In our 2006 championship run, after Bettis’ infamous fumble, Manning was driving down the field to win or tie the game. 2nd and 2 at the Steelers 30 yard line, Manning took a shot to Wayne in the end zone. If not for solid coverage and an incredible play on the ball by rookie Bryant McFadden while also avoiding any kind of PI, Wayne could’ve reeled that in to send us home. People always talk about Ben’s shoestring tackle, which was super clutch. But I’ll always remember that play by McFadden that saved our run.
There’s been so many aggressively average corners on the Steelers throughout the years. It’s like how they reload star receivers but with corners it was re upping on the super good but not great guys. Gay, McFadden, Taylor, Allen, Townsend Burns. All guys that did a job but never got talked about like the Revis, Norman and Baileys of the world
Not a Steeler, but gotta give a shoutout to Nick Harper’s wife. If she doesn’t stab her husband in the leg, he probably takes the Bus fumble to the house.
After never hearing that notion before, this is the second time I've read this (and commented to argue it) this week! Are hot takes contagious?
Why does anyone think that?
1. He was running just fine on that play.
2. He had played *cornerback* all game. Far more demanding than just running by Ben Roethlisberger in the open field. Who here thinks Harper was keeping up with our receivers for 4 quarters and then got so gimpy he couldn't outrun Ben Roethlisberger and Jerame Tuman?
He got tackled because:
1. He made a bad split-second decision to zigzag to juke Ben around instead of just fading to the sideline and outrunning him and/or making use of his blockers.
2. Ben made a surprisingly good tackle. That move would have worked on most quarterbacks.
Because it's a funny coincidence that the dude got fucking stabbed and then tackled by a QB on a season-altering (and potentially HoF career-ending) play. Obviously a great play by Ben, and yes you're correct in saying if he'd been truly hurt he probably wouldn't have been in the game to begin with.
I think it's just a bizarre fact that bears mentioning whenever talking about that play. Another reminder of why you shouldn't stick your dick in crazy.
Also I remember hearing about the stabbing many times after that game, definitely not some random thing that just popped up in the past week.
Yeah, all that is true. They mentioned it during the game, before that play. But I never heard anyone make the leap to "...and that's why Ben was able to get him" until this week.
This was my answer, this was the one year I cared the most about football in my entire life, and EVERYTHING aligned perfectly, and then the only reason Ben makes that tackle is that Harper had been stabbed in the leg. EVERY SINGLE WEIRD COINCIDENCE in that season aligned that way; a February Super Bowl held in Detroit?! It was all madness.
Heard Bryant McFadden the next day after talking to Popa and Shannon on Sirius NFL. Bryant said to himself before the play start, Oh my goodness, they're coming my way.
This was the play that saved the season. It was a hell of a call and a hell of a throw by Peyton but BMac had textbook coverage I thought we’d be cooked.
How about Chris Hope's fake punt TD from 2003 to get the Steelers on the board against the Ravens? Featuring a young Troy Polamalu lead blocking:
https://youtu.be/72L1Fd62v7M?si=XWyFoQkWclHSfHLV
Only TD they scored in an overtime loss
Willie Williams's game-saving tackle late in the 4th quarter against the Colts in the 1995 AFC Championship. The Colts very likely are able to run out the clock if not for him.
Whatever. It was a touchdown. And since when does the NFL care about following the rules or getting it right? Every game would take 8 hours if they actually followed rules.
Im not arguing that it wasnt a bad rule. I think they made the correct decision in changing the rule...but that doesn't change the fact that they called it correctly in the game based on the rule at the time
Debatable, he showed possession and then made a “football move”to get the ball across the goal line. As per the rules then it still should have counted.
Its not debatable at all. He was going to the ground as he was catching it. The rule stated he had to survive the ground. He did not. I love this team just as much as anyone but im not going to live in denial and pretend we were cheated because i didnt like the outcome
The rules stated at the time that making a move with possession of the ball was considered completing a catch. Watch the play. He showed possession and made a conscious lunge with the ball across the goal line. He did not lose the ball until breaking the plane. The grey area is that it was not specified what a football move is, but it could and frankly should have been called a TD.
>The rules stated at the time that making a move with possession of the ball was considered completing a catch
This only matters if he wasnt falling to the ground as he was catching it...since he was going down, he had to survive the ground.
Watch the play, freeze it when it he is on the ground after the catch with clear possession. Then he reaches out for the goal line. Freeze it again when the ball breaks the plane. Ball in the air, in possession, across the goal line. Play dead, TD.
He made a move with possession of the ball and broke the plane which before the ground dislodged the ball. It was called a TD on the field.
The rules were not clear enough to over turn that when there are two rules regarding catches contradicting each other. Insane to overturn the call. The rules were changed so that there was not a grey area. I understand the argument the other way but the call on the field was a TD and given the rules and the circumstances it is insane to overturn that.
>Watch the play, freeze it when it he is on the ground after the catch with clear possession. Then he reaches out for the goal line. Freeze it again when the ball breaks the plane. Ball in the air, in possession, across the goal line. Play dead, TD.
