49 Reasons We'll Forever Remember the 2011 NFL Season

1 of 51

Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

The 2011 NFL season has been a season for the ages—and I really mean that.

I mean, who could forget 2011?

We have seen so many unique things: Whether it was the miserable locked out offseason, all the records that have fallen and, of course, the extreme success of the Green Bay Packers and the major lack of success of the Indianapolis Colts, this was truly a season to remember.

With that being said, let's jump right into it and take a look at 50 reasons why we'll forever remember the 2011 NFL season.

The Lockout

Rob Carr/Getty Images

Who could forget March 11, 2011—I know I won't, not just because it was my birthday, but because that the was day when the NFL lockout officially started.

The 2011 lockout lasted all the way up until July 25—a whopping 130 days of wasted time.

Luckily, the only thing that we lost was the Hall of Fame preseason game, but other than that, 2011 has been quite an incredible season.

The Passing of Myra Kraft

Jim Rogash/Getty Images

Myra Kraft is a name that will forever be remembered in New England.

She was the beloved wife of New England Patriots' owner Robert Kraft.

Myra passed away on July 20, just five days before the lockout had officially ended. Robert Kraft was an integral part in ending the lockout, and it's really remarkable how well he kept himself together while going through one of the worst moments of his life.

In memory of Myra, the Patriots have been wearing a patch on their uniforms throughout all of this season.

The Year of the Quarterback

Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

ESPN boldly labeled 2011 the Year of the Quarterback—and they could not have been more right.

We have seen amazing passing performances out of nearly every single starting quarterback in the NFL as well as the top three quarterbacks in the league, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees and Tom Brady, who have been playing on completely different planets than everyone else.

Aaron Rodgers

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Do I really need to explain this?

Aaron Rodgers is likely the sure-shot to win the 2011 MVP.

Drew Brees

Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

Drew Brees is having an incredible season.

Brees has smashed Dan Marino's single season passing record, as he's accumulated 5,087 yards in just 15 games with one game to go.

Tom Brady

Winslow Townson/Getty Images

Tom Brady is like a fine wine, he gets better with age.

Brady has posted a 105.1 quarterback rating thus far while throwing for a whopping 4,897 yards and 36 touchdowns.

The Booing of Roger Goodell

This is priceless.

Four Quarterbacks Being Selected in the First Round

Chris Trotman/Getty Images

Cam Newton, Jake Locker, Blaine Gabbert and Christian Ponder were all selected in the first round in the 2011 NFL Draft.

You don't usually see that many quarterbacks being selected right away.

The Success of Cam Newton

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

No one expected Cam Newton to be this good. In fact, I thought he was going to suck.

Newton has scored an incredible 34 combined touchdowns this season while accumulating 3,893 total passing yards and posting an 85.0 quarterback rating.

The Struggles of Blaine Gabbert

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

I have never seen a team leave a rookie quarterback out to dry like the Jacksonville Jaguars are doing to Blaine Gabbert—it's like they want him to fail.

Gabbert has completed only 50.5 percent of his passes thus far in 2011 while throwing only 11 touchdowns compared to 11 interceptions.

The Fall of Donovan McNabb

Hannah Foslien/Getty Images

Many believe that Donovan McNabb was a Hall of Fame quarterback, but he has not played at an elite level for quite some time now.

It's like sometime last year McNabb woke up and just lost all of his talent.

Prior to being cut by the Minnesota Vikings, McNabb played in six games while posting an 82.9 quarterback rating and throwing only four touchdowns.

The Rise of Tim Tebow

Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

Tebow-mania has stormed across the NFL much like Beatle-mania and the British Invasion back in the 1960s.

Fans had been calling for Tim Tebow to be the Denver Broncos' starting quarterback for quite some time—and when he finally was named the starter, it made all the fans look like geniuses.

Tebow took a 1-4 team and turned them into a legitimate playoff contender.

Tebowing

Harry How/Getty Images

Tim Tebow brought Tebowing to us, and I thank him for that.

What exactly is Tebowing? Well, check out this website to get a much better idea: Tebowing.com

The Rise of Rob Gronkowski

Patrick McDermott/Getty Images

Rob Gronkowski has emerged as the NFL's premiere tight end.

