Top 15 Games of 2017

Top 15 Games of 2017

My, my, my, do we have a lot to look back on in sports in 2017? This year was insane. This year gave us shocking upsets, heartbreaking defeats, stunning comebacks, and memories that will last a long, long time. 

I gave you ten of the best sports game from 2016 last year. Because this is my blog and I can do whatever I want, I'm giving you the fifteen best games from 2017, because this year was just too packed with great contests to select only ten. 

These are the games that we remembered most from 2017.

Honorable Mentions:

May 21st- NBA Eastern Conference Finals, Game 3
Boston Celtics 111, Cleveland Cavaliers 108

If you look up in the big sports dictionary the definition of the phrase “stealing a game,” you’ll find the Boston Celtics in the third game of the Eastern Conference Finals. With Cleveland up 2-0 after decimating the hopelessly overmatched Celtics in Boston (winning game two by an NBA playoff record 44 points), and the Celtics without their star Isaiah Thomas, lost to injury in the blowout, one would think the series would be over with the next three games in Cleveland. One would be wrong. The Celtics, down by as many as 21 in the game, would storm back to tie the game with 10 seconds to play. A perfectly drawn up play left Avery Bradley open to hit the game winning three with .1 seconds left to play. LeBron, Kyrie and the Cavs would beat the Celtics in five games, but this win certainly saved Boston some pride before their playoff exit.


October 29th- NCAA Football, Week 8
Ohio State Buckeyes 39, Penn State Nittany Lions 38

Yeah, I didn’t think Ohio State had a prayer as soon as Saquon Barkley returned the game’s opening kick off 97 yards for a Penn State touchdown, and especially not after they went down 21-3 at the start of the 2nd quarter. However, the Buckeyes were able to keep the game manageable against their Big Ten rivals, narrowing it to no more than a two score game for much of the second half. Ohio State QB J.T. Barrett was stellar, going 33 of 39 with 329 yards and 4 touchdown passes, the final one to Marcus Baugh with 1:19 left to play to put the Buckeyes up by one. With possible College Football Playoff implications for both teams, this game lived up to all the hype from pre-season, and saved Ohio State’s season.


March 24th- NCAA Tournament, East Regional Semifinal (Sweet 16)
Florida Gators 84, Wisconsin Badgers 83 (OT)

In the only NCAA Tournament game that had a bona fide buzzer-beater, you knew it had to go somewhere on this list. The back and forth contest Wisconsin wiping out an 8-point Florida lead with only 2:10 left to go in regulation. With two quick layups by Ethan Happ and Zac Showalter, and a three by Bronson Koenig, the Badgers found themselves down by three with only six seconds left to play. Out of a timeout, Showalter sank a three just before the buzzer to send it to OT. With under 30 seconds to go and Wisconsin up 81-79, Badgers forward Khalil Iverson headed toward the basket, only to find himself stuffed at the rim by Canyon Barry, who himself had made two free throws seconds ago, keeping Florida in the game. After both teams traded baskets, Florida’s Chris Chiozza turned into a March Madness legend by charging down the court with under five seconds left, and knocking down a three at the buzzer to win it for the Gators, sending them to the Elite 8. This game put the “Madness” in “March Madness.”


May 2nd- NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals, Game 7
Boston Celtics 129, Washington Wizards 119

Kelly Olynyk came out of nowhere for the Celtics in this game seven, scoring a career-playoff high 26 points, 14 of them in the fourth quarter, as Boston defeated Washington to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. The game was fairly close through three quarters, with Washington leading by two at the half. But the Celtics bench outscored their counterparts 43-5, and shooting 8 of 13 from 3 point range in the second half. Isaiah Thomas, who, a day before game two of the series tragically lost his sister (and then proceeded to light up the scoreboard with 53 points in an overtime win) led the Celtics with 26 points.


The Top 15:

15. NFL, Week 3
Los Angeles Rams 41, San Francisco 49ers 39

Before the Rams were the Rams we know right now, they were 1-1 through the first two games of the season. The 49ers were 0-2. And the two NFC West opponents met on a Thursday night, which is typically reserved as a game no one wants to watch. Raise your hand if you expected this to be the best game of the NFL season to this point. This one had it all. A show of two offenses firing on all cylinders, some special teams gaffes, a great comeback, and a recovered onside kick for good measure. The Rams held the lead early and often, as Todd Gurley rushed for three touchdowns in the first half. The 49ers had some help of their own thanks to a muffed punt, and some great catches by Pierre Garcon. In the 4th, with Los Angeles up 41-26, The Niners scored to make it a one possession game with roughly five minutes to play. The Rams would fumble the ensuing kickoff, leading to another San Francisco touchdown with 2:48 to go. A failed 2-point conversion kept the game at 41-39. Then came the onside kick- which the Niners would recover, giving the San Francisco faithful one last gasp of hope.

