Some of them won the game, some of them saved the game and others made for some very impressive eye candy.
Odell Beckham Jr., James Rodriguez, Richard Sherman and Aaron Harrison were among those who put their distinctive stamp on sports in 2014 with shots, catches and plays that nearly broke the internet and led off all the highlight shows.
A quick review of some of the best plays of the year:
ODELL’S OPUS: This one blew up almost within minutes of it happening. Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who regularly practices the one-handed grab, made the catch of the year against the Cowboys. Quarterback Eli Manning threw a high pass down the right sideline and Beckham freed himself after tangling feet and arms with defensive back Brandon Carr. Beckham reached his right hand behind his head, grabbed the ball and cradled it into his stomach while falling to his back in the front corner of the end zone, as the yellow flag flew for the pass-interference call against Carr. Through it all, Beckham’s left hand never touched the ball.
TIP AND TALK: Before The Rant, there was The Tip. Richard Sherman’s game-saving swataway from Michael Crabtree in the NFC championship game wrapped up Seattle’s trip to the Super Bowl and came only moments before his rant in a postgame interview with Erin Andrews that drew more attention that his play on the field. With the Seahawks protecting a six-point lead with 32 seconds left and the Niners on their 18, Sherman got his bearings, left his feet, arched his left hand up and not only swatted Colin Kaepernick’s pass away from Crabtree, but directed it to teammate Malcolm Smith, who is officially credited with the interception that sealed the game.