The 99^th season of the National Football League concluded with the New England Patriots dynasty, led by future Hall of Famers in Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, finishing atop the league hierarchy once again.

In Super Bowl LIII, the Patriots dominant display over the league the last two decades came full circle, when they defeated the Los Angeles Rams 13-3, their sixth in the past 18 years – a stretch that began in Super Bowl XXXVI when they defeated the then St. Louis Rams.

The story of the Super Bowl was the lack of offense. While a good defensive battle still makes for a great game, the talk of the Patriots and Rams offensive ability to light up the scoreboard made the sudden inept ability to score points seem like a mild disappointment. Jared Goff, Todd Gurley and LA had a great season; however, it was apparent that the big stage in Atlanta was just too much for the young offense, and they struggled to a lone field goal and 260 yards of total offense.

This Super Bowl, and its “boring” appeal for many fans might steal the NFL headlines, but there are other stories to take away from the season, as well as some questions that need answers heading into the 2019 season come August.

THE NEW VS THE OLD

The debate on whether a young or old quarterback leads to more success certainly got no answers this season. Patrick Mahomes put up 50 touchdowns on 5097 passing yards at the age of 23 – running away with the MVP award. The Kansas City Chiefs signal caller put up one of the best seasons in NFL history in his first full season. On the other side of the spectrum, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees put up 32 touchdowns and just under 4000 yards at the age of 40; proving to many that veteran quarterbacks can still find their way in the league.

The same debate on age can be made about head coaching jobs in the league. Some coaches have been around for decades and have earned the respect and accolades that are thrown at them, such as Belichick. Sean McVay commanding the Rams to a Super Bowl appearance has proven that younger football minds (McVay is 33) can find similar success. Whether they are more easily capable of connecting with these young players or they simply just have the skill set and mind to be an NFL head coach, McVay is a prime example that coaching isn’t just for the older and experienced football legends.

OFF THE FIELD ANTICS

The NFL has been littered with controversial moments over the past couple of seasons that did not revolve around football. Whether it be domestic cases with players, or the national anthem debacle, this season saw no such moments. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was rarely heard from this season. The Kareem Hunt incident was handled swiftly and without drawing much media attention. The only argument that can be made against the league is the 10 days it took to comment on the “no-call” during the NFC Championship game.

The call (or lack of) during the NFC title game between the Saints and Rams brought out the most controversial moment of the season – if not all time. Rams’ Nickell Robey-Coleman was not flagged for a blindside hit on Saints’ wide receiver Tommylee Lewis. The lack of a flag cost the Saints a first down, which would have allowed them to run the clock out and attempt a field goal. New Orleans instead had to give the ball back to LA, who would march down the field to tie the score before winning in overtime.

Saints fans certainly were not happy with the result, with some fans even going as far as to petition for the NFL to take legal actions against the officials for “robbing them”. It’s a game played and officiated by human beings, and while unfair events can happen sometimes, the NFL taking 10 days to comment on the issue certainly leaves many fans scratching their heads.

UNEXPECTED PLAYOFF BIRTHS

The NFL always has teams that rise out of the shadows and play meaningful December football down the stretch. This year, the two such runs were orchestrated by the Chicago Bears and the Indianapolis Colts.

Chicago finished 12-4, and although they were defeated by Philadelphia in the Wild Card round, there is little argument that the year was a success. The Bears making the playoffs is not at all a surprise, but the way in which their season played out was. It was reasonable to think that they would make noise and be a contender, but the distance between the Bears and a perfect 16-0 season was closer than many notice. Including its playoff defeat, the Bears five losses were by a total of 15 points (one of which was by seven). This success was done behind an offense led by Mitch Trubisky under center and Jordan Howard taking most of the carries. Khalil Mack was also a welcome addition to the defense that allowed under 21 points 12 times this season.

The Indianapolis Colts had to claw their way into the postseason in Week 17 and did so behind a question mark at quarterback and an inexperienced defense. Andrew Luck had dealt with injuries since late in 2016 and missed all of 2017 with a shoulder injury. Given the long layoff, there was concern the 29-year-old would never be what he once was but was able to prove that he still deserved to be the Colts future with 39 touchdowns and nearly 4600 yards passing on a career best 67.3 percent completion rate.

The 100^th anniversary season of the NFL is scheduled to begin next September, and throughout the spring and summer months, each franchise will look to add to their talent pool in hopes to have it be them to hoist the Lombardi Trophy come next February.