NFL Predictions

The NFL playoffs are almost here, quenching the thirst of angry anti-BCS football-watchers everywhere. I'll go through both conferences to see what the possible outcomes are. There aren't as many as you may think.

The AFC...34-30 vs. the NFC

I won't go through seeding, just teams. 5 are in:

Pittsburgh

Baltimore

New York Jets

New England

Kansas City

The last week will determine whether Indy or Jacksonville gets in. It doesn't matter in either case in terms of who will represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. Only 4 of these teams have shots.

Pittsburgh... Great coaching, well-run organization, knows how to win, QB who's good enough to win it for them. Their defense is pretty solid despite injuries. Though their record may not be as good as others, this is 1 of 4 teams in either conference that you really don't want to play.

Baltimore... This is a scrappy team with a few chips on their shoulders. They may be older, but they're still a very physical team who will bring it. Good in cold weather, motivated, and led by a decent QB, Baltimore was my pick at the beginning of the year so I'll stick with it.

New York Jets... Great coach, balanced team. The only soft spot is at QB which worries me. If it comes down to needing a play from Sanchez, I don't think the Jets will get it. Great running game and solid defense, the Jets are talented enough to make it to the Super Bowl.

New England... Great coach, great QB, experienced. There are a lot more reasons to have confidence in this team than not. This would be my pick had I not picked the Ravens in the beginning.

Sorry Chiefs, Colts, and Jags fans. None of these teams have what it takes to make it to the Super Bowl. Indy is just too depleted and lacks a strong defense. Manning can only do so much. Chiefs are too inexperienced and have a bi-polar QB. Same with Jags.

On to the NFC...

This is where it gets a little trickier. Only 3 teams are technically in, although New Orleans could wrap it up tonight with a win over Atlanta. Here are the teams that are in:

Atlanta

Philadelphia

Chicago

The teams on the bubble:

New Orleans

St. Louis
Seattle

New York Giants

Green Bay

Tampa Bay

St. Louis and Seattle will battle it out next week for the playoff team entering with the worst record, so 1 of them will be out. That leaves 2 spots for 4 teams. The giants have the best shot as they play the Redskins. The Bucs will play the Saints, leaving room for only 1 of them. If New Orleans wins tonight or next week, they'll be in. The Bears play the Packers at home, which will be tough for Green Bay. The most likely scenario is that St. Louis, New Orleans, and New York all get in. But how cool is this! When's the last time we had Tampa Bay, St. Louis, and Seattle all fighting for a playoff spot?!

So out of the 6 playoff teams in the NFC, only 3 teams have shots at making it to the Super Bowl. Here we go:

Atlanta... A lot of Falcons fans are upset that Atlanta hasn't gotten more love from the media after a great year. This was the dark horse pick for a lot of people. And Falcons fans will see a lot more pub once the playoffs start. Good QB, balanced attack with Turner and Ryan, good defense. They made some strides last year in the playoffs, look for them to do the same this year.

Philadelphia... Great coach, great QB, talented offensive team. Vick is a wild card. The Eagles can only go as far as he can take them. He's matured a lot, we'll see if he's ready to take the next step and play well (hopefully for all 4 quarters, not just 1) in a playoff situation.

New York... The Giants may not even make the playoffs, but they have a good QB, a solid defense, and experience. Right now, I'm afraid to put them up here because they're sturggling. But to ignore them and say they can't make it just isn't accurate...they can be great when they want to.

Sorry Bears fans as well as Saints fans. St. Louis, Seattle, Tampa Bay, and Green Bay fans should all be able to admit to themselves that this year isn't their year. A rookie QB in St. Louis (referencing the Jets last year, their defense, coaching, and run game is nowhere near where New York was), Seattle and Tampa Bay have no anything, and Green Bay is playing with a limited QB as well as other injured players. The Saints don't have that edge that they did last year, but they are talented. Just not enough to make it again this year. And to my dear Bears fans... you have the #1 most overrated team in your city. Cutler is not the answer and has no positive playoff experience. Forte isn't used nearly as much as he should be, and the defense is good but not good enough to win a Super Bowl (see their last appearance) nor make it (unless they catch 98193793149 lucky breaks as they did the last time they ran deep in the playoffs). They spent their year beating up on the Lions (GREAT job there), an injury-ridden Packers team, and a Viking team who imploded about the 2nd week of the season. It's almost the NFC West, but not quite.

Prediction... Ravens/Vikings was my pick at the beginning of the year, but since the Vikings are out, I'm gonna go with Philly. I think Vick will continue to grow and pull off big plays with his arm in the playoffs, and they'll sneak out with a win against Atlanta to the disappointment of all Vick's former fans. However, the physical Ravens D will be too much for Philly to overcome. Baltimore wins 31-17.