Jason Taylor's last hurrah.Matt Flynn's record-setting performance. Tom Brady's rally. These are the three finalists for the Never Say Never Moment Of The Week for games played on January 1, the NFL announced today. The Never Say Never Moment Of The Week is the best moment or play of the week that represents determination and perseverance.
Fans may vote for one of these three moments on NFL.com beginning immediately following Monday Night Football and ending on Wednesday at 6 p.m. ET to determine the Never Say Never Moment Of The Week.
After the regular season, fans will have a chance to determine the Never Say Never Moment Of The Year, from among the 17 weekly winners. Fans can vote for the winner on NFL.com throughout the month of January.
A closer look at the nominees:
- Dolphins punch Jets out of playoffs:It was a fitting end for a future Hall of Famer. Miami Dolphins defensive end JASON TAYLOR, with the game on the line and the New York Jets chasing a postseason berth, harried Jets quarterback MARK SANCHEZ into an interception that helped seal a 19-17 victory. While the Jets were eliminated from the playoffs in part because of Taylor, who played for the team in 2010, the Dolphins tied an NFL record for the most wins following an 0-7 start.
- Backup has performance for the ages: Playing in place of a resting AARON RODGERS, backup quarterback MATT FLYNN's passing output against the Detroit Lions might just become a part of the storied history of the Green Bay Packers. Flynn set franchise records for passing yardage (480) and touchdowns (6), which included the winning score to tight end JERMICHAEL FINLEY with 1:10 left in the game to secure the Packers' finest regular-season finish in team history.
- Pats rally from 21 down to claim AFC's top seed: When it appeared a slow start would doom the New England Patriots' chances of earning the top playoff seed in the AFC, quarterback TOM BRADY helped put the team back on the winning track. Brady led a scoring barrage that netted 49 unanswered points to beat the Buffalo Bills, and would finish the season with the second-most yards passing in NFL history
