For these 18 teams it was either a rebuilding year, a year with high expectations only to be cut short by injuries, or everything apart. All of them have one thing in common. They have not made the playoffs. Where will they pick up the pieces this offseason?
Miami Dolphins (Tabarnak De Fish): This team was the epitome of the phrase 4 legs good 2 legs BAAAAAAAD! A 1-7 start, turmoil in the front office, losing to the Jaguars of all teams in London, and the rumors of Tua getting traded. Then they won 8 of their last 9 games by taking advantage of a paper soft schedule, banged up opponents, and trash teams thanks to running the same play that made the Gritz Blitz Falcons famous. Even if they missed the playoffs via tiebreaker this was a successful season for the Dolphins. Their defense was #1 in the league in the 2nd Half. Miles Gaskin looks like a long term starter at RB, and Tua is an excellent game manager despite his lack of talent. There is however one problem. Ownership, and here is why. (YoYo Sound) THEY FIRED BRIAN FLORES AFTER A 9-8 SEASON! Apparently he got into a power struggle with Stephen Ross and lost. Not to mention Flores after he left made comments about how NFL teams treat African American head coaching candidates. (The Giants and Broncos are examples) To replace perhaps their most successful coach in a decade, Miami hired Mike McDaniel from the 49ers to be their next head coach. They are getting a boom or bust hire, and if this blows up in their face it proves that Miami doesn’t care about winning. The Curse of the Sea of Hands is real!
New York Jets (Charlie Brown failing to kick the Football): Another year, another season declared as a ButtFumble. However it’s hard to tell whether Robert Saleh is a successful coach or not. This year was punishment for how Adam Gase ran them into the ground back in 2020. The Jets like most seasons were victimized by the rest of their division and it showed. There are pieces on offense but who knows how they will fare going forward. All the New Yorkers want is a QB controversy between Mike White and Zach Wilson. The one game against the Bengals proves it. All this team needs is a secondary and a run game to get themselves back to respectability. Once again they have a lot of cap space this offseason. Considering how Joe Douglas has been aggressive in fixing weaknesses, I wouldn’t be shocked if they doubled down. But can these guys really compete with Buffalo and New England?
Baltimore Ravens (Cinderella has Left the Building): I have no idea how to judge this season for the Ravens. All of the injuries, the defense struggling without Marcus Peters, Lamar Jackson getting struck down, and playing way over their heads this should have been a terrible season. This is when the Ravens discover the art of playing from behind and winning close games. Too bad it cost them in the end when they lost most of their offense to the injury bug. They had both the worst O-Line and defense in franchise history and had the hardest schedule in the NFL yet they almost made the playoffs. You know what the most insane part of all of this is. They are going to trot out Planet LJ next year with the players coming off IR and pretend that this is 2012. However their sideline will be a bit different with Don Martindale stepping down. ( Plus their longtime president Dick Cass retired and was replaced by Sashi Brown) To be fair, the situation he was in was a problem where any coordinator would fail. Unlike previous times in which he has hired some of his buddies from Philadelphia, John Harbaugh has decided to go for a young defensive mind in Mike Macdonald. I loved what he did at Michigan this season, and with a defense that is just as talented on paper as the unit he had this season with the Wolverines who knows how good he can be. (Although it may require going from a 3-4 to a 4-3, Marylander: I don’t care, that’s how they won in 2000) As for Greg Roman and Steve Saunders they both get the Cam Cameron and Jim Fassell treatments. Although if things go wrong next year, both could be gone midseason like those 2 I just mentioned were in 2006 and 2012. The only concern that I have is that the AFC North is only getting tougher. (With the Bengals now in the Super Bowl, plus Watson and Pickett possibly joining the Browns and Steelers, NOT GOOD!) Luckily they have a decent amount of cap space and the most draft capital in the AFC this offseason. Next year is the Super Bowl or bust. BE PREPARED! (If they don’t make it to ARZ, I will never hear the end of this story, only what ifs.)
