The River City Relay is a famous play in a National Football League game involving the New Orleans Saints and Jacksonville Jaguars that took place on December 21, 2003 in Jacksonville, Florida. The National Football League ( NFL) is the largest professional American football league. The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans Louisiana. Events 69 - The end of the Year of the four emperors: Following Galba, Otho and Vitellius, Vespasian The 2003 season of the National Football League (NFL was the 84th one played by the major professional American football league in the United
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Background
The Saints, at 7-7 entering the game, were attempting to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2000. The NFL playoffs following the 2000 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XXXV. However, they needed to win both of their final two games to have a chance at qualifying for the postseason. While the Saints led early on in the game 3-0 after a John Carney field goal, the scoring had been mostly dominated by the Jaguars. With just seven seconds left at the end of regulation, the Jaguars had built a 20-13 lead on the Saints.
The play
The Saints were on their own 25-yard line looking at second down and 10. Quarterback Aaron Brooks started from a shotgun formation and dropped back to pass. Aaron Brooks may refer to Aaron Brooks (American football (born 1976 American football player Aaron Brooks (basketball (born 1985 The shotgun formation is a formation used by the Offensive team in American and Canadian football. He passed the ball to the right side of the field to receiver Donté Stallworth, who caught the pass at midfield. Donté Lamar Stallworth (born November 10, 1980) is an American football Wide receiver for the Cleveland Browns of the National Stallworth then bounced off a tackle and turned inside and broke two more tackles. The clock had already reached zero, and Stallworth lateralled the ball at the 34-yard line to Michael Lewis, who ran the ball to the 25-yard line of Jacksonville. He then turned and pitched the ball to Deuce McAllister, who ran to the Jacksonville 20-yard line. Dulymus Jenod (Deuce McAllister (born December 27 1978 in Lena Mississippi) is an American football Running back for the New McAllister then pitched the ball to the right side of the field to Jerome Pathon, who caught the ball at the 24-yard line of Jacksonville. Jerome Pathon (born December 16, 1975 in Cape Town) is a South African born Canadian -raised American football Wide Brooks then laid a block on the last Jacksonville defender and Pathon dove into the end-zone.
There was a lengthy delay while the officials determined that all of the ball transfers were indeed legal laterals. All the Saints needed was a John Carney extra point to send the game into overtime. Overtime is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a Sport in order to bring the game to a decision and avoid declaring the contest a tie or draw
Aftermath
Carney lined up to kick the extra point, hit a dead push, and the kick sailed wide right. Saints Head Coach Jim Haslett squinted into the sun, in complete disbelief; the home fans and the Jaguars bench erupted in cheers; and the kicker was left with his head hanging low. James Donald "Jim" Haslett (born December 9, 1955 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is an American football coach who currently Despite the miracle play, the Jaguars had won the game 20-19 on that rare missed extra point attempt.
Earlier in the season, Coach Haslett had stated to the media that he trusted Carney so much, that he'd even stake his life on him. When reminded later that day of those same comments, Haslett stated, "Then I'd probably be dead right now. He's one of the great all-time kickers. I never would have guessed this would happen. "[1]
With the loss, the Saints fell to 7-8 on the season and were eliminated from contention for the 2003 NFL playoffs. The NFL playoffs following the 2003 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XXXVIII. They would, however, finish their season on a high note the next week with a 13-7 home victory over the playoff bound Dallas Cowboys. The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference (NFC in the National For the Jaguars, the victory would lift them to a 5-10 record. They would go on to lose the next week, 21-14, to the Atlanta Falcons. The Atlanta Falcons are an American football team based in Atlanta Georgia.
The River City Relay later went on to win the 2004 ESPY for best play. The ESPY Awards is an annual Sports awards event created and broadcast by American Cable television network ESPN.
In 2007, incidentally, Carney signed with the Jaguars, although he was later released. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.
See also
- The Play, a similar last-second play in a 1982 college football game
- 2007 Trinity vs. Millsaps football game, a 2007 NCAA Division III game that featured a similar, but even longer, game-ending play
References
PLEASE NOTE The Stanford team is the The 1982 Division 1A football season saw Paul “Bear” Bryant retire as head coach at Alabama with 323 career victories in 38 seasons The Big Game is the annual football game between Stanford University and the University of California Berkeley (known simply as "Cal" held Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Division III (or DIII) is a division of the National Collegiate Athletic Association of the United States.Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic