Yes, a Hail Mary is a "prayer" of a play. It takes a lot of luck to make it work.
However, it's not just randomness that leads to its spectacular success like Thursday night's Packers game-clincher with 0:00 left on the clock in Detroit.
It's planning. Strategy. Practice (something the Packers reportedly do with their Hail Mary play every Saturday).
Jordy Nelson, the Packers Pro Bowl receiver who is out for 2015 with a knee injury, delves into how the game-winner worked.
"Everyone tries to get to the end zone. Try to have one jumper and everyone else form a triangle around him, try to box out some guys, try to be prepared for a tip," said Nelson.
"(Tight end Richard Rodgers) decided to jump. Thank goodness he did."
"No one was around him. Everyone was around (wide receivers Davante Adams and James Jones)...those guys ended up boxing everyone out, and Rich came in late and jumped and caught it. You could see (wide receiver Randall Cobb) squared up and ready for the tip drill. Everyone did their job and it worked," explained Nelson.
The play so rarely works, to the point where it's believed to be the first game-ending Hail Mary in Packers history.
"Crazy to see it happen on the good side."
