y kind of international fixtures. FIFA had issued a warning to the NFF

For teams who failed to make the playoffs this season, the year is over and chalked up as unsuccessful. Nike Shoes Black Friday Sale . If you made the playoff, you are one of the 12 teams from the pool of 32 and there is a rejuvenation and hope for your franchise. Based on history, whether you are the first seed or the last seed, you have a chance. Some have a more realistic chance than others but a chance nonetheless. That is how January football is perceived by those most directly involved. There is also a sense of security for teams who reach the postseason. Franchises that make the playoffs dont change on mass, instead their general managers work with detail in mind. If youre on a playoff team, you feel good about the future because there is a significant chance you will be part of the teams future. Yet for most teams, optimism was supreme in July, but reality hit in late December. AFC East Buffalo Bills (9-7) The good news for the Bills is after three straight 6-10 seasons, the team won nine games this year. More good news is they definitely have a top-10 defence, which may be as good as top-five. And a final bit of good news, they are definitely staying in Buffalo. The bad news for the Bills is EJ Manuel and his future improvement will be vital for the Bills to get back into the playoffs for the first time in 16 years. Kyle Orton proved to be a good quarterback, but if Manuel can be the next Cam Newton, then the Bills can compete with the Patriots for the division title. However, that is a big if. As whole for the Bills, it was good season. Miami Dolphins (8-8) The Dolphins had good moments, bad moments and every type of moment in between this season. Joe Philbin will be back next season, and that continuity is a progression. Remembering that they are one year removed from an internal tornado, the Dolphins also had a good year. But when does 8-8 turn into 10-6 or 12-4? 2015 will be a make it or break it year for all in authority with the Miami Dolphins. New England Patriots (12-4) I wonder if teams look at the Patriots and just admire them. Year after year, The Patriots confront situation after situation and problem after problem and yet overcome. The turning point came after their loss in Kansas City, which was followed by a win at home over Cincinnati. Tom Brady may be another year older, but you sense he still wants it and wants to end his career his way. I would classify this as a very good year for the Patriots. New York Jets (4-12) For the Jets, 2015 will bring a brand new year, and a brand new look. If Geno Smith proved to be Andrew Luck, Rex Ryan would still be with the Jets. But coming off the best game of his career, the future ability of the quarterback is unknown. If the Jets can develop or find twp good cornerbacks, the team can rebound, I believe. Yet, the team also needs another good receiver and a linebacker. Overall, the J-E-T-S are… well, rebuilding. AFC North Baltimore Ravens (10-6) The Ravens 2014 season is hard to evaluate. Weve seen Joe Flacco turn it on in the playoffs before, but the question remains, can he do it again? Their season finished with a distressing loss in Houston and an awkward win over Cleveland to reach the playoffs with help. There has been so much change for this team since the Super Bowl season just two years ago, and you sense the Ravens are rebuilding in a sense and moving away from their association with Ray Rice as fast as possible. Looking back on the season as whole, the Ravens are a good team that had a tough season. Cincinnati Bengals (10-5-1) The Bengals season can be narrowed down to one player: Andy Dalton. I hate to isolate one guy, but it just seems obvious in so many ways. So many things went right for the Bengals, yet they still could not win the division. However, that can be blamed on their tough division. The Bengals enter the playoffs as a good team that should be better than 10-5-1. Cleveland Browns (7-9) Hope. That is what the 2014 season provided the Browns with. Hope that as a defensive football team they can continue to improve, and hope that someone from their group of quarterbacks can take over and light it up next year. There is also hope that Josh Gordon can regain focus, and that he wont throw all that incredible talent away. In Cleveland, there is a lot to hope for. Pittsburgh Steelers (11-5) The Steelers won the toughest division in football this year. They had a wide receiver, a running back and a quarterback who all career years. But the Steelers, like many teams, also had their share of ups and downs and adversity this year. If Pittsburgh can get their secondary back healthy with Ike Taylor and Troy Polamalu, they have as good a shot as any team. As an organization, the Steelers are exceptional in developing what they have as opposed to getting what they need. As the