11/05/24
November 13, 2005
Longest touchdown in NFL history: Nathan Vasher returned a missed field goal 108 yards for a touchdown, the longest ever.
Watched the game as I do every Sunday during the season. This was a nice stroke of luck that gave the Bears a lead at the half and they never looked back. The wind was insane but made for a lot of fun watching. Plays like this is what makes watching the Bears fun. Should be interesting next week vs. Carolina {with or without those fun-loving lez cheerladers!}.
posted by melcarek69 at 04:57 PM on November 13, 2005
Da Bears!!! Nuff said.
posted by tdheiland at 05:02 PM on November 13, 2005
Hey redsoxrgay,they only allow more than 100 yards if it's a return.Rushing,receiving or passing can only be 99 yards max.
posted by The Spectator at 05:05 PM on November 13, 2005
The Bears may not have much going offensively but they still have been getting the job done somehow. This is going to be a remarkable season for them. If we can pull more offensive out of our hat we will be some serious contenders. Plays like this is what has kept us alive this year hopefully they will keep coming.
posted by skydivemom at 05:24 PM on November 13, 2005
<sigh> This really was a nice site before the morons invaded, I swear.
posted by tieguy at 06:11 PM on November 13, 2005
The wind was really whack in Chicago today. The first field goal try by the Bears was blown so far off to the side it almost hit the back corner and their second got messed because the snap was blown off so that the holder couldn't get the ball down to kick.
posted by billsaysthis at 06:19 PM on November 13, 2005
I concur TIEGUY, I've really enjoyed watching the discussions for the last year or so and only recently joined them. However, between the unqualified passionate statements and hateful usernames, this place isn't the same. You gotta love the size of Nathan Vasher's Stones. Either take the ball at your own 35 yard line or risk being in the coaches doghouse when you are tackled short of it. He took door number 3.
posted by The SmoothMASTER at 07:31 PM on November 13, 2005
I think this is an excellent site - you just have to weed out the bad apples. This is a great place to be able to voice your opinion no matter how moronic it may seem to other people. I agree that Vasher had alot of nerve. But what really did he have to lose with it being so close to the end of the half. I don't remember exactly how much time was left but think it was only seconds so they only maybe had one hail mary try if he had let it go and they started on the 35. If I am wrong somebody please point it out. I unfortunately did not get to see the game only get to watch a stupid football field on the NFL.com with someone typing in the plays. That is what I get for being a bear fan in lion country.
posted by skydivemom at 07:51 PM on November 13, 2005
I don't know why more teams don't have somebody back on long field goal attempts at the end of halves like this. A missed field goal returned for TD over 100 yards in the CFL not too long ago and now this 108 yard return for TD. Not a bears fan at all, but this play was awesome. One more thing...GO COLTS!!!
posted by Colts_Fan365 at 07:52 PM on November 13, 2005
Yah, that's impressive. But it ain't nothing compared to the CFL record. (CFL end zones are 20 yards deep)
posted by grum@work at 07:52 PM on November 13, 2005
Someone has to find a video for that 128 yard CFL return. That's insane.
posted by panoptican at 08:50 PM on November 13, 2005
That is amazing. Congrats to Vasher. (I just want know who makes the decision on whether it is 107 or 108 yards. Anyone who watches football knows that spotting the ball is an INexact science) Either way, he is the man. I drive anything over 90 yards.
posted by mcstan13 at 08:57 PM on November 13, 2005
LUV to see those Horns represent!
posted by HORNS FAN at 01:05 AM on November 14, 2005
i was at the game. great feeling. it is a good sports year for me so far. between the white sox, the bears, and the bulls (sorta), im havin fun. its good for the city. vasher is in his second year, and has been utterly amazing. i like his work ethic and think that he will be a good player for years to come.
posted by 15yroldkid at 01:20 AM on November 14, 2005
This is a great place to be able to voice your opinion no matter how moronic it may seem to other people. Yeah, see, it used to be a great place to voice opinions that were intelligent, interesting, insightful, or funny. Now some people think it is just fine to shit all over it, because hey, that's their opinion. Not only does their shit stink, it drives away a lot of the people I came here for in the first place.
posted by tieguy at 07:26 AM on November 14, 2005
Tieguy, the only one stinking up the joint is you.
