2012 American Football Season

The 2012 American football season delivered some of the most dramatic storylines, record-breaking individual performances, and bizarre moments in the history of the sport. From a power outage on the world’s biggest stage to a freshman quarterback taking the college football world by storm, the year was nothing short of unforgettable.

The NFL: Harbaughs, Comebacks, and Controversy

The 2012 National Football League season concluded with Super Bowl XLVII, a game that perfectly encapsulated the chaotic and thrilling nature of the year.

• The “Harbaugh Bowl” and the Blackout: Super Bowl XLVII featured the Baltimore Ravens, led by head coach John Harbaugh, facing the San Francisco 49ers, coached by his brother Jim Harbaugh. The Ravens ultimately secured a 34–31 victory, but the game is just as famously remembered for a 34-minute partial power outage at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans that stalled the Ravens’ momentum.
• A Historic MVP Campaign: Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson secured the NFL MVP award following a miraculous recovery from a torn ACL. He rushed for an astounding 2,097 yards, finishing just nine yards shy of the all-time single-season rushing record while carrying a struggling Vikings team to the playoffs.
• Peyton Manning’s Return: After missing the entire 2011 season due to multiple neck surgeries, Peyton Manning made a triumphant return to the field. Signing with the Denver Broncos, he resembled his Hall of Fame self and led the team to a 13–3 record, proving he was still an elite quarterback.
• The Replacement Refs and the “Fail Mary”: A labor dispute between the NFL and the NFL Referees Association led to the use of replacement officials early in the season. This culminated in a highly controversial Week 3 ending between the Green Bay Packers and the Seattle Seahawks, famously dubbed the “Fail Mary”. The massive public backlash forced the league to settle the labor dispute just two days later.

College Football: Crimson Dominance and “Johnny Football”

The 2012 collegiate landscape was defined by the continuation of an established dynasty and the sudden rise of a polarizing superstar.

• Alabama’s Championship Dynasty: Under the leadership of head coach Nick Saban, the Alabama Crimson Tide cemented their dominance by defeating the previously undefeated Notre Dame Fighting Irish 42–14 in the BCS National Championship Game. This marked Alabama’s second consecutive national title and their third in four years.
• The Rise of Johnny Manziel: Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel, affectionately nicknamed “Johnny Football,” captured the nation’s attention with his dazzling dual-threat ability. Manziel made history by becoming the first freshman ever to win the Heisman Trophy, a campaign highlighted by a stunning upset victory over top-ranked Alabama during the regular season.

More 2012 Gridiron Milestone Moments

Beyond the championships, 2012 was characterized by several defining moments that shaped the legacy of the athletes and franchises involved:

• Ray Lewis’s Last Dance: The Baltimore Ravens’ Super Bowl run served as the final chapter for legendary linebacker Ray Lewis. After announcing his impending retirement, Lewis’s emotional final postseason spurred the Ravens’ defense to a championship finish.
• The Rise of the Dual-Threat Quarterback: The 2012 NFL season marked a turning point in offensive philosophy with the explosive emergence of mobile quarterbacks. Rookies like Robert Griffin III and Russell Wilson, along with second-year star Colin Kaepernick, utilized the read-option to terrorize traditional defenses and bring college-style schemes to the professional level.
• Defensive Milestones in the NFL: J.J. Watt of the Houston Texans won the Defensive Player of the Year award after an incredible season defined by swatting down pass after pass at the line of scrimmage, solidifying himself as a premier disruptor in the league.

A Deep Dive into 2012 Football History and Highlights

• January 2, 2012 – The Rose Bowl featured the Oregon Ducks defeating the Wisconsin Badgers in a high-scoring 45-38 final score. MVPs were a pair of Oregon players, WR Lavasier Tuineiand LB Kiko Alonso.
• January 2, 2012 – A fascinating and high-scoring Fiesta Bowl was witnessed. As two top 5 teams squared off, #3 Oklahoma State matched up against #4 Stanford, as covered by an ESPN.com article. Ok State signal caller Brandon Weeden threw for 399 yards and 3 touchdowns, matching his stats against Cardinal Andrew Luck, who tossed for 2 TDs and 347 yards himself. The contest lived up to its billing as the Cowboys prevailed in overtime over the Cardinals 41-38.
• January 9, 2012 – Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans – At the 14th BCS National Championship, #2 Alabama upended its SEC rival, #1 LSU, 21-0, per Onthisday.com.
• January 14, 2012 – Another of the NFL’s greatest games ever played occurred in the NFC playoffs as the 49ers had some magic with the “Catch III”. The Niners defeated the Saints 36-32 on a late SF Vernon Davis from Alex Smith TD pass.

The Candlestick Classic: Reliving the Alex Smith vs. Drew Brees 2011 Playoff Shootout

