Top Ten Moments of the 2014 NFL Season

When we talk about the 2014 NFL season in 50 years time we’ll probably talk about Ray Rice, Roger Goodell, Adrian Peterson and the general specter of domestic violence that surrounded the NFL last year. It might be a positive conversation as we look back on 2014 as a turning point but whatever form it takes, it will almost certainly revolve around the unpleasant events of the last 12 months.

They dominated much of the football landscape throughout the season and overshadowed many of the on the field moments. Not to overlook these important issues but instead to celebrate the reason we love the game I decided to take a look back at the top moments of the 2014 NFL season. Following a very intricate, scientific process I developed a ranking system based around complicated algorithms that would take far too long to explain here so you're just going to have to trust me. Let’s get started. 

10. Johnny Football’s debut against the Bengals

I feel slightly dirty putting this in a top 10 as it had almost no relevance in terms of results, playoff races or championships but come on, who wasn’t at least a tiny bit excited when it was announced that after 15 long weeks Johnny Manziel was finally going to start a game? Manziel came in to the year as one of the most hyped draft picks in recent memory but the selection of Brian Hoyer as the Browns starting quarterback had robbed us of an opportunity to watch him in a game that actually meant something. So finally, here was a chance for Manziel to prove his worth on the field, to make people analyze his game film as opposed to his private life and to show the world that he was worthy of being a first round pick. What happened instead was classic car crash TV. The Bengals chased, harried, hit and mocked Manziel as he threw for 80 yards with two interceptions. For the people who see Manziel as being an arrogant, spoilt, rich kid it was the perfect outcome and proof that he doesn't belong in the NFL. For the rest of us, it was a rather sad but undoubtedly captivating game that left Manziel’s NFL future up in the air.

9. The Chargers beat the 49ers in overtime

This might be another unusual choice for a ‘top ten of the year’ type piece but the Chargers 49ers game was, in terms of excitement, one of the games of the year. On a Saturday night in the lead up to Christmas the Chargers came back from a 21 point deficit to stay alive in the playoff race. Rivers threw for 356 yards and Kaepernick, for what seemed like the first time all season, actually decided to use his athletic ability as he rushed for 151 yards with the bulk of that coming on a 90 yard run from his own ten-yard line. As neither team managed to make the post season the game was quickly forgotten but the Philip Rivers led second half comeback was one of the hidden highlights of the year.

8. The Saints get crushed by the Panthers in the Superdome

This game represents the Saints entire season. It seemed like they went from one crushing defeat at home to another and this was the largest and most disappointing of them all. The Saints were ten point favorites coming into this game, a Vegas line that was clearly still expecting to see a Saints team that many people had winning the Super Bowl in the pre season as opposed to the one that had already lost to the 49es, Bengals and Ravens at home. The loss dropped the Saints to 5-8 and basically scuppered any chance they had of making the post season. For the Panthers, it signaled a somewhat surprising push for the playoffs and basically encapsulated both teams’ seasons. Carolina defied their many critics and made the post season for the second consecutive year. The Saints, on the other hand, finished with a 7-9 record and most disappointingly of all a 3-5 record at the once imposing Superdome.

7 The Seahawks beat the Packers on opening night

Seattle’s win against Green Bay on a balmy opening night in September seems like a lifetime away as I watch even more snow fall outside my window in February, but in terms of playoff and ultimately Super Bowl ramifications this game was as important as any. Seattle gaining home field advantage over Green Bay in the Championship game came down to this 36-16 win in week 1.

This opening night victory will ultimately be remembered for Green Bay’s decision to avoid Richard Sherman completely but it also gave us an indication of the strong Marshawn Lynch season ahead. Written off by many before the season started Lynch rushed for 110 yards with two touchdowns as the reigning champions continued their home field dominance. Although they faltered mid season, their manhandling of the Packers proved that Seattle would again be one of the top teams for the upcoming season.

6. The Bengals beat the Broncos to seal a playoff spot

This is the only Broncos moment I have in the top ten and just like the Saints selection, this loss to the Bengals offers a neat summation of the Broncos season. Despite a surprisingly strong CJ Anderson led run game and an improved defense they couldn’t quite overcome Manning’s poor form in the latter weeks of the season. Manning threw two interceptions in the fourth quarter and the Broncos gave up any chance they had of getting the No.1 seed. It’s unlikely it would have mattered as they ended up with arguably the easier game against the Colts at home as opposed to hosting the Ravens, but the loss to the Benglas in a big week 16 game was indicative of another Broncos season that promised so much but ended in disappointment.

