The NFL is the ultimate form of theater. After all, it has all the drama, action, and excitement to keep fans glued to their couches with eyes locked on the TV screen for hours on end every season.
That said, not all theater is created equally… We have seen some pretty insane moments and stories over the years that almost defy logic… In fact, I would go as far as to say that we will likely never see anything like it again.
So… Without further ado – let’s take a look back at 10 of the most insane moments we’ve ever seen – so much so that we will likely never see anything like it again!
Which insane NFL moment do you remember the most throughout the league’s history?
The Double Doink (2018)
Sorry, Bears fans… this one might hit close to home… but – there is no better place to start this list than with Chicago, Cody Parkey, and the double doink.
What makes it all the more painful is that Parkey actually made the first take at it, but it was nullified by a well-timed timeout from Eagles coach Doug Pederson…
Then, for Chicago, calamity struck!
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NFL stories via Google! Follow Us
Parkey’s potential game-winning field goal hit both the upright and the crossbar before falling back into the field of play, resulting in a missed kick and a 16-15 victory for the Philadelphia Eagles. Major sliding doors moment in Bears history, as that kick completely changed the trajectory of Mitch Trubisky and Matt Nagy’s careers in the Windy City.
Antonio Brown's Mid-Game Exit (2022)
The NFL is a league that is filled with high-paid athletes with big egos and loud personalities. But no one individual embodies that ethos more than the one the only Antonio Brown, who, in one of the more shocking character arcs that we’ve seen, went from an unheralded sixth-round pick to an All-Pro, to a caricature of himself and ultimately out of the league.
Brown made a lot of questionable decisions during his time in the NFL, and he was often the center of controversy, but his grand finale was really something.
During his stint with the Tampa Buccaneers, he abruptly left the field during a game against the New York Jets midway through the third quarter – and following an argument with the coaching staff, he proceeded to remove his jersey, shoulder pads, and all, firing some of the items into the stands, and ran across the end zone shirtless, waving to the crowd, before exiting through the tunnel – never to be seen on an NFL field again.
The novelty of this childlike tantrum was really something… something I doubt that we will ever see take place again.
Tom Dempsey's 63-yard Field Goal (1970)
Time eventually caught up with his record 63-yard field goal, and we have seen a handful of other kickers drill 63-yarders. Heck, the freak that is Justin Tucker drilled one from 66 in 2021, which is simply ridiculous.
But the Tom Dempsey store is different… See, the legendary kicker was born without toes on his right foot and fingers on his right hand, and he managed to kick a then-record and, frankly, unthinkable 63-yard field goal to give the New Orleans Saints a 19-17 victory over the Detroit Lions.
Think about that… The man was physically handicapped… on his foot… as a professional kicker! He still managed to drill a kick that set a record that stood for 43 years. It is not a stretch to suggest that we will not see that happen again anytime soon!
Len Dawson Smoking a Cigarette during the Super Bowl (1967)
Everyone knows that the NFL is a completely different beast in terms of the way players approach it from a wellness, nutrition, and preparation standpoint nowadays…
But no single picture better encapsulates that than the still shot of Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson ripping a cigarette during halftime of the inaugural Super Bowl, which his Chiefs ended up losing – I might add.
NFL historians will note that cigarettes remained a part of locker rooms for probably a decade after that, with players like Fred Biletnikoff, another Pro Football Hall of Famer who smoked like a chimney. But as far as having a star player like Dawson in front and center during the Super Bowl with a cigarette, we will never see anything like that again during the game! Not on football’s grandest stage!
Victory cigars are one thing, but with the way that the NFL and really American culture at this point view cigarettes, I think that it is safe to say the mid-game heaters are likely a thing of the past. Shoot, Mike McDaniel couldn’t even get away with a little vaping action midgame!
Bo Jackson's Monday Night Football Run (1987)
It is hard to fully explain to today’s fans how insane Bo Jackson was, not just because of his physical specimen but also because of the way he played the game. Typically, when people think of Bo, they think about the fact that he played two sports professionally… and then they wonder about what his career would have been had he focused solely on one… or had he stayed healthy.
Rarely do people end up focusing on the way that he always seemed to deliver when the lights were at their brightest – like he did in late November of 1987 on Monday Night Football.
NFL players made great runs long before Bo and have continued to since, but what the Los Angeles Raiders star did that fateful Monday will never be recreated.
Jackson delivered an unforgettable 91-yard touchdown run against the Seattle Seahawks on only putting his unmatched combination of speed and power on display, but also showing up Seahawks bigshot linebacker Brian Bosworth.
Then Jackson finished the play with his iconic burnout into the tunnel. I can only imagine how viral this would’ve gone in modern times… Shoot, it has basically gone viral across not just at the time, but across generations pre-dating social media. That is how iconic it was! Between the originality and excitement, we will never see a play like this again.
Also Read: The Worst NFL Contract At Every Position In The League Right Now (2024)
Saints' Onside Kick in Super Bowl XLIV (2010)
Say what you will about former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton, whose popularity has waned in recent years… but the call that he made to lead into the second half of Super Bowl XLIV was ballsy as it gets.
