2010 American Football Season

The 2010 American football season was a defining year characterized by Cinderella championship runs, historic individual performances, and the beginning of massive structural shifts in the collegiate landscape. Both the professional and college ranks saw unforgettable moments that cemented the legacies of future Hall of Famers.

The NFL: A Historic Wild Card Run and a Unanimous MVP

The 2010 National Football League season was marked by intense competition, dramatic finishes, and an eventual champion that had to fight through the entire postseason on the road.

• Super Bowl XLV: The Green Bay Packers, entering the playoffs as the NFC’s #6 seed, went on an incredible run under the leadership of quarterback Aaron Rodgers. They defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 31–25 at Cowboys Stadium in Texas. Rodgers was named Super Bowl MVP, cementing his status as an elite NFL quarterback and bringing the Lombardi Trophy back to Green Bay.
• The Unanimous MVP: New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady made history by becoming the first player to win the NFL MVP award by a unanimous vote. Brady led the Patriots to a league-best 14–2 regular-season record, throwing 36 touchdowns to just 4 interceptions.
• The Miracle at the New Meadowlands: On December 19, 2010, the Philadelphia Eagles staged a stunning fourth-quarter comeback against the New York Giants. Trailing 31–10 with eight minutes left, the Eagles tied the game before DeSean Jackson returned a punt 65 yards for a walk-off touchdown as time expired—the first game-ending punt return touchdown in NFL history.

College Football: The Year of Cam Newton and the BCS

The 2010 NCAA Division I FBS season was dominated by high-octane offenses and a fierce debate about the equity of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) system.

• Auburn’s National Title: The Auburn Tigers, led by head coach Gene Chizik, capped an undefeated 14–0 season by defeating the Oregon Ducks 22–19 in the BCS National Championship Game. The game concluded with a game-winning field goal by Wes Byrum as time expired.
• Heisman Dominance: Auburn quarterback Cam Newton had one of the greatest single seasons in college football history. Accounting for 50 total touchdowns (30 passing, 20 rushing) and over 4,300 total yards, Newton won the Heisman Trophy in a landslide before being drafted first overall in the 2011 NFL Draft.
• The Rise of the “Non-AQs”: The TCU Horned Frogs finished the season undefeated (13–0) and defeated the Wisconsin Badgers 21–19 in the Rose Bowl. This victory proved that non-Automatic Qualifying (AQ) conferences could compete with and defeat traditional powerhouse programs on the biggest stages, ultimately helping to pave the way for the College Football Playoff.

More 2010 Gridiron Milestones

Beyond the on-field championships, 2010 was a year of significant transitions and foundational changes for the sport:

• The Spark of Conference Realignment: The 2010 season was the catalyst for massive geographical shifts in college sports. During this year, the Big Ten Conference announced the addition of Nebraska, and the Pac-10 expanded by adding Colorado and Utah (becoming the Pac-12). This set off a domino effect of realignment that would drastically alter college football for the next decade.
• New Stadiums: The 2010 NFL season saw the grand opening of New Meadowlands Stadium (later MetLife Stadium) in New Jersey, serving as the home for both the New York Giants and New York Jets. It was the first NFL stadium explicitly built to be shared by two teams equally.
• Rule Changes and Player Safety: The NFL moved the umpire from the defensive side of the line of scrimmage to the offensive backfield to protect officials from collisions. Additionally, 2010 saw the league begin cracking down heavily on helmet-to-helmet hits and hits on defenseless receivers, laying the groundwork for the modern era of player safety protocols.

A Deep Dive into 2010 Football History and Highlights

• January 1, 2010 – At the time, Ohio State and Oregon were from the Big Ten and PAC-10 conferences, respectively, as the traditional Rose Bowl match-up was set. The Buckeyes used the athleticism of eventual co-MVPs QB Terrelle Pryor, overpowered LeGarrette Blount, and Oregon MVP DE Kenny Rowe to win 26-17.
• January 4, 2010 – The Tostitos Fiesta Bowl – Boise State faced Texas Christian University in the first BCS Bowl game between two non-BCS teams, as well as the first BCS bowl game in which both teams were undefeated. The Broncos squad was led by QB Kellen Moore and running back Doug Martin, while the Horned Frogs had Andy Dalton under center, per ESPN.com.  Boise State won the game when Doug Martin got a two-yard touchdown with 7:21 left in the fourth quarter to make it 17–10.
• January 5, 2010 – Mike Shanahan formally took over as head coach of the Washington Redskins.
• January 7, 2010 – Rose Bowl, Pasadena – The 12th BCS National Championship took place as the Rose Bowl played its turn to host the big game. The #2 Texas Longhorns were out for the title against the #1 Alabama Crimson Tide. The Bama defense got after it early and knocked Texas star QB Colt McCoy out of the game, and then wore the Texas defense down with a strong running game from the tandem of Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson, who each went over 100 yards in the game. The Crimson Tide took home the Title as they outlasted Texas 37-21, per ESPN.com.
• January 10, 2010 – NFL Playoff records were shattered when the Arizona Cardinals and the Green Bay Packers met. Future Hall of Fame quarterbacks were at the helm for each team, Aaron Rodgers against Kurt Warner in a barnburner. Details below in this “wildest” of Wildcard games. The Cardinals appeared to put the game away with a late touchdown, but Rodgers led a miraculous drive in the final minutes, culminating in a game-tying touchdown pass to send the score to 45-45. Moments later, Arizona linebacker Karlos Dansby scooped up the loose ball and returned it for a game-winning touchdown, ending the instant classic with a final score of 51-45.