posted by bugsyduke at 07:36 AM on November 14, 2005
I'm sorry...is a discussion on the longest return in NFL history posted on a sports blog not intelligent or relevant enough for you? Maybe you can start a blog on nuclear physics or organic chemistry. Meanwhile, keep your foul mood to yourself and/or don't comment on things that do not interest you. Simple. P.S. If you are the type that gets driven away, so be it.
posted by willthrill72 at 08:26 AM on November 14, 2005
Tieguy..go find whoever it is your looking for.
posted by scottyooooo at 08:41 AM on November 14, 2005
If you are the type that gets driven away, so be it. Ja wohl! If you can't handle me coming to your house and shitting in the fridge, so be it.
posted by yerfatma at 08:45 AM on November 14, 2005
yerfatma, I don't exactly know what that means, but I like it...
posted by bugsyduke at 08:55 AM on November 14, 2005
I get tired watching the replays. Not much can beat what he did but I'm willing to bet that sometime it will happen. BTW, is there a rule about drop kicks?
posted by dbt302 at 09:46 AM on November 14, 2005
I would have sworn that Chris McAllister returned a FG 108 on Monday night about two years ago? Remember and on the run back Ray Lewis lit someone up. Maybe it was 107?
posted by Turbo at 10:19 AM on November 14, 2005
Sorry, I guess it would help to read the whole article. Nevermind.
posted by Turbo at 10:22 AM on November 14, 2005
Turbo, it was 107 yards...according to ESPN. Who's measuring these yards inside the endzone is beyond me, though...
posted by MeatSaber at 10:22 AM on November 14, 2005
I would've loved to see the skycam's shot of the play. He must've benefitted from at least six or seven key blocks to get through, especially on the narrow NFL field. Must've been a heckuva job by the entire special teams unit.
posted by DrJohnEvans at 12:00 PM on November 14, 2005
Perhaps the most amazing part was Urlacher catching up to, and ultimately outrunning, speedy Vasher to lay some blocks and run interference. Vasher was complely winded when he scored and Urlacher looked like he barely broke a sweat.
posted by willthrill72 at 12:10 PM on November 14, 2005
The replay I saw was a skycam shot until Vasher got to the 30 or so and then broke right, where his blocking fell into place. He stumbled while making a cut, and that seemed to freeze the 49ers for just enough time for him to get into the clear.
posted by ajaffe at 12:21 PM on November 14, 2005
I was watching this live at Jillian's, a pool hall/sports grill in Seattle. Every Sunday, they have a big crowd in their sports room, with big screen TV's showing every NFL game at once. We were focused on the Pats and Dolphins, when we hear this roar behind us, Vasher was past the 30 at that point, and we turn around and watch a good portion of his run all the way to the goal line. EVERYONE cheered and clapped, it was such an amazing play, and we all roared as he kept going and going. We then all cheered again when they did the replay. It's also cool that the TVs are showing satellite feeds of the various FOX and CBS affiliates, so we could actually watch that play as it made its way across the screens, with just about every local contest doing a cutaway during play stoppage to show what had just happened in the Bears game.
posted by hincandenza at 05:39 PM on November 14, 2005
I just saw the skycam shot on a highlight reel. I have to agree with what Skip Bayless wrote this morning: But it's highly possible that Vasher knew (or had been taught) that field-goal units are made up of a team's slowest and least athletic players -- elephantine linemen, a couple of linebackers on either edge, a long snapper, a holder and a kicker. Those first five would-be tacklers that he spun away from had the exact size and approximate speed of refrigerators. Still, it's damn impressive that he hung around and waited (for what seemed like ages) for them to commit to a direction, and then spun the hell out of there. He was really patient and controlled his pace so the blocks up the right side ended up being timed perfectly. Wow. It did seem like everyone was lumbering a bit, but I've been watching a lot of CFL lately, which generally moves a lot faster on special teams.
posted by DrJohnEvans at 06:53 PM on November 14, 2005
Holy crap, a decent article by Skip Bayless!
posted by The_Black_Hand at 07:27 AM on November 15, 2005
Featuring more than one sentence per paragraph! I know. I did a double-take when I actually looked at the byline after reading the piece.
posted by DrJohnEvans at 08:25 AM on November 15, 2005
Rex Grossman, Nuff said.
posted by sadsadcubsfan at 10:49 AM on November 15, 2005
huh?
posted by willthrill72 at 01:38 PM on November 15, 2005
wow- I didnt think they credited past 100 yards- thats cool.