Ranking the Most Amazing Game-Winning Plays in NFL History

Mind-blowing joy or gut-wrenching agony are two facts of life in the NFL.

The greatest memories in the game are often the result of last-second victories or defeats, depending on your perspective

The NFL hammers home the lesson that the game is not over until the final seconds bleed off the clock.

In this piece, we look at the 15 most fantastic and memorable finishes in NFL history, and rank them. While we think these finishes all stand the test of time, we realize that other games are also worthy of discussion.

15. Eli's Passing Ruins Patriots' Undefeated Season

Game: Super Bowl XLII, New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14

Date: Feb. 3, 2008

Analysis: The Patriots brought a perfect record into the game, and they would have become the first team in NFL history to go 19-0-0 in a season. They led the Giants 14-10 late in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XLII, but Eli Manning and the Giants were undaunted.

Manning, under tremendous pressure from the New England front line, launched a pass to little-used wide receiver David Tyree on a 3rd-and-5 play from inside New York territory. Tyree somehow caught the ball against his helmet to give the Giants a first down at the Patriots 23-yard line with 59 seconds remaining. 

Four plays later, Manning hit wide receiver Plaxico Burress with a 13-yard TD pass that gave the Giants a 17-14 lead with 35 seconds to go.

The Giants held Tom Brady and the Patriots in check in the final seconds, and the Giants had an amazing, last-minute triumph in the Super Bowl, breaking hearts across New England in the process.

14. Bart Starr Wins the Ice Bowl for the Packers

Game: NFL Championship Game, Green Bay Packers 21, Dallas Cowboys 17

Date: Dec. 31, 1967

Analysis: The Packers and the Cowboys met in the NFL Championship game for the second consecutive year, and the Cowboys were determined to get revenge after losing in that game a year earlier on their home field at the Cotton Bowl.

This time, the Cowboys had to go to Green Bay to play Vince Lombardi's Packers. Green Bay was attempting to win its third consecutive NFL championship, but the circumstances were brumal as the two teams arrived at Lambeau Field on the morning of New Year's Eve.

The temperatures had fallen to 13-below zero, and the field was frozen solid. The two teams managed to play a brilliant game under the circumstances, and it appeared the Cowboys would come away with the win as they led 17-14 late in the fourth quarter.

However, Bart Starr led an amazing last-minute drive that brought the Packers to the Cowboy 1-yard line with 16 seconds remaining. After the Packers called timeout, Starr ran a quarterback sneak behind offensive guard Jerry Kramer to score the winning touchdown.

Kramer had pushed Dallas defensive tackle Jethro Pugh back into the end zone to clear the path for Starr.

Lombardi would coach one more game for the Packers as he led them to a victory over the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl II. However, the Starr touchdown in the Ice Bowl is considered the defining moment of Lombardi's brilliant coaching career in Green Bay.

13. Botched Giants Snap Gives Niners Massive Comeback Win

Game: Wild-Card game, San Francisco 49ers 39, New York Giants 38

Date: Jan. 5, 2003

Analysis: The Giants were in the process of running the 49ers out of Candlestick Park when the two teams met in the Wild Card Round following the 2002 season. A Tiki Barber touchdown run and a Matt Bryant field goal had given the Giants a 38-14 lead with 4:27 to go in the third quarter.

But instead of letting the Giants finish them off, the Niners staged a valiant comeback. Jeff Garcia threw his second TD pass of the day to Terrell Owens, and he also ran for a touchdown. Owens caught two-point conversions after both of those touchdowns.

After a Jeff Chandler field goal brought the Niners to within five points. Garcia hit Tai Streets with a 13-yard TD pass to give San Francisco an improbable 39-38 lead.

The Giants had just blown 24-point lead, but in the final minute, they got the ball deep into San Francisco territory. Bryant was set up for a 40-yard field goal attempt, but the snap back to holder Matt Allen bounced and rolled, and Bryant could not the kick off.

Allen picked up the bouncing ball, rolled to his right and launched a pass to Tam Hopkins. The ball was on target and the Niners special teams unit appeared to interfere with the receiver.

However, the Giants were called for ineligible receiver downfield, and the game ended on that play. The Giants tried to undo the Niners' miraculous comeback, but their botched FG attempt cost them a chance to move on.

12. Harbaugh's Pass to Aaron Bailey Falls Incomplete

Jamie Mullen/Getty Images

Game: AFC Championship Game, Pittsburgh Steelers 20, Indianapolis Colts 16

Date: Jan. 14, 1996

Analysis: The Steelers were heavy favorites when they hosted the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Championship Game following the 1995 season.

