Top 10 Iconic Games in the History of NFL
Top 10 Iconic Games in the History of NFL. The NFL always earned a special place in the world of sports. The thrill and entertainment it offered are enough to describe its popularity.
Some unique games in the NFL amused the audiences completely. We picked 10 such games which hold a special place in the history of the NFL.
- New York Giants Vs Baltimore Colts – Dec. 28, 1958
It was the first NFL game, made live on Television nationally. It was an epic battle between two strong teams of that time.
Johnny Unitas started as the quarterback for the Baltimore Colts.
The score displayed 14-3 at half match. Things were in favor of Baltimore. The second half turned out even more interesting.
It witnessed the Giants rally back, to take the lead. Unitas got just a few minutes with the ball left to play.
Colts made it a tie seconds before the end. History recorded the NFL championship’s first overtime.
One of the excellent dives by the Colts in overtime ended the game. The Colts won 23-17 in the game.
- Miami Dolphins Vs San Diego Chargers – Jan. 2, 1982
This game was dubbed “The Game No One Should Have Lost.”
It was nobody’s game, although the Chargers jumped out with a 21-0 lead.
Dolphins head was Coach Don Shula. He benched the starting quarterback in favor of Don Strock.
Don did that for the second quarter. It was intentional to give the offense a spark. And thankfully that worked.
The game ran towards overtime. The Chargers continued 41-38.
Kellen Winslow was the undisputed MVP of this game.
He blocked the field goal and grabbed the NFL playoff record. It was 13 receptions for 166 yards.
During the game, he required treatment for the pinched nerve in his shoulder. He faced dehydration with cramps. Also had a gash in the lower lip. It needed three stitches.
A picture of tired Kellen moving out of the field by two teammates surfaced. That one image NFL featured for years.
- Green Bay Packers Vs Dallas Cowboys – Dec. 31, 1967
It was one of the iconic NFL games. The Ice bowl match of the 1967 NFL championship game, was hosted at Lambeau Field. It was between the league’s most desirable teams. The arctic conditions added a new dimension to the game.
Both coaches, Vince Lombardi & Tom Landry, were in the best form. The players need to suffer on the field because of chilling temperatures.
Each segment of this game remained legendary. The drive by Bart Starr in the final round proved a lesson for football coaches.
Starr moved the ball towards the end zone against the block. He hit the game-winning score.
Lombardi suggested Starr for this stroke. It was a better choice than ending with a tie. He concentrated well to restrict the players from spending extra hours on the field.
- Cleveland Browns Vs Denver Broncos – Jan. 11, 1987
It was another iconic game in NFL history. The Broncos landed with Cleveland, after a double-overtime victory.
The excitement level was high in the first half. Before 5:32 of the game ended, the Broncos bagged their two-yard line. The Cleveland fans felt the taste of the Super Bowl.
Brown’s defense went for Martyball mode. It prevented defense from John Elway with a 15-play drive. The match moved into overtime.
The Broncos kicker Rich Karlis gave the winning goal in overtime.
- Kansas City Chiefs Vs Miami Dolphins – Dec. 25, 1971
It was the longest NFL match ever played. The total match time was 82 minutes and 40 seconds. The Dolphins emerged on top, 27-24.
The Chiefs moved out with a 10-0 lead. It was with Len Dawson behind the center.
The Dolphins made the game a tie in the second quarter.
Bob Griese made an effort in the game again. But the Chiefs missed the game-winning field goal.
In the first overtime, both teams missed their field goals. Miami hit it in the second overtime.
- Buffalo Bills Vs Houston Oilers – Jan. 3, 1993
It was a wild card game. The match featured Warren Moon. He completed 19 of 22 passes for 220 yards.
There were four touchdowns in the first half. It dominated the Bills in every aspect of the game.
After that the second half started. Many Buffalo Bills players felt that defensive coordinator Walt Corey thrashed the team at halftime. It was for their timid play. The team looked different in the second half.
Frank Reich intercepted to make it 35-3. The Bills then stormed back, with 21 points in 10 minutes. The Bills moved to 38-35 and the Oilers made it a tie. In overtime the Bills intercepted Moon. They benefited from a face mask penalty. The game went in their favor.
- New England Patriots Vs Oakland Raiders – Jan. 19, 2002
It was late in the game, and the Raiders led 13-10. Quarterback Tom Brady of the Patriots got dropped to pass. He witnessed the rush coming. Brady attempted to avoid the ball and fumbled it.
Initially, the fumble was on the field. As per officials, Brady’s arm moved forward. For them, it remained an incomplete pass.
Whether or not Brady tucked the ball, he helped the Patriots to score as a second chance. They won the game. The game was played in nasty snowstorm weather.
- Pittsburgh Steelers Vs Oakland Raiders- Dec. 23, 1972
It was a tough-fought yet low-scoring game. It was common to witness in that period. But this game turned out to be the most memorable in NFL history.
Franco Harris grabbed the Terry Bradshaw pass. It bounced off of Raiders defender Jack Tatum. Later it reached a touchdown.
2 questions were raised during this game.
- The ball hit the ground- Yes or No
- The ball bounced off of Frenchy Fuqua – Yes or No
If Harris would have caught the ball off the rebound from Fuqua, it could have been a penalty. That rule was revoked later but existed at the time.
The Steelers won it and moved to the next round of the AFC championship game.
- Minnesota Vikings Vs Dallas Cowboys – Dec. 28, 1975
Roger Staubach after the match said that he threw the ball while uttering “Hail Mary.” Perhaps the prayer worked. It was Drew Pearson to move down with the ball. The Cowboys won the game and advanced toward the playoffs.
Losing by 14-10 and two minutes left in the game. The Cowboys moved towards midfield on nine plays. Just 24 seconds left, Pearson grabbed the ball, pushing cornerback Nate Wright towards the ground. It was indicated as a penalty and no flag was thrown.
The Minnesota crowd went mad. The game was over with the Cowboys win.
- Baltimore Colts Vs Oakland Raiders – Dec. 24, 1977
This game remained a double-overtime playoff game. It witnessed the Raiders down by 31-28. There were only 60 secs left in the game.
Kenny Stabler dived for Dave Casper in the “post” route. Stabler discovered him with a 43-yard gain. It was not all easy though, because Casper needed to change direction to complete the play.
A field goal extended the game to overtime. Casper took advantage of the game-winning pass within 43 seconds of the second overtime.
Which among the above 10 NFL matches do you consider most historic?