Pro Football on the Timeline

Pro football's defining games and moments. Here’s a taste of the Pro Football pack — 173 verified moments and counting.

1. 1920 Team owners gather in a Canton auto showroom to form the league that becomes the NFL, with Jim Thorpe its first president.September 17 →
2. 1932 The Chicago Bears beat the Portsmouth Spartans in the NFL's first playoff game, played indoors at Chicago Stadium.December 18 →
3. 1936 Jay Berwanger is selected first overall by the Eagles in the first-ever NFL draftFebruary 8 →
4. 1940 Sid Luckman's Bears crush the Redskins seventy-three to nothing, the most lopsided NFL Championship Game ever.December 8 →
5. 1944 The Green Bay Packers defeat the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds to win the NFL Championship.December 17 →
6. 1948 In a blizzard, Steve Van Buren's lone touchdown gives the Eagles a shutout over the Cardinals for their first title.December 19 →
7. 1952 The Detroit Lions, behind Bobby Layne, beat the Cleveland Browns to claim the NFL Championship.December 28 →
8. 1956 Switching to sneakers on an icy field, the New York Giants demolish the Chicago Bears for the NFL title.December 30 →
9. 1960 Pete Rozelle is elected NFL commissioner after 23 ballots of owner votingJanuary 26 →
10. 1962 The New York Giants and St. Louis Cardinals tie in the first Pro Football Hall of Fame exhibition game in Canton.August 11 →
11. 1964 Vikings lineman Jim Marshall recovers a fumble and mistakenly runs it into his own end zone, handing the 49ers a safety.October 25 →
12. 1967 Bart Starr's QB sneak gives the Green Bay Packers a win over the Dallas Cowboys in the frozen 'Ice Bowl' NFL ChampionshipDecember 31 →
13. 1970 Kansas City Chiefs beat the Minnesota Vikings in the final AFL-NFL title game before the mergerJanuary 11 →
14. 1971 Jim O'Brien's last-second field goal gives the Baltimore Colts a win over the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl VJanuary 17 →
15. 1974 Ken Stabler's desperation throw finds Clarence Davis amid defenders in the Raiders' Sea of Hands win over the DolphinsDecember 21 →
16. 1977 Oakland Raiders rout the Minnesota Vikings for their first Super Bowl titleJanuary 9 →
17. 1979 Terry Bradshaw throws for four scores as the Pittsburgh Steelers outlast the Dallas Cowboys to win their third Super Bowl.January 21 →
18. 1982 Kellen Winslow plays through exhaustion as the Chargers outlast the Dolphins in overtime in the Epic in MiamiJanuary 2 →
19. 1983 Tony Dorsett of the Dallas Cowboys breaks off a 99-yard touchdown run against the Vikings, the longest from scrimmage ever.January 3 →
20. 1984 Robert Irsay moves the Baltimore Colts to Indianapolis overnight in Mayflower trucksMarch 28 →
21. 1987 John Elway marches the Broncos 98 yards on The Drive to force overtime and beat the BrownsJanuary 11 →
22. 1989 Joe Montana's late drive to John Taylor beats the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl XXIIIJanuary 22 →
23. 1990 Derrick Thomas of the Kansas City Chiefs sets the single-game record with seven sacks against the SeahawksNovember 11 →
24. 1992 Brett Favre makes his first career start for the Green Bay Packers, beginning a record streak of consecutive starts.September 27 →
25. 1994 Jerry Rice of the 49ers passes Jim Brown for the most career touchdowns in NFL history, against the RaidersSeptember 5 →
26. 1997 Desmond Howard's ninety-nine-yard kickoff return seals the Super Bowl for the Green Bay Packers over the Patriots.January 26 →
27. 1999 Steve Young hits Terrell Owens for the game-winner as the 49ers beat the Packers in The Catch IIJanuary 3 →
28. 2000 The Titans win on a kickoff-return lateral to Kevin Dyson, the Music City Miracle, over the BillsJanuary 8 →
29. 2000 Corey Dillon of the Cincinnati Bengals runs for a then-record 278 yards in a single game against the Denver Broncos.October 22 →
30. 2002 The tuck-rule reversal of Tom Brady's fumble keeps the Patriots alive in the snow against the RaidersJanuary 19 →
31. 2002 Michael Strahan sacks Brett Favre to set the single-season record with 22.5 sacks for the New York Giants.January 6 →
32. 2004 Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts breaks Dan Marino's single-season touchdown pass record with his 49th, against the ChargersDecember 26 →
33. 2006 LaDainian Tomlinson of the San Diego Chargers breaks the single-season touchdown record with his 29th, against the BroncosDecember 10 →
34. 2008 David Tyree's helmet catch helps the New York Giants end the New England Patriots' perfect season in Super Bowl XLIIFebruary 3 →
35. 2011 The Carolina Panthers draft Heisman winner Cam Newton with the first overall pick of the NFL draft.April 28 →
36. 2012 Replacement officials award the Seahawks a disputed game-winning touchdown to Golden Tate over the Packers on Monday Night Football, the 'Fail Mary'September 24 →
37. 2013 Joe Flacco's 70-yard touchdown to Jacoby Jones over Rahim Moore forces double overtime as the Ravens stun the Broncos in the divisional round, the 'Mile High Miracle'January 12 →
38. 2014 The Seahawks score a safety 12 seconds in and rout Peyton Manning's Broncos 43-8 to win Super Bowl XLVIIIFebruary 2 →
39. 2016 NFL owners vote to approve the Rams' relocation from St. Louis to Los AngelesJanuary 12 →
40. 2018 Stefon Diggs' walk-off touchdown catch from Case Keenum gives the Vikings the Minneapolis Miracle over the SaintsJanuary 14 →