Between the Super Bowl shockwaves, free agency, the Draft, and the start of mini-camps, NFL fans have had very little time to fully digest and appreciate the season that was.

Before rushing into team previews, we can appreciate the present by understanding the past in this recap of the best games and players of the NFL's 2016 season.

 

Games of the Season

Raiders 35, Saints 34 (Week 1) 

The 2016 season began boldly as the Saints welcomed Oakland to the Superdome in Week 1. Up 24-10 in the third quarter, the game looked like it was New Orleans' to lose...and it was. Derek Carr led the Raiders to a 22-point fourth quarter, including a game-winning two-point conversion pass to Michael Crabtree in the game's final moments.

Falcons 33, Packers 32 (Week 8)

In a classic quarterback duel, Matt Ryan and Aaron Rodgers combined for 7 touchdowns, over 500 yards, and exactly 0 interceptions. With just a few minutes left and up 32-26, it looked like Green Bay was going to walk out of the Georgia Dome with the upset road victory. A 75-yard drive from Ryan ended with an 11-yard TD pass to Mohamed Sanu, clinching an Atlanta victory.

Cowboys 35, Steelers 30 (Week 10)

The Cowboys and Steelers have a classic NFL rivalry built upon many smashmouth defensive performances. This game was not one of those. Rookie of the year Ezekiel Elliott countered Big Ben's 400+ passing yards with over 200 of his own on the ground. Three touchdowns were scored in the final two minutes, the final one being a 32-yard Elliott run into the endzone with less than :15 on the clock.

Chiefs 30, Denver 27 OT (Week 12)

This game looked destined to be the league's third tie of the season when in overtime Gary Kubiak perplexingly sent out Brandon McManus to try a 62-yard field goal instead of punting. McManus' try missed, giving KC great field position with one timeout left and a minute on the clock. They took advantage of it, moving closer before having Cairo Santos try a 34-yard game winner. The kick ricocheted laterally off one post toward the other, resulting in a confusing moment where only one official signaled that the kick was good. It ultimately was, and the Chiefs pulled a whole game ahead of Denver in the division title race.

Patriots 34, Falcons 28 OT (Super Bowl LI)

A season finale that needs no introduction. In a game that broke more records than we could list here, New England won their fifth Lombardi trophy by staging a dramatic comeback after scoring 25 unanswered second half points to tie the game with :57 seconds left in regulation. In overtime, Brady's Patriots won the toss and promptly marched 75 yards to score and win yet another title. For Atlanta, it was the first time since 1940 that a team leading by 17 points or more in the fourth quarter of a playoff game had gone on to lose. This left all the betting shops and online sportsbooks gob-smacked. However for those fans who called the right result in dying minutes were left jumping for joy! This demonstrates that the NFL is an unpredictable sport, anything can happen if you place a bet, though please make sure you do this at a legitimate online gambling site or a betting shop.

 

Best Individual Seasons

QB: Matt Ryan, Atlanta

For his 4,944 yard, 38/7 TD-INT season, Matt Ryan won MVP as well as Offensive Player of the Year honors. Many of Ryan's stat lines were career bests, including for completion %, yards, yards/attempt, touchdowns, and passer rating. The fourth-time Pro Bowler was also the only quarterback in the league to throw a touchdown pass every single game of the season.

RB: Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas

Zeke had a season that not only rookies dream of, but even established running backs. After just 11 weeks he broke Tony Dorsett's Cowboys rookie rushing record. He ultimately finished the season leading all other running backs in total yards (1,631) and came in third on total touchdowns (15).

WR: Julio Jones, Atlanta 

Although Matt Ryan threw for touchdowns to a record 13 different receivers, his favorite target by far was Julio Jones. In Week 4, the first-team All Pro caught 12 receptions for a team-record 300 yards. His season total of 1,409 yards was second among the league's receivers and his 17.9 yard per reception were good enough for fourth-best.

TE: Travis Kelce, Kansas City

Kelce made the big extension he signed ahead of the season totally worth it for the Chiefs. Late in the season, he became just the third TE in NFL history to tally 100 or more receiving yards in four consecutive games. He went on to lead the league at his position in receiving yards (1,125), yards after catch (634), and also finished second in receptions (85).

Defense: Khalil Mack, Oakland 

Khalil Mack continued to live up to the high expectations he keeps setting for himself every season, winning NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2016. In Oakland's Week 12 victory over Carolina, the third-year star had an interception, sack, forced fumble, fumble recovery, and a defensive TD. He finished the season with 11 sacks and was twice the AFC's Defensive Player of the Week.

Coach: Jason Garrett, Dallas

Despite wielding rookies at both starting quarterback and running back, the NFL Coach of the Year's Cowboys ticked off 13 wins last season, a monumental improvement over 2015's 4-12 record. Although the upset loss they suffered to the Packers in the Divisional Playoffs was heartbreaking, Garrett's Cowboys currently have the best odds (17/4 at most online sportsbooks) to win the NFC in 2017.