'Till Next Year

By Peyton Schultze

The NFL was full of electrifying and amazing players in 2018, such as Saquon Barkley and Odell Beckham Jr. of the New York Giants.

It has been a crazy season unlike many others throughout NFL history, filled with iconic moments, controversies and catches that will live on forever in the history of the National Football League. From out-of-nowhere rookies to established veterans continuing their dominance, football once again had millions of intriguing storylines and moments that make up the mystique of the league. Although the league heads into its significant 100th season next year, the 99th edition of the NFL including the 2018 regular season and postseason proved to be a pure spectacle in its own right. With that being said, here’s to looking back on some of the best moments from the year that was in the NFL.

(Week 1) Rodgers Leads Comeback over Chicago

After suffering a knee injury in the first half, a hobbled Aaron Rodgers returned in the 2nd half to lead the Packers to a win in a 20-point comeback.

Sure, it did not end up being the year that the Green Bay Packers had hoped for. But in Week 1, Aaron Rodgers and the Packers delivered one of the most dramatic comebacks in recent memory. After returning from a first half knee injury down by 20, Aaron Rodgers led three 4th quarter touchdown drives to bring Green Bay all the way back and secure a wild 24-23 victory over the rival Chicago Bears. While Rodgers had a quiet season and his team mostly struggled over their 17 games, he was the brightest star throughout the league in Week 1 of the regular season.

(Week 3) Baker and the Browns End Skid, Beat Jets for First Win since 2016

More than just a win: for the first time since 2016, the Browns won a game in a thrilling victory over the New York Jets.

A Thursday Night matchup between the Browns and Jets did not seem like much initially, but quickly turned into one of the most exciting games of the 2018 regular season. After replacing Tyrod Taylor, who was ruled out with a concussion in the first half, Baker Mayfield helped lead the Browns to their first win since 2016 with a thrilling comeback effort in a 21-17 win over the New York Jets. Mayfield and the Browns showed massive strides throughout the 2018 season, but their first win over New York was a quick glimpse of the bright future in Cleveland.

(Week 4) Mahomes Shines in his Monday Night Football Debut

In Patrick Mahomes’ first primetime game of his young career, the star quarterback pulled some magical tricks out of his bag against a solid Denver defense.

All night long, it seemed as if the Denver Broncos could actually contain Patrick Mahomes after his insane statistical start to the season. That is, until the 4th quarter arrived. In spectacular fashion, Mahomes had an unreal 4th quarter, highlighted by a left-handed pass to Tyreek Hill on a 3rd and 5 with 3 minutes left to go in the 4th. Mahomes rallied the Chiefs to snatch a 27-23 victory over the rival Broncos on Monday Night Football and officially solidified his status as one of the game’s elite young players.

(Week 5) Brees Breaks Passing Record on Monday Night Football

In Week 5 vs the Washington Redskins, Drew Brees became the all-time passing yards leader in NFL history.

Although the Saints were able throttle Washington and secure an easy win, Week 5 was about Drew Brees breaking Peyton Manning’s record for the most passing yards in NFL history. On the primetime stage, Brees broke the record on a 62-yard touchdown throw to Tre’Quan Smith in the 2nd quarter that once again showed why Brees will be Canton-bound once his time is up. It was a great year for Brees and Co., but this was certainly one of their shining moments.

(Week 9) GOAT vs GOAT; Patriots Handle Packers on SNF

While Brady vs Rodgers did not quite live up to the hype, it once again showed two of the all-time best quarterbacks go up against each other head-to-head.

In Week 9, Aaron Rodgers and the Packers traveled to Foxborough for a matchup with Tom Brady and the mighty New England Patriots. Billed as a heavyweight fight between two of the greatest quarterbacks ever, a lot of hype and excitement surrounded the game to “determine” who the better quarterback really was. Yet, as usual, Brady and the Pats came out on top rather easily. The game was not an all-time classic between two football greats, but still ended up giving us another chance to see Rodgers and Brady face off for a potentially last time.

(Week 10) Cowboys Stun Eagles, Get Season Back on Track

In a shocking upset win, the Cowboys were able to manhandle the Eagles in a battle between NFC East foes.

Heading into Week 10, it looked like it would be another year without playoff football for the ‘Boys in Dallas. But after charging into Philadelphia and controlling the favored Eagles all game long, the Dallas Cowboys were able to flip their season upside-down and turn around their fortunes. In riding Ezekiel Elliott all game and relying on a great defense to keep them in games, Dallas suddenly discovered their winning formula in Week 10 and found their much-needed spark. Following this game, Dallas would reel off five straight wins and head into the last-season stretch as a serious team to be reckoned with.