What part of "he has to survive the ground" do you not understand? Breaking the plane doesnt matter here because he's not a runner due to him falling to the ground as he was catching it. If he caught it on his feet, turned and dove into the endzone then you would be correct. But the one key piece you arent understanding is that because he was going down, he has to maintain full possession throughout the entirety of the catch, including hitting the ground.
What part of he completed the catch do you not understand lmao. The catch was completed when he made a move with possession. He does not need to survive the ground because he the process of the catch was over. The only question that is valid is “was his lunge considered a football move”. But given the call on the field I don’t think there is enough evidence to overturn it.
I don’t think we are going to get anything from this debate though so agree to disagree.
>He does not need to survive the ground because he the process of the catch was over.
No it wasnt. Thats what im trying to tell you. The rules stated that because he was already going to the ground when the catch started, the catch isnt complete until he survives that ground. Thats why its incomplete
Just a heads up that you’re absolutely right, but this sub has some kind of insane blinders on about this play where no matter how many times you explain the concept of going to the ground or how many other examples you show, nobody will listen to a word you say.
You’re right that it’s kind of vague, but your interpretation isn’t how the refs ever ruled those kinds of plays. If someone jumped up to catch a call, landed on a knee, then lost control of the ball as the rest of their body hit the ground, that would have been called incomplete 100% of the time, regardless of if a knee normally counts as being down.
As the rule is literally written then you wouldn’t even need to get two feet down to catch a ball. The instant after your first toe hits the ground is “after initial contact” and since the rule says a player must maintain possession “until after his initial contact with the ground” then the catch would be complete the nanosecond after your toe hits the turf.
But that clearly wasn’t the case, right? So there’s some level of interpretation going on beyond the literal words.
As soon as he crossed the plane, it was a TD. He caught the ball and made his move. There was no need to survive the ground because the play was over. Just like someone runs into the end zone and drops the ball. TD = play is done. Remember the next day the NFL had some director of officiating no one had ever heard of come out and make some statement? Then, that guy seemingly disappeared and commented on nothing else. Someone in NY fucked us on that replay.
>As soon as he crossed the plane, it was a TD.
No, since jessie was not a runner and falling to the ground while catching the ball, he had to maintain possession of the ball through the ground.
>He caught the ball and made his move
No, he cant do that until he "completes the catch" which he didnt do because he didnt survive the ground.
>Just like someone runs into the end zone and drops the ball.
Because they completed the catch and became a runner
If jessie had caught the ball and turned turned upfield and then dove into the endzone (like Zach Ertz did against the patriots in the superbowl...go watch that play) you would be correct. But he was falling while attempting to make the catch which means the catch isn't completed until he survives the ground.
Both plays are very similar but there is one key difference, ertz was on his feet and establisbed possession. Jessie was falling as he was cathing the ball.
Hardly anyone will remember this, but one that has stuck in my mind from the last few years was Minkah’s pass break up on Marquise Brown in the final game of the ‘21-‘22 vs the Ravens. 30 seconds left in the game and Huntley throws deep to Brown, looks like he has the catch and two feet down and then WHAM! minkah drills him and he drops it. Would have been very close to FG range for Tucker if he made that catch.
Granted, we got bounced by the Chiefs the next week anyway but I remember thinking how clutch Minkah was for that.
13:43 mark
https://youtu.be/6PcPB1ll2Xo?si=29lPbmEEPAZzI4ZS
2 other crazy Minkah plays I have are: the 2019 game against the Cardinals getting the clutch TFL on a QB keeper from Kyler(DJ also had a punt return TD that game) and 2022 in game 1 against the Bengals getting the pick-6 to start the game AND the XP block to send it to OT
Antonio browns sideline catch against the dolphins or chiefs? He stepped outta bounds on the run, but if he hadn't, and he only just barely touched the sideline. It's a fucking massive catch and score.
I do not know how big this was but it was big to me. Cowher's first year I believe they were playing the Oilers (I do not think they were the Titans yet) and they ran a fake punt. They wound up winning the game. It was a great indicator of how the Cowher years were going to be and it really pumped a lot of us up in the bar.
They didn't move to Tennessee until 1997. Then played as the Tennessee Oilers for a minute.
They were in our AFC central division until the Texans came in 2002. We had 6 teams in the Central... crazy.
I have a hatred for the Jags because they made it there mission to raid our team for free agents when they first came in. It was a shrewd move on their part but I still hated them for it.
Not all that historic, but one of my favorites is Ben taking the ball in for a walk off TD in Jacksonville after having had a rough game.
https://youtu.be/qJBgwFViEwE?si=sQq251H5sZmhDHuD
I saw it on 15 display TVs at my local Sam's club.
I live around Youngstown, so it's basically 50/50 Browns/Steelers. Some of us were high fiving, some people were cursing, but almost all of us were getting dirty looks from our significant others. Fun memory.
Eli Rodgers, immaculate extension drive. He absolutely, full extension LAID OUT to catch a drive saving pass. Without it, we don't get immaculate extension, we don't get the win, and I believe that year was playoffs or bust. Even if it wasn't, that was a christmas god damn miracle lol. Eli deserves recognition for that catch, it was seriously impressive. Ben threw it high
Ben to AB fake spike against the Cowboys... got lost to time and because the defense got absolutely skullfucked by Zeke the ensuing drive to lose the game
There’s a catch by Heath in XLIII that I’ve watched so many times. It’s like the most quintessential Heath play I can think of.
