River City Relay
Encyclopedia
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
.
. 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.
and turned inside and broke two more tackles. The clock had already reached zero, and Stallworth pitched the ball to 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 Jaguars' 20-yard line. 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. Brooks, who had hustled all the way downfield, then laid a block on the last Jaguars defender and Pathon dove into the end-zone.
There was a lengthy delay while the officials determined that all of the ball transfers (after the pass to Stallworth) were indeed legal laterals. All the Saints needed was a John Carney extra point to send the game into overtime
.
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. The reaction of Saints play-by-play radio announcer Jim Henderson
became legendary: "NOOOO!!! He missed the extra point wide right! Oh my God, how could he do that?" 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."
With the loss, the Saints fell to 7-8 on the season and were eliminated from contention for the 2003 NFL playoffs
. However even if the Saints had improbably won in overtime, they would have been eliminated from the playoffs, as the Dallas Cowboys won their tenth game of the season that day (9 was the highest possible number of wins the Saints could have had had they won) and the Seahawks eventually won their tenth game to gain a wild card. The Saints would, however, finish their season on a high note the next week with a 13-7 home victory over the playoff bound Dallas Cowboys
. 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 another NFC South
team, the Atlanta Falcons
.
The River City Relay later went on to win the 2004 Best Play ESPY Award
.
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
game involving the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
and Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
that took place on December 21, 2003 in Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
.
Background
The Saints, at 7-7 entering the game, were attempting to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2000NFL playoffs, 2000-01
The NFL playoffs following the 2000 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XXXV.This would be the last time that playoff games would be played at the accustomed times of 12:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. EST...
. 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 passed the ball to the right side of the field to receiver Donté Stallworth, who caught the pass at midfield. Stallworth then bounced off a tackle attempt by Jaguars cornerback Fernando BryantFernando Bryant
Fernando Antoneyo Bryant is a former American football cornerback of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars 26th overall in the 1999 NFL Draft...
and turned inside and broke two more tackles. The clock had already reached zero, and Stallworth pitched the ball to 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
Deuce McAllister
Dulymus Jenod "Deuce" McAllister is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft...
, who ran to the Jaguars' 20-yard line. McAllister then pitched the ball to the right side of the field to Jerome Pathon
Jerome Pathon
Jerome Pathon is an American football coach and former wide receiver who played eight seasons in the National Football League...
, who caught the ball at the 24-yard line of Jacksonville. Brooks, who had hustled all the way downfield, then laid a block on the last Jaguars defender and Pathon dove into the end-zone.
There was a lengthy delay while the officials determined that all of the ball transfers (after the pass to Stallworth) were indeed legal laterals. All the Saints needed was a John Carney extra point to send the game into overtime
Overtime (sports)
Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination...
.
Aftermath
Carney lined up to kick the extra point, hit a dead push, and the kick sailed wide right. Saints Head Coach Jim HaslettJim Haslett
James Donald "Jim" Haslett is an American football coach and former linebacker. He is currently the defensive coordinator of the Washington Redskins. Previously, he served as the head coach for the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League, and the New Orleans Saints and St...
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. The reaction of Saints play-by-play radio announcer Jim Henderson
Jim Henderson (Sportscaster)
Jim Henderson is an American sportscaster, currently employed with the New Orleans television station WWL-TV Since May 1, 1978. He covers a range of output, from sports coverage to fishing. He is also the radio voice of the New Orleans Saints....
became legendary: "NOOOO!!! He missed the extra point wide right! Oh my God, how could he do that?" 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."
With the loss, the Saints fell to 7-8 on the season and were eliminated from contention for the 2003 NFL playoffs
NFL playoffs, 2003-04
The NFL playoffs following the 2003 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XXXVIII.Beginning with the 2003–04 season, the NFL changed the selection procedures regarding officials for playoffs games. The league suspended the prior practice of assembling "all-star" officiating crews of highly-rated...
. However even if the Saints had improbably won in overtime, they would have been eliminated from the playoffs, as the Dallas Cowboys won their tenth game of the season that day (9 was the highest possible number of wins the Saints could have had had they won) and the Seahawks eventually won their tenth game to gain a wild card. The Saints would, however, finish their season on a high note the next week with a 13-7 home victory over the playoff bound Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
. 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 another NFC South
NFC South
The NFC South is a division in the National Football Conference of the National Football League. It was created prior to the 2002 NFL season, when the league realigned divisions after expanding to 32 teams. The NFC South currently has four members: the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, New...
team, the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
The River City Relay later went on to win the 2004 Best Play ESPY Award
Best Play ESPY Award
The Best Play ESPY Award has been conferred annually since 2002 on the play in a single regular season or playoff game contested professionally under the auspices of one of the four major North American leagues or collegiately under the auspices of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
.
See also
- The PlayThe PlayThe Play refers to a last-second kickoff return during a college football game between the and the Stanford University Cardinal on Saturday, November 20, 1982...
, a similar last-second play in a 19821982 NCAA Division I-A football seasonThe 1982 NCAA Division I-A football season saw Paul "Bear" Bryant retire as head coach at Alabama with 323 career victories in 38 seasons.The Penn State Nittany Lions won their first consensus national championship, closing out an 11-1 season by defeating Georgia and Heisman Trophy winner Herschel...
college football gameBig Game (football)The Big Game is an American college football rivalry game played by the California Golden Bears football team of the University of California, Berkeley and the Stanford Cardinal football team of Stanford University. It is typically played in late November or early December... - 2007 Trinity vs. Millsaps football game2007 Trinity vs. Millsaps football gameThe 2007 Trinity vs. Millsaps football game is best known for the memorable play that occurred in the game's last minutes. On October 27, 2007, the NCAA Division III 19th-ranked Trinity University Tigers threw 15 lateral passes and scored a 61-yard touchdown to win a game against the 24th-ranked...
, a 2007 NCAA Division III game that featured a similar, but even longer, game-ending play