Your team's 3 best "gut punch" wins (in your mind) (1 Viewer)

[Ghost Rider]

This is the opposite of the other thread. Basically, what wins did your team pull out that you just know was a gut punch to fans of the other team?

Broncos:

1. Super Bowl XXXII - I am pretty sure most Packers never even entertained the idea that a 12-point underdog would beat them, especially given the Broncos' previous Super Bowl history, but when it happened, it was the best thing ever for Broncos fans, and it had to be the worst thing ever for Packers fans.

2. The Drive - Need I say more? In fact, The Drive and The Fumble might as well be 2a and 2b.

3. January 2012 AFC Wild Card game: Broncos beat the Steelers in OT. Tebow to Demaryius Thomas for the win, and agains the number 1 D in football. Ouch for Steelers fans.

 

[jasvic]

Top of my head:

1. Eagles-Cowboys 1980/81 NFC Championship.

2. Eagles-Giants Miracles at the Meadowlands, both 1978 and 2010.

3. Eagles-Packers 2003/04 playoffs, 4th and 26.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

Off the top of my head...

#3 - Polamalu INT return TD to beat the Ravens, 2009 AFCC.

#2 - Roethlisberger to Holmes, Super Bowl 43 two weeks later.

#1 - The Immaculate Reception. Probably the biggest gut punch win in sports history.

There may be better ones, I only thought about it for a minute or two. #1 won't move, ever. Most of the Steelers' prominent wins weren't really "gut punch" victories - a lot of them were "get up early and grind it out" type wins. I thought about Roethlisberger's tackle of Nick Harper in 2005, but the Steelers led that whole game and the Colts (along with the officials) really only gave themselves a chance late. Vanderjagt blowing that potential game-tying kick had to be a pretty big kick to the balls, though, so maybe that game does belong in there.

 

[Sarnoff]

1) The Giants beating the undefeated Patriots in the Super Bowl with the crazy catch.

2) The Giants beating the Patriots in the other Super Bowl with the other crazy catch.

3) The Giants beating the Bills in the Scott Norwood/"Wide Right" Super Bowl.

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

1 - SD beating Pittsburgh in the AFC title game to go to superbowl 29. ALFRED PUPUNU!

2 - SD beating Miami in playoff, (not the kellen winslow game) but Dan marino had a 21-3 over SD and the bolts come back and win it 22-21.

3 - WIlcard game vs the Colts - Darren Sproles need I say more?

 

[pats3in4]

Easy. And all happened in the same post-season:

1. Snow Bowl (or Tuck Rule Game, depending on POV)

2. SB36

3. AFCCG

Edit: Even BB said afterwards, "I can't believe we won with this ######## team."

2nd edit: Although, the playoff wins in Miami ("Squish the Fish", breaking a 20yr losing streak in Miami) and LA (6 turnovers by LA, with the winning points coming on a fumbled KO by Fulton Walker in the endzone for a TD) in '85 deserve mention. As does the 2004 AFCCG win in Pittsburgh, but people forget how badly Ben played in both that game and the Jets game prior and that the Pats missed both Corey Dillon and Deion Branch in the regular season Pittsburgh win whose returns would prove key in the rematch; I don't know if that's truly a stomach punch game for Steelers fans...the signs were clearly there for a Pats victory.

 

[TheDirtyWord]

Falcons:

1998 NFC Championship Game vs. Vikings - Responsible for their NFL Films Missing Rings show. Noone gave Falcons a chance...don't know if MIN ever recovered from that team not winning it all.

2012 NFC Divisional Playoff vs.Seahawks - After an incredible comeback on the road by the Seahawks...Matt Ryan inches down the field just far enough to kick game wining FG. (unfortunately, gut punch loss happened following week )

2004 NFC Divisional Playoff vs.Packers - Probably not a gut punch to aging Packer team that took awhile to get back to being good, but dealing Packers first playoff loss at Lambeau (in the snow no less) was a bit of a stunner.

