The NFL's 50 Biggest Teaching Points of the 2011-2012 Season

The 2011 NFL season was one for the ages, as we witnessed a depressed offseason due to the lockout, a week of nonstop free agency and then, before we knew, it was Week 1 of the regular season—but that's all over now, and the New York Giants are Super Bowl XLVI champions.

It's certainly safe to say that the NFL is evolving into a primary passing league with the likes of Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford and Eli Manning all having incredible seasons.

With that being said, that is just one teaching point we can take into the 2012 NFL season.

In that spirit, here are 50 teaching points of the 2011 NFL season.

The NFL Is Without a Doubt a Passing League

There's no denying the NFL is officially a passing league. It's not arena football, but it's pretty damn close.

The 2011 season saw its top fiver passers—Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Matthew Stafford, Eli Manning and Aaron Rodgers—all eclipse 4,600 passing yards with the top two passers surpassing Dan Marino's 1984 record of 5,084 passing yards.

A 9-7 Team Can Win a Super Bowl

Just ask the Super Bowl XLVI New York Giants—a 9-7 football team can win the Super Bowl.

For the first time in NFL history, a 9-7 team won it all.

You Can Win Without a Top-Tier Rushing Attack

Yet again, take a look at the New York Giants.

They won Super Bowl XLVI with the worst rushing attack in the NFL. It is possible to win it all without having a solid or even an average ground game.

You Can Win Games with a Bottom-of-the-League Defense

Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots may have come four points short of winning Super Bowl XLVI, but they did so with the second-worst defense the NFL had to offer in 2011.

This past season, the 13-3 AFC champion Patriots proved that having a weak defense doesn't have to hold you back from achieving greatness. 

Giving a Ton of Yards Is Just, as Long as They're Not Scoring Points

The New England Patriots may have allowed a pitiful 411.1 yards per game in 2011, but they went 13-3 and won the AFC Championship.

How was this possible? Because they didn't gave up a ton of points.

New England's defense held opponents to 21.4 points per game. 

You Need to Have at Least Two Productive Receivers

Let's take a look at the Super Bowl XLVI-winning New York Giants:

They had one of the NFL's better passing attacks because they had three quality wide receivers in Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz and Mario Manningham. 

The team that lost the Super Bowl, the New England Patriots, had three quality receivers in Rob Gronkowski, Wes Welker and Aaron Hernandez.

I'm not saying that you need three productive receivers to win it all, but it's a must to have at least two go-to guys. 

Tight Ends Are More Valuable in the Passing Game

Take a look at Jimmy Graham, Rob Gronkowski, Vernon Davis and Aaron Hernandez—they're all top-tier tight ends who helped carried their teams to a deep playoff run. 

The tight end is getting involved in the passing game nowadays. Teams need to start realizing that and building around that, as that's the new trend in the NFL. 

Winning the Division Is a Must to Advance Deep into the Playoffs

What can I say? All divisional winners won at least one playoff this past season.

Coincidence or not? 

You Can Win with a Rookie Quarterback

Take a look at Andy Dalton and T.J. Yates—both quarterbacks took their teams to the playoffs and performed pretty well in the 2011 season.

Rolling with a rookie quarterback may sound a little scary, but it has been working for a bunch teams over the past two or three seasons. 

You Need a Reliable Backup Quarterback

Luckily for the Houston Texans, they had two solid backups in Matt Leinart and T.J. Yates when Matt Schaub went down for the season. When Leinart went down, the reins fell into the hands of Yates.

Yates was a rookie, but he still took the Texans to the AFC South divisional title. 

You need a reliable backup quarterback. For an example, look at how the Chicago Bears completely flopped once Jay Cutler went down.

There's no excuse nor a way around it. 

Franchises Cannot Build Around Just One Player

Take a look at Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts.

2-14—do I need to say much more? That's what I thought. 

There Are No Guarantees in the NFL

I'm sure most of you had the Green Bay Packers advancing to Super Bow XLVI—well, you were wrong. 

They were one-and-done.

There are no locks nor guarantees in the NFL these days. Just look at what the Kansas City Chiefs did against Green Bay in Week 16. 

Don't Invest in a Quarterback Too Early

Now that the Buffalo Bills have Ryan Fitzpatrick locked up until 2018, they may be questioning their judgement. 

Fitzpatrick completely imploded in 2011, as he threw a league-high 23 interceptions while posting a 79.1 quarterback rating. 

Reggie Bush Can Succeed as a Full-Time Running Back

Take note all NFL franchises: Do not pass on a guy like Reggie Bush.

I will admit that the New Orleans Saints drafted him too high, but he is a serviceable back who can certainly carry the load. 

Bush ran for 1,086 yards for the Miami Dolphins in 2011, as he also scored a total of seven touchdowns and reeled in 43 passes. 

Some Quarterbacks Get Better with Age

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is like a fine wine—he gets better with age.

Brady had yet another stellar season, throwing for 39 touchdowns while accumulating 5,235 passing yards. 

Getting old doesn't necessarily mean that your career will hit rock bottom. 

