Best Games of the NFL Season's First Half

SI Staff | Nov 6, 2013

Best Games of the NFL Season's First Half /

Best Games of the NFL Season's First Half

Jets-Buccaneers -- Week 1

Week 1 -- where it all went wrong for the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay looked to have a season-opening win all but sewn up when Rian Lindell kicked a field goal to put the Bucs up 17-15 with 38 seconds left and no timeouts remaining for Jets rookie quarterback Geno Smith. But as Smith scrambled out of bounds on the ensuing drive, Tampa linebacker Lavonte David shoved him late, drawing a 15-yard penalty, which put Nick Folk in position kick the game-winning field goal. After snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, Tampa Bay is still searching for a win, and the club's 0-8 record has put coach Greg Schiano firmly on the hot seat

Niners-Packers -- Week 1

The last time these two teams met, in the 2013 NFC Divisional playoffs, San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick shredded the Packers defense on the ground. In the rematch, Kaepernick's weapon of choice was his right arm, as he threw for 412 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in another 49ers win. Wide receiver Anquan Boldin, freshly acquired in the offseason, was on hand to help out with 13 catches for 208 yards and a touchdown.

Bills-Panthers -- Week 2

With 1:38 remaining in the game, Bills rookie quarterback EJ Manuel flashed some of the potential Buffalo saw when it made him the 16th pick in the 2013 draft. Needing a touchdown to win the game, Manuel led Buffalo downfield with no timeouts and threw the game-winning score to Stevie Johnson with just two seconds on the clock. The nine-play, 80-yard drive capped Manuel's best game as a pro to date; he completed 69 percent of his passes for 296 yards and a TD on the day.

Texans-Titans -- Week 2

For the second straight week, the Texans needed a furious comeback to squeeze out a victory. This one came at the hands of DeAndre Hopkins, a rookie wide receiver who made two stellar catches in overtime to seal the win for Houston. Hopkins finished with seven catches for 117 yards and the game-winning TD, and helped the Texans weather the loss of Andre Johnson, who left the game with an injury in the fourth quarter.

Browns-Vikings -- Week 3

When the Browns traded away star running back Trent Richardson, it appeared that the franchise was tanking to get a better pick in the quarterback-rich 2014 draft. What was not clear, at least initially, was the team's actual plan: unleash Hoyer the Destroyer and watch him take down any football team in his path. The Vikings game was journeyman quarterback Brian Hoyer's first start of the season, and just the second of his career. Hoyer delivered, with 321 yards plus three TDs (and three interceptions). Hoyermania was short-lived as the newfound star only played one more full game (a win over the Bengals) before suffering a season-ending ACL tear in Week 5.

Seahawks-Texans -- Week 4

This was the game that caused criticism of Texans quarterback Matt Schaub to reach a crescendo. With just over two minutes to play, Houston was driving up by a touchdown. All they had to do was get a first down or two to run out the clock, but that's when it all went wrong for Schaub. He threw an ill-fated screen pass that Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman intercepted and returned 58 yards for a score -- Schaub's third consecutive game throwing a pick-six. Houston went on to lose in overtime, squandering a 20-3 halftime lead.

Colts-Seahawks -- Week 5

Another game, another Andrew Luck fourth-quarter comeback. The Colts scored 11 unanswered points in the fourth quarter for the come-from-behind win, Luck's NFL-record ninth through two seasons. In addition to establishing itself as a championship contender, Indianapolis handed Seattle its only loss in the first half of the season.

Jets-Falcons -- Week 5

In primetime on Monday night, Geno Smith didn't look like a flustered rookie. Instead, he led the Jets to a shocking upset on the road over Atlanta. Smith completed 16-of-20 passes for 199 yards and three touchdowns, without turning the ball over. While the win kept the surprising Jets above .500, it likely cost the Falcons their season. The loss dropped the defending NFC South champs to 1-4, and Julio Jones fractured his foot in the game, ending his season.

Broncos-Cowboys -- Week 5

This was a game in which Tony Romo threw for 506 yards, five touchdowns and had a 140 quarterback rating. But it was also a game in which he threw an interception late in the fourth quarter, allowing critics to pile on once again when the Cowboys fell to the Broncos. Despite Romo's late-game anti-heroics, the 51-48 shootout was one of the most entertaining games of the season. Peyton Manning -- 414 yards, four TDs and a pick -- traded touchdowns with Romo throughout entire game, until Danny Trevathan stepped in front of Romo's pass with two minutes to go, giving Denver the ball and setting up Matt Prater to kick the game-winning field goal.

Patriots-Saints -- Week 6

Tom Brady had three chances with less than three and a half minutes remaining to lead the Patriots on a game-winning touchdown drive. The first two resulted in one completion for four yards and one interception. But the third drive was the one that counted, and Brady led New England 70 yards in 1:08, throwing the game-clinching TD to Kenbrell Thompkins with five seconds remaining. The come-from-behind win handed New Orleans its first loss of the season.

Jets-Patriots -- Week 7

Better known as the game that introduced NFL fans everywhere to Rule 913. With the score tied 27-27 in overtime, Jets kicker Nick Folk missed a 56-yard field goal, giving the Patriots new life. But referees flagged New England defensive tackle Chris Jones for pushing a teammate into the offensive formation -- a 15-yard penalty. It was the first time the penalty had been called in a game, and Patriots coach Bill Belichick was incensed. But the call stood, and the Jets went on to kick the game-winning field goal, continuing their surprising season and moving to 4-3.

Lions-Cowboys -- Week 8

Calvin Johnson made a run at history and Matt Stafford engineered a last-minute, game-winning drive while Dez Bryant generated non-controversy on the opposing sideline. Johnson finished with 329 receiving yards, just seven short of the single-game record held by Flipper Anderson, and Stafford scored the game-winner on a sneak that no one on the field saw coming -- including his own linemen. After the Lions drove 79 yards to the Dallas one-yard-line in less than a minute, Stafford sprinted to the line signaling for a spike to stop the clock. Instead, he took the snap and lunged into the end zone past unsuspecting Cowboy defenders. With the win, the Lions moved to 5-3 to keep pace in the NFC North.

Published Nov 6, 2013

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