:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/45722652/usa-today-8361666.0.jpg)
2. Gronkowski Monster
;
So Rob Gronkowski gets three GIFs in either the 1 or 2 seed? It was that kind of year for him. This was a fairly simple and routine first down route, until the Chicago Bears decided that they didn't feel like tackling any more after just 2 minutes into the second half.
Gronk just disregards safety Ryan Mundy (#21), before cornerback Al Louis-Jean (#39) takes probably the weirdest possible pursuit angle, while the other two Bears reach the goal line and decide it isn't worth their time to even bother.
This was Gronkowski breaking the spirit of the Bears, with an entire half of football to go.
15. Akeem on Ice
If the above was when the Patriots ended the game against the Bears, this was the moment that the Broncos just gave up on the season. Denver just couldn't rebound after this and they wasted away into nothingness.
Akeem Ayers was taking the place of the injured Chandler Jones and this stunt only works because the Broncos offensive line inexplicably shifts the center, right guard, and right tackle to cover 285 pounds of Dominique Easley, while Vince Wilfork gets a one-on-one match-up and absolutely wrecks the left guard to disrupt the pocket.
Wilfork breaking the pocket and Easley drawing the coverage allows Ayers to stunt back to the inside and have a free rush right at Peyton Manning.
The hit looked brutal live and it looked like a potential leg injury to Manning. Thank goodness it wasn't. It was a perfectly wrap up and takedown at the thighs and it won the Patriots the AFC.