The Colts had caught fire in the postseason and had notched impressive road wins over the San Diego Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs to earn their unexpected ticket to Three Rivers Stadium.

Quarterback Jim Harbaugh had been the architect of many of their improbable wins, and while they could not match the talent on Bill Cowher's team, the Colts were not intimidated.

In the final seconds, the Colts were trailing 20-16, but Harbaugh had them inside Pittsburgh territory and he was able to launch a pass into the end zone. The ball came down in the direction of wide receiver Aaron Bailey, and even though he was surrounded by Steelers defensive players, he appeared to have the ball within his grasp.

However, he could not control the pass even though it landed on his stomach as he fell onto the turf in the end zone. The Colts were inches from going to the Super Bowl, but they fell short of that remarkable achievement.

11. Smith Brings Panthers Sudden Victory

Game: NFC Divisional Playoffs, Carolina Panthers 29, St. Louis Rams 23 (2 OT)

Date: Jan. 10, 2004

Analysis: The upstart Panthers had beaten the Cowboys in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs, but going to St. Louis seemed to be much too difficult an assignment for head coach John Fox's team.

The Rams had an explosive offense, and it was led by Marshall Faulk, Isaac Bruce and the accurate passing of Marc Bulger.

The Panthers were up to the challenge. They were not intimidated by "The Greatest Show on Turf" and they traded punches on even terms with the Rams. The two teams went into overtime tied, 23-23.

They battled through a scoreless first overtime, but it ended with shocking suddenness 10 seconds into the second extra period. Quarterback Jake Delhomme hit wide receiver Steve Smith in stride, and the explosive wide receiver split the defense and sprinted into the end zone for a game-winning 69-yard TD.

The Panthers would go on to beat the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game before losing to the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.

10. Jones Tackles Dyson Short of the End Zone

Game: Super Bowl XXXIV, St. Louis Rams 23, Tennessee Titans 16

Date: Jan. 30, 2000

Analysis: The St. Louis Rams were so close to their first Super Bowl title they could taste it. 

They led the Tennessee Titans 23-16 in the final seconds, but Tennessee quarterback Steve McNair had his team on a last-second drive.

The Titans had moved the ball from their own 12-yard line to the St. Louis 10 with five seconds remaining. On the final play, McNair hit wide receiver Kevin Dyson crossing over the middle. He caught the ball at the three and he took one stride to get to the St. Louis 1-yard line.

That's where Rams linebacker Mike Jones stopped him in his tracks and tackled him. The Rams had their Super Bowl triumph and the Titans had heartbreak.

They had been stopped one yard short of the end zone, and that gave the Rams the only Super Bowl title in their history.

9. Harris Pick-Six Ends Seahawks' Season

Game: Wild Card Game, Green Bay Packers 33, Seattle Seahawks 27 (OT)

Date: Jan. 4, 2004

Analysis: The Green Bay Packers thought they had a good chance to cruise past the Seattle Seahawks in the Wild Card Game following the 2003 season, but the visitors were able to hang in with Brett Favre's offense for most of the game. 

When Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck led the Seahawks on a late fourth-quarter drive that culminated with Shaun Alexander's one-yard TD run, the two teams were headed to overtime.

The game may have turned on the coin flip at the start of the extra session. When Hasselbeck made the winning call on the flip, he confidently announced that he "wanted the ball."

But instead of marching the Seahawks downfield for a game-winning field goal or touchdown, he telegraphed an out pattern at midfield that Green Bay cornerback Al Harris easily read. Harris jumped the pass route, intercepted the ball and sprinted 52 yards into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown.

8. Tebow to Thomas Goes the Distance

Game: Wild Card Game, Denver Broncos 29, Pittsburgh Steelers 23 (OT)

Date: Jan. 8, 2012

Analysis: The NFL career of Tim Tebow was enigmatic, but it produced its share of big plays and victories for the Denver Broncos during the 2011 season.

Tebow, a college football star at Florida, did not have the accuracy as a passer to be a consistently productive NFL player. However, when the Broncos turned to him in 2011, he showed a remarkable tendency to come through with big plays when the game was on the line.

The Broncos earned a spot in the playoffs as a wild-card team, and they hosted the Steelers in a compelling game that saw Denver dominate in the first half while Pittsburgh came back in the second half.

The game went into overtime, and Tebow wasted no time in the extra session. On the first play of the extra session, Tebow received excellent protection from his offensive line, and he saw speedy wide receiver Demaryius Thomas get free on a deep crossing pattern. Tebow stepped into his throw and he found Thomas in stride.

