A splendid 2014 regular season is in the books. But the games have just begun.
This week, drama will ensue. There will be major coaching changes. There will be substantial debate on who should capture individual awards. Did I mention that the playoffs start in five days? There will be upsets. Oh, and it's never too early to talk NFL draft and free agency, right?
With all that in mind, we provide nine wide-ranging arguments across the NFL.
HERE'S THE CASE FOR ...
1) ... Bill O'Brien as Coach of the Year
The field is loaded this year, with a bevy of viable candidates that includes Bruce Arians, Jason Garrett and Jim Caldwell. But I think the coach who has done the most this year and deserves the hardware is O'Brien.
Back in January, the first-time NFL head coach took over a lifeless, two-win outfit that needed a new identity. He instantly changed the team's tone and tempo. O'Brien held the players accountable.
Houston spent the No. 1 overall pick on Jadeveon Clowney and he barely played this year due to injury. Yet, Houston somehow was able to still win nine games.
O'Brien is rightly praised as an offensive guru. Well, he maximized and squeezed every last ounce out of three quarterbacks who have no business starting in the NFL: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Ryan Mallett and Case Keenum. If you think about it, the quarterback group in Houston was the worst in the league this year. It's a minor miracle the Texans had a chance to make the playoffs at 3 p.m. ET in Week 17. That's preparation. That's coaching.
O'Brien defused an offseason issue with Texans legend Andre Johnson, eventually getting the pro's pro to buy into his program, which goes a long way.
J.J. Watt was seemingly a one-man wrecking crew for the Texans, which is a credit to him in one of the all-time great seasons by a defensive player. And some would argue that Watt's MVP candidacy was bolstered by his ability to catch touchdowns on the offensive side of the ball. Well, who hatched that idea and put him in red-zone packages? Bill O'Brien.
In every way you judge a coach, O'Brien came up aces. The Texans are in fantastic hands. He deserves to be recognized.
2) ... the Ravens as a sleeper playoff team
It certainly wasn't pretty on Sunday, but Baltimore survived a largely sloppy outing to defeat Cleveland -- and the Ravens got the help they needed, with Kansas City's win over San Diego.
Consequently, John Harbaugh's team is back in the playoffs. And I don't think it will be a one-and-done.
Baltimore and Pittsburgh will clash for the third time this season. And it will be great to see these arch rivals locking horns in the playoffs. The teams -- and the fans -- share rare hatred and pure disdain for each other.
And the Ravens will be ready.
Justin Forsett got back on track in Week 17, eclipsing 100 yards rushing for the first time in a month. Joe Flacco is well experienced in playoff football. (Remember that Super Bowl run two seasons ago, when Flacco racked up an 11:0 TD-to-INT ratio?) Baltimore won't be intimidated going to Pittsburgh. And while Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers will have a major advantage against the Ravens' defensive backfield, Flacco should be able to exploit the same issue for Pittsburgh's defense. Plus, Le'Veon Bell's hyperextended knee will need to be monitored all week long.
The Patriots are the best team in the AFC and are going to the Super Bowl. But you know Harbaugh's Ravens are never intimidated going to New England.
Baltimore was the last AFC team invited to the dance, but these Ravens won't leave so easily.
3) ... Hue Jackson to replace Marvin Lewis -- if Cincy loses again in Round 1
The Colts are ripe to be picked off at home on Sunday. Yes, Andrew Luck is a bona fide star, but that's really all they have.
On the other hand, there are three guarantees in life: death, taxes and the Bengals losing in the opening weekend of the playoffs.
When the Colts and Bengals meet this weekend, Cincy will have the more talented roster, along with the better defense and better run game. This is a game that the Bengals should win. But I won't pick them. Cincy consistency falls short at head coach and quarterback, with Andy Dalton saving his worst for when it matters most.
Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson deservedly will get looks from teams in need of a new head coach this offseason. If Lewis suffers another postseason snafu, Mike Brown should keep Jackson in Cincy with a new title.
4) ... Marcus Mariota to Tampa Bay with the No. 1 overall pick
The Buccaneers won by losing Sunday, clinching the top pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. They need a franchise quarterback. Mariota is special -- on and off the field. Jameis Winston cannot be trusted as the face of an NFL franchise. This is a no-brainer. Congrats (... I guess) to Jason Licht and the Bucs. Don't overthink it.
5) ... Ndamukong Suh to be disciplined for stomping on Aaron Rodgers
If you make a mistake when walking -- take an inadvertent step, stumble on something in your way -- what's the natural reaction? You stop in your tracks and take stock of the situation. It's an instant reflex.
