NFL Season Recap


On Sunday the NFL season drew to a conclusion. It was, as ever, full of some surprising outcomes, including those that made the playoff field. Here's some of my observations from a terrific day of games.

* San Diego collapsed. There was a point a few weeks ago when the Chargers seemed to be out of things, but then they rallied. A win in Baltimore and then a great comeback over the 49ers had them poised to return to the playoffs. They controlled their own destiny. But Sunday in Kansas City, the magic ended.

* Baltimore backs in. Yes, technically they won. But the team struggled against the Browns' third-string QB on an offense that lacked Josh Gordon. The Ravens have not looked good this season and might struggle mightily against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

* Atlanta fails to show up. The Falcons have been an awful team all season, but they came into the game 5-0 against the NFC South. All they needed was a home win against division foe Carolina to eek into the playoffs. Instead, they suffered a 34-3 route that ended their season and cost Mike Smith his job.

* Teams rally for coaches, except in Chicago. Both the 49ers and Jets delivered nice wins for their outgoing coaches, but not the Bears. Mark Trestman's offense mustered just nine points against the Vikings, a fitting end for a lost season. In August, the Bears looked poised for an offensive break out. But it just never happened.

* Hope for the future. Both the Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans missed the playoffs, but both finished nice seasons at 9-7 thanks to defense. With a bit of help on offense, both teams could be in playoff contention next season.

Check back for my full playoff predictions on Saturday!

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