Creative Misfortune - Season 3 Sign-Off

The third of Creative Misfortune’s blog seasons has finally come to an end. As we await the results of the NFL Draft in April, Creative Misfortune will now head into its offseason.

Creative Misfortune will return in the fall once the NFL has resumed practices under the August sun. For now, go out and enjoy your spring and summer! Do not long for the passing of days until the NFL returns. Laugh and live life to its fullest.

After all, life is about making some things happen, not waiting for something to happen.

May your Creativity know no bounds and

May Misfortune and Folly never find you!

Tournament of Past Champions - 2013 Title Defense of the '99 St. Louis Rams

During the Spring of 2011, 128 of the greatest teams in football history came together and competed in Creative Misfortune’s Tournament of Past Champions. The tournament, comprised of 35 league champions (teams from the NFL, AFL and AAFC, who won their titles between 1941 and 1965), 45 Super Bowl champions, 45 Super Bowl runner-ups looking for redemption and 3 wild-cards pulled from the ranks of those modern-era teams so great during the regular season the football world was shocked when they did not make it to the Super Bowl (the 1998 Minnesota Vikings, the 2005 Indianapolis Colts and the 1987 San Francisco 49ers), proved to be a grueling task for all but the hardiest of teams.

In a single elimination tournament, with virtual game results determined by What If Sports computer simulations, 128 of the greatest teams in football history fought for supremacy and only one team – the 1999 St. Louis Rams, aka The Greatest Show on Turf – emerged victorious.

The road to the title for St. Louis was not an easy one. The Rams opened their tournament with a dominating 21-13 victory over the 1958 Baltimore Colts and really hit their stride in the second round when they absolutely crushed the 2001 New England Patriots, 29-12, in a matchup where they won every possible simulated game and avenged a real-world loss by the 2001 St. Louis Rams in the process.

St. Louis struggled mightily against the ’95 Cowboys in round three, advancing despite winning less than half of the simulations, but managed to find their high gear again when they defeated the 1962 Packers in their Fortunate 16 matchup, 21-14.

The Greatest Show on Turf punched their ticket to the Elite 4 with a gutty, one-point victory over the #1 seeded, 1985 Chicago Bears and then rolled into the title game after defeating Brett Favre and the 1996 Green Bay Packers. A victory over the 1979 Pittsburgh Steelers completed St. Louis’ championship run.

Three years removed from their outstanding Tournament of Past Champions victory, two new upstarts are set to challenge the ‘99 Rams for the title of greatest team ever – this season’s Super Bowl entrants, the 2013 Denver Broncos and the 2013 Seattle Seahawks.

The Tournament of Past Champions games are played using the What If Sports SimMatchups software (try it for yourself here) that allows you to simulate historical games as many times as you would like with teams using different “offensive playbooks” while competing in both home, away or neutral game sites. To determine the title defense results, each matchup will be based on the result of 20 head-to-head simulations.

For example, to decide who would prevail – the 1959 Baltimore Colts or the 2009 Indianapolis Colts, 20 game simulations will be run – 10 at the home stadium of the ’59 Colts and 10 at the home stadium of the 2009 Colts.

Each of those 10 simulations will be broken down into “playbook” matchups in order to better gauge the overall strength and weaknesses of each team taking part in the tournament. The What If Sports game engine provides four separate playbook options – Balanced, Run Heavy, Pass Heavy and West Coast style. Over the course of a single, 20-game sim matchup, teams will play eight Balanced sims, four Pass Heavy sims, four Run Heavy sims and four West Coast style sims.

The final score for each team in the virtual matchup will be the average of the team’s scores over the course of all 20 simulations. The higher average “wins” the virtual matchup. In case teams are tied after 20 simulations, an additional 10 overtime sims, five at each team’s home stadium, will be played until one winner emerges. 

Results for each virtual matchup are recorded as follows:

                                                          

			1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
		1959 Baltimore Colts	7	7	10	0	24
		2009 Indianapolis Colts	7	7	0	7	21
		*Baltimore won 14 of 20 simulations

Now, without further ado, the 1999 St. Louis Rams defend their Tournament of Past Champions title against this year’s Super Bowl teams…

1999 St. Louis Rams vs 2013 Denver Broncos

			1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
		2013 Denver Broncos	0	7	0	14	21
		1999 St. Louis Rams	7	3	14	0	24
		*St. Louis won 10 of 20 simulations

   
            The Broncos stayed close with the Rams until halftime, then stumbled after the break. Peyton Manning led them down the field and threatened in the 4th quarter, but it was too little, too late and Denver fell short of dethroning the Greatest Show on Turf.  

1999 St. Louis Rams vs 2013 Seattle Seahawks

			1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
		2013 Seattle Seahawks	0	7	10	0	17
		1999 St. Louis Rams	0	7	3	10	20
		*St. Louis won 11 of 20 simulations

            Seattle fared slightly better against the Rams and played them dead even through the first half. The Seahawks even managed to take the lead into the 4th Quarter, but could not hold on to it when their offense sputtered in the final stanza. Kurt Warner led the Rams to two late scores to overtake the Seahawks and retain their title as the greatest statistical team of all time.

Congratulations again to the 1999 St. Louis Rams.

Still Creative Misfortune’s reigning Champion of Champions.

           


On Friday, the final blog announcement of Creative Misfortune’s third season…

Season Recap - 2013 Seattle Seahawks

Seattle Seahawks



Final Record: 13-3 (3-0)
Finished: 1st Place in the NFC West
2014 Draft Position: 32nd

Preseason Ranking: 3

Week 1: Defeated the Carolina Panthers, 12-7
    Ranked - 2
    It's always difficult to win on the road in the NFL, even more so for a West Coast team traveling back east. The Seahawks proved they can win a close, grind-it-out kind of game last weekend. Now they need to show they can win the shoot-outs as well.

Week 2: Defeated the San Francisco 49ers, 29-3
    Ranked - 2
    The Seahawks are now the team to beat in the NFC after they gave the league a perfect outline of how to shutdown Colin Kaepernick and the 49ers.

Week 3: Defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars, 45-17
    Ranked - 2
    The Seahawks are the only team playing remotely close to the level of the Broncos right now. With the rest of their division falling apart, the Seahawks are already playing for the NFC's #1 overall seed in the playoffs.

