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Welcome to the Week of Vengeance at the SB NFL Nation, where we celebrate the best served cold dish. You can follow with all our latest revenge content here.
It's easy to find revenge opportunities in the NFL. In a league where players and coaches are constantly mixed, grudges are inevitable.
Some bulls are built because teams have moved to younger players. Others are generated via an exchange to a new team. In rare cases, they are created by a disdained player who passes the league in federal court.
The last 25 years in the NFL have given us moments of littleness. Here are our choices for the best revenge games of the last quarter of a century, in reverse order.
7. Tom Brady and the Patriots give the middle finger to the league (2016)
As a Falcons fan, it 's painful to write this – but the Super Bowl 51 was a kind of revenge game for the 2016 Patriots.
Remember how this season started. Tom Brady was suspended four times for his role in Deflategate, but he did not just accept his suspension. He was originally scheduled to serve his four-game suspension early in the 2015 season, but a federal judge overturned Roger Goodell's decision, allowing Brady to play the full game this season.
In April 2016, the US Court of Appeals reinstated Brady's suspension, which prevented him from participating in the first four games of the 2016 season. Brady has been debating with the decision to bring Deflategate to court Supreme in June 2016, but chose to take the suspension.
(In retrospect, it is quite amazing that federal courts have been involved in the deflation of footballs.)
The Patriots used a combination of Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett to qualify 3-1 in all four games, setting the stage for Brady to make a triumphant return. Brady scored 28 touchdowns with just two interceptions in his next 12 starts – the Patriots were 11-1 in those games – and reached the Super Bowl 51 against Atlanta.
Everyone knows what happens next. New England caught up to 28-3 in 17 minutes of play and won the first game in overtime in the history of the Super Bowl. After all the fights Brady had against the NFL, he made a spectacular comeback at the end of the season.
This should perhaps be ranked higher, but as a partial arbiter of this list, I will not allow it.
6. Peyton Manning finally beats the Colts (2014)
It took Peyton Manning two tries, but he was able to defeat the Colts of Indianapolis in 2014 in his third season with the Denver Broncos. Manning beat Andrew Luck, scoring 269 yards, three touchdowns and zero interception.
Luck was chosen by the Colts for the first time overall at the NFL draft in 2012, after deciding to leave Manning, who had missed the entire 2011 season due to a neck injury. The first time Manning and Luck clashed, Luck won the winning game in 39-33 shots in the 2013 season. Manning managed to win the second run.
Manning threw all three touchdowns to Julius Thomas, including a 35-yard touchdown after which Thomas hit the Shmoney dance in the end zone.
The Colts ended up having the last laughter of this season when they dominated the Broncos 24-13 in the divisional round, but Week 1 was reserved for Manning.
Indianapolis beat Manning once again during the 2015 season, but Manning finished the year with a Super Bowl ring to crown his Hall of Fame career. Colts have not reached this point since Manning's departure.
5. Steve Smith intimidates the panthers (2014)
When the Panthers released Steve Smith after the 2013 season, he said if he played against them, there would be "blood and guts everywhere." He was lucky enough to keep this promise after signing a three-year contract with the Baltimore Ravens.
And BOY, did he deliver?
During Week 4 of the 2014 season, Carolina went to Baltimore to face the former Great Panther, which he perfectly shredded. Smith caught seven passes for 139 yards and two touchdowns, and the Ravens won 38-10.
Smith's high point in the afternoon was a 61-yard touchdown that was not even intended for him. The ball bounced off Owen Daniels' hands and Smith found himself in the right place at the right time to leave his old team in the dust.
Unusually, Smith did not talk to the Panthers during or after the match. His play that day says enough.
It was the only game Smith had played against Carolina – he certainly made the most of it.
4. Jon Gruden defeats his former team (and current team) at Super Bowl XXXVII (2002)
Jon Gruden had the last word after the Oakland Raiders traded him to the Buccaneers before the 2002 season. In his first season at Tampa Bay, Gruden led the Bucs to Super Bowl XXXVII, which proved to be against Raiders.
The Bucs' defense absolutely decimated the Raiders in a match that was the absolute top for Tampa Bay. Rich Gannon, the most valuable player of the 2002 season, launched five interceptions (a Super Bowl record!) – and three of them were returned for touchdowns. After scoring a shot at goal on the first practice of the match, the Raiders failed to get close to the end zone and found themselves 20-3 at half-time. The final score – 48-21 – was not much better.
Gruden's relationship with the Raiders came full circle when he was rehired as a coach in 2018, signing a $ 100 million contract over 10 years. Gruden destroyed the team that traded it on the biggest stage of the NFL, and then received $ 100 million about 15 years later.
It's poetry in motion.
3. Deion Sanders gave Falcons a choice of six on his return to Atlanta (1994)
After five seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, Deion Sanders signed a one-year contract with his rival, NFC West, NFC West's rival.
In the typical Primetime style, Sanders presented his show when the 49ers traveled to Atlanta in the seventh week of the 1994 season. The 49ers steamed the Falcons 42-3 and Sanders contributed to that score with a 93-yard interception return.
Once cleared of all Falcons offensive players, Sanders secured the Atlanta touchline for the end zone.
Sanders had a small fight with the Falcons receiver, Andre Rison, before the return of the interception. Rison only caught five passes for 32 yards in the game. Sanders almost tripled this distance when returning from interception.
2. Joe Montana wins the 49ers (1994)
When Joe Montana missed the entire 1991 season and almost the entire 1992 season, the 49ers had a huge decision to make regarding their quarterback position. Montana won four Super Bowls and two MVPs in San Francisco, but the emergence of Steve Young in those two years made Montana lose.
The 49ers committed to Young for the future, allowing Montana to call for an exchange after the 1992 season. Montana was eventually traded to the Kansas City Chiefs before the 1993 season. Coincidentally, the Chiefs played a match against the 49ers in 1994, which was the only time Montana played against his former team.
Montana took advantage of his opportunity to face the 49ers by scoring for 203 yards and two touchdowns in a 24-17 win. His first touchdown pass of the day was a little cunning. The Chiefs sent offensive lineman Joe Valerio on a road leading into the end zone and Montana gave him a perfect pass as he was under pressure.
Montana beating the man who replaced him had to feel good. At least in Young's interest, he was able to win the Super Bowl that season to escape the shadow of Joe Montana.
1. Brett Favre burns Packers on his return to Lambeau (2009)
Sorry, Packers fans. A list of revenge games can not be complete without the legendary return of Brett Favre to Lambeau Field.
After 16 years with the Packers – and an unspectacular year with the New York Jets – Favre signed an agreement with the Minnesota Vikings for the 2009 season. Joining the long-time rival of the NFC North Packers guaranteed the return of Favre at Green Bay in regular season. He could also face his former replacement with whom he had a tense relationship: Aaron Rodgers.
During week 8, Favre had the opportunity to show the Packers that he could still play at a high level – and that's what he did. Favre destroyed the Green Bay defense en route to four touchdowns, including three in the second half to put the game away.
Even at age 40, Favre still had his arm strength that dazzled Packers fans for nearly two decades. Just watch the speed on this pitch to Percy Harvin.
In two wins against the Packers that season, Favre made seven touchdowns, no interceptions, completed 69.4% of his passes and was not sacked once. Revenge is no sweeter than that.
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