• January 22, 2012 – The New England Patriots edged the Baltimore Ravens 23-20 in the AFC Championship, sealed by Tom Brady‘s fourth-quarter TD sneak.
• January 22, 2012 – The New York Giants beat the San Francisco 49ers 20-17 in overtime in the NFC Championship, clinched by Lawrence Tynes‘ 31-yard field goal.
• January 29, 2012 – The NFL Pro Bowl was held once again at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu. This time, the AFC outscored the NFC squad, 59-41. The game’s MVP was wide receiver Brandon Marshall, who played for the Miami Dolphins during the season.
• February 5, 2012 – Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis – We reflected yesterday that at Super Bowl XLII, the Giants rained on the Patriots’ perfect season. The two teams met 4 years and a day later in Super Bowl XLVI. But there was a familiar vibe to the game. The Giants’ defense again pressured Tom Brady and kept the Juggernaut New England offense off kilter most of the evening. Another similarity was that Eli Manning led the G-Men on another near game-ending drive. The Washington Post reports that the Giants, who were trailing by two points, drove 88 yards to the winning touchdown on a six-yard run by tailback Ahmad Bradshaw with 57 seconds left. The New York Giants once again defeated the New England Patriots in the big game, this time by the score of 21-17. Eli Manning was selected as the game’s Most Valuable Player.  
• March 2, 2012 – Bountygate – NFL establishes the existence of a bounty program at the New Orleans Saints from 2009-11. The Saints players had allegedly been given incentives by Defensive Coordinator Greg Williams to injure opposing players. Head Coach Sean Payton, along with GM Mickey Loomis and Williams, were all suspended for the 2012 season as a result of the findings.
• March 28, 2012 – Cornerback Stephon Gilmore, Defensive End Melvin Ingram & Wide Receiver Alshon Jeffery participated in South Carolina’s Pro Day. Gilmore was really impressive in the drills for the DB position and went tenth overall to Buffalo. Ingram left the green room as the 18th pick of the first round by San Diego. Allshon Jeffery’s 40-yard dash in the high 4.4/low 4.5 range helped dispel myths of a receiver of his size struggling with speed, and he was taken in the second round by the Bears. The trio of former Gamecocks has made the Pro Bowl a collective 8 times.  (source)
• April 26, 2012 – The 2012 NFL Draft was considered a rare goldmine of franchise quarterbacks. It started off that way, too, as three in the top ten were promising starting young QBs in the League. Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck was first pick by the Indianapolis Colts, followed later by RGIII and Russell Wilson.
• September 5, 2012 – The “Replacement Officials” Debut (2012): On this day in 2012, the NFL kicked off its regular season with replacement officials on the field due to a referee lockout. This led to a chaotic three weeks of games before a deal was reached.
• September 27, 2012 – According to ESPN.com, Cleveland Browns kicker Phil Dawson had a whale of a half! In the second half of the Browns game versus their rival, the Baltimore Ravens, Dawson did his best to try and help his team keep pace with the high-flying Ravens by making a record 3 field goals in one half of 50 yards or more! His successful kicks after halftime at the lengths of 51, 50 & 52 yards accounted for more than half of the Browns’ points as they fell 23-16. Interestingly enough, the kicker for the Ravens that day, Justin Tucker, tied Dawson’s NFL record of 3 from over 50 in a half on November 27, 2016, when Tucker booted kicks of 52, 57, and 54 yards in the first half of the Ravens’ 19-14 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.
• October 6, 2012 – The University of South Carolina upsets the 5th-ranked University of Georgia 35-7. 
• October 7, 2012 – Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints etches his name once again in the NFL record books, breaking legendary quarterback Johnny Unitas’s record of 48 consecutive games with a touchdown pass. The streak continued when wideout Devery Henderson hauled in the scoring strike from Brees as the Saints prevailed 31-24 over Mr. Brees’ former team, the San Diego Chargers, at the Superdome.
• November 10, 2012 – Tucson, Arizona – Thanks to an sbnation.com post, we learn that Ka’Deem Carey of Arizona pounded the ground hard, setting a Pac-12 single-game record with 366 yards on 25 carries and tying the Pac-12 conference record with five TDs in the Wildcats’ 56-31 rout of the Colorado Buffaloes.
• November 24, 2012 – Tuscaloosa, Alabama – The 77th Iron Bowl was a one-sided affair as the Crimson Tide dominated every aspect of the game, per the piece on sbnation.com. Alabama blanked their arch nemesis, Auburn, in a statement game, 49-0, serving notice to the nation who the top team was. The Tide went 13-1 that season and outmatched Notre Dame in the Bowl Championship Game.
• November 25, 2012 – Rogers Centre, Toronto – Per the National Post’s story, the Toronto Argonauts overcame the Calgary Stampeders by the final score of 35-22 in the 100th Grey Cup. The Argos owner, David Braley, entered the record books as the first owner to win back-to-back Grey Cups with 2 different teams, as he held the rights to the 2011 champion BC Lions franchise. Boatmen running back Chad Kackert earned the MVP award after posting almost 200 yards of total offense.
• December 1, 2012 – #2 Alabama faced off against #3 Georgia in the 2012 SEC Championship Game, the 21st conference championship game. According to SBNation.com, the game came down to the last seconds as the Bulldogs caught a tipped pass in bounds at about the five-yard line, but couldn’t stop the clock. Had the receiver not caught the pass, they could have had one more play. Hindsight is always 20-20, and heck, when a wideout sees a catchable ball, he tries to catch it. The Tide rolled 32-28 for a chance at the National Championship. And that they did, as Alabama blanked their longtime rivals, LSU, 21-0, to win it all a few weeks after getting past the late Georgia scare.

Heartbreak at the 5-Yard Line: How Alabama Edged Georgia in the 2012 SEC Championship

• December 10, 2012 – The 78th Heisman Trophy went to the first freshman to ever win the Award when Quarterback Johnny Manziel of Texas A&M was chosen to receive the coveted honor in his redshirt season with the Aggies. It is interesting to note that on Manziel’s bio on Heisman.com, it states that he initially committed to play at Oregon out of High School, signing about the same time as the 2014 Heisman winner Marcus Mariota. Johnny Football tossed 24 TDs for 3,419 yards passing while using his legs for another 1181 yards and 19 scores. The game that really set the table for Manziel’s Heisman votes was most likely when he led the A&M to a 29-24 upset of the top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa, where he tallied 345 yards of total offense and performed some real dazzling plays.