Week 4: Defeated the Houston Texans, 23-20
    Ranked - 2
    If anybody out there was wondering if Seattle could win a close game, on the road, against a good team… now we know.

Week 5: Lost at the Indianapolis Colts, 34-28
    Ranked - 5
    A tough road loss to the Colts has the Seahawks flying wounded, but they are still a game up in the division and still one of the best teams in the NFC.

Week 6: Defeated the Tennessee Titans, 20-13
    Ranked - 3
    Seattle rebounds from their loss last week with a servicable win at home.

Week 7: Defeated the Arizona Cardinals, 34-22
    Ranked - 2
    The Seahawks defense gives them the edge over the Broncos.

Week 8: Defeated the St. Louis Rams, 14-9
    Ranked - 3
    I think everybody expected more out of Seattle on Monday Night.

Week 9: Defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 27-24
    Ranked - 2
    The greatest comeback in Seattle's history should be a point of concern for the Seahawks. They never should have been down 21 points to the winless Buccaneers.

Week 10: Defeated the Atlanta Falcons, 33-10
    Ranked - 2
    The class of the NFC, Seattle now has a two-game lead in the race for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Week 11: Defeated the Minnesota Vikings, 41-20
    Ranked - 1
    The first team to 10 wins, the Seahawks can relax during their bye week. A couple wins and they clinch the division. Another one or two and they clinch home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. It's nice in Seattle these days!

Week 12: BYE WEEK
    Ranked - 1
    A bye week and an extra day to prepare should give Seattle more than enough opportunity to gain a complete stranglehold of home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs… unless Drew Brees has something to say about it.

Week 13: Defeated the New Orleans Saints, 34-7
    Ranked - 1
    An earthquake? Talk about home-field advantage. No team wants to travel to Seattle in January, but it now looks like the NFC road to the Super Bowl will have to go through the Emerald City.

Week 14: Lost at the San Francisco 49ers, 19-17
    Ranked - 2
    Despite the loss to the 49ers, Seattle is still very much the team to beat in the NFC.

Week 15: Defeated the New York Giants, 23-0
    Ranked - 1
    Seattle is winning with solid, all-around good football… but that loss to San Francisco a few weeks ago has created some doubt about their ability to make the Super Bowl. Clinching home-field advantage throughout the playoffs will certainly help their cause.

Week 16: Lost to the Arizona Cardinals, 17-10
    Ranked - 2
    If the Seahawks win this weekend, they clinch the division and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs… a loss to the Rams and the Seahawks could fall as far as the NFC's 5th seed.

Week 17: Defeated the St. Louis Rams, 27-9
    Ranked - 2
    After nearly letting it slip away, the Seattle Seahawks can rely on the Twelfth Man throughout the playoffs.

Wild Card Round: BYE WEEK
    Ranked - 2
    Seattle looked like a lock for the Super Bowl just a few weeks ago, but some weak games down the stretch have created doubt.

Divisional Round: Defeated the New Orleans Saints, 23-15
    Ranked - 2
    Nigh unstoppable at home early in the season, the Seahawks better hope their offense can find a second gear against the 49ers defense.

Championship Round: Defeated the San Francisco 49ers, 23-17
    Ranked - 2
    The Seahawks are still a young, although dominant, team. They will need to play far closer to perfect than they have the last few weeks of the season and in the playoffs so far if they hope to even stay close with Denver. The offense will not be able to outgun Peyton Manning, so the defense has to step up if they want to bring the championship trophy home.

Super Bowl XLVIII: Defeated the Denver Broncos, 43-8

Final Ranking: 1


Tomorrow, the Super Bowl XLVIII teams, the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks face off against the reigning Creative Misfortune 'Tournament of Past Champions' Champion, the 1999 St. Louis Rams, to see if either of them can defeat The Greatest Show on Turf...

Season Recap - 2013 Denver Broncos

Denver Broncos



Final Record: 13-3 (2-1)
Finished: 1st Place in the AFC West
2014 Draft Position: 31st

Preseason Ranking: 1

Week 1: Defeated the Baltimore Ravens, 49-27
    Ranked - 1
    Enough can't be said about Manning's performance on opening night. And now that he has a solid defense to get him the ball back, few teams will be able to hang with the Broncos over four quarters.

Week 2: Defeated the New York Giants, 41-23
    Ranked - 1
    Peyton once again reigns supreme in the Manning Bowl. Too bad he can't really enjoy the victory like he would like to. The best part about this game for Denver? They won with a running game, defense and great special teams. Who needs 7 TDs from Manning when you can play such well-rounded football?

Week 3: Defeated the Oakland Raiders, 37-21
    Ranked - 1
    Outstanding, record-breaking offense. Stout, solid defense. Great home-field advantage. Can anything stop the Broncos?

Week 4: Defeated the Philadelphia Eagles, 52-20
    Ranked - 1
    If they do get to 14-0, I really hope the Broncos don't bench Manning and try to save him for the playoffs. History shows that just doesn't work. Go for perfection!

Week 5: Defeated the Dallas Cowboys, 51-48
    Ranked - 1
    Denver scoring 51 points on the road is no surprise… their defense giving up 48 points, however, is a bit of a concern. As the weather grows colder, the Broncos will need their defense to step up if they don't want to stumble late in the season.

Week 6: Defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars, 35-19
    Ranked - 1
    It might be harder for the Broncos to remain undefeated until they face off against the Chiefs in week 11, but I have no reason to believe that both teams won't be 9-0 going into that epic divisional matchup.

Week 7: Lost at the Indianapolis Colts, 39-33
    Ranked - 3
    It doesn't do any good for your offense to average 35 points a game if your defense starts giving up 40 points a game.

Week 8: Defeated the Washington Redskins, 45-21
    Ranked - 2
    Don't make Peyton Manning angry… nobody can erase a two-touchdown deficit faster.

Week 9: BYE WEEK
    Ranked - 3
    With Coach Fox out now for a while it will be interesting to see how the well-oiled Broncos offensive machine runs under the direction of Jack Del Rio.

Week 10: Defeated the San Diego Chargers, 28-20
    Ranked - 3
    The Broncos can reclaim their spot as the top-ranked team in the AFC with a win over the Chiefs next Sunday night.