Cleveland Browns (The Average Tuesday in Cleveland): I have one lesson for you in life. NEVER TRUST THE CLEVELAND BROWNS TO WIN A SUPER BOWL! (I said it this summer in that doc about them, and I’m saying it again) Because if so you will be very disappointed. Let me be clear. That much talent should not go 8-9. But to be fair the Browns only made the playoffs in 2020 because they had one of the easiest schedules in the last decade. Plus injuries and bad luck ruined them this season. Plus they treated Odell Beckham like the Canadiens did to PK Subban in 2016. (OBJ is now thriving on a Rams team going deep in the playoffs) Yes Baker Mayfield had a subpar season but he was missing his 2 Top RB’s, and Tackles. Plus he was playing injured since Week 6. Not to mention they cost themselves a playoff berth by fumbling opportunities against the Steelers in Week 8 and the Ravens in Week 12. Those 2 games plus a massive COVID outbreak in December hurt them and they never recovered from it. For the 1st time in a while after a failed season Cleveland has decided to not cut ties with their coordinators. Callahan, and Woods get another year, as well as Stefanski. But all 3 are in danger of being chucked into Lake Erie. If I were a Browns fan I wouldn’t want to be anywhere near Jimmy Haslam this offseason. He’s probably going to trade his whole future plus Baker to Houston for Deshawn Watson. Even worse for this organization is that Cap Hell is coming. Denzel Ward, Kareem Hunt, and Jarvis Landry loom large. (Plus they have to pay 23 million in deadcap to OBJ and Sheldon Richardson) I will leave them alone for now as much work needs to be done. (From the way I see it they just flung themselves back into the basement of the AFC North)
Houston Texans (Was Bill O’Brien really the problem): I think you’re going to want to forget this season. The Texans were expected to be bad and yep they were bad. Deshawn Watson holding out was only the start. David Culley proved that he shouldn’t have been anywhere near a head coaching job and it showed. Even if Tyrod Taylor and Davis Mills had ok seasons you can’t deny that their defense was trash. They were giving up big plays on repeat all season. Although if there is anything, Houston’s situation got worse. Culley got fired after Week 18 and many expected them to hire Brian Flores to replace him. Who did they end up hiring, LOVIE SMITH! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Looks like Watson is still going to want his way out the first chance he gets. James Harden may be long gone from the Rockets but those fans get the same thing except in a different league. I’m starting to believe that Bill O’Brien was the least of their issues. And it showed every week. How will things get worse? (I smell thousands of phone calls from Jimmy Haslam about Watson this offseason)
Indianapolis Colts (Sweet Karma): A season with great expectations ends in a bitter dud. To be fair the Colts shouldn’t have been anywhere near the playoffs after a 1-4 start. I’ll give them credit for getting back into the hunt. Carson Wentz was confusing to watch but was it his fault that they came up short? The defense blew too many huge leads. Week 5 in Baltimore is a prime example. If they win that game they are most likely in the playoffs. That’s not including other collapses against the Titans, Rams, and Raiders. The cherry on the sundae for Indianapolis this season was losing to the Jaguars in Week 18. Even for this meltdown, the Colts are giving Frank Reich and Carson Wentz another go. But both will be on thin ice. If this team can get a good WR in Free Agency who knows how good this team can be. (Not saying TY Hilton and Michael Pittman are bad, but they need one more piece) That’s all you can hope for right.
Jacksonville Jaguars (Total CLOWNS Literally): Does everyone remember what ESPN’s Seth Walder claimed in August? That the Jaguars were not only going to make the playoffs but win a playoff game in the process. That may be the worst prediction in NFL History. Anyone who thought Urban Meyer would succeed at the NFL Level is eating their words big time. He has been the worst hire this league has seen since Bobby Petrino and Lou Holtz. He was the reason why Trevor Lawrence had the worst rookie season since Jared Goff in 2016. He was benching players on repeat, and even worse he missed a team plane after their Week 4 game in Cincinnati to be back at one of the local bars near Ohio State. They fired him with 5 weeks left in the season and it’s a black eye on this organization. Although they did have a bright spot by beating Indianapolis in Week 18 to knock the Colts out of the playoffs. The Jags organization is still a mess but Shad Khan believes that they need the next Tom Coughlin. And in his mind they hired him. Doug Pederson, a man fresh off a bad season in Philadelphia thanks to metalsome ownership. What I see in this situation is Pederson going from one gong show to another. Trevor Lawrence I big you, please return to Clemson form, you’re too talented to be wasted by this trash heap. Save this team from contraction please.
