The end of the NFL season is always a depressing time for football fans, especially me, considering I gave myself a Christmas gift in the form of DirecTV's NFL Sunday Ticket in September. You know, that program that allows you to watch every NFL game on every Sunday during the season.
I guess maybe some day, when I'm a C-status celebrity/sportswriter who can make guest appearances on ESPN television shows or NFL Network, I would want my own all-NFL team.
For now, I will test the prototype of my all-pro team and call it the All-Tomari Team.
All-Tomari Team Offense:
Quarterbacks: Ben Roethlisberger and Kurt Warner.
Combined, these two guys have a 15-4 record in the playoffs over their careers and are, as of right now, the last two men standing.
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Running backs: Chris Johnson, Brandon Jacobs and DeAngelo Williams.
Johnson, in his rookie year, rushed for 1,228 with 10 touchdowns.
Maybe I am being a little biased - I am, after all, a Giants fan - but Jacobs ran harder than anyone in the league when he was healthy. Plus, he proved himself to be an elite back in his contract year with the Giants. Jacobs ran for 1,089 for 15 touchdowns.
Williams probably loses some respect because he plays in small-market Carolina, but the dude went crazy this year. He had 1,515 rushing yards, with 18 scores - not to mention that he ran for four touchdowns in a game twice, once against the Packers and once against the Giants.
Fullback: Le'Ron McClain. McClain rushed for 902 yards on 232 carries and had 10 touchdowns.
Wide receivers: Easy - Larry Fitzgerald. I actually had the privilege of seeing Fitzy play in the NFC Wild Card matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. The flea-flicker pass he caught over Falcons' defensive backs Lawyer Milloy and Chris Houston is one of the best football plays I have ever seen in person. Fitzgerald broke Jerry Rice's postseason receiving record with 419 yards - with one game left - on 23 receptions and five touchdowns.
I will also take Greg Jennings of the Green Bay Packers and Reggie Wayne of the Indianapolis Colts.
Jennings did just fine without Brett Favre, thriving under Aaron Rodgers with 80 catches for 1,292 yards.
Wayne has taken over the No. 1 wideout roll in Indy, and if he continues like he did in 2007 (104 catches for 1,510 yards) and 2008 (82 grabs with 1,145) he will join his quarterback, Peyton Manning, in Canton.
Tight End: Who else but Tony Gonzalez? For G-Man, it was no quarterback and no problem in 2008. Gonzalez had 96 receptions for 1,058 and 10 touchdowns.
Offensive Line: My two tackles are Matt Light of the New England Patriots and Walter Jones of the Seattle Seahawks - two consistent players, even in a down year, for their teams. My guards are Alan Faneca of the New York Jets and Steven Hutchinson of the Minnesota Vikings.
My starting center is Kevin Mawae of the Tennessee Titans. Even though he was injured late in the season, his ability to lead as a trusty veteran propelled Kerry Collins and the Titans' play.
All-Tomari Team Defense:
Defensive Ends: Justin Tuck from the New York Giants had 67 tackles and 12 sacks in 2008, along with an interception for a touchdown.
And the other would be Jared Allen of the Vikings. In his first year with the Vikings, he had 14.5 sacks and 54 tackles.
Defensive Tackles: Albert Haynesworth of the Tennessee Titans and Kevin Williams of Minnesota.
Haynesworth thrived in a contract year with 51 tackles, 8.5 sacks and three forced fumbles.
Williams had 60 tackles and 8 sacks in 2008, and there isn't a bigger middle presence in the trenches in the NFL.
Outside Linebackers: DeMarcus Ware of Dallas and Joey Porter of Miami.
These guys combined for 37.5 sacks. Ware led the NFL with 20 regular-season sacks.
Middle Linebacker: Ray Lewis.
Lewis, like always, was a leader and led his team to the AFC Championship Game. In 2008, Lewis had 3.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and three interceptions to complement his 118 tackles.
Cornerbacks: Charles Woodson of Green Bay and Nnamdi Asomugha of the Oakland Raiders.
Woodson looked like one of the only defensive Heisman winners in 2008 with 67 tackles, three sacks and seven interceptions. Of his seven picks, two went for touchdowns.
Asomugha, maybe the only bright spot for the Raiders in 2008, led the Raiders' secondary. He had 40 tackles, one interception and forced a fumble this year.
Free Safety: No disrespect to Baltimore's Ed Reed, but Nick Collins of the Packers is deserving of a spot. Collins had 71 tackles and 7 interceptions, three of which went for touchdowns.
Strong Safety: Adrian Wilson of the Arizona Cardinals.
In 2008, Wilson had 75 tackles alongside 2.5 sacks with two forced fumbles and two interceptions. More importantly, he helped revitalize a struggling defense and helped them rise up in the playoffs on their way to the Cardinals' first Super Bowl appearance.
All-Tomari Special Teams:
Kicker: Jason Hanson of the 0-16 Detroit Lions.
Really, I guess the only bright spot for the Lions, but this 17-year NFL veteran hit 21 of 22 field goals (95.5 percent). His long was 56, so he still has some power.
Punter: Mitch Berger of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
I choose Berger because his team is representing the AFC in the Super Bowl. To be quite honest, I am only choosing him for his hairstyle. Check it out on Super Bowl Sunday.
Returner: Leon Washington of the New York Jets.
Washington is under-appreciated, and his 25.6 yards per return helped the Jets climb to an 8-3 record midway through 2008.
