When NBC took over Sunday Night Football in the 2006 season, and basically made SNF into the main feature game of the week, we also got flexible scheduling and the ability to nominate any Week 17 game to the final SNF spot - or more succinctly, the final regular season game of the year. So often, these games have come near Christmas and New Year's (no more, with the 17-game, 18-week seasons). And so often, they've been great games that bring up great memories in my life given how often we've traveled during these holiday times.
2006 - Dec 31st: Chicago Bears - 7 @ Green Bay Packers - 26
Significance: None - not sure why this was not flexed out....
Where Was I: New Year's Eve Party at a Family Friends place
The Game: Admittedly an auspicious start for this idea. I'm trying to figure out if the flex scheduling wasn't a thing yet in 2006, or if there was just nothing better. I believe the Packers theoretically had a chance at the #6 seed coming into the week but by kickoff they were eliminated. The Bears were locked into the #1 seed weeks prior, but actually played in this meaningless game and was exceptionally bad, going 2-12 with 3 INTs and a 0.0 passer rating. Of course he would remain the starter playing ok enough to not kill the Bears chances to make the Super Bowl. The game would also be recalled, probably untruthfully so, as a bit of a springboard for the 2007 Packers team that went 13-3.
The Memory: I was at a family friend's place for New Year's Eve, and I distinctly remember watching this game, or at least having it playing on their TV in the upstairs where we were probably playing floor hockey or something. I remember being amused at how bad Rex Grossman was and how people pilloried him for playing like crap in a game that meant less than nothing. Granted, Grossman was just bad in general, but his poor play here absolutely did not carry over.
2007 - Dec 30th: Tennessee Titans - 16 @ Indianapolis Colts - 10
Significance; The Titans got the #6 seed in the AFC, where if they lost Cleveland would've made the playoffs
Where Was I: At home, pretty sure
The Game: Honestly, looking back it really was a rocky start (though things would get going soon). Here only the Titans cared about this game, and the Colts were more than happy to lay down and rest their starters (as they did constantly in the Manning/Polian era). The Titans still barely won the game, getting the #6 seed where they would fall meekly to the Chargers. The Browns were the real losers here, as their shocking 10-win season was for naught.
The Memory: Again, I have no real recollection of the actual game, as me like I'm sure many, checked out when it was clear the Colts would pull their starters. If anything, the real takeaway was the maddening "rest vs. rust" stuff that happened every time the Colts did this. of course, 2007 would be a great test case - the Colts did end up losing their playoff opener against the Chargers, but also Manning completed his first 16 passes in the game, so they definitely weren't "rusty".
2008 - Dec 28th: Denver Broncos - 21 @ San Diego Chargers - 52
Significance: Winner would win the AFC West, loser get's eliminated
Where Was I: Orlando, Florida at Main Street Disney
The Game: Three weeks prior, the Broncos were 8-5 and the Chargers were 5-8. The Chargers were a far better team even at that point, but the Broncos had that division (and Cutler and Shanahan). The Broncos sputtered, but the Chargers needed an onside recovery in Week 15 to stay alive and got what they wanted. One shot at the division. It wasn't close - the Chargers proved their superiority.
The Memory: We were in Florida that Christmas, which was from about 2002 - 2008 a common occurrence that hasn't repeated since. This year we went to Orlando, but mostly for shopping and other things instead of the parks. But on this day, we went to Downtown Disney for dinner. As a Colts fan that was locked in to playing the winner of this game, I was rooting so hard for the Broncos, because as they showed in this game they were way worse than the Chargers. I didn't really catch much of the game, it being ona couple of TV screens in the restaurant a good ways away - but I just knew after the Chargers pulled it out, that they would give the Colts a real good game, if not beat them outright (which they did). Such was the life of a, relatively, tortured Manning fan. My better memory of this Week 17 was watching the days slate in our hotel room while my family was out shopping - watching the Eagles pound the Cowboys by an orgnasmic 44-6. It was that type of day.
2009 - Jan 3rd: Cincinnati Bengals - 0 @ New York Jets - 37
Significance: Jets got the #5 seed with the win, would've missed playoffs (Steelers make it) had they lost
Where Was I: At home, pretty sure
The Game: I promise, a majoriy of these were good. Here the Bengals half-heartedly played their starters. They had clinched the division, and while technically they could have gotten the #3 seed, they deicded that #3 vs. #4 distinction was rather meaningless. The Jets pounded them and sneaked into the playoffs winning two straight games against resting teams. That type of year.
The Memory: Again, no real memory here. I went into this game more of the approach of a Colts fan smugly sitting wth the #1 seed, very much fine with the Jets sneaking into the playoffs. Sure, I would've liked that Bengals team which was pretty fun to follow that year (a bunch of comeback wins and great performances) to take the #3 seed over the Patriots, but in the end, I didn't fear the Jets, so letting them in the palyoffs instead of Pittsburgh felt fine.
