As the decade winds down to its conclusion, everyone has begun to look back and admire the past 10 years. For non-football fans and avid lovers of the sport alike, the year 2010 seems to be an eternity ago. With that being said, the NFL has produced a series of moments that have been captured and immortalized to never be forgotten. Here are 20 NFL decade-defining pictures that help shed a little light on the history that was written within the past 10 years.
February 7, 2010
The Picture: Drew Brees hoists his son into the air after winning Super Bowl 44.
Why We Remember It: Drew Brees, who spent the early portion of his career in purgatory, helps raise the city of New Orleans out of Hell after Hurricane Katrina.
December 19, 2010
The Picture: Desean Jackson returns a punt as time expires to beat the Giants and propel the Eagles to the playoffs.
Why We Remember It: It was the kind of play that leaves you with your hands on your head and jaw on the floor. You question if even your Uncle Jim could’ve just punted the ball out of bounds.
January 8, 2011
The Picture: Marshawn Lynch jumps into the endzone following a 69-yard touchdown run against the Saints.
Why We Remember It: Lynch seemingly broke tackles of every Saints defender in what became known as the “Beastquake,” before obscenely jumping into the endzone.
February 6, 2011
The Picture: Aaron Rodgers celebrates after winning Super Bowl 45. This was the Packers’ fourth Super Bowl victory.
Why We Remember It: It’s Aaron freaking Rodgers, a Lombardi trophy, and the World Heavyweight Championship.
January 8, 2012
The Picture: Tim Tebow gets down on one knee and prays after beating the Steelers on the first play of the overtime in a 2012 Wildcard game.
Why We Remember It: For better or worse, Tim Tebow was unapologetically Christian. This pose, known as “Tebowing”, became the source of debate and unity all at once.
February 5, 2012
The Picture: Mario Manningham keeps both feet inbounds, as the Giants march down the field in Super Bowl 46.
Why We Remember It: Just four years removed from David Tyree’s helmet catch, history repeated itself. Eli Manning, yet again, pulled off a miracle to beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl.
March 20, 2012
The Picture: Peyton Manning poses with Broncos Owner Pat Bowlen and GM John Elway after signing with the team.
Why We Remember It: This marked the conclusion of the biggest free-agent bidding war in league history and cemented the Broncos as a contender for years to come.
December 30, 2012
The Picture: Adrian Peterson is carried off the field after rushing for 2,097 yards, leading the Vikings to the playoffs in the process.
Why We Remember It: Despite coming up short of the single-season record by just nine yards, Peterson was the only non-quarterback MVP of the decade. He was unquestionably the best runningback of the 2010s.
January 12, 2013
The Picture: Jacoby Jones hauls in a 70-yard touchdown over the outstretched hand of Broncos safety Rahim Moore to tie the game at 35 with under a minute to play.
Why We Remember It: The Ravens used this “Mile High Miracle” to continue their playoff run, ultimately ending with a victory in Super Bowl 47.
February 3, 2013
The Picture: The Superdome loses power for 34 minutes in the midst of Super Bowl 47.
Why We Remember It: At face value, it was the biggest botch in technical history as far as sporting events go. In terms of football, it swayed the momentum of the game, allowing the 49ers to nearly pull off a comeback on the Ravens.
January 19, 2014
The Picture: Richard Sherman deflects a potential game-winning pass away from Michael Crabtree, resulting in a game-seeling interception.
Why We Remember It: The play itself perfectly defined the greatest defense of the decade. They’d go onto dominate the Broncos in Super Bowl 48, 43-8. Richard Sherman conducted an iconic interview detailing why you should never try him with a “sorry receiver like Crabtree.”
November 23, 2014
The Picture: Odell Beckham Jr. makes a one-handed catch after being interfered with by a Dallas defensive back for a touchdown.
Why We Remember It: Odell broke not only the laws of physics but also the internet on Sunday Night Football. Kids everywhere started practicing their one-handed catches.
February 1, 2015
The Picture: Malcolm Butler intercepts a Russell Wilson pass at the goal-line to prevent the Seahawks from taking the lead with under 30 seconds left in Super Bowl 49.
Why We Remember It: Everyone had the same reaction to this play. Why didn’t Seattle just run the ball? You have Marshawn Lynch on the one-yard line. What a play by Malcolm Butler. Wait, who the hell is Malcolm Butler? All of that coupled with the fact that it prevented the first back-to-back Super Bowl Champion in over 10 years and ended a potential dynasty.
February 7, 2016
The Picture: Von Miller strips NFL MVP Cam Newton in the first quarter of Super Bowl 50 to give the Broncos a 10-0 lead.
Why We Remember It: The first two picks of the 2011 draft met face-to-face in the Super Bowl. Once again, defense proved to win championships.
February 5, 2017
The Picture: Tom Brady navigates through the media after leading the Patriots back from being down 28-3 in Super Bowl 51.
Why We Remember It: For the first time, everyone could confidently sit there and say that Tom Brady was the GOAT, as he collected his fifth Super Bowl. The shot of him standing like a god amongst men above the media will always be iconic.
January 14, 2018
The Picture: Case Keenum leads the Vikings faithful in the famous “Skol” chant after beating the Saints on a last-second “Minneapolis Miracle.”
Why We Remember It: Sure, the play itself was great, but the image of journeyman Case Keenum being crowned as a Vikings hero amidst the chaos of what had just transpired was overwhelming.
February 4, 2018
The Picture: Quarterback Nick Foles catches a touchdown on a trick play from tight end Trey Burton. The Eagles extend their lead in Super Bowl 52.
Why We Remember It: The guts that it took to call for that play in that moment and the perfect execution of a multi-dimensional trick play.
November 19, 2018
The Picture: Quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Jared Goff meet at midfield after the Rams defeated the Chiefs 54-51 on Monday Night Football.
Why We Remember It: Not only was it arguably the greatest regular-season game in NFL history, but it also marked a new era of offense led by two of the best young QBs.
January 20, 2019
The Picture: Rams CB Nickell Robey-Coleman knocks Saints WR Tommylee Lewis to the ground before the pass had reached the receiver in the NFC Championship.
Why We Remember It: This play cost the New Orleans Saints a trip to the Super Bowl. It led to the implementation of a coach’s ability to challenge pass interference.
December 16, 2019
The Picture: Drew Brees celebrates after becoming the NFL’s all-time leader in passing touchdowns, passing Peyton Manning.
Why We Remember It: Drew Brees made history on Monday Night Football by not only throwing his 541st TD but also completing 29 of 30 passes (96.7%) which is also an NFL record.
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