Down by 7, 55 yards from the endzone, 5 seconds left, Rodgers takes the snap, drops back, heaves the ball high into the sky and….stop me if you’ve heard this one before. With the recent conclusion to regulation of the NFC Divisional playoff game between the Green Bay Packers and Arizona Cardinals there has been some attention drawn to the “Hail Mary” play that has been around for decades. Due to the rarity of its success along with the vital impact it tends to have on games it makes it into one of the most exciting plays to happen in all of sports, comparable to a buzzer-beating shot half-court shot in basketball or a last second long-range goal in soccer.
The term first became widely known after a 1975 NFL playoff game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Minnesota Vikings. From midfield with 37 seconds left on the clock, trailing 14-10, Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach threw a long desperation pass down the right sideline to a waiting Drew Pearson, who caught it at the 5 yard line as Vikings corner back Nate Wright fell down. Pearson then turned and jogged into the endzone, scoring a touchdown and putting the Cowboys up 16-14 with just 24 seconds remaining. They would go on to win the game 17-14, after the extra-point advancing to Super Bowl X where they lost to the Steelers 21-17. After the game, Staubach said of the play “I closed my eyes and said a Hail Mary.”1 Although previously known as any sort of desperation play, this was the when a “Hail Mary” became known as a long, desperate pass at the end of the game that is hoped to gain some points when the team is out of field goal range or in need of a Touchdown.2
Some of the most memorable and exciting plays in all of football include “Hail Mary” plays. Either as a result of poor defense, a spectacular play by the offense, or just plain luck, these plays can not only determine the fate of a game but also the whole season for a team. Whether it’s Staubach to Pearson, sending the Cowboys to a classic Super Bowl matchup with the Steelers, or Aaron Rodgers to Jeff Janis pass that ultimately doesn’t change the outcome, you can always count on a “Hail Mary” to provide some excitement.
References
Hail Mary Pass. Retrieved January 21, 2016
Retrieved January 21, 2016
This was a interesting read. I enjoyed the sports blog narration in your introduction and the brief history of the "Hail Mary" football pass.
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