first place team in an extremely competitive division, the Steelers had a very good year. AFC South Houston Texans (9-7) 2014 was a good year for Bill OBrien and the Houston Texans. At quarterback, Ryan Mallet has the physical skills, but in watching Case Keenum win the last two games of the season, we learned fast that there is more than just physical attributes to the position. With all the attention on J.J. Watt, which was well earned, all the other talent around the defensive end did not get noticed. Can Andre Johnson have another productive year? Can a quarterback be found in the draft or should one be developed? Those are two key questions, but that is about it for team just one year removed from the first-overall pick. Indianapolis Colts (11-5) Andrew Luck is the reason the Colts are in the playoffs, but Robert Mathis is the reason they dont hold a higher seed. Without Mathis this season, there was the absence of a pass rush, which led to putting too much pressure on coverage. The Colts had so many fourth quarter come-from-behind wins behind Luck this season, but those were a luxury that had a time limit. Indianapolis had a great season and repeated as division champions, but they still need one or two good offensive lineman and a pass rushing defensive lineman to become a contender. One of these years though, in the not too distant future, you can see the Colts in the Super Bowl, but this year is not it. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-13) 2014 was disappointing yet hopeful for the Jaguars. Disappointing in that Jacksonville won more games in 2013 than they did this year. But hopeful in that the Jaguars found a quarterback in Blake Bortles. Gus Bradley comes from the Seattle Seahawks, so he knows with crystal-clear vision what he wants. However the question remains, can he get there fast enough with what he has in personnel and what he can find this offseason? Jacksonville must win eight games next year to avoid footballs inevitable verb; change. Tennessee Titans (2-14) The Titans biggest decision this offseason will likely be made by the Buccaneers, and that is whether to pick Marcus Mariota or Jameis Winston. Using three quarterbacks was a major issue, but Tennessee could have and should have been better than 2-14. Only Oakland and Jacksonville scored fewer points than the Titans and perhaps that is where you start when rebuilding. It was a very tough year for Ken Whisenhunt, but Im not sure if next year will be that much better. The Titans definitely surprised me though, as I had them picked as a wildcard team in the AFC. As a former Super Bowl participant in Arizona, Whisenhunt knows winning football, but he will need to find the next Kurt Warner in order to start winning again. Overall, a very difficult season in Tennessee. AFC West Denver Broncos (12-4) The Denver Broncos are a great team and had great year, yet it seem something may be wrong. The team underwent philosophy change at mid-season in run-pass ratio, leading to questions of whether Peyton Manning is 100 per cent healthy. However, the Denver Broncos again had a great year, especially after a Super Bowl appearance to forget. Despite their success, something is wrong in a subtle yet significant way. Kansas City Chiefs (9-7) Its hard to assess the Chiefs 2014 season, but disappointing seems to outweigh any other adjective in my mind. No touchdowns to a wide receiver, was – well - bizarre. They bested the Chargers twice, but lost to Denver twice. Alex Smith, is so fundamentally sound, but then again, so is Kyle Orton. Theres also the question of how much more pounding can Jamaal Charles take. This is an odd conclusion to the season for the Chiefs, as you they had the extremes of both adversity and prosperity throughout the season. Change is needed, but it will be hard to pinpoint exactly where. Oakland Raiders (3-13) The Raiders opened the season 0 -10, but bounced back to win three of their last six games. Looking back at the draft, the best thing the Raiders did was hit a home run with their first and second round picks in selecting Khalil Mack and Derek Carr. When you review the season, the Raiders were competitive in many games, not all, but many. Losing 52-0 to the Rams and 47-14 in Week 17 to Denver is distressing. If Jim Harbaugh takes the Michigan Job, one is left to wonder who takes over in Oakland. The Raiders spent a lot of money in free agency last year and about 60 per cent of those signees proved to be NFL starters. There are major distractions for the franchise in talks of relocation, but I hope those dont come to fruition. I like the Raiders exactly where they are. San Diego Chargers (8-8) One of the oddities with San Diego is they scored as many points as they gave up this year at 348 on each side. Philip Rivers was not look healthy in December due to back injuries, which significantly hurt their cause. The Chargers barley made the playoffs last year but then won in Cincinnati. Therefore, not making it this year is cause for concern. At one time San Diego had three great running backs to work with, by the end of the season only one was left and he was not even a part of the original three. An 8-8 season is not bad, but no playoff opportunity take makes the year feel like a losing one. NFC East Dallas Cowboys (12-4) The Dallas Cowboys had the opposite season of the Chicago Bears. 