(Week 11) The Game of the Year

In Week 11, the Rams prevailed over the Chiefs in a 54-51 thriller in one of the best Monday Night Football games of all-time.

In a pure shootout for the ages, the stars shined their brightest for all to see. Patrick Mahomes. Jared Goff. Tyreek Hill. Aaron Donald. Travis Kelce. Todd Gurley. With highlights galore and some purely spectacular plays, fans witnessed breathtaking performances from many of the game’s best. An amazing display of talent was dispersed all around the field on that epic Monday Night matchup, as everything wound up coming together for one beautiful night of football that reminded many around the country of what makes the NFL so special. Few could argue that it is certainly one of the best regular season games ever; but is it possibly even the best?

(Week 14) A Stunning Sunday

A no-look pass, a botched kick and a football miracle. Sunday of Week 14 was as good as it gets in the National Football League.

In one of the wildest Sundays in recent memory, Week 14 had it all. Patrick Mahomes wowed the sport once again with several nearly-impossible throws (while also locking up the MVP award). Indianapolis and Cleveland pulled off upsets to thrust themselves into the AFC playoff picture. Dallas pulled off another huge win in overtime on a walk-off touchdown by Amari Cooper. The heavily-favored Steelers fell to the horrible Raiders on a late missed field goal attempt. And of course, the infamous “Miami Miracle” sealed a stunning upset over the New England Patriots. Week 14 had it all and was a sight to behold for football fans nationwide.

(Week 15) Bolt to the Top

In a battle of AFC West rivals, the Chargers found a way to steal a crucial win and declare themselves as a dangerous team in the AFC.

In one of the best Thursday Night games of the year, the Chargers and Chiefs battled in a crucial AFC West battle. Although the Chargers struggled mightily in the first half, the Bolts powered back in the 2nd half to trim the Chiefs’ lead with little time remaining. However, after a late-game score on a clutch drive from the Los Angeles’ offense, Coach Anthony Lynn of the Chargers faced a major choice. Instead of kicking an extra-point to likely send the game into overtime, Los Angeles boldly decided to go for the win and go for 2. And did it ever pay off. Philip Rivers found a wide-open Mike Williams in the right corner of the end zone to secure a huge win for the Chargers and officially open the eyes of the Charger naysayers around the league.

(Week 17) No Luck Needed for Indy

In a Week 17 do-or-die game, Andrew Luck and the Colts were able to prevail over the outmatched Tennessee Titans and secure a Wild Card berth.

Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts were one of the best stories of the year, somehow making the playoffs after a 1-5 start. Yet in Week 17, it all came down to one game for the last spot in the AFC playoffs against the Tennessee Titans. Although the game was not that exciting and the Colts were able to cruise to victory, the game showed just how far the Colts had come in just one year: from the bottom of the NFL’s cellar with an injured quarterback to an upcoming contender in the AFC with one of the game’s brightest stars in Andrew Luck. Indy might be just hitting their ultimate potential, and should be a great story heading into next season.

(Wild Card Round) Dak is Heroic in Win over Seattle

With the game on the line in the 4th quarter, Dak Prescott showed up and led the Cowboys to a Wild Card win over the Seahawks.

The Dallas Cowboys had high expectations heading into the playoffs with a great, young defense and stars such as Ezekiel Elliott on offense. Yet the Seattle Seahawks looked to send the Cowboys packing early with an upset in Big D. But in the 4th quarter, Dak Prescott helped lead the Cowboys to a Wild Card win over the steady Seahawks with timely throws and the usage of his mobility. In one of the marquee plays of the postseason, Prescott ran a quarterback draw on 3rd and 14 in the red zone and wound up converting, while being flipped up into the air, to basically seal the deal for the Cowboys. By overcoming a season full of ups and downs, the win meant a lot for Dallas and showed that they could shed their “playoff-choker” label with the new version of their roster. It was a huge moment in a major victory for the franchise’s confidence heading into next season with a still-young squad full of bright stars.

(Wild Card Round) Bears’ Promising Season Ends Early with Double Doink

Shanked or blocked? No matter, the Eagles were able to end the Bears’ Super Bowl aspirations with a crazy victory in the Wild Card Round.

