50 notable games of the 2010s

From the underdog Saints winning a Super Bowl title in 2010 to the Steelers-Browns ugly brawl on a Thursday night in 2019, here are notable games of the decade.

The Saints were heavy underdogs against the potent Colts, but somehow that was lost on Drew Brees and his crew of determined teammates. With the specter of the devastation of Hurricane Katrina fresh in their minds, the Saints rode the play of MVP Brees to win their first Super Bowl, all in storybook fashion.

After the Americans forced overtime with 24 seconds left in regulation, it looked like Canada’s momentum and chances of winning gold on home ice in Vancouver were sunk. But after more than seven minutes of tense action, Sidney Crosby beat American goalie Ryan Miller to send a nation into a frenzy.

The underdog Bulldogs were one shot away from staging one of the biggest game, and tournament, upsets of the era just 6 miles from their campus in Indianapolis. After surprising Michigan State in the Final Four, Butler came within a hair of the championship when Gordon Hayward's shot barely missed at the buzzer to give Duke the title.

With the last game of the group stage into stoppage time, things did not look promising for the USA to advance to the knockout stage. But a late breakaway by Clint Dempsey that resulted in a rebound that Landon Donovan put away moved the Americans on for the first time since 1994.

Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay had never made the playoffs before his appearance in Game 1, having previously been with the woeful Toronto Blue Jays. And, boy, did he make his playoff debut memorable, throwing the second playoff no-hitter in history, propelling the Phillies to a sweep of the Reds. The no-hitter was a nice capper to 2010 for Halladay, who had thrown a perfect game earlier in the season.

In a battle of two superstar quarterbacks, MVP Aaron Rodgers prevailed over Ben Roethlisberger, completing 24 of 39 passes for 304 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Packers to the Super Bowl title. The game’s legacy was further cemented by being held at Cowboys Stadium in front of 103,219 spectators as well as being watched on TV by an average of 111 million people, setting a record for the most popular program in American history.

Barcelona dominated from the opening kick, finishing the match with 12 shots on goal compared with Man U’s measly one. Knotted at 1-1 at the half, Lionel Messi and David Villa helped Barcelona pull away for the convincing victory, crushing the dreams of Man U’s passionate fan base, many of whom filled Wembley Stadium.

All the talk going into the series was of the star-studded Heat, packed with the considerable talents of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. But Dirk Nowitzki proved to be the unstoppable force, his MVP performance leading the Mavericks to their first NBA championship

Goalie Tim Thomas stood tall when he needed to most, stopping all 37 shots and absolutely slamming the door on the Canucks to give the Bruins their first Cup since 1972. Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand each had two goals for the Bruins. Afterward, huge crowds of Canucks fans who gathered to watch outside the arena were so upset that they rioted, setting cars on fire and looting property, a mirror of events after the Canucks lost in Game 7 of the finals to the New York Rangers in 1994.

Nothing like a walk-off home run to turn around your team’s fortunes in the World Series. And that’s exactly what series MVP David Freese pulled for the Cardinals in the 11^th inning, capping amazing comebacks by the Cardinals in the ninth and 10^th innings to win a rain-soaked Game 6 and tie the series. The Cards went on to win Game 7 by a score of 6-2 to win their 11^th World Series.

As quarterback for the Broncos, Tim Tebow had big cleats to fill in the clutch. But in this, his first NFL postseason start, he came up huge, air-mailing a career-high 316 yards, including the game-winning toss to Demaryius Thomas a record 11 seconds into overtime. His performance came with the Steelers repeatedly stacking the defensive line, daring Tebow to throw with his disrespected arm. So, he did.

With the real possibility that the super-talented Heat would flame out yet again, LeBron James stepped up and drained 31 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in a dominant performance in Game 7 to push his team to the league finals. The clutch work in a win-or-go-home game seemed to embolden the Heat, who went on to run roughshod over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the finals to capture James’ first and long-anticipated NBA championship.

The storybook Canadians were coming off an upset of Great Britain in the quarterfinals but were facing a stern opponent in the wildly favored and fierce rival Americans. A controversial time-wasting call (it’s rarely enforced) in the 79^th minute, with the Canadians up 3-2, resulted in an indirect free kick, which resulted in a Canadian handball in the box, which resulted in a tying penalty-kick goal by American Abby Wambach. In extra time, with penalty kicks looming, Alex Morgan put a header in to finish off the exhausted Canadians and send the Americans on to their destiny with gold.