Week 11: Defeated the Kansas City Chiefs, 27-17
    Ranked - 2
    A big win by the Broncos over the Chiefs, but their remaining schedule is far from easy.

Week 12: Lost at the New England Patriots, 34-31
    Ranked - 2
    The Broncos may have lossed in New England, but they learned two very powerful lessons in that game… 1) they can run the ball effectively even when the passing game struggles and 2) take the wind!

Week 13: Defeated the Kansas City Chiefs, 35-28
    Ranked - 2
    The division is all but theirs. Now they just have to secure home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Week 14: Defeated the Tennessee Titans, 51-28
    Ranked - 1
    Does anybody doubt that Denver will be representing the AFC in the Super Bowl?

Week 15: Lost to the San Diego Chargers, 27-20
    Ranked - 2
    Did San Diego give the rest of the league a blueprint on how to stop Denver's nigh unstoppable offense?

Week 16: Defeated the Houston Texans, 37-13
    Ranked - 1
    The Broncos have clinched the AFC West division and a first-round bye. A win this week or a loss by the Patriots gives them home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Week 17: Defeated the Oakland Raiders, 34-14
    Ranked - 1
    It's a Super Bowl Championship or bust for the Denver Broncos. Anything short of that will be a great disappointment.

Wild Card Round: BYE WEEK
    Ranked - 1
    Twice this season the Denver Broncos have been held to less than 400 yards of offense. Both times came against the San Diego Chargers. Will the Broncos be able to break that trend or will Peyton Manning once again fail in a Divisional round playoff game at home?

Divisional Round: Defeated the San Diego Chargers, 24-17
    Ranked - 1
    Manning vs Brady on the biggest possible AFC stage. The pressure is all on the Broncos in this contest.

Championship Round: Defeated the New England Patriots, 26-16
    Ranked - 1
    The greatest quarterback of our era at the helm of the greatest offense in the history of the league. The stars have aligned for Peyton Manning to silence all doubters with another Super Bowl win... or give them more ammunition should he fail to deliver once again on the NFL's biggest stage. Denver has the offensive firepower to overcome Seattle's defense and the defensive fortitude to keep Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch in check. If Denver plays like it is capable of, it will be a very long day for the Seahawks and their fans.

Super Bowl XLVIII: Lost to the Seattle Seahawks, 43-8

Final Ranking: 2

Tomorrow, the 2013 Champion Seattle Seahawks...

Season Recap - 2013 San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco 49ers



Final Record: 12-4 (2-1)
Finished: 2nd Place in the NFC West
2014 Draft Position: 30th

Preseason Ranking: 5

Week 1: Defeated the Green Bay Packers, 34-28
    Ranked - 4
    The 49ers handled the Packers with relative ease, considering how good of a team Green Bay is.

Week 2: Lost at the Seattle Seahawks, 29-3
    Ranked - 24
    I don't care how good you were last week, you don't get blown up by your #1 division rival on national TV. The 49ers looked about as bad as a team could look in the second half after keeping the game close early.

Week 3: Lost to the Indianapolis Colts, 27-7
    Ranked - 26
    10 points in the last two games? Nobody knows what is going on with the 49ers these days.

Week 4: Defeated the St. Louis Rams, 35-11
    Ranked - 18
    The win over the Rams was a good first step towards righting the ship.

Week 5: Defeated the Houston Texans, 34-3
    Ranked - 8
    Looks like the 49ers have moved past their early season woes.

Week 6: Defeated the Arizona Cardinals, 32-20
    Ranked - 7
    Now the 49ers are playing like they did a year ago, but they always seem to make things a bit more difficult than they need to be.

Week 7: Defeated the Tennessee Titans, 31-17
    Ranked - 6
    Four straight wins have the 49ers confident again, but they still haven't quite got the passing game figured out yet this season.

Week 8: Defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars, 42-10
    Ranked - 5
    The 49ers have quietly won six straight games…

Week 9: BYE WEEK
    Ranked - 6
    Refreshed from a bye week after six straight victories, the 49ers are ready to make their mark in the second half of the season.

Week 10: Lost to the Carolina Panthers, 10-9
    Ranked - 8
    Just when you think everything is starting to go San Francisco's way, the 49ers get schooled at home after a bye week.

Week 11: Lost at the New Orleans Saints, 23-20
    Ranked - 9
    The 49ers have fallen into a dogfight for an NFC Wild Card spot.

Week 12: Defeated the Washington Redskins, 27-6
    Ranked - 7
    After a few rough weeks, San Francisco seems to have gotten back on course, but the passing game is still an issue and the biggest reason they will be nothing more than a wild card at best.

Week 13: Defeated the St. Louis Rams, 23-13
    Ranked - 7
    Too little, too late for the division, but they control their own destiny when it comes to grabbing one of the NFC's Wild Card spots.

Week 14: Defeated the Seattle Seahawks, 19-17
    Ranked - 7
    A huge win over the Seahawks has given the 49ers complete control over their own Wild Card destiny.

Week 15: Defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 33-14
    Ranked - 4
    The 49ers are quietly picking up steam as they march towards the playoffs…

Week 16: Defeated the Atlanta Falcons, 34-24
    Ranked - 5
    The 49ers are in the playoffs… they can steal a first-round bye if they win and the Seahawks lose. If they win and both Seattle and Carolina lose, the 49ers will become the NFC's top seed in the playoffs.

Week 17: Defeated the Arizona Cardinals, 23-20
    Ranked - 5
    The quietest of the NFC's 12 win teams, the 49ers have a chance to defend their NFC title from a year ago.

Wild Card Round: Defeated the Green Bay Packers, 23-20
    Ranked - 5
    The 49ers played an ugly football game last week in Green Bay, but they overcame the elements and were able to move on. Weather should not be an issue in Carolina, but that Panthers D might be.

Divisional Round: Defeated the Carolina Panthers, 23-10
    Ranked - 3
    The 49ers dominated their game against the Panthers last week in Carolina. The Seahawks will be a much harder team to get by on the road.

