The Seahawks gave John Merge a champion and his only truly separating card. His title ticket helped produce 96 in the NFL Playoffs, where the complete entry placed 44th for 207.
He remained capable elsewhere. Three of five NBA calls hit for 77th, and the College Football Playoff card reached 98th even after Oregon missed as champion. The floor was the problem: 234th in NFL Survivor, 219th at the World Cup, then 231st in both March and golf.
Merge found a champion, not a season. Six bottom-quarter finishes pulled his 789-point year down to 234th, a loss of 13 places.