Rachel Heaton
The Paw Print
Another year of football has come and gone in the NFL and it’s been a memorable one, just maybe not for all the right reasons. Let’s take a look back at the crazy controversies and perfect plays that made the 2014-2015 season special.
Scandal
We began the year with a scandal that has been brewing since last February. In February, Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice was arrested following a “minor physical altercation” with his then-fiancée. Preliminary video showed Rice dragging an unconscious Janay Palmer out of a hotel elevator. The Ravens organization and Palmer stood by Rice the couple got married mid-March.
In a meeting with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Rice was given a two game suspension. Then, on Sept. 8, TMZ released a second video of the incident, showing Rice punching his now-wife in the face. The NFL and the Ravens organization denies having seen this video prior to TMZ’s release. Rice was immediately released by the Ravens and suspended indefinitely. He appealed and got it overturned in late November.
Unfortunately for the NFL, this is not the only incident this season that would tarnish their image. In September, Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson was indicted on child abuse charges following a report that he beat his four-year-old son with a tree branch. Peterson’s season was effectively over.
“Did You See That?” Moments
We witnessed some pretty cool stuff this year. It began in week one with a punt return we won’t soon forget. Pittsburgh Steeler Antonio Brown had an incredible return, dodging several would-be tacklers. With only Cleveland Browns punter Spencer Lanning standing in the way of a touchdown, Brown decided to hurdle him, except he couldn’t make that happen and instead kicked Lanning in the face and kept running.
The awesomeness continued in week two with the Houston Texans and a sweet touchdown. What was so awesome about this one-yard reception? The receiver. Defensive end J.J. Watt was on the receiving end of the Ryan Fitzpatrick pass, making him the first defensive player in Texans history to score a touchdown from scrimmage. Watt went on to score four more touchdowns this season, including two more as a receiver. Watt is the first defensive lineman since 1944 to score at least five touchdowns in a season.
Of course, we can’t get through this season without talking about Peyton Manning. In week seven, Manning added to his already phenomenal career when he broke Brett Favre’s record for most career passing touchdowns. Number 509 was an eight-yard pass to Demaryius Thomas. Manning hit the milestone number in only 246 regular-season starts, while it took Favre 302 starts to reach 508.
Fast forward to week twelve, the Cowboys vs. the Giants, and the “Catch of the Year”. Rookie Odell Beckham Jr. was thrust into the spotlight after making an incredible, backpedalling, one-handed catch in the end zone even despite a pass interference penalty against the defender. OBJ continued to impress throughout the season and replaced the injured Calvin Johnson in the Pro Bowl.
Questionable Calls
A couple controversial calls potentially had big impacts on the playoffs and outcome of this season. The first came in the Wild Card game between the Lions and Cowboys. On third-and-one with time running down in the fourth quarter, Matthew Stafford threw the ball to Brandon Pettigrew. However, Pettigrew was unable to make the catch, arguably because of contact. Cowboys linebacker Anthony Hitchens was flagged for pass interference in the fourth quarter. The refs announced the penalty to the crowd, but then inexplicably waived the flag off a minute later. Eventually the refs picked up the flag, even after announcing the penalty to the crowd. Had the call stood, the Lions would have had a chance to score, but instead fell to the Cowboys 24-20.
Oddly enough, the next questionable call came in the next round also in the Cowboys game. This time, it was the Cowboys who found their season cut short. Dez Bryant made a miraculous catch deep down field on fourth-and-two. Or did he? Upon further review, the referees overturned the catch, saying he did not maintain possession of the ball. The catch would have put the Cowboys just short of the end zone. Instead, they lost to the Packers 26-21.
Marshawn Lynch Interviews
As required by NFL policy, Marshawn Lynch spoke with media members this season. He didn’t always have much to say though. During media day at the Super Bowl, he told press “I’m just here so I won’t get fined” 27 times. What does Lynch think of the media policy? “Thanks for asking.”
Deflategate
The week leading up to the Super Bowl was overpowered by cheating accusations. Following the championship game between the Colts and the Patriots, officials determined that 11 of the 12 Patriots footballs were not properly inflated for the contest. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick claim they did not having anything to do with the deflated balls. At this point, the NFL is still investigating
Super Bowl XLIX
Sunday was an exciting show between the New England Patriots and the defending champion Seattle Seahawks. The teams matched up well and the game came down to the final minute. Trailing by four points, Seattle found themselves in a second-and-goal situation. Surely, with Beast Mode in the backfield the play would be a…. pass? Wilson dropped back to pass in what would be a costly decision for the Seahawks. Wilson’s pass was intercepted by Patriot Malcom Butler, which was enough to seal the 28-24 victory for New England. Tom Brady was named MVP, even after throwing two interceptions. This is Brady’s 4th Super Bowl victory, which puts him alongside Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw.
What’s Been Said…