Hi everyone, football is back!! We are all excited for the new American fall past time. But before every team (except the Cowboys and Steelers) plays their first preseason game we must look back to the best games of the 2020 Season. Spoiler alert I was going to include playoffs games but the only ones close to making the cut was the NFC Championship (Bucs-Packers) and the AFC Wildcard game (Colts-Bills). But there were so many awesome regular season games neither game made the cut (other honorable mentions were Raiders-Jets Week 13 and Patriots-Seahawks Week 2 shows how many awesome games there were). You all love football so you must watch and respond :-). The Videos are blocked on my site but if you click on them you can watch all of these crazy endings to these games on the tube, Happy Wednesday!!
12. Dolphins-Raiders (Week 16)
We are all excited for the Raiders to have their first home game with fans this upcoming Saturday. But last season in their empty cavernous death star there were a couple of awesome games. The second most awesome (spoiler alert one more Raiders home game above this) was a Week 16 Saturday night game against the Dolphins on the day after Christmas. Tua Tagovailoa would get benched in the 4th Quarter with being ineffective for Ryan Fitzpatrick (Fitzmagic happens). The game would go back and forth with each team exchanging long touchdowns in the 4th Quarter. It appears the Raiders had the last laugh kicking a 22 yard field goal with 19 seconds left to go up 25-23. But Fitzmagic happens and while getting his head nearly taken off completed a 34 yard completion to Mack Hollins. Add on the 15 yard facemask and the Dolphins were in field goal range to win it which Jason Sanders would just do that for a 26-25 victory. Jon Gruden has some of the most awesome facial expressions, another fun tidbit this was the first 26-25 game in NFL History.
11. Rams-Bills (Week 3)
Josh Allen and the Bills were having their coming out party in Week 3 against the Rams. The Bills were up 28-3 early in the third Quarter in a game that appeared to have no business being on a great game list. The Rams however would make an awesome comeback completing four straight Touchdown drives to all of a sudden be up 32-28 late in the fourth. The Bills would drive into the red zone but have a 4th and 9 on the Rams 13. But a phantom pass interference penalty would extend the drive and Josh Allen would throw a 2 yard touchdown pass to tight end Tyler Croft and the Bills would survive for a controversial 35-32 victory.
10. Browns-Bengals (Week 7)
The Browns may have more talent than the Bengals but everyone who didn’t believe in Joe Burrow did after this game. Joe Burrow would throw for 406 yards and 3 touchdowns and gave the Bengals a 34-31 lead with 1:06 left. However, that was too much time for Baker Mayfield and the Browns as Baker would lead the Browns down the field in 55 seconds being capped off with a game winning 24 yard touchdown strike to Donovan Peoples-Jones with 11 second to play as the Browns would hold on for the 37-34 victory.
9. Titans-Ravens (Week 11)
The Ravens got trounced in the playoffs the previous year by the upstart Titans. The Ravens in a Week 11 bout appeared to be getting revenge but Lamar Jackson would throw a killer late third quarter interception to flip the momentum (Ravens were up 21-10 at time). A.J Brown maybe had the touchdown of the year to give the Titans a 4th Quarter lead. The Ravens would come down and force overtime. However, in OT the Titans after forcing a punt would let Derrick Henry do the rest going beastmode on a 24 yard walk off touchdown for the 30-24 win. The Ravens would get the last laugh though beating the Titans in the Wild Card round. A side note was all of the logo stomping in these matchups, this is becoming a great rivalry, bummer they don’t meet this season.
8. Vikings-Seahawks (Week 5)
The Seahawks were 4-0 with some really close calls (that Patriots game was pretty close). In Week 5 though you would say to yourself that’s why Russell Wilson is a winner in primetime and Kirk Cousins isn’t. In a rainy day in Seattle the Hawks had no business winning this game. The Vikings controlled every meaningful stat in this game but up 26-21 with under 2 minutes left the Vikings went for the throat on 4th and inches at the Hawks 5 and went for it. They would be stuffed and everyone would crush Vikings coach Mike Zimmer for the decision (playing devils advocate what if they kick the field goal Russ as he would probably do goes down get the touchdown and the 2 and then in ot the Hawks get ball first and walk it off with a touchdown and the Vikings never touch the ball again. I agreed with Zimmer’s decision there just didn’t get the result). Anyways, Russ would find D.K Metcalf on a 4th and 10 and again on a 4th and goal to pull out the improbable 27-26 win.
7. Chargers-Broncos (Week 8)
There was the only game on this list that didn’t feature at least one playoff contender but still was pretty ridiculous and improbable the comeback the Broncos would make. The Bolts were up 24-3 midway through the third as Justin Herbert looked awesome and the Broncos looked awful. But Philip Lindsay would run in a 58 yard touchdown to cut the lead to 14 and all of a sudden the momentum would shift and Broncos Quarterback Drew Lock (awful all day) would turn into John Elway in the 4th Quarter leading three more touchdown drives including a 1 yard touchdown pass to K.J Hamler on an extra play (after a correct pass interference call) for a Walk off 31-30 win. Drew Lock showed his massive upside in this game and the age old question is how much opportunity does a talent like Lock get before you completely give up on him. We will find out this season in the Mile HIgh City.
