There is a new candidate for NFL Player of the Year this season.
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kenneth Gainwell went down after being interfered with by Detroit Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone, and somehow Aaron Rodgers’ long pass bounced off his right hand. Gainwell concentrated and successfully passed the ball. Anzaloni was also on the ground and didn’t touch Gainwell after catching the ball, so he stood up and ran the final few yards into the end zone.
advertise
Even more dramatic came with two seconds left in the first half. The two sides tied at 10-10.
The catch is similar to another famous catch in NFL history, when the Green Bay Packers’ Antonio Freeman caught the ball against the Minnesota Vikings. He somehow kept the ball from hitting the turf, collected it when it looked like an interception, and then sprinted for a touchdown to win the overtime game. That catch came from Rodgers’ old teammate Brett Favre.
Gainwell’s catch may not have been as durable as Freeman’s famous catch. But this is one of the craziest games in the NFL this season.
