5. Jerry Rice’s Phantom Fumble
Rice is the best wide receiver in the history of the NFL and arguably the greatest player of all-time according to many. But it looked like he had lost the game and gotten the 49ers eliminated from the playoffs during the 1998 NFC Wild Card round. With San Francisco trailing Green Bay late in the fourth quarter, Rice caught a pass over the middle of the field and appeared to fumble. Green Bay recovered. But the referees presiding over the game somehow ruled Rice down by contact.
The missed call led to a play that changed NFL history. San Francisco quarterback Steve Young threw an infamous touchdown to up-and-coming star Terrell Owens, allowing them to advance in the playoffs. Rice is and always will be one of the greats. But the fact remains the refs bailed him out in this one. This play will go down in history as one of the worst missed calls in football.