NFL Old School Game of the Week: Falcons Hit Hail Mary to Defeat 49ers

In that sea of humanity, Falcons wide receiver Michael Haynes makes the game-winning touchdown catch with one second left to give Atlanta a 17-14 win over the 49ers.

Perhaps no NFL franchise has had more luck with the “Hail Mary” than the Atlanta Falcons.

On three separate occasions, the Falcons have used the “Hail Mary” pass to pull out miracle victories.

The first one occurred in the 1978 season when the Falcons trailed the New Orleans Saints 17-13 when quarterback Steve Bartkowski called for “Big Ben Right” a play where three wide receivers lined up on the right side and then Bartkowski would fire a pass toward these receivers with the hope that one of them would tip so that another receiver would come in and catch it.

The play worked to perfection as Wallace Francis tipped the ball in the air back to Alfred Jenkins who made the catch and ran to complete the 57-yard touchdown with 10 seconds left to give the Falcons a 20-17 victory which helped propel them to their first ever playoff berth.

Five years later, “Big Ben” struck again for the Falcons, this time against the San Francisco 49ers, as Bartkowski hit Billy “White Shoes” Johnson for a 47-yard touchdown as time expired to give Atlanta a 28-24 win, which was dubbed “Big Ben II” by the Atlanta media.

Then in 1991, the final chapter of the “Big Ben” trilogy would occur to give another miraculous win for the Falcons.

The Falcons entered the first week of November with a 4-4 record, which for this franchise was considered a good season at this point in their history as they had only had five winning seasons and been to the playoffs only three times since their inception back in 1966.

Led by head coach Jerry Glanville and all-pro cornerback Deion Sanders, the Falcons had been given a flamboyant feel to the team as the team adopted M.C. Hammer’s song “2 Legit 2 Quit” as their theme song with the rapper watching from the sidelines for many of their games, which included a 39-34 win over the 49ers three weeks earlier.

While the Falcons felt good about being at the .500 mark in early November, the 49ers saw the .500 mark as them struggling as they enter the game 4-4 as well.

The 49ers were a team in transition as quarterback Joe Montana was in the first year of his two-year absence because of an elbow injury, paving the way for backup Steve Young to come in and become the starter.

The 49ers were also looking for replacements for running back Roger Craig and safety Ronnie Lott, who had left the team in the offseason.

Still, with Young, all-pro wide receiver Jerry Rice, and a core of players that had won back-to-back Super Bowls and narrowly missed reaching a third straight Super Bowl as they lost to the New York Giants on a last-second field goal in the NFC Championship Game back in January, the fact that San Francisco held a 4-4 record at the halfway point of the season was seen as unacceptable.

To make a run to the playoffs, the 49ers and the Falcons needed a win in this game.

The 49ers got the first scoring opportunity of the game midway through the first quarter when they drove from midfield to the Falcons’ nine-yard-line in five plays, only to be kept out of the end zone as Young was sacked by Falcons linebacker Jesse Tuggle for a eight-yard-loss on 3rd-and-goal, setting up a 33-yard field goal attempt by Mike Cofer.

But Cofer’s kick was blocked by Atlanta nose tackle Tony Epps, keeping the game scoreless.

Despite playing with a thigh bruise, Deion Sanders had an interception and held Jerry Rice to just 44 yards on six catches.

The Falcons would go three-and-out on their next possession, giving the 49ers the ball at their own 26-yard-line, beginning a drive that would go into the second quarter.

The 49ers ran 11 plays for 51 yards leading to a 3rd-and-1 at the Atlanta 11-yard-line when Harry Sydney was stopped for a one-yard loss, leading to another field goal attempt from Cofer.

This time, Cofer got the kick away, but the 32-yard kick hit the right upright and was no good, keeping the game at 0-0 with 11:18 left before halftime.

After another three-and-out by their offense, the Falcons got their first scoring opportunity of the game when Sanders intercepted a Young pass intended for Rice and returned it 13 yards to the 49ers’ 45-yard-line.