 

[BroadwayG]

We want the ball, and we're gonna score!

Walter Stanley 1986 Thanksgiving game

 

[dutch]

Bills- 3) January, 1991, AFCCG- Bills 51-Raiders 3: The Raiders were all kinds of cocky coming into the game thinking their Dee was going to stop the K-Gun. The Bills recorded six interceptions and scored from all over the field in a rout of Super Bowl proportions. What a game.

2a)Buffalo over Miami 44-34, January 1991 AFC Divisional game

2b)Buffalo over Miami 29-10 January 1993 AFCCG

2c)Buffalo over Miami 37-22 December 1995 Wild Card game

Squish the Fish! Bryan Cox and his cocky self, Dan MArino and his whiny ways, Don Shula and his trolling antics- Loved, Loved, Loved watching these games!

1) with a bullet- The Comeback- Truly one of the games that may rival the Immaculate reception in gut punching effect on a team and its fan base. I remember throwing the remote at the wall/TV at one point I was so disgusted with the play of the Bills, but in the second half...WOW! I still get chills thinking about that game! And I do feel for the Oiler fans who have to live with that memory. What a way to lose.

 

[SmoovySmoov]

1) "They are who we thought they were! If you want to crown them, then crown their asses!!!"

2) Super Bowl XX

3) Any win over the Packers

 

[Ghost Rider]

2 - SD beating Miami in playoff, (not the kellen winslow game) but Dan marino had a 21-3 over SD and the bolts come back and win it 22-21.

From a betting standpoint, that is my favorite game ever. I had big bucks on Miami +2, Under 45 and a parlay of Miami and the Under. Suffice it to say, I was praying Stoyanavich would miss that FG for Miami at the end (which would have put it Over the total).

 

[Plorfu]

Off the top of my head...

#3 - Polamalu INT return TD to beat the Ravens, 2009 AFCC.

My sister called me the Tuesday before the game and said they had an extra ticket to this, so I bought a ridiculously expensive plane ticket and flew back for it. Further, we were sitting in by the corner of the endzone where he scored. I remember how freaking cold it was and how nervous the stadium was right before that happened. Man, we went absolutely bonkers.

And to top it off, when I flew back to Phoenix and walked up the ramp, it was kind of funny to see all of these demoralized Eagles' fans getting ready for their long depressing flight back to Philly.

 

[Jeremy]

Really, the most joyous didn't involve my team directly. That would be the Nate Poole miracle catch vs the Vikings that allowed the Packers to make the playoffs in 2003. The Vikings play-by-play call for that catch was a thing of beauty.

But actively involving my team...

"We want the ball and we're going to score".

The Freeman catch in overtime against the Vikings was great. "He did WHAT!?"

The Favre to Sterling Sharpe 40 yard TD pass to beat the Lions in the 1994 wildcard game.

 

[Plorfu]

Really, the most joyous didn't involve my team directly. That would be the Nate Poole miracle catch vs the Vikings that allowed the Packers to make the playoffs in 2003. The Vikings play-by-play call for that catch was a thing of beauty.

I was actually at THIS game, too. By far my favorite non-Pittsburgh related live sporting event I've ever attended, especially since I was with this really obnoxious buddy and his large family from Minnesota. Some of them actually cried. I was giggling like a mental patient and couldn't stop.

 

[bostonfred]

Easy. And all happened in the same post-season:

1. Snow Bowl (or Tuck Rule Game, depending on POV)

2. SB36

3. AFCCG

Edit: Even BB said afterwards, "I can't believe we won with this ######## team.

Hard to argue with this list or the order, but I'd at least add some honorable mentions, like the Patriots holding the Colts to 3 points during Manning's 49 TD season, the 4 INT game the year before, the interception strip by Troy Brown against the Chargers, and the 1996 Pats/Steelers game where a rookie WR named Terry Glenn caught that bomb in the fog on her very first play and ultimately catapulted the Patriots to their second AFC championship. There were some lean years for a while but some of the most memorable wins, too.

