NFL Playoff Predictions: Falcons and Patriots Lead the Charge To the Playoffs
With only five weeks remaining this NFL season, the playoff picture will begin to clear up, especially after this week with big match ups across the board. Division races are heating up, and players and coaches around the league are gearing up for the final push. So the question now becomes, who will be in and who is going to fall short?
Let's start with the NFC!
6.) Tampa Bay
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This one was a tough one, but the Bucs have a favorable schedule down the stretch. They have been playing some decent football for such a young team and their defense has been coming up big all season long.
Personally I would like to see cornerback Aqib Talib in the pro bowl for his performance this season, but the defense hasn't been bad this season.
The Bucs DO have to play the Falcons and the Saints once more each this season, but those match ups don't bode well for the young Tampa squad. The other three games they play will be against the Lions, Redskins and Seahawks.
If they win all three of those games, they should be in the playoffs as the 6th seed in the NFC.
5.) New Orleans Saints
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The only reason I have the Saints at number five is because of the Atlanta Falcons. The Saints are playing some great football this season and would be in a different position if their division were not so competitive.
The loss to the Falcons earlier in the season caused a set back, but this team is looking like their Super Bowl caliber form from last season.
Drew Brees is still on his feet, something a lot of Madden curse supporters (like myself) were not expecting.
Yet, Brees has performed admirably and his team is still in the hunt like they should be, although many might argue that Brees has not performed as well as last year. The fact is, the Saints are winning and they are finding ways to do it without Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush for most of the season.
Once they get everyone back and healthy, which should be just in time for the beginning of the playoffs, this team will be poised to make another run for the Lombardi trophy.
4.) St. Louis Rams
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The Rams have been one of my favorite stories of the 2010 NFL season for so many reasons.
Rookie Quarterback, 2nd year coach, veteran running back and a no name cast of receivers, highlighted by my new favorite name Danny Amendola.
Unfortunately for St. Louis, they will probably get stomped out in the first round because they will be playing a team from a real division. Nevertheless, this shouldn't take away from the amazing progress this team has made since 2009.
The Rams went from a 1-15 joke to having a shot at the playoffs and that in itself is amazing. Critics will bash the Rams for playing in such a terrible division, but they still had to come up with the wins to get there, give them that much.
I think they should finish at 8-8 and have a great chance at winning out in their division. Let's see if the young rams have some playoff energy this late in the season.
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3.) Green Bay Packers
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The Packers have faltered a couple of times during the big games this season, but the only team with more close losses right now is Buffalo.
Green Bay has absolutely dismantled a couple of teams this year, flexing their passing muscle to the likes of Dallas and Minnesota. Yet, they haven't come up with the big games they have needed all season long.
With a recent loss to conference leader Atlanta, Green Bay finds itself needing to recover to stay alive in the playoff race.
Yet, Aaron Rodgers has been calm, cool, and collected all season long. If the Pack can cut down the mistakes on their own behalf, they should be able to win at least 4 of their last 5 games of the season.
Green Bay should end up the winner of the NFC North division after the final game of the season. It is an NFC North showdown between the Packers and the Bears and both teams will be playing for the division title and possibly a spot in the playoffs.
Football just doesn't get any better than this.
2.) Philadelphia Eagles
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Even though they lost to the Bears I still think the Eagles are showing the best offense in the NFC. Their versatility is almost unmatched with Vick at the helm and the receiving corps is among the best in the NFL right now.
DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin form a 1, 2 punch that has produced when healthy. Adding Avant, McCoy and Celek certainly doesn't hurt.
Michael Vick, though, is the story and he has returned to center stage.
Talk about falling from grace and returning to the top. In any case, Vick is seeing the field better than ever before and has done an excellent job utilizing the weapons on the Eagles' offense
.This was one of the biggest problems he had in Atlanta and he seems to have corrected his ways in the form of maturity.
The Philadelphia defense is performing well, too and has given the offense plenty of opportunities to win games this season. Playing the Cowboys twice in the final 4 weeks certainly doesn't hurt either.
1.) Atlanta Falcons
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The Falcons have done it all this season and once they have the home field advantage, it might be a direct road to the Lombardi trophy for Atlanta.
The Falcons play the horrific Panthers twice for the rest of the season, which should equate to two wins automatically. I have the Falcons losing to the Saints in week 16, but with the Seahawks and Bucs also on the schedule, Atlanta should be able to overmatch the rest of their opponents in 2010.
Matt Ryan has been great in his 3rd year as the Falcons Quarterback and Roddy White has emerged as one of the hardest working wide receivers in the league. Tony Gonzalez has performed, even if not up to his usual standards, but that can be explained by the other weapons on offense.
Mike Smith has done a good job this year and with a little luck, the Falcons have pulled out some close victories.
At this stage of the season, however, Atlanta can just about coast down the stretch and they should make the playoffs either way.
On to the much more controversial AFC!!!
