NFL 2009 Season Wrap-up

Boy, this was a crazy season, wasn't it?:

I Guess We Saw This Coming:
Indianapolis Colts
Did anyone really think things would be different this season? Sure, Jim Caldwell is in his first year as their head coach, but it isn't like they just grabbed some guy off the street. He spent the six previous seasons on the Colts coaching staff. Of course, there are those who say Peyton Manning is the real coach of the team. The may be true of how the offense plays on the field, since he makes so many adjustments and play changes at the line, but it's Caldwell and his staff that had to get this team prepared every week. He had a team that has been great every regular season, that hes been with for six seasons already, and that he simply had to prepare for every game. Going 14-0 may have been a surprise only in that they played so many close games. Really, the Colts have been the best team in their division for years, and the winningest team of the decade. As long as they keep things together, they should be expected to be the NFL's best team almost every year.



New Orleans Saints
The Saints have been a power in the NFC for a couple of years, it's just that no one realized it. In 2007, they were just putting things together and went 7-9. Injuries kept their offense from clicking in 2008, but they still managed to make it to 8-8, which was acutally worst in the NFC South. Now, with the offense having time to work together and being mostly healthy, the results should have been no surprise. Drew Brees has been a Pro Bowl caliber QB for a long time now. Reggie Bush may not be the running back he was expected to be, but he's shown he can be great on outside runs and receiving out of the backfield. Every one of their receivers is a threat on every play. Certainly, 13-0 should have been no surprise. What is a surprise is the 0-3 stretch to finish the season. It's a concern going into the playoffs, but considering starters were rested in the final game, probably shouldn't be a big one.

Surprise, Surprise, Surprise!:
Pittsburgh Steelers
You would think that winning a Super Bowl would make your team a power the following season. The Steelers didn't get the message. They began the season with no running game, but still managed to win a few games. They looked like they might take a Wild Card spot after everyone realized the Bengals were good again. Then they hit an 0-5 stretch that saw them lose to such teams as the Cleveland Browns, Oakland Raiders, and Kansas City Chiefs. They came back to win their final three games, but it wasn't enough. Tiebreakers left them and their 9-7 record out of the playoffs. At least it's a good arguement for parity in the NFL.

NY Jets
Bringing in a head coach with no head coaching experience to lead a team with a rookie QB who only started 16 games in college looked like a big gamble. The pressure to compete in the AFC East made it look even riskier. A 3-0 start looked like things were paying off. Then they hit that 1-6 stretch, and it looked like their season was over. Somehow they turned things back around, finishing the season on a 5-1 run to edge out the Texans and Steelers for the Wild Card. Some people expected the Jets to make the playoffs. Most thought they'd be right around 8-8, and that wouldn't be goog enough. Sure the Jets got a lot of help the last two weeks, and not just from opponents. Every team they needed to lose in Week 16 lost. You could look at almost any point of the season and say the Jets wouldn't make the postseason. The fact is, others teams didn't get it done, and the Jets did. That's what really matters in the end.

Whatever Happened to Those Guys:
Denver Broncos
Wow, that 6-0 start was something, wasn't it? They sure looked like a playoff team, maybe even Super Bowl! Then what happened? Oh, right, they lost four straight, then dropped another four straight to end the season. I admit it, I bought high on the Broncos. They looked like they had things figured out. They got rid of Jay Cutler. I was happy for them! Somewhere along the way, they came full circle and went back to what they were to start the season: A teams that looked like it was falling apart. Brandon Marshall looks like he'll be gone by next season. Their running back aren't exactly Pro Bowl caliber, and aren't even all that good at staying healthy. Could they be good next season? Sure. But it will take a lot of work.

Tennessee Titans
From 13-3 and the top seed in the AFC, to an 0-6 start. It was craziness in Tennessee this season. The Titans looked like they couldn't beat anyone. They got blown out in New England. They could barely find the end zone in other games. The Titans may have made a spectacular comback, going 8-2 afte rtheir bye week to almost make the playoffs, but they were doomed from the start. Kerry Collins couldn't bring back the magic he had last season. Their defense was porous. The loses they took in those first six games destroyed most of their hopes of winning tiebreakers in the end, had they come up. The fact that Vince Young came in and turned the team around shows they can still compete next season, but going from the best in the AFC to 0-6 has to hurt as players, fans, and members of the organization in general.

Week 16 Picks:
Straight up: 11-4, 149-89 overall
ATS: 8-7, 127-107-4 overall
o/u: 9-6, 114-120-4 overall

Week 17 Picks:
Straight up: 9-7, 158-96 overall
ATS: 6-9-1, 133-116-5 overall
o/u: 7-8, 121-128-4 overall

Questions for the post/offseason:
Who will the St Louis Rams draft first overall?
With their loss in Week 17, the Rams locked up the first overall pick. A lot has been made of DT Ndamukong Suh, and rightly so. He probably was the best player in college football this year, even though he didn't win the Heisman Trophy. The only problem is that the Rams don't need a D-lineman. What they need is a quarterback. They played this season with Marc Bulger, Kyle Boller, and Keith Null under center. None of them are a franchise QB. So what do the Rams do? Do they pick the best player in college football at a position they don't need? Or do they do the smart thing and draft a QB that can make them a winning team again?

Who gets fired?
In the first day after the season, Jim Zorn was fired by the Washington Redskins, defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan was fired by the NY Giants, and the Buffalo Bills fired their entire coaching staff, though interim-head coach Perry Fewell will be allowed to interview to get the job permanently. So who goes next? The Brown's four game win streak to finish the season, their first streak that long since 1994, may let Eric Mangini keep his job. Al Davis is taking a week to consider things before deciding on the fate of Tom Cable with the Raiders. And Wade Phillips looks like he saved his job by turning the Cowboys December woes around and making the playoffs as the NFC East champs. He could still be gone with a first round exit, though. With coaches like Bill Cowher and Mike Shanahan available, along with top coordinators and college coaches, almost no ones job is safe, though.

Who wins the Super Bowl?
Of course thats the biggest question right now. The Colts are the favorite right now, but they have a habit of choking in the playoffs, especially if the Chargers are involved. The Jets are the longshot, with some odds as high as 45-1. They were a longshot to even make the playoffs, and they got in by the skin of their teeth. The point is, anything can happen in the playoffs. You can't have a bad game and bounce back next week, because if you have a bad game, there probably isn't going to be a next week. At this point, one player getting injured could end a teams entire season. If I had to pick, I'd say the Vikings are winning it all this year.