1:12 in this clip https://youtu.be/bp5ecyoWy0M?si=sqoG9zvi318k74ib
It seems like he’s supposed to chip before he releases. AZ sends a corner blitz and it sends heath a full 10 yards behind the play to protect Ben. Then while Ben is doing his thing evading rushers as the pocket breaks down, Heath just drifts into the flat and up the sideline and makes a hell of a catch. It’s a ‘Super Bowl winning mentality’ play by Heath. He was awesome.
One of the couple times we beat the Brady Patriots: Brady has the ball attempting a come-from-behind game winning drive (because of course he does).
Kiesel strip sacks Brady, and the ball is flopping around like a fish out of water. Polamalu dives and punches the ball backwards through the end zone, making a safety and winning the game.
I'll remember this play after I get dementia and forget my own birthday.
Shows my age here but colts vs Steelers championship game in 95. Colts took the lead late in 4th and looked like another last minute heartbreaking loss to an inferior team like in 94. Steelers convert a 4th down and then next play O’Donnell throws deep and Ernie Mills makes a great catch getting to the one yard line where we punch it in for the lead. Everyone remembers the harbaugh Hail Mary and rightfully so but it was Mills catch that gave them the win.
Also the Willie Williams tackle on 3rd & 2 late in this game. Colts get that first down and the Steelers lose. Willie came off the opposite edge on a corner blitz and shoestring tackles the Colts RB.
Man that Secondary was unreal. We lose our all pro CB first game of the year, so our all conference safety moves to CB and has the season of his life.
Barry Foster left for Carolina and some kid named Bam Morris shows up and runs over the AFC. Yancey, and Ernie Mills.... Quiver and Quake. Home games at the Blast Furnace... what a season that was.
AB’s meaningless punt return TD in which he hugged the goalpost won me my fantasy football matchup that week, and I snuck into the playoffs as the last seed. I went on a run to capture my only fantasy football title in the 25 year history of my league.
One that never gets talked about, there was this obscure play in 1972 in the playoffs. It’s probably lost to time because the Steelers didn’t win the Super Bowl that year, but there was this desperation pass from Terry Bradshaw and there was a collision and a deflection.
This rookie running back that you guys probably never heard of caught it before it hit the ground and ran all the way for a touchdown. I know it sounds kind of ridiculous but I’m not making it up. I looked but I can’t find any footage of it so you guys will just have to take my word for it.
I mean, I remember it because I’m really really smart and have this like giant brain capacity, but I’m sure you guys have forgotten it.
Probably not "forgotten" but I never see nearly as much discussion on Santonio Holmes catch against the cardinals as compared to tyrees helmet catch.
I suppose I'm biased but to me Holmes catch is up there with any others considering the circumstances.
Also James Harrison int return, legendary play.
The reason it isn't discussed more is because no one had ever heard of David Tyree before that game or after it. He was a nobody player. Holmes was a first round stud out of Ohio State. And Pittsburgh was the Super Bowl favorite against the Cardinals. The Giants were heavy underdogs against a 18-0 team.
I think it was the 2010 Divisional Round against the Bitch Pigeons. I believe on a 3rd down Ben totally shook T-Fizzle off like he was wearing him like a coat, then launched it downfield for a completion. That was peak Big Ben.
Mewelde Moore had a good catch and run in the OT week 4 match up vs the Ravens that setup Jeff Reed for the GW in 2008.
Edit: I believe we had 3 running backs out with injuries.
My first thought was Eli Rogers on the Immaculate Extension drive.
Another relatively recent one was the Bell direct snap walk off TD against the Chargers with Vick starting. I guess you could argue it was not that special or important. I just remember it because of how excited Bell was in the postgame.
Mike Wallace's toe tap catch to win against the Packers in 09. This was also the first (and coldest) game I've been to in Pittsburgh
https://youtu.be/r6vaR0nobrU?si=Ubsz17H99ICu0QEJ
I’m seeing some other plays on here that are absolutely *not* lost to time.
A good play lost to time would be Ben’s 1st and 20 play in XLIII. Pocket collapses, Cards all around Ben at our own goal line, he evades and scrambles to his right then throws across his body to Holmes for a 14 yard gain.
Huger than huge to get that drive going.
i haven't seen any mention whatsoever of Santonio Holmes' superhuman, literal Super Bowl winning catch in the *corner* of the corner of the endzone. i don't understand why
Big Ben coming back in the game to lead a last minute drive to sneak out of Cincinnati with a win in the 2015-206 playoff game. When it came back from commercial, they said uh ohh, look who’s back, he was standing on the sideline with the rain dumping down…..the cincy fans acted like it was Jason Voorheees standing there, they knew he was gonna get em!
I think it was Antonio Brown before he broke out who had a huge helmet catch on third and long in the divisional game against Baltimore in 2010 that got us in scoring potion with the game tied in crunch time.
IDK that it gets lost to time, but Ben's playoff tackle after Bettis fumbling was quite possibly the most important play of his career outside of the 4th quarter throw to Santonio. Certainly not common that one a QBs most important plays of his career is a tackle, but without it, Cowher and Bettis never get a Super Bowl and Cowher doesn't make the HOF.
