Mike Thomas and the Craziest Game-Winners of the Last 20 Years

Mike Thomas' touchdown at the end of the Jaguars-Texans game yesterday was a great finale.

Thomas hauled in a Hail Mary on the game's final play to give Jacksonville a 31-24 win. That was probably the greatest game-winner in Jaguars history.....and the best game-loser in Texans history.

But how does Thomas' catch compare to the craziest game-winners in recent NFL history?

Here are the 10 best such plays of the last quarter century.....and let's just say, any game-winner has to take place in the final minute, but it doesn't necessarily have to be the last play of the game.

Honorable Mention: Saints Vs. Jaguars, 2003

When: December 21, 2003

Key Players: A whole bunch of Saints.....sadly John Carney as well

What: With the Jaguars ahead 20-13 and just seven seconds remaining, Saints quarterback Aaron Brooks let loose this play, which later became known as the "River City Relay."

Because John Carney missed the ensuing extra point, it wasn't even a game-tying touchdown. But it's worth another look.

Aftermath: The Saints won the next week but finished 8-8 and missed out on a Wild Card spot. Jacksonville won the game, but they still ended the 2003 season with a 5-11 record.

Honorable Mention: Vikings Vs. 49ers, 2009

When: September 27, 2009

Key Players: Brett Favre, Greg Lewis

What: In his first home game as a member of the Minnesota Vikings, Brett Favre and the Vikings trailed the San Francisco 49ers 24-20 with under a minute remaining.

From his own 20, Favre drove the Vikings to the San Francisco 32 yard line. With seven seconds remaining, the Vikings had just one play left. Favre remarkably hit Greg Lewis (signed that week off of waivers) in the back of the end zone, and Lewis brought both feet down in bounds for the game-winner.

The Aftermath: The 49ers missed out on the playoffs, but Favre and the Vikings rode that stunning win to a 12-4 regular season mark and a berth in the NFC Championship Game.

No. 10: Titans Vs. Bears, 2004

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

NASHVILLE - NOVEMBER 14: Defensive end Adewale Ogunleye #93 of the Chicago Bears sacks Billy Volek #7 of the Tennessee Titans on November 14, 2004 at the Coliseum in Nashville, Tennessee. The Bears defeated the Titans 19-17 in overtime. (Photo by Ronald

When: November 14, 2004

Key Players: Billy Volek, Fred Miller, Alex Brown

What: Two sub .500 teams played a pretty sloppy, uneventful game in Week 10 at the Coliseum in Nashville. And with the score tied 17-17 at the end of regulation, overtime was needed to decide a winner.

Injury forced the Titans to play without reigning co-MVP Steve McNair, so Billy Volek stepped in and had a very good game, throwing for over 300 yards and two touchdowns.

But at the beginning of overtime, Volek was sacked by Bears lineman Alex Brown. Volek's teammate, Fred Miller recovered the ball, but because he was in the end zone and was tackled, the play resulted in a safety—and a wacky win for Chicago.

The Aftermarth: The Bears only won one game the rest of the way and finished 5-11. Tennessee won two more times that season but also finished 5-11.

No. 9: Seahawks Vs. Packers, 2004

When: January 4, 2004

Key Players: Matt Hasselbeck, Al Harris

What: Back in Lambeau Field to play his former team,  Mike Holmgren and the Seattle Seahawks forced overtime in the Wild Card round of the 2003 NFL playoffs. 

Holmgren's Seattle replacement for Brett Favre played a good game that day, throwing for over 300 yards and no interceptions in regulation. But he jinxed himself during the overtime coin toss. The Packers won the toss and he famously said "We want the ball and we're going to score." Hasselbeck's first pass of overtime did result in a score—for the Packers. Al Harris returned an interception 31 yards for the winner.

The Aftermarth: After defeating Seattle, the Packers lost 20-17 at Philadelphia in the first playoff game at Lincoln Financial Field (the famous "4th-and-26 conversion" game).

No. 8: Cardinals Vs. Vikings, 2003

When: December 28, 2003

Key Players: Josh McCown, Nate Poole

What: The Arizona Cardinals had lost seven straight games heading into their season finale against the Minnesota Vikings. Although they had been eliminated from contention months earlier, the Cardinals could still make noise in the NFC playoff race: If they defeated the Vikings at home, Minnesota would miss out on the playoffs and the Packers would take their spot. 

Mike Tice's Vikings held a 17-6 lead late in the final period when the Cardinals scored a touchdown to cut the lead to 17-12. With under two minutes remaining, the Cardinals recovered an onside kick to get close to a go-ahead score.

With five seconds remaining, journeyman Luke McCown fired a pass from the Vikings 40-yard line into the end zone where Nate Poole (a former college roommate of Minnesota's Randy Moss) hauled in the pass for a game-winning touchdown with no time remaining.

The Aftermarth: The Vikings were eliminated from playoff contention, opening the door for the Green Bay Packers to earn the NFC North bid. A week later, Al Harris intercepted Matt Hasselbeck in the NFC Wild Card (No. 9 on this list). Poole was given the key to the city of Green Bay later that week for helping the Packers reach the playoffs.

No. 7: Packers Vs. Cardinals, 2010

When: January 10, 2010

Key Players: Karlos Dansby, Michael Adams, Aaron Rodgers

What: Heading into an NFC Wild Card game between the Packers and defending NFC champion Cardinals, both teams featured great offenses. Still, no one could have expected Kurt Warner and Aaron Rodgers to produce the highest scoring playoff game in NFL history.

