of the NFL

We have seen some of the craziest, unbelievable, miracle like game-winning plays in the first 100 seasons of the NFL. We can only imagine what the next 100 years have to offer us. But we can bet we’ll see even more spectacular plays. So keep watching for some great game-winning plays!