At 34 years old, Brady is as good as ever. 

You Can Get Away with Undrafted Free Agents in Your Secondary

The New England Patriots may have had one of the worst secondaries in the NFL, but they still went 13-3 and won the AFC Championship.

And they did that with Sterling Moore, Sergio Brown, James Ihedigbo and Kyle Arrington all in their defensive backfield despite being undrafted free agents. 

Talking a Lot of Smack Doesn't Win You Football Games

Just ask Rex Ryan and the New York Jets about trash-talking.

Ask them if it guarantees Super Bowls—because they have yet to win one. 

A Quarterback Who Lacks Leadership Will Never Win a Super Bowl

Mark Sanchez is a prime example.

There is definitely some soul-searching happening in New York right now, as people are starting to question the ability of Sanchez to be an NFL quarterback in the city of New York. 

Having a Deep Threat Can Dramatically Help an Offense

Let's be honest, Joe Flacco isn't the greatest quarterback in the world, but Torrey Smith really makes Baltimore's passing attack somewhat threatening.

Smith had a stellar rookie season, emerging as one of the top deep threats in the NFL with seven touchdowns and 841 yards. 

A Pair of Rookies Can Turn an Offense Around

Andy Dalton and A.J. Green really had an incredible rookie season together with the Cincinnati Bengals, and they completely made Cincy's fans forget about Carson Palmer and Chad Ochocinco.

Dalton and Green led the Bengals to the 20th-best offense in the league, averaging 21.5 points per game. 

You Will Not Score Points Without a True No. 1 Wide Receiver

Greg Little may be a young and promising wide receiver, but the Cleveland Browns' other wide receiver, Mohamed Massaquoi, is a complete joke.

If the Browns want to develop Colt McCoy, then they're going to have to upgrade their wide receiver position. 

Ankles Can Really Sink a Reigning Conference Championship

The 2010 AFC champion Pittsburgh Steelers may have gone 12-4 this past season, but they ran out of gas by the playoffs.

The Steelers simply ran into too many injuries on their defense and offensive line, as well with their quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger. 

A Change in a Defensive Coordinator Can Turn Around a Defense

What Wade Phillips did in 2011 with the Houston Texans was truly remarkable. He took a bottom-of-the-league defense and turned it into a top-tier defense.

It's amazing what a switch from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4 defense can do—or just changing a defensive scheme, for that matter. 

Losing 14 Games Can Be Rewarding

How can losing 14 games in a season be a good thing?

Well, I suppose it is if Andrew Luck is sitting there waiting for you to draft him. 

The Indianapolis Colts' 2-14 season was pathetic, but they will be rewarded with a franchise quarterback in Luck. 

A Running Back Cannot Carry a Team's Offense

Maurice Jones-Drew was by far the Jacksonville Jaguars' top offensive weapon this past season, but he simply was not enough to win more than five games in 2011.

MJD ran for 1,606 rushing yards while punching eight touchdowns, but those efforts were simply not enough. 

Playing a Rookie Quarterback in Spurts Can Be Successful

The Tennessee Titans' 2011 first-round pick played in only five games this past season with Matt Hasselbeck as the team's starter, but Jake Locker was extremely successful in such a small period of time. 

Locker completed only 51.5 percent of his passes, but he threw for 542 yards while tossing four touchdowns and posting a 99.4 quarterback rating. 

Tebowing Is Not Just a Trend—It's a Lifestyle

True story. 

I Tebow in every situation. 

Just a reminder: If you want to win football games, Tebowing before and after isn't such a bad idea. 

You Can Win Games with Tim Tebow

Tim Tebow may have completed just 46.5 percent of his passes this season, but he threw 12 touchdowns and only six interceptions while punching in six touchdowns on the ground.

Tebow led his Denver Broncos to an 8-8 record and also upset the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card Round. 

Yon Can't Always Overcome Injuries

Injuries to Jamaal Charles, Matt Cassel and Eric Berry were simply too much for the Kansas City Chiefs to overcome.

The Chiefs posted a a 7-9 record, but they could have done much better if they had had a healthy roster. 

Trading Several Picks for a Quarterback May Be a Bad Idea

Trading a first and a second-round draft pick for a guy like Carson Palmer isn't a great idea—but Hue Jackson and the Oakland Raiders did it anyways. 

Palmer completed just 60.1 percent of his passes for 2,753 yards while throwing 13 touchdowns and a pitiful 16 interceptions. 

Being Talented Doesn't Guarantee a Playoff Berth

Philip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers have one of the most talented rosters in the NFL, but they simply did not succeed in the 2011 regular season.

There is no reason why the Chargers did not make the playoffs, as they posted an 8-8 record, but they were far too inconsistent. 

You Can't Choke If You Want to Make the Playoffs

Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys choked yet again as they fell just short in the final game of the season, 31-14, against the New York Giants. 

The Cowboys need to find a way to win high-pressure games if they want to make a deep playoff run next season. 