Denver Broncos (Kinda Expected): Once again the Broncos pretended that they were playoff contenders at the beginning of the season only for the dark corners of reality smack them in the face. This year they had good reasons, starting 3-0 with the best point differential in the league. (They played the mistakes of MetLife, and Jacksonville, lucky) Then things changed. Getting destroyed by Baltimore at home in Week 4 brought them back to earth. 2 separate 4 game losing streaks were their undoing. However this wasn’t that bad of a season for Denver. Their defense was excellent, their receivers when healthy emerged, and they have a 2 headed monster in the backfield. What was the problem? No consistent QB. To be fair Teddy Bridgewater was struck down by injuries numerous times this year including a horrific concussion against Cincy in Week 15. Once that happened the Broncos lost out. I know people are saying that they are a QB away from being a Super Bowl Contender. That I disagree with. Has Elway ever put an emphasis on building the Offensive Line? HELL NO! I know they want a superstar QB but in my opinion if you don’t draft an O-Lineman in the 1st Round, you’re doomed. Next year will be a transition on the sidelines as Vic Fangio was surprisingly fired at the end of the year. I feel like he should get one more go to see what happens, but I also think Elway wants the right coach to lead the way. To do this Denver hired Nathaniel Hackett, who was the OC for the Green Bay Packers. Elway is going to get Rodgers and Davante Adams in FA isn’t he!
Los Angeles Chargers (Analytical Mistakes): How the hell did this team miss the playoffs? That’s all I’m going to say. How in the world does a team look like worldbeaters one week then gets exposed the next? This is the answer. Because the Chargers in the words of Cynthia Frelund lived and died by analytics. There were games where it was a massive success. Beating the Chiefs at Arrowhead, winning a shootout with Cleveland, beating the Steelers in the final 2 minutes, and shocking the Bengals on the road. But there were times where it stalled. Week 6 in Baltimore, Week 15 against KC, and of course the regular season finale in Vegas. IF Brandon Staley doesn’t call a timeout they most likely head to the playoffs instead he thought he could give his O the ball back with enough time to win, but it didn’t work. However this was a massive boost for the future. Justin Herbert is a beast, and with Keenan Allen and Mike Williams both producing in bunches there is hope, all Staley needs is a defense and then he could compete with the Chiefs in the AFC West. Although there is a great risk that the Chargers will mess this up because this happens to be their legacy. PAIN, how can you explain that?
New York Giants (The New Age ButtFumble): WHAT A JOKE! I had this team going to the playoffs at the beginning of the season. An improving offense, Saquan back at full strength, talent on defense. This should have been a team competing with the big boys on paper. However, like most years since they fired Tom Coughlin, the Giants have been a total disaster. They started 2-6 and finished the year with 6 straight losses. Daniel Jones was once again injured and not living up to expectations. The defense was a dumb for much of the season. And Joe Judge was chucked into the Hudson River all season long. He eventually got fired thanks to all the New Yorkers calling for his head. Many people are wondering why the Giants have struggled on offense for this many years? That’s simple, they cannot develop or properly use Offensive Linemen. It’s why Daniel Jones is a bust and Saquan Barkley has been injured every single year excluding 2018. Although with Dave Gettleman finally gone the Giants do have optimism for the future. They hired Bills OC Brian Daboll as head coach (Another former Patriots assistant), and Joe Schoen as GM. They even hired Wink Martindale as their DC. (They forget to understand that he plus Daboll was carried by talent in Baltimore and Buffalo) The Giants think they can clone the Patriots and Ravens and be successful while doing so. They forget the key ingredients to those teams. Ownership, Scouting, and Coaching. And they have neither unless something wild happens.
