NFL Playoff Predictions: Which 12 Teams Make The Playoffs And Who Wins?
NFL playoff predictions are one of the best things about football.
You can do them before the season and continue to adjust them during the season.
We're past the midway point of the season, and it's time to handicap our division winners and our wild cards and take you all the way up through the Super Bowl. With the way the NFL has been going this year, no prediction is too lofty and every team that's in the mix has a shot at the big game.
Any thoughts? Leave them in the comments.
Make sure to leave your Super Bowl predictions there and feel free to go into more detailed than that and draw out your own bracket.
AFC East Winner: NY Jets
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The Jets have already beaten everyone in the division once—most importantly, the New England Patriots.
New York stays in all of it's games because of its defense and LaDainian Tomlinson's revival with the Jets. Mark Sanchez is improved from last year, and he's got plenty of targets to throw to in Braylon Edwards and Santonio Holmes.
Being 4-0 in the division is a hard thing to top, and the Jets would really have to falter down the stretch.
AFC West: San Diego Chargers
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Don't look now, but here come the San Diego Chargers.
After a really slow start, San Diego has rebounded and beat Tennessee and Houston in back-to-back weeks.
They are right in the thick of things in the AFC West. The Chiefs are clearly not invincible, and Oakland is right there as well.
The Chargers must beat Oakland in the second matchup. Going 0-2 to Oakland would be a tough blow to come back from.
AFC North: Baltimore Ravens
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The Baltimore Ravens are 6-2 and leading the AFC North after beating the Steelers earlier in the season.
Baltimore's defense isn't as stout as it used to be, but getting Ed Reed back in the secondary will certainly help. However, the offense is improved with Anquan Boldin helping take the pressure off Joe Flacco and Ray Rice.
I like the Ravens a lot. I think they're the best team in football, despite having to go to overtime with the Bills.
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AFC South: Tennessee Titans
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The Tennessee Titans are currently leading the AFC South and are in a good position to take the division crown.
With Randy Moss now in the fold for the Titans, it's going to open things up for Chris Johnson, who has struggled at times this year with teams stacking eight in the box against him. Vince Young throws a good deep ball and should benefit from Moss' addition.
With the Colts having lost two games in the division, it leaves the door open for the Titans.
AFC Wild Card: Pittsburgh Steelers
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It's going to be a tight race for the AFC North crown with the Baltimore Ravens, but I think the Steelers will come up just a bit short.
With injuries on the offensive line, I think it's going to hurt the Steelers down the stretch.
Pittsburgh's banged up. With a loss to the Ravens already on the board, it's going to make it tough to make a comeback on the Ravens.
The Steelers are still in great position to make the playoffs, though.
AFC Wild Card: New England Patriots
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The game between the Patriots and the Colts later in the season, I think, is going to be a game that determines who has the Wild Card.
It's going to be a huge matchup, but New England does have an easier schedule down the stretch than the Colts, who have to play Tennessee twice in the final weeks of the season. The Patriots play teams like Chicago and Detroit down the stretch.
Look for Brady and Belichick to make it back to the postseason.
NFC East: New York Giants
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I think the Giants defense is going to lead New York to an NFC East crown.
Eli Manning does turn the ball over a little bit too much. But that pass rush is so fierce that I think it's going to get the Giants past the Eagles in the NFC West.
The Giants aren't a perfect team, but I think New York has enough to get by.
It's going to be fun to watch those games between the two, though.
NFC West: St. Louis Rams
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Sam Bradford has turned the Rams around and has St. Louis contending in the NFC West, which isn't exactly the strongest division.
The Rams have been in most of the games they've played, except for the game against the Lions, where St. Louis was just blown out of the water by Shaun Hill and Calvin Johnson. The Rams have young talent, and it will pay off.
I just don't have enough faith in the rest of the teams in that division to take anyone else.
NFC North: Green Bay Packers
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This is probably the easiest division to pick.
Even though Chicago is only a game back of the Packers and have a win in hand against Green Bay, it's going to be the Packers in the NFC North. Aaron Rodgers has this team rolling after struggling through some injuries, and that passing game is hard to stop.
There is no running game, but it won't stop the Packers from making the postseason.
NFC South: Atlanta Falcons
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The Atlanta Falcons have a game in hand against the New Orleans Saints, and I think the Falcons just have enough weapons to best the Saints.
Michael Turner and Roddy White are great weapons for Matt Ryan. While the defense, especially in the secondary, isn't that strong, the Saints aren't exactly great in that department, either.
It's going to be a close race, but the Falcons will win out in the end.
There's going to be some battles down the stretch in the NFL.
NFC Wild Card: New Orleans Saints
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The Saints looked pretty weak earlier in the season, but now seem to be rolling and recently beat the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Drew Brees hasn't had nearly as good of a season as he did during last year's Super Bowl run. The Saints have had injuries, especially at running back.
Nevertheless, New Orleans is a dangerous team and can still score on you in an instant.
However, they don't have that same buzz around them as last year.
NFC Wild Card: Philadelphia Eagles
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Michael Vick has brought new life to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Vick and company just beat Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts.
Vick is a game-changer, and he looks so much better than he did when he first returned to the game after his prison sentence. Throw in the speedsters the Eagles have at wideouts and LeSean McCoy in the backfield, and there's a dangerous offense.
The Eagles are a dangerous team.
AFC Wild Card Matchup: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. San Diego Chargers
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This is going to be a big matchup with Ben Roethlisberger and Philip Rivers going toe-to-toe under center.