Championship Round: Lost at the Seattle Seahawks, 23-17

Final Ranking: 3

Next week, the 2013 season recaps finish up with the Super Bowl XLVIII teams, the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks. Then each of these teams face off against the reigning Creative Misfortune 'Tournament of Past Champions' Champion, the 1999 St. Louis Rams, to see if either of them can defeat The Greatest Show on Turf...

Season Recap - 2013 New England Patriots

New England Patriots



Final Record: 12-4 (1-1)
Finished: 1st Place in the AFC East
2014 Draft Position: 29th

Preseason Ranking: 2

Week 1: Defeated the Buffalo Bills, 23-21
    Ranked - 3
    At home or on the road, the Patriots should not need a last-second field goal in order to beat the Buffalo Bills. A quick turn-around against a hated rival should help them get their groove back… or knock them further off stride.

Week 2: Defeated the New York Jets, 13-10
    Ranked - 3
    If a receiver, besides Edelman, on this team could just catch, they'd be just fine.

Week 3: Defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 23-3
    Ranked - 4
    Despite all the missing parts, the Patriots just keep on winning.

Week 4: Defeated the Atlanta Falcons, 30-23
    Ranked - 5
    Brady is the definition of winner - no matter who he has around him, no matter how many times they drop the ball - he finds a way to lead his team to victory. It doesn't even matter who they are playing.

Week 5: Lost at the Cincinnati Bengals, 13-6
    Ranked - 6
    So much for keeping your TD streak alive, Brady. The schedule doesn't get any easier with the Saints coming to town.

Week 6: Defeated the New Orleans Saints, 30-27
    Ranked - 4
    Tom Brady beats Drew Brees for the first time since their college days. Great win by the Patriots, despite continuing to cobble together a receiving corps for Brady to play catch with.

Week 7: Lost at the New York Jets, 30-27
    Ranked - 7
    The Patriots are starting to crack under the pressure of playing with a bunch of no-name players. Even the great Gronkowski couldn't bail Brady out this week.

Week 8: Defeated the Miami Dolphins, 27-17
    Ranked - 7
    The Patriots are better than average, but are they really good?

Week 9: Defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers, 55-31
    Ranked - 4
    Finally, the juggernaut offense of old wakes from its slumber.

Week 10: BYE WEEK
    Ranked - 5
    The Patriots gained ground in the division during their bye week, but lost ground in the race for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Week 11: Lost at the Carolina Panthers, 24-20
    Ranked - 6
    Tough break to end the game against Carolina, but they should never have been in that situation to begin with.

Week 12: Defeated the Denver Broncos, 34-31
    Ranked - 5
    The Patriots are winning with no-name players, great coaching and outstanding, clutch play from the few superstars they do have left on the roster.

Week 13: Defeated the Houston Texans, 34-31
    Ranked - 4
    Brady just finds a way… but the Patriots should not have to rely on comeback magic in order to beat the worst team in the NFL.

Week 14: Defeated the Cleveland Browns, 27-26
    Ranked - 5
    Tom Brady continues to find a way to win… and with Gronk out the remainder of the season, he'll need to bring forth all the magic he can muster if he hopes to guide the Patriots deep into the playoffs.

Week 15: Lost at the Miami Dolphins, 24-20
    Ranked - 7
    The division is still theirs, but two straight losses and two wins by the Dolphins could have the Patriots limping into the playoffs as a Wild Card team.

Week 16: Defeated the Baltimore Ravens, 41-7
    Ranked - 3
    The Patriots are in the playoffs as the AFC East champion. They can clinch a first-round bye with a win or with losses by Cincinnati and Indianapolis. They can clinch home-field advantage throughout the playoffs with a win and a Denver loss this weekend.

Week 17: Defeated the Buffalo Bills, 34-20
    Ranked - 4
    Somehow the Patriots ended up being the second-best team in the AFC. With the establishment of their running game, who knows how far they can go.

Wild Card Round: BYE WEEK
    Ranked - 4
    The Patriots have had two weeks to align their mismatched offensive and defensive pieces. We'll see how well those changes hold up when Andrew Luck comes to town.

Divisional Round: Defeated the Indianapolis Colts, 43-22
    Ranked - 4
    The Patriots have proven they can run the ball quite impressively these past few weeks. The question is - can they run all the way to the Super Bowl?

Championship Round: Lost at the Denver Broncos, 26-16

Final Ranking: 4

Tomorrow, the 2013 San Francisco 49ers...

Season Recap - 2013 Carolina Panthers

Carolina Panthers



Final Record: 12-4 (0-1)
Finished: 1st Place in the NFC South
2014 Draft Position: 28th

Preseason Ranking: 20

Week 1: Lost to the Seattle Seahawks, 12-7
    Ranked - 30
    Sure, the Panthers took on the Seahawks, but even against Seattle Cam Newton and company should have been able to manage more than a single touchdown.

Week 2: Lost at the Buffalo Bills, 24-23
    Ranked - 27
    The Panthers have been close in both games this season, but they should be beyond losing those close games by now.

Week 3: Defeated the New York Giants, 38-0
    Ranked - 19
    Either the Giants are really that bad or the Panthers took a huge step forward last weekend. They still may be the odd team out of the division race, but they certainly have some confidence now.

Week 4: BYE WEEK
    Ranked - 21
    An early bye-week following a big win may be just what the Panthers needed to push for a wild card spot.

Week 5: Lost at the Arizona Cardinals, 22-6
    Ranked - 25
    Not a good showing coming out of the bye week. 6 points against the Cardinals? Looks like the Carolina offense better head back to the drawing board.

Week 6: Defeated the Minnesota Vikings, 35-10
    Ranked - 22
    Now that is how Carolina should have played coming out of the bye week last week. You can't tell me Arizona is a far superior team to Minnesota.

Week 7: Defeated the St. Louis Rams, 30-15
    Ranked - 15
    Still undecided if the Panthers are good this year or not.

Week 8: Defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 31-13
    Ranked - 11
    A big win on Thursday Night and a loss by the Falcons makes the Panthers the only team that can challenge New Orleans for the division title.

Week 9: Defeated the Atlanta Falcons, 34-10
    Ranked - 9
    The Panthers are quietly switching gears and charging towards the playoffs.

