College sports remain a real bedrock of the industry in the USA and offer top-class action to their legion of ardent fans. Of course, college sports are also crucial to the ongoing success of pro sports and provide a conveyor belt of young talent for professional sides to sign up.
This is certainly true in the NFL and many people who like to watch college football also get a kick out of following the pro game. The appeal is easy to see when you think of the amazing franchises in the NFL and the hard-hitting plays it gives us to enjoy. Sports betting also helps bring more fans to the NFL and gives football lovers a way to inject more fun into watching games.
This is something that is really taking off across the USA, as more states begin to legalize betting on sports such as football. Michigan is a classic example and is a state that finally decided to legalize betting on sports in 2021. As the latest Michigan online sportsbook reviews show, the Great Lakes state has some great options for sports bettors to choose from.
In addition to sports betting, touchdowns are what make football fun to follow. But which are four of the best in its history?
Michael Vick against the Vikings
This is not only one of the best touchdowns of the last 10 years for NFL fans but simply one of the best ever. Quarterback Michael Vick’s touchdown for the Atlanta Falcons in a regular season game against the Minnesota Vikings during the 2002 NFL campaign never gets old.
The game had gone into overtime after a tightly contested affair but Vick dazzled everyone in the stadium to score the winning touchdown. After taking the ball, he danced through two tackles before making his way into the end zone to score and send the watching Falcons followers crazy.
Last-second thrills from Ken Stabler
While looking at ACC team stats in football is exciting for fans of the college game, delving into the top touchdowns in NFL history is worthwhile for anyone who is into football generally.
Another example involves Ken Stabler of the Oakland Raiders and even has its own nickname – The Sea of Hands! This fantastic piece of action happened in an AFC Divisional 1974/75 playoff game between the Raiders and the Miami Dolphins.
After Benny Malone scored a late touchdown for Miami, many thought the Raiders had no way back. Stabler did not share this view, though, and made a last-gasp play to give Oakland the win! This saw him charge down the field for 60 yards before throwing an eight-yard touchdown pass to running back Clarence Davis. Although Davis looked well covered by three Dolphins players, he somehow managed to grab the ball and hang on to it to score.
Dwight Clark’s stunning catch for the 49ers
The 1981 NFC Championship game saw the 49ers take on the Cowboys in a very closely matched affair. Despite this, Dallas led going into the last minute and looked set to hang on for the victory. A young Joe Montana, though, had other ideas!
In the last play of the game, Montana used all his magic to not only avoid rushing Dallas defenders but also throw a high, accurate pass out to Dwight Clark. Although the pass was good, it was not easy to take and everyone gasped as Clark leapt to grab the ball in mid-air. This touchdown score gave San Francisco a narrow win and ranks as one of the top NFL touchdowns ever.
Super Bowl XL belongs to Willie Parker
Super Bowl XL in 2006 saw the Seattle Seahawks take on the Pittsburgh Steelers. It is a Super Bowl many remember for the only touchdown pass ever thrown by a wide receiver at a Super Bowl to date. This saw Antwaan Randle El hitting Hines Ward with a 43-yarder to set up a Steeler’s score.
Although this is a superb touchdown from the NFL archives, it is not actually the best one in that game. For many, Willie Parker’s 75-yard dash for the Steelers in the third quarter tops it. This occurred just two plays into the third quarter and really set the Steelers up for a fifth Super Bowl win.
Greatest NFL touchdowns ever
Although there is a lot to like about the NFL, touchdowns are arguably one of its biggest draws. They are not only fun to watch but also see teams score the points needed to win games. Over time, there have been some seriously good ones to marvel at and those mentioned here certainly fit the bill.
