Table of Contents
The NFL season is finally upon us! The optimism, the excitement – it’s all palpable. The 2022 NFL Season is about to kick off, and fans everywhere are ready for some football! The season opener will feature the defending Super Bowl LVI champion Los Angeles Rams taking on the Buffalo Bills. Both teams are eager to start the season on a strong note, and it should be a great game! Elsewhere in the league, many other contenders are vying for a spot in the playoffs. So strap in and get ready for an exciting season of NFL action!
In addition to the exciting on-field action, there will also be several new rule changes in place for the upcoming season. These changes include the playoffs being held a week later and a revised overtime system. With so much to look forward to, it’s safe to say that the 2022 NFL Season is shaping to be one of the best yet!
In anticipation of the kickoff games this weekend, we looked back at some of the most incredible matchups in NFL history. From dramatic last-minute touchdowns to unexpected upsets, these games will keep you on the edge of your seat! Here are five of the most incredible kickoff games in NFL history.
Record Breaking Overtime in 2009
The first-ever overtime game in the Kickoff series was a nail-biter, with the Steelers barely squeaking by with a win. The Tennessee Titans had their fair share of chances to win in regulation, but they just couldn’t get it done. In overtime, the Pittsburgh Steelers won the coin toss and decided to receive the kickoff from the Titans. The Titans never had a chance to touch the ball in overtime, and the Steelers won on a 33-yard field goal by Jeff Reed.
This game was just another example of Reed’s amazing ability to perform when the pressure is on.
Tom Brady’s Shocking Defeat in 2017
In 2017, the New England Patriots were hosts of the NFL Kickoff Game against the Kansas City Chiefs. This was supposed to be a rematch of the previous season’s AFC Championship game, which the Patriots had won in come-from-behind fashion. However, things didn’t quite go as expected.
This remains one of the most unexpected kickoffs in NFL Kickoff Game history as the Chiefs defeated Tom Brady and the Patriots 42-27 at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots were celebrating a heroic comeback in the Super Bowl seven months earlier, after being 28-3 behind the Atlanta Falcons in the 4th quarter.
They eventually tied the game to send it into overtime, with James White scoring the winning touchdown. It was a stunning result that no one saw coming. But after all, anything can happen in football.
Unprecedented Scores in 2011
The 2011 NFL season kickoff game matched the previous two Super Bowl champions, the Green Bay Packers and the New Orleans Saints, for the first time in the series and represented the most combined points (76) ever scored in the kickoff game. The game started with a bang, as both teams traded scores in an exciting first half.
Randall Cobb, a wide receiver and return specialist, had a debut to remember, catching a touchdown pass and running back a 108-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. His performance was all the more impressive because it came in response to a league rule change that made it easier for teams to get touchbacks on kickoffs. The rule change was designed to promote player safety, but Cobb’s return showed that it doesn’t always have the intended effect.
Defending Champs Host the Opening Game in 2004
The NFL first gave the honor of hosting the Kickoff game to the defending Super Bowl champion in 2004, when the New England Patriots hosted the Indianapolis Colts in a rematch of the 2003 AFC Championship game. The Patriots had defeated the Colts in the AFC Championship game the previous January, so there was added intrigue for this matchup.
The 2003 AFC Championship game, played in Foxboro amid snow flurries, had been won by the Patriots 24–14. Unfortunately for Colts fans, the result was the same, with the Patriots winning by a closer margin than in the playoffs. In the 2004 Kickoff game, the Colts narrowly lost by a score of 27-24.
Peyton Sets NFL Records in 2013
The 2013 NFL season began with a game that will be remembered for several reasons. Peyton Manning threw seven touchdown passes and an interception, becoming only the second quarterback to record that many in a single game. The venue was in Denver instead of Baltimore, which had earned the right to host the game with its Super Bowl win over San Francisco in February.
The Baltimore Ravens lost their opener and missed the playoffs by one game at 8-8. This was the first time in the six-year John Harbaugh coaching era that the Ravens weren’t in the postseason. While the game was undoubtedly memorable for football fans, it also highlights how vital every game can be in determining a team’s fate. One loss early on can mean the difference between making and missing the playoffs.
RunYourPool Is Going to Be Your MVP This Season
If you love football, then you know that the start of the NFL season is a time for celebration. But if you’re running a sports pool, it can also be a time for stress and anxiety. Will your website be able to handle the influx of traffic? Will you be able to keep track of all the entries? And what if something goes wrong? Take a deep breath and put your worries aside because articles.runyourpool.com has you covered.
RunYourPool is the leading online sports pool management service provider, and we’re ready to help you kick off your season easily. With our user-friendly interface and comprehensive pool management tools, we’ll ensure that your pool runs smoothly and efficiently. Whether you’re a fan of the Denver Broncos, the New York Giants, the Seattle Seahawks, or the Minnesota Vikings… you’ll find a home for your pool here. So go ahead and enjoy the start of the season – we’ll take care of the rest.
