Where did the “Hail Mary” get its name? The term actually goes back to the 1930s, when it emerged in the culture of Notre Dame football to refer to a low-probability bomb near the end of a half to try and score. The term became part of wider football parlance on December 28, 1975. The Dallas Cowboys were playing the Minnesota Vikings in a playoff game, and Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach threw a game-winning bomb to Drew Pearson. In the postgame press conference, Staubach said, “I closed my eyes and said a Hail Mary.” Since then, the term has been connected to that play, and others like it. If you didn’t watch the Buffalo Bills play the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday afternoon, since then you’ve certainly seen the highlight at the end of the game, as Cardinals quarterback Murray scrambled to his left to avoid the pass rush and threw a bomb into the night…which would come down into the hands of DeAndre Hopkins, securing a last-second victory. He was the third quarterback to throw a game-winning touchdown pass of 40 or more yards in the last 15 seconds of regulation in the last ten seasons. The others were Ryan Tannehill and Aaron Rodgers. These types of plays have a huge influence on sports betting outcomes, shifting the final point spreads and point totals at the last second.
If you were a general manager, who would you add to your roster for this type of game-winning play? Take a look at our top five and start getting creative with your NFL betting picks.
NFL News: Offensive Player Rankings — Top 5 Hail Mary Receivers
#1 DeAndre Hopkins (Arizona Cardinals)
Hopkins has earned a reputation for having the top hands in the NFL. He wears XXXXL gloves, which automatically gives him an advantage, not just in getting hold of the ball but bringing it in. In 2018, he had 115 catches — without a single drop. The play at the end of Sunday’s game had a 16.9 percent chance of completion, according to Next Gen Stats. On the play, Murray scrambled 30 yards, and the ball carried 51 yards in the air. Hopkins had three defenders going up in the air with him — and he brought it down. That sort of play is what will take him to the Hall of Fame.
#2 Davante Adams (Green Bay Packers)
In Week 10, Adams went high in the air to catch a highlight-reel touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings. He can outjump the vast majority of the secondary players who guard him, so when the play is a fade or a 50-50 ball, he has the edge. He is well ahead of his career catch percentage high, which is 75.3 percent. He is in the seventh year of his career, but he’s never been deadlier to opposing defenses.
#3 Julio Jones (Atlanta Falcons)
Jones brings physicality to the catch, understanding how to box out potential defenders and get to the ball. His competitiveness, size and talent all give him an edge when the ball is flying in the air, arcing toward the end zone, because he’s my top pick when it comes to ripping the ball away from opposing players.
#4 Mike Williams (Los Angeles Chargers)
Williams doesn’t have one singular trait that makes him stand out, such as huge hands, the ability to jump up into the sky, or physicality. Instead, he has a combination of a number of qualities. He is a playmaker with a big body who can bring in the difficult catches while making them look simple. His hang time is terrific, and he has an immense catch radius.
#5 Travis Kelce (Kansas City)
Are you surprised to see a tight end on this list? Well, you might also be surprised to turn around and see Travis Kelce holding the ball in the end zone after a Hail Mary. He’s on this list because of his spatial awareness, his ability to exploit angles, and his size. He could make a clean catch by himself, but he lacks the ups of some of the other players on this list (and on opposing secondaries). However, he could tip the ball to someone else, or grab the ball out of the air after a carom.
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