The the NFL playoffs are finally here. Wild Card weekend came and passed without too much hubbub, as three of the four games didn't quite live up to the billing. Nevertheless, there were plenty of surprises as usual, so let's get to the unexpected (and expected) for Wild Card weekend.We hope everyone has had a chance to recover from New Years' Eve, and settle into those resolutions, as the NFL playoffs are finally upon us. To help get you prepped for the Wild Card games this weekend, or pass the time until your team takes the field, check out the wealth of prime content we've put together for your enjoyment:
Hey, you might have missed this story but Ray Lewis is going to retire. Yes, you can take a moment if you need it. I understand this will come as a complete shock to you. 
Have the NFL playoffs started with your favorite team left out in the cold? Well, have no fear. You can shamelessly join the bandwagon of one of the 12 remaining teams in the playoffs. Not sure who you want to be a fan of for the next month? No worries, you can follow our easy-to-use guide for choosing your new favorite team. Welcome to bandwagon fandom. All aboard!The story of the 2012 season can't be told without the dominating narrative of Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III and Russell Wilson. But there came a point during the season when these guys went from "nice story," to, "I can't believe it, these guys can lead their team to the playoffs." 
In preparation for the postseason, I present you a list of the five most annoying types of NFL fans you probably encountered this season. We pay tribute to the Goose’s of the world, and highlight the wingmen who helped make the unlikely playoff runs of Andrew Luck, RG3, and Russell Wilson possible.It's week 17, and the NFL regular season is in the books save for the NFC East title game happening in Washington right now. Rather than wait for that game to be decided, let's take a look at the unexpected (and expected) for week 17.Even though the team I was rooting for lost, to this day I am still glad I was there. It was the start of one of the best stories of the 2012 NFL season, and an instance where the country was able to see again the football is more than a game as a pulled a community together. The day I’m referring to is when the Indianapolis Colts beat the Green Bay Packers, and ChuckStrong became a part of the NFL lexicon.
Monday , December 31 2012 BLOGS Sidelines Official Blog of the National Football League Home Home The Year on the Fringe Fantasy 2012 NFL-ballooza Memories of Experiencing ChuckStrong 2012 NFL-ballooza Sidelines Unexpected and expected Year in Review 2012 NFL-ballooza By Adam Rank Published : December 30th , 2012 Tags : The 2012 regular season has come to a close and what a year it was . Here’s a look at the most Unexpected and expected outcomes of the . year Week 1 : Tim Tebow starts When the New York Jets took the field for their first play of the season , Tim Tebow was out on the field with the starters . Well , it’s not what you think . Tebow lined up as a receiver for the Jets’ first offensive play , but starting quarterback Mark Sanchez didn’t look his . way Tebow later joked , IMonday , December 31 2012 BLOGS Sidelines Official Blog of the National Football League Home Home My Favorite 2012 Football Card Tim Tebow 2012 NFL-ballooza Unexpected and expected Year in Review 2012 NFL-ballooza Sidelines The Year on the Fringe Fantasy 2012 NFL-ballooza By NFL.com Staff Published : December 30th , 2012 Tags : It’s all sorts of fun to sit around and figure out who was fantasy football’s best player Adrian Peterson or best rookie Robert Griffin III and any number of other top awards . But what about some of the fringe fantasy honors that too often go overlooked For instance , what about the biggest Where did that come from performance of the year , which is a toss-up between Brian Hartline Week 4 Shonn Greene Week 6 and Doug Martin Week 9 Or how can we overlook the Too
Monday , December 31 2012 BLOGS Sidelines Official Blog of the National Football League Home Home The Drop The Jets Season Explained in One Play 2012 NFL-ballooza The Year on the Fringe Fantasy 2012 NFL-ballooza Sidelines My Favorite 2012 Football Card Tim Tebow 2012 NFL-ballooza By Amar Shah Published : December 30th , 2012 Tags : My Favorite 2012 Football Card Tim Tebow Topps Chrome 180 Tim Tebow passing stats : 6 for 8, 0 touchdowns , 39 passing yards Like John Keat’s Grecian Urn this Tim Tebow card above will remain frozen in time . By now the season has concluded and Tebow’s days of being a Jet trickle down to his inevitable departure to Jacksonville . As a Jets fan and a Gator alum , I can’t help meditate on the possibilities of what may have been , the miracles that could haveMonday , December 31 2012 BLOGS Sidelines Official Blog of the National Football League Home Home Our Favorite NFL Images of the Year 2012 NFL-ballooza My Favorite 2012 Football Card Tim Tebow 2012 NFL-ballooza Sidelines The Drop The Jets Season Explained in One Play 2012 NFL-ballooza By NFL.com Staff Published : December 30th , 2012 Tags : I make no apologies for being a Jets fan . In fact , they should apologize to me for 2012, but we’ll save that for another day . Despite a lack of wins , they stayed in the headlines all year long . For every circus attraction that was their season , the biggest moment wasn’t the Butt Fumble , or the Sanchez Drama . Or the Rex Ryan drama . Or the Tebow drama . Okay , there was a lot of drama . In fact , more drama than victories , for sure . BUT . Not
Images via Facebook and Instagram ————————————————————————————————————————————– Check out more 2012 NFL-ballooza content: Top Ten NFL Pop Culture Moments in 2012 5 Favorite NFL Research Nuggets Our Favorite NFL Images of the Year The Drop – The Jets Season Explained in One Play The Year on the Fringe…Fantasy My Favorite 2012 Football Card – Tim Tebow Unexpected (and expected) Year in Review Memories of Experiencing Chuck Strong Filed under: Sidelines Tagged: Chris Johnson, Colin Kaepernick, flip wilson, megatron, newton, obamaMonday , December 31 2012 BLOGS Sidelines Official Blog of the National Football League Home Home Top Ten NFL Pop Culture Moments in 2012 2012 NFL-ballooza Our Favorite NFL Images of the Year 2012 NFL-ballooza Sidelines 5 Favorite NFL Research Nuggets 2012 NFL-ballooza By NFL.com Staff Published : December 30th , 2012 Tags : 1. With Redskins QB Robert Griffin III’s win at Saints in Week 1 and QB Kirk Cousins’ Week 15 win at Browns , the Redskins became the first team in a non-strike season to have two different rookie quarterbacks win their first career starts in the same season , since rookies John Elway and Gary Kubiak won their starting debuts with the 1983 . Broncos 2. Seahawks QB Russell Wilson threw a game-winning touchdown pass in the final two minutes of regulation or overtime