9. Antonio Freeman’s Improbable Bobble

Antonio Freeman made a handful of unforgettable catches during his eight seasons in Green Bay. As one of Brett Favre’s favorite targets, “Free” led the NFL in receiving yards in 1998. He was the Packers’ top pass catcher in four straight seasons (1996–1999). He caught two touchdown passes in the Packers’ Super Bowl XXXII loss to the Denver Broncos and sprinted past New England ­Patriots safety Lawyer Malloy to haul in an 81-yard touchdown pass from Favre during the victory in Super Bowl XXXI in New Orleans.

But during his frequent visits to Wisconsin and encounters with Packers fans across the country, one play from Freeman’s career dominates the conversation. “They almost always want to talk about the Monday night game against Minnesota,” Freeman said. “Sometimes they’ll bring up the Super Bowl. But most of the time, it’s the Vikings game, and that’s fine with me. If you’re going to be remembered for something, that’s a pretty good one. I know I’ll never forget it. It was probably the craziest catch I ever made.”

The circumstances made the play tough to forget. On a cold, rainy night on November 6, 2000, with winds gusting to 19 mph, the Packers (3–5) battled the division-leading Vikings (7–1) through four quarters. Minnesota committed five turnovers, and the Packers had none. The Vikings were penalized 11 times for 129 yards yet still maneuvered into position to win the game on the final play of the fourth quarter.

With seven seconds left and the score tied 20–20, Gary Anderson lined up for a 33-yard field-goal attempt in the driving rain. The Packers called timeout, allowing the field to become even more soggy and the ball even more slick. That decision paid dividends when Mitch Berger couldn’t handle the snap from David Palmer. Berger tried to throw a desperation pass, but Tyrone Williams picked it off at the 5-yard line to force overtime.

After winning the coin toss, the Packers went to work on their own 18-yard line and began moving. A couple of runs by Ahman Green and a 22-yard pass from Favre to Bill Schroeder moved the ball to midfield. On third and 4 from the Minnesota 43, Favre called for a slant pass for Freeman, and a slight delay before the play ended up being a key to victory and history. “We ran [the slant] earlier on the first play of a previous drive for about 12 yards,” Favre said. “Had it not been for a wet ball, we probably would have continued to run a slant, but we backed off. They gave us a new ball.”

Freeman noticed that Cris Dishman was covering him one-on-one. “It’s that unspoken communication that comes from playing together for a long time,” Freeman said. “I just said, ‘Brett!’ And he looked at me and he saw the same thing I did.”

The route was changed to a slant-and-go—or as the Packers called such routes, a “sluggo.” “Free was playing with a lot of confidence and he just got my attention real discreetly and gave me a signal,” Favre said. “He had a feeling that Cris was going to jump the slant, and I went with it.”

With a Vikings blitz closing in on him, Favre dropped to the center of the “G” logo at midfield and lofted a pass off his back foot to the right side. Dishman, who had inside position, got his right hand on the ball, but his left hand knocked it into Freeman’s left arm. Freeman, who was prone after diving for the ball, saw the ball hit his left shoulder pad and facemask before he eventually pulled it in with his right hand. He then got up, put a move on safety Robert Griffith at the 15-yard-line, and ran into the end zone. Legendary announcer Al Michaels, who was in the booth, had one of the more memorable calls of his career: “Favre lays it up for Freeman, and it’s…incomplete…or did he make the catch at the 15? What are they gonna rule? That he caught it? Touchdown! He did what?”

Freeman finished with five catches for 118 yards, including one reception for the ages. “I just stayed with the play,” the receiver said. “I knew nobody had touched me so got up and took it home. I remember the fans were going crazy. My teammates were going crazy. And Brett jumped on me and he said, ‘Did you catch it?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I caught it.’ It is a moment I’ll never forget.”

It was a forgettable moment for Dishman, who was released three weeks later and ended up in the coaching ranks. “I still see Cris from time to time at golf outings and charity events,” Freeman said. “I enjoy the play more than he does, but we always laugh about it.”