With the NFL's first-ever Week 18 and plenty of playoff possibilities still in the air, it's a perfect time to reflect on the most memorable regular season finales in league history.
No. 5: Washington 28, Cowboys 18 (2012) -- A win-and-in scenario was in play for both squads on national television Sunday night. The Cowboys had fallen short on two previous Week 17 must-wins, and Washington hadn't won the NFC East since 1999. But the rookie tandem of Robert Griffin III and Alfred Morris led the way to a title. Morris finished with 200 rushing yards and three touchdowns, after coming out of nowhere as a sixth round pick from FAU. RG3 authored his own Rookie of the Year campaign, and greatness seemed guaranteed for the Heisman winner. Unfortunately, this would mark the high point of his career. The following week, he suffered a wild-card injury against the Seahawks and was never the same.
No. 4: Dolphins 27, Patriots 24 (2019) -- It may be the biggest upset of any regular season finale. New England (12-3) was set for another top seed and a first-round bye, while Miami (4-11) was slogging through another lost campaign. The Pats were favored by 17.5 points. But Ryan Fitzpatrick pulled the greatest magic of his career, hitting Mike Gesicki for a touchdown with 24 seconds left to stun the Pats. On the game-winning drive, Miami marched 13 plays for 75 yards against the league's best defense. The stunning loss meant the Patriots had to play during wild-card weekend, something they rarely had done over their 20-year dynasty. They had clinched nine consecutive byes. It proved crushing, as the Titans came to Foxboro the next week and eliminated New England. It was the final game of Tom Brady's career with the Patriots.
No. 3: Bills 34, Jets 14 (1973) -- Sheer ecstasy for Buffalo, and sheer somberness for New York. On this snowy day at Shea Stadium, the score didn't matter much. It was the stats and the finality. O.J. Simpson rushed for 200 yards on 34 carries, becoming the first NFL player to ever rush for 2,000 yards in a season (and still the only player to ever do it in 14 games). The Bills' offense had no intention of anything else, as they threw just five passes all game. The Jets' sideline was filled with sadness, as Weeb Ewbank -- the only man to ever lead the team to a Super Bowl victory -- was set for retirement. Joe Namath was one of many Jets to cry postgame because of his love for Ewbank, and it was possible this was Broadway Joe's final game. Surgeries had ravaged his knees, but ultimately, Namath returned for three more injury-plagued seasons with the Jets.
No. 2: Patriots 38, Giants 35 (2007) -- New England was staring at history. The Giants just wanted to be healthy for the playoffs. But Tom Coughlin decided against resting his starters, and altered the NFL forever. New England ultimately capped the only perfect 16-0 regular season in history, as Tom Brady threw for 356 yards and a 65-yard strike to Randy Moss in the win. Moss' score set the record for most by a wideout in a season. The back-and-forth affair was classic theater, made even better because Coughlin believed it was better to compete than rest. At one point, New York led 28-16, which was the Pats' largest deficit of the season. After the game, Eli Manning said he had never been in such an upbeat locker room after a loss because it proved to the team they could compete with the elite. A month later, the two teams met again in Super Bowl 42, and players credit Week 17 with a blueprint on how and why the Giants pulled off the shocking upset.
No. 1: Cardinals 18, Vikings 17 (2003) -- It can only be described as one of the most bizarre endings in NFL history. The Vikings had started the season 6-0, but had gone 3-6 down the stretch and needed a win over the inferior Cards to clinch a playoff spot. Minnesota built a 17-6 lead with just minutes to go in regulation. But with less than two minutes left, the Cardinals converted a 4th-and-goal for a score, and then recovered an onside kick. After getting sacked on second and third downs, Josh McCown had a 4th-and-25 staring at him. With four seconds to go and as time expired, McCown connected with Nathan Poole for a touchdown. One of the most painful calls in NFL history was then unleashed by Vikings radio voice Paul Allen.