Each NFL team's greatest play of all-time and why

Jacksonville Jaguars - Brunell to Smith
January 4, 1997

We’ve heard “Mark Brunell hits Jimmy Smith for a touchdown” so many times. Smith doesn’t get his fair due in today’s NFL. We hear about the greats of the late 90s and early 2000s when people describe Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, Marvin Harrison, Isaac Bruce, and even non-Hall of Famers like Torry Holt and Steve Smith, but Jimmy Smith was truly one of the best of his era. So, it only makes sense that the best Jaguars play of all time involves him and their best 

quarterback, Mark Brunell. 

Going back to the very early days of the Jacksonville Jaguars, the expectations were pretty low going into the playoffs. The Denver Broncos had all the stars, and the Jaguars didn’t know what playoff football was like. Not only that, but the Jaguars were going from the Sunshine State to Mile High Stadium in early January. The signs were pointing to a Broncos win by a lot. 

The Broncos were the top seed after all. However, the Jaguars had moxy, and that’s why they called the play from the 20-yard line on 3rd and 5. Brunell took a one-step drop and just threw up a perfect teardrop pass to Smith near the sideline. Smith, of course, caught the pass and sealed the Jaguars victory.

At the time it was the biggest upset since 1969. The Broncos were supposed to smoke the Jaguars, and remember this was a time before a John Elway Super Bowl, so this was another chapter in his failures. But truly, this was just the perfect pass and the perfect play.