Favre’s long TD pass to Sharpe tames Lions
GREATEST MOMENTS IN WISCONSIN SPORTS HISTORY OVER THE PAST 50 YEARS: THE NEXT 10
With the sports world on hold, we gave you the 50 greatest moments in Wisconsin sports history over the past 50 years. What about the next 10 that just missed the list? This is No. 52.
Was it more stunning to see Sterling Sharpe wide open with less than a minute left in the game or Sterling Sharpe talking to reporters after the game?
Sharpe, a three-time first-team All-Pro receiver for the Packers, had been on the receiving end of the most thrilling play in Packers history this side of the Ice Bowl, and it was now that he made himself available — seemingly reluctantly — in the media area afterward.
Sharpe, who had steered clear of reporters for four years, kept his remarks brief. His catch, however, would endure forever.
“What happened is they played a zone and their safety never got over the top,” Sharpe explained. “When Brett rolled to his left, the defense just read his eyes and drifted to the right. Brett just heaved it, and I was standing in the end zone and made the catch.”
Sharpe was matter-of-fact about it, saying the moment meant more to those who had been through a lot: “The Ed Wests, the Ken Ruettgerses, I think it means a lot more to them.” Watching the play itself — after which Sharpe stood at the back of the end zone, nonchalantly glaring back at the field while Brett Favre removed his helmet and ran off in jubilation — one might even believe that Sharpe wasn't all that impressed with himself.
There was just more than a minute left. The Packers were playing their first playoff game since the 1982 season and looking for their first playoff advancement since the year of the Ice Bowl. It was January 8, 1994, at the Pontiac Silverdome against Detroit, and the Lions were holding on to a 24-21 lead.
Favre took the snap and scrambled around the pocket before rolling to his left. He stopped and threw across to the right, in the opposite direction, a bomb that traveled more than 70 yards in the air given the trajectory of the pass. Sharpe, wide open, was streaking down the Lions sideline and caught the pass in the end zone. Officially, it was a 40-yard touchdown pass with 55 seconds on the clock.
“It was all planned,” Favre joked afterward. “No, that was kind of like the season has gone all year, just kind of, I don't want to say a hope and a prayer, but that's what it was. I gave a big heave-ho. I just threw it was hard as I could.”
The ‘Gunslinger’ is born
Favre disobeyed the direct advice coach Mike Holmgren gave him at halftime.
“At halftime, Mike said, ‘Don't throw it across the field,'” Favre said. “‘That's going to get you in trouble.'”
Favre's thrill-a-minute ways had yet to become endearing to Packers fans. In fact, Packers nation was down on the young gunslinger after the week before in the same venue, when Green Bay went into the final game of the season with a chance to win the NFC North. But Favre threw
four interceptions, the Lions prevailed by a 30-20 count, and the Packers had to settle for third place in the NFC North, though they did earn a chance at a rematch with the Lions.
And when the time came to make a play, Favre had to improvise, even if it meant bucking Holmgren’s advice. Both Sharpe and Mark Clayton were on the outside, and seeing that the Lions had pushed their cornerbacks close to the line of scrimmage to prevent a short out, both elected to run fade routes to the deep outside. Cornerback Kevin Scott fell back with Sharpe for a few steps, then let him go, believing safety William White was over the top.
Oops.
Sharpe, who caught two touchdowns earlier in the game despite battling a turf toe injury, had no problem getting significant separation.
“We’ve put our future in his hands,” Packers general manager Ron Wolf said of Favre. “If that young quarterback read everything written about him, I don’t know if he’d make an appearance other than in disguise.”
“Everybody was walking around saying, ‘You’re 9-7, you’re not any good,’” Wolf added. “To come here and play these guys toe-totoe and play against one of the great runners of all time just goes to our coaching staff and the belief our players have.”
The Lions had the ball with their 3-point lead and 2:26 left at the Detroit 29, but Matt Brock and Wayne
Simmons managed to bring down Barry Sanders twice for no gain, and a third-down pass by Brett Perriman was dropped.
Sanders, who was famously held to minus-1 yard rushing in the playoffs against the Packers the following year, ran rampant in this game, racking up 169 yards on 27 carries. But he was bottled up here, and Green Bay got the ball back.
Edgar Bennett gained 12 yards on a screen pass, Favre found Ed West for 9 yards and Bennett ran another 4 yards for a first down. Favre then found Sharpe for 6 yards on a shallow crossing route at the Detroit 40. Then came the bomb.
“It was the play of the year,” Holmgren said. “It’s just a wonderful, wonderful feeling. We worked so hard to get this one . ... “It was part of our hurry-up offense. Actually, it was an adjustment to the coverage.”
Teague’s takeaway
It’s astonishing that the Packers were even in the game. Detroit won the yardage battle, 410-293, held a 25-16 edge in first downs and dominated time of possession, 35:3024:30. When Favre threw the ball toward Clayton at the 5-yard line on a third and 9 play one series before the winner, he threw it too far out of bounds and figured that would be the nail in Green Bay’s coffin.
“I thought when I missed it, it was all over,” Favre said. “I said, ‘We had our chance and we blew it.’”
Green Bay was able to stay in the game because of two big interceptions. Detroit quarterback Erik Kramer was intercepted by Terrell Buckley in the first quarter to short-circuit a drive, part of a strong game for Buckley in which he held Lions receiver Herman Moore to one catch. But the bigger blow came in the third quarter, when a short pass from the 5 was picked off by rookie George Teague and returned 101 yards for a playoff-record touchdown, one that gave the Packers a 21-17 lead.
Green Bay, which opened the 1993 season at 1-3, had trailed by a 17-7 count at one point after Detroit’s own pick-6, a 15yard play authored by Melvin Jenkins. But Sharpe caught a 28-yard touchdown pass, and Teague’s big play swung the momentum.
“I think Erik Kramer looked to Herman Moore first, changed his mind, almost threw it sideways,” Teague said. “I was right there. When I saw him throw it I was standing right behind (tight end Ty) Hallock. When I saw Kramer throw it, I just ran in front of him. I think I kind of ran through his arm and got the ball . ... Then I didn’t see nothing but one of my guys and their quarterback. When I got past their quarterback, all I saw was the fans in the end zone. I just tried to get there as fast as I could.
“I didn’t feel like I was moving that fast. I don’t know if I was or not. That wasn’t the hard part. Afterward, I felt like about 18,000 people hit me on the head. Huggin’ me, kissin’ me. I got tired from doing all that instead of from the running.”
Packers star lineman Reggie White said the defense didn’t play well, but it did make those plays when it had to, even though Detroit’s 89-yard scoring drive helped the Lions reclaim the lead after Teague’s score, 24-21.
When Detroit tried to summon one last drive after Favre’s heroics, Tony Bennett sacked Kramer at the 17, and Moore couldn’t outfight Buckley on a long third-down pass to the Green Bay 40. The fourthdown pass to Perriman wasn’t close, and the Packers had prevailed.
How it lives on
It’s no longer the most exciting play this side of the Ice Bowl — Green Bay has had several more that fit the bill. But it was perhaps the true moment Favre’s legend was born and the moment the Packers became a bona fide postseason player.
Sharpe, whose 112 receptions in 1993 marked an NFL record, played only one more season, in which he caught a career-best 18 touchdowns to lead the league. He suffered a neck injury in the penultimate game of the 1994 season, and though he was able to finish the year, it was an injury that cut his spectacular career short.
The 18 touchdowns in a season are still tied for the third most in NFL history, matched with Clayton (who turned the feat with the Dolphins in 1984).
The rest of the series
Find previous installments at JSOnline.com/ 50for50.