Sports Then and Now

Drew Pearson and Roger Staubach answered the prayer of Cowboy fans with the "Hail Mary" to defeat the Minnesota Vikings in the 1975 NFC Playoffs.

You know that a game or moment is truly special if it is forever known by a special moniker. As we continue the countdown of the top 50 moments in NFL Playoff History (since the start of the Super Bowl era in 1966) we are now getting to moments that have endured as classic parts of NFL history.

Below are moments 11-20.

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20. 1996 AFC Divisional Playoff-Jaguars vs. Broncos
The Jacksonville Jaguars, a two-touchdown underdog, knock off the NFL-best 13-3 Denver Broncos 30-27 in one of the biggest upsets in NFL playoff history.

After falling behind 12-0 in the first quarter, the Jaguars score on six straight possessions in the final three quarters to shock the Broncos and advance to the AFC Championship Game in just their second year of existence.

19. 1979 AFC Championship-Oilers vs. Steelers
In the final seconds of the third quarter, the Houston Oilers were at the Steelers’ 6-yard-line when quarterback Dan Pastorini lobbed a pass for Mike Renfro in the back of the end zone, who appeared to make the catch and get both of his feet in bounds for the game-tying touchdown.

But the two judges at the back of the end zone stood frozen for what seemed like an eternity debating whether or not Renfro made the catch.

The side judge, Donald Orr, came in and ruled the pass incomplete, saying that Renfro did not have possession of the ball before he went out of bounds.

However, replays showed that Renfro had possession of the ball and both feet in bounds when he made the catch and the call should have been a touchdown for the Oilers.

Instead, the Oilers had to settle for a field goal, and eventually lost the game 27-13. Read the rest of this entry →