A Dominant Pass-Rush Can Make a Defense Great

Let's be honest for a second: The New York Giants do not have the greatest secondary, but they do have one of the NFL's most suffocating pass-rushes.

New York's pass-rush, led by Jason Pierre-Paul, ultimately led them to a Super Bowl this season. 

Being Labeled a "Dream Team" Doesn't Guarantee You a Super Bowl

Vince Young boldly labeled the Philadelphia Eagles the "Dream Team" prior to the 2011 season, and they failed dramatically. 

The Eagles finished with just a an 8-8 record and simply were far too inconsistent for a team that is absolutely loaded with talent. 

Rex Grossman Is Not an NFL Starting Quarterback

I really hope that Mike Shanahan and the Washington Redskins realize that Rex Grossman is not good enough to be a starter at the NFL level.

This is a reminder: Rex Grossman cannot be a starting quarterback. He is awful. 

Losing Your Two Best Offensive Weapons Is Something You Can't Overcome

The Chicago Bears were heading to the likely playoff berth with Jay Cutler and Matt Forte having a solid season, but injuries got the best of them.

After the Bears lost their top two offensive weapons, they managed to only finish 8-8 and were unable to make the playoffs. 

If a Quarterback Can Stay Healthy, He Can Produce Great Numbers

For the first time in Matthew Stafford's young NFL career, he played a full NFL season, and it was an incredible one.

The Detroit Lions' offensive line kept Stafford healthy as he posted a 97.2 quarterback rating while throwing a whopping 5,038 yards and tossing 41 touchdowns. 

You Can Have Two Great Quarterbacks on One Roster

We all know Aaron Rodgers is an elite quarterback, but the Green Bay Packers had another incredible quarterback on their roster in Matt Flynn. 

It is possible to have two starting quarterbacks on your team, but it won't last for long, as Flynn will likely move on this offseason. 

Losing One Game Doesn't Guarantee You a Super Bowl

Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers had a magical season, posting a 15-1 record, but they simply did not fare too well in the postseason. 

The Packers were just one-and-done. 

Having the NFL MVP on Your Roster Doesn't Guarantee You a Super Bowl

Aaron Rodgers may have been named the NFL's MVP, but it didn't win the Green Bay Packers a Super Bowl—hell, it didn't even win them a playoff game, as they lost in the Divisional Round to the New York Giants. 

Adrian Peterson Can't Win Games for the Minnesota Vikings

Prior to tearing his ACL, Adrian Peterson was having a solid season, with 970 yards and 12 touchdowns, but he couldn't put the Minnesota Vikings on his back and win games. 

What the Vikings need to do is build around quarterback Christian Ponder and give him weapons to throw to. 

Regular-Season Wins Don't Translate to Playoff Wins

Matt Ryan, Mike Smith and the Atlanta Falcons have yet to win a playoff game together despite putting up several regular-season wins.

The Falcons went 10-6 this past season, but lost their first playoff game against the New York Giants. 

Cam Newton Is Something Special

Cam Newton is the NFL's next big thing.

Newton had himself an incredible rookie season, as he scored a total of 35 touchdowns while posting an 84.5 quarterback rating. 

A Rookie Quarterback Can Break Records

Despite being a rookie, Cam Newton put on a show for the NFL this past season, as he set an NFL record for most passing yards for a rookie with 4,051 yards—which broke Peyton Manning's record. 

Offense Doesn't Win You Championships

Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints are one of the NFL's elite offenses, but that doesn't mean you're going to make it to the Super Bowl.

The Saints may have gone 13-3 this past season, but they lost in the Divisional Round to the San Francisco 49ers and their elite defense. 

Being Young Can Come Back to Haunt You

Josh Freeman and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are one of the youngest teams in the NFL, and their inexperience really came back to haunt them this season.

The Bucs lost their final 10 games of the season and ultimately sealed the fate for their former head coach, Raheem Morris. 

You Need to Get the Ball to Your No. 1 Wide Receiver

If the Arizona Cardinals want to win games, then they're going to have to get the ball to their No. 1 wide receiver, Larry Fitzgerald.

With that being said, Kevin Kolb or John Skelton or even Peyton Manning needs to find a way to get Fitzgerald the ball more often. 

You Can Win Games with a Game Manager at Quarterback

Alex Smith may not have had the greatest season with the San Francisco 49ers,—he threw just 17 touchdowns—but he was effective because he hardly turned the ball over; he was picked off just five times.

The 49ers went 13-3 with a game manager at quarterback, and it proves that you can win games with that kind of quarterback. 

Beast Mode Is Legit

Marshawn Lynch proved to the NFL that he can be a legitimate No. 1 running back, as he turned on Beast Mode for the Seattle Seahawks this past season. 

Lynch ran for 12 touchdowns while compiling 1,204 rushing yards and averaging 4.2 yards per carry. 

A Talented Quarterback Can Suffer a Sophomore Slump

No need to give up on Sam Bradford—he just suffered from the sophomore slump and will likely turn it around in 2012.

Bradford played in just 10 games this past season and posted a 70.5 quarterback rating.