 

[Beerguzzler]

1 - SD beating Pittsburgh in the AFC title game to go to superbowl 29. ALFRED PUPUNU!

2 - SD beating Miami in playoff, (not the kellen winslow game) but Dan marino had a 21-3 over SD and the bolts come back and win it 22-21.

3 - WIlcard game vs the Colts - Darren Sproles need I say more?

All great games even though the Fouts game was before my time. I wish there was a Super Bowl win included there :(

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

1 - SD beating Pittsburgh in the AFC title game to go to superbowl 29. ALFRED PUPUNU!

2 - SD beating Miami in playoff, (not the kellen winslow game) but Dan marino had a 21-3 over SD and the bolts come back and win it 22-21.

3 - WIlcard game vs the Colts - Darren Sproles need I say more?

All great games even though the Fouts game was before my time. I wish there was a Super Bowl win included there :(

Dan fouts didn't play in any of those games I listed.

The game vs Miami was in the superbowl season

The best win oft he fouts era was a game vs Miami, often considered the greatest NFL playoff game ever, but the chargers had a 24-0 lead, and had to win in Double OT, not exactly a gut punch

 

[Gawain]

Bills- 3) January, 1991, AFCCG- Bills 51-Raiders 3: The Raiders were all kinds of cocky coming into the game thinking their Dee was going to stop the K-Gun. The Bills recorded six interceptions and scored from all over the field in a rout of Super Bowl proportions. What a game.

2a)Buffalo over Miami 44-34, January 1991 AFC Divisional game

2b)Buffalo over Miami 29-10 January 1993 AFCCG

2c)Buffalo over Miami 37-22 December 1995 Wild Card game

Squish the Fish! Bryan Cox and his cocky self, Dan MArino and his whiny ways, Don Shula and his trolling antics- Loved, Loved, Loved watching these games!

1) with a bullet- The Comeback- Truly one of the games that may rival the Immaculate reception in gut punching effect on a team and its fan base. I remember throwing the remote at the wall/TV at one point I was so disgusted with the play of the Bills, but in the second half...WOW! I still get chills thinking about that game! And I do feel for the Oiler fans who have to live with that memory. What a way to lose.

I was on the Thruway with my mom who loved to #### on me when my sports teams would lose. She was the poster mother for matricide when we stopped to eat with it 35-3. Get back in the car and it's 35-24. Easily #1 for any Bills fan. What really sucks is the game was blacked out in Buffalo. My dad taped the game from a station out of Syracuse. Now Syracuse stations can't broadcast either because of about a 5 mile slice of Wayne county. Damn 315ers.

 

[mr roboto]

Minnesota Vikings

None.

 

[pats3in4]

Easy. And all happened in the same post-season:

1. Snow Bowl (or Tuck Rule Game, depending on POV)

2. SB36

3. AFCCG

Edit: Even BB said afterwards, "I can't believe we won with this ######## team.

Hard to argue with this list or the order, but I'd at least add some honorable mentions, like the Patriots holding the Colts to 3 points during Manning's 49 TD season, the 4 INT game the year before, the interception strip by Troy Brown against the Chargers, and the 1996 Pats/Steelers game where a rookie WR named Terry Glenn caught that bomb in the fog on her very first play and ultimately catapulted the Patriots to their second AFC championship. There were some lean years for a while but some of the most memorable wins, too.

I added a 2nd edit to my post regarding honorable mentions for the '85 postseason and the 2nd AFCCG vs. Pittsburgh, but the game vs. San Diego in '06 is a big omission...that was San Diego's year (and honestly, San Diego *should* have won that game).

I'm curious if the Colts fans honestly think of those '03/'04 losses as stomach punches. It's not like they came in as heavy favorites. Does a frustrating loss or poor performance by one's team count as a stomach punch loss? I guess it depends on who you ask.

If I were a Pittsburgh fan, I'd look at the '96 loss like I do the '09 Ravens loss as a Pats fan...one of those big games the team just mysteriously wasn't ready for. Pittsburgh throttled the Colts the week prior, then got punked from the get-go in Foxboro's fog.

