2017 NFL celebration rankings: Vikings remain at No. 1 with duck, duck, goose celebration

The Vikings are still on top heading into Week 8.

The NFL relaxed its rules on celebrations this offseason. Here at SB Nation, our editorial stance is that this makes the game funner for players and fans alike, and we endorse it wholeheartedly.

For the longest time, we enjoyed seeing Antonio Brown twerking in the end zone and Odell Beckham Jr. doing his best Michael Jackson impression, only to have that delight interrupted by a flag and the knowledge that a fine would likely follow. We shouldn’t see any pelvic thrusting this year despite the relaxed rules. It’s still a penalty. But players can dance, use the ball as a prop, and choreograph celebrations with teammates til their hearts’ content.

We’ll be celebrating the celebrations this season by keeping a running list of rankings. At the end of the year we’ll crown a winner.

Here are the latest NFL celebration rankings:

Group category

1. Duck, duck, goose!

It wasn’t easy to unseat the Colts and their bank heist, but the Vikings pulled it off with a duck, duck, goose celebration in the end zone.

2. Steelers play hide and seek

JuJu Smith-Schuster is a rookie, but he’s already proven he’s one of the most fun players in the league. Case in point: this hide and seek celebration with Le’Veon Bell.

3. Eagles score a touchdown, then hit a home run

Torrey Smith scores to put the Eagles up 20-0, and then he knocks one out of the park. It doesn’t get much better than this.

4. Colts pull off a bank heist

Someone finally knocked Taco Charlton out of the top spot, and it’s the Colts, with a creative take on a bank robbery.

5. Taco Charlton makin’ tacos for his teammates

This was a preseason celebration, but it’s so perfect that we have to count it. As a matter of fact, we’re all convinced this one may be hard to top, period.

If anybody but a guy named Taco tried to pull this off, it would be weird. But for Charlton, it totally works.

6. Eagles coordinate a group spike

It’s simple, yet well-timed and effective.

7. The Lions pretend they’re a curling team

The Lions have this group celebration thing down, and they’re dominating this category. After a touchdown in Week 3 against the Falcons, Golden Tate and his teammates went all Winter Olympics on us in the end zone.

8. The Bills take a video game break

After a Jordan Matthews score, he and Zay Jones faced off in a pretend video game. Wonder who won?

9. Taylor Gabriel and Julio Jones on a relay team?

Excuse me, USA Track and Field, but this is actually not a bad idea. These two can both fly.

10. Marvin Jones and his teammates Double Dutch

This celebration is the perfect example of why the NFL needed to chill out about group celebrations. When Marvin Jones and his teammates go full-on elementary school kids jumping rope on a playground, it’s the embodiment of fun.

11. Martavis Bryant shooting dice

Martavis Bryant scored his first touchdown since 2015 in Week 2 against the Vikings, and he celebrated by throwing some imaginary dice. His teammate Antonio Brown promptly snatched them up.

12. Titans are not worthy of Wesley Woodyard

Are any of these players really old enough to remember Wayne’s World? It doesn’t matter. This is a good one.

13. Deshaun Watson dances with Toro, the Texans’ mascot

Everybody’s having a good time! They should have been. The Texans won 57-14.

14. Packers serving up some chow

Davante Adams dished up some dinner for his teammates, and Randall Cobb was first in line. Maybe it was a Cobb salad.

15. Dalvin is Cookin’

Vikings rookie Dalvin Cook celebrated a trip to the end zone with a play off of his last name. It was unfortunately his last celebration of the season since he tore his ACL and landed on IR later in the game.

16. Titans players take some photos in the end zone

Rishard Matthews scored in Week 3 against the Seahawks, and he pulled in teammates Eric Weems and Jonnu Smith for a little photoshoot.

17. Don’t leave Graham Glasgow hanging, guys!

Golden Tate and Marvin Jones celebrated a touchdown with a friendly little fake game of ping pong. But offensive lineman Graham Glasgow just wanted to join in, and the guys gave him the cold shoulder. Our only quarrel with their top-ranked curling celebration is that Glasgow wasn’t around. Include your teammate next time, because otherwise this was a fun one.

18. We legitimately don’t know what the Bengals are even doing here

Kudos for taking advantage of the celebration rules, but tighten up, fellas.

Solo category

1. Juju Schuster-Smith with the Dragon Ball Z nod

Kamehameha!

2. Stefon Diggs pays homage to Randy Moss

This couldn’t have come at a better time, as Diggs honored the Vikings legend on a night when Moss was in the house to be inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor. Diggs hit Moss’ classic Splitting the Defense celebration, then went right into a Milly Rock.

3. Odell Beckham Jr. performs CPR on the ball

Sadly, this is the last Beckham celebration we’ll see this year. He’s been placed on IR after having season-ending surgery to repair a broken ankle he suffered in Week 5 against the Chargers. But this was a good one.

4. Tyreek Hill makes a phone call

We don’t know who he’s calling. Saul? Ghostbusters? Carly Rae Jepsen? It doesn’t matter. It’s a fun celebration.

5. Myles Garrett celebrates his first sack with a nod to J.R. Smith

What a way to make his entrance into the NFL.

6. Kareem Hunt takes a nap in the end zone

Playing football is hard work, and everybody needs a nap now and then. Kareem Hunt caught up on some hard-earned rest after scoring a touchdown against the Eagles by catching some Z’s in the end zone.

7. Kenny Stills does his best LaDainian Tomlinson impression

After scoring a touchdown against the Chargers, Stills’ celebration was an homage to Chargers great LaDainian Tomlinson. Tomlinson was even in the house to see it happen.

8. Browns tight end David Njoku spikes the ball into his own butt

This was probably an unintended consequence, but it was hilarious.

9. GRONK SPIKE from Jadeveon Clowney

Clowney celebrated his pick-six against Tom Brady and the Patriots in the best possible way.

10. Travis Kelce’s got moves

Technically this could be a group celebration, but Kelce steals the show, so he’s getting the solo nod here.

11. Charcandrick West’s sassy dance

There’s something to be said for a good old-fashioned touchdown celebration dance. That’s what West gave us in the Chiefs’ win over the Texans in Week 5.

12. Tie - Mack Hollins and Mark Ingram are both Backpack Kid

Much like Backpack Kid stole Katy Perry’s spotlight on Saturday Night Live, these guys tried to show each other up with their own versions of Backpack Kid’s dance.

13. Stefon Diggs punts a ball to Mars

We need to ask Marquette King to analyze Diggs’ form, but he gets some pretty good air under this one.

14. Cam Newton brought back the dab

Newton said the dab was dead, then proved the dab can never die.

15. Cam’s really got to expand his repertoire

All of this buildup for his same old Superman celebration. Sigh.

16. Yeah, we don’t even know

What’s this celebration? We have no idea.

Basketball-related category

1. Demetrius Harris shoots a free throw while Tyreek Hill plays the part of the hoop

The Chiefs made another strong case in favor of group celebrations in their season-opening win over the Patriots. Harris got into the end zone, and his teammates joined him for a little basketball-themed celebration.

2. Devonta Freeman shoots a free throw

These basketball-themed celebrations are pretty popular. Freeman scored two touchdowns in Atlanta’s Week 2 win over the Packers, and he celebrated his first score by shooting a free throw through his teammate Andy Levitre’s arms. NBC celebrated, too, by playing the old NBA on NBC theme song.

3. Vintage Vernon Davis

Davis has to be so happy he won’t get fined for this one anymore.