Greatest Touchdowns from Each Distance in the Red Zone

Once an offense gets at their opponent's 20-yard line, better known as the "red zone," the defense goes into red alert.

A score is almost a certainty and the chances for a touchdown grow. The amount of TDs in the red zone are too numerous to count, but there are some that reek with significance.

Here is a compilation of the best touchdown from each distance inside the red zone.

20-Yard Line: Captain Comeback

The legend of "Captain Comeback" was born in San Francisco in a 1972 playoff contest with the 49ers.

At the time, Roger Staubach was a platoon quarterback with Craig Morton. But a deficit of 15 points in the fourth period let Dallas head coach Tom Landry leave Staubach in for the remainder of the game. It proved to be a wise decision.

After a field goal made the score 28-16 in favor of the Niners, Dallas regained possession. Staubach this time got six points.

The TD came when he found wideout Billy Parks in the center of the end zone. It wasn't spectacular, but it was certainly instrumental in one of the best comebacks in Cowboy history.

An onside kick recovery led to another Staubach touchdown throw—one that gave Dallas a shocking 30-28 victory.

19-Yard Line: Jackie Smith Overpowers Cowboys

It's quite unfortunate, but Hall of Fame tight end Jackie Smith is forever remembered for his dropped pass in the end zone in Super Bowl XIII as a member of the Dallas Cowboys.

More than three years earlier, against the Cowboys, he produced the best catch-and-run of his stellar career.

With the St. Louis Cardinals, Smith hauled in a pass from Jim Hart. He was immediately wrapped up by defensive back Cliff Harris. Smith used his big frame to get away from Harris' grasp and then broke four more tackles on his way to a score, one that helped the Cards defeat the Cowboys, 31-28.

18-Yard Line: Mike Garrett in the Mud

In a quagmire that was War Memorial Stadium in Buffalo, the Kansas City Chiefs stomped the Bills by a score of 31-7 in the 1966 AFL Championship Game.

The final touchdown of the contest came late in the fourth period, when rookie running back Mike Garrett started out by taking a handoff from QB Len Dawson. Garrett ran to the left, but found nothing but trouble and potentially lost yardage. He then prepared to attempt a pass, thought better of it, and ran to the right.

That side of the field was far less occupied. Garrett galloped into the end zone to put his team up by 24 and help the Chiefs advance to the first Super Bowl.

17-Yard Line: Lamar Smith Carries Dolphins

In a 2000 AFC Wild Card matchup in Miami, the Indianapolis Colts took a 14-0 lead into the second half. The Dolphins countered by scoring 17 of the game's next 20 points to send the contest into overtime.

After the Colts missed a field goal on their first possession of the extra session, running back Lamar Smith finished off the game—and his greatest performance—in grand style.

The last of Smith's playoff record 40 carries and 209 yards resulted in the winning score, giving the Dolphins a 23-17 victory.

16-Yard Line: Saints Surge Ahead in Super Bowl XLIV

Down 10-6 to start the second half of Super Bowl XLIV, the New Orleans Saints' Thomas Morstead was set to kick the ball off to the Indianapolis Colts.

But Saints head coach Sean Payton stunned his opponent—and the millions watching on television—with an onside kick.

The ball bounced out of the grasp of Indy's Hank Baskett and was free for the taking. After a long scrum that had to be broken up by officials, the pigskin's recovery was credited to the Saints' Jonathan Casillas.

New Orleans took full advantage of their extra possession, driving down to the brink of a score that would put them on top for the first time in the game.

Quarterback Drew Brees dropped back and threw a screen pass to running back Pierre Thomas, who weaved his way to the end zone to help make it 13-10 in favor of New Orleans.

The TD gave loads of momentum to the Saints, who went on to capture their first Lombardi Trophy, 31-17.

15-Yard Line: Gifford Gives Giants the Lead

Down 14-10 in the 1958 NFL Championship, the New York Giants seized the advantage back thanks to Charlie Conerly's pass to running back Frank Gifford, in which the former USC great avoided defenders on his way to the near right corner of the end zone.

The touchdown gave Giant fans dreams of a victory in their showdown with the Baltimore Colts. Those dreams were washed away by the great Johnny Unitas, who ultimately led his team down the field in the late stages, setting up a Steve Myhra field goal and the NFL's first venture into sudden death overtime.

It was an important score in the sense that it helped build drama in one of the most significant games in pro football's history.

14-Yard Line: "The Holly Roller"

With 10 seconds left in a 1978 contest between the Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers, the zaniest play in NFL history took place.

The visiting Raiders were down 20-14, but had possession. Ken Stabler dropped back to pass and was hit by linebacker Woodrow Lowe. Stabler then purposely fumbled the ball forward, causing a mad scramble in which the ball rolled to the goal line. Oakland tight end Dave Casper then fell on the pigskin in the end zone, which eventually gave the Raiders a one-point victory.

