Three NFL Games You Need To Know

In the 80-year history of the NFL, there are countless memorable games. In my lifetime, there was the '85 Super Bowl, my favorite Super Bowl of all-time with players such as Jim McMahon, Walter Payton and Richard Dent.

Then there was the January 3, 1993 playoff game between the Bills and the Oilers. Known as "The Comeback," this game was over at halftime. Or so I thought when I decided to take a nap. When I woke up, the Bills were driving down the field with a chance to win it. Backup quarterback Frank Reich, subbing for the injured Jim Kelly, brought the Bills back from a 35-3 deficit early in the second half to win the game 41-38 in overtime. It remains the largest comeback in a playoff game in NFL history.

Again, these are my most memorable games. But the NFL legacy was cemented well before I was even born. And so, out of those 80 years, I have whittled the NFL's greatest games down to three:

1. The Greatest Game Ever Played -- the 1958 NFL Championship
2. The Ice Bowl, the NFL Championship (second year of the merger), what is now known as the NFC Championship Game
3. Super Bowl III

That's it. Three games. Know them and you'll understand why football today is America's game.

So, you ask...Why these games? I could write for hours about each one (I have read 3 books on the '58 game itself). However, I will keep the reasons brief, and will give you three reasons to know each game.

1. The Greatest Game Ever Played
Reason #1: Overtime. This was the first overtime game in NFL history, pitting the Baltimore Colts against the New York Giants.

Reason #2: The players. The game featured 17 future Hall of Famers including Johnny Unitas, Raymond Berry and Sam Huff playing, and Weeb Ewbank, Tom Landry and Vince Lombardi coaching.

Reason #3: The audience. The game crept into prime time, and 40 million television sets eventually tuned in to see Unitas lead his team to victory. Unitas-to-Berry is a phrase that still haunts New York, as the two superstars were brilliant late in the game.

Summary: The game marked the birth of the "new" NFL -- one that brought the game to living rooms around the country and helped convert America from a baseball-loving public to one that began to adore football.

2. The Ice Bowl -- Dallas Cowboys at Green Bay Packers, 1967

Reason #1: The conditions. The official game-time temperature was −13°F / −25°C, with a wind chill around −48°F / −44°C. The weather was too much for Lambeau Field's turf heating system, leaving the field a hard sheet of ice.

Reason #2: The coaches. This game pitted the two coaches on the New York sidelines for the Greatest Game Ever Played -- Lombardi as head man for the Pack, Landry in charge of the Cowboys.

Reason #3: The end. Trailing 17-14 with 16 seconds left and the ball on the one yard line, Green Bay could have played it safe, kicked a field goal and settled for overtime. But because of the cold, Lombardi wanted the game over -- for himself, the fans and the players. So, with no timeouts remaining, Green Bay Packers quarterback Bart Starr called his own number, opting for a QB sneak on third down. If stopped, the Pack lose. If he scores, Green Bay goes to Super Bowl II. Starr scored and the Packers escaped with a 21-17 win.

3. Super Bowl III -- New York Jets versus Baltimore Colts, 1969

Reason #1: The Guarantee. Jets quarterback Joe Namath "guaranteed" victory over the favorite Colts while speaking at the Miami Touchdown Club three days before the game. The Colts were favored by 18 points, a ridiculous point spread then and now, making the guarantee that much more memorable.

Reason #2: The merger. This was the third and last time the NFL and AFL squared off in a championship game -- the last contest before the official merger of the two leagues. During the first two Super Bowls, the Green Bay Packers handed it to the so-called "Mickey Mouse League," winning both contests easily (over Kansas City and Oakland). The AFL teams needed credibility, but the 18-point spread showed what little respect the American League had.

Reason #3: The result. The Jets won the game 16-7, one of the greatest upsets in sports history. Namath, despite not throwing a TD pass, won the MVP.

Personally, the '58 Championship is my favorite historical sports moment. So, expect more to come on that topic in future blogs.