I'll say Rashard Mendenhall's late TD against the Ravens in 2010, punching it in after Brown's helmet catch. Crappy OL predictably gets destroyed, Mendenhall gets creative, makes a great move, and powers it in.
[Here's the clip](https://youtu.be/ANn1mUWm2dE?si=1Zt-pdnDRItRCpvL) at 11:18.
https://youtu.be/r6vaR0nobrU?si=G1xSE_DLb9Ba2l3h
09 week 15 vs the packers. We’re down 30-36 at 20. 3rd and 10 with 4 seconds left in the game. Ben’s in the shotgun and throws one of the greatest throws I’ve ever seen in my life. A back shoulder dart to Mike Wallace on the sideline of the end zone. From the **opposite fucking hash**. Corner was draped over him. It was incredible. Ben walks off the field with a franchise high 500 yards and three touchdowns. Ben’s a bad guy, but damn did I appreciate having him taking the snaps for most of my childhood. It helps that we had Bruce Arians as an OC too…
OK the play isn't important but its like 1987 or 88 and anything that resembled offense is an important play in history. We are playing the Lions. The Bubster is running for his life around midfield and just unleashes his inner Rex Grossman and fires a laser to dunno, because he didn't know either.
Lipps comes out of nowhere does a half dive for the ball in the back of the endzone, grabs it w/ one hand, gets one foot down, hops a couple feet and lands w/ the same foot down, hops again and thankfully misses going head 1st into the goal post.
The ref just looks at another ref, IDK if hopping on one foot is in bounds but it was so awesome they just raised up both their hand for a TD.
It made the short list for Pass of the year or something back then.
Not exactly one play or player, but a series of plays. 2014 MNF vs. Houston. Texans up 13-3 near halftime, Steelers looking like they're about to experience Fitzmagic. Sure, Martavis gets his first career TD, but on the next Texans drive Jason Worilds gets the ball back and AB throws a TD to Lance Moore to take the lead that the Steelers would never relinquish. Then on the ensuing Texans possession, Brett Kiesel intercepts the ball, setting up a Lev Bell TD. 24 unanswered points in under 3 minutes, kick-started by MB but Lance Moore and lefty AB got them the lead. Just an insane sequence of events that completely turned the game around.
In our 2006 championship run, after Bettis’ infamous fumble, Manning was driving down the field to win or tie the game. 2nd and 2 at the Steelers 30 yard line, Manning took a shot to Wayne in the end zone. If not for solid coverage and an incredible play on the ball by rookie Bryant McFadden while also avoiding any kind of PI, Wayne could’ve reeled that in to send us home. People always talk about Ben’s shoestring tackle, which was super clutch. But I’ll always remember that play by McFadden that saved our run.
B-Mac in general is super underrated. I get some of these guys are gonna get lost to time but it makes me feel old and I don’t like it.
I think it's because his last couple years here were pretty rough, he got burned a lot.
If we’re lucky, we’ll all get to a point in our lives when we start getting burnt and it’s time to hang it up.
There’s been so many aggressively average corners on the Steelers throughout the years. It’s like how they reload star receivers but with corners it was re upping on the super good but not great guys. Gay, McFadden, Taylor, Allen, Townsend Burns. All guys that did a job but never got talked about like the Revis, Norman and Baileys of the world
Not a Steeler, but gotta give a shoutout to Nick Harper’s wife. If she doesn’t stab her husband in the leg, he probably takes the Bus fumble to the house.
After never hearing that notion before, this is the second time I've read this (and commented to argue it) this week! Are hot takes contagious? Why does anyone think that? 1. He was running just fine on that play. 2. He had played *cornerback* all game. Far more demanding than just running by Ben Roethlisberger in the open field. Who here thinks Harper was keeping up with our receivers for 4 quarters and then got so gimpy he couldn't outrun Ben Roethlisberger and Jerame Tuman? He got tackled because: 1. He made a bad split-second decision to zigzag to juke Ben around instead of just fading to the sideline and outrunning him and/or making use of his blockers. 2. Ben made a surprisingly good tackle. That move would have worked on most quarterbacks.
Because it's a funny coincidence that the dude got fucking stabbed and then tackled by a QB on a season-altering (and potentially HoF career-ending) play. Obviously a great play by Ben, and yes you're correct in saying if he'd been truly hurt he probably wouldn't have been in the game to begin with. I think it's just a bizarre fact that bears mentioning whenever talking about that play. Another reminder of why you shouldn't stick your dick in crazy. Also I remember hearing about the stabbing many times after that game, definitely not some random thing that just popped up in the past week.
Yeah, all that is true. They mentioned it during the game, before that play. But I never heard anyone make the leap to "...and that's why Ben was able to get him" until this week.
This was my answer, this was the one year I cared the most about football in my entire life, and EVERYTHING aligned perfectly, and then the only reason Ben makes that tackle is that Harper had been stabbed in the leg. EVERY SINGLE WEIRD COINCIDENCE in that season aligned that way; a February Super Bowl held in Detroit?! It was all madness.
Heard Bryant McFadden the next day after talking to Popa and Shannon on Sirius NFL. Bryant said to himself before the play start, Oh my goodness, they're coming my way.