6. Texans-Titans (Week 6)
The Week 17 Texans-Titans Game was also a thriller in the likeliest best two game series any divisional foe would have throughout the season (Cards-Hawks has a good argument as well for this prize). Derrick Henry would be unstoppable all day but the Texans would still be in control scoring a touchdown with just under 2 minutes late to go up 36-29. Instead of kicking the extra point Interim Coach Romeo Crennel would go for two and fail (I could go either way on this argument but I’ve always liked the put the pressure on the opponents strategy unless it’s you know Wilson, Mahomes, Brady or Rodgers on the other side in other words I would have kicked the PAT). Anyways, Ryan Tannehill would lead the Titans down the field for a tying score to A.J Brown with five seconds left to force OT. In overtime Derrick Henry would do what he did later in the year against the Ravens and walk it off on a pretty awesome wildcard formation playcall on third and goal for the 42-36 victory.
5. Chiefs-Raiders (Week 11)
The Chiefs were far superior to the Raiders in every way possible in 2020. That being said sometimes a division rival just gives you hell and the Raiders would do just that to the Chiefs in 2020. The Chiefs only game (that they were playing their starters) they would lose last season was in Week 5 to the Raiders. In Week 11 in the second matchup in a Sunday night game in Vegas Baby the Raiders would looking like they were going to beat the Chiefs again going up 31-28 with just under two minutes to play. Any time left is too much time however when it comes to Patrick Mahomes and he would find Travis Kelce for the game winning 22 yard touchdown with 28 second left to cap off a 35-31 win. As also shown in the Dolphins game later the lights are always bright at night in Vegas!
4. Bills-Cardinals (Week 10)
This is the game where many would say that the Cardinals would come up with an improbable comeback. Here is my counter argument to that. The Cardinals were statistically better in this game and hadn’t it been for a fluke 4th Quarter play where ball ricochet off Larry Fitzgerald’s hand to Jordan Poyer good chance this game doesn’t go down to the wire. But a good time as they 2020 Bills were would later capitalize on the opportunity with a beautiful Josh Allen to Stefon Diggs touchdown to go up 30-26 with 34 seconds left. But the Cardinals would get into position for a Hail Murray (get it!). But here’s the question. Whether there is zero guys or three guys on DeAndre Hopkins when DeAndre Hopkins gets his hands on the football guess what, he’s going to catch it. Cardinals win 32-30.
3. Falcons-Cowboys (Week 2)
The 2020 Falcons would invent new ways to lose all season. The most prime example was in Week 2 against the Cowboys. The Falcons were in control the entire game being up 20-0 in the first Quarter. We shift to the 4th Quarter with under two minutes left with the Falcons up 39-37. The Falcons would just need to recover and onside kick and the game would be over. But wait.. What are they doing. The Falcons whole special teams unit would have a complete brain freeze and not jump on the football which the Cowboys C.J Goodwin would smartly fall on after the ball went 10 yards. Dak Prescott would get the Cowboys into field goal range and Greg Zuerlin would kick the ball through to give the Cowboys a 40-39 improbable victory.
2. Seahawks-Cardinals (Week 7)
There was some great Sunday night games last Season but the best of them all came in Week 7 in Arizona. Russell Wilson would have a first half for the ages throwing for almost 300 yards before halftime as the Hawks would be up 27-17. But the Cardinals defense would stiffen and the Hawks would have a killer phantom unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on a Cardinals field goal attempt (while up 34-24 with under three minutes left). The Cards would score a quick TD thereafter and get ball back to force OT. Cards coach Kliff Kingsbury would ice his own kicker in overtime but Isaiah Simmons would bail out his coach getting a big interception of Russell Wilson and Cards kicker Zane Gonzalez would get redemption on his next try as the Cards would pull of the 37-34 comeback.
1.Ravens-Browns (Week 14)
The number one game was a game you would think to see in a movie. The Ravens had a defense decimated with COVID absences but Lamar Jackson and the Ravens lethal running attack would still dominate the game throughout. But then Lamar would go the locker room with cramps (??!!!!!??!!!!). The Browns would come back while Lamar was out to take a 35-34 lead. Then the Ravens had a 4th and 5 and guess who comes back in the game after backup Quarterback Trace McSorley would injure his knee on the previous play. You know it Lamar Jackson. Of course he’s going to get the first down or how about one better throwing a 44 yard touchdown to Marquise Brown. But there was still two minutes to play and the Browns would make quick work against a decimated defense as Baker Mayfield would throw a tying touchdown to Kareem Hunt to tie the game at 42. Only one issue was that the Browns scored so quickly (still 1:04 left on the clock) that the Ravens had plenty of time to get into field goal range (sort of) for Justin Tucker. On a December night in Cleveland a 55 yard field goal is a huge ask for any kicker except for Justin Tucker who would nail the kick. Fun tidbit, many sports books had the Ravens as a 3.5 point favorite but a 45-42 the Ravens were still not covering the spread but after a lateral, opsie do by the Browns on the kickoff that would result in a safety, a 47-42 final would cover that Ravens -3.5 just fine. If you had money on Cleveland in this game you can hate me now it’s okay I’m used to it (smiley face). Thanks for reading, please comment and respond, as always these lists are made for banter and discussion.