The Giants' Pablo Sandoval jacked three home runs in the World Series, joining Babe Ruth (twice), Reggie Jackson and Albert Pujols as the only players to accomplish such a feat. Building on that convincing win in Game 1, the Giants went on to sweep the Tigers for their second World Series title in three years. Sandoval was named Series MVP.

Junior quarterback Will Grier, who went on to star at West Virginia University (photo), had a performance for the ages, throwing for a crazy 837 yards and 10 touchdowns in an offense-happy playoff game in North Carolina. Davidson scored on every possession except one; however Harrells Christian Academy repeatedly answered, never falling behind by more than 24 points. The combined score over the four-hour game topped the previous state mark of 142, set in 1930.

Down 4-1 near the halfway point of the third period, the Leafs looked to be in control and on their way to the second round of the playoffs. But the tenacious Bruins weren’t quite ready to capitulate, scoring three straight goals to force overtime, thrillingly capped by Patrice Bergeron’s equalizer with 51 seconds left. Bergeron then sent the Leafs packing in ignominious fashion by scoring in overtime, making it the first time in NHL history that a team had given up three third-period goals and lost Game 7 and, thus, the series.

With 28.2 seconds left and up 94-89 in the game and 3-2 in the series, it looked like the Spurs were set to win it all, league officials even taping off the trophy presentation area. But the Heat somehow rallied, and with the score 95-92 and 5.2 seconds left, Chris Bosh dished off a LeBron James rebound to RAY ALLEN, who drained the trey before a stunned home crowd (especially the many who left early) to force overtime, where the Heat would ultimately prevail, thanks to two successful free throws by Allen with 1.9 seconds left. The fired-up Heat would go on in Game 7 to win their second straight NBA trophy

Things were looking pretty dire for the Blackhawks, down 2-1 with less than two minutes remaining in regulation. Up 3-2 in the series, a loss would have forced a winner-take-all Game 7, not an enviable position with the momentum swinging. But then Bryan Bickell scored with 76 seconds left to tie it, and before you could say, “not going to overtime,” Dave Bolland crushed the hometown Bruins fans’ dreams with a goal with 59 seconds left – the latest regulation Cup-winning goal in history – to seal the win and earn the Blackhawks their second Cup in four years.

Down 1-0 in the series and 5-1 in the eighth inning of Game 2, the future did not look promising for the Red Sox. But a rally loaded the bases for slugger David Ortiz, who answered the call with a grand slam over the head of a leaping Torii Hunter into the Boston bullpen to tie the score in front of frenzied Fenway fans. The demoralized Tigers allowed the winning run in the ninth, and the Red Sox would ride the momentum to win the series and, eventually, their eighth World Series title.

In an improbable finish, with the score tied 28-28 and the clock dead, heavily favored Alabama successfully campaigned for one second to be added to game time. Coach Nick Saban elected to go with the field goal attempt; Cade Foster’s 57-yard attempt fell short and into the arms of Chris Davis, who somehow ran the ball all the way back through both teams for the touchdown to give Auburn the stunning win. The loss would turn out to be a fatal blow to Alabama’s national championship hopes.

T.J. Oshie's touted shootout skills were put to good use against the Russians after the two teams ended overtime deadlocked at 2-2. Oshie scored on his first attempt and, after his teammates failed on their next two attempts, repeatedly got the nod (players can go multiple times in the shootout under international rules) from coach Dan Bylsma while trading goals with the Russians, who were playing in front of their home-country fans. Taking the next five shots, Oshie scored on three, including the winner in the eighth round.

For the USA to have a chance of upsetting favored Belgium in the Round of 16 game, the Americans needed a stellar performance by one of their top players. And that’s just what they got when goalkeeper Tim Howard made a record 15 saves, the most since records started being kept in 1966. His fantastic efforts stoned Belgium through regulation time, and it wasn’t until extra time that Howard was beaten.

Brazil came into the tournament as one of the favorites to win; not only was the team talented, but it was also playing on home turf. But none of that seemed to matter in this semifinal, as the Germans blasted out of the gates and led 5-0 at the half, thanks to scoring four goals in a stunning six minutes. It was the largest margin of victory in a World Cup semifinal game and has subsequently been dubbed the “Agony of Mineirao,” in reference to where the game was played.

Long the laughingstock of baseball, the Royals staged an improbable run in their first postseason berth in 29 years. It all started with the game that got them in, when they played aggressively on the bases, stealing seven on seven attempts, including a swipe that ended up being the winning run in the 12^th inning. The team dashed all the way to Game 7 of the World Series, when the San Francisco Giants ultimately prevailed.