Unfortunately, Brian Hoyer would take a sack on 4th and 20, sealing the victory for Los Angeles. Seriously, check out the highlights the NFL won't let me embed on this website. Business picks up REAL quick.

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14. The Masters, Final Round
Sergio Garcia vs. Justin Rose

Sergio Garcia almost didn’t win another major and all was almost right with the world. After he carded back-to-back bogeys on 10 and 11, leaving Justin Rose two strokes ahead, everyone thought “well, here comes the old Sergio, choking the moment away when it matters most.” But man, if there’s two things I love in golf, it’s a good grinder, and some solid back-and-forth action down the stretch. On 13, Sergio hit a shot that left him a bad lie, but managed to save par thanks to a spectacular up-and-down from 89 yards out. Then came a birdie on 14, leaving him only one back of Rose. Rose would birdie the par-5 15th, bringing him to 9-under par for the tournament. Garcia managed to eagle the hole to pull even, his first eagle in 452 holes at Augusta National. Rose would card another birdie on 16 but a bogey on 17, and the two traded pars at 18, setting the stage for a sudden-death playoff. Garcia actually had a chance to win, but missed a five-footer that would have given him his green jacket. After Rose had a bad drive on the playoff hole, Garcia took advantage, this time knocking down that five-footer to win the Masters for the first time.


13. January 5th- NFC Divisional Playoff
Green Bay Packers 34, Dallas Cowboys 31

Originally, this game was not close, with Green Bay jumping out to a 21-3 lead, leaving many to wonder just how long Dallas’ run of luck with rookie sensations Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott would last. However, thanks to one muffed punt, and another forced three-and-out, Dallas was able to cut the score to 21-13 by halftime. Aaron Rodgers led the Packers downfield to a score quickly after halftime, and the Green Bay defense forced a quick three-and-out on Dallas’ next possession. However, thanks to an interception by Dallas safety Jeff Heath, Dak Prescott was able to lead the Cowboys 69 yards, capping it off with a touchdown pass to Jason Witten, making the score 28-20 with 11:39 to go. Dallas would score again, with Prescott making a two-point conversion to tie the game at 28. Mason Crosby’s 56-yard field goal put Green Bay up 31-28 with 1:38 left, but Dallas quickly drove down the field to the Green Bay 35-yard line, setting up Dan Bailey’s game-tying 51-yard field goal with 40 seconds remaining. Following a touchback, Rodgers completed a 17-yard pass to Ty Montgomery, but then took a 10-yard sack on the next play. On a 3rd and 20, with 12 seconds to play and only one timeout remaining, Rodgers threw a 35-yard strike to Jared Cook, who was able to keep both feet in bounds, putting the Packers at the Dallas 35 with 3 seconds remaining. Crosby nailed the 51-yard field goal, sending the Packers to the NFC Championship game.


12. June 5th- Women's College World Series, Game 1
Oklahoma Sooners 7, Florida Gators 5 (17 innings)

17 innings is almost two full-length baseball games rolled into one. In softball, it’s more than two. The first game of this year’s Women’s College World Series only got more intense as the marathon contest progressed. With two outs and two strikes in the bottom of the 7th inning, and Oklahoma up 2-1, Florida’s Sophia Reynoso was able to bring in Alesia Ocasio from first on a bloop single, setting up extra innings. Florida would again extend the game while down to its last strike in the 12th inning, down 4-2, as Amanda Lorenz would knock in two more runs off the Sooners’ original starter Paige Lowray. Lowray would pitch 10.1 innings and throw 139 pitches in this game. Oklahoma loaded the bases in the 15th and 16th, but failed to score. In the top of the 17th, however, Oklahoma’s Shay Knighten hit a three-run shot to put the Sooners up for good, 7-4 the final. The five-and-a-half hour marathon saw all four pitches in the game throw over 100 pitches on the night. Oklahoma would take game two as well, knocking off the top-seeded Gators to win the Women’s College World Series.


