Fansided

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

There are those plays that bring families together — the moments in the NFL where something amazing happens. It's hard to quantify, but every team has its own "greatest play," and for those who saw it live or in the stadium, it's something they'll tell friends, family, and acquaintances forever.

By Nick Villano

Divisional Round - New Orleans Saints v Minnesota Vikings
Divisional Round - New Orleans Saints v Minnesota Vikings / Hannah Foslien/GettyImages
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Los Angeles Rams - The Tackle
January 30, 2000

One knows a play is especially painful when it has two different names for the two teams involved. For (then) St. Louis Rams fans, the play is called “The Tackle.” For Tennessee Titans fans, it’s “One Yard Short.” The result is the same. With the Titans down seven points and the clock about to hit zero in Super Bowl XXXIV, Steve McNair was able to hit Kevin Dyson crossing and charging toward to the end zone. 

However, as the play names suggest, he was tackled one yard short. Mike Jones made the biggest play of his career. Instead of being a footnote to the failure that is the “Greatest Show on Turf,” Jones secured the victory for Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk, Isaac Bruce, and the rest of this insane Rams offense. This team has had amazing offensive players in its history, but it was one defensive play at the exact time they needed it that sealed it.

Tackles have an underrated impact on the game. It’s strange to think about since plays end in one of three ways: out of bounds, a score, or a tackle. Yet this is one of the few tackles on this list.

This is by far the most impactful non-turnover-causing tackle in league history. If Jones misses the tackle, the Titans have a chance to tie the Super Bowl with no time left and just an extra point. Instead, the Rams are known as one of the great teams of the early 2000s, and the Titans are still looking for that elusive first Super Bowl.

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