Washington Commanders (The Dan Snyder Special): Just like previous years, Washington makes more headlines off the field than on the field for the wrong reasons. On the field for example was another year of endless mediocrity. Their big free agent signing in Ryan Fitzpatrick got hurt in Week 1 and never returned. Chase Young plus several starters on defense were out by mid season as well. Although Taylor Heinicke kept them in the playoff hunt for much of the season, BOOM! Then it was revealed that he nor Terry McLaurin had nothing left in them. A 4 game losing streak with multiple losses to the Cowboys and Eagles. By Hogs standards this isn’t a bad year. That is until you see Daniel Snyder being back to his old tricks. The Jon Gruden situation was murky, but the debate on retiring Sean Taylor’s jersey number and not letting the fans know in advance. That’s brutal. (There are a few other things, but each of them are inappropriate for this doc) As for the team itself, do you keep Heinicke and FitzCeption or go for a young QB, or go big in FA. Knowing Snyder he will go big game hunting because that worked for him in 2000! (Keep saying you’re going to trade for Lamar, Bisciotti ain’t letting it happen) And just as I was about to release this they changed their name to the Commanders. Fits right in with one of the nicknames given to the President of the United States. (Donald Trump even though he is no longer in office would love that name wouldn’t he?)
Chicago Bears (ides.ill.gov Property): I think you’re going to want to forget this season in a hurry. It didn’t seem that way with a 3-2 start to the season despite a QB battle between Andy Dalton and Justin Fields. BOOM! And then they lost 8 of 9. Once the Packers walked into Soldier Field in Week 6 the wheels completely fell off this subway car. There are pieces on both sides of the ball but just nothing to get them over the top. That’s why they cut ties with both Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace. This could be a new era for the Bears. One where they are not constantly mocked. As a result the McCaskeys didn’t go for the stupid juice and hired Ryan Poles to be their GM and Matt Eberflus as their next head coach. 2 of the more reasonable hires this offseason. However there is one problem for the new men in town. Their 1st Round pick which is a Top 10 pick is in the hands of the Giants. Last year they couldn’t tank if they wanted to. The Bear Necessities are simple, doing the same things over and over expecting a different result. Although I wouldn’t want to go near the front office this offseason thanks to their plans to build a new stadium outside the Chicago Suburbs. Please don’t build the next FedEx Field! And get an O-Line too. (They probably will because that’s how the then named Redskins jumped the shark on their fans, the Bears would be worse though)
Detroit Lions (Punishment Year): Perhaps the most snakebitten team in the league this season. They weren’t making the playoffs even if all of those close games that they lost went their way. Look at them! A 66 yarder here, blowing a final drive against San Fran there, the defense collapsing against Kirk Cousins over here, being unable to stop the Bears, blowing prime chances against the Steelers, and struggling against a battered and beaten Browns team. Dan Campbell has definitely been able to motivate his players during this past season. Even though it didn’t translate to wins right away he’s done an ok job. The next couple of years is where he will be tested, the NFC North will be easier for them since one team is possibly in a transition while the other 2 are stuck in quicksand. I kinda sound crazy to say this but don’t get rid of Jared Goff, he’s one of the few good players that you have and is a key piece for the future. I wonder what they will do to support him?
Minnesota Vikings (OH NO! WE SUCK AGAIN!): Really Vikings. You’re going to boast about all of the talent you have. Ok talent is one thing, you need proper coaching, and development. What didn’t Minnesota have this year. Proper coaching, and development. If they had those 2, the Vikings may have won their division and overtaken the Packers. Look at all of the games they blew this year. Week 1 in Cincinnati, Dalvin Cook fumbling in OT, Greg Joseph missing the game winning field goal in Arizona, losing to Cooper Rush at home in primetime, blowing a 14 point against the Ravens, and losing to the Detroit Lions, THE LIONS! A team that was winless and on pace for the worst season in league history beat Minnesota. That doesn’t include how bad the defense was even with Anthony Barr, and Harrison Smith. The Vikings finally got rid of Mike Zimmer but they still haven’t found a head coach. They interviewed Jim Harbaugh but didn’t like him. So now they want either the Bengals or Rams OC to be their head coach. I don’t blame Justin Jefferson for demanding a trade to Cincinnati, he wants to get out of this organization to be with Burrow and Chase again. They are already ruining him and Dalvin Cook. And here is the depressing part. Kirk Cousins is the least of their issues. They have no O-Line, no run defense, and can’t close out a game. This is why they lost to the Falcons in 1998, and they haven’t learned from it since.
