As a way of reviewing the 2009 NFL regular season in a brief and hopefully interesting manner, I've decided to summarize each team's year using just one sentence each.
NFC West
1. The Arizona Cardinals set a new franchise record with 10 regular season victories on their way to a second consecutive division title.
2. This season for the San Francisco 49ers was marked by improvement on both sides of the ball, especially in the case of Vernon Davis who emerged as a team captain and set an NFL record for most touchdowns by a tight end in a single season (13).
3. Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck set franchise records for most career attempts (3,806), completions (2,293), and passing yards (26,433) in Seattle Seahawks history.
4. Very few things went right for the St. Louis Rams, but running back Stephen Jackson became the first player in team history to rush for over 1,000 yards in five consecutive seasons (Eric Dickerson four consecutive seasons).
Catch the rest of the season summaries after the jump...
NFC South
1. The New Orleans Saints had the ninth highest single season point total in league history, and started off the season with a franchise record 13 consecutive wins before losing to Dallas.
2. The Atlanta Falcons recorded back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in team history after finishing 9-7 this year.
3. DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart became the first running back duo to rush for over 1,100 yards each and together they probably saved John Fox's job as head coach of the Carolina Panthers.
4. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers struggled mightily in 2009, but rookie quarterback Josh Freeman set a franchise rookie record with 1,857 passing yards and 10 passing touchdowns.
NFC North
1. With Brett Favre at the helm, the Minnesota Vikings won back to back division titles for the first time since the 1977-1978 seasons.
2. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers joined Bart Starr as the only Green Bay Packers in history to record a quarterback rating of over 100 during the regular season (103.2).
3. Jay Cutler threw for the third most passing touchdowns in a single season by a Chicago Bears quarterback, but he also threw 26 interceptions.
4. One of the lone bright spots during an otherwise dismal year for the Detroit Lions, number one overall pick Matthew Stafford became the first rookie quarterback since Ray Buivid in 1937 to throw for 5 touchdown passes in a game.
NFC East
1. The emergence of wide receiver Miles Austin and an improved defense led the Dallas Cowboys to their NFL record 30th postseason appearance.
2. Big plays were the trademark of the 2009 Philadelphia Eagles and nobody had more than wide receiver DeSean Jackson, who set an NFL record for average yards per touchdown with 52.6.
3. A disappointing defense kept the New York Giants out of the playoffs, but wide receiver Steve Smith became just the fourth player in team history to amass 1,200 receiving yards in a single season.
4. Head coach Jim Zorn is finished as a member of the Washington Redskins, but rookie Brian Orakpo set a franchise record with 11 sacks and looks to be a cornerstone of the team's future.
AFC West
1. After trailing the Broncos early in the season, the San Diego Chargers rose to the top of the division with a late season surge including 11 consecutive victories.
2. The Denver Broncos started the season with a surprising six consecutive wins before fading in the second half of the season, but defensive end Elvis Dumervil set the team single-season sack record with 17.
3. When JaMarcus Russell is your starting quarterback for most of the season it's nice to have a really good punter, and the Oakland Raiders' Shane Lechler set the NFL record for net punting average in a season (43.9).
4. The development of running back Jamaal Charles was one of the few bright spots for the Kansas City Chiefs, who endured yet another dismal regular season.
AFC South
1. On their way to an NFL record 23 consecutive regular season victories, the Indianapolis Colts became the first time in league history to win 5 consecutive games when trailing in the fourth quarter.
2. Despite missing the playoffs, the Houston Texans finished with the first winning record (9-7) in franchise history.
3. One of the season's biggest disappointments, the Tennessee Titans became the first team to finish a season at .500 after starting 0-6.
4. There wasn't much for the Jacksonville Jaguars to smile about this year, but running back Maurice Jones-Drew delighted his teammates and fantasy owners alike with a franchise record 15 rushing touchdowns.
AFC North
1. Running back Cedric Benson revived his career with the Cincinnati Bengals, and the team finished with 10 victories for the first time since 2005.
2. More than ever the Pittsburgh Steelers were defined by their passing game this season, and Ben Roethlisberger became the first quarterback in franchise history to pass for over 4,000 yards in a season (4,108).
3. This year's Baltimore Ravens were led by running back Ray Rice who finished with 2,043 yards from scrimmage.
4. Cleveland Browns wide receiver/kick returner Joshua Cribbs had 2,510 combined yards, the fifth highest single season total in league history.
AFC East
1. After taking a one year hiatus, the New England Patriots with their 7th division title in the last nine seasons.
2. The New York jets are just the eighth team since 1970 to lead the league in both rushing yards per game (172.3) and total defense (252.3).
3. The Miami Dolphins started two rookie cornerbacks for the majority of the season, but Vontae Davis (first rookie to lead the team in interceptions since 1989) and Sean Smith (first rookie cornerback in franchise history to start all 16 games) both played well.
4. Rookie safety Jairus Byrd had nine interceptions, and pretty much everything else was bad for the Buffalo Bills.