The Farewell 10 (2013/14)

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (11-6)
It's hard to shake the heartbreaking fashion in which the Chiefs season ended, losing their star player on the first drive, building a 28 point lead anyway, and then losing anyway. But the 9-0 start, Coach Andy Reid's arrival and the star turns of RB Jamaal Charles and QB Alex Smith energized Kansas City for a comeback season.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (10-7)
Coach Chip Kelly had a great offense in a weak NFC East and saw WR DeSean Jackson and RB LeSean McCoy return to form. QB Nick Foles emerged with amazing efficiency. All season, there were nice, bright, shining lights on those guys but the Eagles' D was exposed as the weakness as soon as the playoffs began.

CINCINNATI BENGALS (11-6)
The Cincinnati fanbase was dealt an illusion of progress this year; 8-0 at home, an AFC North title. Yet the result was the same, an exit in the wildcard round. It was the loss of dominating DT Geno Atkins mid-season that really precipitated the Begnals' decline from elite to middling. QB Andy Dalton had a rollercoaster year with a lot of highs, but a lot of lows. This team is built to win now, and Dalton was awful in the playoff game.

GREEN BAY PACKERS (8-8-1)
This season, the Packers seemed cursed. Green Bay faithful watched every injury possible including the collerbone of franchise QB Aaron Rodgers. While rookie of the year RB Eddie Lacy was able to keep them afloat in the games he wasn't injured, the Green Bay D is still a weakness and Rodgers wasn't quite at full form. The dramatic 4th-and-8 blow to the the Bears for the weak NFC North division title will have to be enough for this season.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (12-6)
After a strong 5-0 start, many thought we would see a Vengeance Tour from reinstated Coach Sean Payton. The tour trains never left New Orleans. QB Drew Brees and the determined Saints were a convincing 8-0 at home but struggled in almost every away game, especially Seattle. The defense gained promising young pieces like S Kenny Vaccaro and DE Cameron Jordan, but the facts are facts, they had trouble winning on the road this season

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (12-6)
Almost everyone accepts without question that WR Reggie Wayne's ACL injury was the disaster for a team that, with Wayne, beat Seattle, San Francisco and Denver. While I do agree that Wayne is a great WR and important piece, the Colts D and skill players were being carried all year by 2nd-year QB Andrew Luck. It was sort of a 1980's-Elway-carrying-Denver dynamic happening here. Luck needs more help.

CAROLINA PANTHERS (12-5)
With a stacked D led by LB Luke Kuechly, the Panthers were able to take physical control of games. This aligned with Coach Ron Rivera's decision to trust a smarter QB Cam Newton and the Panthers soared through the regular season to the 2nd seed. However, they were shocked at the speed of the playoffs. The Panthers are strong on both sides of the ball, you get the feeling they will be back someday.

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (10-8)
The Chargers never take the easy road. QB Philip Rivers had his best season in quite some time. RB Ryan Matthews, WR Keenan Allen formed key pieces around him. S Eric Weddle led an improved defense. Their late season success and playoff run makes you wonder why they struggled so much early. The Chargers have had so much skill and talent roll through their franchise in the 2000s, but they are yet to put together a full season.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (13-5)
With tape, glue, injured rookie WRs and practice squad specialists, Coach Bill Bellicheck and QB Tom Brady again carried the Patriots to the AFC Championship. Brady had a serious lack of weapons this year, and the defense took far too many key injuries. The 2010s Patriots have been strong but continue to come up short, one way or another.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (14-5)
In QB Colin Kaepernick's first full year at the helm of the powerful, deep 49ers roster, things started well, plummeted down in the fall, gathered momentum in the winter to a break-neck SB-favorite speed and crashed into the brick wall/Seattle Seahawks. They bullied Green Bay and Carolina in the playoffs but their dominating late-season run was cut short with "The Tip" by Richard Sherman. That's just the way it happened.