Final Thoughts on 2013 NFL Season: In case you hadn't been reminded half-a-million times, "Defense Wins Championships"

It only figures that after I talked about how long it had been since we had a good ol' fashioned Super Bowl blowout when making my final pick, that's exactly what the endlessly hyped big game ended up being. We had been led to believe that the game would certainly be a lot closer at the half—or hell, even at the end of the first quarter. Instead, Seattle dominated from start to finish and capped off a wildly successful year.

While I did indeed have the Broncos losing the Super Bowl when I made my original predictions this season, I only had the Seahawks going as far as the NFC Championship. For one reason or another, I believed this would finally be the year that the Detroit Lions broke through in the biggest way. So, oops. I was right about a Rodgers injury impacting the Packers negatively, but Detroit never capitalized. 

Looking back on all of my picks, Detroit was one of only two division winners I was incorrect about this year (with the Cowboys blowing an opportunity to win the East in the season finale). Overall, I had 15 of the 32 teams in their actual final spots (getting the orders exactly right in the NFC South and AFC West, but having absolutely none of the teams in the NFC East) and correctly predicted nine of the dozen teams that made the playoffs (five of the six in the AFC and four of the six in the NFC).

As for how I did in picking postseason games, here's the final standings (with green denoting the guys who picked the Seahawks in the Super Bowl and red for the dudes who took the Broncos, and his place in the last update's standings in parentheses):

1. (1) Seth Wickersham, ESPN: 10-1
2. (1) Chris Mortensen, ESPN: 9-2
2. (3) Prediction Machine, CBS Sports: 9-2
4.  (3) Eric Allen, ESPN: 8-3
4. (3) Mark Schlereth, ESPN: 8-3
4. (3) SportsNation, ESPN: 8-3
4. (3) Ryan Wilson, CBS Sports: 8-3
8. (11) John Breech, CBS Sports: 7-4
8. (11) Mike Golic, ESPN: 7-4
8. (8) Jamey Eisenberg, CBS Sports: 7-4
8. (8) Ron Jaworski, ESPN: 7-4
8. (8) Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: 7-4
8. (11) Dave Richard, CBS Sports: 7-4
14. (11) Cris Carter, ESPN: 6-5
14. (18) Keyshawn Johnson, ESPN: 6-5
14. (11) KC Joyner, ESPN: 6-5
14. (11) Josh Katzowitz, CBS Sports: 6-5
14. (18) Jason La Canfora, CBS Sports: 6-5
14. (11) Adam Schefter, ESPN: 6-5

14. (18) YOURS TRULY: 6-5

21. (18) Will Brinson, CBS Sports: 5-6
21. (18) Mike Ditka, ESPN: 5-6
21. (18) Merril Hoge, ESPN: 5-6

Oh, and here's the only guy this year who changed a pick after his team lost:

8. 4. 24. (24) Tom Jackson, ESPN: 7-4 "8-3"

In the end, there's no complaints about the Seahawks winning this year's trophy. They're a deserving team who showed that a strong defense can not only overcome, but completely dominate the league's most high-powered offense. It's an important reminder in an age where the rules are consistently encouraging more offense and higher-scoring games. Seattle's very aggressive secondary proved that a more physical brand of defense can essentially handcuff star QBs who otherwise dominate lesser opponents.

From this Bears fan's perspective, the emphasis in the off-season will need to be on improving the defensive line before investing heavily in corners or safeties. The hope in Chicago all year long has been that with an improved offensive line, real wide receivers, and Jay Cutler occasionally playing better than ever, the Bears could be contenders with even a modest improvement in defense. The Seahawks really call that logic into question though, especially since Seattle sits in what is arguably the best division in football. The win over San Francisco in the NFC Championship was arguably the real Super Bowl against what might have been the second-best defense in the league, and the Cardinals narrowly missed making this year's playoffs despite finishing with a better record than the pisspoor Packers. While the Rams let me down, the young talent on the team's defense did not go unnoticed.

The rest of the league has been put on notice, and I suspect NFC West teams will be popular favorites next season. Well, them and the Patriots. The draft, free agent signings, and any unforeseen trades could dramatically change the off-season attention. Very few people gave the Ravens much of a chance to repeat this year after winning last season's Super Bowl, but I see no reason why Seattle won't be a pretty popular favorite to win it all again when the ball gets kicked off new year with the Seahawks still having almost all of their key players.