The 2016 American football season delivered some of the most memorable moments in the sport’s history, capped off by record-breaking performances, historic comebacks, and the emergence of dynamic young stars in both the professional and collegiate ranks.
The NFL: A Season of Miracles and New Stars
The 2016 National Football League (NFL) season was characterized by dominant offensive performances and one of the most astonishing championship games ever played.
- The MVP: Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan secured the NFL MVP award after a stellar campaign, throwing for 4,944 yards and 38 touchdowns while leading the league’s most potent offense.
- The Rookie Sensation: The Dallas Cowboys found instant success with their rookie backfield duo of quarterback Dak Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott, who led the team to a 13-3 regular-season record.
- Super Bowl LI: The season culminated on February 5, 2017, in Houston, Texas, with a game that would go down in history.
- The Atlanta Falcons dominated the first half, taking a commanding 28–3 lead midway through the third quarter.
- Led by quarterback Tom Brady, the New England Patriots executed the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history, scoring 25 unanswered points to tie the game.
- In the first overtime in Super Bowl history, the Patriots scored a touchdown to win 34–28, cementing Tom Brady’s legacy with his fifth championship and fourth Super Bowl MVP award.
College Football: Vengeance and A Dual-Threat Prodigy
The 2016 collegiate season was equally dramatic, culminating in a highly anticipated rematch for the national title and the crowning of the youngest Heisman Trophy winner in history.
- The College Football Playoff National Championship: A rematch of the previous year’s title game saw the Clemson Tigers face off against the undefeated Alabama Crimson Tide. In a thrilling back-and-forth battle, Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson threw a game-winning touchdown pass to receiver Hunter Renfrow with just one second remaining, securing a 35–31 victory and Clemson’s first national championship since 1981.
- The Heisman Trophy: Nineteen-year-old Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson became the youngest player to win the Heisman Trophy. Jackson had an electrifying sophomore season, amassing 51 total touchdowns and nearly 5,000 total yards (including 1,538 rushing yards).
Other 2016 Gridiron Milestone Moments
Beyond the marquee championships, the 2016 season produced several storylines that reshaped the future of the sport:
- Relocation: 2016 marked the return of the NFL to Los Angeles, as the Rams relocated back to Southern California after 21 seasons in St. Louis.
- Defensive Dominance in College: The 2016 Alabama Crimson Tide defense is remembered as one of the best of the modern era, leading the nation in total defense and scoring a remarkable 11 defensive touchdowns before falling just short in the National Championship game.
- Farewell to a Legend: Peyton Manning formally retired just before the 2016 season kicked off, ending an 18-season Hall of Fame career and ushering in a new era of quarterback play in the NFL.
A Deep Dive into 2016 Football History and Highlights
- January 1, 2016 – The Rose Bowl saw a return to the Big Ten vs Pac-10 traditional New Year’s Day format. This Time the Stanford Cardinal outlasted the Iowa Hawkeyes 45-16. Stanford’s RB Christian McCaffrey and DE Aziz Shittu were named the game’s co-MVPs.
- January 11, 2016 – University of Phoenix Stadium – The second College Football Playoff National Championship game featured the top teams in college football, with the Crimson Tide of Alabama challenging the Clemson Tigers. The College Football Playoff website covers the game’s storyline well. Clemson’s signal-caller, the phenomenal Deshaun Watson, set a Championship game record with 478 total yards, but the Tide countered with offensive production from Derrick Henry, who trudged for 158 yards on the ground, and O.J. Howard caught 208 yards of passes on just 5 receptions with two scores. It was a game for the ages as #2 Alabama outlasted #1 Clemson, 45-40. The Tide’s O.J. Howard was the Offensive Player of the Game, while Bama’s Eddie Jackson was the Defensive Player of the Game. We have more in our post titled The Greatest College Football Game Ever Played? Alabama vs. Clemson, 2016.
- January 16, 2016 – The Arizona Cardinals advanced in the NFC Divisional round with an exciting finish over the Green Bay Packers, as Larry Fitzgerald and Kurt Warner hooked up on some memorable plays.
- January 24, 2016 – Mile High Stadium, Denver – At the AFC Championship game for the 2015 season, it was Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos who overcame Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, 20-18, to advance to the Super Bowl.
