Texas football exes make their way onto the list of the NFL's best, worst of 2023 | Golden

It was a big NFL season for Texas football exes.

Atlanta Falcons rookie running back Bijan Robinson amassed 1,463 yards of offense and scored eight touchdowns despite newly fired head coach Arthur Smith not using him enough on the goal line. Robinson has great days ahead of him.

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shahanan came within an overtime of becoming the second UT product to coach a team to a Super Bowl win but enters the offseason with an 0-2 record in the biggest game.

Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Charles Omenihu tore his ACL in the AFC title game but made one of the game's biggest defensive plays and became the latest Texas ex to hoist the Super Bowl trophy.

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These were just a few of many headlines that highlighted a great season. So enjoy the 2023 sports year’s final batch of the Ceddys, the best (and worst) of the 2023 season:

The best team: Kansas City. The Chiefs became the first team in 20 years to repeat as Super Bowl champions after they endured a roller coaster season. It was a year of runs for many teams, including Baltimore, which appeared to be the class of the field at midseason before fizzling when it mattered most as quarterback Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce and his famous girlfriend were the ones doing the celebrating in Sin City.

Tragic ending: Wednesday's parade shootings in Kansas City put a damper on another great season. More than 20 shot and one dead on what should have been a day of celebration. Who brings a gun to a parade? It’s past time for our leaders to do something about the gun problem in America. That’s 48 mass shootings in the first 47 days of 2024. We can vote, but sooner or later, the important people making important decisions must step up.

The best heroes: The citizens who detained one of the shooting suspects until the police arrived. Who knows how many lives they saved? Amid all the madness and criminals with no regard for human life, it’s good to know there are still decent Americans out there.

The best clutch performer: Mahomes. He’s from another planet. According to statistician Neil Payne, Mahomes is 7-for-7 all-time in the fourth quarter of playoff games with under a minute to play and his team trailing by seven or fewer points. That includes a pair of walk-off touchdown passes, the latest to Mecole Hardman. Mahomes is also an astounding 5-2 in playoff games in which his team trailed by double digits.

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The biggest disappointment: Shanahan has been part of three Super Bowl coaching staffs — one in Atlanta as an assistant and two as the head coach of the Niners — and each team blew a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter.

The best Super Bowl commercial: Arnold Schwarzenegger’s State Farm ad — Neighbaaa or Neighbor? — was not only laugh-out-loud funny but also delightfully nostalgic when we witnessed his reunion with "Twins" co-star Danny DeVito.

The "Here We Go Again" Award: There’s some irony surrounding Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott’s “Here we go” signal right before the snap. The Cowboys flopped in the playoffs again. With the wild-card home loss to Green Bay, the Pokes extended their drought of seasons without an appearance in the NFC title game to 29. Here we go again, indeed.

The Tammy Wynette Award: Taylor Swift. Some NFL fans might hate it, but the pop princess stood by her man this season. Swift and boyfriend Travis Kelce are the It couple in sports right now. There is nothing wrong with supporting one’s partner.

The best comeback: Damar Hamlin. One year after being brought back to life after collapsing on the field due to a cardiac arrest on "Monday Night Football," the Buffalo Bills defensive back returned to the field and played seven games. Hamlin didn’t have a great year statistically — he was a healthy scratch for several games — but he won the game that mattered, the one over death. Runner-up: Former Lake Travis quarterback Baker Mayfield, who led Tampa Bay to the playoffs after signing a one-year free agent contract.

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The best defensive player: Myles Garrett. The Cleveland defensive end and Texas A&M legend finished with 14 sacks and willed the Browns to the playoffs. He added a blocked field goal, four forced fumbles and a touchdown off a strip sack against Baltimore.

The best Hall of Fame announcement: Longhorns legend Steve McMichael was announced as a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s class of 2024. McMichael has been battling ALS for many years. It’s great that he's receiving his flowers while still among us. Congrats, Mongo.

The best sack: Charles Omenihu. The Chiefs might not have even made it to the Super Bowl if not for Omenihu, whose strip sack of Jackson was not only the biggest play of his career, but the most impactful play of the AFC championship game.

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Best rookies/coach group: Rookies of the year C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson Jr., and coach DeMeco Ryans. The Houston Texans were picked to finish last in the AFC South but went 10-7, won the division and beat Cleveland in the first round of the playoffs. They will be a perennial playoff participant for the next decade-plus with this tripling. Stroud, who threw 23 touchdown passes with only five interceptions, played like a 10-year veteran. Anderson finished with seven sacks and 29 solo tackles. Meanwhile, that locker room is ready to run through a wall for the 39-year-old Ryans.

The worst collapse: Philadelphia. The Eagles started the season with 10 wins in their first 11 games but won only one of their last seven, choked away the NFC South to Dallas and lost 32-9 to Tampa Bay in the first round of the playoffs.

Most bittersweet MVP: Lamar Jackson. The Ravens quarterback was electric in winning his second league MVP, but he experienced yet another playoff flameout, losing to the Chiefs in the AFC title game.

The Lame Duck Award: Dallas owner Jerry Jones will go into the 2024 season with coach Mike McCarthy on a one-year contract? That's the most Cowboys thing ever.

The worst nonhires: Bill Belichick and Pete Carroll, owners of a combined seven Super Bowl titles, will not be head coaches next season.

Most fan-friendly: Rams rookie wideout Puka Nacua obliged a fan’s request at the Pro Bowl to sign his jersey. The fan-friendly part? It was a Deebo-Samuel 49ers jersey. “You’re in the Super Bowl, so I’ll give it you,” he told the fan. He broke rookie records with 1,486 receiving yards and 105 catches and then made a fan’s day at season’s end.

The worst wait: The time between now and the 2024 season opener.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas Longhorns football was well represented in the NFL this year