After their victory, Staubach told reporters that he closed his eyes, threw the ball as hard as he could and uttered a Hail Mary prayer. Staubach heaved the ball to Drew Pearson, and the rest is history. During a 1975 playoff game against the favored Minnesota Vikings, the Cowboys were behind with 24 seconds left on the clock.
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The term �Hail Mary pass� is generally credited to Dallas Cowboys� quarterback Roger Staubach. Synonyms for Hail Mary include ave, Ave Maria, Hail Mary pass, Hail Mary play, last-minute pass, desperate, last-ditch, final, last-chance and all-out. An audible is when the offense or defense decides their play at the line of scrimmage rather than in the huddle. Linebackers will drop back into coverage against shorter passes, although they are often replaced with additional defensive backs in this situation (giving the defense a nickel package or dime package). A Hail Mary or Hail Mary pass is a desperate pass in which a quarterback hurls the ball many yards down the field and hopes one of his receivers jumps up to catch it. To defend against the Hail Mary, the defense drops into zone coverage and makes sure to keep the receivers in front of them. Remember, an NFL game cannot end on a defensive penalty, so the offensive team will get one more play, even if time has already expired. The expression goes back at least to the 1930s, being used publicly in that decade by two former members of Notre Dame 's Four Horsemen, Elmer Layden and. Pass InterferenceĪ Hail Mary can also draw a pass interference penalty, which can give the offense another shot at the end zone with much better field position. A Hail Mary pass or Hail Mary route in American football refers to any very long forward pass made in desperation with only a small chance of success, especially at or near the end of a half. The Hail Mary can be run out of the shotgun or singleback formation. Running backs may be kept in to block, or the team may elect to replace the runners with even more receivers. It is common for three or more receivers to line up on the shot side of the field and run a fly pattern.
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Perhaps the most famous example of the Hail Mary was Doug Flutie�s successful 1984 pass against Miami with six seconds left on the clock.
Hail mary football synonym professional#
Still, it is a standard play in every professional and college team�s playbook. Hail Mary Passīecause of the distance thrown and the defense being prepared, the Hail Mary pass rarely works. MetzgerDecember 13, 2021Weekly Hail Mary, Hail Mary Football Blog, hailmaryfootball, Hail Mary Football, HMF, expert fantasy advice, Fantasy Football. The pass is most commonly used just prior to halftime or the end of the game. Basically, the quarterback throws the ball as far as he can and hopes that a receiver can come down with it. The Hail Mary pass is traditionally a last-ditch forward pass used in both the NFL and NCAA ranks.