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• #NFL HAIL MARY FOOTBALL PATCH#

Still, the Cowboys drive to the Minnesota 30 before Toni Fritsch misses a field goal.ĭallas then gets its first real break: Mel Renfro picks off Tarkenton at the Minnesota 49. Eller records his third sack of the day as Roger keeps running his way.

#NFL HAIL MARY FOOTBALL PATCH#

Commentator Johnny Unitas says something akin to, “Sometimes things get missed.” Ironically, Harris signaled for the fair catch on the exact patch of field that Drew Pearson is about to stir eternal controversy.Ĭhuck Foreman takes it in for the Vikings on third down, and they take a 7-0 lead.ĭoug Sutherland continues to pressure Staubach up the middle, forcing him to roll out. Announcer Gary Bender, however, later mentions the network getting calls asking why there wasn’t an interference penalty.

While watching this play, I thought the rules must have been different in 1975 and maybe one didn’t have to leave space for the return man to catch the ball. He clearly touches it, and Fred McNeill recovers for Minnesota on the Dallas 4. There’s a lot of confusion as the ball bounces around, and Dallas rookie Pat Donovan grabs for it. The ball maybe hits Harris, and also maybe hits Cowboy Benny Barnes. Harris signals for a fair catch, and Vikings rookie Autry Beamon plows into him before the ball arrives. Dallas accepts the penalty, figuring they’ll get better field postion on the re-kick. The Vikings, however, get flagged for center Mick Tingelhoff being downfield. Cliff Harris fields the punt, but his back heel is out of bounds at the Cowboy 10. Here’s where things get real interesting. The Cowboys force a hurried throw on the next play. Washington knocks the ball away from Gilliam at the Dallas 20, preventing a probable touchdown. Tarkenton goes for the money on the first play of the second quarter. The Steelers will do similar with Lynn Swann in the upcoming Super Bowl. Part of Minnesota’s game plan appears to focus on throwing deep to John Gilliam when Dallas cornerback Mark Washington is in man coverage. Lee Roy Jordan plugs up the Minnesota running game for the Cowboys. Page seems to line up in the Cowboys backfield, and Carl Eller records a sack for the Vikings. The first quarter comes to a scoreless close. Tarkenton then scrambles for 16 yards and a first down. Voigt collides with Cowboy safety Cliff Harris, and Harris can’t hang on to an interception at the Vikings 30.

Blaine Nye of the Cowboys ends up snatching the ball, swerving around potential disaster for Dallas.ĭallas also gets an opportunity for an early turnover when Tarkenton throws to tight end Stu Voigt. Bobby Bryant and Wally Hilgenberg both have chances but can’t cash in. Jeff Siemon has a chance to recover but muffs it. Jim Marshall swats at the ball and misses. Page clamors for the ball bouncing toward the Cowboys goal line with a sea of purple shirts giving chase. The first potential break of the game comes when Alan Page forces Cowboy running back Robert Newhouse to fumble. On third down, Fran gets flushed out of the pocket by Jethro Pugh and overthrows John Gilliam. Dallas safety Charlie Waters maintains good coverage despite Fran’s pump fake, and the ball falls incomplete. The Vikings come out throwing, and Fran Tarkenton looks deep on the first play. The drive, however, stalls at midfield and the Vikings start at their own 20 after a touchback. The Cowboys find success running the ball on the opening drive. The writing will be in present tense to provide a sense of how the game unfolded. I will break up my review of this game in two posts, one for each half. It was an exceptionally entertaining contest from start to finish. But the game was more than just one play. The reigning NFC champion Minnesota Vikings hosted wildcard contender Dallas in a game made famous by a 50-yard touchdown that Viking fans still protest. The most controversial, however, was the 1975 NFC Divisional Playoff. He even was an assistant with the Giants in “The Greatest Game Ever Played,” the 1958 NFL Championship. Tom Landry had a knack for finding himself in some of the most memorable games in NFL history.