Some started hot and fizzled out in the end; others got off to a slow start and finished strong. Now after four months of blood, sweat and tears, only the best remain as the NFL playoffs get underway.
While the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints both flirted with going undefeated most of the 2009 season, both lost games in the final weeks of the regular season. But both teams still held on to the best record in their respective conferences to get home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
On the flip side, the San Diego Chargers lost three of their first five games of the season but never lost again to finish the season at 13–3. So it will be the Bolts and the Colts holding down the top two seeds in the AFC. Joining the Saints in the NFC top two spots are the Minnesota Vikings, who lost three games in December but still clinched a first-round bye with a 12-4 record.
The remaining eight teams will settle their differences in the wildcard round of the playoffs, which will feature three rematches from the final week of the regular season; all three were blowouts.
Donovan McNabb and the Philadelphia Eagles will return to Dallas to avenge a 24–0 loss to the Cowboys to close out the regular season. The New York Jets go to Cincinnati after beating the Bengals 37–0 in their last game and the Arizona Cardinals will host the Green Bay Packers for the second straight week after a 33–7 loss in Phoenix Jan. 3.
The Baltimore Ravens will travel to New England to face off with the Patriots for the remaining wildcard matchup.
The Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t go down without a fight. The Steelers kept their playoff hopes alive after a hard-won victory over the Miami Dolphins, but didn’t get the help they needed when both the Jets and Ravens won their decisive final games of the regular season.
After starting the season 6–0, the Denver Broncos became the third team in modern NFL history not to qualify for the playoffs after such a start. Needing to win in their final game, the Broncos were manhandled 44–24 by the last place Kansas City Chiefs. Denver lost eight of their last 10 games to finish 8–8 for 2009.
The Super Bowl participants will be decided Jan. 24, with the winners of the AFC and NFC Championship games.
Super Bowl XLIV will kick off Feb. 7, 2010, in Miami.
–lenn durant
