Its amazing to me that the play-offs are already here. It seems like just weeks ago we were just beginning the season. Teams like the Falcons or my Browns had a clean slate and only high hopes for the year. Now week 17 is in the books and that favorite saying they hear so much in cities like Cleveland Ohio, "There's always next year", will be uttered many times over. Then you have the twelve teams like the Panthers, Chiefs, and Chargers, they are the teams just happy to be where they are. While they’re good enough to get here chances are , not many people outside of their respective fan base will give them much hope. The Defending Super Bowl Champs can muster enough fight to rightfully defend their title. That leaves the Lombardi Trophy up for grabs for a new team. The Broncos, Seahawks, and Forty Niners are the clear favorites. But looking at the seeding , it could be almost any one of these teams that could win it all.
TEAMS I’M ALREADY COUNTING OUT: San Diego Chargers, they had a good run and they came through in the end. But... They almost blew it against a KC team that didn’t play any of their starters. KC kicker RYAN SUCCOP had a chance to win the game with a go ahead field goal with four seconds on the clock but missed it. During the play the Chargers had more than six players crowding one side of the line. According to NFL rules, this is illegal but the refs didn’t throw a flag. So on a play that should have been ruled a re- kick the Chargers got away with one and forced OT. So in reality SD shouldn’t even be in the playoffs. But they are and they have an elite QB In Phillip Rivers so they have hope. But, its going to be difficult to go into CIN and upset the Bengals who are hungry for their first playoff win since 1990. And even if they do get past Cincy, there are two other teams in their division that they would have to go through, the first one being the Denver Broncos the following week. Don’t count on SD going far in these playoffs. They had a good season but are still a few pieces away from being a legitimate threat.
Next on my list is the Green Bay Packers. Yes, they’ve got AARON RODGERS back and that’s great. It’s clear that they are a completely different team with their star QB. But, they face San Francisco in the first round. SF has the type of team that can go into any stadium and stop any opposing offense. SF beat GB in week one when both teams were healthy. But since then GB has been on a roller coaster ride and probably are even worse then they were in week one. Meanwhile SF has maybe the best receiving corp in the playoffs. They are better than they were at the beginning of the season. One thing GB has on its side is the home field advantage and some momentum from last weeks victory over the Bears. So let’s say they do get by SF. Then its on to Seattle or Carolina. The NFC is as tough as its ever been and GB is not good enough to hang with the best of the best.
SUPRISE TEAMS THAT COULD GO FAR...
I look at the AFC brackets and I see the other five teams and feel that any one could win it all. Of course the Broncos. They’re the favorite in almost everyone’s mind. The Patriots can never be counted out. Indy has beaten four teams currently in the playoffs one being their first round opponents, KC, and another being the Denver Broncos. To count the Colts out would be insanity. They’ve proven all year that they can beat any team, on the road or at home. CINCY is hungry. They are one of the most dangerous teams in the NFL when they are at home. But they need to translate some of their home field success to road games. If they can figure out how to do that then they can go a long way. Kansas City has only beaten one winning team all season and that was the Eagles who at that time were 1-1. But the thing about the Chiefs is that they are a proven team that has a defense that has the ability to shut down any offense. Another thing they have is a great coach and plenty of tape to study against teams they’ve played. If the Chiefs face the Broncos again it will be for the third time this season and anyone knows how difficult it is to repeatedly beat the same team. Kansas City is one team that could go into Denver and beat the Broncos.
In the NFC my eye will be on the Eagles. They are the hottest team going into the playoffs. They’ve won seven of eight. They scored 54 points in their last home game. And they have a ton of talent and momentum from last weeks win that sent them to the playoffs. Philly has the ability to win on the road. They have a record of 6-2 on the road and their defense has played pretty good in the second half of the season. Coach CHIP KELLY is innovative and not afraid to call any play. Being in his first NFL playoffs it will be interesting to see how well he calls the shots. He will need to be careful not to risk too much.