In heartbreaking fashion, the Chicago Bears were upset in the Wild Card Round on the last-second miss by Cody Parkey that would’ve sent the Bears to the Divisional Round. At first glance, the kick hit the left crossbar and then bounced off the bottom of the post. However, upon review, the kick may have been tipped by an Eagle at the line of scrimmage. Whatever the case may be, the Bears were knocked out early and the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles lived to see another day with Nick Foles at the helm. This was truly one of the more thrilling, yet crushing, games of the season that truly had it all.

(Divisional Round) Chiefs Roll into the AFC Championship Game

Tyreek Hill and the electric Chiefs were able to cruise past Indianapolis in the Divisional Round.

After several past postseason failures (in particular against the Indianapolis Colts), the Kansas City Chiefs were able to secure a solid Divisional Round win against the Colts on a freezing Saturday night game in Kansas City. Although the Chiefs did not play their best on offense, their suspect defense throughout the year played their best game of the season by holding the great Andrew Luck and the Colts’ offense to 13 points. It was a solid win for a Kansas City franchise that desperately needed some kind of postseason success, especially with their new, young and outstanding quarterback leading the team into the future.

(Divisional Round) Saints Survive vs Philly with Timely Defense

Although the defending Super Bowl champions came out to play, the New Orleans Saints were able to make just a few more plays to survive against the Philadelphia Eagles.

In Week 11, the New Orleans Saints throttled the Philadelphia Eagles 48-7 in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. However, in the Divisional Round, things were just a little different. Within the matchup, a strange game unfolded that once again saw the magic of Nick Foles, another offensive explosion from Michael Thomas and a lot of clutch defensive stops in a matchup that was very tight until the end. However, a late drop by Alshon Jeffery on the Eagles’ final drive led to a Saints’ interception and New Orleans was able to hold on for a 20-14 win to send them to the NFC Championship game and end the Eagles’ hopes of another title.

(Conference Championship Round) The Missed Call

A missed call that will live in infamy: the missed pass interference call on the Rams doomed the Saints and sent the Rams to the Super Bowl.

Late in the 4th quarter with the score tied at 20, the Saints were driving down the field and looking to punch their ticket to Super Bowl LIII. However, on 3rd and 10 with 1:45 left, Drew Brees dropped back to throw to to WR, Tommylee Lewis, on a wheel route down the right sideline. With this, Rams’ corner, Nickell Robey-Coleman, shoved Lewis and looked to be a blatant pass interference call. Yet nothing was called. The Saints’ sideline was livid, as a call would’ve given the Saints a 1st down and they could’ve ran down the clock for a game-winning field goal with no time remaining. However, the Rams got the ball back and sent the game to overtime on a game-tying field goal by Greg Zuerlein. In overtime, Drew Brees was intercepted by John Johnson III and set the Rams up to score again, this time for the win. With this, the Rams gained a few more yards before setting up Zuerlein for another kick to send the Rams to Atlanta for Super Bowl. Zuerlein drilled the 57-yarder and the Rams were victorious despite one of the most controversial playoffs games of all-time.

(Conference Championship Round) Another One

In a wild and epic AFC Championship Game, the Patriots were able to top the Chiefs for an exciting win that sent them to Super Bowl LIII.

It was a battle of old vs new. Dynasty vs newcomers. Canton-bound vs MVP. What transpired in the 2018 AFC Championship Game was an epic display of football at its finest: two great teams with awesome quarterbacks and playmakers all over the field that competed for a trip to the Super Bowl. Although the first half was very defensive, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs were able to make a huge comeback in a wild 4th quarter that was one for the ages. After a late drive to put the Patriots on top, the Chiefs’ offense once again drove down the field and kicked a 39-yard field goal to send the game to overtime. But luckily for the Patriots, the great Tom Brady was the first and only one to get the ball in overtime. Brady led the Patriots right down the field and Rex Burkhead punched in a 2-yard touchdown to send the Patriots to another Super Bowl in their pursuit of their sixth title in franchise history.

(Super Bowl LIII) The Sixth Ring

On Sunday night, the New England Patriots captured their sixth Super Bowl in franchise history with a 13-3 win over the Los Angeles Rams.

They were doubted all year. Too slow or too old. Yet for the sixth time ever, they did it. On Sunday night, the Patriots won another Super Bowl due to an outstanding defensive performance and an awesome night from Julian Edelman. Although Tom Brady did not play well whatsoever, New England put together a great game plan to shut the Rams down and wound up tying the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most rings in NFL history. The Patriots’ dynasty is alive and well for another year and remains one of the true marvels in all of sports for another year.