NFL Power Rankings: The Greatest Plays Of All-Time

#18:  Steve Young Scramble

The 1988 season was a long gauntlet of adversity for the San Francisco 49ers.  Most of the season was up and down for them with victories followed closely by defeats.  Only a series of heroic plays had been able to keep them from falling off a cliff.

There is no doubt the one that came to define that season occurred on October 30th.  In a rematch with the Minnesota Vikings, who had knocked them from the playoffs the year before, the Niners trailed 21-17 in the 4th quarter.  Steve Young was in at quarterback for the injured Joe Montana.

Needing a touchdown to win and save their season, Young dropped back to pass.  The initial surge by the Vikings pass rush forced him out of the pocket and he started to scramble.  What followed was what NFL Films president Steve Sabol called the “Single greatest expression of a man’s will” he’d ever seen on the football field.

Young broke numerous tackles and had to cut back twice before he found the open field to reach the end zone.  San Francisco held on to win 24-21.  It earned them some revenge and proved a critical victory as the team snuck into the playoffs and ended up winning their third Lombardi trophy.

Next: #17