Farewell 20 (2010)

Every season (this being the first) I take a little time to remember the fallen 20 that we won't be talking about for the next month. A quick look at our long lost and departed teams. Fear not, they shall return for the NFL draft. Pick #1? Carolina Panthers!

AFC

MIAMI DOLPHINS (7-9)

QB Chad Henne didn't show himself to be a franchise QB, even with blossoming WR Davone Bess and star WR Brandon Marshall. Despite the stellar play of LB Cameron Wake, the Miami defense can only do so much. 1-7 at home? Surreal.

BUFFALO BILLS (4-12)

Give the Bills credit, they didn't quit after their 0-8 start. QB Ryan Fitzpatrick and WR Steve Johnson put up numbers and RB Fred Jackson, RB C.J Spiller could be a nice backfield for the future. Can the front office get it's act together and help out the small pieces they already have?

CLEVELAND BROWNS (5-11)

Coach Eric Mangini is gone (a recurring theme on this list). They have some decisions to make after a promising start to the season with upsets of New Orleans and Pittsburgh turned into the regular programming in Cleveland. Rookie QB Colt McCoy earned a chance, and RB Peyton Hillis shined.

CINCINNATI BENGALS (4-12)

The fact that QB Carson Palmer's job never came into question despite a great young D, RB Cedric Bensen and the supposedly unstoppable but at least formidable duo of WR Chad Johnson and WR Terrell Owens proves one thing - Cincinnati is in trouble.

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (8-8)

Jacksonville has the markers but not the intangibles. This is simply not a good team. QB David Garrard is inconsistent in a league that you simply cannot be. RB Maurice Jones-Drew makes the highlights but can't carry the team. Jacksonville had the playoffs handed to them, and they blew it again.

HOUSTON TEXANS (6-10)

Football isn't as simple as the media portrays. Although RB Arian Foster gave Houston the running game that they so desperately needed last year when they threw for huge numbers and showcased their defensive stars, the Texans actually took a step backwards in 2010. Go figure. 

TENNESSEE TITANS (6-10)

(see HOU; media) The Titans struggled with teams crowding RB Chris Johnson and it was said they just lacked a big play threat, they added WR Randy Moss (the greatest big play threat in NFL history) and... nothing. The season tanked, QB Vince Young threw a fit, the entire team collapsed.

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (9-7)

QB Philip Rivers had a great year but injuries and sloppy special teams play finally damned the previously late-season-blessed Chargers. For the first time in four years, the Chargers annual terrible start to the season actually came back to bite them.

OAKLAND RAIDERS (8-8)

It's sad to say this is the best year Oakland has had since 2002 but it's true. In fact, it's very, very true. RB Darren McFadden finally came into his own, and the defense had another good year. The Raiders need a QB, they've needed one for a long time.

DENVER BRONCOS (4-12)

Essentially, former Coach Josh McDaniels waltzed in to Denver in a Bellicheck hoodie, gave away three Pro Bowl players (Marshall, Cutler, Hillis) and a top-tier D-Co (Mike Nolan), lost a lot of games (a lot) and handed the franchise off to 1st-round pick QB Tim Tebow.

NFC

NEW YORK GIANTS (10-6)

They walloped the Seahawks at home, I mean- crushed them and won three more games than Seattle. Yet they will be sitting at home next weekend. It is a travesty that is not the NFL's fault, it's the fault of the entire NFC West. QB Eli Manning should have a chip on his shoulder, two collapses in a row.

DALLAS COWBOYS (6-10)

QB Tony Romo led them admirably to a 1-5 start and was then injured. Coach Jason Garrett took over for the grandfatherly and perputaly baffled Wade Phillips and had a few good wins. Is this the kind of season Dallas, or anybody anywhere, expected?

WASHINGTON REDSKINS (6-10)

This team is such a mess it's almost sad. Every year for the entire reign of Owner Dan Snyder we go through an under-achieving but big-name coach and wonder what's wrong, what's wrong with the big name free agents (QB Donovon McNabb). It's starting to get old.

DETROIT LIONS (6-10)

Ending the season with a 4-game winning streak finally puts to rest a historically bad decade. QB Matt Stafford had a tough time with injuries but QB Shaun Hill filled in nicely. WR Calvin Johnson, RB Jahvid Best, DT Ndamukong Suh... Coach Jim Swartz has a few things to build on.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS (6-10)

Well QB Brett Favre is finally out of the NFL picture. Sad to see him go on such a sour note, but the history books will be kind. WR Percy Harvin, RB Adrian Peterson quietly had solid years and who knows what QB Joe Webb could be in for in his career?

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (10-6) 

QB Josh Freeman appears to be the QB for the future. WIth his emergence, a lot of other weapons reared their heads, rookies RB LaGarrete Blount and WR Mike Williams are forming a nice young core. The D needs work, but I guess that's what the future is for.

CAROLINA PANTHERS (2-14)

It's lonelier at the bottom than usual (even the Bills made it up to 4 wins) but the Panthers deserve it. One of the worst passing games in the history of the NFL, in the golden age of passing, no less. Coach John Fox knew he wasn't coming back, so what was the point?

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (6-10)

Mike Singletary couldn't out-motivate the other coaches, big surprise. Now that we can move on to football that isn't just "will and heart" we see a lot of weapons, TE Vernon Davis and WR Michael Crabtree played well when they could but QB Alex Smith needs a system, and it's just not coming.

ST. LOUIS RAMS (7-9)

The first pick in the draft has rarely meant so much so instantly to a team. Although they fell short of the dubious honor of being the first 7-9 team to reach the playoffs (the Seahawks earned that right) the Rams have to be happy with QB Sam Bradford.

ARIZONA CARDINALS (5-11)

Coach Ken Wisenhunt insisted the QB was 'just another position'. I guess that's why they had one of the worst QBs in recent history (QB Derek Anderson) starting and losing his job to an undrafted rookie (QB Max Hall) who did equally bad. Even a Super Bowl team cannot overcome that.