Top 10 Most Impressive Throws in NFL History (or at least 10 really good ones...)
As I'm sure is true with most people, I got into bed angry last night after being subjected to 4 quarters of Carson Wentz. Every time I watch Carson Wentz play football, it puts me in a bad mood. I know he took a beating last night. I saw a lot of people on Twitter giving him credit for hanging in there. Some even said they felt bad for Carson Wentz.
I thought that was pretty fucked up of my co-worker Ebo. If you don't have anything mean to say about Carson Wentz, just keep it to yourself.
Anyways, to cleanse my palette, I pulled up YouTube and typed in "Best Throws in NFL History". I've been watching NFL QB highlights ever sense. I thought it would be a fun challenge to try and pick out the 10 most impressive throws in NFL history. Which is truly an impossible task. But fuck it. Why not?
I'm trying to judge these throws primarily based on level of difficulty, and how quality of a throw it was. Although in the end, considering there have been SO MANY impressive passes thrown by NFL quarterbacks (there are easily more than 100 throws you could put in the top 10), I had to give the nod to a few throws based on when they were made (i.e. the 4th quarter of the Super Bowl)
Picking the "10 Most Impressive Throws" is like splitting hairs. There's so many ways you can go about it. In conclusion… I don't fucking know what my criteria was. I vaguely took everything I could into account, and went with my gut. About half my top 10 is throws made in big moments. The other half are just really really good throws. So take this list with a grain of salt. I apologize if I insult anyone with my list.
10. Patriots vs Rams (2019) – Tom Brady to Rob Gronkowski (Super Bowl LIII)
I stared at my computer for way too long trying to which throw should be the last throw to make my list. There's just too many to choose from. So I went with the safe pick (for a sports blog that originated in Boston). I also would have felt kinda stupid if I didn't include Tom Brady on my list at all. This wasn't the most eye-popping throw ever in terms of arm strength, but you can't place a ball any better than this. To pull this off in the most defensive Super Bowl ever… in game where none of Tom Brady's receivers were getting open for him… he had no choice but to make a throw this perfect if he wanted to win.
9. Colts vs Texans (2024) – Anthony Richardson to Alec Pierce (Fadeaway Bomb)
As a Colts fan, I might be little biased here. But this throw from Anthony Richardson is the third longest throw (by air yards traveled) since they began keeping track of the stat in 2016. And he did it after slipping… he had pressure in his face… he was off-balance and fading backwards. Almost nobody can make this throw. There are QB's in the NFL who couldn't throw a football this far if they crow-hopped into it.
I don't know why any NFL team would let him do this, but if Anthony Richardson had a full career as a starting quarterback, he legitimately might end up with greatest highlight reel of all-time. He would also be responsible for the 100 worst plays ever made. But if you cherry pick the few good things Anthony Richardson does… he's gonna blow you away.
8. Eagles vs Redskins (1971) – Pete Liske to Steve Zabel (Sitting Down TD Pass)
My list if very biased towards throws I can remember, and highlights that at least resemble the game of football I'm used to watching today. But I have to put at least one "old one" on my list. And I wanted some diversity on here when it comes to different types of passes. I had never seen this highlight until last night. I didn't even know who Pete Liske was. But that is a perfectly placed throw to the back of the end zone, and he did it from his ass. He didn't just lob it up there either. That ball was on a rope. If Patrick Mahomes did this, ESPN would create a new channel for the sole purpose of running this highlight on a loop.
7. Panthers vs Falcons (2015) – Cam Newton to Ed Dickson (Throws Laser Around Defender)
Sorry for the Spanish. YouTube wouldn't letting me embed the English one. I could watch this throw on repeat for hours. I'm pretty sure I did exactly that when it happened. It's like a scene out of that movie 'Wanted' where they curve the bullets. I was going to put this higher, because the way I remembered it, Cam Newton was getting hit as he thew. But since that isn't actually the case, I had to drop it a bit. But considering the pressure in his face, how he had to throw the ball around a head, and the virtually non-existent margin for error. This has to be one of the most impressive throws of all-time. Thank god the Panthers equipment manager didn't over inflate the footballs that day. I'm not sure Cam Newton fits that ball around the defenders helmet if he did.
6. Patriots vs Falcons (2017) – Matt Ryan to Julio Jones (Super LI)
Talk about putting a ball where only your receiver can catch it. However many inches taller Julio Jones is than Eric Rowe, Matt Ryan threw the football exactly that many inches out of Eric Rowe's reach. At the time, Julio Jones might have been the only receiver in the NFL who could have hauled that down. For a brief second there, I thought the Falcons were going to win the Super Bowl. That play should have sealed the game. That play took the Falcons down to the Patriots 22-yard line… then the Falcons proceeded to punt the football. That's almost impossible to do.