Week 10: Defeated the San Francisco 49ers, 10-9
    Ranked - 6
    Could the Panthers have the best defense in the NFL? Probably not, but they will need them to be as strong as possible if they hope to compete with the high-powered offenses sure to have a spot in the NFC playoffs.

Week 11: Defeated the New England Patriots, 24-20
    Ranked - 5
    Cam Newton is a beast and quickly emerging as the best of the mobile quarterbacks. Don't underestimate Carolina's stout defense.

Week 12: Defeated the Miami Dolphins, 20-16
    Ranked - 6
    Cam Newton is willing this team into the playoffs.

Week 13: Defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 27-6
    Ranked - 3
    If the Panthers defense can duplicate next Sunday night what Seattle's defense did to the Saints on Monday, Cam Newton and company will be sitting in the catbird seat of the NFC South.

Week 14: Lost at the New Orleans Saints, 31-13
    Ranked - 6
    The winning streak has ended… but Carolina can still do a lot of damage in the postseason.

Week 15: Defeated the New York Jets, 30-20
    Ranked - 6
    If they want the division, they have to beat New Orleans this weekend.

Week 16: Defeated the New Orleans Saints, 17-13
    Ranked - 4
    The Panthers take the NFC South with a win or a Saints loss… they can take home-field advantage throughout the playoffs if they win and Seattle loses and San Francisco wins.

Week 17: Defeated the Atlanta Falcons, 21-20
    Ranked - 3
    The Panthers came out of nowhere and took home the division title and a first-round bye. Their defense will determine if they make it to the Super Bowl or not.

Wild Card Round: BYE WEEK
    Ranked - 3
    The 49ers are beaten up after last week's game and had trouble moving the ball against the Packers. The Panthers should have no problem winning this game as long as Cam Newton does not turn the ball over carelessly.

Divisional Round: Lost to the San Francisco 49ers, 23-10

Final Ranking: 5

Tomorrow, the 2013 New England Patriots...

Season Recap - 2013 New Orleans Saints

New Orleans Saints



Final Record: 11-5 (1-1)
Finished: 2nd Place in the NFC South
2014 Draft Position: 27th

Preseason Ranking: 19

Week 1: Defeated the Atlanta Falcons, 23-17
    Ranked - 9
    The Saints are off to a fast, strong start after knocking out their division rivals. If they can stay the course, they'll be on their way to the playoffs.

Week 2: Defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 16-14
    Ranked - 6
    When this defense limits the opposing team to just 14 points - 7, really, because of a pick-6 thrown by Brees - the offense should be able to win the game by more than a last-second field goal.

Week 3: Defeated the Arizona Cardinals, 31-7
    Ranked - 5
    If the Saints can continue to play defense - something sorely lacking last season - New Orleans should find themselves back in the playoffs come January.

Week 4: Defeated the Miami Dolphins, 38-17
    Ranked - 4
    The Saints keep on flying… and now they are playing defense, too.

Week 5: Defeated the Chicago Bears, 26-18
    Ranked - 3
    The only undefeated team left in the NFC, the Saints now have a commanding 4 game lead in their division. The number one overall seed is theirs to lose.

Week 6: Lost at the New England Patriots, 30-27
    Ranked - 5
    The Saints had the Patriots right until the very end, then they let it all slip away.

Week 7: BYE WEEK
    Ranked - 5
    Let's see if the Saints learned anything during their bye week after their horrible letdown against the Patriots in week 6.

Week 8: Defeated the Buffalo Bills, 35-17
    Ranked - 4
    Aside from a terrible sequence in New England, the Saints could be undefeated and they don't show any signs of slowing down.

Week 9: Lost at the New York Jets, 26-20
    Ranked - 7
    The Saints just can't win on the road against the AFC East.

Week 10: Defeated the Dallas Cowboys, 49-17
    Ranked - 4
    The scariest part about the Saints' win over Dallas on Sunday night was not that Drew Brees threw for nearly 400 yards and 4 touchdowns, it was that Pierre Thomas, Mark Ingram and Darren Sproles combined for 244 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns.

Week 11: Defeated the San Francisco 49ers, 23-20
    Ranked - 4
    New Orleans almost has to win in Seattle when they face off in a few weeks if they hope to have any chance of claiming home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Week 12: Defeated the Atlanta Falcons, 17-13
    Ranked - 3
    The Saints didn't have quite as long to prepare for their epic Monday Night matchup with the Seahawks as Seattle did, but they should come to the Pacific Northwest eager to silence the 12th Man.

Week 13: Lost at the Seattle Seahawks, 34-7
    Ranked - 5
    The Saints were absolutely manhandled by the Seahawks on Monday night. No other way to say it. They may have enough firepower to make it back to Seattle for the NFC Championship Game, but they could be a double-digit underdog going into that game.

Week 14: Defeated the Carolina Panthers, 31-13
    Ranked - 3
    Now that the bad taste of the Seattle loss is behind them, New Orleans needs to play perfect down the stretch if they want any shot at all of achieving home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Week 15: Lost at the St. Louis Rams, 27-16
    Ranked - 5
    If they want the division, they have to beat Carolina this weekend.

Week 16: Lost at the Carolina Panthers, 17-13
    Ranked - 8
    The Saints need a win or a loss by the Cardinals to get into the playoffs… if they win, they can still take the NFC South division and a first-round bye if Carolina also loses.

Week 17: Defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 42-17
    Ranked - 8
    The Saints have fallen off the NFC pace a bit in recent weeks and now their road to the Super Bowl has to most likely go through Philadelphia, Seattle and Carolina - by no means an easy path. If they can make it to the end, they will have truly earned their place in the championship game.

Wild Card Round: Defeated the Philadelphia Eagles, 26-24
    Ranked - 6
    The Saints played a cold weather game on the road and won. They will have to play absolutely perfect if they hope to walk out of Seattle this week with a win.

Divisional Round: Lost at the Seattle Seahawks, 23-15

Final Ranking: 6

Tomorrow, the 2013 Carolina Panthers...

Season Recap - 2013 Indianapolis Colts

Indianapolis Colts



Final Record: 11-5 (1-1)
Finished: 1st Place in the AFC South
2014 Draft Position: 26th (Pick traded to the Cleveland Browns)

Preseason Ranking: 13

Week 1: Defeated the Oakland Raiders, 21-17
    Ranked - 8
    They shouldn't have needed so much Luck to get by the Oakland Raiders. Still, a victory is a victory.