 

[Adam Harstad]

This is the opposite of the other thread. Basically, what wins did your team pull out that you just know was a gut punch to fans of the other team?

Broncos:

1. Super Bowl XXXII - I am pretty sure most Packers never even entertained the idea that a 12-point underdog would beat them, especially given the Broncos' previous Super Bowl history, but when it happened, it was the best thing ever for Broncos fans, and it had to be the worst thing ever for Packers fans.

2. The Drive - Need I say more? In fact, The Drive and The Fumble might as well be 2a and 2b.

3. January 2012 AFC Wild Card game: Broncos beat the Steelers in OT. Tebow to Demaryius Thomas for the win, and agains the number 1 D in football. Ouch for Steelers fans.

I'd have to ask a Browns fan, but I'd expect The Fumble to have been a bigger gut punch than The Drive. The Fumble had the added pain of being the second straight season, and The Drive didn't even win the game (just sent it to overtime).

If we're ignoring the stakes and just looking at which wins wound up being the most improbable...

Honorable mention: Tim Tebow vs. the Bears (aka the Marion Barber game).

Really, pretty much any game Denver won with Tim Tebow under center qualifies for honorable mention status, but the Bears game was the most insane. Chicago has a 10-0 fourth quarter lead, and Denver has done nothing on offense all day. Denver gets the ball with 4:34 left in the game, and Tebow marches them down for a touchdown with 2:15 left. Chicago recovers the onside kick, and all they have to do is run three times and they'll give the ball back to Denver with just 20 seconds left. Instead, Marion Barber inexplicably runs out of bounds. Denver gets the ball back with a minute to go, marches down the field, and Matt Prater nails a 59 yard field goal to tie it. Chicago gets the ball first in overtime, gets into range for a long field goal, and Marion Barber fumbles the ball. Denver goes 30 yards, and Prater hits a 51 yarder to win it.

#3: STOKLEY!!! DOWN THE SIDELINE!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I74BG0YFKUc - Gus Johnson said it all.

#2: Denver's comeback against San Diego this last year

San Diego became the first team to take a 24 point lead and still lose by double digits, as Denver just destroyed them in the second half. Had SD won, they would have been 4-2, Denver would have been 2-4, and San Diego would have had the first game of the series for tiebreaker purposes. Instead, Denver never lost again all season, and San Diego fell apart.

#1: John Elway vs. the Baltimore Colts

Baltimore took a 19-0 lead into the fourth quarter against the heavily-favored Broncos and the quarterback who had refused to play for them. John Elway led three straight touchdown drives to win it 21-19.

I don't know if the fact that so many of those games came in the last few seasons is recency bias, or whether Denver's just been making more thrilling comebacks recently.

 

[dgreen]

This one's harder than the other thread. Super Bowl losses are always gut-punching and the Redskins have won three of those. So, that's the easy answer. They also had two NFL Championships back in the day. But, I'll try to pick some different games.

In the other thread, I didn't pick any losses to Dallas because it's hard to pick out any particular game. Every loss to Dallas is a gut punch. I'm not sure if Dallas feels the same way towards their losses to Washington. The Redskins have defeated Dallas twice in NFC Championship Games. Those must have stung. But, I'll go with a 1987 Strike game. It was the third and final "scab" game and Washington traveled to Dallas. Washington was still using a full roster of scabs; not one Redskins player crossed the picket line. However, Dallas had some of their regulars. Dallas played with Danny White, Tony Dorsett, Randy White, and a few others. On paper, this should have been an easy W for Dallas. But, the Redskins bored everyone to death on Monday Night Football and pulled out a 13-7 win.

Following the Bears dominant 1985 Super Bowl run, the Redskins went to Chicago and won playoff games in both the 1986 and 1987 seasons. I'm not sure which one was a bigger gut punch, but they both had to sting. Road playoff wins are always a gut punch to the home team. Chicago thought they were building a dynasty.

