It’s rare to see a 100-yard touchdown in the NFL. Two on the same day is literally unprecedented.
But the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks did just that on Sunday afternoon with a pair of 100-plus yard defensive scores within a matter of minutes.
Patrick Surtain II turns Raiders scoring chance into Broncos TD
The Broncos scored theirs at home early in a game against the rival Las Vegas Raiders. Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew ran a play-action pass on first-and-goal from the five-yard line with Las Vegas holding an early 10-3 lead. He rolled out and looked to the end zone for rookie tight end Brock Bowers.
Instead, he found Broncos safety Patrick Surtain II. Surtain picked off the pass at the goal line, then ran untouched down the right sideline.
A would-be Raiders scoring drive instead ended with seven points for the Broncos, resulting in a 10-10 tie. The play was logged in the book as an interception and 100-yard return for Surtain. The Broncos rolled from there for a 34-18 win over their bitter rivals.
Rayshawn Jenkins goes for 102 yards
Meanwhile, in Seattle, the Seahawks came up with a game-shifting defensive score of their own. The New York Giants threatened to put the first points on the board on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line late in the first quarter.
Running back Eric Gray took the handoff from Daniel Jones and tried to leap over the goal line in a run up the middle. Instead, he lost the football. Seahawks safety Rayshawn Jenkins scooped it up in the end zone, then sprinted down the right sideline. Would-be Giants tacklers stood no chance.
Like Surtain, Jenkins ran untouched down the sideline then skipped untouched into the end zone. He was credited with a 101-yard fumble return and touchdown. The Seahawks took a 7-0 lead. The Giants would eventually rally for a stunning 29-20 win in Seattle.
According to the NFL, it’s the first time in league history there have been two 100-yard defensive touchdowns in the same week.
More non-offensive TDs
The other two afternoon NFL games also saw scores on either defense or special teams.
In Green Bay’s game against the Los Angeles Rams, Packers quarterback Jordan Love threw an ill-advised pass under pressure as he fell out of the back of the end zone. Linebacker Byron Young had knocked him off balance in the end zone, and Love chucked the ball up for grabs in an effort to avoid a safety.
Safety Jaylen McCollough intercepted it at the four-yard line and tiptoed down the sideline into the end zone. Instead of a safety, the play resulted in a pick-6 and a go-ahead touchdown for a 13-7 Rams lead. Love eventually settled in and led the Packers to a 24-19 win.
In Santa Clara, it was the 49ers’ special teams that came up with a score. With 5:09 left in the second quarter, Arizona Cardinals kicker Chad Ryland attempted a 45-yard field goal in an effort to tie the game.
Instead, 49ers cornerback Isaac Yiadom ran untouched off the left end and blocked the kick.
49ers defensive back Deommodore Lenoir picked up the loose ball and returned it 61 yards for a San Francisco touchdown. Instead of a 13-13 tie, the 49ers took a 20-10 lead that they would eventually relinquish as the Cardinals rallied for a 24-23 victory.