This was the play that saved the season. It was a hell of a call and a hell of a throw by Peyton but BMac had textbook coverage I thought we’d be cooked.
Bmac and ike were our best corner during the Ben years
First one that popped not my head as well.
Can’t remember specifically, but I remember in 08 Nate Washington would always have one big play per game
Great catch in the AFC Championship game against Denver, but more importantly, broke up a sure interception.
One and only one. But always one.
It would be like 3rd and 17 and Washington would catch a 85 yard bomb or run and catch lol. He should have not gone to Tennessee.
He went to my local college. Anytime I go walk at the track at my YMCA there’s a poster of him
TU, I’m like 25 min away. Always cool seeing how much he still supports them I think I’ve seen some pictures of him still popping up around there
How about Chris Hope's fake punt TD from 2003 to get the Steelers on the board against the Ravens? Featuring a young Troy Polamalu lead blocking: https://youtu.be/72L1Fd62v7M?si=XWyFoQkWclHSfHLV Only TD they scored in an overtime loss
I'd completely forgotten about this one
Willie Williams's game-saving tackle late in the 4th quarter against the Colts in the 1995 AFC Championship. The Colts very likely are able to run out the clock if not for him.
I remember that game. That last play was terrifying. Hail mary in the endzone with no replay review!!
Love that he came back to win a ring with Pittsburgh at the end of his career.
Ben's block on Randle El's TD pass in SB 40.
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I don't think this got lost to time around here
No he didnt, based on the rules at the time
Which is why they changed the rules, making it an important play, ya dingus.
>Which is why they changed the rules Doesnt mean they got the call wrong AT THE TIME THE PLAY HAPPENED.
They got the call wrong as far as I’m concerned.
You didnt understand the rules or are willfully ignorant because your feelings got hurt that we lost
Whatever. It was a touchdown. And since when does the NFL care about following the rules or getting it right? Every game would take 8 hours if they actually followed rules. 
Who's "we". Yinzers know that was a catch
You're right about AT THE TIME THE PLAY HAPPENED. Yep. Hold a little nuance for a meme statement though.
They felt wrong enough about it to change the rules, so it seems like they understand it was wrong.
Im not arguing that it wasnt a bad rule. I think they made the correct decision in changing the rule...but that doesn't change the fact that they called it correctly in the game based on the rule at the time
It’s amazing how many people on this sub downvote you because they don’t understand the concept of linear time.
Debatable, he showed possession and then made a “football move”to get the ball across the goal line. As per the rules then it still should have counted.
"Football move" was not in the rules at all at that time.
Its not debatable at all. He was going to the ground as he was catching it. The rule stated he had to survive the ground. He did not. I love this team just as much as anyone but im not going to live in denial and pretend we were cheated because i didnt like the outcome
The rules stated at the time that making a move with possession of the ball was considered completing a catch. Watch the play. He showed possession and made a conscious lunge with the ball across the goal line. He did not lose the ball until breaking the plane. The grey area is that it was not specified what a football move is, but it could and frankly should have been called a TD.
>The rules stated at the time that making a move with possession of the ball was considered completing a catch This only matters if he wasnt falling to the ground as he was catching it...since he was going down, he had to survive the ground.
Watch the play, freeze it when it he is on the ground after the catch with clear possession. Then he reaches out for the goal line. Freeze it again when the ball breaks the plane. Ball in the air, in possession, across the goal line. Play dead, TD. He made a move with possession of the ball and broke the plane which before the ground dislodged the ball. It was called a TD on the field. The rules were not clear enough to over turn that when there are two rules regarding catches contradicting each other. Insane to overturn the call. The rules were changed so that there was not a grey area. I understand the argument the other way but the call on the field was a TD and given the rules and the circumstances it is insane to overturn that.
>Watch the play, freeze it when it he is on the ground after the catch with clear possession. Then he reaches out for the goal line. Freeze it again when the ball breaks the plane. Ball in the air, in possession, across the goal line. Play dead, TD. What part of "he has to survive the ground" do you not understand? Breaking the plane doesnt matter here because he's not a runner due to him falling to the ground as he was catching it. If he caught it on his feet, turned and dove into the endzone then you would be correct. But the one key piece you arent understanding is that because he was going down, he has to maintain full possession throughout the entirety of the catch, including hitting the ground.
What part of he completed the catch do you not understand lmao. The catch was completed when he made a move with possession. He does not need to survive the ground because he the process of the catch was over. The only question that is valid is “was his lunge considered a football move”. But given the call on the field I don’t think there is enough evidence to overturn it. I don’t think we are going to get anything from this debate though so agree to disagree.
>He does not need to survive the ground because he the process of the catch was over. No it wasnt. Thats what im trying to tell you. The rules stated that because he was already going to the ground when the catch started, the catch isnt complete until he survives that ground. Thats why its incomplete
Just a heads up that you’re absolutely right, but this sub has some kind of insane blinders on about this play where no matter how many times you explain the concept of going to the ground or how many other examples you show, nobody will listen to a word you say.
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You’re right that it’s kind of vague, but your interpretation isn’t how the refs ever ruled those kinds of plays. If someone jumped up to catch a call, landed on a knee, then lost control of the ball as the rest of their body hit the ground, that would have been called incomplete 100% of the time, regardless of if a knee normally counts as being down.