 

[SmoovySmoov]

Chicago thought they were building a dynasty.

I disagree with you there. They weren't really thinking dynasty, in my opinion. They were thinking "Hey, let's all get endorsement deals", which kept them from becoming a dynasty.

 

[Ghost Rider]

This is the opposite of the other thread. Basically, what wins did your team pull out that you just know was a gut punch to fans of the other team?

Broncos:

1. Super Bowl XXXII - I am pretty sure most Packers never even entertained the idea that a 12-point underdog would beat them, especially given the Broncos' previous Super Bowl history, but when it happened, it was the best thing ever for Broncos fans, and it had to be the worst thing ever for Packers fans.

2. The Drive - Need I say more? In fact, The Drive and The Fumble might as well be 2a and 2b.

3. January 2012 AFC Wild Card game: Broncos beat the Steelers in OT. Tebow to Demaryius Thomas for the win, and agains the number 1 D in football. Ouch for Steelers fans.

I'd have to ask a Browns fan, but I'd expect The Fumble to have been a bigger gut punch than The Drive. The Fumble had the added pain of being the second straight season, and The Drive didn't even win the game (just sent it to overtime).

If we're ignoring the stakes and just looking at which wins wound up being the most improbable...

Honorable mention: Tim Tebow vs. the Bears (aka the Marion Barber game).

Really, pretty much any game Denver won with Tim Tebow under center qualifies for honorable mention status, but the Bears game was the most insane. Chicago has a 10-0 fourth quarter lead, and Denver has done nothing on offense all day. Denver gets the ball with 4:34 left in the game, and Tebow marches them down for a touchdown with 2:15 left. Chicago recovers the onside kick, and all they have to do is run three times and they'll give the ball back to Denver with just 20 seconds left. Instead, Marion Barber inexplicably runs out of bounds. Denver gets the ball back with a minute to go, marches down the field, and Matt Prater nails a 59 yard field goal to tie it. Chicago gets the ball first in overtime, gets into range for a long field goal, and Marion Barber fumbles the ball. Denver goes 30 yards, and Prater hits a 51 yarder to win it.

#3: STOKLEY!!! DOWN THE SIDELINE!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I74BG0YFKUc - Gus Johnson said it all.

#2: Denver's comeback against San Diego this last year

San Diego became the first team to take a 24 point lead and still lose by double digits, as Denver just destroyed them in the second half. Had SD won, they would have been 4-2, Denver would have been 2-4, and San Diego would have had the first game of the series for tiebreaker purposes. Instead, Denver never lost again all season, and San Diego fell apart.

#1: John Elway vs. the Baltimore Colts

Baltimore took a 19-0 lead into the fourth quarter against the heavily-favored Broncos and the quarterback who had refused to play for them. John Elway led three straight touchdown drives to win it 21-19.

I don't know if the fact that so many of those games came in the last few seasons is recency bias, or whether Denver's just been making more thrilling comebacks recently.

Some other good picks there. Really, Elway had so many great comebacks that it is hard to remember them all, especially since I was younger at the time; I would think the playoff comeback win over Houston in the early 90s had to be a gut punch for Oilers fans.

Also, the 1998 AFC title game win over the Jets. I think most Jets fans would say that that team was their best of the last several decades (better than both recent Jets teams that made it to the AFCCG), and after the blocked punt and Curtis Martin 1-yard plunge, they had to be feeling pretty good, as the Jets lead 10-0 against the Bronocs in the 3rd quarter, only to see it all quickly fall apart after that (Broncos scoring 20 points before the quarter was over, before winning 23-10). Jets fans had to be gutted by that.

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

This is the opposite of the other thread. Basically, what wins did your team pull out that you just know was a gut punch to fans of the other team?

Broncos:

1. Super Bowl XXXII - I am pretty sure most Packers never even entertained the idea that a 12-point underdog would beat them, especially given the Broncos' previous Super Bowl history, but when it happened, it was the best thing ever for Broncos fans, and it had to be the worst thing ever for Packers fans.

