TDMMC's NFL Awards 2010: Most Regressed Franchise

[Dave Gray]

Which NFL team do you think has fallen the farthest from grace over the 2010 season?  You can use any criteria you like.  Please explain your choice.

[bsfins]

Arizona Cardinals....

10 -6 - 2008 in the Super bowl, 9-7 - 2009 in the playoffs lost to N.O. in the playoffs..to 5-11 -2010...They went into rebuilding mode...Warner retired,trading Boldin, losing Dansby...

Vikings would probably be close second...

[Dave Gray]

My answer is the Dallas Cowboys.  Good players, expected to perform, and just had nothing in the tank.

[StL FinFan]

The Vikings completely self destructed.

[jtex316]

I think an easy answer here would be the Cincinnati Bengals - from 11-5 and AFC North champs to 4-12 is a good candidate.

I'm going to go with the Houston Texans, though. This goes beyond what their record was in 2009 vs. 2010, and what some other key performance indicators were between last year and this year. For the last 3 seasons, everyone and their mom hyped up Houston as the next big thing. Seemingly since 2007, lots of people were convinced that their next season (2008) would be the year that they would finally splash. It didn't happen. Then, 2009 was going to be THE YEAR that they finally broke out, won the AFC South, beat the Colts, and made a run for it. Again, it didn't happen. Then, in 2010, not only would they do everything that they didn't do in 2009, they would most likely be in the AFC title game and possibly even the Super Bowl, not to mention, have an awesome regular season and "Wow" the world. Week 1 of the NFL season in 2010 saw the Texans beat the Colts like a drum, and prognosticators everywhere where thrilled. Then, like every other year, reality hit.

And, once again, it didn't happen, but this season, it didn't even come close to happening.

After three years of sheer hype, the Texans blew games, had a miserable defense, and could not compete in the NFL, despite having on their roster:

1. Arguably, the best WR in the league (Johson)
2. A 4,000 yard all-pro QB (Schaub)
3. Arguable, a top-5 RB in the league (Foster)
4. Great stable of receivers (Jones, Walter, Owen Daniels)
5. The #1 overall pick of 2006 (Mario Williams)
6. The defensive rookie of the year (Brian Cushing)

How is this possible? Who's to blame? Where do they go from here?

The Texans seemed to have taken baby steps forward, but I'm starting to believe that they were mirages and that they really were just never improving the entire time. This season they took a major step backwards.

[Pappy13]

Hands down it's the Arizona Cardinals.  Dropped 5 games in the standings despite playing a very easy schedule.

[Phishfan]

It can't be anyone other than the Vikings. I had no expectations that they would repeat their run of last year though. The regression should have been expected but that doesn't change the fact that it happend.

[Sunstroke]

As anyone can see by reading through this thread, there were a number of high-expectation teams that had complete stinkbomb seasons.

I'm going to give the Dallas Cowboys my vote on this one. All the preseason talk about playing in a homefield SB, and then to have their bubble burst...again.  Priceless.  I'll also give Dallas the nod for the "Franchise Regression I Personally Enjoyed The Most" award.

Honorable mention to my own beloved San Francisco 49ers, but with an asterisk. Everybody and their mother picked SF to win the NFC West this preseason, and at least a couple of writers had them representing the NFC in the SB. The asterisk being my constant contention that the 49ers didn't have the QB talent necessary to win the division. As it turned out, I was right about that...they didn't even have the QB talent necessary to win the worst and ugliest division in the history of this amazing and beautiful game.


(Now give me Jim Harbaugh and a real QB already, dammit...)

[BigDaddyFin]

The Miami Dolphins.  Who should have made a run at the AFC title game by now but have instead left their balls at home.

[MikeO]

Vikings not even close