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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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Pittsburgh Steelers - Immaculate Reception
December 23, 1972

How do you choose between possibly the most iconic play in NFL history and one that won the Pittsburgh Steelers the Super Bowl? As great as the Santonio Holmes catch against the Arizona Cardinals is, it’s not literally displayed in the Pittsburgh Airport. Franco Harris has a statue of himself welcoming all passengers to the Steel City, and that tells you about the legacy of this play.

With 22 seconds left in the Steelers Divisional Round game against the Oakland Raiders, Terry Bradshaw threw a pass to running back John Fuqua. The ball bounced off the helmet of legendary safety Jack Tatum, and out of nowhere comes Franco Harris. Again, there was 22 seconds left in the game with the Steelers trailing by one point at the time of the play. 

Harris catches the ball about an inch from the ground, and he ran for the game-winning touchdown. The “Immaculate Reception” was born. 

As crazy as it might be to think of now, this play single-handedly changed the Steelers' fate. Prior to this, it was sort of a futile franchise. This was their first playoff win. While they didn’t win the Super Bowl that year, losing to the undefeated Miami Dolphins, they became the dominant team of the 1970s, building their own dynasty. 

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