14. A Touchdown That Wasn’t Real
This call ultimately led to a shift in NFL history when instant replay was instituted the following year. The New York Jets trailed the Seattle Seahawks 31-26 in a high-scoring affair. Jets quarterback Vinny Testaverde drove New York down the field to the point they were five yards away from a game-winning score. Against the odds, Testaverde rushed in for the clinching score, although it was incredibly close.
Some officials believed that Testaverde had scored while others thought that he was just shy of the line. Ultimately it was ruled a touchdown and the Jets won the game. However, Replays proved that New York did not, in fact, score the game-winning touchdown. At the time, there was no use of instant replay for officials. The next year, there was, because so many people were frustrated with these dumb calls.