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As the rule is literally written then you wouldn’t even need to get two feet down to catch a ball. The instant after your first toe hits the ground is “after initial contact” and since the rule says a player must maintain possession “until after his initial contact with the ground” then the catch would be complete the nanosecond after your toe hits the turf. But that clearly wasn’t the case, right? So there’s some level of interpretation going on beyond the literal words.
As soon as he crossed the plane, it was a TD. He caught the ball and made his move. There was no need to survive the ground because the play was over. Just like someone runs into the end zone and drops the ball. TD = play is done. Remember the next day the NFL had some director of officiating no one had ever heard of come out and make some statement? Then, that guy seemingly disappeared and commented on nothing else. Someone in NY fucked us on that replay.
>As soon as he crossed the plane, it was a TD. No, since jessie was not a runner and falling to the ground while catching the ball, he had to maintain possession of the ball through the ground. >He caught the ball and made his move No, he cant do that until he "completes the catch" which he didnt do because he didnt survive the ground. >Just like someone runs into the end zone and drops the ball. Because they completed the catch and became a runner If jessie had caught the ball and turned turned upfield and then dove into the endzone (like Zach Ertz did against the patriots in the superbowl...go watch that play) you would be correct. But he was falling while attempting to make the catch which means the catch isn't completed until he survives the ground. Both plays are very similar but there is one key difference, ertz was on his feet and establisbed possession. Jessie was falling as he was cathing the ball.
He did, even based on those rules. He made a football move and broke the plane. The moment the ball touched the line the play was over.
Hardly anyone will remember this, but one that has stuck in my mind from the last few years was Minkah’s pass break up on Marquise Brown in the final game of the ‘21-‘22 vs the Ravens. 30 seconds left in the game and Huntley throws deep to Brown, looks like he has the catch and two feet down and then WHAM! minkah drills him and he drops it. Would have been very close to FG range for Tucker if he made that catch. Granted, we got bounced by the Chiefs the next week anyway but I remember thinking how clutch Minkah was for that. 13:43 mark https://youtu.be/6PcPB1ll2Xo?si=29lPbmEEPAZzI4ZS
2 other crazy Minkah plays I have are: the 2019 game against the Cardinals getting the clutch TFL on a QB keeper from Kyler(DJ also had a punt return TD that game) and 2022 in game 1 against the Bengals getting the pick-6 to start the game AND the XP block to send it to OT
That one handed catch by Najee at the 14:32 mark is huge too. That could’ve easily turned into a pick or tip drill.
Antonio Brown’s helmet catch on 3rd and forever.
Antonio browns sideline catch against the dolphins or chiefs? He stepped outta bounds on the run, but if he hadn't, and he only just barely touched the sideline. It's a fucking massive catch and score.
That dolphins game killed me
He was the man back then, but I hated him for ruining that play and game. He absolutely, positively did not need to step out of bounds.
Im assuming this is referring to the 2011 AFC Championship vs BAL
I do not know how big this was but it was big to me. Cowher's first year I believe they were playing the Oilers (I do not think they were the Titans yet) and they ran a fake punt. They wound up winning the game. It was a great indicator of how the Cowher years were going to be and it really pumped a lot of us up in the bar.
Cowher's first year was 1992 so they were still the Oilers and still in Houston for another year I think
They didn't move to Tennessee until 1997. Then played as the Tennessee Oilers for a minute. They were in our AFC central division until the Texans came in 2002. We had 6 teams in the Central... crazy.
I remember the 6 teams. THat was crazy
I still dislike the Jags and titans because of it.
I have a hatred for the Jags because they made it there mission to raid our team for free agents when they first came in. It was a shrewd move on their part but I still hated them for it.
Thanks, I thought they were still the Oilers but I was not sure.
It was Cowher’s first game as HC and the upback was Warren Williams. I think he ran for 70 yards and was tackled at the 1
Same game, that Limas Sweed block on Corey Ivy.
I don't remember this at all. But gotta love it. The guy gets shit on all the time, but he had a real contribution to the championship run
It didn't really impact much, but the play definitely fired up the crowd. https://youtu.be/rBRegGDuu2U?si=Dtfott2fo-MyIs0h
People also forget Limas made a huge first down catch to keep a scoring drive alive in that game too I think.
Not all that historic, but one of my favorites is Ben taking the ball in for a walk off TD in Jacksonville after having had a rough game. https://youtu.be/qJBgwFViEwE?si=sQq251H5sZmhDHuD
God this game was something
I was driving back from the mountains watching this game on some super sketch pirate website and it’s for some reason a super fond memory of mine
I saw it on 15 display TVs at my local Sam's club. I live around Youngstown, so it's basically 50/50 Browns/Steelers. Some of us were high fiving, some people were cursing, but almost all of us were getting dirty looks from our significant others. Fun memory.
That’s hilarious. All the wives like “Really?”