From that point, Thomas went into a dead sprint and made it 80 yards into the end zone for a game-winning touchdown.

The Broncos survived and advanced, and while Tebow had his magical moment, the Broncos would part company with him in the offseason when they signed Peyton Manning.

7: Terrell Owens Makes Amends for Niners

Game: Wild Card Game, San Francisco 49ers 30, Green Bay Packers 27

Date: Jan. 3, 1999

Analysis: The Wild Card Game battle between the Packers and the 49ers in Candlestick Park is one of the classic games in NFL history. Steve Young was nearing the end of his career, and he engaged in a classic quarterback duel with Green Bay's Brett Favre.

The 49ers were playing well and probably would have been ahead by a significant margin, if not for a very strange development. Emerging star receiver Terrell Owens simply could not catch the ball. He dropped four passes that almost certainly would have given the Niners control of the game.

Favre had given the Packers a 27-23 lead with less than two minutes left in the fourth quarter, when he hit Antonio Freeman with a 15-yard TD pass.

Young tried to lead the Niners back, but time was ticking away. With six seconds remaining, the Niners were on the Green Bay 25-yard line and had one chance left to make a play. 

As Young took the snap, he nearly tumbled to the ground as he faded back into the pocket. He managed to right himself and he saw the error-prone Owens racing towards the goal line. Young had a small window, and he threw a perfect strike to Owens.

Even though he was surrounded by defenders on all sides and took a shattering hit after the ball went into his arms, Owens caught the ball for the game-winning touchdown.

Owens had endured a nightmarish 59-plus minutes of playoff football, but he came through with the most important play of the game and it gave his team a remarkable victory.

Young later called the TD pass to Owens the best throw of his career.

6. The Ghost to the Post Propels the Raiders

Game: Divisional Playoffs, Oakland Raiders 37, Baltimore Colts 31 (2 OT)

Date: Dec. 24, 1977

Analysis: The defending Super Bowl champion Oakland Raiders had a difficult first-round matchup with the high-scoring Baltimore Colts, who were looking to end the one-year reign of John Madden's team.

The Colts gave the Raiders all they could handle, but Oakland sent the game into overtime on an Erroll Mann 22-yard field goal. The kick was set up by a remarkable catch by Dave "The Ghost" Casper after running a post pattern.

The Colts had the better field position in the first overtime, but they could not end the game. Finally, the Raiders had their chance in the second extra session. Quarterback Ken Stabler led the Raiders on a drive against the Colts' physical defense, and he hit tight Casper with a game-winning TD pass (5:23 mark above) that allowed the Raiders to move on to the AFC Championship Game.

While they lost that game at Denver, the Stabler-Casper connection—The Ghost to the Post—lives on in NFL history.

5. The Catch: Montana to Clark Defeats Cowboys

Game: NFC Championship Game, San Francisco 28, Dallas Cowboys 27

Date: Jan. 10, 1982

Analysis: Yes, we know that Joe Montana's spectacular pass to the leaping Dwight Clark did not come on the final play of the NFC Championship game—there were 51 seconds remaining—but it was amazing nevertheless because it represented the changing of the guard in the sport. 

The Cowboys were the big dogs in the NFC at the time, and it seemed that Tom Landry's team would win nearly every big game. However, the Cowboys were older and vulnerable in the 1981 season, and the 49ers took advantage of their imperfections.

It took a magnificent drive by Montana to knock the Cowboys off their perch, and after Clark made his memorable catch, the 49ers defense took the ball away from Cowboys quarterback Danny White with a fumble recovery that allowed Bill Walsh's team to become the kings of the NFL.

4. Sea of Hands Catch Gives Raiders a Memorable Win

Game: Divisional Playoffs, Oakland Raiders 28, Miami Dolphins 26

Date: Dec. 21, 1974

Analysis: The Raiders had been spectacular during the regular season with a 12-2 record, but they were going to have to play their best football if they were going to get the better of the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Dolphins.

Don Shula's Dolphins led 26-21 in the final seconds at the Oakland Coliseum, but Ken Stabler had led the Raiders to the Miami 5-yard line with 38 seconds remaining. On the 1st-and-goal play, Stabler faded back and was under immediate pressure. He threw a wounded duck as Miami defensive end Vern Den Herder dove at his feet.

Oakland running back Clarence Davis was in the end zone, but he was surrounded by three Miami defenders. Davis somehow wrestled the ball away from Miami linebacker Mike Kolen and then absorbed a huge hit from Charlie Babb. Davis, a notoriously poor receiver, managed to hold on to the ball and the Raiders survived and advanced.

