Ghost to the Post Ghost to the Post is a significant play in NFL history . It refers specifically to a 42 - yard pass from Ken Stabler to Dave Casper , nicknamed " The Ghost " after the cartoon character , that set up a game tying field goal in the final seconds of a double - overtime playoff game played between Casper ' s Oakland Raiders and the then - Baltimore Colts on December 24 , 1977 . Casper also caught the last pass of the game , a 10 - yard touchdown pass . The game is currently the fourth - longest in NFL history , and has become synonymous with the play that made it famous . Game synopsis . The first half was mostly a defensive struggle . Oakland scored first on a 30 - yard run by Clarence Davis . Baltimore returned with two second quarter scores , a 62 - yard Bruce Laird interception return for a touchdown and a 36 - yard field goal by Toni Linhart . The half time score was 10 - 7 in favor of Baltimore . The second half began with a scoring flurry . Dave Casper scored on an 8 - yard touchdown reception on Oakland ' s first drive of the half . Marshall Johnson of the Colts then returned the ensuing kickoff 87 yards for a matching touchdown . Ted Hendricks blocked a third - quarter Baltimore punt , setting up a 10 - yard Stabler - to - Casper touchdown pass , which made the score 21 - 17 in favor of the Raiders . The fourth quarter saw impressive comebacks by both teams . Ron Lee scored on a 1 - yard fourth down plunge for Baltimore , making the score 24 - 21 in favor of Baltimore . Oakland returned with a long drive culminating in a 1 - yard Pete Banaszak run for a touchdown , making the score 28 - 24 in favor of Oakland . Baltimore returned with a 13 - yard Lee run that left them with a 31 - 28 lead with just over 2 minutes to go , setting up the memorable play for Casper . On third and long , with less than one minute on the clock , Raider head coach John Madden called for a time out . As Madden excitedly went over the next play on the sidelines with his quarterback , Stabler calmly looked at the frenzied Baltimore crowd and remarked " the fans are sure getting their money ' s worth today . " Offensive coordinator Tom Flores called for a pass designed to go to one of the two wide receivers running " in " patterns , but told Stabler to " take a peek at the Ghost to the post " , referring to a deep pattern by Casper down the field and then angling to the goal post . On NFL ' s Greatest Games , Madden explained Casper ' s job on the play was normally to draw away the opposing team ' s safeties so the receivers could make a catch , but Flores had noticed the safeties had been playing closer to the line of scrimmage then usual , which is what prompted Flores to tell Stabler to look for Casper downfield . Casper himself claimed that although it was one of the team ' s most effective plays , he didn ' t recall ever catching a pass on it all season . In what football fans now refer to as " The Ghost to the Post " , Casper ran a deep post pattern , and Stabler threw a high , arching pass that looked well over thrown and behind Casper . It was Casper ' s memorable change of direction , chase , and athletic over - the - head catch that became the signature moment for the game . Casper went down at the 14 - yard line , setting up an Errol Mann field goal that tied the game and sent the game to overtime . 43 seconds into the second overtime , Stabler hit Casper on a 10 - yard touchdown pass that ended what was then the third - longest game in NFL history with a score of 37 - 31 . Significance of the game . To this date , the game is still the fourth - longest in pro football history . The game marked the last playoff appearance for the Baltimore - based Colts . The Raiders would go on to lose the AFC championship game that year to the Broncos 20 - 17 . NFL Films has released a film of the game as one of the most memorable in NFL history . Hall of Fame coach John Madden has called the moment one of the most memorable of his coaching career . Dave Casper has been named one of the best Tight Ends in NFL History and is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame , and this catch is cited as the most memorable in his career .