This play was the impetus toward a new league rule: If an offensive player fumbles forward in the final two minutes of either half, only that player can recover it. If a teammate recovers, the ball is placed back at the spot of the fumble.

13-Yard Line: Manning + Burress = 18-1

The New York Giants' upset of the wannabe-perfect New England Patriots occurred thanks to what may be the greatest drive of all-time.

After New England took a 14-10 lead, Eli Manning was left with the unenviable task of trying to overcome that momentum shift.

The Giants got a big boost when Manning and David Tyre connected on the now-famous "helmet catch," helping New York get into scoring range.

With 39 seconds to go, Manning lofted a throw that ended up in the hands of a wide open Plaxico Burress. The Giants were Super Bowl champs—the Patriots were 18-1.

12-Yard Line: Proehl Does It Again

It was a game that was one-part offensive shootout and one-part defensive struggle. When all was sorted out in the final period of Super Bowl XXXVIII, the New England Patriots held a 29-22 edge over the underdog Carolina Panthers.

But quarterback Jake Delhomme still had time to strike back. He did just that when he and the Panthers went seven plays in 80 yards. The fast-paced drive climaxed when Delhomme found receiver Ricky Proehl, a familiar face to this situation, on a scoring pass with 1:02 to go.

Just like he did two years prior as a member of the Rams, Proehl hauled in a touchdown late in the fourth quarter to tie the score.

And just like two years ago, Tom Brady was there to answer. He brought the Pats down into field-goal range, where kicker Adam Vinatieri booted through a 41-yarder that would be the difference in a 32-29 New England win.

11-Yard Line: "The Catch"

Joe Montana was in just his second year as a starting quarterback, but had matured under the tutelage of head coach Bill Walsh. 

In the 1981 NFC Championship Game at Candlestick Park against the Dallas Cowboys, Montana and his young team would come of age.

They were behind 27-21. There was less than a minute showing on the clock.

During a timeout, Walsh instructed his young quarterback that if he were to attempt a pass to tight end Dwight Clark, he should throw it where only Clark could grab it.

At the snap of the ball, Montana rolled out to the right and was faced with two Dallas defenders. Joe threw it high, but Clark was able to use his hands to haul in the greatest catch of all-time. San Francisco won 28-27.

A dynasty was born.

10-Yard Line: Montana Completes Super Drive

With just over three minutes left in Super Bowl XXIII, the underdog Cincinnati Bengals were holding a 16-13 lead over the venerable San Francisco 49ers.

Starting at their 8-yard line, Joe Montana would engineer a legendary drive that would boost his credentials as an all-time great.

San Francisco made it all the way to the Bengals 10 with 39 ticks remaining.

Montana found John Taylor over the middle for a touchdown that clinched the 49ers' third World Championship in the decade.

9-Yard Line: Extending the Epic in Miami

In what may have been the most exciting game in NFL history, the Miami Dolphins and San Diego Chargers took turns with the lead in their AFC divisional playoff at the Orange Bowl in 1982.

Miami appeared to be heading to the conference title game, sporting a 38-31 advantage in the closing stages. Then, an Andra Franklin fumble and subsequent San Diego recovery gave life to Dan Fouts and the Chargers.

Fouts piloted the "Air Coryell" offense downfield. They were perched within nine yards of pay dirt with just 58 seconds to play.

As Fouts dropped back to pass, he was met with a strong rush of Dolphin defenders, forcing Fouts to throw in the direction of tight end Kellen Winslow. The pass was over Winslow's head, but was snatched by running back James Brooks.

The touchdown knotted the score. The game eventually went into overtime, where San Diego prevailed and advanced to the AFC Championship.

8-Yard Line: Sea of Hands

The Dolphins, aiming for a third-straight Super Bowl victory, saw that dream dissipate at the conclusion of their AFC divisional playoff contest against the Oakland Raiders.

A back-and-forth affair was in visiting Miami's favor late in the fourth quarter after halfback Benny Malone broke several tackles on his 23-yard journey to the end zone, giving his club a 26-21 advantage.

That scoring play, however, left 2:08 on the clock, which proved to be too much time for the Raiders and their quarterback, Ken Stabler. "The Snake" drove his team down 60 yards before calling their last timeout with just seconds remaining.

On the next play, Stabler had trouble looking for an open receiver. Just as he was being dragged to the ground by Dolphin defensive end Vern Den Herder, Stabler let go of the ball. It ended up in the grasp of Clarence Davis, who caught the game-winning pass between three Miami defenders. The score gave Oakland a 28-26 win and a trip to the AFC Championship Game.

7-Yard Line: LT Sets TD Mark

On December 10, 2006, LaDainian Tomlinson etched his name into the record books.