2. The Drive - Need I say more? In fact, The Drive and The Fumble might as well be 2a and 2b.

3. January 2012 AFC Wild Card game: Broncos beat the Steelers in OT. Tebow to Demaryius Thomas for the win, and agains the number 1 D in football. Ouch for Steelers fans.

I'd have to ask a Browns fan, but I'd expect The Fumble to have been a bigger gut punch than The Drive. The Fumble had the added pain of being the second straight season, and The Drive didn't even win the game (just sent it to overtime).

If we're ignoring the stakes and just looking at which wins wound up being the most improbable...

Honorable mention: Tim Tebow vs. the Bears (aka the Marion Barber game).

Really, pretty much any game Denver won with Tim Tebow under center qualifies for honorable mention status, but the Bears game was the most insane. Chicago has a 10-0 fourth quarter lead, and Denver has done nothing on offense all day. Denver gets the ball with 4:34 left in the game, and Tebow marches them down for a touchdown with 2:15 left. Chicago recovers the onside kick, and all they have to do is run three times and they'll give the ball back to Denver with just 20 seconds left. Instead, Marion Barber inexplicably runs out of bounds. Denver gets the ball back with a minute to go, marches down the field, and Matt Prater nails a 59 yard field goal to tie it. Chicago gets the ball first in overtime, gets into range for a long field goal, and Marion Barber fumbles the ball. Denver goes 30 yards, and Prater hits a 51 yarder to win it.

#3: STOKLEY!!! DOWN THE SIDELINE!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I74BG0YFKUc - Gus Johnson said it all.

#2: Denver's comeback against San Diego this last year

San Diego became the first team to take a 24 point lead and still lose by double digits, as Denver just destroyed them in the second half. Had SD won, they would have been 4-2, Denver would have been 2-4, and San Diego would have had the first game of the series for tiebreaker purposes. Instead, Denver never lost again all season, and San Diego fell apart.

#1: John Elway vs. the Baltimore Colts

Baltimore took a 19-0 lead into the fourth quarter against the heavily-favored Broncos and the quarterback who had refused to play for them. John Elway led three straight touchdown drives to win it 21-19.

I don't know if the fact that so many of those games came in the last few seasons is recency bias, or whether Denver's just been making more thrilling comebacks recently.

#2 was a blessing is disguise, sealed Norvs & AJs fate.

 

[Kree]

1) The Giants beating the undefeated Patriots in the Super Bowl with the crazy catch.

2) The Giants beating the Patriots in the other Super Bowl with the other crazy catch.

3) The Giants beating the Bills in the Scott Norwood/"Wide Right" Super Bowl.

Agree with the games. On reflection, I would probably go

1 - 18 and 1, not much else needs to be said

2 - Wide Right: Bills fans on reflection would see this one as the closest of four SB losses, so a bit more of a gut punch post-fact

3 - 2011 Super Bowl, Pats weren't stand outs that year, but a solid body shot on account of 2007.

 

[sho nuff]

Really, the most joyous didn't involve my team directly. That would be the Nate Poole miracle catch vs the Vikings that allowed the Packers to make the playoffs in 2003. The Vikings play-by-play call for that catch was a thing of beauty.

But actively involving my team...

"We want the ball and we're going to score".

The Freeman catch in overtime against the Vikings was great. "He did WHAT!?"

The Favre to Sterling Sharpe 40 yard TD pass to beat the Lions in the 1994 wildcard game.

Would agree with these.

In a way the 2010 NFCC game @ Chicago...while GB was in control most of that game, Hanie still had them moving the ball late til the INT. Just beating them on their own field with that rivalry and all that was on the line (and subsequently winning the SB).

As for your first point about those that don't involve our team.

I can think of 3 just for the Vikings that I enjoyed because I knew how bad it punched their fans in the guy.