Gronkowski was voted to his first Pro Bowl, as he has caught 82 passes for 1,219 yards while scoring an NFL record 15 touchdowns for tight ends in just 15 games.

Gronking

First there was Tebowing, and then there was Gronking.

The Success of the Detroit Lions

Dave Reginek/Getty Images

For the first time since 1999, the Detroit Lions are going to the playoffs.

I know the whole city of Detroit will not be forgetting 2011 anytime soon.

Rex Ryan Swearing at a Fan

This is YouTube gold.

The funny thing is, this video made me like Rex Ryan even more.

The Rise of Jimmy Graham

Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

The success of Drew Brees has really translated into the emergence of tight end Jimmy Graham.

Graham has been playing at an elite level all season long, as he's caught 10 touchdowns in 15 games while reeling in a whopping 91 passes for 1,213 total receiving yards.

The Success of the San Francisco 49ers

Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

What Jim Harbaugh has done with the San Francisco 49ers in 2011 is simply remarkable.

Harbaugh took over a team that went 6-10 but has taken nearly that exact same roster and turned them into a playoff team with chances of clinching the No. 2 seed this weekend.

Rob Ryan in Dallas

Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Just days following the start of training camp, Rob Ryan opened his mouth and decided to talk some trash regarding the Philadelphia Eagles.

Just like his brother Rex Ryan, Rob loves running his mouth—but it's not a bad thing if you can back it up.

The Emergence of DeMarco Murray

Tom Pennington/Getty Images

DeMarco Murray's season may have ended early with a fractured ankle, but prior to the injury, he was playing at an elite level.

Murray was drafted in the third round of last year's draft but was arguably the NFL's most prolific rookie running back, as he accumulated a whopping 897 yards in just 13 games while scoring two touchdowns.

Jim Harbaugh vs. Jim Schwartz

The fight of the year: Jim Harbaugh vs. Jim Schwartz.

I have never seen anything like this before in my life, and I will forever remember this.

Tom Brady to Wes Welker for 99 Yards

You don't see this everyday, but Tom Brady and Wes Welker found a way to make it happen.

This happened back in Week 1, and from that point on, Brady and Welker have been shredding opposing defenses.

The Green Bay Packers' Almost Perfect Season

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Everyone thought that the Green Bay Packers would easily finish 2011 with a perfect 16-0—well wait, not so fast.

Romeo Crennel and the Kansas City Chiefs had other plans, as they shocked the world and upset the Packers back in Week 15.

The Blackout at Candlestick Park

Who could forget this? This doesn't happen everyday.

A blackout at an NFL game.

The Passing of Al Davis

Brian Bahr/Getty Images

Just win, baby.

The Oakland Raiders and the NFL suffered a tremendous loss on October 8, as Al Davis passed away at the age of 82.

Davis was an NFL icon and was known for the great impact he had on today's NFL.

The Success of Andy Dalton

Whitney Curtis/Getty Images

Andy Dalton stepped right in as the Cincinnati Bengals' starting quarterback and really shocked the football world.

Dalton is on the verge of leading the Bengals to a playoff berth with a victory in the last game of the season, and he has posted a stellar 81.8 quarterback rating while throwing 20 touchdowns compared to just 13 interceptions.

The Indianapolis Colts Absolutely Sucking

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

No Peyton Manning means no chance for the Indianapolis Colts.

Hey, at least the Colts didn't go 0-16, they are white hot right now with two consecutive wins.

Sucking for Luck

Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images

In all the years of the NFL, I have never heard of any team actually trying to suck for another player.

I know, I realize that the Indianapolis Colts haven't publicly stated that they are "Sucking for Luck." But when a player like Andrew Luck is going to be available, you have to take your chance on drafting on what could be a once-in-a-decade quarterback.

The Dream Team Choking

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Thanks a lot, Vince Young—you made our job as journalists so much easier with your idiotic comments prior to the start of the season by dubbing the Philadelphia Eagles the "Dream Team."

So how has that worked out for Philly? Well, they're 7-8 entering the final week of the season with no shot at making the playoffs...

Talk about a complete waste of talent.