WHEN THE DUST SETTLES: Well, in the NFC it’s tough. The team that’s going to win will need two things: a defense that can stop any offense, and an offense that can score against any defense. The combination between the two might sound rare, so many teams have either one or the other. But in these playoffs I see at least six teams , AFC included, that possess this rare trait. The Seahawks, though some might disagree have a strong offense. They have had their lapses at times. But this is a team that has a strong running game, they have over 2100 rushing yards and 14 rush tds on the year. Russle Wilson has a QB rating of 102.4 and 26 tds on the season. They are not the best offense but with their defense they are good enough. Also Seattle has been without their deep threat WR PERCY HARVIN all season. If he comes back then the Seahawks will improve drastically on offense. My only concern about Seattle is their inconsistency at times and the recent sub par play of MARSHAWN LYNCH and Wilson. Lynch has slowed down lately and hasn’t had a 100 yard game in weeks. Wilson hasn’t had over 300 yards in his last few games and this is a team that lacks momentum. We all know how much momentum means in the playoffs. What gives them the best chance is their home field advantage. The Saints have shown to be great defensively and a power house on offense... At home... On the road, however, they have struggled mightily. They blew a golden opportunity to have the second seed and avoid going on the road until the NFC championship. Now as the sixth seed they will have to do something that they have not done all season. Play well on the road consistently. The Saints won’t play another game in NO. That means that they have to win four games on the road if they want to be super bowl champs. Their road record on the year is 3-5.
Carolina has the defense but the offense lacks big tie playmakers. They also don’t have the playoff experience to get it done.
Maybe the very best combination of offense and defense is the 49ers. They have two great WRs, a top five TE, a dual threat RB and a young QB that is a threat to pass or throw. Their defense can shut down any offense and they have been here before. The Niners just have to get past the Seahawks in Seattle. It’s something they have not been able to do for the past two years.
In the NFC I have to give the advantage to the best defense and the home field advantage. The Seattle Seahawks. But, the 49ers are a close second. Either of these teams can win it all and if I had to pick one to beat Denver it’d be the Niners. They have the defense to slow them or the offense to shoot it out with them.
In the AFC you have the Broncos at the top. Then there is a big separation to the next two teams, the Bengals and the Patriots. Then another drop off and you have Indy, KC and the Chargers at the bottom. The defenses in the AFC won’t matter much. The Broncos can score on any of the other five teams. The Patriots, and Colts beat the Broncos already but the way the season has gone I don’t see anyone stopping Peyton Manning from getting his second ring. The Broncos are my pick to win it all. They will defeat the Seahawks, 31 - 26
TEAMS I’M ALREADY COUNTING OUT: San Diego Chargers, they had a good run and they came through in the end. But... They almost blew it against a KC team that didn’t play any of their starters. KC kicker RYAN SUCCOP had a chance to win the game with a go ahead field goal with four seconds on the clock but missed it. During the play the Chargers had more than six players crowding one side of the line. According to NFL rules, this is illegal but the refs didn’t throw a flag. So on a play that should have been ruled a re- kick the Chargers got away with one and forced OT. So in reality SD shouldn’t even be in the playoffs. But they are and they have an elite QB In Phillip Rivers so they have hope. But, its going to be difficult to go into CIN and upset the Bengals who are hungry for their first playoff win since 1990. And even if they do get past Cincy, there are two other teams in their division that they would have to go through, the first one being the Denver Broncos the following week. Don’t count on SD going far in these playoffs. They had a good season but are still a few pieces away from being a legitimate threat.
Next on my list is the Green Bay Packers. Yes, they’ve got AARON RODGERS back and that’s great. It’s clear that they are a completely different team with their star QB. But, they face San Francisco in the first round. SF has the type of team that can go into any stadium and stop any opposing offense. SF beat GB in week one when both teams were healthy. But since then GB has been on a roller coaster ride and probably are even worse then they were in week one. Meanwhile SF has maybe the best receiving corp in the playoffs. They are better than they were at the beginning of the season. One thing GB has on its side is the home field advantage and some momentum from last weeks victory over the Bears. So let’s say they do get by SF. Then its on to Seattle or Carolina. The NFC is as tough as its ever been and GB is not good enough to hang with the best of the best.