However, the Falcons would go three-and-out again and punt the ball back to the Niners, but seemed to flip the field position into their favor as Scott Fulhage’s punt was downed at the San Francisco’ two-yard-line.

After a one-yard run by Tom Rathman on 1st down, Young took the snap on 2nd down and scrambled around in his own end zone before firing a bomb intended for John Taylor.

Taylor was able to make the catch between Atlanta defensive backs Scott Case and Tim McKyer at around the 49ers’ 45-yard-line, and then outran the rest of the Falcons defense to for a shocking 97-yard touchdown, the longest touchdown in 49ers history up to that point, but most importantly giving San Francisco a 7-0 lead with over eight minutes left in the second quarter.

Things got worse for the Falcons on their ensuing possession when on the first play from scrimmage, quarterback Chris Miller was intercepted by 49ers linebacker Bill Romanowski, giving San Francisco the ball at the Falcons’ 11-yard-line.

Worse yet for the Falcons, Miller was knocked out of the game on the play with bruised ribs, and would have to be replaced by backup Billy Joe Tolliver.

Back on the field, the 49ers had an excellent chance to extend their lead and had a 3rd-and-1 at the two-yard-line when Young was sacked again, this time by linebacker Darrion Conner, forcing the 49ers to settle for another attempt at a field goal.

But for the third time in the first half, Cofer could not connect as his 32-yard attempt sailed wide left, keeping the score at 7-0 with 3:13 left in the first half.

Tolliver came on to replace Miller on the Falcons’ ensuing drive and was able to get Atlanta their first 1st down of the game, but could not go no further then Atlanta’s 32-yard-line, forcing another punt.

After an exchange of punts, the 49ers got the ball at their own 40-yard-line with 59 seconds left before the halftime break and all three timeouts in their pocket.

Young was able to get the 49ers to the Falcons’ 36-yard-line when on a 3rd-and-10, Young scrambled for six yards, only to injury his left knee when he was hit by two Falcon defenders, causing the quarterback to limp off the field and the 49ers to try for another field goal, even though Cofer was 0-for-3 at this point.

It would become 0-for-4 as Cofer’s 47-yard kick was long enough, but sailed wide left as the first half come to a close with the 49ers leading 7-0, despite the fact they outgained the Falcons 275-35 in offense and made 11 1st downs compared to the Falcons’ one.

When the 49ers offense came onto the field for the second half, they came out with backup Steve Bono, with Young out for the rest of the game with his knee injury.

49ers quarterback Steve Young completed 11 of 19 passes for 187 yards and threw a touchdown, while running for 34 yards on five carries before a knee injury took him out of the game.

Both teams traded punts on their first drives of the second half when midway through the third quarter, the 49ers had the ball at the Falcons’ 47-yard-line when Bono threw a pass intended for Rice, that was batted around with Sanders, and for a moment was on top of Rice’s helmet, before landing in the hands of Falcons safety Brian Jordan for the interception.

Jordan lateraled the ball to Sanders, whose 10-yard return put Atlanta at their own 25-yard-line with 4:53 left in the third quarter.

That is when the Falcons put together their first good drive of the game as they drove 75 yards in 18 plays on a drive that took nearly 11 minutes off the clock as Atlanta went to their running game to spark their offense as running back Mike Rozier carried the ball nine times for 35 yards, including a converting a 4th-and-1 at the 49ers’ 45-yard-line.

But it was through the air where the Falcons got the touchdown as Tolliver found Andre Rison for a three-yard touchdown that along with Norm Johnson’s extra point tied the game 7-7 with 8:23 left in the fourth quarter.

The Falcons defense forced the 49ers to punt on their next possession to get the ball back at their 27-yard-line with 5:37 left in regulation.

But it seemed that the Falcons had been forced into yet another three-and-out as they lost two yards and were forced to punt back to San Francisco.

Fulhage’s punt traveled 46 yards to the 49ers’ 29-yard-line when San Francisco’s Sanjay Beach muffed the kick, leading to a mad scramble that was recovered by Atlanta’s Tracy Johnson at the San Francisco 17-yard-line, giving the Falcons a golden opportunity to take the lead.

