Welcome to the 2011 season time capsule on this article i’ll try to do a recap of the things i found most interesting during the last season. It won’t be an article based on stats or in numbers, but more an article based on the most relevant events. The purpose of this is to keep a “Diary” and that in some seasons more anyone can comeback and read it, also you can add as many content or share your perspective in the comment area, i’ll do it at 5 parts. 2 divisions per team and playoffs, all of the content are my personal comments, and in any moment my intention is to insult anyone, so trying to keep the highest respect i have for any of the 31 GM of the league. Also some teams might have better or worst analysis, but im doing it by memory and trying to be natural.
Buffalo Bills had an amazing season lead by veteran QB Jake Delhomme and WR Johnnie Morant
So i remember we were in last offseason and i was talking with GM Brandon Lingren, suddenly i wished him good luck on his hot seat year, and he was like: How? Am i on the hot seat? That was hell funny, because Brandon been busy with job and at that point hadn’t check the hot seat. From that moment he started doing big movements, i would qualify them as precise masterful movements, the mainly one was to understand the situation he was living being at hot seat, and stopped developing QB David Booty, got good assets from him and decided to stay with QB Jake Delhomme, the result was a season where the veteran QB had MVP credentials. This season also was the confirmation of one move in my personal opinion qualify to be the best trade in the league history, seasons ago when Bills had 1.1, they decided to trade 1 slot to Vikings and they got 1.2 and WR Morant, that trade made a lot of sense for both teams as Morant was more a depth player with Vikings, and they got an stud CB, but Bills found a gem at Morant, during all his seasons on the team he have been able to put great numbers, and last season was special for Duo Delhomme - Morant, one combination, sadly we won’t see anymore as Delhomme retired, and at this point you might ask: Why so many words dedicated to the Bills team, but the answer is obvious, they went from Hot seat to SB runner ups.
Miami Dolphins Getting Stonger, gaining Inertia
So i’ll cheat a bit here, and not necesaty talk about something that happened during 2011 season to Dolphins, but as mentioned this article is a kind of time capsule, and i think in 2 or 3 seasons when Miami win the Lombardi, it might be good to comeback here and read how a team that had a difficult 2011 season, is gaining more and more inertia towards the title, they’ve been grabbing and stacking talent during all the past seasons, and their QB is progressing more and more, so i wouldn’t sleep at Dolphins as SB favorite in the short period. Meanwhile let’s call 2011 a progression season for the future champs.
Patriots fan doesn’t miss Travis anymore
Don’t get me wrong here, GM Travis Robbins always going to have an special place at hearts of Patriots fans, but the title selection is to mean how well GM Briston Redford have taking control of the team, he managed to make playoffs again, and is becoming a tradition. Right now have 5 years at his contract. It’ll be interesting to see what happens with the team once brady retires (Yeah Brady can retires, im not joking). Im the meanwhile 2011 was a very strong season for patriots that fought strong vs the eventual AFC Champions Buffalo Bills. 2011 was a succesful season for Patriots and the confirmation of Briston Redford as a top GM and candidate for the title at next seasons.
New York Jets and GM Kevin Mullendore end #7 ... Again
If we do a list of SFL Traditions, Jets ending #7 at AFC gotta be one of them, as tragic and sad as it sounds, we’ve reached a point where even GM Kevin Mullendore have to laugh about this, it doesn’t matter how the season is for Jets or the AFC, somehow the same pattern repeats and repeats. The another history that brought my atention about NY Jets season was the decision to go with veteran QB Aaron Brooks, while having one of the best prospects of the league at QB Woodson, i like their decision as they had the team for compete and it was wise to go with the best QB Avail, but i wonder if somehow this decision might affect the future development of this young talented player.
Tyler Thigpen got injured again
Tyler Thigpen is one of the most peculiars players this league ever seen, i’ve been tempted multiple times to write an article about him, he gives all the NFL Tom Brady vibes, 6th round guy that becomes an star, i won’t and can’t write an article about him as not my player but i’ll cheat a bit and use this space. So thinking about Thigpen, he was drafted on the 6th round, chosen as Draft Gem, gets the attributes of one of the best young QB’s this league ever had, he lived multiple hot seats with GM Norbert Huszti and together they’ve found a high success, even reached a conference final 2 seasons ago, but 2011 season brought again a past ghost; Tyler Thigpen often gets injured and miss some games during the season. It’ll be interesting to see how this story develop, comeback here in few more seasons and confirm if Thigpen let the injuries at past or if they prevailed.
Roller Coaster season in the Jungle
This is a commen related to 3 teams, group where Bengals are part. 3 teams started the season 0-5, and those 3 teams ended with 7-9, 8-8 and 9-7 records. The Bengals made a big trade during first weeks of regular season, they made a big move trying to save the season and with the mentality of win now, they traded for Buccs QB Peyton Manning, that might cut a bit the process of progression of their QB, but allowed them to add more wins to their record. Mannin were able to win multiple games, loyal to his styla of no huddle offense full of audibles, ton of pass yards, td and interceptions. The bengals might felt short in the historic comeback of make playoffs after start 0-5, but they were a fun team to watch and they’re developing talent for being a menace soon.
Cleveland Browns found a gem at draft
I won’t remember any of the other 15 games from Browns, (Even that beatdown vs my Titans), but they were the Apollo Creed of Rocky Balboa, that week 17 game, where both Steelers and Browns were playing for the division, the playoffs, and for Steelers the Job gotta be a top 10 games of the league history, not only for how it happened, or the results. But because all the context behind it, Steelers GM Tim Miller made a post about the game, i highly recommend you go and read it, won’t regret about it. Leaving that history aside (I’ll be back as soon as talk about Steelers ), the Browns got a top WR, 6”6 99 spd, in a draft were Jonathan Baldwin had all the spotlights, Ian Coyle stole one of the best wide receivers of the league a weapon that at least on my predicition and perspective going to dominate during his whole career.
Pittsburgh Steelers gave Tim Miller a job extension and multiple heart attacks
GM Tim Miller season is one of those things only happens at movies, he started the season with 2 wins, just for then fall into a lose spyral, at some point he lost the faith about keep his job as Steelers GM, but then the magic happened he won multiple straight games including 5 wins against divisional rivals, and the AFC north just couldn’t win games, so for week 17 they controlled their destiny, not just for keep the job but for make playoffs. Live or die game against Ian Coyle Browns, they started the game losing 20-0, yeah not 7-0, or 10-0 but 20-0, the browns were winning every single aspect of the game, but just as happened with the miracle regular season comeback, the Steelers started to score, 1, 2, 3, 4 td and more. At the end Steeelers did it, and i almost felt Tim Miller was screaming: We did it Adrian, we did it! Rocky Miller won the AFC North and kept his job.
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