2014 reignited the Cowboys as respected, tough, successful and confident team. Sometimes, one decision changes everything, and the decision to draft Zack Martin and not Johnny Manziel was the beginning of fundamental success for the team. A lot went right for Dallas this year, but it was well earned. Remember, the Cowboys lost linebacker Sean Lee - who may be their best player - in minicamp and still won 12 games. A spectacular season for the Boys and they enter the playoffs playing their best football. New York Giants (6-10) Is it time to move on in New York? That is a dilemma because Tom Coughlin knows the game, the people, the draft and everything to do with this franchise. And now, he has Odell Beckham. If the Giants dismiss the top of the organization to help create the bottom, there has to be a special talent to do it for. For now, Coughlin has been offered a chance to stay. But New York is a different mental pressure market, the offseason will be interesting. Philadelphia Eagles (10-6) Any time you dont make the playoffs but win 10 games, your team is left with genuine optimism. The Eagles have to figure out what happened after their 33-10 win over Dallas on Thanksgiving because after that game they fell apart. The Eagels are a good team and in 2015, they will be a motivated team. With year three in Chip Kellys offence ahead, it will be three times easier for players involved from the start. Arizona was a 10-win team last year and playoff team this year. I can see that transition happening with the Eagles, who may be the best team not in the playoffs this year. Washington Redskins (4-12) As aggravating as it gets sometimes, this offseason will be again about RG3 and what he is doing, saying and feeling. I dont think you give up on a talent of Griffins level until youre sure there is nothing more you can do. Next year will be the year to decide, but the same is true for many players on a Redskins squad that lost their running game and pass rush this year. There are lots of things to improve upon. Another interesting aspect, is the personality and directness of head coach Jay Gruden. One responsibility every coach has is to develop an empowering atmosphere and Im not sure if Washington had that in 2014. One thing they do know is that performance is ranked first by Gruden, and all else is ranked second. You have to wonder why they could not be better with an offence featuring DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garcon and Alfred Morris. NFC North Chicago Bears (5-11) Disaster. That is the only word I can use to describe the Bears season. The reasons for it are speculative, but numerous. Lack of talent, lack of effort and general quarterback apathy are all on the list to name a few. The inquires as to why could go on for a long time, but unless you were in that Bears locker room this season, you just dont know the true answer. Two years ago, the Bears were a 10-win team, in 2015 they will be a rebuilding team. That is a disaster. Detroit Lions (11-5) The Lions were definitely an improved team this year and Jim Caldwell should be in the running for NFL coach of the year for that. Caldwell brought discipline and focus for 14 games, then Ziggy Anash, Domonic Raiola and Ndamukong Sue all had their own moments. Matt Stafford can throw the ball with the best of them, but can he win against the best of them? That is a key question entering January. However, Detroit is without a doubt improved from 2013, currently a good team, but one that could be great. Green Bay Packers (12-4) R-E-L-A-X, Relax. Aaron Rodgers provided the best quote of the year for a team that dominates its division year in and year out. The best move the Packers made was signing Julius Peppers from Chicago in free agency. Peppers made a huge difference, even when Clay Matthews was moved to interior linebacker. Once again, as always it seems, a great season in Green Bay. Minnesota Vikings (7-9) For the Vikings, it was a very good year under rookie head coach Mike Zimmer. Improved defence, overcoming the absence of Adrian Peterson and the emergence of Teddy Bridgewater were all bright spots for the young team. Now I dont think the Vikings are at the Packers - or even the Lions - level yet, but they have closed the gap in a big way. Next year, I expect the Vikings to be a dark horse playoff team. Minnesota is almost done rebuilding, not quite, but almost. NFC South Atlanta Falcons (6-10) Whoever gets the Falcons head coaching job this offseason needs to improve both the offensive and defensive line play in Atlanta. Running back may also be an issue as Steven Jackson is no longer a young man, and, to balance out Matt Ryans skills as a quarterback, you need a good running back. I thought the 34-3 loss to the Panthers in Week 17 pretty well summed up the Falcons last two seasons. They could not stop the run and could not protect the quarterback. Yet, despite those issues, this is probably the most attractive job out there for any new head coach. In Matt Ryan, you have a quarterback in his prime and in Julio Jones, you have a top-five wide receiver talent. This season was a major disappointment, but the future is brighter than the present in Atlanta. Carolina Panthers (7-8-1) The Panthers appear to be playing their best right now, which makes them dangerous in the playoffs. Ron Rivera did a remarkable job of keeping his team together as they went from 2-0 to winning just one of their next 10 games before finishing the year with four straight wins. During that mid part of the season in late November, Carolina did not look like a playoff team at all. Yet they rebounded and unlike Atlanta, New Orleans or Tampa Bay, Carolina has a chance. New Orleans Saints (7-9) Lots of change is pending in New Orleans, but it will come in quite ways. The oddity of Saints football is they were among the worst defenses in 2012, then one of the best in 2013, and back to one of the worst again in 2014. That leaves a significant question that needs an answer. It will now be very interesting to see how Sean Payton handles this offseason. This is the first time the franchise has been rebuilding in a long time. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-14) The Bucs own the number one pick in the draft this offseason and I would be stunned if they didnt take a quarterback. To show you how unpredictable predicting an NFL season is, there were two or three respected football personalities who had the Buccaneers as their Super bowl pick. When you look just at talent on this team, you can see why. The best surprise in Florida was Mike Evans at wide receiver. His physical talent and ability were evident all year. The biggest disappointment was the Muscle Hamster Doug Martin, who after a break through 2013 season was unable to stay healthy in 2014. Im sure Lovie Smith love challenges, and he definitely has one now. NFC West Arizona Cardinals (11-5) In my mind, Bruce Arians should be the NFL coach of the year. Could you imagine if the Cardinals had a healthy Carson Palmer for 16 games? That would have made all the difference in the world, and Arizona maybe could have won the NFC West. Teams can absorb injuries as long as they do not reach to a ridiculous number. Unfortunately, in Arizona this year, that number got ridiculous. The Cardinals own a very good defence, receiver and left tackle. Whether they are one-and-done in Carolina this week or move on, Arizona should be competitive next year as long as Carson Palmer stays healthy and Todd Bowles stays in Glendale. St. Louis Rams (6-10) The Rams finished with six wins this year, one less than they had in both 2012 and 2013 seasons. Still consider this; Jeff Fisher now has 163-147-1 record in his coaching career. No other active coach is close to that level of experience, except for maybe Andy Reid. I say stick to the plan with Jeff Fisher and above all else, keep Sam Bradford healthy. Step by step, the Rams are moving forward. They had their moments of both good and bad this season, but I dont think there is a more qualified coach than Jeff Fisher to improve a team as fast as possible. San Francisco 49ers (8-8) Whoever gets the 49ers job will get a chance to change everything, and fast. Colin Kaepernick regressed this season, but that does not mean he cant progress next year. San Francisco lost both of their middle linebackers this season, both of whom were also Pro Bowl players. Maybe it was just time for Jim Harbaugh to move on, all those inside seemed to think that, but whoever takes over 49er football has a talent level superior to that of Chicago, Atlanta, New York (Jets) and many other teams in football. Can Carlos Hyde take over for Frank Gore? Or will Gore stay in the Bay area? Its amazing that the talent level is so high that you can sign Steve Johnson from Buffalo and ends up a non-factor because those in his position are too good. There is a great job opening in San Francisco. Seattle Seahawks (12-4) Its easy to say this team had another great year. The Seahawks got it together in the final third of the season and enter the season as good this year as they were last year at this time. An average of only 254 yards allowed is the best in the NFL and now the road to the Super Bowl in the NFC goes through Seattle. 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