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What better way to close the book on the 2014 season than engaging in a little February 2015 NFL Power Rankings? With a bevy of coaching changes made, the postseason completed and the greatest individual effort in history freshly etched into our memories, we thought it time to produce one final accounting of all 32 teams -- with a dash of 2015 lookahead. Before we get to that, let's circle back to . Considering the game situation, the opponent and the undrafted rookie's pedigree (or lack thereof), what play in Super Sunday's glorious, 49-year history can topple the one Butler made to seal the ' fourth victory? Even some players marveled at his diagnosis of the underneath slant route. The jump he got on the ball represented instant recognition boosted by an adrenaline burst. Most importantly, he finished the play by catching the ball. Even Admiral Hoodie would have to admit he far surpa sed merely doing his job . Another fond memory of mine from this epic title game: Little kid in front of me, standing on his chair, can't believe that TD from his favorite player... Elliot Harrison (@HarrisonNFL) that's my son! Angela Summers (@AngelaBarger) We all had our favorite players as kids. Mine was Drew Pearson. But I never got to see the wideout score a pivotal touchdown in a while wearing his road jersey, standing on my seat, with my Dad next to me. Shoot, I'd go for merely being able to watch a football game with my father at this point. The kid was overwhelmed, to say the least. What a cool moment. Then his mom finding me on Twitter the next day? Come on. What a really cool moment. Hope you've cooled off since Sunday night. What an emotional ride this season -- and that game -- was. From to squishy footballs to a top-flight , it was a postseason that won't soon be forgotten. With that, see what you think about the end-of-season Power Rankings. As always, your take is welcome: is the place. Congratulations to all the fans who stuck it out after the club and . And congrats to me for not changing ! Although I will admit it was hard to stick with it after seeing how dysfunctional the offense was early this season. More importantly, let's talk defense. While totally respectful of , I thought the MVP should have gone to . He made an incredible play to win the game, and this is a rare occasion in which we can say -- without exaggeration -- that one great play really did win a . What a phenomenal ending. At least . Everyone is piling on Darrell Bevell right now. I get it: The play call was, at best, a head-scratcher, and at worst, well, the worst play call in history. Yet, while fully cognizant that broadcasters and fans gush over , he didn't have to force that ball (although I understand what he saw as he was releasing). I couldn't help but think how many times we've seen him dart outside the pocket and either run or simply chuck it out of bounds. Live to play another down. I agree with those who felt failed to get his body in front of the defensive back in that situation -- i.e., make that ball his . That said, it was such a bang-bang play that it's difficult to put it all on him, or Wilson. And to tell the truth, I completely get Pete Carroll's explanation for the decision to throw the ball. What a me s, though. And what an otherwise fantastic season for the . Anyone else wonder how many fans took this off? Can you imagine dejected Cheeseheads deciding to attend parties where Prada bags and Katy Perry are bigger topics of discu sion than the 3-4 and goal-line play-calling? I wouldn't blame those fans who pa sed. Still, a 12-4 season, another division title and an NFC Championship Game appearance is a doggone good year in the NFL. Now we all wonder if sticks around. Decisions, decisions -- well, not really. If to is indicative of anything, it surely tells us where the Joneses fall on the do-we-sign-Dez-or-do-we-sign-DeMarco deal. Speaking of deals, here's to hoping that linebacker doesn't have to deal Tyler Johnson Jersey with any more injuries. If the get him back healthy, along with sneaky-good , the linebacker corps could be a strength for the first time since Lee and some guy named Ware were healthy. Yep, we have the this high. When 's healthy, this team is scary. Speaking of players who make Pittsburgh scary ... I felt got the shaft in the Offensive Player of the Year voting. The guy was dangerous on punt returns, logged 129 catches (the second-highest single-season total ever) and, at times, seemed downright coverage-proof. Sure, they looked bad in the . And I get that it was disconcerting for fans to see their team fare so poorly. But at the end of the day, this club had so many injuries and challenges, particularly on defense. Also, the injury was underrated in terms of importance this season. Huge lo s. Chuck Pagano and Ryan Grigson seem to have a plan in place that works, and look no further than the team above them in these Power Rankings for an idea of how important continuity is. Thought it cla sy that Bruce Arians in the acceptance speech for his second AP Coach of the Year award in three seasons. Arizona's high rank here is reflective of my immense respect for Captain Kangol, as well as the fact that the spring of 2015 will bring this club something vitally important that has nothing to do with the draft or free agency: HEALTH. I think all of us are a little curious how formidable the can be in the NFC if they don't have to play with one arm tied behind their back. You could make the case for Baltimore to be higher, no doubt, but the AFC's No. 6 seed has several question marks. First, the departure of Gary Kubiak. is used to offensive coordinator musical chairs. (He's collecting them at this point.) The larger concern is and the ground game. Without that component, the probably go 7-9 in 2014. And with questions at wideout ( Sr.) and tight end ( ), the upcoming draft is pivotal as to whether this team can keep up in the AFC North. Maybe fans, who have long been disgruntled with their ranking in these parts, will feel this 9 spot fits snugly. The tricky step in moving forward will be figuring out without mortgaging the depth and future of this roster. Especially when you consider what an albatro s 's contract is, given his inconsistent play. One would hate to see Suh grow up and mature in another uniform, at a time when he is young enough to dominate but old enough to avoid being a distraction. With all the questions surrounding , I can at least answer one: The quad is fine. That's what Manning told me backstage at "NFL Honors," where he was showing support for the man who drafted him, electee Bill Polian, and was completely cla sy. It was neat to see Peyton there for his old bo s. If Manning does hang 'em up, appreciating the full breadth of his brilliant career will be difficult, mainly because he started right out of the gate -- and like Dan Marino, was outstanding in just his second year in the bigs. Speaking of second-year stars, people better appreciate . There was nothing fluky -- or Tatum Bell-esque -- about his production this past year. Couple his desire with the addition of offensive coordinator Rick Dennison, and we might be looking at a 1,350-yard campaign in 2015. Cincinnati finished with a better record than Baltimore, and even swept the during the regular season, but at some point, this club has to do something other than fall down in the postseason. While the have proven they can compete when the lights are brightest, the have lost on Wild Card Weekend in each of the past four seasons (and five of the last six). That conversation starts with , sure, but it ends with Marvin Lewis, the second-longest tenured coach in the NFL. If Lewis' squad can't take the next step, one-and-done eventually must amount to just plain done . That's the natural order of all things football. Another year of ? Re-sign a surgically repaired ? Yes, questions at the game's most important position remain unanswered. However, your hack writer is far more interested in what happens when the training wheels come off . Call it a redshirt season for the top overall pick of the 2014 . Paired with , Clowney could wreak havoc on offenses in 2015. Sure, he could be a bust, too. Either way, that's more intriguing than some rookie QB or savaging opposing secondaries in the preseason. Like the , the could use help at the wide receiver spot. They also could use a full 16 games from running back , who ran like Jerome Bettis circa 1996 over the back stretch of 2014. Carolina will only hit the skids if the defense regre ses into the dysfunctional unit it was early on this past season. Ran into Ron Rivera last week, and couldn't help but ask him if he had a place to live. The man led the to a second-half resurgence and was rewarded with an NFC South crown and . For the record, Rivera kindly and concisely said that he is indeed covered on the accommodations front. Rebuilding only applies to the Rivera family home here, as this Malik Johnson Jersey |
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发表于 2026-8-5 16:08:55