Well, it's now the month of July, and the COVID-19 pandemic is still affecting our country, but it seems like sports are coming back.
That being said, it's been awhile since I last wrote for my blog, and I was originally going to write a whole article about each NFL season in the 2010s, but I realized that would be too hard to stuff every little detail from 10 years into one story.
Instead, I will go one-by-one and do a 10-part series on each NFL season in the 2010s, starting with the 2010 season, leading into a possible 2020 season if it doesn't get postponed or cancelled.
The new decade brought some more great moments, such as Jaguars QB David Garrard tossing a 50-yard hail mary touchdown pass to Mike Thomas, that was deflected by Texans safety Glover Quin and into the hands of Thomas, with no time remaining to give Jacksonville the 31-24 victory.
In Week 15, the Giants led the Eagles 31-10 halfway through the fourth quarter, but QB Michael Vick was able to turn Philadelphia around and tie the game up at 31-31, but that's not all.
With 14 seconds left, the Giants punted to WR DeSean Jackson, who dropped the ball, but picked it up and ran with it for the game-winning touchdown, giving the Eagles the 38-31 victory and becoming the first NFL player to win the game on a punt return as time expired.
However, the refs waived off the TD because Johnson did not maintain possession throughout the entirety of the catch. As a result, Chicago won 19-14.
This season was also the last for Minnesota Vikings QB Brett Favre, who spent 20 seasons in the NFL, a majority of them with the Green Bay Packers.
Favre continued to start every game until Week 13 in December, when he suffered a shoulder injury, causing him to miss next week's game and ending his starting streak at 297 games.
Favre also experienced controversy during the season when a report came out that he may have acted inappropriately towards New York Jets employee Jenn Sterger while both were with the team in 2008.
One of the biggest offseason stories was Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger getting suspended for up to six games, before being reduced to four, due to sexual assault accusations. Nevertheless, he led Pittsburgh to a 12-4 record and the AFC North crown.
One of the biggest offseason moves was the Eagles trading veteran quarterback Donovan McNabb to the Redskins, but it didn't work out so well for Washington in the end as McNabb didn't live up to his earlier days and his team ended the season 6-10.
One of the biggest losses for the Skins was a Week 10 Monday night matchup against the Eagles, where Philadelphia demolished Washington by the score of 59-28.
From the first play of scrimmage, it was all Philly when Mike Vick launched a deep pass to DeSean Jackson for a TD. It was one of the best performances by an NFL QB ever as Vick passed for six touchdowns and 300 yards, and ran for 50 yards.
In a Week 12 game between the Titans and Texans, Houston WR Andre Johnson and Tennessee DB Cortland Finnegan got into a massive brawl, with both getting ejected from the game and fined as a result.
The year prior, the New Orleans Saints started 13-0 and won Super Bowl XLIV, but the division rival Atlanta Falcons took the top spot in the NFC South and the No. 1 seed at 13-3. Nevertheless, New Orleans finished 11-5 and second in the division, securing the No. 5 seed in the playoffs.
2010 also saw the emergence of Browns RB Peyton Hillis, who rushed for 460 yards through Cleveland's first seven games and had a signature performance against the Patriots in Week 9, rushing for 184 yards and two TDs. He finished the season with 1,177 rushing yards and 1,654 all-purpose yards, and as a result of his breakout season, he ended up on next season's Madden cover.
Two NFL rookies that emerged that year were St. Louis Rams QB Sam Bradford and Detroit Lions DT Ndamukong Suh, who both had solid seasons and won the Offensive Rookie of the Year and Defensive Rookie of the Year awards, respectively.
Patriots QB Tom Brady was the league's MVP for 2010, leading New England to the best record in football at 14-2.
However, the Pats' postseason run lasted for only one game, as they were upset by the No. 6-seeded division rival Jets, led by QB Mark Sanchez and head coach Rex Ryan, by the score of 28-21.
The week before, the most memorable moment of those playoffs came when the defending champion Saints visited the NFC West-champion Seattle Seahawks, who amazingly won the division with a record of 7-9.
The unthinkable happened when Seattle pulled off the 41-36 upset, with the biggest play being RB Marshawn Lynch breaking multiple tackles on his way for an incredible 67-yard touchdown. This play was dubbed the "Beast Quake."
The Green Bay Packers had an incredible playoff run as the No. 6 seed in the NFC. First they upset the No. 3-seeded Eagles in the Wild Card round, then the No. 1 seeded Falcons in the Divisional Round, and then the No. 2-seeded rival Chicago Bears in the NFC Championship, making it to Super Bowl XLV.
There, the Packers met up with the Steelers, who had won their sixth Super Bowl two years prior and were hoping to add a seventh ring to their collection.
In the game, Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers went 24-of-39, passing for 304 yards and three scores as he led the Packers to a 31-25 victory and won the game's MVP award. It was the franchise's fourth Super Bowl title ever.
Be on the lookout for my 2011 season article, which I will be working on next. Until then, stay safe and wear a mask!