11. October 25th- World Series, Game 2
Houston Astros 7, Los Angeles Dodgers 6 (11 innings)

Game one of the World Series lasted a mere two hours and 28 minutes. Game two would last four hours and 19 minutes, a record for an extra innings World Series game. The contest would feature eight home runs, another World Series record. And for the Astros, this game would make even more history, as the club won its first World Series game in its history. The game started off relatively tame, as the Dodgers jumped out to a 3-1 lead by the end of the 6th inning, poised to go up 2-0 headed back to Houston. In the top of the 8th, with Dodgers close Kenley Jansen on the mound, the Astros managed to pull within a run after Carlos Correa’s single to bring in Alex Bregman. In the 9th, Marwin Gonzales would homer off Jansen to tie the game, sending it to extras. Next, it would be the Dodgers’ turn to come from behind, as the Astros would add two more in the top of the 10th on back-to-back home runs from Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa. The Dodgers evened the score on a home run by Yasiel Puig, and then a single from Enrique Hernandez after a walk and a wild pitch from Ken Giles. Again, in the 11th, the Astros pulled ahead by two runs after a George Springer two-run shot to dead center. The Dodgers came up just short after Charlie Culberson’s home run to make it 7-6. Puig, who brought the Dodgers life in the previous frame, would strikeout to end the game. Series tied at one game apiece headed back to Houston. At the time, this game was considered to be the craziest World Series game ever. They hadn’t seen nothin’ yet.


10. July 10th- Wimbledon, Round of 16
Rafael Nadal vs. Gilles Müller

The Championships at Wimbledon are my favorite for some reason. Maybe it’s the traditional all-white attire from the players. Maybe it’s the prestige. Maybe it just takes place as a low-volume area of the sports calendar year. Regardless, it always somehow seems to create some great drama, none more compelling than this fourth round matchup between Rafael Nadal and Gilles Müller. Nadal, who missed the 2016 tournament and been eliminated early in 2015, was looking to make his way back to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2011, when he lost in the finals to Novak Djokovic. Gilles Müller of Luxembourg had had a tremendous 2016, which landed him a draw of 16th in the tournament. In the match itself, Müller jumped out to a two-set lead, winning the first sets 6-3, 6-4, the first set highlighted by the ridiculous volley seen in the video. Nadal came back firing in the second two sets, also winning 6-3, 6-4. The decisive fifth set was nip-and-tuck, with Nadal and Müller pushing hard to gain an edge over the other. The set extended to 10-10, then 14-13 in favor of Müller. Müller finally put Nadal away with three quick points to win the final set 15-13 and advance to the quarterfinals.


9. NCAA Football, Week 5
Western Michigan Broncos 71, Buffalo Bulls 68

You read that correctly. Seven overtimes. SEVEN. A tied record for longest college football game by number of overtimes, and 139 total points put up between the two teams, with 77 of them coming during the overtime periods. One doesn’t normally consider Western Michigan or Buffalo to be the cream of the college football crop. However, based solely on the longevity of the game, this one makes the list. Buffalo came back from down 10 in the fourth quarter, and blocked a crucial field goal from Western Michigan that would have won the game for the Broncos as time expired on regulation. In overtime, it was like the two teams were trying to extend the game for as long as they could. In the 3rd overtime, Buffalo RB Theo Anderson coughed up the football at the 2-yard line, opening the door for Western Michigan. And just like that, Broncos kicker Josh Grant missed a 29-yarder, his second potential game winner of the afternoon. The teams again traded scores until the 7th overtime, when Buffalo went ahead on an Adam Mitcheson field goal to go up 68-65. Western Michigan’s Jarvion Franklin scored from 12 yards out to finally win the game for the Broncos. While neither team ended up in a bowl game this year, the 7-overtime contest between the two certainly makes its case for best college football game of 2017.


