Haunting Losses:
The History Of NFL Games On Halloween
This year Halloween falls on a Monday, meaning many Halloween parties will be featuring the game of the week. Aside from providing plenty of people with an excuse to skip buying a pricy costume this year, getting to watch the game on Halloween is a treat for those who don't mind enduring a few tricks from the kids they're ignoring on fourth quarter third-and-eights. There's been more than a handful of NFL games played on Halloween night. We've assembled some of the most haunting losses from Halloween games in this historical fright night-NFL recap.
The Halloween Monsoon
An icy cold downpour and strong winds weren't enough to spoil the Green Bay Packers' night in 1994. Known as the Halloween Monsoon and ranked by Brett Favre as one of his favorite games against the rival Chicago Bears, the Packers dominated Soldier Field for forty-eight minutes in a 33-6 blowout. The unsettling weather conditions were almost as fun to watch as the game, with temperatures in the 30's, wind up to 50 miles per hour and an onslaught of heavy rain, while an atypical Green Bay ground attack flourished in a system that usually favored Favre's passing. As fun as it was for Green Bay, the Bears didn't enjoy getting clobbered in the rain on home turf.
"Steeling" Perfection
Going into their Halloween matchup in 2004, the New England Patriots had won 21 games in a row dating back to their 2003 championship run. With rookie quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, commanding the offense and a dominant defensive performance, the Pittsburgh Steelers flew out to a solid lead and held off a second half rally by the Pats to snap what was at the time the longest winning streak in NFL history. The Patriots got the last laugh in the 2004-2005 season, capturing their third championship in the Tom Brady era. However, an up-and-coming Steelers squad, as shown in this game, was gaining experience and confidence, and would take home a championship of their own the following year.
Bitter Rivals
Several teams around the league faced off on Halloween Sunday in 2004, but there were only two teams featured on Halloween in 2005. Once again it was the Steelers coming away with a victory, this time over their rival Baltimore Ravens. While the victory, achieved on a Jeff Reed field goal in the final minutes, was enough to squeeze past the Ravens by a single point, it was anything but an easy win. The Steelers fought off a night of mistakes on offense, defense and special teams to give themselves a chance to win on a clutch drive. The haunting loss dropped the Ravens to a 2-4 record, while the win for the Steelers kick-started a three-game winning streak that would ironically end on an overtime field goal by none other than the rival Ravens.
Fateful Fumble
The San Diego Chargers became the victims of the most recent haunting Halloween loss in the NFL when they faced the Kansas City Chiefs in 2011. Riding a hot 4-1 record leading up to what was supposed to be an easy win over the Chiefs, the Chargers got off to a sluggish start, fighting back the entire game to tie the game late in the fourth quarter. Phillip Rivers and company had the ball in their hands with several minutes on the clock to work the field. Everything was going smoothly as Rivers marched the Chargers down to the Chiefs 15-yard line. It was a chip shot for any kicker, but with a full minute left on the clock and a couple downs to spare, Charger's coach Norv Turner chose to wind down the clock. But the ball was fumbled on the snap. The Chargers never kicked the field goal and went on to lose to the Chiefs in overtime, giving Kansas City fans a feel-good moment to change out their MLB flags for football-themed yard decorations.
For as many NFL teams that have experienced a gut-wrenching Halloween loss, there are just as many who have been on the happier side of the outcome. Make sure your Halloween is both happy and haunting with fun products from LTD Commodities, and make sure to check out our selection of NFL items, from gym duffel bags and apparel to NFL mugs and man cave wall art.
