The NFL season just completed was not short on compelling stories. Everywhere you looked, there was something of interest. And it wasn't always confined to the field.

It was a strange season, to say the least. Parity continued to reign, as the league boasted six new division winners and the defending conference champion failed to win a playoff game.

It was a season full of surprises. From broadcasters (Dennis Miller) to coaches (Jim Fassel) to players (Daunte Culpepper), this season had it all. But only a select number of stories could qualify for our top 10.

What follows are the top 10 stories of the 2000 season, as voted on by the PFW staff.

1. Ravens' ravenous defense
After guiding the '98 Vikings to an NFL record for most points scored in a 16-game season, Brian Billick oversaw a Ravens team that set an NFL record for fewest points allowed. But that '98 Vikings team didn't win a Super Bowl. Billick's Ravens did, and the defense led the way. Baltimore's 165 points against bested the '86 Bears' mark of 187. The Ravens also set an NFL record for fewest rushing yards permitted (970) in a 16-game season, recorded four shutouts -- one shy of the post-merger record held by the '76 Steelers -- and allowed one or fewer touchdowns in 15-of-20 games, including the playoffs.

2. Snyder can't buy happiness
Running the Redskins as he would a fantasy football team, owner Daniel Snyder spent about $100 million on his team's 2000 payroll, only to watch it fall short of a playoff berth. Back in training camp, the Redskins were picked by many to vie for the Super Bowl, having improved on both sides of the ball -- on paper, anyway. The team signed free safety Mark Carrier, quarterback Jeff George, cornerback Deion Sanders and defensive end Bruce Smith in free agency and drafted linebacker LaVar Arrington and offensive tackle Chris Samuels second and third overall in the draft. The one position they failed to address was placekicker, and that cost them the playoff berth they so desperately desired. In the end, the team that had been picked to dominate the NFC finished 8-8 -- four games out of first place in the NFC East.

3. Fassel delivers on guarantee

	Fassel

The Giants had just lost consecutive home games to the Rams and Lions, failing to shake the stigma of beating only inferior teams. Fans and media continued to question the Giants' makeup and whether they were a serious contender. Jim Fassel, the Giants' head coach, tried to defuse such talk by issuing his now-famous guarantee. "This team's going to the playoffs," Fassel declared. And so it did, all the way to the Super Bowl, in fact. The statement put Fassel on a par with Joe Namath and Mark Messier, two New York sports heroes who followed through on guarantees of their own.

4. The Ray Lewis story

	Lewis

"It's like a fairy tale or a movie, where there's a bad start and a beautiful ending. But it's real life." Those are the words of Ravens middle linebacker Ray Lewis, describing his tale of tragedy and triumph. Last January, Lewis was accused of a double murder and spent 15 days in jail. Though he was later cleared of the charges in exchange for a guilty plea to obstruction of justice, Lewis' career was tarnished, and the only way to regain its luster was to perform at the highest level possible. Lewis did just that, earning Defensive MVP honors and Super Bowl MVP honors while leading one of the best defenses of all time.

5. Saints march to first playoff win
Rome fell in a day, but it took the Saints 34 years to win a playoff game. Behind the no-nonsense leadership of Coach of the Year Jim Haslett, the Saints won their first NFC West title since '91. With Executive of the Year Randy Mueller calling the shots, the Saints signed 30-some free agents before the season, with one notable addition coming via trade. Mueller sent a third-round pick to the Packers for quarterback Aaron Brooks, who kept the Saints' ship afloat after starter Jeff Blake went down. And Blake wasn't the only casualty. Running back Ricky Williams missed the last six regular-season games, and wide receiver Joe Horn missed almost all of the Saints' playoff action. But Haslett never offered an excuse, and he kept his troops focused. They responded in kind with one of the biggest turnarounds (3-13 to 10-6) in recent memory.

6. It's (Dennis) Miller time

	Miller

Looking to give its sagging ratings a boost, ABC's "Monday Night Football" added comedian Dennis Miller to its broadcast team. Many decried the move as near treason because Miller had no experience broadcasting a football game, let alone the knowledge to do so. But the network wasn't seeking that. ABC wanted Miller to use his intelligent wit -- which at times required the use of an encyclopedia -- and racy humor to expand the audience. The network hoped Miller could recapture the aura of Howard Cosell, but at the end of the season, the ratings indicated otherwise. Neither Miller nor a series of riveting games could prevent MNF from drawing its lowest ratings in 31 seasons.

7. Rams' fairy tail comes to an end

	Warner

The clock struck midnight for Kurt Warner and the Rams, who fell short in their bid for a second straight Super Bowl title. St. Louis stormed out of the gate, winning their first six games and scoring an average of 43.7 points per contest. But trouble struck in Kansas City, where the Rams not only lost the game, they lost Warner for the next five weeks with a finger injury. With Trent Green in charge, the Rams went 2-3 during the stretch, and they didn't fare much better when Warner returned, finishing 2-2 under his watch. In fact, if not for the Bears' last-second upset win over the Lions in the season finale, St. Louis wouldn't have made the playoffs.

8. Culpepper shows us something

	Culpepper

Everyone thought Dennis Green was off his rocker. Starting the untested, unproven Daunte Culpepper at quarterback? Green had to be kidding. But he wasn't. After failing in attempts to sign Dan Marino and re-sign Jeff George, Green went with Culpepper, who had yet to throw a pass in the NFL. But it didn't take long for the second-year pro to catch on. In his first start, Culpepper rushed 13 times for 73 yards and three touchdowns. Then his arm took over, passing for 355 yards in Week 2. Culpepper finished tied for the league lead with 33 TD passes, and the Vikings advanced as far as the NFC championship game.

9. Faulk scores ... and scores ... and scores

	Faulk

Rams running back Marshall Faulk didn't repeat his 1999 performance in which he exceeded 1,000 yards both rushing and receiving, but he did find room for improvement. Faulk more than doubled his touchdown output from the previous season, scoring an NFL-record 26 touchdowns, one more than previous record-holder Emmitt Smith. Faulk scored eight touchdowns receiving and 18 touchdowns rushing.

10. The G-men cometh
Back in training camp, the only NFC East teams anyone wanted to talk about were the Cowboys and Redskins. These two teams, it was believed, would battle tooth and nail for the division title. But Dallas lost wide receiver Joey Galloway in Week 1, and the Redskins couldn't find a kicker worth a darn. That opened the door for the Giants, who snuck past everyone, including the upstart Eagles, whom the Giants beat three times. Riding a solid defense and an improved offense, the division champion Giants advanced to their first Super Bowl since the '90 season.

Material from Pro Football Weekly.
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