8. April 5th- Stanley Cup Playoffs, Western Conference Semifinals, Game 5
Anaheim Ducks 4, Edmonton Oilers 3 (2OT)

Four minutes. Three goals. Two overtimes. One winner. The Ducks, down 3-0 in the third period, made up the three-goal deficit in the last four minutes of regulation, and finally emerged victorious in double overtime. After a scoreless first period, the Oilers scored twice in the first three minutes of the second period, on a goal by Leon Draisaitl, and then by Oilers captain Conor McDavid on the power play. Edmonton would score again on a goal by Drake Caggiula. And while Edmonton goalie Cam Talbot stood on his head for the Oilers, marking up 64 saves in the contest, the Ducks’ resilience was too much during last minutes of the third period. After pulling goalie John Gibson for an extra attacker, Ryan Getzlaf finally got Anaheim on the board after a blast from the point. 3-1, Oilers with 3:16 to play. 35 seconds later, it was Cam Fowler from the slot. 3-2, Oilers. And finally, with 15 seconds to go, Rickard Rickell was able to squeak one underneath the left pad of Talbot to tie the game at 3 and send it to overtime. Three goals in 3:07. The game would remain scoreless until the double overtime period, when Corey Perry finally put one past Talbot to win game five for the Ducks. Even after losing game 6 in debilitating fashion, the Ducks were able to get the win in game 7, and move on to the Western Conference Finals, thanks to one of the greatest comebacks in Stanley Cup Playoff history.


7. October 7th- College Football, Week 1
UCLA Bruins 45, Texas A&M Aggies 44

I want you to imagine that you’re UCLA for a minute. You’re down 44-10 with 4:08 to go in the 3rd quarter. If you’re Josh Rosen, UCLA quarterback, you haven’t thrown a touchdown yet, and you’ve lost two fumbles. Texas A&M had as high as a 99.9% chance to win this game at one point. And yet, here we are. In another great comeback, Rosen led his Bruins back from down 34 points to win against Texas A&M. All four of Rosen’s touchdown passes came in the fourth quarter, the final one coming on a fake spike with 43 seconds remaining. In capping off the largest college football comeback since 2006, Rosen threw for 292 yards in the fourth quarter alone.


6. March 26th- NCAA Tournament, South Regional Final (Elite 8)
North Carolina Tarheels 75, Kentucky Wildcats 73

When the brackets were announced in mid-March, North Carolina and Kentucky were the two that everyone wanted to see. Many thought the Wildcats might be a no. 1 seed due to their SEC Tournament win and 35-6 regular season record (a better mark than their South Regional counterparts, who finished at 34-7 and did not win their conference championship). However, the two storied college basketball schools met for a chance to go to the Final Four. Earlier in the regular season, Kentucky beat North Carolina, 103-100. If you thought that game was close, this NCAA Tournament game would be a major treat. The Tarheels managed to keep Kentucky phenoms Malik Monk and D’Aaron Fox at bay, and led 37-33 at halftime. In the second half, Kentucky managed to get in front and stretched its lead to 64-59. North Carolina went on a run of its own, and made it 69-64 with two minutes to play. After Monk missed a three to force Kentucky to start fouling, the teams traded shots, and North Carolina’s lead stood at 73-70, with 10 seconds to play. Monk hit a three from the top of the arc to tie the game at 73, sending Kentucky fans into a state of delirium at the fact that they had a chance to win in a potential overtime. But on the ensuing fast break, North Carolina’s Luke Maye hit a long jumper with .2 seconds left to send the Tarheels to the Final Four.


5. January 2nd- Rose Bowl Game
USC Trojans 52, Penn State Nittany Lions 49

This game represented everything that was great about the Rose Bowl: two powerhouse franchises in an offensive dogfight that included a comeback, resulting in a crazy finish. This roller coaster contest saw over 1,000 yards of total offense from both teams. Penn State RB Saquon Barkley rushed for 194 yards and 2 touchdowns, while USC QB Sam Darnold threw for 453 yards and FIVE touchdowns. USC led 27-21 at halftime, but Penn State took over in the 2nd half, as the Nittany Lions jumped out to a two-score lead by the end of the 3rd, up 49-35. Darnold led USC on consecutive 80+ yard drives, both resulting in scores. The second drive only took 39 seconds, highlighted by two Penn State pass interference penalties to set up a 27-yard touchdown pass from Darnold to Deontay Burnett. On Penn State’s ensuing drive, QB Trace McSorley threw a costly interception on his own 33 yard line. USC kicker Matt Boermeester hit a 46-yard field goal at the gun to win the Rose Bowl for the Trojans.


