10 Greatest Moments In Modern NFL

Ever So Close

The Titans and Rams battled back and forth throughout Super Bowl XXXIV. The Rams had a 23-16 lead late, but Tennessee had one more shot. Titans quarterback Steve McNair led a great drive deep into St. Louis territory. Tennessee had time for one more play from the Rams' 10-yard line. McNair threw a slant to Kevin Dyson, who was headed for the end zone before St. Louis' Mike Jones barely caught him and pulled him down around the 1-yard line to preserve the win.

The Comeback

The Oilers led the Bills by 32 points in the third quarter of an AFC wild-card game and were sure they had the game under wraps, especially since Buffalo was without quarterback Jim Kelly and running back Thurman Thomas. But backup quarterback Frank Reich led an incredible comeback, leading the Bills to a 41-38 overtime win.

The Drive

No quarterback in history was more dangerous late in the fourth quarter than the Broncos John Elway. His finest moment came in the 1986 AFC Championship Game against the Browns. Elway masterfully drove Denver 98 yards to tie the game at 20 in the final minute and the Broncos went on to win 23-20 in overtime.

Winslow To The Rescue

The Chargers faced the Dolphins in a steamy Orange Bowl in an AFC divisional playoff shootout. Miami quarterback Don Strock and San Diego quarterback Dan Fouts were both brilliant. But the real star was Chargers tight end Kellen Winslow, who caught 13 passes for 166 yards and a touchdown and blocked a field goal as time was expiring that forced the game to overtime. The Chargers won 41-38 as a dehydrated and exhausted Winslow had to be helped off the field.

The Perfect Season

In 1972, the Dolphins achieved a feat that may never be repeated. They finished the regular season 12-0 and eventually won Super Bowl VII 14-7 over the Redskins. The win over Washington wasn't pretty, but it was somewhat typical of this Miami team, which was led by its no-name defense. Other teams have come close, but no one has been able to match the Dolphins' undefeated season.

The Catch

Before 1981, the Cowboys had basically owned the NFC. Then they ran into the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game. Still, Dallas looked like it was going to reach another Super Bowl as it held a six-point lead in the final minute. But the 49ers drove to the Cowboys' 6-yard line with 58 seconds left. As San Francisco quarterback Joe Montana rolled right, it appeared as if he was going to be forced out of bounds by a swarm of Dallas defenders. But Montana got off a high pass to the back of the end zone, where Dwight Clark pulled it in. The 49ers won the game and went on to win their first Super Bowl.

The Ice Bowl

The game-time temperature was 13 below at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. Led by Bart Starr, the Packers fought the cold and the talented Cowboys to win 21-17 for their third straight NFL title. Of course, Green Bay was used to the climate, while warm-weather Dallas had big problems adjusting. The Packers won on a quarterback sneak by Starr in the final seconds.

Namath Guarantees The Win

Although the AFL was gaining in stature, no one considered it the equal of the NFL in the late 1960s. Then Joe Namath came along. He led the Jets to Super Bowl III and had the nerve to guarantee New York would beat heavily favored Baltimore. He was right, the Jets pulled off a 16-7 upset, paving the way for the 1970 AFL-NFL merger.

The Immaculate Reception

The Steelers were the joke of the NFL for many years. In 1972, they made only their second playoff appearance ever. Pittsburgh was trailing Oakland 7-6 with six seconds left in the AFC divisional playoffs when Terry Bradshaw went back to pass one last time. Under pressure, Bradshaw hurled the ball toward running back Frenchy Fuqua. The ball hit Fuqua and Raider defender Jack Tatum almost simultaneously. It caromed into the hands of Pittsburgh running back Franco Harris, who ran it in for the game-winning touchdown. The Steelers didn't win the Super Bowl that year, but they would win four championships later in the decade.

Greatest Game Ever Played

The 1958 title game between the Colts and Giants was loaded with Hall of Famers on both sides of the ball. It was the first pro football game to draw a huge national television audience and the contest didn't disappoint. Johnny Unitas led the Colts to a tie with a dramatic final-minute drive and then Alan Ameche plunged into the end zone to give Baltimore the overtime win.