However, the Falcons could only gain six yards on three plays, setting up a 29-yard field goal attempt by Norm Johnson.

The 49ers were hoping that the kicking misfortunes that they had experienced through the first half would happen to the Falcons, but Johnson’s kick sailed through the uprights giving Atlanta its first lead of the game, 10-7 with 2:39 left in the 4th quarter.

A 31-yard return by Dexter Carter on the ensuing kickoff allowed for the 49ers to start their drive at their own 32-yard-line, needing only a field goal to tie.

But with Cofer’s troubles in the first half, the 49ers figured they had to go for the end zone.

The drive began with Bono completing back-to-back passes to Sydney for 13 yards, giving the 49ers a 1st down at their own 45-yard-line.

Then after overthrowing Mike Sherrard on the next play from scrimmage, Bono went back to Sydney, whose 19-yard gain put the 49ers at the Falcons’ 36-yard-line as the two-minute warning hit.

After the two-minute break, Bono hit Sherrard for 17 yards, giving San Francisco a 1st down at the Atlanta 19-yard-line.

That is when disaster nearly struck for the 49ers as Bono was sacked by Elbert Shelley, causing a fumble that was recovered by San Francisco right tackle Harris Barton, but causing the 49ers 11 yards and setting up 2nd-and-21.

Bono tried to go back to Sydney on 2nd down, but his pass fell incomplete, setting up 3rd-and-21 where Bono dropped back and fired a pass toward the end zone and intended for Taylor.

Taylor beat Sanders and was able to stretch out to make the catch for the 30-yard touchdown that put the 49ers back on top 14-10 with 53 seconds to go in the game.

John Taylor had only two catches, but they totaled 127 yards and both were touchdowns.

Many Falcons fans gave up hope as they exited Atlanta Fulton County Stadium, even though the Falcons still two timeouts in their pocket and their history of hitting the “Hail Mary”.

The Falcons started the drive at their 20-yard-line with an eight-yard pass from Tolliver to Pritchard, who stepped out of bounds to save time.

Tolliver’s pass on 2nd down was overthrown as he was going for Rison, but 49ers strong safety Dave Waymer was called for holding, giving Atlanta a 1st down at their 33-yard-line with 43 seconds to go and the clock stopped.

After two incomplete passes and a four-yard scramble by Tolliver, the Falcons were faced with a 4th-and-6 with 21 seconds left, which they had to convert in order to keep alive.

Tolliver took the snap and found Rison for a 19-yard gain and more importantly a 1st down at the 49ers’ 44-yard-line with 16 seconds left as Rison stepped out of bounds.

Tolliver’s next pass fell incomplete leading to a 2nd-and-10 with nine seconds remaining.

Even though they had one timeout left, the Falcons felt it was time to call on “Big Ben”.

So, Tolliver took the snap, dropped back three yards and fired a pass toward the right corner of the end zone where a crowd of 49ers defenders and Falcons receivers where at.

Somehow, the ball fell into the hands of Falcons receiver Michael Haynes, who made the catch, sending the fans who had stayed into a frenzy and causing the Falcons sideline to erupt in celebration as “Big Ben” had struck again(double-click to play).

Norm Johnson kicked the extra point to give Atlanta a 17-14 lead as they was still one second, meaning the Falcons would have to kick it back to the 49ers, who would need a miracle to win.

But that miracle did not happen for the 49ers as Sanders tackled Spencer Tillman on the kickoff, to preserve the 17-14 victory and their first season sweep of the 49ers since 1980.

The season sweep of the 49ers allowed Atlanta to make the playoffs for the first time since 1982 as both teams finished with identical 10-6 records, but with the tiebreaker going to the Falcons.

In the playoffs, the Falcons would knock off the Saints for only the team’s second playoff win in team history, but would Atlanta would fall to the eventual Super Bowl champion Washington Redskins in the Divisional Round.