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.

2014-2015 AFC Playoff Predictions

1. Denver Broncos

2. New England Patriots

3. Cincinnati Bengals

4. Indianapolis Colts

5. San Diego Chargers

6. Kansas City Chiefs

I think it’s going to be the same exact squads in this year’s AFC playoffs. Actually, I don’t see how any other team could make it over any of the six that are listed above. The Steelers probably have the best shot to make a run at a wild card spot, or perhaps the Texans. The Jets and Dolphins are peaking in from the outside as well, but they don’t have enough pieces yet. Simply put, it’s clear who the best teams in the AFC are.

Wild Card Round:

Cincinnati Bengals (3) vs. Kansas City Chiefs (6)

I think this is the year where the Bungles will finally get their playoff win. They haven’t won a playoff game since 1990 against the Houston Oilers, and they’ve been ousted in the Wild Card round four out of the last five seasons. Despite winning Coach of the Year in 2009, Marvin Lewis has never been able to capitalize in the postseason. A 0-5 total postseason record is not promising, but there are multiple upsides in Cincy’s future. Andy Dalton is one of the most underrated and underestimated quarterbacks in the league, and he’s getting better every day. Gio Bernard is well on his way to being a top running back in the NFL, and AJ Green has already made his mark as an elite wide receiver. The Bengals’ defense is also among the best in the business. Assuming the Chiefs and Bengals do get matched up in the Wild Card round, I have Cincy skating by.  It’ll be a great matchup in many aspects; both teams possess a reliable and powerful defense, with elite players on both sides (Tamba Hali and Eric Berry on Kansas City and Rey Maualuga and Geno Atkins for Cincy to name a few). Jamaal Charles and the combination of Bernard and Jeremy Hill will provide a mean ground game for their respective . The difference will be in the quarterback play; Andy Dalton has more weapons around him and more skills than Alex Smith. The Bengals will advance to the Divisional Round for the first time since 1990.

Indianapolis Colts (4) vs. San Diego Chargers (5)

I don’t know why everyone is picking the Chargers to do so well this year, Skip Bayless being one of the main contributors to this motion. He not only says the Chargers will go 13-3, but he believes that they will be the only team to beat Seattle this season. I’ll tell you right now that they do not have the defense to accomplish that. Let’s just say that I’ve been following them closely since the days of LT, and I know that the Chargers are still a few key pieces away from being one of the elite teams in the NFL. Another thing I know is that they aren’t better than the Colts so in a head-to-head matchup I’ll take Indy. These two teams matchup well against each other, but I think Luck is going to have a breakout season that is followed by a playoff win. Their defense will need to prove themselves and Trent Richardson is going to have to step up, but I think they can do it. San Diego’s offensive line still needs attention and each layer of the defense needs to be tuned up. They aren’t a Super Bowl contending team yet, but the Bolts are getting slightly closer.

Divisional Round:

Denver Broncos (1) vs. Indianapolis Colts (4)

Denver is still the best in the AFC and Peyton will throw all over his old team if they wind up meeting in the playoffs. Denver’s offense is just as lethal as it was last year, but the difference between then and now is the defense. Adding Aqib Talib and DeMarcus Ware adds so much to their defense. It opens up a ton of new options for them, such as surviving solely by using a 4-man rush, which is something that they couldn’t do last year. Talib has the ability to play both zone and man coverage, and he can play against the run as well. The Colts will be hard-pressed trying to find gaps in Denver’s D this year, so I have Denver moving on.

New England Patriots (2) vs. Cincinnati Bengals (3)

I said the Bengals will get their win, but their season will end here. New England trumps Cincinnati on two levels: experience and skill. Obviously the Patriots have more experience, and I believe they have more skill as well. They finally have a strong defense and a stable run game, and of course they have Brady and Belichick. Cincy is on the rise as a legitimate contender, but they need some more experience under their belt. Fact of the matter is that the Pats are too much for the Bengals to handle.

Conference Championship:

Denver Broncos (1) vs. New England Patriots (2)

I think that this conference championship matchup is near inevitable, barring any strange injuries And speaking of injuries, a certain team in this proposed game is prone to them. As I said in my most recent post, the Patriots have the roster to make it back to the Super Bowl as long as they don’t suffer any significant injuries. If Gronk, Wilfork, Brady, and the rest of the team can stay healthy… Denver may be in trouble. Brady hasn’t tasted total victory in nearly a decade, and Peyton needs another ring in order to be considered as the best of all time. Both quarterbacks want and need another ring; whoever wants it more will determine who moves on, and I think that Denver will return to the Super Bowl for the second straight year.

2014-2015 NFL Season Predictions

AFC

East

1.	New England Patriots	12-4
2.	New York Jets	8-8
3.	Miami Dolphins	8-8
4.	Buffalo Bills	4-12

Everyone knows the Pats are winning this division; it’s been near inevitable each of the last 11 seasons.. Their defense has gotten significantly better over the last couple years, despite their slowly diminishing air attack. The run game has picked up as well, which in turn has taken pressure off of Brady to carry the team. IF the Pats can stay healthy I think they can challenge the Broncos for the AFC title. However, staying healthy has been New England’s biggest concern over the past few seasons.

The rest of the division is still in a rebuilding phase, and I doubt the Jets, Dolphins, or Bills can make a run at a wild card bid.

