Introduction National National Football League NFL games often are decided by one play Sometimes it's the last play of the game a long touchdown pass or a game saving tackle Sometimes a player changes the outcome with a big play earlier in the game Fans love to talk about those plays They share videos of them online They talk about them with their friends And they'll remember them for years to come Many of the plays picked up nicknames of their own from The Catch to The Immaculate Reception further cementing their place in the memories of sports fans Read on to learn more about some of the greatest plays in NFL history
10 Julian Edelman 11 gets his hands under the ball just before it hits the turf as Keanu Neal 22 and Ricardo Allen fight for possession Tip Drill Catching Catching a deflected pass requires a bit of luck to be sure But it also requires quick thinking lightning fast reflexes and sure hands And if it's in the final minutes of the Super Bowl and the offense is trying to march the length of the field for a chance to send the game into overtime Then it requires tremendous grace under pressure Julian Edelman displayed all of those elements as he made a remarkable catch in Super Bowl LI in February 2017 Edelman's New England Patriots trailed the Atlanta Falcons 28 20 The Patriots got the ball at their own 9 yard line with 3:30 to play They needed to score a touchdown and make a two point conversion to force overtime Quarterback Tom Brady completed two passes to get the ball out to the New England 36 Then he fired a pass over the middle to Edelman But Brady's throw was a bit too low Falcons cornerback Robert Alford leaped for the ball and it glanced off his fingertips As the ball tumbled to the turf Atlanta safeties Keanu Neal and Ricardo Allen closed in on it But Edelman didn't give up He made a dive for the ball too and was able to grab it as it bounced off Alford's leg The ball came loose again but Edelman secured it just before it hit the ground Edelman shouted I caught it The officials reviewed the play They agreed it was a catch New England had the ball at Atlanta's 41 yard line
COMEBACK KINGS Edelman's catch was just part of a record setting comeback The Patriots trailed 28 3 in the third quarter but scored 25 straight points to force overtime Then they marched down the field on the first possession of overtime and scored the game winning touchdown No team had ever overcome a deficit of more than 10 points in Super Bowl history Four plays later the Patriots were in the end zone Edelman's amazing play made it all possible