5. The Cowboys beat the Seahawks in Seattle

In the ESPN match report for this game they categorize this result as ‘not stunning’. That seems strange. The Seahawks were the reigning Super Bowl champions who were practically unbeatable at home. They came in to the game as 9.5 point favorites and although the Cowboys had already strung together four, the only victory of note had come against the Saints, and that was in the confines of AT&T Stadium. Nobody was taking the Cowboys seriously, until they went to Seattle and won. They moved to 5-1 after this game as Seattle slipped to 3-2. The most interesting part of the box score is Marshawn Lynch getting only 10 carries, with Wilson throwing the ball 28 times. Percy Harvin was traded in the days after this loss and although Seattle would lose again to the Rams, these games marked a change in Seattle’s offensive philosophy. They began to put the ball in Marshawn’s hands more as they realized it would be him, as opposed to their average receiving core, that could win them another Super Bowl. Well, right up until the last meaningful play of the year that is. As for the Cowboys, this game showcased their marauding offensive line and proved to the rest of the league that they were legitimate contenders who could go anywhere and win. 

4. Big Ben throws 6 Touchdowns against the Colts. And then 6 more against the Ravens the week after. 

I’m cheating slightly by putting two games together but I couldn’t make a top ten list without mentioning what Roethlisberger did in weeks eight and nine. His combined stats for the two games were 65/86 for 862 yards with 12 touchdowns and zero interceptions. The Colts game was statistically more impressive as Roethlisberger went 40/49, with a total QBR of 99.0 and a passer rating of 150.6. It also included Andrew Luck throwing for 400 yards and a game total of 85 points. If you like offensive football and you’re in the depths of depression because it’s early Feburary and it feels like football is so far away now that it just makes you want to break down and cry; fire up the Steelers Colts game on Game Rewind, grab a Bud Light and turn those tears of sadness into tears of joy.

3. The Patriots beat the Bengals 43-17 in week 5

With the Patriots winning the Super Bowl, this Bengals victory now looks like the catalyst for another dominating Patriots season. People over reacted to their loss against the Chiefs the previous week, but in truth the Patriots had been struggling all season long. They lost to the Dolphins and struggled to beat the Raiders at home.  The ‘should Tom Brady be benched for Garoppolo’ questions were always ridiculous but the Patriots really did need this victory to right the ship. They got it behind 292 yards from Brady and 113 rushing yards from the soon-to-be-injured Stevan Ridley. They went on to win another six in a row and although they lost to the Packers (and to the Bills in a meaningless week 17 game) they never really looked back after this dominating victory.

2. Odell Beckham catches a pass. World momentarily stops turning.

How about that for a hyperbolic headline? Similar to the Johnny Manziel's selection, this didn’t have any impact in terms of meaningful results (the Giants actually lost the game) but in terms memorable of moments, there was none bigger than Beckham’s catch against the Cowboys.

He went on to make numerous highlight reel plays throughout the season and he’s seemingly turned slow motion pre game catches into a thing now, but this one will live long in the memory. I’m not breaking new ground when I see that it was an unbelievable catch. And I mean ‘unbelievable’ in its literal form. In the seconds after the catch, Collingsworth and Michaels couldn’t actually believe it had happened. In the age of instant reaction where everything is poured over to the nth degree it was nice to witness a moment that almost everybody could agree was just fantastic fun to watch.

1 The Chiefs destroy the Patriots in Arrowhead

You could make a case for the victory against the Bengals as the most important moment but in relation to what happened later in the year, this loss against the Chiefs becomes even more relevant. When we think about the Patriots and specifically Brady and Belichick, we think about success and victories. Yes they were under pressure going into that Bengals game but to see them deliver that

performance wasn’t totally surprising. To see them get completely dismantled on offence and defence by a slightly above average Chiefs team was a shock. This was a Monday night, prime time game with the pressure on. The type of game where you expect a big Patriots performance, and they were terrible. Brady was pressured all night as he was outplayed by Alex Smith and eventually taken out of the game in the fourth quarter. They looked like a very mediocre football team. They did not look like a team capable of winning a championship and yet just over four months later, here we are in the shadow of another Patriots Super Bowl win. Whatever happened in the days after this loss, whether it was technical adjustments, embarrassment after such a heavy defeat or a general feeling of ‘we’re never going through that again’ it fueled the Patriots to another Super Bowl winning season.