Philip Rivers Not Playing at an Elite Level

Jeff Gross/Getty Images

How the hell did Philip Rivers get voted into the 2012 Pro Bowl?

Rivers has been been extremely disappointing this season, as he's posted a mediocre 86.6 quarterback rating while throwing only 24 touchdowns and a pitiful 19 interceptions.

Devin Hester's New NFL Record

Back on October 2, Devin Hester made NFL history.

Hester is now the NFL's all-time leader in combined returns for a touchdown.

Devin Hester is the best of all time.

Ndamukong Suh Stomping Incident

It's official: Not only are the Detroit Lions the dirtiest team in the NFL, but Nnamukong Suh is the dirtiest player in the entire league.

You simply cannot stomp on another player. That's a disgrace.

Jerome Simpon's Front Flip

This highlight is something that we will see for many, many years to come.

Ron Jaworski Says a Bad Word on Monday Night Football

When this happened, I just stopped and looked at everyone around and was like, "did he really just say that?"

All in all, I didn't see any harm in it. I actually thought it was funny and had no problem with it.

The Houston Texans Losing Their Starting and Backup Quarterback

Bob Levey/Getty Images

Not too many teams can lose their starting quarterback and their backup quarterback but still make the playoffs—but the Houston Texans have.

The Texans lost Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart, and rookie T.J. Yates has stepped in and posted a solid 2-1 record as their starter.

It's Tebow Time

This is where it all started: Tebow magic.

Tribute to 9/11

The video describes it much better than I could.

Eli Manning Comes Back and Beats the Patriots Yet Again

Eli Manning is the ultimate New England Patriots killer.

The Chicago Bears Collapsing

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

People say injuries aren't an excuse, but it is the only one for the Chicago Bears.

The Bears lost their starting quarterback Jay Cutler and their top offensive weapon in Matt Forte and have gone downhill ever since.

Chicago looked to be a playoff contender, but without those two players, they're toast.

The Emergence of Victor Cruz

Christopher Pasatieri/Getty Images

Let's take a look at these numbers: 76 receptions, 1,358 receiving yards and eight touchdowns—those are pretty insane if you ask me.

New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz is by far the NFL's most lethal big-play wide receiver.

T.O.'s Failed Comeback

Noel Vasquez/Getty Images

Apparently, no team has any interest in future Hall of Fame wide receiver Terrell Owens.

In fact, no one even showed up to his mid-season workout, where he was trying to prove that he's still in shape and can compete at an elite level.

Tim Tebow Has an Awesome God

So this is how Tim Tebow gets pumped up? Interesting.

This is probably one of the greatest pieces of players being wired during games. It's gold.

Matthew Stafford Emerging as a Top of the League Passer

Dave Reginek/Getty Images

Matthew Stafford has yet to play a full NFL season until this year, and I have always said that he will be a top-tier quarterback if only he can stay healthy.

Through 15 games this season, Stafford has posted an impressive 96.6 quarterback rating while completing 63.7 percent of his passes for 36 touchdowns and a whopping 4,518 yards.

Matthew Slater Starting at Safety for the New England Patriots

Patrick McDermott/Getty Images

You know a team's defense is pathetic when they're forced to start a backup wide receiver/special teamer at safety.

However, even with Matthew Slater playing safety for the New England Patriots, Bill Belichick has found a way to coach his team to an impressive 12-3 record with one week to go.

James Harrison's Comments on Roger Goodell

Jared Wickerham/Getty Images

Let's just put it this way: James Harrison does not like Roger Goodell.

In a preseason interview with Men's Journal, Harrison blasted not only the NFL commisoner but his team's quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger.

Out of all the crazy things that he said, my favorite quote is: "If [Roger Goodell] was on fire and I had to piss to put him out, I wouldn't do it. I hate him and will never respect him."

Adrian Peterson Seriously Injuring His Knee

Patrick Smith/Getty Images

This is an injury that will not only affect Adrian Peterson and the Minnesota Vikings—but the entire NFL.

Peterson is arguably the NFL's best running back and is one of the league's biggest stars.

During his team's Week 16 battle with the Washington Redskins, Peterson suffered a major blow to his left knee, as he reportedly tore his ACL and his MCL.