Atlanta Falcons (At least you have the Bulldogs and Braves): This was a rebuilding season for the Falcons but to be honest they performed better than I expected. Kyle Pitts is a game changer, plus Cordarelle Patterson and Calvin Ridley should get a nice contractz in the offseason after career years. There is one concern, no it’s not Matt Ryan, he was the least of their issues. It’s on defense. Bringing in a fossil in Dean Peas was controversial but there is very little talent on this unit besides Deion Jones. They are going to need an overhauling on that side of the ball to be competitive. If I’m a Falcons fan I would still have hope for the future, Arthur Smith has made great strides as a coach, and his offense should be a force going forward. But will it lead them anywhere, I don’t know anymore. At least their division is wide open. (It would be really nice for them if a certain QB and TE retire in their division so that they can try and keep up)
Carolina Panthers (Nestalgia): After a season that was supposed to lay the ground for the future, the Panthers tried to bring back the old gang and it failed miserably. Although there was optimism. They started 3-0 and looked like a solid playoff contender at the beginning. They even brought back Cam Newton, the fanbase and bandwagons from 2015 were coming back! BOOM! And then they suffered their 3rd massive collapse in 4 years. Losing 12 out of 15 to end the year including their last 7 games. Christian McCaffery had another injury riddled season and who knows if he’s ever the same. Matt Rhule tried both Newton and Sam Darnold and yet both of them struggled after the Arizona game. I know the narrative is to blame the QBs but I have one thing. Have the Panthers addressed their O-Line since 2015? That answer is no. Too many times they go for skill players instead of building in the trenches. It cost them again. Next year Rhule, and the coaching staff will be on thin ice. Do they trust their current core, or do they go all in? I’m not sure about that.
New Orleans Saints (A Massive Transition): This season in my opinion isn’t a failure for the Saints. A team that had no QB for much of the season, no legit receivers, a banged up running game, and injuries all over the place should have resulted in their worst season since 2005. Instead New Orleans rallied as a team for much of the season. They nearly made the playoffs with Taysom Hill playing out of position as the QB. The defense is still potent and they managed to overcome Cap Hell without any major losses. This season though is one of great transitions for the Saints. One year after Drew Brees retired, Sean Payton stepped down as head coach. He may coach again but he just needed time off. In my opinion he and Brees saved this franchise. They were the lovable losers of the NFL for 4 decades, and a team that was on the verge of moving to LA or San Antonio plus had dealt with Hurricane Katrina. Those 2 gave them the greatest era in the city’s sports history. They may have gotten only 1 championship but this was a consistent contender year in and year out. Payton and Brees will be missed, not just by New Orleans but by the league itself because of their leadership on and off the field. Although Dennis Allen may be a questionable hire because of his timeline in Oakland he at least has a good team still intact. Plus the NFC South is wide open with Tom Brady now retiring. May the era continue, who knows? But for now, please savor these memories.
Seattle Seahawks (Full of Excuses): This is a hard team to look at from a close angle. The Seahawks yes had a bad season but it was mostly due to things out of control. Russell Wilson’s early season injury cost them, and once he came back it would’ve taken a miracle for them to get to the playoffs. Plus the defense was also pretty bad as both Jamal Adams and Bobby Wagner just weren’t themselves at times this season. To be fair they were stuck in the ultra competitive NFC West, which means if you aren’t 100% you will be left behind. The future in Seattle is very complicated. Pete Carroll will be back in 2022, the question is whether Russell Wilson returns. Considering that his wife Ciarra wants to be in a major media market this may be it for him as a Seahawk. There’s also Bobby Wagner who is due for a new contract in 2023. If those 2 are gone it will be a large pill for this organization to swallow. Also their 1st Round pick which is a Top 10 pick guaranteed is in the hands of the Jets. They are in big trouble if their 2 faces of the franchise leave.
Bragging Rights Sports 