NFL's Decade In Review

With the first decade of the 2000's only a week away from ending, I will be reviewing the last ten years of the NFL.

In this article, I will choose the best player, team, coach, game and performance along with the biggest trade, low point and controversy of this great decade.

I hope you all enjoy and tell me your opinions on my choices.

Best Player: Tom Brady

Tom Brady was the best player of the decade due to his consistent winning and great numbers.

Brady led the Patriots to three Super Bowl wins in four appearances and he only lost to the Giants due to a miracle catch by David Tyree.

In his career as a starter, his record is an amazing 96-29 and he has a 14-3 record in the post season as a starter.

Brady was selected to the Pro Bowl team four times and the First Team All Pro once. His best season was in 2007, as he led the Patriots to a perfect 16-0 record and had one of the best statistical seasons ever.

He had a 117.2 QB Rating, a 68.9 completion%, 4,806 yards, an NFL-record 50 touchdown passes and only 8 interceptions.

Runner Up - Peyton Manning

Best Coach: Bill Belichick

Belichick is the hands down coach of the decade as he led the Patriots to three Super Bowl titles and 4 AFC Championships.

He coached all 10 years for the Patriots and had a 111-47 record, which is a .703 winning percent.

He is known for being a defensive genius as each of the three Super Bowl winning Patriot teams were excellent defensively.

I think his best season was in 2008 as he led the Patriots to an 11-5 record despite having star quarterback Tom Brady go out for the year in the first quarter of the season.

He was able to keep the Patriots extremely competitive with a quarterback who did not even start in college.

Runner Up - Tony Dungy

Best GM: Bill Polian

Polian is the best general manager of the decade due to the Colts having the most wins ever for one team in a decade and the numerous key players that were drafted in the bottom of the draft such as Gary Brackett, Jeff Saturday, Antoine Bethea, and Robert Mathis.

Polian also helped build the Colts team that won the Super Bowl over the Bears along with hiring coach Tony Dungy, who was a great football coach and mentor off the field.

Runner Up - Scott Pioli

Best Franchise: New England Patriots

The Patriots are the clear franchise of the decade as they won the most Super Bowls with three and won their conference championship four times.

They also had the best player in Brady and the best coach in Belichick.

Runner Up - Pittsburgh Steelers (2 Super Bowl Wins)

Best Team: 2007 Patriots

Even though this team did not win the Super Bowl, I still think it was the best team of the decade as they simply destroyed their opponents throughout the season en route to a 16-0 season.

Brady had arguably the best statistical season ever for a quarterback, while Moss had a record 23 touchdown receptions.

The team averaged 36.8 points a game and over 411 yards a game, while allowing an average of 17.1 points per game, nearly a 20 point differential.

They ranked first in both points and yards offensively and fourth in defense.

Runner Up - 2000 Baltimore Ravens

Best Game: Super Bowl XLII

The epitome of a David vs. Goliath game. The unbeaten 18-0 Patriots looking to make history vs. a 10-6 Wild Card team who just barely made the post season.

The Giants repeatedly pressured and hit Brady as they were able to limit the Patriots juggernaut offense to a measly 14 points.

The Giants offense was not much better, but down by four with the game winding down, Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning was able to lead the Giants offense for the game-winning touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress thanks mostly to a miracle catch by David Tyree that kept the drive alive.

Runner Up - Rams vs. Titans Super Bowl (Kevin Dyson 1 Yard Short of End Zone as time expires)

Biggest Trade: Rivers/Manning Trade

This draft day trade involved two franchise quarterbacks, one of the league's best defensive players when healthy and best kickers.

The Chargers drafted Eli with the first overall pick and then immediately traded him for Rivers and two draft picks, which ended up being Shawne Merriman and Nate Kaeding.

Eli and Rivers have become two of the best quarterbacks in the league and Eli helped lead the Giants to a Super Bowl victory over the undefeated Patriots, while the Chargers have been serious Super Bowl contenders.

Runner Up - Michael Vick/LT Trade

Best Performance: 2000 Ravens Defense

The Super Bowl-winning Ravens completely shut down the Giants offense as they limited them to only 152 total yards, 6 first downs and forced 5 turnovers in their 34-7 victory.

Star middle linebacker Ray Lewis won the Super Bowl MVP award.

Runner Up - James Harrison (Super Bowl XLIII)

Best Play: James Harrison Interception

This is all I have to say.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEIyUBf0X8E&feature=related

Biggest Controversy: SpyGate

The Patriots great run was somewhat tainted by the Spy Gate controversy in the beginning of the 2007 season. The team was caught cheating by videotaping opposing sidelines after the first game of the regular season vs. the rival Jets.

The punishment for the Patriots was that they lost a first round pick in the next year's draft while Belichick was fined $500,000 and the team an additional $250,000.

Lowest Point - Michael Vick Arrest

The Michael Vick dogfighting story shows how quickly someone who has it all (fame, money, and talent) can lose it all.

Vick was one of the most popular and exciting players in the league along with being one of the highest paid, yet after dog fighting charges, his career was abruptly interrupted in his prime.

He plead guilty to federal charges in August of 2007 and was sent to 23 months in prison. Vick eventually filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2008 as he had lost the majority of his salary money and all of his endorsements.

Recently, he signed with the Eagles this season and has been the backup to Donovan McNabb.

Miscellaneous

Worst Franchise - Detroit Lions
Worst Team - 2008 Winless Lions
Biggest Draft Bust - JaMarcus Russell
Biggest Draft Steal - Tom Brady (6th round pick)
Worst Trade - Raiders Trade Moss to Patriots for 4th Round Pick
Best Free Agent Signing - Saints sign Drew Brees
Worst Free Agent Signing - Giants sign Lavar Arrington
Worst Coach - Steve Spurrier (Redskins 2002-2003)
Best Team Rivalry - Patriots vs. Colts
Best Player Rivalry - Manning vs. Brady