The evolution of the Hail Mary - The perfect throw -- and how to defend it - ESPN

Editor's note: This story was originally posted in 2019.

The first Hail Mary in pro football was nothing like the choreographed desperation we see today. It was Dec. 28, 1975. The Dallas Cowboys were trailing the Minnesota Vikings 14-10 in the final seconds of a divisional-round playoff game. Dallas quarterback Roger Staubach gave his best receiver simple instructions as the Cowboys lined up at the 50-yard line: make a move and go deep.

The pass was a few yards short of the end zone, but receiver Drew Pearson outmuscled the only defender contesting him for the ball and trotted in for the winning score.

Staubach joked afterward that he had closed his eyes and said a Hail Mary prayer with the ball in the air. «A Catholic kid from Cincinnati,» as he told NFL Films in a documentary on the play.

In the ensuing years, NFL teams have synthesized the desperate heaves into a science that no longer needs intervention from the mother of Jesus. Hail Marys have succeeded roughly once in every 12 attempts over the past decade, boosted by unique protection schemes, enhanced quarterback fundamentals, counterintuitive defensive techniques and a debate on whether to blitz or play coverage.

There have been 193 Hail Mary attempts since the start of the 2009 season, according to ESPN Stats & Information tracking, including the regular season and playoffs. They have produced 16 touchdowns, including three from the arm of Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. (The Cincinnati Bengals' Andy Dalton is the only other quarterback with more than one during that span, having twice hit receiver A.J. Green on such plays.)

Rodgers honed his approach during his three years as a backup to Brett Favre. In what turned out to be a gift, coaches