SUPRISE TEAMS THAT COULD GO FAR...
I look at the AFC brackets and I see the other five teams and feel that any one could win it all. Of course the Broncos. They’re the favorite in almost everyone’s mind. The Patriots can never be counted out. Indy has beaten four teams currently in the playoffs one being their first round opponents, KC, and another being the Denver Broncos. To count the Colts out would be insanity. They’ve proven all year that they can beat any team, on the road or at home. CINCY is hungry. They are one of the most dangerous teams in the NFL when they are at home. But they need to translate some of their home field success to road games. If they can figure out how to do that then they can go a long way. Kansas City has only beaten one winning team all season and that was the Eagles who at that time were 1-1. But the thing about the Chiefs is that they are a proven team that has a defense that has the ability to shut down any offense. Another thing they have is a great coach and plenty of tape to study against teams they’ve played. If the Chiefs face the Broncos again it will be for the third time this season and anyone knows how difficult it is to repeatedly beat the same team. Kansas City is one team that could go into Denver and beat the Broncos.
In the NFC my eye will be on the Eagles. They are the hottest team going into the playoffs. They’ve won seven of eight. They scored 54 points in their last home game. And they have a ton of talent and momentum from last weeks win that sent them to the playoffs. Philly has the ability to win on the road. They have a record of 6-2 on the road and their defense has played pretty good in the second half of the season. Coach CHIP KELLY is innovative and not afraid to call any play. Being in his first NFL playoffs it will be interesting to see how well he calls the shots. He will need to be careful not to risk too much.
WHEN THE DUST SETTLES: Well, in the NFC it’s tough. The team that’s going to win will need two things: a defense that can stop any offense, and an offense that can score against any defense. The combination between the two might sound rare, so many teams have either one or the other. But in these playoffs I see at least six teams , AFC included, that possess this rare trait. The Seahawks, though some might disagree have a strong offense. They have had their lapses at times. But this is a team that has a strong running game, they have over 2100 rushing yards and 14 rush tds on the year. Russle Wilson has a QB rating of 102.4 and 26 tds on the season. They are not the best offense but with their defense they are good enough. Also Seattle has been without their deep threat WR PERCY HARVIN all season. If he comes back then the Seahawks will improve drastically on offense. My only concern about Seattle is their inconsistency at times and the recent sub par play of MARSHAWN LYNCH and Wilson. Lynch has slowed down lately and hasn’t had a 100 yard game in weeks. Wilson hasn’t had over 300 yards in his last few games and this is a team that lacks momentum. We all know how much momentum means in the playoffs. What gives them the best chance is their home field advantage. The Saints have shown to be great defensively and a power house on offense... At home... On the road, however, they have struggled mightily. They blew a golden opportunity to have the second seed and avoid going on the road until the NFC championship. Now as the sixth seed they will have to do something that they have not done all season. Play well on the road consistently. The Saints won’t play another game in NO. That means that they have to win four games on the road if they want to be super bowl champs. Their road record on the year is 3-5.
Carolina has the defense but the offense lacks big tie playmakers. They also don’t have the playoff experience to get it done.
Maybe the very best combination of offense and defense is the 49ers. They have two great WRs, a top five TE, a dual threat RB and a young QB that is a threat to pass or throw. Their defense can shut down any offense and they have been here before. The Niners just have to get past the Seahawks in Seattle. It’s something they have not been able to do for the past two years.
In the NFC I have to give the advantage to the best defense and the home field advantage. The Seattle Seahawks. But, the 49ers are a close second. Either of these teams can win it all and if I had to pick one to beat Denver it’d be the Niners. They have the defense to slow them or the offense to shoot it out with them.
In the AFC you have the Broncos at the top. Then there is a big separation to the next two teams, the Bengals and the Patriots. Then another drop off and you have Indy, KC and the Chargers at the bottom. The defenses in the AFC won’t matter much. The Broncos can score on any of the other five teams. The Patriots, and Colts beat the Broncos already but the way the season has gone I don’t see anyone stopping Peyton Manning from getting his second ring. The Broncos are my pick to win it all. They will defeat the Seahawks, 31 - 26
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