-Poole's catch you mention

-Anderson's miss against ATL

-Favre INT against the Saints

 

[monk]

Top of my head:

1. Eagles-Cowboys 1980/81 NFC Championship.

2. Eagles-Giants Miracles at the Meadowlands, both 1978 and 2010.

3. Eagles-Packers 2003/04 playoffs, 4th and 26.

2. So sad that 2 of your teams greatest victories were in meaningless games

 

[jasvic]

Top of my head:

1. Eagles-Cowboys 1980/81 NFC Championship.

2. Eagles-Giants Miracles at the Meadowlands, both 1978 and 2010.

3. Eagles-Packers 2003/04 playoffs, 4th and 26.

2. So sad that 2 of your teams greatest victories were in meaningless games

 

[netnalp]

1) The Giants beating the undefeated Patriots in the Super Bowl with the crazy catch.

2) The Giants beating the Patriots in the other Super Bowl with the other crazy catch.

3) The Giants beating the Bills in the Scott Norwood/"Wide Right" Super Bowl.

Agree with the games. On reflection, I would probably go

1 - 18 and 1, not much else needs to be said

2 - Wide Right: Bills fans on reflection would see this one as the closest of four SB losses, so a bit more of a gut punch post-fact

3 - 2011 Super Bowl, Pats weren't stand outs that year, but a solid body shot on account of 2007.

That's how I'd rank them.

I'd argue that SB XLII might have been the greatest gut punch of all time. Perhaps the Namath led Jets SB win could be up there. But hard to top stopping a 19-0 season. And the Pats were so highly favored in that game.

 

[Jeremy]

Really, the most joyous didn't involve my team directly. That would be the Nate Poole miracle catch vs the Vikings that allowed the Packers to make the playoffs in 2003. The Vikings play-by-play call for that catch was a thing of beauty.

But actively involving my team...

"We want the ball and we're going to score".

The Freeman catch in overtime against the Vikings was great. "He did WHAT!?"

The Favre to Sterling Sharpe 40 yard TD pass to beat the Lions in the 1994 wildcard game.

Would agree with these.

In a way the 2010 NFCC game @ Chicago...while GB was in control most of that game, Hanie still had them moving the ball late til the INT. Just beating them on their own field with that rivalry and all that was on the line (and subsequently winning the SB).

As for your first point about those that don't involve our team.

I can think of 3 just for the Vikings that I enjoyed because I knew how bad it punched their fans in the guy.

-Poole's catch you mention

-Anderson's miss against ATL

-Favre INT against the Saints

Another classic call from Paul Allen and his broadcast partner.

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

Week 10, 1976 -- Bengals are down 27-24 to the Oilers with less than a minute left when Ken Anderson hits Isaac Curtis on a deep in/slant on 4th and 4 play. Curtis makes two or three guys miss and takes it 47 yards for the TD. He was already my favorite player, but that one cinched it.

Trivia: the 1974 introduction of the rule making it illegal for DBs to contact a WR after five yards was in response to the way the Steelers (and Raiders and Dolphins) played Curtis. It was known at the time as "The Isaac Curtis Rule".

 

[thriftyrocker]

Top of my head:

1. Eagles-Cowboys 1980/81 NFC Championship.

2. Eagles-Giants Miracles at the Meadowlands, both 1978 and 2010.

3. Eagles-Packers 2003/04 playoffs, 4th and 26.

2. So sad that 2 of your teams greatest victories were in meaningless games

Packers wouldn't have won the SB without it.

 

[Adam Harstad]

This is the opposite of the other thread. Basically, what wins did your team pull out that you just know was a gut punch to fans of the other team?

Broncos:

1. Super Bowl XXXII - I am pretty sure most Packers never even entertained the idea that a 12-point underdog would beat them, especially given the Broncos' previous Super Bowl history, but when it happened, it was the best thing ever for Broncos fans, and it had to be the worst thing ever for Packers fans.

2. The Drive - Need I say more? In fact, The Drive and The Fumble might as well be 2a and 2b.

3. January 2012 AFC Wild Card game: Broncos beat the Steelers in OT. Tebow to Demaryius Thomas for the win, and agains the number 1 D in football. Ouch for Steelers fans.