New Orleans was trailing 10 to 6 against Peyton Manning and the high-flying Indianapolis Colts offense.
Feeling that they needed to steal a possession to knock Indy back on their heels, Payton did the unthinkable and called for an onsides kick – one to be taken in the highest of pressure situations – under the bright lights of the Super Bowl with the entire world watching and the momentum of the game hanging in the balance.
In many ways, this was a higher stakes moment than an onside kick at the end of a game… because the Saints didn’t have to do this – and if they had failed to convert and the Colts went down and scored on the shortened field, which, let’s face it, they probably would’ve — the game could’ve gone a completely different way.
And all of the discussion afterward would’ve been about how Payton went over his skis thinking that he could channel his mentor, Bill Parcells, who had once used a fake punt to help lift his Giants over the Niners in the ‘90 NFC Title Game.
This is why we will never see anything like this again… No coach in their right mind today would make this call!
The Heidi Game (1968)
With just over a minute left in the game between the then Oakland Raiders and the New York Jets, something happened that is unthinkable in today’s world where football is a billion-plus dollar business and quite literally has all of the broadcasters by the throat…
In any case – at that time, the Raiders and Jets were two of the AFL’s marquee teams, and this game featured ten future Pro Football Hall of Famers.
Needless to say, folks all around the country were eager to tune in to watch the action.
And for the most part… the experience delivered. It was action-packed all the way up until the final minute of the game. With 65 seconds left, the Jets kicked a field goal to take a 32 to 29 lead.
The Raiders returned the subsequent kickoff to their 23, and the game went to commercial… and NEVER returned.
NBC cut away to the movie “Heidi,” causing fans to miss the Raiders scoring two touchdowns in nine seconds to win 43-32.
Understandably, this enraged fans across the nation, who were desperate to watch the end of this compelling matchup, and instead were left with a children’s movie.’
I don’t think we will see anything like this happening in today’s world – in part because this incident led to networks ensuring that football games are broadcast until their conclusion.
The Snowplow Game (1982)
It was mid-December, the year 1982, and a seemingly innocuous AFC East showdown between the New England Patriots and the Miami Dolphins somehow managed to make itself part of NFL history.
The “Snowplow” game was played in Foxborough, as one might imagine – considering Miami was the other option… and it was played under, you guessed it! Brutal, snowy conditions.
It was a defensive battle throughout, with neither team able to break through and even get on the board… that is, until late in the fourth quarter, with the game still scoreless, the Patriots found themselves with an opportunity to take a 33-yard field goal.
As the teams lined up for the kick, Patriots head coach Ron Meyer called on the team’s snowplow operator, a man on work release called Mark Henderson, to clear a spot on the field for the kicker with his trusty John Deere tractor.
Henderson did so swiftly and successfully, and John Smith converted the field goal try from the cleared patch of snow, giving the Pats a 3-0 lead and victory—which enraged opposing head coach Don Shula.
They used a snowplow to clear a spot for a field goal attempt, leading to a 3-0 victory over the Miami Dolphins. The use of the snowplow was controversial and led to changes in the rules.
Though his initial protest fell on deaf ears, the NFL ultimately changed the rules so that only league-sanctioned maintenance could be done mid-game, essentially ruling out any possibility of something like this happening again.
The Longest Game (1971)
This iteration of the AFC Divisional Playoff game between the Miami Dolphins and the Kansas City Chiefs took place on Christmas Day, and let’s just say that there were extra presents in the stockings, as fans got way more than they bargained for.
The game started at 4pm eastern… but it went to double overtime, with over 82 minutes of playtime, and ultimately lasted over seven hours finishing after 11pm, which is simply insane to think about. That is almost a full double header in terms of run-time.
This game went back and forth – quite literally – all day until Miami was able to seal the game with a 37-yard field goal from Garo Yepremian toward the end of the second overtime period.
What’s crazy about this one – is it was played under the old overtime rules too! Meaning that it sat at 24-24 from the end of regulation for nearly two full periods!Considering the overtime rules have since changed and the pace at with modern offenses are able to move the ball, I think it is highly unlikely that we will ever see something like this playout in an NFL game again!
The Miracle at the Meadowlands (1978)
In a November showdown between vaunted NFC East rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants, a shocking play happened that, quite frankly, I doubt we will ever see again.
New York was leading 17-12 with just 31 seconds on the clock and had the ball, albeit deep in their own territory.
All the Giants needed was a kneel to secure a victory, but for some reason, Giants OC Bob Gibson decided to have Larry Csonka run the ball instead…
And the handoff was promptly botched in epic fashion, fumbled and recovered by Eagles’ Herm Edwards, who didn’t just scoop it up but managed to return it to the endzone for a game-winning touchdown that absolutely CRUSHED Giants fans.
Also Read: 10 NFL Players Who Could Save Their Careers With These Position Changes