Being diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer 48 days after committing to Mount St. Joseph didn’t dampen Lauren Hill's desire to play. So despite getting sicker, Hill played in a game against Hiram College (the game was rescheduled and relocated so Hill could play), and she scored the first and last baskets of the game on layups. She also played in three other games, including a home game in which she also scored the first basket.

After entering the tournament as the No. 4 seed, Ohio State steamrolled its foes on its way to the final, the replacement for the BCS national championship game. Once there, third-string Cardale Jones rose to the occasion, throwing for 242 yards, getting help from tailback Ezekiel Elliott’s 246 rushing yards and a whopping four touchdowns against the Ducks to earn the Buckeyes’ first national championship since 2002.

With time almost expired, the Seahawks had second-and-goal from the Patriots’ 1-yard line, and all eyes were on Marshawn Lynch to rush the ball in for the win. Unexpectedly, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson threw to Ricardo Lockette. And that’s where Malcolm Butler comes in, reading the play and pulling down the interception to secure the Patriots’ win and add the play call to Super Bowl infamy.

In a Final Four matchup for the ages, Wisconsin upset powerhouse Kentucky – which was coming off a monstrous 38-0 season – in a game that didn’t let up on the gas pedal. It had everything: potent offense vs. stifling defense, bad calls, painful turnovers, clutch shotmaking, a tight score in the dying minutes. In the end, Wisconsin was just too much to handle for Kentucky. But, boy, what a rush.

Hard to ignore a game in which a player scores three goals with the gold medal is on the line. Carli Lloyd not only scored a hat trick against Japan, but she did it in 16 minutes, including the third goal amazingly coming from the center circle. The win marked the first American gold since 1999.

Game 1 started off when the Royals’ Alcides Escobar clubbed an inside-the-park home run off the first pitch, the first in a World Series game since 1929 and the first by a leadoff hitter since 1909, which set the tone for a wild night. With the Mets up 4-3 in the bottom of the ninth, Alex Gordon implausibly tied it with a home run, only the fifth player in history to do so that late in the game, to send it into extras. After Curtis Granderson saved the Mets by robbing Jarrod Dyson of what surely would have been a leadoff triple in the 11^th, he could do nothing more than catch the sacrifice fly that cashed in Escobar in the 14^th for the Royals’ win.

Not all amazing comebacks result in a fairytale finish. Down by seven points with a minute remaining, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers completed two Hail Mary passes to receiver Jeff Janis, including the game-tying TD with the clock run out. But success would not be at hand for the Packers, who saw the Cardinals score on the first drive of overtime to steal the win.

See that three-point difference in the score? The tight tilt between two titans came down to a last-second trey by Kris Jenkins, who sank the clutch shot at the buzzer to give the Wildcats their second NCAA Men’s Division I basketball crown, their first coming in 1985.

In a thrilling Game 7 with end-to-end action, the tension was emboldened by the pressure LeBron James faced to bring the Larry O’Brien Trophy to his new-old home in Cleveland. But he and his team responded to the call against regular-season MVP Steph Curry and crew. With the teams deadlocked at 89-89 and less than four minutes left, with offense at a premium, Kyrie Irving nailed a fall-away three-pointer to give the Cavaliers the lead for good.

In what has to be the biggest moment in the history of Iceland soccer, if not its entire sporting lore, the tiny country held on to upset titan England and advance to the quarterfinals in its Euro debut. All the scoring took place in the first half, with England’s Wayne Rooney opening with a goal four minutes in on a penalty kick. But Iceland goals at the six- and 18-minute mark were enough to foster the Cinderella celebration.

In a World Series matchup from the Upside Down, the Cubs were ahead in the deciding game 6-3 in the bottom of the eighth and with two outs. Things were looking good for their first title in 108 years until the Indians scored three runs, including a game-tying homer by Rajai Davis that would be enough to force extra innings. A rain delay helped derail the Indians’ momentum, and two runs in the top of the 10^th were ultimately enough for the Cubs to steal back the win.

In a rematch of the exciting 2016 showdown, and the first rematch of the top two teams in national championship game history, the rivals did not fail to meet expectations. Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson came up large, breaking his own record for most passing yards in a title game with 420, including the final two coming on a game-winning touchdown toss that gave his team the final lead with a mere one second on the clock.

The doubters and haters likely turned off Super Bowl LI in the third quarter, with the Falcons up 28-3 over the Patriots. That will teach them. In what has been called one of the best Super Bowls ever, game MVP Tom Brady propelled his team to an amazing 31-point comeback that would culminate in the overtime win.