- January 24, 2016 – Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte -The Carolina Panthers had no trouble dispatching the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC Championship. The Panthers, with Cam Newton under center and a ferocious defense, gobbled up the red birds 49-15 to advance to the Big Game against the Broncos.
- January 31, 2016 – Aloha Stadium, Honolulu – NFL Pro Bowl Team Irvin defeated Team Rice, 49-27, as the NFL was still in the series of games where two legends would divide the Pro Bowl players up instead of playing Conference versus Conference. The dual Most Valuable Players were Seattle Seahawks players Quarterback Russell Wilson and Defensive End Michael Bennett.
- February 7, 2016 – Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, California – Peyton Manning again led a team to the NFL Championship, now with the Denver Broncos, as they faced Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl L. The game may have been less about these two outstanding QBs and more about the Broncos’ defensive player who won the MVP. Denver linebacker Von Miller made life miserable for Mr. Newton all game as the two fumbles that Von created turned into 14 points for the Mile High team; in fact, it was the exact point differential in the game. The Denver Broncos outscored the Carolina Panthers, 24–10, to seal another Lombardi in glass for the franchise. The Broncos D forced Newton into a dismal 18-for-41 passing performance with an interception. The Panthers, meanwhile, made Peyton Manning look quite pedestrian, as he was 13 of 23 for 141 yards and a pick. Defense does win championships, and this time Denver’s defense did more than enough to lock up the title. (source)
- March 5, 2016 – Boston College’s Rare “Double”: In a bit of “unfortunate” history, March 5, 2016, marked a low point for Boston College athletics. After their football team went 0-8 in conference play, their basketball team lost on this day to finish 0-18 in the ACC. This made BC the first school in ACC history to go winless in both major sports in the same academic year.
- March 7, 2016 – One of the most significant events in NFL history occurred when Peyton Manning officially announced his retirement from the Denver Broncos and the NFL. He retired just one month after winning Super Bowl 50, ending his career as a five-time MVP and the then-all-time leader in passing yards and touchdowns.
- March 7, 2016 – On the same day P. Manning held his press conference, “Megatron” Calvin Johnson also officially filed his retirement papers with the Detroit Lions. At just 30 years old, Johnson retired while still at the peak of his powers, holding the NFL record for most receiving yards in a single season (1,964).
- June 7, 2016 – The National Football Foundation recognized the U.S. Naval Academy’s Athletic Director Chet Gladchuk with the NFF John L. Toner Award.
- June 28, 2016 – Former Chicago Bears defensive coordinator (and later Philadelphia Eagles head coach) Buddy Ryan, architect of the legendary 1985 “46 defense”, passed away.
- July 15, 2016 – The Denver Broncos re-signed linebacker Von Miller to a record 6-year, $114.5 million contract, the largest ever given to a defensive player at that time. [Source 1, Source 2]
- September 10, 2016 – The largest paid attendance in the history of football was set, with 156,990 spectators attending a neutral-site game between the University of Tennessee and Virginia Tech at Bristol Motor Speedway.
- November 27, 2016 – BMO Field, Toronto – The 104th edition of the CFL Grey Cup saw the Ottawa Redblacks upset the heavily favored Calgary Stampeders 39–33 in overtime to win a championship in just their 3rd season of existence!
- December 10, 2016 – The youngest player to win a Heisman Trophy Award did it at the age of just 19 in the 82nd edition of the Trophy. Lamar Jackson, the uniquely talented option quarterback for the Louisville Cardinals, was named the Heisman Trophy winner by Heisman.com. Jameis Winston of Florida State was 5 days older than Jackson when he took home the hardware in 2013. Lamar’s 4928 yards of total offense were second in Heisman history, only to Ty Detmer‘s 5022 yards in the 1990 season. Jackson was the first player from Louisville to receive the honor, and he was only the fourth sophomore to win it in the Trophy’s history.
- December 25, 2016 – The AFC North title was on the line as the Ravens led late. But with seconds left, Steelers’ Antonio Brown caught a pass at the one-yard line, evaded defenders, and stretched the ball just across the goal line to secure a 31-27 victory for Pittsburgh. This one might have made our top ten Steelers Plays of all time.
- December 30, 2016 – 83rd Orange Bowl: #10 Florida State beats #6 Michigan, 33-32. The following year, another heated Orange Bowl contest brought similar excitement to fans.
