It’s one of those things that sits in the back of your mind that you don’t want to remember.
And then someone brings it up and you can’t help but think about what could have been.
The Green Bay Packers are playing the Philadelphia Eagles this week. You know the play I’m talking about.
4th and 26.
It’s so infamous in Packer lore it has a name.
4th and fucking 26.
If a certain rookie linebacker would have dropped back to the depth he was supposed to, the Philadelphia Eagles may never have gone to the Super Bowl in 2004. We might be talking about something else entirely. We may have never heard of a play called 4th and 26.
But that’s not the case. Is it, Nick Barnett?
It’s one of the most painful moments in Packers playoff history and it happened almost seven years ago.
What’s funny about it is the guy who caught that fateful pass — former first-round draft pick Freddie Mitchell — was asked to recount the play by Philadelphia Sports Daily.
If you’ve ever heard Freddie Mitchell say anything, you know where this is going — Freddie Mitchell is the greatest receiver to ever play the game… kind of.
Here are some excerpts.
I had to take a certain angle that most young receivers wouldn’t have taken. Any other angle and it would have been a bum play. I was the master of finding holes, and I knew right where the hole would be. It was money.
Yes Freddie, you are money and you certainly are of a higher caliber than any other rookie receiver, ever.
First of all Donovan’s pass was behind me and it was wobbly, but I had to take advantage of the opportunity that was presented to me. Right when I caught the pill, I kind of knew I had the yardage right away. I looked at the sticks and to see where I was at and I knew I got it. I felt like Michael Jordan hitting a last-second shot or Tiger Woods sinking a 50-foot putt.
You are certainly on the same level as Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods, Freddie. When they talk about all-time greats, they say names like Babe… Wayne… Michael… Tiger… Freddie.
I love being a part of that play. A lot of great receivers came through this league, but I’d rather have one memorable catch than go to the Pro Bowl. There are Pro Bowl and Hall of Fame players that have caught 20 times as many passes as me but aren’t remembered.
Let’s see… no, I can’t even go there. I’d be going on and on about catches that Hall of Famers like Lynn Swann, Steve Largent, Jerry Rice and James Lofton made, and we don’t want to do that.
It’s more important that Freddie Mitchell made this particular catch than ever went to a Pro Bowl, much less the Hall of Fame.
Mitchell finished his four-year NFL career with 90 receptions for 1,263 yards and five touchdowns.
His greatest claim to fame is that he’s an answer to a trivia question.
But don’t tell Freddie Mitchell that.
still disgusts me…
The People’s Champion.
He is a hero in Bears culture. We love the guy.
Being a bears fan you would love another man.
Loud mouthed prick. One play doesn’t make a career. Philly got embarrassed in the SB that year, big deal.
Freddie Mitchell, forever a champ in his own mind.
More than that overblown disaster where Darren Sharper basically replayed his coverage against the 49ers in ’99, (you could always rely on Sharper to hit the WR a yard after the firstdown/touchdown, if Mitchell had tipped the ball in the air, then Sharper would have been there to pick it off and do his little electric slide though, you could bet on that), I seem to remember a certain 4th and 1 at the Philly 32 yard line where Mike dipshit Sherman decided to punt the effin ball instead of relying on our 1800 yard RB to pick up a yard. It was an especially comical decision after a punt in the endzone and then a 13 yard draw play to Brian Westbrook gave the Eagles the ball at the same spot that they would have had it if we would have gone for it and failed. I also seem to remember a certain a-hole QB throwing the ball way over the head of a wide open Javon Walker and into the waiting arms of Brian Dawkins like he was fielding a fricking punt.
I forgotten about the Philly 4th and 1. I think I just about had an aneurysm when that happened.
Yep. For me it was never about 4th and 26. It was all about the punt on 4th and 1. Never in all my life did I scream, “Noooooooooooooooooo!” so loud as when I saw them lining up to punt.
If I recall correctly, the 3rd down play before that had Brent sliding 1 yard short of the first down on a bootleg keeper. Take the hit you fucking pussy, Brent! Asshole!
That punt was the worst coaching decision of the Mike Sherman era and may have been a worse call than anything McCarthy has done to date. However, McCarthy has made boner moves like that way more often.
Agreed. Forget the fourth and one it was the bad decision to punt on fourth and one. Your have Ahman Green in his prime rushing for over 1300 yrds and you dont think he can manage on fucking yard?!?! Thats why Mike SHerman was fired and thats why Mike McFatty should be fired at the end of this year barring a mirical super bowl win because he does some of the same dumb shit. A fake pass to Jackson on the goal line against Shitcago??? A fourth and one long pass with the back up qb on a do or die game winning drive against D-troit??? Really I could go on and on but you get the point. FUCK MIKE MCATTY and his backwards play calling.
I agree 100%. 4th and 26 was idiocy in it’s own right, but it wasn’t the stupidest thing in the game. Their DLine was clearly gassed and it would not have been hard to get 1 freaking yard!
Bidwell still sucks, too.
Worst moment in recent Packers defensive history. I would be showing that tape to CM3 and the gang right before game time on Sunday. “Don’t be that guy.” would be the main message…
The Eagles didn’t go to the Superbowl that season…the Panthers did…
They picked up TO and were beaten by the Pats in the second of back to back SB victories…
This season and this game is the beginning of the “Favre vs. …” era. Brent single-handedly throwing away one crucial playoff game after another…
“4 and 26” means nothing if we didn’t have a QB that made the big boner play at the worst possible time.
Hey everyone I just saw on NFL network that clay matthews is probable cuz of his shin? Anyone know what this is about? Cuz I thought he was all better?
Probable means he is playing. Matthews was limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday, which is why he was on the injury report. It is no big deal.
Killa and others, when a QB throws the ball 40 yards downfield on 3rd and 1 or 4th and 1, that is a QB trying to take advantage of a one-on-one matchup on the outside. It has nothing to do with the play call by the coach. McCarthy is in no danger of being fired, so you’ll get at least another year, and likely many more, to spout off about nothing.
So Clay killed tonight.. I even did a remixz of go cubs go… Go Pack Go Go Pack Go hey matthews what do you say we kick vicks ass today (: