Before the 2009 season kicked off, I thought it was the most anticipated season in the history of the NFL.

The story lines were aplenty. Among them were Tom Brady and Michael Vick returning from absences, Brett Favre wearing his third different uniform in three seasons, and Jay Cutler bringing a prolific offense to Chicago.

Well, Brady was inconsistent by his standards, Vick made little impact, Favre tarnished his legacy with Packer fans and Cutler put up big numbers — with his interception totals.

Those players ended up being only part of the story of the 2009 season, and that's part of what makes the NFL great. You never know what to expect from week to week. You think a season will revolve around Brady, Vick, Favre and Cutler and it does not.

Another interesting regular season wraps up today, and there are sure to be more surprises on the season's final day. But before we get to the playoffs, let's hand out some awards, both real and imagined.

MVP: Peyton Manning, Colts

The Colts were supposed to be a team in decline this season with a rookie head coach. Manning, however, wouldn't let that happen. He directed Indianapolis to 14 straight wins and had one of his best statistical seasons, throwing for 4,405 yards and 33 touchdowns.

I disagreed with Manning winning the MVP last season, but not this time. His consistent play puts him ahead of contenders such as Drew Brees, Chris Johnson and Philip Rivers.

Offensive player of the year: Chris Johnson, Titans

The second-year running back has quickly become one of the league's most exciting — and productive — players. He needs 132 yards against the Seahawks today to become the sixth player in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season. He needs 234 yards to break Eric Dickerson's all-time single-season record of 2,105 yards set in 1984.

Defensive player of the year: Darrelle Revis, Jets

Where would the Jets be without their shutdown corner? Revis has guarded players such as Randy Moss, Reggie Wayne, Steve Smith and Andre Johnson and didn't allow a 70-yard game all season. He has six interceptions and he leads the NFL with 31 passes defensed.

Coach of the year: Marvin Lewis, Bengals

There are about five legitimate contenders here, and you can't really go wrong with any of them. But Lewis deserves the award. His team has been through tragedy with the deaths of receiver Chris Henry and Vikki Zimmer, the wife of defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer. The Bengals have enjoyed just their second winning season since 1991 and had no Pro Bowlers but won the AFC North title thanks to Lewis' leadership.

Offensive rookie of the year: Michael Oher, Ravens

There are skill-position players that deserve a look, such as Minnesota's Percy Harvin and former BYU and current Colts receiver Austin Collie. My vote would go to Oher, the offensive lineman who's the subject of the book and movie "The Blind Side." Oher's rise from being homeless as a teenager, to tirelessly studying to get eligible to play in college, to becoming a first-round NFL pick is inspiring. He can also play. He's started on both sides of the line for the Ravens and looks like he'll be a beast for years to come.

Defensive rookie of the year: Brian Cushing, Texans

The linebacker out of USC is headed for the Pro Bowl and for good reason. He's made 128 tackles, had four sacks and forced two fumbles. The Texans are quietly building a solid defense, and Cushing will be a cornerstone.

Best game: Pittsburgh 37, Green Bay 36

The game featured everything but defense. There were big scoring plays, huge yardage totals and a walk-off touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger to Mike Wallace.

Worst game: Patriots 59, Titans 0

New England set franchise records for total yards and points and the Titans set an unofficial mark for mailing in a regular season game.

Biggest surprise: San Diego Chargers

The Broncos were the surprise of the first half of the season before fading. The Chargers were just the opposite. After starting 2-3, they won 10 straight games and look like they may be the league's best team.

Biggest disappointment: Pittsburgh Steelers

They likely won't make the playoffs after winning it all last season, thanks to head-scratching losses to the Raiders, Chiefs and Browns

Best move of the year: Matthew Stafford sneaking back into a game.

The Detroit Lions rookie quarterback showed he's a tough guy when he ran back on to the field for the final play of the game after separating his shoulder against the Browns. Doctors hadn't cleared Stafford to play, but he cleared himself and threw a touchdown pass to give Detroit a wild 38-37 victory.

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Worst move of the year: The Colts pulling their starters against the Jets.

The Colts' decision to pull Manning and others after they took a five-point lead against the Jets, rather than chase a 16-0 season, was ridiculous. I guess I don't really understand how they believe they saved themselves from something by doing it. Yeah, guys may have gotten hurt, but they could also get hurt in the first quarter of the Colts' first playoff game. Things happen.

It's laughable to me that the Colts are acting like they're an expert on winning Super Bowls — rather than chasing perfection — and especially team president Bill Polian. Polian went 0-4 in Super Bowls as the general manager of the Bills in the 1990s. If they look rusty and suffer another early exit from the AFC playoffs, the Colts can blame themselves for pulling back — again — when they had momentum.

e-mail: aaragon@desnews.com

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