I'd have to ask a Browns fan, but I'd expect The Fumble to have been a bigger gut punch than The Drive. The Fumble had the added pain of being the second straight season, and The Drive didn't even win the game (just sent it to overtime).

If we're ignoring the stakes and just looking at which wins wound up being the most improbable...

Honorable mention: Tim Tebow vs. the Bears (aka the Marion Barber game).

Really, pretty much any game Denver won with Tim Tebow under center qualifies for honorable mention status, but the Bears game was the most insane. Chicago has a 10-0 fourth quarter lead, and Denver has done nothing on offense all day. Denver gets the ball with 4:34 left in the game, and Tebow marches them down for a touchdown with 2:15 left. Chicago recovers the onside kick, and all they have to do is run three times and they'll give the ball back to Denver with just 20 seconds left. Instead, Marion Barber inexplicably runs out of bounds. Denver gets the ball back with a minute to go, marches down the field, and Matt Prater nails a 59 yard field goal to tie it. Chicago gets the ball first in overtime, gets into range for a long field goal, and Marion Barber fumbles the ball. Denver goes 30 yards, and Prater hits a 51 yarder to win it.

#3: STOKLEY!!! DOWN THE SIDELINE!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I74BG0YFKUc - Gus Johnson said it all.

#2: Denver's comeback against San Diego this last year

San Diego became the first team to take a 24 point lead and still lose by double digits, as Denver just destroyed them in the second half. Had SD won, they would have been 4-2, Denver would have been 2-4, and San Diego would have had the first game of the series for tiebreaker purposes. Instead, Denver never lost again all season, and San Diego fell apart.

#1: John Elway vs. the Baltimore Colts

Baltimore took a 19-0 lead into the fourth quarter against the heavily-favored Broncos and the quarterback who had refused to play for them. John Elway led three straight touchdown drives to win it 21-19.

I don't know if the fact that so many of those games came in the last few seasons is recency bias, or whether Denver's just been making more thrilling comebacks recently.

#2 was a blessing is disguise, sealed Norvs & AJs fate.

Here's hoping the Broncos can keep "blessing" the Chargers like that for years to come.

 

[identikit]

Week 10, 1976 -- Bengals are down 27-24 to the Oilers with less than a minute left when Ken Anderson hits Isaac Curtis on a deep in/slant on 4th and 4 play. Curtis makes two or three guys miss and takes it 47 yards for the TD. He was already my favorite player, but that one cinched it.

Trivia: the 1974 introduction of the rule making it illegal for DBs to contact a WR after five yards was in response to the way the Steelers (and Raiders and Dolphins) played Curtis. It was known at the time as "The Isaac Curtis Rule".

Remember that play vividly.

Didn't know the background on the rule change.

Thanks.

 

[Buffaloes]

This is the opposite of the other thread. Basically, what wins did your team pull out that you just know was a gut punch to fans of the other team?

Broncos:

1. Super Bowl XXXII - I am pretty sure most Packers never even entertained the idea that a 12-point underdog would beat them, especially given the Broncos' previous Super Bowl history, but when it happened, it was the best thing ever for Broncos fans, and it had to be the worst thing ever for Packers fans.

2. The Drive - Need I say more? In fact, The Drive and The Fumble might as well be 2a and 2b.

3. January 2012 AFC Wild Card game: Broncos beat the Steelers in OT. Tebow to Demaryius Thomas for the win, and agains the number 1 D in football. Ouch for Steelers fans.

Hard to top those 3. I think 1 and 2 are locks. one of my personal favourites was 1995 Denver/Washington at the old Mile High.

Tied 31-31 on the final play of the game, Elway threw a deep pass down the left sideline for a 43-yard game-winning TD. It was Rod Smith's first career reception. I remember jumping up in the stands & asking my buddy "Who's Rod Smith"? Denver won 38-31 and Smith's career as a Bronco officially took off.