Miracle in Motown

Miracle in Motown

Ford Field in Detroit, site of the game
Green Bay Packers
(8–4)		 Detroit Lions
(4–8)
27 23
Head coach:
Mike McCarthy		 Head coach:
Jim Caldwell
1234 Total
GB 001413 27
DET 17033 23
Date December 3, 2015
Stadium Ford Field
Location Detroit, Michigan
Referee Carl Cheffers
Network CBS, NFL Network
Announcers Jim Nantz, Phil Simms, Tracy Wolfson

The Miracle in Motown refers to the final play of an American football game between the NFC North divisional rivals Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL) that was played on December 3, 2015 at Ford Field in Detroit.[1][2] On the final play of regulation, with no time remaining on the game clock, Packers quarterback (QB) Aaron Rodgers heaved a towering 61-yard (56 m) Hail Mary pass into the end-zone that was caught by tight end (TE) Richard Rodgers for the game-winning touchdown. The play resulted in a stunning 27–23 come-from-behind victory for the Packers, who trailed 20–0 in the second half, marking the fourth largest comeback in franchise history.[3] The game was broadcast on television nationally on Thursday Night Football, a joint production aired simultaneously by CBS and NFL Network.

Background

Before the game on December 3, 2015, the Green Bay Packers had struggled, especially offensively, in their last games, while the Detroit Lions had found their form since winning against the Packers on the road at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. The Packers had lost four of their last five games after a 6–0 start for the season and were in dire need to change their course to reach the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Detroit Lions came to the game with a three-game winning streak, and they still had a chance to become the first team to earn a playoff spot after starting the season 0–5.

Eighteen days earlier, the Lions had ended a 24-year-long streak without a win from the Packers in a road game by beating their divisional rivals 18–16 at Lambeau Field. By defeating the Packers at their second meeting of the season, the Lions would have swept the season series with Green Bay for the first time since 1991.[4]

Before the Packers started their comeback from the 20–0 deficit on the second half of the game, the Lions had snapped a 56-game streak where the Packers scored in the first half. Counting in the previous game against the Chicago Bears and the most part of the Lions game, Packers went nearly 70 game minutes without a point.

Events of the play

On the preceding play, with only six seconds left on the game clock, Green Bay was at its own 24-yard line. Time expired during the play as Green Bay completed a number of lateral passes which culminated in Packers TE Richard Rodgers throwing the ball to quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who Detroit Lions defender Devin Taylor quickly tackled. The official standing behind the play called a 15-yard penalty on Taylor for grabbing Rodgers' face mask on the tackle, which put the Packers at their own 39-yard line. Since the rules state that a game cannot end on a defensive penalty, the Packers were awarded one last untimed play after the game clock had reached zero.[5] After calling the play, all Packers' receivers ran towards the end zone and Aaron Rodgers broke right escaping the Detroit defenders before throwing a 61-yard (56 m) Hail Mary pass into the end zone.[6] TE Richard Rodgers caught the pass, resulting in the Packers winning 27–23. According to a number of estimations Aaron Rodgers' pass traveled 66–68 yards (60–62 m) before reaching the hands of TE Richard Rodgers. The throw was also high enough to nearly hit the rafters at Ford Field.[7]

When you throw it with that arch you have a chance, because it gives guys a chance to fight for position. That’s the whole design of it, and there’s a design to where you try to get to and the triangle that you’re trying to form (with teammates) down there. Richard is the perfect guy for that type of situation, big body and his ability to go up—you see his old basketball skills—and high-point the football.
— Mike McCarthy, the Packers head coach, breaking down the play[8]

Players involved

QB Aaron Rodgers and TE Richard Rodgers are not related; however, they have both attended University of California, Berkeley and played for the California Golden Bears, in 2005 and 2014 respectively.[1]

The play marked Aaron Rodgers' first ever completed Hail Mary pass of his career just a day after his 32nd birthday.[1][9]

The Packers TE Richard Rodgers is the son of Richard Rodgers Sr., who was involved in one of the most famous plays in American football, "The Play", that ended the game between Cal and Stanford in 1982.[10] Richard Rodgers Sr. argued after the game that his son's role in the play rivaled his involvement in the famous play which he called and in which he threw two of the five laterals in 1982:

It's the complete scenario. If you look at it from my perspective, Rodgers throws it to Rodgers, not Aaron to Richard but Richard to Aaron, to start the whole thing. The penalty gets called. And then Rodgers throws it back to Rodgers again. I couldn't write a better script than that.
— Richard Rodgers, Sr., father of TE Richard Rodgers[11]

Penalty controversy

Like most game-deciding calls by officials, the Detroit's face mask penalty that allowed the winning play by Green Bay generated controversy. However, Dean Blandino, NFL Vice President of Officiating, responded to the controversy on Twitter moments after the game.

