NFL Tragic Moment #1: Wide Right

To finish off the top ten most tragic NFL moments, we go to #1: wide right.

I was one of the 73,813 people in Tampa Stadium on January 27, 1991, watching my beloved Buffalo Bills play the "New York" Giants in Super Bowl XXV.

The Giants played ball-control offense, having possession for an ungodly 40 minutes, 33 seconds, a Super Bowl record. The Bills, who scored 95 points in their previous two playoff games leading to Super Bowl XXV, had the ball for less than eight minutes in the second half and just 19:27 for the game.

Giants defensive coordinator Bill Belichick used only two defensive linemen against the Bills, sending as many as nine men at a time into pass coverage. This gave Bills quarterback Jim Kelly had nowhere to throw the ball, and they barely converted any third down plays.

Down by one point, Kelly would get his chance at his own 10-yard line with 2:16 remaining. Kelly guided the Bills to the Giants 29, leaving eight seconds for placekicker Scott Norwood to win the Super Bowl.

It was a 47 yard field goal attempt, and Norwood had never kicked one that far on grass in his career.

Adam Lingner snapped the ball, holder Frank Reich placed it, and Norwood kicked it. Many Bills players and coaches held hands and knelt in prayer...to no avail.

It was "wide right". No good. The Giants would win the game.

"I hit it solid, but I guess I tried to kick it too hard," Norwood would say. "I needed more follow-through; I should have brought my hips into it quicker to make the ball draw.

"I'm down right now, way down, but I'll come back from this. It won't scar me."

It scarred me.

This was my first exposure to post traumatic stress syndrome. Every January for at least ten years I dreamt of that kick.

Sometimes my mind would mess with me and Norwood would make it.

Then I would wake up and realize...it didn't happen.

Why do I even bother watching sports? Nothing but pain, I tell you.

The other nine:

Numbers seven through ten are here, and number six is here. Number five is here.
Number four is here.
Number three is here.
Number two is here.

Enjoy...and try to forget.

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