Week 2: Lost to the Miami Dolphins, 24-20
    Ranked - 13
    Either the Colts are playing down to their true talent level or the Dolphins are better than advertised. The next few weeks will tell us for sure whether or not Luck is in for a sophomore slump.

Week 3: Defeated the San Francisco 49ers, 27-7
    Ranked - 9
    A great win on the road over the defending NFC champions has tabled all talk of a sophomore season slump for Luck.

Week 4: Defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars, 37-3
    Ranked - 6
    No sophomore slump here!

Week 5: Defeated the Seattle Seahawks, 34-28
    Ranked - 4
    Could a Manning-Luck playoff showdown be on the horizon? Can't imagine any storylines to be found for that game.

Week 6: Lost at the San Diego Chargers, 19-9
    Ranked - 6
    Tough loss during Luck's debut on Monday Night Football. Wonder what the story angles will be this week when Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos come to town?

Week 7: Defeated the Denver Broncos, 39-33
    Ranked - 4
    The Colts have beaten the 49ers, Seahawks and Broncos… but now they will really be tested with the loss of Reggie Wayne for the season.

Week 8: BYE WEEK
    Ranked - 8
    That bye week after defeating the Broncos had to be one of the sweetest bye weeks these players have ever experienced. Questions still remain about how they will deal with the loss of Reggie Wayne on the outside.

Week 9: Defeated the Houston Texans, 27-24
    Ranked - 5
    A great come-from-behind win has the Colts believing they can win, even with the loss of Reggie Wayne.

Week 10: Lost to the St. Louis Rams, 38-8
    Ranked - 9
    Ye gods, Indianapolis! What the heck happened?

Week 11: Defeated the Tennessee Titans, 30-27
    Ranked - 8
    Did the Colts learn anything during their bye week? If not, they better hope the rest of their division remains weak.

Week 12: Lost at the Arizona Cardinals, 40-11
    Ranked - 10
    Could the loss of Reggie Wayne really be that big of a hit to this team's psyche? The Colts have not looked the same since they defeated Denver weeks ago.

Week 13: Defeated the Tennessee Titans, 22-14
    Ranked - 9
    The offense continues to struggle without Reggie Wayne. If the Colts can't find a new gear before the playoffs, they will be one-and-done, despite hosting the game at home.

Week 14: Lost at the Cincinnati Bengals, 42-28
    Ranked - 11
    I don't know what to think of the Colts any more. They are clearly trying to be the best of the worst and the worst of the best.

Week 15: Defeated the Houston Texans, 25-3
    Ranked - 9
    The Colts have clinched the division, but who knows if they will be able to win their first round game against any of the possible AFC Wild Card teams.

Week 16: Defeated the Kansas City Chiefs, 23-7
    Ranked - 9
    The Colts have clinched the AFC South and can clinch a first-round bye if they win and the Patriots and Bengals both lose.

Week 17: Defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars, 30-10
    Ranked - 9
    Struggling after the loss of Reggie Wayne, the Colts seem to have things going their way again. A tough, tough wild Card matchup against the Chiefs will test them.

Wild Card Round: Defeated the Kansas City Chiefs, 45-44
    Ranked - 7
    Got to hand it to the Colts - they did not give up. That makes them a very dangerous opponent.

Divisional Round: Lost at the New England Patriots, 43-22

Final Ranking: 7

Tomorrow, the 2013 New Orleans Saints...

Season Recap - 2013 San Diego Chargers

San Diego Chargers



Final Record: 9-7 (1-1)
Finished: 3rd Place in the AFC West
2014 Draft Position: 25th

Preseason Ranking: 9

Week 1: Lost to the Houston Texans, 31-28
    Ranked - 17
    Nothing worse than blowing a 21-point lead in the second half on national TV. The only good thing about that loss was that most of the eastern seaboard would have gone to bed thinking the Chargers won…

Week 2: Defeated the Philadelphia Eagles, 33-30
    Ranked - 14
    San Diego is primed for an AFC Wild Card spot. They can't overtake Denver, so there's no pressure on them to win.

Week 3: Lost at the Tennessee Titans, 20-17
    Ranked - 17
    Can't really fault them for losing a close one in Tennessee.

Week 4: Defeated the Dallas Cowboys, 30-21
    Ranked - 11
    Despite a big win in front of the home crowd, the Chargers are still two full games behind both the Broncos and the Chiefs.

Week 5: Lost at the Oakland Raiders, 27-17
    Ranked - 20
    The Chargers couldn't beat the Raiders last week, but watch them go out and beat the Colts this week. Hey, it could happen.

Week 6: Defeated the Indianapolis Colts, 19-9
    Ranked - 15
    The San Diego Chargers are like a box of chocolates… you just never know what you are going to get from week to week.

Week 7: Defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars, 24-6
    Ranked - 12
    Denver's loss gives the Chargers hope… especially since the Broncos and Chiefs have yet to play each other this season.

Week 8: BYE WEEK
    Ranked - 13
    Despite being third place in the division, the Chargers are primed to push for a playoff spot coming out of their bye week.

Week 9: Lost at the Washington Redskins, 30-24
    Ranked - 16
    Just when you think the Chargers are going to make their move, they go and drop one like that in Washington.

Week 10: Lost to the Denver Broncos, 28-20
    Ranked - 18
    Overwhelmed by the Broncos at home, San Diego has little chance to steal the division title, but still is very viable for a wild card spot.

Week 11: Lost at the Miami Dolphins, 20-16
    Ranked - 19
    The Chargers looked like they had a shot at a Wild Card a few weeks ago, but a few losses have taken the wind out of their sails.

Week 12: Defeated the Kansas City Chiefs, 41-38
    Ranked - 18
    San Diego won a shootout over the Chiefs, which is good, but they should be concerned that their defense gave up 38 points to Kansas City, a strong team not known for their offensive prowess.

Week 13: Lost to the Cincinnati Bengals, 17-10
    Ranked - 18
    San Diego is fading fast in the chase for the AFC's final Wild Card spot.

