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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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Dallas Cowboys - First Hail Mary
December 28, 1975

The Dallas Cowboys are among the most popular sports franchises in the world, along with the New York Yankees, Real Madrid, Los Angeles Lakers, and Manchester United. In fact, just about every list has the Cowboys as the most valuable franchise, with a recent Forbes list valuing them at $9 billion. That valuation comes from a history of winning, despite recent success being much less fruitful. 

With that said, it’s not a surprise that the Cowboys are home to many of the league’s “firsts,” but one first that is unequivocally the best play in team history is the first ever Hail Mary. Roger Staubach and his Cowboys were down to the Vikings 14-10. With 32 seconds left in the game, Staubach walked back to his own 40-yard line and launched the ball 50 yards in the air to Drew Pearson.

Pearson stopped mid-route, came back to catch the ball while shedding the defender, and he walked into the end zone to give the Cowboys the lead and eventually the win. 

There is a history before this 1975 pass that might showcase “Hail Mary” as a term in college football, but the reason it’s mentioned basically every week of the NFL season today is because of Staubach’s pass to Pearson. 

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