NFL Players Who Made the Dumbest Plays
- Thread starter RonJohn
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CINCYMETJACKET
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RonJohn, as a Miami Dolphins fan, Leon Lett was my first guess as well. For the fieldgoal mishap in the snow obviously. Forgot about the superbowl mishap.
CINCYMETJACKET
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Since my first choice was taken, the second one that comes to mind is Plaxico Burress from Michigan State. Spiking the ball after a reception his first year with the Steelers when he fell to the turf but wasn't touched.
armeck
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Definitely dumb, but you could at least understand it. Muscle memory from college taking over when he was excited.
CINCYMETJACKET
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I agree that Plaxico's play was an NCAA transition to NFL error. Still should never happen, especially for a player drafted in his position.
GTJackets
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Does betting on NFL games (including your team) count as a "play?" Asking for a friend.
CINCYMETJACKET
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I'll add another one as well. Garo Yepremian, Super Bowl VII. Dolphins up 14-0, attempting a field goal to go up 17-0 with just over 2 minutes left. 17-0 would have been a great way to end a 17-0 season by the way, but...
DeepSnap
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Jim "Wrong Way" Marshall of the Minnesota Vikings
After recovering an offensive fumble, Marshall ran 66 yards the wrong way into his team's own end zone. After completing the run, thinking that he had scored a touchdown for the Vikings, Marshall then spiked the ball in celebration, and the ball landed out of bounds, resulting in a safety for the 49ers. According to Marshall, when he approached Vikings head coach Norm Van Brocklin afterwards, Van Brocklin said, "Jim, you did the most interesting thing in this game today." Despite the gaffe, the Vikings won the game 27–22, thanks to a forced fumble by Marshall which Carl Eller returned for a touchdown.
Marshall later received a letter from Roy Riegels, infamous for a wrong-way run in the 1929 Rose Bowl, stating, "Welcome to the club." In 2019, Marshall's miscue was ranked No. 54 among the NFL's 100 Greatest Plays.
The Wrong Way Run
During his time with the Minnesota Vikings, Marshall was playing in a game against the San Francisco 49ers on October 25, 1964.After recovering an offensive fumble, Marshall ran 66 yards the wrong way into his team's own end zone. After completing the run, thinking that he had scored a touchdown for the Vikings, Marshall then spiked the ball in celebration, and the ball landed out of bounds, resulting in a safety for the 49ers. According to Marshall, when he approached Vikings head coach Norm Van Brocklin afterwards, Van Brocklin said, "Jim, you did the most interesting thing in this game today." Despite the gaffe, the Vikings won the game 27–22, thanks to a forced fumble by Marshall which Carl Eller returned for a touchdown.
Marshall later received a letter from Roy Riegels, infamous for a wrong-way run in the 1929 Rose Bowl, stating, "Welcome to the club." In 2019, Marshall's miscue was ranked No. 54 among the NFL's 100 Greatest Plays.