6.) New York Jets
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I know, you think I'm crazy.
The AFC is crazy.
The Jets have a difficult schedule coming up, but they will still finish 12-4 and make the playoffs. This Monday Night they have a date with the Patriots in Gillette Stadium, where Tom Brady is nearly unbeatable.
Then they will play the Steelers two weeks later in Pittsburgh where the Steelers play some serious football come December. It might be a bit of a gamble, but Pittsburgh could send the Jets to 6th place with a win.
However, the Jets have been an powerhouse all season long. With a balanced rushing attack and a developing Mark Sanchez,
New York has been productive in 2010. The steal of the year goes to the Jets for using a 4th round draft pick in a trade for Santonio Holmes who has been a monster in big game situations again this year.
Rex Ryan is a loudmouth though, and he will be getting himself into a situation he can't control at the end of this season. Bill Belichick is a far superior coach doing more with less.
5.) Pittsburgh Steelers
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They have been inconsistent at times, but Pittsburgh has the makings of another playoff team this season.
Ben Roethlisberger is in love with Mike Wallace, his deep threat that has been able to beat just about anybody so far this year.
Yet, the Steelers will be just fine as they can utilize one of the toughest running backs in the game right now, Rashard Mendenhall.
Mendenhall has had his nose to the grindstone all year and once the temperatures drop in Pittsburgh, the tougher team will win.
Defensively Pittsburgh has been getting healthier and will return to a dominant form next week, just not against the Ravens. I see this game as a turning point for Pittsburgh because they hate to lose to Baltimore.
They have been inconsistent, but they will correct their mistakes in time for another post season appearance. You can bet Troy Polamalu and James Harrison will make sure of it.
4.) Indianapolis Colts
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Peyton Manning and the Colts have had a heck of a ride this year, but that shouldn't surprise anyone. What WILL surprise everyone is that the Colts will win the 4 of their last 5 games this season and take the AFC South by storm.
The Colts have two games against the Titans and you can bet that Manning will have them figured out enough to tear them apart.
Even so, the Tennessee offense is not looking good and the Colts defense should be able to focus on Chris Johnson and shutting him down.
The Colts receivers have been banged up and the running game has been as well. Yet, the only thing the Colts have ever needed on their side is Peyton, and I expect him to deliver once more.
3.) San Diego Chargers
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It has become quite obvious that the Chargers just do not like to show up during the beginning of the season.
Almost as obvious as the fact that San Diego plays its best football under Philip Rivers during the latter half of the season.
The Chargers have been the best team offensively and defensively all season long. They lost most of their games, with the exception of the loss to the Rams, because of Special Teams mistakes.
Without those, we would be talking about a team with 1 or 2 losses right now.
San Diego is going to pay the price, though because those losses will hurt their seeding for the playoffs. Home field advantage will not be on their side and the thought of playing in the North East in January is not appealing to the warm weather Chargers.
Norv Turner better get his winter wear out!
2.) Baltimore Ravens
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The Ravens are a good football team with great possibilities coming down the stretch. If they win this Sunday against Pittsburgh, that puts them right in line to win the AFC North.
Like I said in the last slide, the losses are going to hurt San Diego but they are going to help the Ravens.
Baltimore has an excellent balance of run and pass and with Joe Flacco cutting down on the mistakes and Ray Rice returning to his second half form, the Ravens should be primed for a great finish.
The backbone for Baltimore is and always has been its defense with Ray Lewis still bringing the big hits every week.
Having Ed Reed back has been a positive as well and Baltimore has a decent schedule coming down the stretch. Although I do have them winning a bit of an upset game against New Orleans as well as the division match up against Pittsburgh, I see these as defining games for the Ravens to become a powerful opponent.
1.) New England Patriots
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I told you it was going to be cold in the playoffs.
Back to New England we go folks and its all because of the Belichick-Brady combination. They have outsmarted every single one of their opponents so far this season, including the lucky Jets.
I see them proving it again this Monday night.
The Patriots have returned to their old ways utilizing average players on both sides of the ball, all of whom know how to play for a smart coach with football genius and Hall of Fame written all over him.
It may even be the case the Bill Belichick has produced a winning football team with the least amount of skill he has ever had.
Yet, Tom Brady is an integral part of the scheme and has done an excellent job of spreading the ball around to everyone in his offense.
New faces and old come together to make Brady's cast of receivers, including newcomer Danny Woodhead, who has come up with a number of big plays in contribution.
The combination of Wes Welker and Deion Branch has been formidable all season long. Welker has returned to a high level of play after his knee injury last season and Branch is enjoying being reunited with Brady.
The Pats will have favorable match ups for the remainder of the season with a couple of big games coming in Brady's Play Palace, Gillette Stadium. Most notably are this Monday night against the Jets as well as week 15 against the Packers. Expect to see a lot of Gillette Stadium in January because New England is in top form this season and should do just fine winning the rest of the way.
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