After 60 minutes, the teams were tied at 45, and overtime was needed to decide who would advance. Green Bay received the ball to start the sudden death period. On a third-and-five, just 90 seconds into the fifth period, Rodgers dropped back to pass and was stripped of the ball by Michael Adams, resulting in another wacky overtime playoff ending for the Packers, though this time they came up on the short end.

The Aftermarth: After advancing, the Cardinals traveled to the Superdome for the NFC Divisional round. There they were crushed 45-14 by the Saints, the eventual Super Bowl champions.

No. 6: 49ers Vs. Jets, 1998

When: September 6, 1998

Key Players: Garrison Hearst

What: A 96-yard touchdown at any time is incredible. But on the first play of overtime?

The Jets and 49ers played a remarkable game in the 1998 season opener at Candlestick Park. In the fourth quarter the Jets tied the game at 30, forcing overtime.

In sudden death, the Jets pinned the 49ers deep inside their own territory, at the four-yard line. No doubt the Jets had the upper hand there: A safety or turnover would secure a win. But in the span of a few seconds, the momentum swung 180 degrees in the opposite direction.

The Aftermarth: Both teams ended up reaching the playoffs (see next entry). The Jets won the AFC East and they reached the AFC Championship Game, thanks in part to what happened during the No. 3 entry on this list.

No. 5: 49ers Vs. Packers, 1999

When: January 3, 1999

Key Players: Steve Young, Terrell Owens

What: T.O. had a breakout season in 1998 but dropped several key passes in the 1998 NFC Wild Card game against the defending conference champion Green Bay Packers.

Still, with the game on the line, Steve Young was not afraid to throw to Owens. And on the final play of one of the greatest playoff games in history, Young hit Owens in the end zone for the game-winner.

The Aftermarth: The Packers' Mike Holmgren left town for Seattle after that playoff loss. The 49ers advanced to the 1998 NFC Divisional round against Atlanta, where Garrison broke his ankle and quarterback Steve Young played his last playoff game for the 49ers.

No. 4: Jets Vs. Dolphins, 1994

When: November 27, 1994

Key Players: Dan Marino and Mark Ingram (with an assist by Bernie Kosar)

What: Trailing 24-6 in the third quarter, Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino threw two touchdown passes to Mark Ingram, narrowing the deficit to just four points.

With under thirty seconds remaining, the Dolphins were driving for the go-ahead score when Marino completed a pass that set the ball up at the eight-yard line. With the clock still running, Marino yelled "clock, clock" to his teammates, as if to indicate he would spike the ball to halt the clock. The Jets thought that at least.

Marino took the snap, and with just about everyone else standing still (except Ingram) Marino fired a pass to his Ingram in the right side of the end zone where befuddled Jets cornerback Aaron Glenn saw him haul it in for the game-winner.

The idea for the "clock play" had been dreamed up by the Dolphins backup quarterback, former Cleveland Brown, Bernie Kosar.

The Aftermarth: The now 8-4 Dolphins went on to win the AFC East, while the Jets fell to 6-6 and didn't win another game, which resulted in the firing of head coach Pete Carrol after just one year. Also, Jets quarterback Boomer Esiason whispers complaints about this play to Marino every week during the CBS Pre-Game show.

No. 3: Seahawks Vs. Jets, 1998

When: December 6,1998

Key Players: Vinny Testaverde, Phil Luckett (Referee)

What: At the old Meadowlands, Bill Parcells' Jets fell behind the Seattle Seahawks, 28-13, in the second half. But they battled their way back to pull within five points late in the game.

With 27 seconds remaining the Jets trailed31-26, and New York faced a fourth-and-goal at the Seahawks five-yard line.

Quarterback Vinny Testaverde ran off tackle and headed for the end zone where he was stopped a full foot short of the goal line, as television replays showed. But the officials called it a touchdown, and the Jets won. That botched call helped to re-institute instant replay into the game.

The Aftermarth: The Jets improved to 9-4, won the AFC East and eventually reached the AFC Championship Game. The Seahawks dropped to 6-7 and soon lost out on a Wild Card spot by a single game. Head coach Dennis Erickson was fired at the end of the season; Mike Holmgren then left Green Bay to take over in Seattle.

No. 2: Vikings Vs. Packers, 2000

When: November 6, 2000

Who: Brett Favre, Antonio Freeman, Chris Dishman

What: Long before he switched sides and played for their NFC North rival, Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre pushed the Minnesota Vikings to overtime on a Monday night in Week 10.

Very late on that rainy evening at Lambeau Field, Favre dropped back to pass at the Vikings 43-yard line and heaved a ball down the right sideline. Somehow Antonio Freeman caught the ball and scored the winning touchdown over a confused Chris Dishman.

The Aftermarth: Green Bay finished 9-7 that season and missed out on the playoffs, although they also defeated the Vikings six weeks later in the rematch at the Metrodome. Minnesota overcame those two divisional losses, won the NFC North and reached the NFC Championship Game, where they were embarrassed 41-0 by the Giants.

No. 1: Bills Vs. Titans, 2000

When: January 8, 2000

Key Players: Lorenzo Neal, Frank Wycheck, Kevin Dyson

What: With 16 seconds remaining in a 1999 AFC Wild, surprise starter Rob Johnson (in place of a healthy Doug Flutie) led the underdog Bills to a go-ahead field goal.

Behind 16-15, the Titans Lorenzo Neal received Steve Christie's kickoff at his own 25-yard line and handed it off to tight end Frank Wycheck. The rest is history.

The Aftermarth: The Titans won the game and eventually advanced to their first Super Bowl, where they lost in the last second to the St. Louis Rams. The Bills still haven't returned to the playoffs since that loss.