Tyrann Mathieu of the Kansas City Chiefs. Courtesy of All-Pro Reels from District of Columbia, USA (Cropped/Scaled)| AD.

Whether it’s divisional titles, playoff berths, or dramatic endings that keep us shouting at our screens, Sunday night finales have given NFL fans some of the most thrilling moments in football history.

Here’s our list of the 5 Best Sunday Night Football finales in NFL history.

2012: Washington 28, Cowboys 18

Before "Dallas Heartbreak" became a meme, it was just another Sunday in the NFC East. This Week 17 matchup had the division title and a playoff spot at stake. On one side was rookie phenom Robert Griffin III (RG3), electrifying Washington with his incredible dual-threat game. On the other, the Cowboys’ Tony Romo is poised for redemption after a disappointing 2011 season finale.

Here’s the setup: Washington led 21-18 late in the fourth quarter. With the ball back in Cowboys territory, Romo had a chance to show us he was Mr. Clutch. Spoiler alert—he wasn’t. Instead, he threw a soul-crushing interception that gave Washington all the momentum.

Alfred Morris, the unsung hero of the night, then punched in his third touchdown of the game, sealing a 28-18 win. Washington celebrated their first division title in five years, while Cowboys fans braced themselves for another long offseason.

Cowboys fans should’ve seen the writing on the wall—they'd go on to lose Sunday night football finales three straight years (2011–2013). Talk about bad luck.

2013: Eagles 24, Cowboys 22

Ah, déjà vu. Another year, another Week 17 NFC East showdown. This time, it was the Philadelphia Eagles stealing the spotlight. However, Dallas had a new script—and a new quarterback. Tony Romo was sidelined, leaving Kyle Orton to lead the charge.
Surprisingly, Orton kept it close, and the Cowboys found themselves down 24-22 late in the game. After scoring what could’ve been a game-changing touchdown, they went for the two-point conversion—and missed (ouch).
Still, the Cowboys had one last chance. With the ball in Orton’s hands, this was his moment. But his final pass found the wrong receiver—Eagles cornerback Brandon Boykin—ending the game and Dallas’ playoff hopes.

Philly secured the division crown and made sure Cowboys fans went 0/3 on Sunday Night finales.
2015: Vikings 20, Packers 13

When Lambeau Field hosts a season finale, you know it’s going to be special. The Green Bay Packers, led by Aaron Rodgers, needed a win to defend their NFC North title. But the Minnesota Vikings came to crash the party - and crush the Packers spirit.

The Vikings stormed to a 20-3 lead by the third quarter, thanks to an absurd play where Aaron Rodgers fumbled away a touchdown (no, really). But if there’s anything Rodgers loves, it’s a fourth-quarter comeback.
He clawed the Packers back to within seven and had not one but two shots to tie the game. Cue Xavier Rhodes, who decided enough was enough by picking off Rodgers in the end zone to deny the Packers a game-tying touchdown.
Final score? Vikings 20, Packers 13. Division champs, baby.

2019: 49ers 26, Seahawks 21

This one wasn’t just a classic—it was a game for the history books. The San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks were already playoff-bound, but the stakes were sky-high. The winner secured the NFC West title, while the losers had to settle for a lower seed.

Seattle launched an epic comeback after being down 19-7, only for the game to come down to one final play from the 1-yard line. Could this be shades of their 2014 Super Bowl heartbreak?
Yes. Yes, it could.

Linebacker Dre Greenlaw delivered the hit of a lifetime on Jacob Hollister, denying the Seahawks by mere inches. Inches! The defensive stand handed San Francisco, the NFC’s No. 1 seed, and Seattle fans a familiar heartbreak.
Why do we still talk about it? One yard. One play. That’s all it took to crown the 49ers as NFC West champions. Brutal.

2021: Raiders 35, Chargers 32 (OT)

This SNF finale was chaos personified. The Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers faced a win-and-in matchup—but there was a twist. If they tied, both teams could make the playoffs (cue conspiracy theories).

Despite this bizarre scenario, the two teams actually played to win. Justin Herbert, in full beast mode, mounted a jaw-dropping comeback to tie the game at 32-32 as time expired.
Once in overtime, both teams kicked field goals, and with just seconds left, it looked like a tie was all but inevitable. But leave it to Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson to spoil the Chargers’ playoff dreams with a game-winning field goal.

Final score? Raiders 35, Chargers 32. The Steelers snuck into the playoffs, and Chargers fans were left wondering, “Why not just play for the tie?”

We’ll probably never see another game quite like this one. The stakes, the drama, the utterly ridiculous chaos—classic SNF.
Game On

Sunday Night finales don’t just end the NFL season; they give us moments we’ll never forget. The clutch plays, the heartbreaking losses, the legends made under the prime-time lights—this is why football fans live for SNF.
And with the NFL expanding the schedule to include more prime-time matchups, who knows what unbelievable Sunday Night moments are yet to come? All we can say is bring it on—we’ve reserved the remote AND hidden the tortilla chips.