With 4:20 remaining and down by a whopping 12 points, the Badgers staged an amazing rally, eventually forcing overtime on a three-pointer with 2.1 seconds left. Then, not to be outdone, with four seconds left in overtime, Chris Chiozza sank an amazing running three-pointer that beat the buzzer and gave Florida the thrill-packed win.

In what has been called the biggest upset in women’s basketball history, the Bulldogs ripped out to an amazing 29-13 start that jolted the Huskies to rally to get to 29-25. With the game in overtime, Morgan William nailed the game-winning basket to unceremoniously beat the heavily favored Huskies and, most notably, halt their record winning streak at 111 games. The loss was the Huskies’ first in 865 days and snapped a 28-game NCAA tournament winning streak.

In the year of the homer, the two teams appropriately combined for eight taters in this slugfest, six of them with the game on the line: one by the Astros’ Marwin Gonzalez to tie it in the ninth and help force extra innings, two solo shots by the Astros in the 10^th that were matched in run total by Yasiel Puig’s in the bottom half of the inning, the two-run shot that turned out to be the game winner by George Springer in the top of the 11^th that was answered in the bottom half of the inning by Charlie Culberson. But when Puig struck out (can you blame him for swinging for the fences?), the Astros had prevailed.

After freshman quarterback Tua Tagovailoa tied it for Alabama with 3:49 left, Georgia charged right back down the field to set up the winning field goal – which was missed. In overtime, Georgia made up for it with a 51-yard kick between the uprights, and pushed Alabama out of field goal range with a timely sack. But then Tagovailoa, who had come off the bench in the second half, connected with DeVonta Smith on the 41-yard touchdown arrow to give the Crimson Tide their long-awaited national title.

With the score a reasonable 15-12 heading toward the sultry dance moves of Justin Timberlake’s halftime show, the Eagles were expected to boot the field goal on fourth-and-goal. But instead they pulled the now-infamous “Philly Special,” in which the ball went from the center to running back to tight end to quarterback Nick Foles, who was in the end zone, for the touchdown. After the extra point, the Eagles were suddenly up 22-12 at the half, and the stunning play proved too much for even comeback-capable Tom Brady to overcome.

Whenever these two teams meet it’s worth watching, so having the winner get the gold makes it all the more exciting. In this tight final, forced to overtime and then the shootout by a late USA goal in regulation, American Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson pulled out the trickiest of tricky dekes to fake out Canada goalie Shannon Szabados and score what would be the gold-medal-winning goal. It was the first gold medal for the Americans in 20 years.

No one expects the No. 1 seed to lose to the No. 16 seed, especially if said No. 1 seed is actually the top seed in the entire tournament. But that’s exactly what happened when the upstart Retrievers blasted the Cavaliers to become the first No. 16 in 136 attempts to beat a No. 1.

Despite being relocated from Mexico City to L.A. because of poor field conditions, this game turned out to be a doozy. The offensive barrage was seemingly endless, belied by select stats: 14 touchdowns, 56 first downs, a combined 105 points for the highest-scoring Monday night game in history; even the defense got in on the attack, with three combined touchdowns. The Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes managed 33 completions on 46 attempts, and a whopping 478 yards and six touchdowns – and he was the losing quarterback.

Nothing less than the hopes and dreams of an entire nation were on the line when the Raptors’ Kawhi Leonard heaved up a shot from an awkward angle just inside the three-point line with micro seconds left and the game tied. The ball bounced once, twice, three, four times on the rim, agonizingly stretching the suspense before dropping and moving the Raptors to the final and, ultimately, Canada’s first NBA championship. It was also the first successful Game 7 buzzer-beater in NBA history

St. Louis fans waited an eternity -- well, really 52 years -- but they finally saw their team win its first Stanley Cup title. The Blues defeated the Bruins, 4-1, in Game 7 in Boston. St. Louis became the second team in as many seasons to win the Cup for the first time, following the Capitals. 

With a 2-0 win over the Netherlands, the U.S. women's national soccer team won its fourth title. The defending World Cup champs were led by co-captain Megan Rapinoe, who scored the first goal on a penalty kick. Midfielder Rose Lavelle capped the scoring.

First the Capitals won their Stanley Cup in 2018. Then the Nationals won the World Series in 2019, beating the Astros in Game 7 on the road, 6-2. And next, the Red... Oh, forget that. The Nationals won all four World Series games on the road, a first.

In one of the ugliest scenes ever in the NFL, Browns defensive end Myles Garrett ripped off the helmet of Mason Rudolph and hit the Steelers QB over the head with it. The brawl with seconds left in the game led to fines and suspensions of players on both teams. Garrett was suspended indefinitely. (He appealed.)