2009 NFL Season Recap

The pertinent things NFL fans will remember about the 2009 season will be Fourth and Two, the Colts eschewing a shot at an undefeated season, Brett Favre playing for the Vikings, the Jets playoff run, and a dream season for the Saints. This post aims to take note of everything that deserves to be remembered from a mediocre season.

Game of the Year

8. Dolphins 31, Jets 27 (Week Five) on Monday Night Football
Probably a great game, but I had too much money on the Jets to notice.

7. Saints 31, Vikings 28 (NFC Championship)
The highest-stakes, most dramatic game of the season but it was also very sloppy.

6. Lions 38, Browns 37 (Week Eleven)
The most mindlessly entertaining game of the season.

5. Broncos 12, Bengals 7 (Week One)
This game is remembered for the Immaculate Deflection, but it was a fierce, competitive, hard-hitting battle between two stern defensive-minded squads for sixty minutes.

4. Titans 20, Cardinals 17 (Week Twelve)
Young vs Leinart. Tennessee’s comeback season hanging in the balance. A 99 yard drive to win the game, including three fourth downs, including the final play.

3. Colts 35, Patriots 34 (Week Ten)
A wild battle between the league’s two most aggressive teams and biggest rivals. Sad it will only be remembered for Fourth And Two.

2. Arizona 51, Green Bay 45 (NFC Divisional Playoff)
The definitive shootout.

1. Ravens 20, Steelers 17 (Week Twelve)
The Dennis Dixon game. A tight, emotional, high-stakes Sunday night battle between two teams that hate each other.

Worst Game

Browns 6, Bills 3 (Week Five)
Derek Anderson went 2-17 for 23 yards in a winning effort. Punter Dave Zastudil was the best player on the field. This game was so incredibly bad I watched it twice just to re-comprehend its incredible suckitude.

Choke of the Year (Team)

3. Bills 24, Patriots 25 (Week One)
2. Bengals 17, Raiders 20 (Week Eleven)

Both teams dominated the game, only to give up a late touchdown and fumble the ensuing kickoff setting up a game-losing score.

But how do you bottom the Steelers losing games to the Chiefs, Raiders, and Browns in one season?

Play of the Year

5. Fourth And Two
4. Vince Young Comes of Age
3. Ray Lewis “Planet Earth”
2. The Gunslinger
1. The Immaculate Deflection

Coach of the Year

Rex Ryan seems like the logical pick, but Sean Payton surpassed him in fundamentals and clock management.

Defensive Coordinator of the Year

3. Mike Zimmer, Cincinnati
The real reason the Bengals won the AFC North.
2. Mike Nolan, Denver
1. Gregg Williams, New Orleans
It is easy to forget how horrendous these two defenses were in '08. Nolan has since moved on to Miami; I expect him to help the Dolphins compete for a Super Bowl next season.

Offensive Coordinator of the Year

Brian Schottenheimer, New York Jets

Like Cam Cameron the year before in Baltimore, Schottenheimer patiently and creatively found ways to develop an offense hamstrung by a rookie quarterback.

MVP

3. Brett Favre, Minnesota
2. Drew Brees, New Orleans
1. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis

Guys are playing better at the quarterback position than anyone ever has before. It has become clear that Manning is the best the game has ever seen.

Defensive MVP

2. Charles Woodson, Green Bay

This was certainly the Year of the Cornerback

1. Darrelle Revis, New York Jets

And Revis may have had the greatest season an NFL cornerback has ever had. Just stupefyingly effective week after week.

Sneaky MVP

He didn’t have the numbers, had no fantasy value, and stunk it up in the playoff loss to the Jets, but every time the Bengals needed their quarterback to make a play, Carson Palmer came through.

Pony of the Year

Hard to have a POY when you are consistently losing your bets, but Ed Reed did make us some money for the second straight year.

Anti-Pony of the Year

And for the second straight season, it’s Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia. I am around 25% picking Eagles games the last two years.

Cover of the Year

Seahawks 32, Lions 20 (Week Nine)

A Josh Wilson pick-six with 32 seconds left covers the 11 point spread.

Worst Line of the Year

Bears -1 at BENGALS, (Week Seven). Final score: Bengals 45, Bears 10.

Biggest Upset

Plenty to choose from here but Oakland 13, Philadelphia 9 (Week Six) was the most shocking because it came at a time when every big favorite had been not only winning, but covering. The Eagles were 14.5 pt favorites in this one and over 80% of bettors were on Philly.

Biggest Blowout/Cover/Second Best Fantasy Performance/Second Worst Fantasy Performance

Patriots 59, Titans 0

A 49.5 point cover. Tom Brady: 380 yards, 6 TD, 0 INT. Kerry Collins: -7 yards passing, 0 TD, 1 INT.

Most Devastating Knockout Pool Game

Bengals over Packers (Week Two) may have technically knocked out the most entries, but Kansas City 44, Denver 24 in Week 17 was sadistically cruel punishment for those who had navigated sixteen weeks of landmines only to see it all fall apart the last week of the season.

Wildest Fantasy Breakout

Miles Austin vs Kansas City (Week Five): 10 catches, 250 yards, 2 TD. Season stats before that game: 5 catches, 81 yards, 1 TD.

Best Fantasy Game

Chris Johnson, Titans vs Houston (Week Two): 197 rush yards, 2 rush TD, 9 receptions, 87 yards, 1 rec TD.

Worst Fantasy Game

Mark Sanchez, Jets vs Bills (Week Six): 119 pass yards, 6 rush yards, 0 TD, 5 INT, 1 FUM


Most Devastating Injury

Troy Polamalu, Pittsburgh

No team depends on a defensive player like the Steelers do with Polamalu. His injury ultimately cost Pittsburgh a playoff berth and a shot at another title.

LVP

3. Mark Sanchez, New York Jets
2. Jake Delhomme, Carolina
1. JaMarcus Russell, Oakland

For the second straight season, JaMarcus was the worst, most ruinous player in the game.