There is no NFL team that has been a part of more signature moments than the , individual plays so colo sal that a simple nickname sparks endle s debate around events that have stood the test of time.This is a collection of the five greatest instances of the partaking in some of the most crucial moments in NFL history. These plays are shrouded in myth, miracle or raging controversy … and in some instances, all three. — who — was involved in four of five of these epic games, highlighting his profound influence on the NFL’s history. Despite the fact that the dramatic moments Stabler was a part of occurred more than 30 years ago, these won’t be lost to time, rather relived for as long as pro football is played.5. “Ghost to the Post””Look for ‘Ghost’ to the post.” — John Madden.Stabler’s late-game high-arching heave to tight end Dave Casper — whose nickname “Ghost” was inspired Mike Moustakas Jersey by the cartoon “Casper the Friendly Ghost” — set up the game-tying field goal that sent a cla sic AFC divisional playoff showdown that featured seven lead changes into overtime. It took a second overtime to finally determine the winner in the fourth-longest game in NFL history. The pivotal post-pattern catch is one of two famous plays that is most remembered.4. “Sea of Hands””Clarence Davis couldn’t catch a cold, but he makes the big catch to win it in the last 30 seconds. It was probably the only catch he ever made in his career.” — Manny Fernandez, defensive tackle, in .The ‘ three-year reign as AFC champions came to a bitter end in a game — an AFC divisional playoff game held at the Oakland Coliseum — for the ages that many had dubbed ” 8 1/2.” It took a desperate lob from Stabler to Davis in the game’s final minute to finally fell the two-time defending champions. Davis’ catch was remarkable in that the running back managed to snag the reception despite being draped by three defenders. The Homer Bailey Jersey ” 8 1/2″? winner was defeated the following week by the , who went on to win IX for the team’s first championship.3. “Holy Roller””Madden is on the field. He wants to know if it’s real. They said ‘yes, Ian Kennedy Jersey get your big butt out of here!’ He does!” — .In an early season matchup with the division-rival , the trailed 20-14 and po se sed the ball at the ‘ 14-yard line with 10 seconds left in the game. What followed was absolute madne s. As he was about to be sacked, Stabler flipped the ball forward. running back Pete Banaszak then batted the loose football toward the end zone, where Casper stumbled awkwardly onto the ball for the winning touchdown. The wild play spawned the greatest sports radio call in recorded history (and a rule change).2. “Tuck Rule””Maybe we would have won the . It’s not like we were chopped liver going out there (to Foxboro).” — , head coach of the .Hidden in the wilderne s that is the NFL rulebook is . This rule was a virtual unknown among football fans entering the snowy evening of Jan. 19, 2002 at Foxboro Stadium. When the night was done, the controversial game-changing rule became the moniker for one of the most important playoff games in NFL history. The rule helped spoil one team’s hopes, while simultaneously opening the door for the to become an NFL dynasty. {“analytics”:{“reportSuite”:”cbsnfl”,”pageDetail”:”top-five-oakland-raiders-plays-with-names-0ap3000000500950″,”siteName”:”nfl.com”,”siteSection”:”news”,”siteSubsection”:”news”},”autoplay”:false,”clubs”:false,”playlist”: {“audio”:false,”description”:”See why the Immaculate Reception is the most controversial call in NFL history.\n”,”duration”:0,”gameday”:false,”id”:”6cdc2291-0517-4da8-9202-b54645565193″,”entityId”:”6cdc2291-0517-4da8-9202-b54645565193″,”slug”:”top-ten-controversial-calls-immaculate-reception-494662″,”title”:”Top Ten Controversial Calls: Immaculate Reception”,”posterImage”:” “,”imageSrc”:” “,”campaignId”: Chris Owings Jersey “”,”category”:”NFL Top Ten”,”mcpID”:”494662″,”videoSource”:”nfl.com”,”tags”: {“title”:”NFL Top Ten”,”slug”:”nfl-top-ten-vc”},{“title”:”Migrated”,”slug”:”migrated”},{“title”:”video”,”slug”:”video”} } ,”playlistVideoIndex”:0,”playerType”:”video”,”productId”:”LEAGUE”,”loop”:false,”live”:false,”defaultMuted”:false} 1. “Immaculate Reception””If we’d have had instant replay in the ’70s, we would have probably been in 10 s.” — Al Davis.Like the “Tuck Rule” 30 years later, helped spawn a dynasty. running back Franco Harris’ catch of a Terry Bradshaw pa s originally intended for Frenchy Fuqua, which was knocked away in a collision with Alcides Escobar Jersey the ‘ Jack Tatum, was the winning score in a 13-7 victory. It was the ‘ first-ever playoff win after nearly four decades of a mostly futile existence.Debate raged over for decades over the hit placed by Tatum on Fuqua, the force of which propelled Bradshaw’s pa s into Harris’ outreached hands. Did Fuqua and Harris touch the pa s in succe sion (which would have been illegal at the time)? The fact that only adds to the mythology of what is arguably the most famous moment in NFL history.Follow Jim Reineking on Twitter .
Share