Another season has come to a close, and the Patriots and Panthers gave fans quite an ending. Super Bowl XXXVIII had everything you could ask for: great defense in the first and third quarters and great offense in the second and fourth. It featured the longest scoreless start to a Super Bowl and the highest-scoring quarter (37 points in the fourth). I can't wait for next season to start so we can write a new chapter in the NFL history books that will hopefully top the one that was just written.

Going into the NFC and AFC championships, I envisioned a tough, physical game from the Eagles and Panthers and an exciting game from the Patriots and Colts. In my column, I talked about how a hot Donovan McNabb could affect the outcome of the game — but I didn't know it would be because of the three interceptions he threw to Panthers CB Ricky Manning Jr.! I also didn't expect Colts QB Peyton Manning to have such a horrible game against the Pats. But that's why they play the games!

Going into that game I wasn't happy with two decisions made by coaches earlier in the playoffs. The first was during the divisional-round playoff game between the St. Louis Rams and Carolina Panthers, when Rams coach Mike Martz decided to sit on the ball and not give his team a chance to win in regulation. The second: I had a problem with Packers coach Mike Sherman's decision to punt instead of going for it on fourth-and-1 against the Philadelphia Eagles. With McNabb on the other side of the ball, you have to take a shot to win the game.