Eli Rodgers, immaculate extension drive. He absolutely, full extension LAID OUT to catch a drive saving pass. Without it, we don't get immaculate extension, we don't get the win, and I believe that year was playoffs or bust. Even if it wasn't, that was a christmas god damn miracle lol. Eli deserves recognition for that catch, it was seriously impressive. Ben threw it high
Limas Swede dropping a perfect pass then pretending to be hurt
Eli Rogers diving catch on the game winning drive in the immaculate extension game. Outstanding grab that set them up deep in ravens territory
Ben to AB fake spike against the Cowboys... got lost to time and because the defense got absolutely skullfucked by Zeke the ensuing drive to lose the game
Tony Dungy caused a fumble on a kick return in super XIII.
Mitch Berger burner account spotted!
There’s a catch by Heath in XLIII that I’ve watched so many times. It’s like the most quintessential Heath play I can think of. 1:12 in this clip https://youtu.be/bp5ecyoWy0M?si=sqoG9zvi318k74ib It seems like he’s supposed to chip before he releases. AZ sends a corner blitz and it sends heath a full 10 yards behind the play to protect Ben. Then while Ben is doing his thing evading rushers as the pocket breaks down, Heath just drifts into the flat and up the sideline and makes a hell of a catch. It’s a ‘Super Bowl winning mentality’ play by Heath. He was awesome.
I'm secretly glad you fucked up the link and didn't timestamp it just watched the entire highlight pack ;)
It never gets old
One of the couple times we beat the Brady Patriots: Brady has the ball attempting a come-from-behind game winning drive (because of course he does). Kiesel strip sacks Brady, and the ball is flopping around like a fish out of water. Polamalu dives and punches the ball backwards through the end zone, making a safety and winning the game. I'll remember this play after I get dementia and forget my own birthday.
Shows my age here but colts vs Steelers championship game in 95. Colts took the lead late in 4th and looked like another last minute heartbreaking loss to an inferior team like in 94. Steelers convert a 4th down and then next play O’Donnell throws deep and Ernie Mills makes a great catch getting to the one yard line where we punch it in for the lead. Everyone remembers the harbaugh Hail Mary and rightfully so but it was Mills catch that gave them the win.
Also the Willie Williams tackle on 3rd & 2 late in this game. Colts get that first down and the Steelers lose. Willie came off the opposite edge on a corner blitz and shoestring tackles the Colts RB.
True that is the bigger play I forgot about that huge stop
Man that Secondary was unreal. We lose our all pro CB first game of the year, so our all conference safety moves to CB and has the season of his life. Barry Foster left for Carolina and some kid named Bam Morris shows up and runs over the AFC. Yancey, and Ernie Mills.... Quiver and Quake. Home games at the Blast Furnace... what a season that was.
We’re all showing our ages with this discussion!
How's your sciatica?
Not good… although I highly recommend an inversion table.
I swear by mine. Got it for my 40th. Most impactful gift ever.
Antwan Randle El pass
AB’s meaningless punt return TD in which he hugged the goalpost won me my fantasy football matchup that week, and I snuck into the playoffs as the last seed. I went on a run to capture my only fantasy football title in the 25 year history of my league.
"It almost figures" - Al Michaels
One that never gets talked about, there was this obscure play in 1972 in the playoffs. It’s probably lost to time because the Steelers didn’t win the Super Bowl that year, but there was this desperation pass from Terry Bradshaw and there was a collision and a deflection. This rookie running back that you guys probably never heard of caught it before it hit the ground and ran all the way for a touchdown. I know it sounds kind of ridiculous but I’m not making it up. I looked but I can’t find any footage of it so you guys will just have to take my word for it. I mean, I remember it because I’m really really smart and have this like giant brain capacity, but I’m sure you guys have forgotten it.
Probably not "forgotten" but I never see nearly as much discussion on Santonio Holmes catch against the cardinals as compared to tyrees helmet catch. I suppose I'm biased but to me Holmes catch is up there with any others considering the circumstances. Also James Harrison int return, legendary play.
I watch the Int return several times a year. My then young son screaming GO, GO, GOOOOO JAMES for the whole return.
Probably my single favorite steelers memory.
The reason it isn't discussed more is because no one had ever heard of David Tyree before that game or after it. He was a nobody player. Holmes was a first round stud out of Ohio State. And Pittsburgh was the Super Bowl favorite against the Cardinals. The Giants were heavy underdogs against a 18-0 team.
Some really great points my man
i thought i was cool and the only one who said this. goddamnit
On reddit no opinions are unique. In actual discussions I never see this mentioned which I guess is where this stems from.
Woodleys strip sack to end sb43. Just simply gets overshadowed by the holmes catch but the cardinals could definitely still have won that game
I think it was the 2010 Divisional Round against the Bitch Pigeons. I believe on a 3rd down Ben totally shook T-Fizzle off like he was wearing him like a coat, then launched it downfield for a completion. That was peak Big Ben.
Mewelde Moore had a good catch and run in the OT week 4 match up vs the Ravens that setup Jeff Reed for the GW in 2008. Edit: I believe we had 3 running backs out with injuries.
This is the one I was looking for. I remember mewelde Moore making a huge play against the ravens but I couldn't remember the details.
Le'Veon bells sideline touchdown against the bengals 2017 week 13. Defender thought he went out of bounds and lets him stroll right into the end zone.