Hand up to the mask, quick grab with finger and the head gets turned. At full speed official is going to make that call almost every time.
— NFL Vice President of Officiating, Dean Blandino, posted 12:05 a.m., December 4, 2015[12]

A couple of plays earlier, Green Bay was upset by what many observers felt should have been whistled for defensive pass interference on a downfield throw. Aaron Rodgers admitted that this non-call for a pass interference could have ultimately affected the referees' decision to call the face mask penalty.

I think a little karma was saved up after the no P.I.
— Aaron Rodgers[13]

Naming the play

The nickname for the play, "Miracle in Motown", was first used by Nantz during the nationally broadcast Thursday Night Football postgame show.[14]

Records

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Slusher, Keenan (December 4, 2015). "Miracle in Motown: Rodgers Connects with Rodgers on Hail Mary". NBC Sports. Retrieved December 4, 2015.
  2. ↑ Wagner-McGough, Sean (December 4, 2015). "Look: Twitter Can't Believe the Miracle in Motown Actually Happened". CBS Sports. Retrieved December 4, 2015.
  3. ↑ "Green Bay Packers Greatest Comebacks". Pro-Football-Reference.com. December 4, 2015. Retrieved December 4, 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 "Packers Stun Lions on Aaron Rodgers-to-Richard Rodgers Hail Mary". ESPN. December 4, 2015. Retrieved December 6, 2015.
  5. ↑ Edholm, Eric (December 4, 2015). "Miracle in Motown: Packers Stun Lions on Controversial Walk-off Touchdown". Yahoo! Sports (Yahoo!). Retrieved December 4, 2015.
  6. ↑ Nantz, Jim; Simms, Phil (December 3, 2015). "Aaron Rodgers' Amazing Hail Mary: The Miracle in Motown! Packers vs. Lions". Thursday Night Football (CBS Sports). Retrieved December 4, 2015 – via National Football League on YouTube.
  7. ↑ Breech, John (December 4, 2015). "Look: This Is How Close Rodger's Hail Mary Came to Hitting the Rafters". CBS Sports. Retrieved December 6, 2015.
  8. ↑ Dougherty, Pete (December 4, 2015). "This Time, Packers on Winning End of Hail Mary". Green Bay Press-Gazette. Retrieved December 6, 2015.
  9. ↑ Wilde, Jason (December 4, 2015). "Aaron Rodgers First Ever Hail Mary". ESPN. Retrieved December 6, 2015.
  10. ↑ DeLessio, Joe (December 4, 2015). "5 Incredible Things about the Packers' Hail Mary". New York. Retrieved December 4, 2015.
  11. ↑ Brinson, Will (December 4, 2015). "Miracle in Motown Has an Incredible Link to the Stanford Cal Lateral Play". CBS Sports. Retrieved December 6, 2015.
  12. ↑ Wagner-McGough, Sean (December 4, 2015). "NFL Ref Czar Defends Controversial Face Mask Call in Miracle in Motown". CBS Sports. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  13. ↑ Gauruder, Dana (December 5, 2015). "Green Bay Packers: 3 Takeaways from the Miracle in Motown Hail Mary". United Press International. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  14. ↑ Verderame, Matt (December 4, 2015). "Jim Nantz Coins Game 'Miracle in Motown'". Fansided. Retrieved December 4, 2015.
  15. 1 2 Reineking, Jim (December 8, 2015). "Packers' Duo from Cal Now Has Its Own 'The Play'". National Football League. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
  16. ↑ Hodkiewicz, Weston (February 6, 2016). "'Miracle in Motown' Wins NFL Play of the Year". The Sheboygan Press. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
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