The unpredictable yet entertaining 2016 NFL season will come to a close when the Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots face off in Super Bowl LI. Matt Ryan and Tom Brady have both put together MVP-caliber campaigns, and fans will be treated to the No. 1 scoring offense going up against the No. 1 scoring defense in the final game of the season. Super Bowl LI, on paper, looks like it will be an entertaining matchup.
There were plenty of entertaining moments that occurred during the rest of the season as well. Here are the 10 most memorable ones:
Julio Jones records 300 receiving yards in win
Prior to 2016, only five players in NFL history had ever produced 300 or more receiving yards in a single game. Julio Jones made it six in the Atlanta Falcons’ Week 4 win over the Carolina Panthers. Jones caught 12 passes for 300 yards, with five catches going for over 20 yards and a 75-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to seal the game. The long touchdown with 3:45 remaining gave Jones exactly 300 yards receiving, making him the first receiver since Calvin Johnson in 2013 to hit the rare milestone.
Ezekiel Elliott’s late touchdown run caps off phenomenal game in Pittsburgh
One of the best games of the regular season finally came to an end with a dramatic late touchdown by the league’s leader in rushing yards. The Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers traded the lead four different times in the fourth quarter, but it was Ezekiel Elliott who finally put his opposition away for good. Everyone thought the Cowboys were setting up to attempt a game-winning field goal, but Elliott broke through the defense and made sure the game didn’t come down to a kick, with the help of some great blocking upfront. His 32-yard touchdown run with just nine seconds left lifted the Cowboys to a 35-30 win. The rookie running back finished the dramatic victory with 209 total yards and three scores, including the game-winner
Eric Berry shocks his hometown with game-winning two-point conversion return
Kansas City Chiefs safety Eric Berry made his first-ever game in his hometown of Atlanta a memorable one. Berry first delivered a pick-six off Matt Ryan, but his big moment came late in the game. With 4:32 left in the fourth quarter, Ryan hit Aldrick Robinson for the go-ahead touchdown. Up one point at 29-28, the Falcons decided to go for two and attempted to extend the lead to three. Berry made Ryan and the Falcons pay for that decision. He picked off Ryan’s pass and made an unbelievable return for a score which gave the Chiefs two points and an improbable 30-29 win over Atlanta in the Georgia Dome.
Aaron Rodgers produces some Hail Mary magic in the playoffs
The Hail Mary guru had another prayer answered in the wild-card round of the playoffs. With one final play before halftime against the Giants, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers rolled to his right and tossed up one of his patented bombs. Receiver Randall Cobb, who was left waiting patiently near the backline of the end zone, hauled in the throw behind a hoard of leaping defenders and receivers. The incredible touchdown gave Green Bay a 14-6 lead, and all the momentum, as the Packers cruised past the New York Giants and into the divisional round.
Raiders’ gutsy decision to forego extra-point attempt late in game pays off
The Week 1 matchup in New Orleans delivered one of the most entertaining finishes of the entire season. Trailing the Saints by seven points, the Oakland Raiders marched down the field and scored what looked to be a game-tying touchdown wth 47 seconds left. But head coach Jack Del Rio and quarterback Derek Carr had no intentions of playing for a tie. Instead of lining up for the extra point, the Raiders went for two and the win—and Carr connected with Michael Crabtree to give Oakland a 35-34 lead. The Saints missed a 61-yard field goal as time expired on the ensuing possession, preserving Carr’s conversion to Crabtree as one of the season’s best moments. Del Rio’s gutsy decision proved to be the right one.
Odell Beckham Jr. records career high in receiving yards, proposes to kicking net
The antics of the enigmatic yet talented Odell Beckham Jr. were on full display during a comeback win over the Ravens in October. Beckham Jr. caught two long, go-ahead touchdowns in the second half, including a 66-yard score on fourth-and-1 with 1:24 left in the fourth quarter. The score gave the Giants a 27-24 win, and it allowed Beckham to celebrate by proposing to the kicking net—an object that became his nemesis when he punched it in frustration a few weeks earlier. Beckham finished the game with 222 receiving yards (on 10 catches), two touchdowns and a mended relationship with the net.
Cairo Santos’ game-winning field goal bounces off the upright—and goes through
The Chiefs finished off a thrilling comeback against the Broncos with one of the most improbable game-winning field goals of all-time. Kansas City trailed by eight points with roughly three minutes remaining, but sent the game into overtime when Alex Smith completed a three-yard touchdown pass to Tyreek Hill and followed that up with a successful two-point conversion attempt with 12 seconds left. It looked like a tie was coming after the Broncos and Chiefs traded field goals in the extra period, but a missed 62-yard field goal from Brandon McManus allowed the Chiefs to set up a short kick for Cairo Santos with two seconds left. He made the 34-yard field goal, but only after he banked the kick off the left upright and through.
Golden Tate somersaults into end zone for walk-off touchdown
The Lions receiver garnered major style points for this one. After Lions kicker Matt Prater tied the Week 9 game against the Minnesota Vikings at the end of regulation, receiver Golden Tate sent Detroit home victorious with a 28-yard touchdown to end overtime. Tate first made a catch along the sidelines, sidestepped cornerback Xavier Rhodes and shook a tackle attempt from safety Harrison Smith. He then finished the incredible play by flipping into the end zone, giving the Lions a 22-16 victory over their division rival.
Broncos stun Saints with blocked extra point return
The Week 1 loss to the Raiders wasn’t the only heartbreaking loss the Saints suffered. With 1:22 left in their Week 10 matchup against the Broncos, quarterback Drew Brees threw a touchdown pass to receiver Brandin Cooks that tied the game at 23-23. The Saints were a simple extra point away from taking the lead and sending the Broncos back to Denver with a loss, but that’s when disaster struck. The Broncos blocked the extra-point attempt, and Will Parks returned the loose football 84 yards for two points. The Saints suddenly had to kickoff, down 25-23. The Broncos recovered the ensuing onside kick and ran out the time remaining on the clock. It was a brutal way for the Saints to lose a game, and put a huge damper on their playoff hopes.
Aaron Rodgers “cooks” the Cowboys on third-and-20
Arguably the most clutch throw of the season allowed the Packers to escape Dallas with a playoff win over the top-seeded Cowboys. With the divisional-round showdown tied at 31-31 and only 12 seconds remaining, the Packers needed a miracle to get into field-goal range and avoid overtime. Aaron Rodgers and tight end Jared Cook provided one. Rodgers bought time by escaping the pocket to his left, allowing Cook to get open downfield near the sideline. The Packers quarterback gave his tight end a shot to make the difficult grab with a precision throw, and Cook made an incredible catch and dragged his toes in bounds with just three seconds left. Mason Crosby came on and hit the game-winning field goal as time expired, sending Green Bay to Atlanta for the NFC Championship game in thrilling fashion.
