We only have three games left to go in what has been an epic year in the NFL. And soon enough, we’ll be fully looking ahead to what happens during the 2026 NFL offseason, headlined by the NFL Draft and free agency. Not only that, but over a quarter of the league will be led by new head coaches next fall.
The Raiders are already on the clock with the top pick this April, and quarterbacks are dominating NFL betting for draft season as well. Before turning our attention fully to that and potential No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza, 2025 is worthy of looking back at based on all the memorable moments since September.
Second-year passers shine
An entire book could probably be dedicated to the highlights from the quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft class, particularly with Bo Nix, Caleb Williams, and Drake Maye all leading their teams to at least a No. 2 seed. Their emergence has been a key part of what’s made this year in the NFL so epic.
Back in October, Nix led a historic comeback over the Giants with 33 points in the fourth quarter of an eventual 33-32 win (they trailed 19-0 and 26-8 in the final frame). His clutch play has only continued into January by beating the Bills to reach the AFC Championship Game on Saturday the 17th, while sadly being lost for the rest of the postseason due to a fractured ankle.
For Williams, you could put his top throws/plays of the year up against anyone in terms of the level of difficulty and improbability he pulled off. He saved the best for the postseason, though, with the unbelievable fourth-down dime to Rome Odunze to keep Chicago alive in a win over Green Bay, and then the magical touchdown throw to Cole Kmet to push the Rams to overtime in the Divisional Round.
Maye hasn’t really had that “moment” like Nix and Williams did, but he’s right there with Matthew Stafford in a battle for NFL MVP. We might even see a Rams-Patriots matchup in Super Bowl LX.
Bills set the tone in Week 1
Buffalo’s season didn’t end the way they would have liked, but the opening Sunday Night Football game of 2025 certainly delivered. Josh Allen led a comeback down 40-25 late in the fourth quarter to stun the Ravens, 41-40.
It was a playoff rematch that almost seemed to break Baltimore as they fell into a 1-5 hole with Lamar Jackson missing time (and not being himself). Other great SNF games included the Packers-Cowboys tie with Micah Parsons returning to Dallas, the Broncos surviving in overtime versus the Marcus Mariota-led Commanders, and the crazy 42-38 shootout win by the 49ers over the Bears. Overall, Sunday Night Football delivered in 2025.
Turkey Day fun
Thanksgiving is arguably the best single day of football every year, and all three games came through. First, Detroit’s struggles on the holiday continued as Green Bay came away with a 31-24 victory at Ford Field.
Controversial officiating, unfortunately, was a factor against the Lions (a theme both this season and in recent years). However, Jordan Love had one of his better career games with four touchdown passes, while Detroit lost Amon-Ra St. Brown early to an ankle injury but nearly outdueled the Packers behind Jameson Williams (7/144/1).
The second game set an NFL viewership record for the regular season (57.23 million viewers on CBS), as Dallas was able to knock off the Chiefs, 31-28. This certainly felt like a turning point for “America’s Team” before December struggles.
Patrick Mahomes throwing four touchdowns wasn’t enough to overcome Dak Prescott and his elite duo at wide receiver—with CeeDee Lamb (7/112/1) and George Pickens (6/88 and a two-point conversion) both coming through.
In primetime, the story was Joe Burrow making an admirable return from a serious toe injury while trying to keep Cincinnati’s playoff hopes alive. That was the case for at least a night in a dominant effort as a touchdown underdog in their 32-14 road win over Baltimore.
After shaking off some early rust (as to be expected), Burrow ended up throwing for 261 yards and two touchdowns, and they were helped by the Ravens inexplicably going away from Derrick Henry (who finished with 10 carries for 60 yards despite a 28-yard touchdown run on the opening drive).
The Christmas Day slate wasn’t as exciting with everyone but Denver underperforming this season. However, Cowboys-Commanders was a close NFC East matchup, the Vikings ended Detroit’s playoff hopes, and the Broncos survived at Arrowhead in what could have been Travis Kelce’s final game there as he contemplates retirement.
Thriller in Game No. 272
It doesn’t get much better than a win-and-in game for a divisional crown, and the final game of the regular season between the Ravens and Steelers will go down in history. With John Harbaugh being fired and Mike Tomlin stepping down after their playoff loss, this game ends a respected AFC North rivalry between the two dating back to 2008.
Baltimore was in position to make the postseason due to another memorable game the previous week (including for fantasy football owners), with Derrick Henry rushing 36 times for 216 yards and four touchdowns to upset the Packers.
The magnitude of the Week 18 clash was goosebumps-inducing. Lamar Jackson being back in the lineup, Aaron Rodgers playing perhaps the final game of his legendary career, and obviously, the stakes for both sides.
Things started in typical AFC North fashion as Pittsburgh led a 13-10 slugfest with under nine minutes remaining, but the fireworks were sparked by a 50-yard touchdown by Zay Flowers to put Baltimore up, 17-13. The Steelers responded with a drive capped off by a Kenneth Gainwell touchdown to retake the lead, 20-17; but the Ravens struck on another long touchdown by Flowers (64 yards) to make it 24-20 with just over two minutes remaining.
Then, it was time for Rodgers to take over with the game on the line, and he was able to move the ball down the field and into the end zone on a 65-yard drive, hitting Calvin Austin III on a hitch-and-go route for a 26-yard touchdown. This ended up being the game-winner, after Ravens kicker Tyler Loop missed a 44-yard field goal as time expired.
It was both a triumphant and heartbreaking end to the regular season, and now we’ll see if the final three postseason games, including Super Bowl LX, can match it.