Citizen wrote: ↑Mon Sep 04, 2023 6:11 am
Well, 2020 has to be the worst. It was surreal, and not in a fun way, to watch game after game being played in empty stadiums. And another Super Bowl win for Tom Brady? Yawn.
For best, I'd pick 2003. Some crazy finishes to division races (e.g., Minnesota's unbelievable choke), Carolina's unlikely playoff run, multiple OT post-season games, and a Super Bowl with some actual suspense to it.
I definitely agree with 2020 being '23rd' thus far this century! Surreal, it was, with the empty stadiums as you say. All throughout, at any moment, you felt it could go 1982 all of a sudden or - at even worse - MLB '94!
It was the final year of the 16-game season but the first year of the extra, 7th, playoff qualifier per conference. 8-8 Bears get in because of it. The NFC East was so darn weak that the 7-9 Football Team won it!
Bright side was that...it finished! And without a cancelled game. We did get to see an actual Mahomes/Josh Allen conference championship matchup (the only one thus far; maybe ever) and in the other conference - the old guard: Brady/Rodgers. And it was Drew Brees' final season along with the Saints' final playoff team with he and Payton.
Still not enough to lift it from the bottom spot, though. And that 11-0 tease (ok, not really; I knew they weren't the best)/one-and-done at home to Cleveland didn't help!
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As for #1? Your choice is a rock-solid candidate and may take that spot with me as well!
Peyton not only finally wins a playoff game, but brings Colts to the CC in his first January showdown with Tom (regular season game a classic in its own right)! And the team who Indy beat to get there? Vermeil's last playoff team, and an exciting (almost-Greatest Show-like) high-octane 2nd-seed
13-3 one at that!
It was the final season in that 'oasis' period of contention in Jeff Fisher's HC-ing career (yes, I know, a top-seed in '08). Coming off a road-win at Ravens, Tenn in their last playoff game with McNair/George gave the Pats quite a gritty, old school blue-collar slugfest at bitter cold Foxboro!
TUNA returns! He takes over a team that finished 5-11 the last three years and doubles the win total in 'Year 1' along with a playoff berth with the Big Three (nor any likeness of such) long gone!
Yes, the notable OT games mentioned. Super Bowl XXXVIII is one of the best-ever. Likely hidden from view historically due to a still new-enough non-marquee franchise (that came out of nowhere) being among the participants. And the Pats were still new-enough to being a contender/champion. After NE gets blasted in that opener at Buffalo, who could have possibly imagined they and the Panthers (1-15 in '01) meeting in that Final Game of the season??
Yes, that surprising 6-10 anti-'island' year under Bill Cowher. I did think going into '03 that Tommy Gunn would further expand on the previous year. This especially after convincingly beating Baltimore in the opener; Maddox playing great! But what would happen from there all the better anyway considering the obvious blessing-in-disguise at hand (next year's 11th overall pick...2005...2008)!
And speaking of - Big Ben along with Eli and Rivers helps make the following campaign, 2004, a good candidate for 1st as well. Steelers ending Pats' streak, then knocks off another unbeaten, the Eagles. They finish 15-1 albeit cruise-control mode. Should have gotten eliminated by Herm's Jets. Another Brady/Manning playoff though a 20-3 snoozer. Pennsylvania Super Bowl? Moved to Beaver Stadium at the last minute? Not to be! NE cement themselves as a, now, marquee franchise. But not before the Eagles - who finally escape the conference - give them a good-enough Super Bowl.
2007!! Witnessing an
undefeated team going into the playoffs (first-ever in
my lifetime; surreal)! Not only a nice battle-of-unbeatens early on, but that battle being Brady/Peyton! And it was a close one! Colts/Pats would have been a fine AFFC with, IMO, both having an even shot! Dallas finishing top-seed at 13-3, best since 1995! Packers also 13-3 at 2nd-seed in Favre's last year with them! Tomlin's first year. And, remember,
Joe Gibbs was back for a bit! This would be his very last season; and making the playoffs!
Strahan willing his team to that Lombardi in that modern-day-SBIII-like
shocker!
Separating the Tragedy itself from the season itself, (and its not just because a certain team bounced back to a top-seed 13-3), I see 2001 as a candidate for a number of reasons! Rams were back and even better than '99, now with an
even-better defense! San Fran and Green Bay back in the playoffs, and each at 12-4! Bears' shocking 13-3 mark, though a bit paper-tiger-lookin' all along as the Eagles would prove. That certain playoff game in the snow, liking the result or not. Belichick/Brady winning their very first Lomardi, liking that or not.
2021? The collection of great playoff games, as already mentioned here a few times, and that even-enough (1980-ish) playoff field.
2022, I thought, was a nice follow-up.
JameisSaintston wrote: ↑
For me, the best stretch of football I've ever watched is the 2018 regular season, and the worst is... the 2018 playoffs. That Rams-Chiefs MNF game is immortal, but so is that Super Bowl for all the opposite reasons.
I can see it as a candidate. Mahomes' breakout year as well as the first of this, thus far, streak of conference championship game appearances (finishing no lower than 2nd-seed, not a road playoff game yet)! He vs Brady in that very CC, and going into OT! NFCC was a great game as well. As for the SB itself...FWIW, it was close on the scoreboard, at least, just about all of the way. Three of the 1st Rd playoff games were good ones.
All of these serve as nominees with me. Sure enough I missed a couple. 2010 now enters the brain. 2008?
Something tells me that 2007 - after just thinking/writing about it paragraphs ago - will end up winning out after thinking it all through.