The Greatest Shootout Ever: Revisiting the 2010 Cardinals-Packers Playoff Epic

• January 24, 2010  – Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans – The NFC Championship game to see who would play the Colts was a tight one. The Minnesota Vikings and the New Orleans Saints would battle in this epic game. The starting quarterbacks were legends, with Brett Favre guiding the team in purple while Drew Brees called signals for the Saints.  Farve threw for 310 yards and a score, but was picked off two times, while Brees had three touchdown passes and kept the ball away from Minnesota’s secondary. Adrian Peterson scored the game-tying touchdown on a two-yard plunge at the 5:03 mark of the 4th to send the game to an extra session. Garrett Hartley sealed the Super Bowl trip for the Saints when he kicked a 40-yard field goal in overtime. The New Orleans Saints edged out the Minnesota Vikings, 31-28, per the Pro Football-Reference.com.  
• January 24, 2010 – Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis – In the AFC Championship, the Indianapolis Colts defeated the New York Jets, 30-17.
• January 31, 2010 – Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens – The NFL Pro Bowl game had the AFC one-upping the NFC, 41-34. The MVP of the game was Matt Schaub, the Houston Texans’ signal-caller.
• February 7, 2010 – Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Miami, Florida – Super Bowl XLIV was a matchup of all-time great quarterbacks as Peyton Manning and his Indianapolis Colts faced the New Orleans Saints and their most excellent signal caller, Drew Brees. The game started with the Colts storming out to an early 10-0 run to go up by double digits, but two second-quarter field goals cut the margin to a four-point game at the half. Saints head Coach Sean Payton then made some major halftime adjustments, outmaneuvering those of Colts sideline boss Jim Caldwell. New Orleans decimated the Indy defense, and all kept Manning and company from scoring a single point in the game’s back half, with 25 unanswered tallies. It led to the New Orleans Saints’ first NFL title as they rolled the Indianapolis Colts, 31-17. The Super Bowl XLIV MVP was Drew Brees, who threw for 2 touchdowns and 288 yards, according to the PFR.
• March 24, 2010 – The NFL amended its postseason overtime rules to the “modified sudden death” format we see today, ensuring that both teams have an opportunity to possess the ball unless the receiving team scores a touchdown on the opening drive.
• April 22, 2010 – The 2010 NFL Draft: Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford was the first pick by the St. Louis Rams. The Pro Football Reference gives us the following players picked with the second through tenth picks. Ndamukong Suh to Detroit, Gerald McCoy to Tampa, Trent Williams to Washington, KC’s pick of Eric Berry, Russell Okung to Seattle, Joe Haden to Cleveland, Rolando McClain to Oakland, C.J. Spiller to Buffalo, and Tyson Alualu to the Jacksonville Jaguars. This was a deep Draft as other names of note in this class are Anthony Davis, Ryan Matthews, Earl Thomas, Jason Pierre-Paul, Mike Iupati, Maurkice Pouncey, Demaryius Thomas, Dez Bryant, Tim Tebow, Devin McCourty, Rob Gronkowski, Sean Lee, Golden Tate, and many more outstanding players.
• May 8, 2010 – The last piece of Yankee Stadium fell in the Bronx, New York, marking the end of the two-year demolition process. Almost 88 years to the day from the start of its construction on May 5, 1922, the cycle of the House that Ruth Built has its last remnant removed. It had many baseball memories and historic moments, but as we discussed in the May 5 edition of the Football History Headlines, it was also the venue for some awesome gridiron moments.
• October 9, 2010 – The unranked University of South Carolina knocks off the number one-ranked University of Alabama by the score of 35-21. 
• October 11, 2010 – While playing for the Minnesota Vikings against his former team, the New York Jets, quarterback Brett Favre achieved two historic career milestones. He became the first player in NFL history to surpass both 500 career touchdown passes and 70,000 career passing yards. The 70,000-yard mark was reached early in the game with a pass to Percy Harvin. Later, Favre hit new teammate Randy Moss with a 37-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter to record his 500th career touchdown. Despite Favre’s record-breaking night, the Vikings ultimately fell to the Jets, 29-20, in the Monday Night Football contest.
• November 26, 2010 – Tuscaloosa, Alabama – The second-ranked Auburn Tigers squeaked by number 9 Alabama 28-27 in a thriller at the 75th Iron Bowl. ESPN.com’s coverage of the game says the Tigers had to stage a comeback from a 24-point deficit, led by Quarterback Cam Newton and a stout defense, to win.
• November 28, 2010 – CFL Grey Cup, Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton: Montreal Alouettes retain the Championship with a 21-18 win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders; Alouettes’ quarterback Anthony Calvillo’s 3rd title.
• December 4, 2010 – The No. 10 Oklahoma Sooners edged the No. 13 Nebraska Cornhuskers 23-20 in the Big 12 Championship Game.
• December 13, 2010 -Auburn Tigers Quarterback Cam Newton received the 76th Heisman Trophy. The Junior quarterback, per Heisman.com, dominated SEC and NCAA football using both his legs and arm. Newton rushed for 20 scores and 1409 yards and added 28 passing touchdowns with 2589 yards to clinch the award decisively. He was the 2010 AP Player of the Year and led Auburn to the BCS Title by defeating Oregon.
• December 25, 2010 – According to the Profootballhof.com website, Arizona Cardinals defensive playmakers Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Greg Toler each had a pick-six to lead the Cards to a 27-26 victory over the Dallas Cowboys.