Woof. That pass by all means should have gone down in history as an all-time Super Bowl clinching throw. What a shame.
5. Steelers vs Cardinals (2008) – Ben Roethlisberger to Santonio Holmes (Super Bowl XLII)
I don't know how Ben Roethlisberger was even able to visualize that throw. In the final seconds of the Super Bowl, no less. The Cardinals probably thought they had Santonio Holmes covered perfectly. They probably thought they were covering him too well. If you've got three defenders on a single receiver, there must be someone else open. I mean, Big Ben did kind of have his check down open along the sideline. But that's not important. Why check the ball down when you can make one of the most difficult throws in NFL history on the biggest stage possible?
4. Ryan Fitzpatrick (Ripped Down By Facemask Throw)
I didn't want to include this at first, because I only wanted to feature perfectly thrown passes. I'm not even putting any of Patrick Mahomes' famous side-arm-falling-backwards-with-his-eyes-closed throws on my list. I'm looking for throws that either hit the receiver in perfect stride, or are placed in the exact right spot. But the more I watched this pass, I realized that's exactly what Ryan Fitzpatrick did. That ball was dropped in right between the defenders. Had Fitzpatrick led Mack Hollins any further, the safety might have been able to make a play. For the limited power he was able to get behind the throw (due to his head being ripped off his body), it really was the perfectly placed pass.
3. Eli Manning (Mario Manningham, Super Bowl)
I had forgotten just how beautiful Eli Manning's pass to Mario Manningham truly was. The David Tyree catch always gets top billing when people talk about the Giants vs. Patriots Super Bowls. The way Eli Manning was able to avoid being sacked on that play was great. But the throw to David Tyree itself was a jump ball. The pass to Mario Manningham thought… that was as perfect as you can throw a football. As clutch of a throw as you'll ever see. Malcom Williams is still speechless.
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2. Aaron Rodgers – All of Them
There are simply too many outrageous Aaron Rodgers throws to choose from. And I'm not even counting his Hail Mary's. As impressive as the Hail Mary's were, that's not what this list is about. But even without them, when it comes to mind-blowingly perfect passes that don't even seem possible, Aaron Rodger's individual Top 10 is better than anyones. Realistically, about half this Top 10 could be Aaron Rodgers throws.
I'm sure I'm leaving out some good ones, but here are 5 of my favorites.
1. Panthers vs Falcons (2022) – P.J. Walker to D.J. Moore (Longest Throw in NFL History)
I'm obsessed with this throw by P.J. Walker. How hilarious is it that the longest throw (by air yards traveled) in league history was made by P.J. Walker? I think some people might argue that (Bo Nix has a throw that's close), but this P.J. Walker throw is so good. That pass was pushing 70-yards in the air. For the longest pass in NFL history to hit a receiver perfectly in stride, in a situation where the offense is down a touchdown with 15 seconds left in the game. On a "Most Impressive Throws" list, I don't know how I could give the #1 spot to anyone else.
Honorable Mentions
Donavan McNabb – Scramble Drill to Freddie Mitchell
Thad Lewis – Gets Murdered, Throws Dart, Loses Helmet
This was never going to crack my top 10, but in hindsight, it maybe should have. Thad Lewis got fucking smoked.
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Andrew Luck – Hits Donte Moncreif for TD While Being Tackled
Cam Ward 1st Career TD Pass
This would have to top the list of "Most Impressive 1st Career TD Passes of All-Time". If Cam Ward had hit his receiver just a little bit more in stride, I'd have put it in my Top 10. I guess that shouldn't really matter for a pass in the end zone. But it's too late to turn back now. I've embedded so many YouTube videos my computer is about to explode.
Mike Vick Hits Brent Celek in Impossibly Tight Window
Speaking of Mike Vick, I'll never forget this bomb to Desean Jackson on first play of Monday Night Football.
San Francisco 49ers – The Catch + The Catch II
Carson Wentz With The Eagles
Since I was mean to Carson Wentz at the start of this blog, I will concede that when he was with the Eagles, he made some undeniably impressive throws. This pass to Nelson Agholor as Wentz was in the midst of being tackled might be the best of them all
Or maybe this Carson Wentz pass vs Washington.
Once again, I apologize to anybody who I offended with my list. If you're looking for more throws, here's 60-minutes worth of them.