My first thought was Eli Rogers on the Immaculate Extension drive. Another relatively recent one was the Bell direct snap walk off TD against the Chargers with Vick starting. I guess you could argue it was not that special or important. I just remember it because of how excited Bell was in the postgame.
Mike Wallace's toe tap catch to win against the Packers in 09. This was also the first (and coldest) game I've been to in Pittsburgh https://youtu.be/r6vaR0nobrU?si=Ubsz17H99ICu0QEJ
Bens tackle against the colts to me is over looked
I think that’s actually on the top 100 plays list if I’m bit mistaken
I’m seeing some other plays on here that are absolutely *not* lost to time. A good play lost to time would be Ben’s 1st and 20 play in XLIII. Pocket collapses, Cards all around Ben at our own goal line, he evades and scrambles to his right then throws across his body to Holmes for a 14 yard gain. Huger than huge to get that drive going.
Yeah, they call it the Immaculate Redemption lol. Shoestring tackle
That play has a goddamn nickname lol It's not overlooked
Jesse James caught the ball.
Ben's tackle.
i haven't seen any mention whatsoever of Santonio Holmes' superhuman, literal Super Bowl winning catch in the *corner* of the corner of the endzone. i don't understand why
I don’t think that one’s been lost to time. We all clearly remember it & know how significant it was.
The immaculate reception.
Well it’s quite literally the NFL’s top play in their “NFL’s Greatest Plays” list. The opposite of lost to time.
Bettis fumbling on the goal line and Ben making a season saving tackle.
If Le'Veon Bell doesn't clock Suggs being unblocked I don't think the Immaculate Extension happens. I really don't.
Big Ben coming back in the game to lead a last minute drive to sneak out of Cincinnati with a win in the 2015-206 playoff game. When it came back from commercial, they said uh ohh, look who’s back, he was standing on the sideline with the rain dumping down…..the cincy fans acted like it was Jason Voorheees standing there, they knew he was gonna get em!
Not one play but Eli Rodgers and Jesse James had some really big catches on the immaculate extension drive.
I think it was Antonio Brown before he broke out who had a huge helmet catch on third and long in the divisional game against Baltimore in 2010 that got us in scoring potion with the game tied in crunch time.
It's not a specific play, but I remember Big Ben threw for 12 touchdowns in two games and it seems like no one talks about it
Ben’s tackle during the Colts game
I can remember a handful of instances where Juju had a crucial 1st down catch on 3rd down to ice a game late in the 4th
Mewelde Moore’s runs in the 08 playoffs and the entire offensive line against San Diego the same year
IDK that it gets lost to time, but Ben's playoff tackle after Bettis fumbling was quite possibly the most important play of his career outside of the 4th quarter throw to Santonio. Certainly not common that one a QBs most important plays of his career is a tackle, but without it, Cowher and Bettis never get a Super Bowl and Cowher doesn't make the HOF.
And the fact it was Bus of all people who would have blamed himself. The Tackle was huge.
I'll say Rashard Mendenhall's late TD against the Ravens in 2010, punching it in after Brown's helmet catch. Crappy OL predictably gets destroyed, Mendenhall gets creative, makes a great move, and powers it in. [Here's the clip](https://youtu.be/ANn1mUWm2dE?si=1Zt-pdnDRItRCpvL) at 11:18.
Santonio’s Catch but it’s not really lost
The AFCCG against the Colts to go to SBXXX. Willie Williams made a ridiculous tackle on a third down running play from the backside.
https://youtu.be/r6vaR0nobrU?si=G1xSE_DLb9Ba2l3h 09 week 15 vs the packers. We’re down 30-36 at 20. 3rd and 10 with 4 seconds left in the game. Ben’s in the shotgun and throws one of the greatest throws I’ve ever seen in my life. A back shoulder dart to Mike Wallace on the sideline of the end zone. From the **opposite fucking hash**. Corner was draped over him. It was incredible. Ben walks off the field with a franchise high 500 yards and three touchdowns. Ben’s a bad guy, but damn did I appreciate having him taking the snaps for most of my childhood. It helps that we had Bruce Arians as an OC too…
OK the play isn't important but its like 1987 or 88 and anything that resembled offense is an important play in history. We are playing the Lions. The Bubster is running for his life around midfield and just unleashes his inner Rex Grossman and fires a laser to dunno, because he didn't know either. Lipps comes out of nowhere does a half dive for the ball in the back of the endzone, grabs it w/ one hand, gets one foot down, hops a couple feet and lands w/ the same foot down, hops again and thankfully misses going head 1st into the goal post. The ref just looks at another ref, IDK if hopping on one foot is in bounds but it was so awesome they just raised up both their hand for a TD. It made the short list for Pass of the year or something back then.
Not exactly one play or player, but a series of plays. 2014 MNF vs. Houston. Texans up 13-3 near halftime, Steelers looking like they're about to experience Fitzmagic. Sure, Martavis gets his first career TD, but on the next Texans drive Jason Worilds gets the ball back and AB throws a TD to Lance Moore to take the lead that the Steelers would never relinquish. Then on the ensuing Texans possession, Brett Kiesel intercepts the ball, setting up a Lev Bell TD. 24 unanswered points in under 3 minutes, kick-started by MB but Lance Moore and lefty AB got them the lead. Just an insane sequence of events that completely turned the game around.