River City Relay

The River City Relay is a famous play in a National Football League game involving the New Orleans Saints and Jacksonville Jaguars that took place on December 21, 2003 in Jacksonville, Florida.

Background

The Saints, at 7-7 entering the game, were attempting to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2000. However, they needed to win both of their final two games to have a chance at qualifying for the postseason. While the Saints led early on in the game 3-0 after a John Carney field goal, the scoring had been mostly dominated by the Jaguars. With just seven seconds left at the end of regulation, the Jaguars had built a 20-13 lead on the Saints.

The play

The Saints were on their own 25-yard line looking at second down and 10. Quarterback Aaron Brooks started from a shotgun formation and dropped back to pass. He passed the ball to the right side of the field to receiver Donté Stallworth, who caught the pass at midfield. Stallworth then bounced off a tackle and turned inside and broke two more tackles. The clock had already reached zero, and Stallworth pitched the ball to the 34-yard line to Michael Lewis, who ran the ball to the 25-yard line of Jacksonville. He then turned and pitched the ball to Deuce McAllister, who ran to the Jacksonville 20-yard line. McAllister then pitched the ball to the right side of the field to Jerome Pathon, who caught the ball at the 24-yard line of Jacksonville. Brooks then laid a block on the last Jacksonville defender and Pathon dove into the end-zone.

There was a lengthy delay while the officials determined that all of the ball transfers were indeed legal laterals. All the Saints needed was a John Carney extra point to send the game into overtime.

Aftermath

Carney lined up to kick the extra point, hit a dead push, and the kick sailed wide right. Saints Head Coach Jim Haslett squinted into the sun, in complete disbelief; the home fans and the Jaguars bench erupted in cheers; and the kicker was left with his head hanging low. Despite the miracle play, the Jaguars had won the game 20-19 on that rare missed extra point attempt.

Earlier in the season, Coach Haslett had stated to the media that he trusted Carney so much, that he'd even stake his life on him. When reminded later that day of those same comments, Haslett stated, "Then I'd probably be dead right now. He's one of the great all-time kickers. I never would have guessed this would happen." [ [http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter?game_id=26551&season=2003&displayPage=tab_gamecenter&week=REG16 NFL Game Center: Post Game - New Orleans Saints at Jacksonville Jaguars - 2003 Week 16 ] ]

With the loss, the Saints fell to 7-8 on the season and were eliminated from contention for the 2003 NFL playoffs. They would, however, finish their season on a high note the next week with a 13-7 home victory over the playoff bound Dallas Cowboys. For the Jaguars, the victory would lift them to a 5-10 record. They would go on to lose the next week, 21-14, to the Atlanta Falcons.

The River City Relay later went on to win the 2004 ESPY for best play.

In 2007, incidentally, Carney signed with the Jaguars, although he was later released.

ee also

*The Play, a similar last-second play in a 1982 college football game
*2007 Trinity vs. Millsaps football game, a 2007 NCAA Division III game that featured a similar, but even longer, game-ending play

References