West

1.	Denver Broncos	13-3
2.	San Diego Chargers	10-6
3.	Kansas City Chiefs	9-7
4.	Oakland Raiders	3-13

The Broncos are still the best team in the AFC, and should easily be crowned AFC West champion for the fourth consecutive season (barring any bizarre setbacks). Oakland will presumably finish last as they’ve made little to no improvements in the offseason. Although the top and bottom spots of the West are nearly set in stone, the future for San Diego and Kansas City is foggy. San Diego has the better offense but Kansas City has the better defense. Anything can happen throughout the course of the year, but I’m giving the edge to San Diego. Rivers is coming off of a strong year and his receiving core is fully healthy for the first time in a long time. The Chiefs have a lot of question marks on offense and I don’t have faith in them to put up points. But anything can happen, and both teams have a chance of ending up with a wild card spot again.

North

1.	Cincinnati Bengals	11-5
2.	Pittsburgh Steelers	7-9
3.	Baltimore Ravens	7-9
4.	Cleveland Browns	4-12

I have confidence that Andy Dalton will lead Cincy to their fourth straight playoff appearance, including their second straight division title. I’m expecting another great season from the Bengals for multiple reasons. They have a great defense, a great passing game and a potentially dangerous ground game. Gio Bernard will carry the load with Jeremy Hill as his backup. They have a chance to be a lethal 1-2 punch and I’m excited to watch them play together. For some reason there are still doubters of Andy Dalton’s ability to lead a team. He clearly has room to improve, but he has already made great strides. I have a good feeling that he’ll win double digit games again, and I’ll even go as far as to say that Cincy has a chance to challenge New England and Denver for a first round bye, although that’s unlikely.

I’m not sold on the Steelers, although some people think they can nab a wild card spot. Their defense hasn’t gotten any better, and they certainly aren’t getting younger. Their run game will basically be put on hold until Le’Veon Bell is eligible to play again, and it will be Big Ben trying to win by himself. Youth, suspensions and injuries hinder the Browns and the Ravens are entering the prime of their rebuilding years. I just don’t see anyone other then the Bengals putting up much of a fight in the North division this year.

South

1.	Indianapolis Colts	11-5
2.	Houston Texans	9-7
3.	Tennessee Titans	6-10
4.	Jacksonville Jaguars	4-12

I have to start by saying that I’m still utterly baffled by Houston’s season last year. They possessed one of the best running backs, one of the best receivers, and one of the best defensive players in the NFL (Foster, Johnson, Watt). And they went 2-14?? Plus they had Matt Schaub who was once a respected quarterback. Everything just fell apart and they all lost confidence in each other. I think they’ll put together a few pieces this year and regain a small portion of their former glory.

Even if the Texans can win some games this year, the Colts will come out on top. They’re clearly the best team in the division and Andrew Luck will only continue to get better. Don’t expect the Titans or Jaguars to come with any surprises either; the South division is Indy all the way.

NFC

East

1.	Philadelphia Eagles	10-6
2.	Dallas Cowboys	8-8
3.	New York Giants	8-8
4.	Washington Redskins	6-10

Once again, anything can happen in the NFC East… The Eagles are definitely the front-runners, but as we’ve seen in years past nothing in this division is guaranteed. The Cowboys probably won’t win the division because they’re the Cowboys and their defense is horrific, however they’ll win enough games to compete. The Redskins are unpredictable due to the fact that their success will revolve around RG3. And the Giants? Well, if the legend is true then the Giants are winning the Super Bowl since they missed the playoffs last year. But if history fails to repeat itself then the Eagles should walk away with the division title this year.

West

1.	Seattle Seahawks	14-2
2.	San Francisco 49ers	11-5
3.	Arizona Cardinals	9-7
4.	St. Louis Rams	4-12

The defending Super Bowl champs will win the West this year, especially since the 49ers are without Navarro Bowman, Aldon Smith and Ray McDonald for significant portions of the season. The defense has definitely taken a hit with the suspensions and injuries but they have enough depth to survive. The Cardinals have gotten significantly better since Carson Palmer arrived. They’ve added receiving talents, a decent run game, and of course their lethal secondary headed by Patrick Peterson. Both the Cardinals and 49ers will be pushing for a wild card spot and it will certainly be interesting to watch the head-to-head matchups unfold.

North

1.	Green Bay Packers	12-4
2.	Chicago Bears	9-7
3.	Detroit Lions	8-8
4.	Minnesota Vikings	6-10

Green Bay should easily win this division. The Bears have a poor defense, the Lions screw themselves over, and the Vikings have nothing going in the right direction except Adrian Peterson. The Bears have a shot to win double-digit games thanks to their prolific offense, but it comes down to whether or not they can get stops. Usually their defense is their downfall, but Captain Cutler is known to shatter his own dreams as well. I’d say the Lions could win 10 games but I know better than that; they’ll find a way to lose at least three close ones, resulting in them missing the playoffs. With that being said I’ll be shocked if the Packers don’t win the North.

South

1.	New Orleans Saints	12-4
2.	Carolina Panthers	10-6
3.	Atlanta Falcons	6-10
4.	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	4-12

Obviously the Saints are the best team in the South with the Panthers trailing close behind them. Carolina has the ability to give any team a run for their money, but Drew Brees proves time and time again that he runs an offense that is difficult to put down. The Saints are contenders nearly every year, and I don’t expect that to change. The one thing I’ll add is that the Falcons, like the Texans, are rather unpredictable. They recorded a worse record than anyone could have imagined last year, and there was no excuse for it. Again, like Houston, they could win as many as 10 games and as few as 2 games. I have no idea what kind of Atlanta team we’ll see this year, but they certainly won’t be able to top New Orleans.