I'm glad everyone's enjoying these highlight videos so much, because I'm sure as heck enjoying posting them and looking back at these sorts of things. Tonight's video might be the most frequently posted video in the history of the site, but you know what? I don't care, because it's still awesome.
On November 30, 2008, the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears got together with both teams sitting at 6-5 and fighting for the top spot in the NFC North. Earlier in the season, the two teams put together a crazy 48-41 shootout at Soldier Field that saw Gus Frerotte get intercepted four times and featured absolutely atrocious special teams play from the Vikings. That game put the Bears at 4-3 while dropping the Vikings to 3-4, but everything had evened out by the time the teams got together again.
With nine minutes left in the first half and leading 7-3, the Bears embarked on a drive from the Minnesota 46. It looked like the Vikings had stopped the Bears on a stuff of Matt Forte by Kevin Williams, but Benny Sapp was flagged for unnecessary roughness, keeping the drive alive and moving the Bears to the Minnesota 27-yard line. Forte got the call on the next play, and flew around the left side for what looked to be a sure touchdown, but Madieu Williams hustled his tail off and knocked Forte out of bounds at the 1-yard line.
So, the Bears had four shots to get into the end zone from the 1-yard line. On first down, Bears' quarterback Kyle Orton attempted to find tight end Greg Olsen in the end zone, but was unsuccessful. After a time out, the Bears went to Forte again on second down, but he couldn't find the goal line, either.
For some reason, Lovie Smith thought he could trick the Vikings on third down by handing the ball to fullback Jason Davis, but the Vikings were not fooled, stuffing Davis for no gain. Finally, on fourth down, the Bears went to Forte again, but Jared Allen and Pat Williams brought him down short of the goal line for a stop to cap off an outstanding goal line stand.
So, the Vikings had 1st-and-10 from their own 1-yard line with five minutes left in the first half. Then this happened.
As many times as I will watch this clip, I will never for the life of me understand what possessed Charles Tillman to decide to gravitate towards Visanthe Shiancoe running down the middle of the field and leave Bernard Berrian wide open down the sideline. He had to know he didn't have any help back there. . .right?
And man. . .I really wish I could find video of the sequence of plays leading up to this, starting with the Forte run that got the Bears down to the 1. There's one clip of the goal line stand on YouTube, but it looks like it was filmed underwater.
In any event, the Vikings went on to win the game by a final score of 34-14, and eventually go on to win the NFC North that season as well. And Gus Frerotte to Bernard Berrian will forever be in the NFL record books as being tied for the longest scoring play in NFL history.