Week 14: Defeated the New York Giants, 37-14
    Ranked - 17
    Still outside looking in, but the Chargers have an outside shot at the AFC's second wild card.

Week 15: Defeated the Denver Broncos, 27-20
    Ranked - 16
    The Chargers are doing their best to make the AFC West a three playoff team division this year.

Week 16: Defeated the Oakland Raiders, 26-13
    Ranked - 14
    The Chargers can sneak into the playoffs as a wild card if they win and Miami and Baltimore both lose.

Week 17: Defeated the Kansas City Chiefs, 27-24
    Ranked - 11
    The Chargers made it into the playoffs on a wing and a prayer and a kick just wide right.

Wild Card Round: Defeated the Cincinnati Bengals, 27-10
    Ranked - 8
    The Chargers have been playing with their backs against the wall for over a month now and it showed last week in Cincinnati. How will they fare when they face off against Denver for the third time this season? I doubt they can win, but the game should be far closer than most people think it will be.

Divisional Round: Lost at the Denver Broncos, 24-17

Final Ranking: 12


Next week more season recaps for the NFL's elite 2013 championship-contending teams, starting with the Indianapolis Colts...

Season Recap - 2013 Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati Bengals



Final Record: 11-5 (0-1)
Finished: 1st Place in the AFC North
2014 Draft Position: 24th

Preseason Ranking: 12

Week 1: Lost at the Chicago Bears, 24-21
    Ranked - 18
    If the Bengals can truly establish a running game and become two-dimensional, they will be difficult to stop.

Week 2: Defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers, 20-10
    Ranked - 10
    The class of the AFC North… If the Bengals do not win the division, there will be a lot of explaining to do on their part.

Week 3: Defeated the Green Bay Packers, 34-30
    Ranked - 10
    A great, comeback win against Green Bay. The Bengals of old would have quit after the Packers rolled them during the second and third quarters, but not these 2013 Bengals.

Week 4: Lost at the Cleveland Browns, 17-6
    Ranked - 17
    Just when you think the division is theirs for the taking, the Bengals go out and get beat by the Browns. Nothing like creating a log jam of mediocrity in the AFC North.

Week 5: Defeated the New England Patriots, 13-6
    Ranked - 13
    A big win at home over the Patriots may be just the thing this Bengals team needs to propel them on to greatness.

Week 6: Defeated the Buffalo Bills, 27-24
    Ranked - 9
    All alone in first place, the AFC North is theirs to rule for the time being.

Week 7: Defeated the Detroit Lions, 27-24
    Ranked - 8
    The Bengals are playing tough football and starting to break away from the pack in the AFC North.

Week 8: Defeated the New York Jets, 49-9
    Ranked - 6
    Marvin Jones! Four touchdowns to help Cincinnati take a commanding lead in the AFC North.

Week 9: Lost at the Miami Dolphins, 22-20
    Ranked - 8
    A bad loss on Halloween will ultimately hurt Cincinnati's playoff seeding more than its standing in the division.

Week 10: Lost at the Baltimore Ravens, 20-17
    Ranked - 10
    Still in control of the division, the Bengals can't let games against their division rivals slip away.

Week 11: Defeated the Cleveland Browns, 41-20
    Ranked - 7
    Cincinnati has complete control of the AFC North. Now they are playing for a bye-week advantage in the playoffs.

Week 12: BYE WEEK
    Ranked - 8
    A late season bye week should be just the refresher the Bengals need to make their final push towards a division title and the AFC playoffs.

Week 13: Defeated the San Diego Chargers, 17-10
    Ranked - 8
    An unimpressive win over an unimpressive opponent. Cincinnati is the least interesting of the division leaders right now.

Week 14: Defeated the Indianapolis Colts, 42-28
    Ranked - 8
    Cincinnati has pretty much clinched the AFC North, but they will be hard pressed to secure a first-round bye… which could lead to a difficult Wild Card matchup against the Chiefs.

Week 15: Lost at the Pittsburgh Steelers, 30-20
    Ranked - 8
    A rough night in Pittsburgh has the Bengals suddenly scrambling to maintain control of a division that seemed in the bag just a few short weeks ago.

Week 16: Defeated the Minnesota Vikings, 42-14
    Ranked - 7
    The Bengals have clinched the AFC North. They can gain a first-round bye if they win and the Patriots lose this weekend.

Week 17: Defeated the Baltimore Ravens, 34-17
    Ranked - 6
    Could a Sunday Wild Card game make a difference for the Bengals? Probably, especially with the Chargers coming to town.

Wild Card Round: Lost to the San Diego Chargers, 27-10

Final Ranking: 10

Tomorrow, the 2013 San Diego Chargers...

Season Recap - 2013 Kansas City Chiefs

Kansas City Chiefs



Final Record: 11-5 (0-1)
Finished: 2nd Place in the AFC West
2014 Draft Position: 23rd

Preseason Ranking: 32

Week 1: Defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars, 28-2
    Ranked - 15
    A nice, solid win for the Chiefs… but anybody should be able to beat the Jaguars. We'll know soon enough if the Chiefs are really going to challenge for anything more than the #1 draft pick next year.

Week 2: Defeated the Dallas Cowboys, 17-16
    Ranked - 7
    They are 2-0, but their victories came over a worthless Jaguars team and a Cowboys team that continues to self-destruct. If they are better than .500 when the month ends, the Chiefs will definitely have improved over last season.

Week 3: Defeated the Philadelphia Eagles, 26-16
    Ranked - 6
    The Chiefs may not be for real, but they certainly impressed me after their solid victory over the Eagles last week.

Week 4: Defeated the New York Giants, 31-7
    Ranked - 3
    The Chiefs may be a little overrated, but after starting a surprising 4-0 they deserve to be ranked this high for at least one week.

Week 5: Defeated the Tennessee Titans, 26-17
    Ranked - 2
    The Chiefs just keep on winning by playing solid, mistake-free football. They may not be as flashy or dynamic as the Broncos, but they are playing without expectation and have nothing to lose.

Week 6: Defeated the Oakland Raiders, 24-7
    Ranked - 2
    Can they hold it together and remain undefeated until they face off against the Broncos in week 11? Good news for the Chiefs - they have their bye week in week 10.