4. August 27th- "The Fight of the Century"
Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor

Forget Mayweather and Pacquiao- this was the fight of the century that actually lived up to the hype. You’ve got Floyd Mayweather, who at this point is a semi-retired undefeated champion boxer, against Conor McGregor, a man who made his name by running his mouth and backing it up with his fists in UFC. When McGregor threw out the challenge to Mayweather, many thought the fight wouldn’t last more than three rounds (mostly because both men bragged they could knock the other out inside of a round, but that’s neither here nor there). Surprisingly, McGregor held his own against Mayweather, landing more punches than Pacquiao did in his fight. The Irishman came out swinging in the first few rounds and it showed; many judges had McGregor winning the first few rounds against the undefeated Mayweather. However, as the fight went on, McGregor’s uneasiness in the ring showed, and he began to tire as Mayweather began to take over and wear him down, winning the next four rounds. McGregor showed some late fight in the 8th round, but Mayweather finally put him away in the 10th, winning via TKO. On a personal note, I had never been a fan of Conor McGregor before this fight. Seeing him be able to take a punch as well as dish it to a full-time professional boxer earned him my respect. And for once, we actually had a fight that lived up to (and probably surpassed) all expectations.


3. January 9th- College Football Playoff National Championship
Clemson Tigers 35, Alabama Crimson Tide 31

This was a rematch of last year’s National Championship, where Alabama defeated Clemson in a 45-40 heartbreaker. Dare I say this game surpassed that one? Clemson was down by double-digits twice in this game, but managed to battle back to keep the game within reach. Alabama’s rushing attack, led by Bo Scarborough got the Tide on the board first, and put them up 14-0 with a second rushing touchdown from 35 yards out in the second quarter. Clemson’s Deshaun Watson scored on a rushing touchdown of his own, making the score 14-7 at haltime. After an Alabama field goal and a Clemson touchdown, Bama’s lead was cut to three with seven minutes left in the 3rd. A major theme of this game was the hyper-dramatic back-and-forth swing, in which one team would catch a break, only for the momentum to swing the other way immediately. Scarborough left the game with an injury in the 3rd, a clear break for the Tigers, who were more or less unable to stop the run for a good chunk of the game. All seemed to be going Clemson’s way before Alabama’s QB Jalen Hurts connected with reciever OJ Howard on a 68-yard touchdown pass. 24-14, Tide. Then came the fourth quarter. Oh, the fourth quarter of this game. Watson leads the Tigers down the field to score a touchdown. 24-21, Alabama with 14 minutes to play. Ten minutes later, it’s Clemson again, as Wayne Gallman scored on a 1-yard rush to put Clemson up 28-24 with just over four minutes left. With Alabama on the ropes, facing a 3rd & 16 at their own 32, Hurts was able to find WR ArDarius Stewart for 15 yards, and then convert on 4th and 1. Hurts would eventually find the end zone on a 31-yard rush to put Alabama up 31-28 with 2:01 to play. Clemson began the game’s final drive on their own 36, but found their way all the way down to the Alabama 9 yard line with 14 seconds to play. Two plays later, a pass interference call on Alabama set the Tigers up with 1st and goal from the 2 with six seconds to play. With one second left, Watson found WR Hunter Renfrow in the front corner of the endzone to win the game 35-31 for Clemson.


2. October 29th- World Series, Game 5
Houston Astros 13, Los Angeles Dodgers 12 (10 innings)

I said last year that the 2016 World Series surpassed all expectations, and that the game seven played between the Cubs and Indians might be the greatest World Series game of all time. After watching this one, I can say that I was dead wrong. This 5 hour and 17 minute marathon was an instant classic- five ties, five lead changes, seven home runs, a blown save- this one had it all, and it was the most pivotal of the series, particularly for the Astros, who would have needed two wins in Los Angeles to win the series had they lost this game. Astros ace Dallas Keuchel, who had pitched well in game one against the Dodgers, left the game after 2⅔ innings, giving up four runs on five hits. In the fourth, the Astros scored four times to tie it, three of them coming on a home run by Yuli Gurriel. The Dodgers added three more in the fifth on a three-run shot by Cody Bellinger, only to see Jose Altuve tie it in the bottom half of the inning with a three-run homer of his own. Multiple three run deficits? No problem for these Astros. Through five innings, both Keuchel and Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw were chased from the game, and we’re tied at seven. Bellinger again drove in a run to put the Dodgers up 8-7 in the top of the 7th, only to have George Springer hit a towering shot to left on his first pitch in the bottom of the inning. The Astros took their first lead of the night after Carlos Correa also went deep.

