Steelers Big Plays From Last 50 Years: 2013 – Game-Ending Multiple Lateral Play For 67-Yards Against Dolphins

The Pittsburgh Steelers have certainly had more than their fair share of big offensive plays in the history of the franchise. In this Summer of 2020 offseason series, I’ll highlight and recap for you the biggest Steelers offensive plays by season from the last 50 years. Most of these posts will include video of the play in question along with a few details and sometimes dated newspaper clippings.

This series now continues with the Steelers longest offensive play of the 2013 regular season, which came in Week 14 of the season against the Miami Dolphins and at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, PA on December 8. The play, an 67-yard pass completion to wide receiver Antonio Brown that started with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger that included several laterals, came on a fourth-and-9 play with :01 left in the fourth quarter and with the Steelers trailing the Dolphins 34-28. It would be the final play of the game.

On the play, Roethlisberger, took the snap and threw a pass to the right side to wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders at the Steelers 37-yard-line. After running up to the 45-yard-line, Sanders lateraled the football backwards to wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery at the 41-yard-line and he immediately tossed the ball backwards to running back Le’Veon Bell at the 36-yard-line. Bell then passed the football backwards to tackle Marcus Gilbert at the 27-yard-line and after running forward a few yards, he lateraled the football back to Roethlisberger at the 27-yard-line. After running forward a few yards, Roethlisberger lateraled the football sideways and to the left side of the field to Brown at the 33-yard-line. After receiving the pitch from Roethlisberger, Brown took off up the left side of the field and after initially skirting past Dolphins safety Reshad Jones, Brown then seemingly slipped past a diving tackle attempt by safety Chris Clemons at around the Miami 7-yard-line and ran into the end zone for what initially looked like a game-winning touchdown. However, Brown had just barely stepped out of bounds at the Miami 12-yard-line before the final tackle attempt by Clemons and video replay confirmed that the official who made that call on the sideline was correct.

The Steelers obviously lost that game to the Dolphins 34-28 and ultimately finished the season 8-8, which wasn’t good enough for them to make the playoffs.

Below is a video of the wacky 67-yard play against the Dolphins in addition to a short video that recaps the game.