Black to Move, what's the best move, and why?

I was Black in this game and I couldn't figure out a good move here. My goal is to try and learn how to look at a position and figure out the candidate moves, and the best candidate move (or at least a really good one). The two passed pawns (3?) seem really good for Black. The Knight on e5 is menacing, and potentially preventing Black from advancing the b-pawn in addition to reaching far into Black's camp. The Rook on a8 is threatened. At this point I cannot tell who is better, if anyone, and how to recognize the best move(s). Thanks for any help.

There is no saving the rook, so no sense if worrying about it.  Black still has HUGE advantages in this position:

Passed pawns.

Back rank threats.

1...fe5 threatening to create another passed pawn. 2.Qa8 ed4 Normally opening the position would not be avisable, but here i think i works.  White cant take the pawn due to the threat of mate on the back rank. 3.Qa7 Why not... 3...d3 With 3 passed pawns.

Thanks for your comments!

My first thought was 1...Nd7, intending to defend the rook and then winning the knight, without realizing that the knight was the only current defender of the bishop in a6. But this move turns out to be even worse than i thought, because offers white the option to perform a smothered mate.

1...Nd7?? 2.Qd5+ Kh8 3.Nf7+ Kg8 4.Nh6+ Kh8 (4...Kf8 Qf7#) 5.Qg8+ Rxg8 6.Nf7#

I only want to share this interesting feature about the position. 

I like your post!

It shows how we all "see" things differently, or just see things that are wrong.  Props for posting this!

With 2...Re6 though the smothered mate option is gone (2...Re6 3. Qxe6+ Kh8 4. Nf7+ Kg7 5. Nh6+ Kh8 but not 6. Qxg7+? Qxg7 and no checkmate after 7. Nf7+) but it's checkmate from another angle anyway after 5. Nxd8+ and mate next turn in both variants.

1.fe5-Qa8 2.Qd7-Qf3 3.ed4 [ knight and 2 pawns against a rook and black has 3 passed pawns

Qc7

If queen takes rook on A8, Bishop goes goes on b7. Any other moves gets the knight

1.fxe5,2.Qxa8, and the game is even, because there is three passed pawns on the queen side.

1...Nd7 is what I played, and lost with. Reading these comments it would seem I incorrectly placed too much value on the a8-Rook. I tried too hard to find a way to save the Rook. As was pointed out, I should have figured the point/position tally after removing the e5-Knight and the a8-Rook. And looked for the third passed pawn. One of my difficulties is not being able to assess a situation for what is really there. thanks for all the comments!

It's a pity that there had to be a mate, or saving the rook is good.

By the way, what were the preceding moves for that game?

Yes. It would seem I have a lot to learn!

That comment just makes you like the rest if us :-)

I guess if I was good enough to know how to analyze this position and choose the correct move, I wouldn't likely have ended up in this position in the first place, ha!