It’s been a pretty tumultuous year in the NFL. Only two teams won 13 or more games (New England & Atlanta). A sub .500 team (Seattle) made the playoffs. All in all there are five new teams that are in the playoffs this year. Each one, even Seattle, has a legitimate shot at winning the Super Bowl. Instead of looking back at what happened in Week 17, I’m going to look back at the entire season. It’s a mix of the good, the bad and the ugly moments of the 2010 NFL season.
The catch that never was will define the Detroit Lions 2010 season. Calvin Johnson to everyone, but the rulebook of the NFL, caught the go-ahead touchdown against the Chicago Bears. The rule is stupid, but the rule was correct. Memo to the competition committee: we don’t need stupid rules.
A quarterback controversy turned into a blessing for the Philadelphia Eagles. Michael Vick replaced an injured Kevin Kolb. Since then the Eagles clinched the division and Vick seems to be a different man on and off the field. Comeback player of the year and possibly the MVP award are his this season.
The Dallas Cowboys showed who they actually were in the beginning of the season. A flawed team. Having talent on paper doesn’t translate to the field of play. It seemed to be a matter of time before the Cowboys would implode, but no one expected it in the first game.
The Minnesota Vikings were beginning to show signs that they were going to have a rougher ride in 2010. They were outplayed in their home opener against Miami and everyone began to whisper if it was such a good idea for Brett Favre to come back. Those whispers became very loud by mid-season.
A lot of folks including myself had the Houston Texans as an up and coming team. I didn’t have them making the playoffs, but I did see them being contenders for most of the season. After the way they started with an impressive home opening win against Indianapolis and a come from behind victory at Washington, who thought they would self-destruct?
Two teams that weren’t in the playoffs last year, Kansas City and Pittsburgh had started out 3-0. Pittsburgh didn’t have Ben Roethlisberger for their first four games and Kansas City was essentially the same team from a year ago. Both are in the playoffs this year and at this point we were wondering just how good they could be.
Donovan McNabb returned to Philadelphia and beat his former team in Redskins red. Granted Michael Vick was out for most of the game, but McNabb had taken to his former team and won the game. I, like everyone else was wondering why San Francisco was playing so badly. I still haven’t figured it out at this point, but they are starting over, so I guess there were a lot of problems.
The New York Giants defense had returned to their old form. They were sacking opposing quarterbacks left and right. We thought they would take that momentum all the way to the playoffs. Sad to say they faltered again in December. Brett Favre had a new teammate (Randy Moss) and a new problem. Come to find out that not cooperating with the NFL will only cost you 50,000 dollars. That’s all I have to say about that.
The NFC was mired in mediocrity at this point in the season. Ben Roethlisberger returned and had the ideal opponent for his first game. Cleveland didn’t lie down, but Big Ben couldn’t have asked for an easier transition. The NFL was starting to fine players left and right for what they saw as “dirty” hits. As of now they still haven’t clarified enough as to what is and isn’t a “dirty” hit.
We started to think the defending champion New Orleans Saints were going to falter. Pittsburgh gets a break thanks to inconclusive evidence playing in Miami. The Oakland Raider impressed a lot of people with their blowout victory in Denver. Everyone except Al Davis who is looking for another head coach.
I had the Chicago Bears in my “ugly” section for the half-way point in the season. That was a mistake. Tennessee and Miami were in my “good” section. An even bigger mistake.
The only highlight for the Vikings and really Brett Favre’s season was seeing the “old gunslinger” lead the Vikings to a come from behind victory over the Arizona Cardinals. Oakland was near the top of the division with a victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. Jerry Jones fired Wade Phillips after saying he wasn’t just a few weeks before.
The best hail-mary pass in recent memory happened in Jacksonville. If you don’t remember, youtube it. Washington made another in a long line of stupid moves this year by giving Donovan McNabb a contract extension when they clearly didn’t want him. I had no idea who was the best team and still don’t. I have to wait til February.
Vince Young had an injury on the field, but let his emotions get the best of him off the field and it could cost him his position in Tennessee going forward. Brad Childress was fired and thus ended one of the weirdest coaching tenures in recent memory.
I thought the San Diego Chargers would make a late season push and be tied with the Kansas City Chiefs when they met again. It didn’t happen. The Atlanta Falcons and Chicago Bears were positioning themselves for a playoff push.
Troy Polamalu cemented himself as the most disruptive defensive player in the NFL with what he did at the end of the road win against Baltimore. I answered the question of what was wrong with Peyton Manning. I think it worked. Denver fired Josh McDaniels and now John Elway might be walking through that door. Actually it’s as an executive not a quarterback.
I argued why the NFC West deserved a playoff team, but now I can’t defend it. The New York Jets have a flaw, but it only shows every once in a while. Brett Favre’s streak ended and the world didn’t seem to care. Nah, unfortunately they did, but I still opined briefly about it.
Tim Tebow debuted and it wasn’t as bad as what most had expected. I highlighted nine games that would have major playoff implications or were really good games to watch.
New Orleans returned to form and are ready to defend their title. I lay out what the 49ers gameplan is for the next season. Tom Brady will be the MVP this season. Put his name on the trophy, it’s over.
Thank you for checking in during the season. There will be more for the playoffs and Super Bowl.
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