The 2013 NFL season is officially in the books after the Seattle Seahawks absolutely destroyed the Denver Broncos by the score of 43-8 in Super Bowl XLVIII. No matter how anticlimactic the end of the season was, there were some tremendous moments throughout. Let's run down the top 10 moments from the season that was. Part two with the five-best moments will be published later in the week.
10. Tom Brady's Comeback Against the New Orleans Saints
Down 27-23, Brady hit rookie wide receiver Kenbrell Thompkins with five seconds remaining in the game to give the Patriots a 30-27 victory over the then undefeated Saints. It was that last drive that showed us just how clutch Brady can be. New England took over at the 30 yard line with 1:13 left in regulation and drove the ball down the field with precision 70 yards for the game-winning score. The pass to Brady fit right into towards the back of the end zone, which helped Bill Belichick become the No. 5 head coach on the all-time win list.
9. Luke Kuechly's 24-Tackle Performance
Kuechly had a coming-out party with the NFC South on the line in Week 16. The 2013 NFL Defensive Player of the Year recorded a franchise record 24 tackles and an interception in the Carolina Panthers 17-13 win over New Orleans. He was all over the field, making tackles from nearly every spot and angle during this game. While tackles can be an overrated statistic, Kuechly stood above the rest of the players in this all-important matchup between two playoff teams.
8. Green Bay Packers Last-Second Win Against the Chicago Bears in Week 17
When Aaron Rodgers went down to injury Week 9 against these very same Bears, it seemed that the Packers season was over. Running out quarterbacks such as Scott Tolzien, Seneca Wallace and Matt Flynn, the Packers, with help from Detroit and Chicago, were still able to stay in the NFC North race.
They entered this Week 17 matchup at Soldier Field with a chance to win the divisoin and earn a postseason spot. It was also Rodgers first game back since suffering said injury.
After throwing two first-half interceptions, the former NFL MVP responded by giving Green Bay a 20-14 lead in the third quarter before Matt Forte's one-yard run later in the stanza gave the Bears a one-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Down by one with less than 50 seconds remaining and on fourth down from Chicago's 48, Rogers hit Randall Cobb on a 48-yard touchdown strike to give Green Bay the victory and the division.
While it went down the following week against San Francisco, this was a ridiculously awesome effort from a injury-plagued football team, enough so that Mike McCarthy called it Rodgers "best moment" in a Packers uniform.
7. Nick Foles Record-Setting Performance Against the Oakland Raiders
It might have been the Oakland Raiders, but what Foles did in Week 9 was downright scary. The two-year veteran had one of the best single-game statistical performances in the history of the league.
You heard that right, the history of the league. He completed 22-of-28 passes for 406 yards with SEVEN touchdowns and zero interceptions.
For those who are not great at math, that's more touchdown passes than incompletions in the outing.
He became only the third quarterback in the history of the league to put up seven scores and a perfect quarterback rating in the same game.
6. San Francisco 49ers Last-Second Win in the NFC Wildcard Playoffs
Zero degree weather and going into Lambeau in January. Everything pointed to the 49ers struggling big time against what was a mediocre Packers team.
While they didn't dominate like their talent would suggest, the 49ers were able to pull out another late-game victory on the road in the postseason.
Taking over with just 5:06 remaining on the clock, Colin Kaepernick led the 49ers on a game-winning 14-play, 65-yard drive that culminated in a 33-yard Phil Dawson field goal as time expired to give San Francisco a 23-20 win. It was the first posteason victory at Lambeau in the history of the franchise.