Week 7: Defeated the Houston Texans, 17-16
    Ranked - 1
    How awesome would it be if the Kansas City Chiefs actually ran the table and finished the season a perfect 19-0? Sure, it won't happen, but it would definitely make for a fun story.

Week 8: Defeated the Cleveland Browns, 23-17
    Ranked - 1
    Still undefeated, still number one. A win this week sends the Chiefs into the bye a perfect 9-0 with the Denver Broncos looming on the other side.

Week 9: Defeated the Buffalo Bills, 23-13
    Ranked - 1
    As long as the Chiefs can keep avoiding that one killer, game-changing mistake, they have a chance to remain undefeated.

Week 10: BYE WEEK
    Ranked - 1
    It doesn't matter how good the defense has played up to this point, or how solid and mistake-free the offense has played, if the Chiefs get blown out in Denver this weekend, everybody will call them "pretenders" and write them off as one of the rare 9-0 flukes in NFL history.

Week 11: Lost at the Denver Broncos, 27-17
    Ranked - 3
    The loss in Denver doesn't mean anything if the Chiefs can defeat the Broncos in Kansas City.

Week 12: Lost to the San Diego Chargers, 41-38
    Ranked - 4
    Two straight losses and a potential third straight when the Broncos come to town. If they keep losing, people will soon forget their 9-0 start.

Week 13: Lost to the Denver Broncos, 35-28
    Ranked - 6
    Did the Chiefs start 9-0 or are they 0-3 in everybody's mind? Kansas City now has to win out and hope Denver stumbles at least one more time in order for them to win the division.

Week 14: Defeated the Washington Redskins, 45-10
    Ranked - 4
    It always helps to get back on the winning track by facing an opponent in complete and utter disarray.

Week 15: Defeated the Oakland Raiders, 56-31
    Ranked - 3
    JAMAAL CHARLES! Simultaneous wrecker and creator of fantasy football playoff hopes and dreams.

Week 16: Lost to the Indianapolis Colts, 23-7
    Ranked - 6
    The Kansas City Chiefs are locked into the AFC's #1 Wild Card spot and will be seeded 5th when the playoffs start, no matter what happens this week.

Week 17: Lost at the San Diego Chargers, 27-24
    Ranked - 7
    The Chiefs treated week 17 like a bye week - and still nearly won the game. I just wonder how "vanilla" their game plan was a few weeks ago when they lost to the Colts. Could they have been saving a few tricks up their sleeve for the expected Wild Card matchup with Indianapolis?

Wild Card Round: Lost at the Indianapolis Colts, 45-44

Final Ranking: 9

Tomorrow, the 2013 Cincinnati Bengals...

Season Recap - 2013 Philadelphia Eagles

Philadelphia Eagles



Final Record: 10-6 (0-1)
Finished: 1st Place in the NFC East
2014 Draft Position: 22nd

Preseason Ranking: 30

Week 1: Defeated the Washington Redskins, 33-27
    Ranked - 12
    The blur offense certainly slowed down in the second half, but it sure was impressive. Now, as long as it doesn't get Vick killed, the Eagles should be fine.

Week 2: Lost to the San Diego Chargers, 33-30
    Ranked - 20
    The blur offense isn't much fun if your defense can't stop the other team from scoring.

Week 3: Lost to the Kansas City Chiefs, 26-16
    Ranked - 20
    So much for that fast-paced, blur offense. The Eagles only rank in the middle of teams when it comes to plays run per game. Their defense has to force more 3-and-outs in order for Kelly's Oregon Eagles to be as successful as they want to be.

Week 4: Lost at the Denver Broncos, 52-20
    Ranked - 27
    Time of possession is a big part of winning in the NFL, especially if your defense cannot keep the other guys from scoring touchdowns.

Week 5: Defeated the New York Giants, 36-21
    Ranked - 22
    Yay, you beat the Giants, but at what cost? I don't think anybody is surprised that Vick got hurt running the Blur Offense… I'm just surprised he didn't make it a bit further into the season before the wear and tear got to him.

Week 6: Defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 31-20
    Ranked - 18
    Is Foles better than Vick? Hard to say, but a big NFC East battle against Dallas next weekend will help answer that question.

Week 7: Lost to the Dallas Cowboys, 17-3
    Ranked - 21
    The Blur Offense has resulted in injuries to both Vick and Foles. Will either of them finish the season?

Week 8: Lost to the New York Giants, 15-7
    Ranked - 23
    Is there a quarterback on this team that can play the full 60 minutes?

Week 9: Defeated the Oakland Raiders, 49-20
    Ranked - 20
    It may still be too early to show Michael Vick the door, but it looks like his days in Philadelphia are truly numbered.

Week 10: Defeated the Green Bay Packers, 27-13
    Ranked - 13
    Nick Foles has righted the ship in Philadelphia and now they may just be the team to beat in the weak NFC East.

Week 11: Defeated the Washington Redskins, 24-16
    Ranked - 12
    Foles finally has the Eagles on the right track.

Week 12: BYE WEEK
    Ranked - 12
    They fell to second place in the NFC East during the bye week, but they are still very much alive - and may be the team to beat - in the division with only five games remaining.

Week 13: Defeated the Arizona Cardinals, 24-21
    Ranked - 12
    The Eagles keep pace with the Cowboys, setting the stage for a possible "winner-take-all" matchup with Dallas in Week 17.

Week 14: Defeated the Detroit Lions, 34-20
    Ranked - 9
    It certainly can be fun to play in the snow!

Week 15: Lost at the Minnesota Vikings, 48-30
    Ranked - 14
    Just when you think the Eagles are ready to take that next huge step forward they go into a place like Minnesota and get shellacked by the underwhelming Vikings playing without their superstar.

Week 16: Defeated the Chicago Bears, 54-11
    Ranked - 11
    The playoff picture for the Eagles is very simple - beat the Cowboys to win the NFC East or lose and go home.

Week 17: Defeated the Dallas Cowboys, 24-22
    Ranked - 10
    Kings of one of the worst divisions in the NFL this year, Chip Kelly now gets a chance to test his offense in the NFL playoffs.

Wild Card Round: Lost to the New Orleans Saints, 26-24

Final Ranking: 11

Tomorrow, the 2013 Kansas City Chiefs...