3. Miracle at the Meadowlands, I and II

Game: Week 12, 1978 regular season, Philadelphia Eagles 19, N.Y. Giants 17

Date: Nov. 19, 1978

Analysis: The sluggish New York Giants had played one of their better games of the 1978 season, and were putting the finishing touches on a 17-12 victory over the Philadlephia Eagles at Giants Stadium in New Jersey's Meadowlands.

With 31 seconds remaining, all Giants quarterback Joe Pisarcik had to do was take the snap from center Jim Clack, and put his knee on the ground and New York would have its victory. However, linebacker Bill Bergey had come after Pisarcik hard on a previous play, so head coach John McVay did not want to see his quarterback get hit again. He called for a hand-off to fullback Larry Csonka.

It was a dubious call at best, but it turned into a disaster when Clack snapped the ball early and Pisarcik had to double-catch the football to keep from losing it. While he recovered, his hand-off attempt hit Csonka's hip and bounded to the ground.

Philadelphia defensive back Herman Edwards picked up the ball on the hop and raced 26 yards into the end zone. Instead of leaving Giants Stadium with a terrible defeat, the Eagles had stolen a victory over their bumbling rivals in a game that would become known as the "Miracle at the Meadowlands."

Game: Week 15, 2010 regular season, Philadelphia Eagles 38, N.Y. Giants 31

Date: Dec. 19, 2010

Analysis: Eli Manning had the Giants on the verge of a huge victory over the Eagles when he hit tight end Kevin Boss with an eight-yard TD pass midway through the fourth quarter. That gave the Giants a 31-10 lead, and just 8:17 remained in the game.

However, the somnambulant Eagles woke up suddenly as quarterback Michael Vick threw two TD passes and ran for another as Philadelphia tied the game with 1:16 remaining.

The Eagles held the Giants on their final possession of the fourth quarter and forced a punt. DeSean Jackson gathered it in and made a spectacular 65-yard return for a touchdown as time expired to give the Eagles a spectacular 38-31 triumph in the "Miracle at the Meadowlands II."

2. Music City Miracle

Game: Wild Card playoffs, Tennessee Titans 22, Buffalo Bills 16

Date: Jan. 8, 2000

Analysis: The Bills had taken a 16-15 lead over the Titans on Steve Christie's 41-yard field goal with 16 seconds remaining.

The Titans were in desperate shape as they prepared to receive the kickoff. The Bills wanted to prevent a big return, so they sent a pooch kickoff high and short to give their coverage team a chance to make a play. Fullback Lorenzo Neal caught the kickoff and immediately handed the ball to tight end Frank Wycheck, who ran several steps to his right, stopped and threw a lateral pass to explosive Kevin Dyson on the left sideline.

Dyson caught the ball and and had a convoy of blockers in front of him. He raced 75 yards for the touchdown to give the Titans a miraculous victory.

The Bills contended that Wycheck's pass was an illegal forward pass and not a lateral. The videotape was inconclusive, and the play stood.

The Titans had their victory and would make it all the way to the Super Bowl, where they lost to the St. Louis Rams.

1. The Immaculate Reception

Game: Divisional playoffs, Pittsburgh Steelers 13, Oakland Raiders 7

Date: Dec. 23, 1972

Analysis: The Steelers and the Raiders were perhaps the NFL's two best teams in the 1970s, and their rivalry got started with one of the most memorable playoff games in league history.

The two powerful defenses had pulverized the opposing offenses for nearly four full quarters. The Steelers held a thin 6-0 margin on two Roy Gerela field goals, but Ken Stabler gave the Raiders the lead when he escaped the Pittsburgh pressure defense and scampered 30 yards for a touchdown with 1:17 remaining.

On the ensuing possession, the Steelers faced a 4th-and-10 play from their own 40-yard line with 22 seconds left in the game. Quarterback Terry Bradshaw was under significant pressure from the Raiders as he dropped back. He let a desperation pass fly in the direction of running back John "Frenchy" Fuqua. 

As Fuqua went up for the ball, Oakland defensive back Jack Tatum collided with the intended target and the ball rebounded back towards Steelers territory. Running back Franco Harris had been trailing the play, and he picked the ball up just before it hit the ground.

He quickly accelerated to top speed, made his way down the sideline and raced into the end zone. 

The Steelers appeared to have a 13-7 lead.

However, nobody was sure what had happened. If the ball had rebounded off Fuqua without touching Tatum, the catch would have been deemed illegal. However, if Tatum had made contact with the ball, the play would stand.

After a seemingly endless delay, the touchdown was allowed and the Steelers had their Immaculate Reception.