2010 - Jan 2nd: St. Louis Rams - 6 @ Seattle Seahawks - 16
Significance: Winner would win the NFC West (with a losing record....), loser gets eliminated
Where Was I: India
The Game: Before it became a bit commonplace to see sub-.500 division winners, we saw a 7-8 Rams team, fresh off the #1 pick in the draft the year before go to a 6-9 Seahawks team. Charlie Whitehurst started the game for an injured Matt Hasselbeck, and played reasonably well. The Seahawks leaned on a defense that had a few of the first building blocks that would become the Legion of Boom, as they held the Rams to under 200 yards and won the game without too much fuss.
The Memory: I did not watch this game, being in India for my cousin's wedding. By June 2nd, we were traveling on our way to Mangalore (my parent's, and my ancestral, hometown), going there for the first time in 10 years. It was an emotional day for all other reasons than football. I do remember a bit of the outcry after the game - again this was the first time we had a sub-.500 division winner in the 32-team era. People immediately started saying there should be a .500 requirement to qualify and all this. Of course, a week later the 7-9 Seahawks would defeat the Saints in a crazy game (with Matt Hasselbeck back starting), and make a lot of the noise moot. It was a simpler time.
2011 - Jan 1st: Dallas Cowboys - 14 @ New York Giants - 31
Significance: Winner would win the NFC East, loser gets eliminated
Where Was I: At home, watching it live
The Game: The Cowboys led the NFC East much of the season, but a close loss to the Giants three weeks earlier in Dallas, and the Giants beating the Jets off a 99-yard TD by Victor Cruz, set up this win and your in match. In this one, the Giants did all the things that would then repeat themselves week over week through their Super Bowl win. Eli was great, the defense sacked Romo 6 times, they could run the ball when they needed to. It was a total ass whipping.
The Memory: 2011 was an odd season. There were a bunch of interesting storylines around the league (the 15-1 Packers, the Passing Explosion, the Harbaugh 49ers) but Manning's injury soured much of the year. This was a really nice "turn the page" moment ahead of what was a pretty great playoffs. I remember really just soaking up how much the New York crowd loved that game. One particular memory is seared in my brain. Following a Giants TD (either the one that put them up 21-0, or put them up 31-14), it was pretty clear the Giants wree going to win, and they played "Bang on the Drum All Day" and the crowd was singing along, air-banging on air-drums and all the rest, and it was just a great atmosphere. There's been so few of them for either New York team since opening MetLife in 2010, but this definitely was one.
2012 - Dec 30th: Dallas Cowboys - 18 @ Washington Team - 28
Significance: Winner would win the NFC East, loser gets eliminated
Where Was I: At home, watching it live
The Game: In maybe the peak of the RGIII era, he and Alfred Morris ran over hte Cowboys and took the NFC East with their 7th straight win. The good times wouldn't last too long, with RGIII tearing his knee the next week and things going to hell thereafter. It was Alfred Morris who really shone here with 200 yards. Tony Romo had three interceptions, and the Cowboys lost their second straight win and your in game.
The Memory: The 2012 season was for me the opposite of 2011 - I was uber-invested with the return of Peyton. It ended on a high as well, me foolishly thinking the Broncos were a lock for at least the AFC Title Game, blindly sitting down and watching this one. My neighbor at the time was a really good friend of mine, and his brother was a die-hard Washington fan. He kept reminding me to no end that I had basically picked against them each week in their six game win streak leading into the Week 17 game. To make his heart full, I picked against them again (granted, up to that point, Dallas was probably the "better" team) and it worked as expected.
2013 - Dec 29th: Philadelphia Eagles - 24 @ Dallas Cowboys - 22
Significance: Same stakes at 2011 and 2012
Where was I: In a Hyatt resort in Maryland with my family
The Game: For the third straight year, the Cowboys lost a win-and-your-in game. They completed the trifecta, losing to Philly after losing to both New York and Washington in the two years prior. This time the game was even at home, but it didn't matter. It wasn't Romo's fault this time, as Kyle Orton had to start for Romo who had a back injury. Orton threw for 350 yards, but two interceptions and the Cowboys missed a 2-pt conversion with 3:50 to go that would've tied the game. Nick Foles in the midst of what we all assumed would be a career highlight-type heater, was 17-26 with 2 TDs and the Eagles under Chip Kelly earned the NFC East.
The Memory: We as a family rarely take "just relax" vacations, but there's a Hyatt Resort somewhere near Annapolis, that we went to a couple of times - normally for the period between Christmas and New Year's. This was one of those times. It was a calm period - with us usually lazing around the resort, making a trip to a nearby town for dinner, and some nice craft beers and the like. It was during this few days of bliss that we were playing rummy as a family with a TV nearby in the hotel common area showing the game. I was half watching the game, half playing my game, but it was a success on both counts. The game itself was really close, had some nice drama, and was a great cap to the regular season (another fun regular season for me what with Peyton setting all kinds of offense records), and for once in our family games of rummy, I dominated.