After Suh trampled Rodgers on Sunday, causing the Packers QB to immediately retaliate with an angry shove, FOX showed the replay numerous times. Did Suh look back? Did Suh pause and assess the situation? No. Instead, he did it again.
Suh stepped on Rodgers' injured leg twice. Coincidence? Well, this is Ndamukong Suh we're talking about -- the guy has a well-earned reputation as a dirty player. This fit right in with prior behavior.
It's unfathomable that Suh didn't learn from his prior Thanksgiving Day stomping of Evan Dietrich-Smith or Dominic Raiola's one game-suspension for his own trampling in Week 16.
And now, the league needs to act again. That was classless.
UPDATE: The NFLÂ has suspended Suh for the Lions' Wild Card Game against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.
6) ... Aaron Rodgers as MVP
Yes, Watt just produced a legendary defensive season. Plus, there seems to be an MVP groundswell for guys like Tony Romo and Russell Wilson, among others.
This isn't hard. Associated Press voters, like myself, get one vote for the NFL's biggest individual award. And the most valuable player in the league is Aaron Rodgers.
Sunday's Willis Reed-esque return -- and the one-legged domination that ensued -- sealed the deal on an award that, in my mind, wasn't up for grabs anyway. Did you see Rodgers go 11-for-13 passing after the injury, deftly guiding Green Bay to a division title and first-round bye?
Rodgers is the MVP going away.
7) ... Rex Ryan not getting another head coaching gig in 2015
I chuckle upon hearing folks talking about Rex offering fire and swagger to seemingly-dead situations like Atlanta and Chicago.
Oh, he will bring energy. But how about the wins?
Ryan went 46-50 in six seasons as Jets head coach, before being officially relieved of his duties on Monday. After the back-to-back AFC title game appearances that highlighted his first two years on the job, Rex's regime was filled with bluster ... and blunder.
For the second year in a row, Rex had a bucket of Gatorade dumped on his head at the end of a non-playoff season. The love affair his players -- and some members of the media -- had with him routinely overshadowed how bad of an in-game coach Ryan was. As I wrote two years ago, the coach should've been fired with the GM who hired him (Mike Tannenbaum).
Now there's a lot of buzz about Ryan ending up in Atlanta, in the wake of the Falcons' firing of Mike Smith. Don't get me wrong: Smith needed to go. I wrote that two months ago. But why would Atlanta now hire an inferior head coach? Rex mismanaged the quarterback position throughout his Gang Green tenure. Why would the Falcons -- or especially any team without an established stud under center -- see this guy as the answer.
They shouldn't.
8) ... the Cardinals to advance in the playoffs
It seems impossible, playing 10 against 11. And that's the challenge for these Cardinals. With Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton hurt, they don't have a quarterback. I've seen the Ryan Lindley movie before and can tell you how it ends.
But let's pump the breaks on Carolina. Everyone suddenly seems to be riding this bandwagon. Credit the Panthers for blasting Atlanta and claiming a second consecutive NFC South title on Sunday.
But I just can't see Jonathan Stewart and Cam Newton playing at a high level against the Cardinals' defense this Saturday. I have too much respect for Todd Bowles.
9) ... the Browns to bring back Brian Hoyer
Johnny Manziel's rookie season was a total waste. He couldn't beat out a quarterback who couldn't complete the forward pass. When he finally got his shot, Manziel looked horrible before suffering a season-ending injury. And even on injured reserve, Johnny Football couldn't escape trouble, as he was fined for being late to treatment on Saturday.
Manziel needs to grow up. What did he just tell us last week? Oh, yeah: "I have to take this a lot more seriously. It's a job for me now." It's tough to hand him the keys to the car when he immediately contradicts himself.
The backup quarterback position is an important one for the Browns. And the offseason market will provide slim pickings in the secondary QB market. Would Mike Pettine want to reunite with Mark Sanchez? Could Mike Glennon be an attractive trade option?
Hoyer makes the most sense as a guy to compete with Manziel. His value on the open market crashed back down to Earth once his completion percentage nosedived and he lost the starting job.
If you are Hoyer, you believe you can beat out Manziel. Where else would you have a better opportunity for success? In Buffalo? Tennessee? With the Bears or Jets, who are both bringing in new coaches? Brian Hoyer is not a sure-fire starter in the NFL. That's been proven.
Follow Adam Schein on Twitter @AdamSchein.