The Dodgers chipped away with a run in the 8th, but Brian McCann homered in the bottom half as well, keeping Houston’s lead at 11-8 heading into the 9th inning. Yasiel Puig hit a two-run home run for Los Angeles in the top of the 9th, which was the 22nd home run in the series, breaking the record for most home runs in a World Series, cutting the lead to 11-10. Down to their last strike, the Dodgers evened tied the game on an RBI single from Chris Barnes (because it wouldn’t be October without high drama). The Astros had their chance to win in the bottom of the ninth, but stranded a man at second. In the bottom of the 10th, however, the Astros put two men on after McCann was hit by a pitch, and Springer was walked on five pitches. Alex Bregman, the next batter, drove in pinch runner Derek Fisher to walk it off and give the Astros a 3-2 series lead. Houston would eventually win the series in seven games to claim its first ever World Series title, highlighted by one of the greatest World Series games ever played.


1. February 5th- Super Bowl LI
New England Patriots 34, Atlanta Falcons 28 (OT)

Naturally.
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Truth be told, this wasn’t much of a game until the end of the third quarter. The Patriots were down 28-3. Tom Brady had thrown a pick-six (something he had never done in a playoff game before). Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, and Devonta Freeman looked incredible. It was all Atlanta, and it didn’t look like there was any letting up to be done.

And then, everything changed.

Sorta. I thought New England had a chance in this one when James White scored with 2:06 to play in the 3rd, and then I thought they didn’t when Stephen Gostkowski’s extra point attempt hit the upright. 28-9 with a full quarter left? I mean, I guess.

After another Gostkowski field goal to make it 28-12, I thought: “Down by 16. That’s two touchdowns and two two-point conversions. Good luck with that.”

And then there was the strip sack by Dont’a Hightower and the recovery by Alan Branch on the Atlanta 25.

After Brady’s 6-yard touchdown pass to Danny Amendola, I saw a glimpse of the ghost of Patriots’ past on the two point conversion: The direct snap play, a la Kevin Faulk, all the damn time. When that was the play that put New England only down 28-20, that was when I really started to believe.
And then, everything changed.

Freeman had a catch and run for 39 yards.

And then, Julio Jones made one of the most ridiculous catches of all time.

Of all time. To put Atlanta at the New England 22, in fact. All they had to do was run the ball, kick a field goal to go up 31-20 with less than five minutes to go, and that would have been it.
And then, everything changed (again).

Inexplicably, the Falcons kept trying to be fancy and pass the ball. And Ryan took a sack at the New England 35. On 3rd and 23, the Falcons took a holding penalty to push them out of field goal range. New England would get the ball back with 3:30 to go for a chance to tie the game.

But of course, nothing comes easy for these Patriots. They would have to go from their own 9 yard line (making the ensuing drive the longest they would have to complete all season) to have a chance. Brady made it interesting, of course, with two incompletions to start the drive, but converted on 3rd down with a pass to Chris Hogan, and followed it up with another mid-range pass to Malcolm Mitchell.
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And then, there was Julian Edelman.

Brady almost had another pass intercepted by Robert Alford. Thankfully, it was batted up in the air. Even more thankfully, Edelman somehow came down with it, keeping the drive alive with a 23-yard gain.
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Here's another look:

​Remember the helmet catch? Well, this was New England’s version of the helmet catch. (Oh, and Atlanta lost their final timeout challenging the play, so that was nice.)
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A pass to Amendola for 20 yards. Two more completions to James White for 20 more yards. First and goal at the Atlanta 1.
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With 57 seconds left to play, it was James White who scored on a 1-yard touchdown run. 28-26, Atlanta.

Brady to Amendola for the two point conversion, and we are tied at 28. After a three and out from Atlanta, and a failed fake kneel/run play/something from the Patriots, and Super Bowl LI becomes the first Super Bowl to ever need overtime to decide a winner.

Once the Patriots won the coin toss in overtime, however, you knew it was over. Brady hit White, Amendola, and Hogan for gains of 6, 14, and 18 yards, respectively. He hit Edelman for a 15-yard gain, and moved the ball to the Atlanta 15 on a lateral play to White. After a pass interference call in the endzone against the Falcons, James White (who, if not for Tom Brady, should have been the MVP of this game) scored on a two yard run to complete the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history, sealing a fifth Lombardi Trophy for the Patriots.

It was the largest comeback in Patriots franchise history, and it shattered the record for greatest comeback in a Super Bowl.

And it’s the best game of 2017.

Naturally.



What did we miss? Tell us about your favorite games from this past year in the comments down below.

Also, be sure to check out According to Andrew's full Best of 2017 spread HERE.