Coined a little over 40 years ago by Hall of Fame quarterback Roger Staubach, the Hail Mary play is reserved for only specific situations -- at the very end of the half and with the game on the line at the end of the fourth quarter.
Based on the uncanny ability of Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers to make a heave-ho to the end zone from 40 or more yards away when everyone on defense knows it’s coming, why not uncork it from time to time when the defense doesn’t expect it?
It’s different than a traditional deep pass, where the quarterback tries to hit the receiver in stride. It’s more like a deliberately underthrown pass that goes as far as the quarterback can wing it, with the receiver arriving at the spot at or before the ball does. The outcomes are limited: long gain, incompletion, or interception so far down the field it operates like a punt.
Not every team should add it to the playbook. The Packers should; Rodgers made the perfect Hail Mary throw at Detroit during the regular season, and he made three perfect Hail Mary throws on Saturday night, with two being caught and one hitting the ground only because of obvious interference that wasn’t called.