However, the Chargers have awful special teams, and I think the Steelers can take advantage of that and use it to their success. Even in San Diego's win against Tennessee, the Titans blocked a punt for a safety to take an early lead.
San Diego also has no running game, and being one-dimensional against the Steelers is a nightmare waiting to happen.
Prediction
Pittsburgh 27, San Diego 17
AFC Wild Card Matchup: Tennessee Titans vs. New England Patriots
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Now, Randy Moss will have played for the Patriots and then played against New England twice in the same season.
Let that swim around your brain for a bit.
The Titans will have room to run against the Patriots. New England was gashed by Peyton Hillis, and with Randy Moss and possibly Kenny Britt drawing attention from the secondary, it's a good matchup for the Titans.
Tom Brady will have a lot of success against the Titans' secondary to keep the Patriots in it.
Prediction
Tennessee 31, New England 28
NFC Wild Card Matchup: Green Bay Packers Vs. New Orleans Saints
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This matchup would be a huge clash of the titans as Drew Brees, the defending Super Bowl MVP, goes against Aaron Rodgers in Lambeau Field.
The Green Bay Packers have a lot of weaponts to try and handle and I think the Packers would have some success moving the ball. The Saints may be the defending champs, but they're not the same as last year.
Playing in Lambeau is a lot different than playing in the Superdome. Good luck winning there in the playoffs.
Prediction: Green Bay 31, New Orleans 27
NFC Wild Card Matchup: St. Louis Rams Vs. Philadelphia Eagles
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Michael Vick would be taking on Sam Bradford in what would be his first career playoff game in just his rookie season.
The Rams are a feisty team that is always hanging around, yet with those weapons on offense, I think it would be just too much for the young Rams. Michael Vick would find a lot of room to run and open up the deep passing game.
It's a good starting point for the Rams though and something the team could build on.
Prediction
Philadelphia 38, St. Louis 17
AFC Divisional Matchup: Baltimore Ravens vs. Tennessee Titans
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It would be a clash of old AFC Central rivals.
It would be interesting to see how Vince Young, Chris Johnson and Randy Moss would fare against a tough defense in Baltimore.
The Ravens defense isn't perfect and can be exploited. But with Baltimore's weapons on offense, I think the Titans would have one heck of a time trying to stop Joe Flacco and company in the passing game.
Not to mention Ray Rice out of the backfield.
The Titans would put up a fight, but fall short.
Prediction
Baltimore 34, Tennessee 27
AFC Divisional Matchup: NY Jets vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
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This game would be an all-out slugfest between two great defenses.
If you appreciate that style of play, it'd be must-see television.
The Jets defense has looked like the best defense in the league for a good part of the season and will get after the quarterback. However, it's not like Ben Roethlisberger hasn't faced a good defense before and walked away with a victory.
I'm not a huge Mark Sanchez fan. But for some reason, I like the Jets in this game with the Steelers' line banged up.
Prediction
NY Jets 20, Pittsburgh 16
NFC Divisional Matchup: NY Giants vs. Green Bay Packers
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It's not like these two teams haven't met before in a big playoff game.
The last time these two met in the postseason, the Giants came out ahead in the NFC Championship Game. I think that we're going to see the same result this time.
There is no running game in Green Bay. With that pass rush, the Giants are going to get after Aaron Rodgers.
Hakeem Nicks would have a big game in this matchup.
Prediction
NY Giants 28, Green Bay 20
NFC Divisional Matchup: Atlanta Falcons vs. Philadelphia Eagles
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Now this would be must-see television.
Michael Vick, heading back into Atlanta to take on his former team after missing a chance to do so earlier in the season.
Vick would be fired up to play this game. I think that emotion would carry over to the rest of the team and put the Eagles in a good position to win.
I'm not sold on that Atlanta secondary, and I think Vick would make deep throws all game long.
Prediction
Philadelphia 35, Atlanta 31
AFC Championship Game: Baltimore Ravens vs. NY Jets
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This matchup in Week 1 was a total war on the defensive side of the ball.
But the Ravens made just enough plays to win that game.
However, a couple big factors were missing in that game. Ed Reed didn't play for Baltimore, and Santonio Holmes wasn't in the lineup for the Jets.
I think of how much Mark Sanchez struggled in that game, and I can't imagine adding Ed Reed to that equation will help.
Plus, Joe Flacco and company have gelled on offense since then.
Prediction
Baltimore 13, NY Jets 10
NFC Championship Game: NY Giants vs. Philadelphia Eagles
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This would be the third time these two teams would be facing off.
It would be in the New Meadowlands, which is never a place you want to be in the playoffs.
I think the Giants just have enough firepower and a strong enough defensive line that the Eagles can't keep up. Plus, with Andy Reid coaching in Philadelphia, you never know what you're going to get.
But it usually isn't good.
It'll be a classic NFC East clash and a fun one to watch.
Prediction
NY Giants 27, Philadelphia 20
Super Bowl: Baltimore Ravens Vs. NY Giants
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I feel like we've seen this game somewhere before.
It would be a clash of two good defenses and two good quarterbacks. There's a lot of talent on both sides.
I think we could see a clash of the defenses, or even have it turn into somewhat of a shootout between the two teams.
But I think we'll settle on somewhere in the middle, with the Ravens forcing the turnovers when it matters.
Prediction
Baltimore 31, NY Giants 24
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