2014-2015 NFC Playoff Predictions

1. Seattle Seahawks

2. New Orleans Saints

3. Green Bay Packers

4. Philadelphia Eagles

5. San Francisco 49ers

6. Carolina Panthers

The NFC is a much more competitive conference than the AFC. There’s a cluster of teams at the top of the conference that can contend for a first-round bye this year, in addition to the handful of teams that will be attempting to fight their way back into the playoffs, like the Bears, Giants, Lions and Falcons. The biggest difference between the two conferences is the amount of quality teams. In recent years, there have been numerous playoff-caliber NFC teams that have missed out on the playoffs due to the widespread of talent, and that is what makes the NFL so exciting; you just never know which teams will pull through in the end.

Wild Card Round:

Green Bay Packers (3) vs. Carolina Panthers (6)

Last year the Panthers earned themselves a first-round bye, but I don’t think they can match that result this year. Cam Newton has proved himself in this league, and their defense is clearly one of the best in the NFL. However their ground game is weak and Newton doesn’t have many targets to throw to. Other than Greg Olsen, he doesn’t have any standout receivers. Carolina will be fine in the regular season, but once playoffs rolls around, they won’t be able to match the offensive firepower of teams like the Packers and Saints.  I also don’t think they’ll be able to score on the elite defenses of the 49ers and Seahawks. I think Green Bay will be able to handle Carolina with relative ease, and I have them moving on to the divisional round.

Philadelphia Eagles (4) vs. San Francisco 49ers (5)

Unfortunately for the Eagles, they’re actually the sixth best team in these NFC playoffs, despite being the fourth seed. Both wild card teams are better than the Eagles in my opinion, and that doesn’t bode well for Philly. Based on my projections Philly will matchup with San Fran in the opening round, and San Fran has the advantage in multiple aspects. I would take the young but experienced Kaepernick over Nick Foles. The 49ers have a better receiving core and offensive line. Perhaps the biggest advantage for Harbaugh’s squad is the depth and solidity of their defense. The only area in which Philly trumps San Fran is their ground game, and that won’t be enough to win. I have the 49ers winning in this contest.

Divisional Round:

Seattle Seahawks (1) vs. San Francisco 49ers (5)

It’s going to be a shame if we can’t see these two teams clash in the NFC Championship again. That was one of the better playoff games I’ve seen in recent years, and I think they’ll meet again this year, whether it be in the divisional round or the conference championship. I view these two teams as the best in the NFC, but I give the advantage to Seattle again this year. They are just way to good for any team to matchup against. The defensive is always on the same page, and always communicating thanks to Richard Sherman. Russell Wilson has the offense running smoothly, and executing consistently. Pete Carroll has fine-tuned this organization to not make any mistakes, and to always give 100%. The 49ers aren’t far off from Seattle, and when they have Aldon Smith and Ray McDonald back they might stand a better chance of overcoming Seattle. For now, I have Seattle as the victor here.

New Orleans Saints (2) vs. Green Bay Packers (3)

If these two teams do end up meeting in the playoffs, I have a strong feeling that this will be one of the best games of the year. Both sides are so similar that one will not be able to pull away from the other. Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees both have the ability to win in a shootout, but I give the advantage to Brees. I give the advantage to Eddie Lacy in the ground game however. The receiving cores are quite similar, and both defenses have a similar style of play and level of talent. This game is a true toss-up, but I’m rolling with Aaron Rodgers and his boys to move on in a slight upset over the Saints. I’m probably going to change my mind about who will win this projected matchup at least 40 times this season, but for now I’m picking Green Bay.

Conference Championship:

Seattle Seahawks (1) vs. Green Bay Packers (3)

Going back to what I previously said, the Seahawks have a near perfect team. Everybody is on the same page; from Russell Wilson and Richard Sherman, to the defensive and offensive coordinators, to the bench unit, to the front office, everybody is unified. Not only is the entire organization unified, they are also excited. They know that they are a part of something special, and they’re confident with their abilities. I just cannot see the Packers, or any other team, posing much of a threat to the Seahawks. I know that the last decade of Super Bowl winners haven’t had much success in the following season, but I also haven’t seen a team as dominant as the Seahawks. I think Seattle will make it back to the Super Bowl this year, and end the streak of poor seasons that follow.

Here’s a table of the last 10 Super Bowl winners and their record/results the following season.

TEAM	RECORD	RESULT
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	7-9	Third in NFC South
New England Patriots	14-2 and 10-6	Won Super Bowl and lost in divisional playoffs
Pittsburgh Steelers	8-8	Third in AFC North
Indianapolis Colts	13-3	Lost in divisional playoffs
New York Giants	12-4	Lost in divisional playoffs
Pittsburgh Steelers	9-7	Third in AFC North
New Orleans Saints	11-5	Lost in wild card playoffs
Green Bay Packers	15-1	Lost in divisional playoffs
New York Giants	9-7	Second in AFC East
Baltimore Ravens	8-8	Third in AFC North

As you can see, no team has made it past the divisional round after winning the Super Bowl except for the Patriots when they repeated as champs. In addition to that, five teams weren’t even able to return to the playoffs. It’s very possible that Seattle will suffer the same fate as the majority of the teams in the table above. However, I think that they have a better chance to do what New England once did, which, of course, is to repeat as Super Bowl champions.