His third touchdown in a contest with the Denver Broncos was L.T.'s 28th of the season, setting the all-time mark for most TDs scored in a single season.

Tomlinson went on to find the end zone 31 times in '06, 28 occasions via the ground. No surprise, he was named the league's Most Valuable Player.

6-Yard Line: Holmes Hauls It in

After Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald hooked up on a thrilling 64-yard touchdown to give the Arizona Cardinals a 23-20 lead in the late stages of Super Bowl XLIII, the Pittsburgh Steelers offense was determined to add even more excitement.

They got the ball back on their own 22-yard line with 2:37 to go.

Ben Roethlisberger and Santonio Holmes played pitch-and-catch for a majority of the drive, one that put them six yards away from six points.

With 43 seconds left, Big Ben took the snap from the shotgun and looked to his right. He spotted Holmes near the corner of the end zone. Holmes, displaying amazing dexterity and perfect footwork, remained in bounds and hauled in the game-winning pass.

Pittsburgh won its sixth Super Bowl ring, 27-23.

5-Yard Line: Elway Finishes "The Drive"

With just over five minutes remaining in the 1986 AFC Championship Game, and behind by seven points, John Elway led the Denver Broncos into the teeth of the "Dawg Pound" at Cleveland Municipal Stadium on a memorable 98-yard march.

As the Browns yielded more and more yards to the Broncos, their fans grew quieter.

The final silencer and the final piece to "The Drive" was Elway’s bullet pass to Mark Jackson in the end zone on 3rd-and-1.

Jackson’s touchdown and Rich Karlis’ subsequent extra point knotted the game at 20 apiece. The Broncos won the game in overtime on a Karlis field goal—earning them a berth in Super Bowl XXI.

The touchdown pass can be seen starting at the 5:51 mark of the video.

4-Yard Line: Snell Propels Super Bowl III Upset

Joe Namath garnered the lion's share of the spotlight when he guaranteed victory for his New York Jets against the heavily-favored Baltimore Colts.

Matt Snell initiated the scoring that helped Namath make good on his promise. The Jets running back was instrumental in the second quarter drive that led up to the touchdown, thanks to a 12-yard reception and a five-yard run to the Colts 4.

From there, Snell took the handoff from Namath, ran to the left side and used his blocking to cross the goal line.

That put the Jets up 7-0—and they wouldn't look back in a 16-7 upset.

The touchdown run by Snell occurs at the 0:57 mark of the video.

3-Yard Line: Colts Finally Top Pats

The Colts were seeking revenge after having lost two previous playoff encounters with the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium.

At the RCA Dome for the 2006 AFC Championship Game, the hometown fans in Indianapolis were silenced early when New England jumped out to a 21-3 lead.

The Colts clawed back to tie, but New England went up 34-31 in the fourth period.

After trading defensive stops, the Colts gained possession with slightly more than two minutes to go. Peyton Manning, overcoming an injury to the thumb on his throwing hand, moved his offense 70 yards in 19 seconds.

At the Pats 3, running back Joseph Addai took the handoff from Manning and ran straight through the line for a touchdown that gave Indy its first lead with just one minute remaining.

An interception by Marlin Jackson on New England's next drive sealed the Colts' AFC title—a win that would propel them to the Super Bowl XLI crown.

2-Yard Line: Eddie George's Determination

A 16-0 halftime lead for the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXIV wasn't enough to put away the pesky Tennessee Titans.

A one-yard run by running back Eddie George, followed by a failed two-point conversion, cut the deficit to 10 points.

The Titans used a 13-play, 79-yard drive to narrow the score even more. The lengthy march was capped off with a two-yard run by George that showed off the incredible effort he was so respected for during his career. The extra point then made it 16-13 in favor of the Rams.

Tennessee would go on to tie the game, but eventually fall just short in a 23-16 defeat.

George's power run shows up 1:32 into the video.

1-Yard Line: Ice Bowl Sneak

This was the only yard in the countdown that had serious competition, as Alan Ameche's one-yard run to end "The Greatest Game Ever Played" was simply not as great as Bart Starr's quarterback sneak to win the 1967 NFL Championship.

On a surface more suited for figure skating, the Green Bay Packers were down 17-14 to the Dallas Cowboys as both were fighting for a right to play in Super Bowl II.

With 4:30 to go, Starr led a march that halted at the Dallas 1-yard line. After two unsuccessful handoffs, Green Bay's final timeout was called with 16 seconds remaining on the clock.

Starr and head coach Vince Lombardi decided on a simple QB sneak. With a block from right guard Jerry Kramer, the play worked to perfection. The Packers captured their third NFL Championship in a row and went on to win their second-consecutive Super Bowl.

Starr's sneak occurs at the 7:57 mark of the video.