Can you believe the 2012 NFL season is officially in the books? Just one week ago, the Baltimore Ravens squeaked by the San Francisco 49ers 34-31 in one of the most watched Super Bowls of all-time.
But now that the game is over and we’ve had a little time to get over our sadness after the completion of another great NFL season, its time for a little reflection.
Here are the biggest winners and losers of the 2012 NFL season.
WINNER: Robert Griffin III, QB, Washington Redskins
He was the NFL Rookie of the Year and led the Washington Redskins to their first playoff appearance since 2007. He did all of that while wearing a dashing pair of socks and selling Subway sandwiches.
LOSER: Alex Smith, QB, San Francisco 49ers
Smith made the Super Bowl as a back-up for the Niners, but it’s still not the same as taking your team there as the starter. Smith was replaced by second year player Colin Kaepernick in early November and the team never looked back. Smith is now looking for a new team.
WINNER: Joe Flacco, QB, Baltimore Ravens
Before the season started, Flacco said that he was an elite quarterback. Some laughed at him until he went out and won a Super Bowl. Flacco was the MVP of the NFL’s biggest game and is on his way to the largest payday of his young life. Maybe more quarterbacks should claim elite status.
LOSER: Mike Mularkey, HC, Jacksonville Jaguars
Mularkey was fired as head coach of the Jaguars almost one year to the date of his hiring. Jaguars eccentric owner Shahid Khan wanted to be smart in hiring his first coach, so I guess he wanted to do the same when firing Mularkey. After posting the worst season in franchise history, Khan made Mularkey a part of Jaguars history by releasing him.
WINNER: Peyton Manning, QB, Denver Broncos
Manning had four neck surgeries before returning to NFL action, and his throwing arm was said to be as strong as a cooked spaghetti noodle. Then the season started and he posted some of the best stats of his illustrious career: 37 touchdowns, 4,659 passing yards, and just 11 interceptions. He was also named NFL comeback player of the year.
LOSER: Tim Tebow, QB, New York Jets
During the 2012 offseason, the Jets traded for Tebow to bring a different offensive dynamic to the team. They then used him by sitting him on the bench for the entire season. The Jets are currently in the process of trying to trade Tebow to another team. Some dynamic.
WINNER: Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota Vikings
Peterson shredded his knee in week 16 of the 2011 NFL season when he tore his ACL and MCL at the same time. After having surgery to repair the knee in December of 2011, Peterson came back to start the year in September, ran for over 2,000 yards in 2012, and was named NFL MVP.
