Greatest NFL game ever?

[Auggie]

Bill Barnwell, ESPN Staff Writer

If you missed Monday night's Chiefs-Rams game, stop reading this and rectify that problem immediately. Do what you have to do. Call in sick to work. Sit in the back of class and watch it without even pretending to pay attention to what's going on up front. Buy a copy from your sketchy friend. This will still be here when you come back, and you're going to feel a lot happier having spent three hours in football ecstasy.

It's going to take the rest of the season to break down what happened. It was the first game in league history in which both teams topped 50 points, and it was somehow decided in the end by punter Johnny Hekker, and Travis Kelce struggling to sustain a block on Samson Ebukam, who might have been the game's MVP. Both offenses came up with spectacular plays and left opportunities on the field. Both coaches were hitting on virtually every playcalling cylinder imaginable and still struggled with clock management late in the fourth quarter. It was a game that was somehow everything to everyone besides Todd Gurley fantasy owners.

Was it the greatest regular-season game of all time?

SNIP

The top five, according to the author (top ten at the link, as well as author criteria and reasoning):

5. Rams 41, Broncos 36 in Week 1, 2000

4. Bucs 38, Rams 35 in Week 16, 2000

3. Raiders 40, Cowboys 38 in Week 8, 1983

2. Bills 47, Oilers 41 (OT) in Week 3, 1989

1. Rams 54, Chiefs 51 in Week 11, 2018


What makes this game stand out is the sheer scope of the late-game drama. This is the only game on the list that had four lead changes in the fourth quarter, and that included the Chiefs coming back from a 10-point deficit at the beginning of the period. In most cases, when a fourth quarter has multiple lead changes, it usually includes one team scoring at the very end of the game without leaving its newly trailing opponent a meaningful shot at winning the game. The Chiefs went down 54-51 with 1:49 left and actually had two realistic shots of setting up for a game-winning touchdown or a game-tying field goal, only for Patrick Mahomes to be intercepted twice.

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/25328333/2018-nfl-los-angeles-rams-win-kansas-city-chiefs-was-greatest-regular-season-win-ever

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

1. I love defense...

2-0, 3-0, 5-2, that’s edge of the seat viewing. And yes, 5-2 happened Lions v. Dallas sometime in the 70’s I think, of course the Lions lost.

[John Fante]

4. Those scores sound horrible.

That's just inept offense.

[ProfessorGAC]

12. It Was Zero Risk Offense

In my lifetime, many teams held to the Lombardi-ism, that only 3 things happen on a pass play, two of them bad.

The AFL success turned that around, although the original Cleveland Browns should have killed that in its infancy.

That era was tedious

Even great defenses still had 24-13 games!

[Pope George Ringo II]

2. Egad.

I'm glad I stopped watching a while ago, if that's how they're defining "great" games at this point.

[htuttle]

3. Super Bowl X turned me into a football fan when I was 12

1975
Steelers (21) vs Cowboys (17)


The Steel Curtain!

[JDC]

5. It was like watching a high school game.

An exciting one, but still.

[BootinUp]

6. What about Dolphins v Chargers playoff game 86?

[world wide wally]

10. Definitely one of the best games ever!

[BootinUp]

18. I was wrong about the year.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epic_in_Miami

[John Fante]

15. Memorable only because it was the only loss the Bears

suffered that year. It was a blowout though.

[BootinUp]

17. I had the year wrong. Was thinking about '82

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epic_in_Miami

[John Fante]

20. I watched large chunks of that game on YouTube. Amazing drama.

I can't imagine how gripping it was live. It was widely considered the best football game ever at the time, and it was anything but a low-scoring affair.

Colts/Patriots AFC Championship remains the best football game I saw live. Colts won 38-34 after trailing 21-0. Amazing game.

[BHDem53]

7. I'd rather watch the

'85 Bears D play, with a little Sweetness thrown in for flavor.

[ProfessorGAC]

13. Remember Though...

...the offense scored more points that year than all but one other team. (Bengals)
That's why that team was so dominant. Defense was overwhelming and offense piled up scores
BTW: Their only loss was because of a bad defensive plan. The offense scored 24 points but they lost!

[BHDem53]

21. It was a great time to be a Bears fan.

The two playoff shutouts, the "Minnesota Miracle" and the 44-0 drubbing of "America's Team" are some of my fondest memories.

[rurallib]

8. I don't watch much pro football any more, but I was listening to some

sportscasters talking about this game on the radio. They went on and on about what a great game it was and all I could think of was the early AFL days with lots of games in the 40s and 50s.

For some reason nobody thought those were great games. But damn they were fun.

[True Dough]

9. Watched it and LOVED IT!

I wish the Rams and Chiefs could meet every week until the season's over!

[Auggie]

11. The MNF game I'll never forget was from December 3, 1990: 49ers vs Giants

San Francisco won 7-3. Jerry Rice had one catch. Joe Montana threw for for 152 yards. And there were 16 punts.

There was one turnover and eight penalties — but oh boy, was it violent. Both teams loathed each other and hit with ferocity meant to injure. They'll never be another game played like that one. Today's rules forbid it.

The roster included five starters who are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, a Hall of Fame coach (New York’s Bill Parcells) and Giants defensive coordinator Bill Belichick, who has won an NFL-record five Super Bowls.

Both teams were 10-1. Their combined winning percentage (.909) remains the record for a MNF game played after Oct. 31.

It was a media event too. Credentials were given out to 300 writers and 400 photographers and their support staff. There were reporters from every NFL city, along with the Korea Times and two Japanese publications. The game was televised live at 2 a.m. in London, a distinction then reserved only for the Super Bowl. The New York Times reported scalpers received $200 for $23 tickets.

The teams met again in the NFC Championship Game, but this one the Giants won 15-13, and went on to beat Buffalo in Super Bowl XXV.

https://www.sfchronicle.com/49ers/article/1990-Monday-Night-Football-game-in-13381153.php

[JonLP24]

14. No not enough D

Last edited Wed Nov 21, 2018, 12:41 PM - Edit history (1)

Titans-Rams Cardinals-Steelers were some really good games.

It is odd he makes 35 points a cutoff. The Cardinals-Seahawks 6-6 game was great because of the defense.

[John Fante]

16. Nothing great about a game that produced zero touchdowns

and ended in a draw. That's inept offense more than anything.

At least Rams-Chiefs produced a number of memorable defensive plays - including two fumble recoveries and an interception that were brought in for touchdowns. Aaron Donald again showed why he's the best defensive player in the game. He was brilliant.

[JonLP24]

19. Monday night was an example of inept defense

Last edited Wed Nov 21, 2018, 06:20 PM - Edit history (1)

Actually both offenses were really good that year but the defensive gameplans for both teams was awesome. I'm fascinated by the chess matchup aspect.

That Alabama vs LSU low scoring game was great and both teams did have the top defenses that year they met in the national title game.
KC - LAR looked like Texas Tech vs Cal.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_LSU_vs._Alabama_football_game

[Iggo]

22. Greatest game this week, that's for sure.