There's no doubt this was one of the most exciting seasons of all time. Fans got to see some teams who usually don't play that great come out and have success. Teams such as the Tennesse Titans (didn't make playoffs, but still played great), Miami Dolphins, and the Houston Texans.
Fans also got to see great performances from NFL legends, and a few standout performances from no namer, too. There were multiple record breaking games this season, and it would be wrong for someone not to put it all into a nice slideshow for those players.
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Names like Jay Ajayi, Julio Jones, and Le'Veon Bell were big, but there were some other great performers, too. This list will cover five of the best game performances of 2016.
5. RG3 finally gets a win for Cleveland
The Cleveland Browns had one of the worst seasons in NFL history, and they were winless up until this game, they were 0-14. RG3 suffered a shoulder injury, and was out for eight weeks, and Cleveland suffered because of it.
When he came back two games before this one, the Browns started to look a little bit better. Not great, but better. In a home game against the San Diego Chargers, Griffin was able to lead his team to their first victory of the season.
Griffin didn't score any touchdowns, but he was able to perform well enough to get the team into scoring position. There, they were able to score with ease on a shocked Chargers' defense.
The Browns weren't a great team, and RG3 certainly wasn't a great QB last year. However, none of that mattered that Sunday, when they were finally able to say "hey, at least we aren't bad enough to lose every game."
4. Three touchdowns for David Johnson
Photo credit: Ted S. Warren - Associated Press
The Arizona Cardinals struggled throughout most of the 2016 season, but one light in the darkness was running back David Johnson. He had 1,239 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns in 2016. These numbers helped him earn a spot on the NFC's Pro Bowl roster, and become a First Team All Pro.
The Cardinals got a division win by a score of 34-31 in a week 16 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks. The whole team played well, but the standout performer was Johnson. He was able to run for a total of 95 yards, and three touchdowns.
Johnson was two touchdowns away from tying the single game rushing touchdown record, and while Arizona didn't make the playoffs, they were probably pretty happy to have this kind of performer on their team.
3. Jay Ajayi gets first 200+ yard rushing game
One could make a case that with three 200+ yard performances, running back Jay Ajayi could be on this list three times. However, to make room for other players, we are just going to use this performance.
In a week 5 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Ajayi was able to run for 204 yards and two touchdowns, giving him one of the best running back performances of 2016. This guy was a solid runner all year long, and this game was the one that started it all for him.
Ajayi's multiple 200+ games earned him a spot on the AFC Pro Bowl roster for the first time in his young NFL career. If he keeps having seasons like this one, he will be one of the best running backs in the NFL.
2. Le'Veon Bell bulldozes his way to 236 yards.
Le'Veon Bell has been one of the best running backs in the NFL since coming into the league in 2013, and this performance proved it. In this matchup against the Buffalo Bills, Bell trucked, juked, and stiff armed his way to 236 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns.
The Bills gave up a lot of yards on the ground this season, but that shouldn't downplay Bell's performance, and it definitely shouldn't downplay his second Pro Bowl season. Bell was one of the main reasons the Steelers got into the playoffs in 2016, and the team probably wouldn't want anybody else in their backfield.
Bell was suspended for the first quarter of the season so his season stats were affbecause of that. If he is able to play all of next season, he could be the best running back throught the 2017 season.
1. Julio Jones torches Panthers' secondary
There's no argument that wide receiver Julio Jones had the best performance of 2016. In a matchup against the Carolina Panthers, Jones had 12 receptions for exactly 300 receiving yards and a touchdown. Jones was only 36 yards away from breaking the single season receving yards record.
Jones was a huge key in the Atlanta Falcons' high-octane offense, and he helped push them to the team's second Super Bowl appearance in franchise history. He also helped quarterback Matt Ryan earn his first MVP award.
Jones made it to his fourth Pro Bowl appearance, and earned his second First Team All Pro milestone. There's no question that this guy was the best receiver in the 2016 season.
