NFL Playoffs 2010: Eli Manning vs. Mark Sanchez, Giants vs. Jets Super Bowl?
As the season comes to a close, there are still divisions to be won. There is still plenty of exciting football left in the season, which makes predicting the Super Bowl outcome even more fun.
With so many explosive teams and defensive powerhouses, any team has the potential to take it all home in February.
Which teams will make it into the tournament?
Will we see a Pennsylvania or New York subway Super Bowl?
NFC West
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The west is one of the toughest divisions to predict with three games remaining. The Rams and Seahawks are both tied atop the division with a losing, 6-7 record. Both teams have clearly fallen off. Seattle is just 2-5 in their past seven games. The Rams have taken a hit as well, as Sam Bradford has regressed a bit in his rookie season. The Rams are 2-3 since the bye, including a tough loss out of their bye week to division rival San Francisco.
Somehow, someway, the San Francisco 49ers have crept their way back into the division race after entering their Week 9 bye just 2-6.
Heading into Week 15, it is officially a three team race for the division. Each team in the race has a difficult matchup. San Francisco travels to San Diego while Seattle hosts Atlanta and St. Louis hosts Kansas City.
None of these NFC West teams are projected to win their Week 15 matchups, which makes their Week 16 and 17 games far more important. If San Francisco could beat St. Louis in Week 16, they would leapfrog the Rams because they would hold the sweep. San Francisco would then also host Arizona in Week 17, who they demolished in Week 12, for the potential division lead.
Seattle would travel to Tampa Bay in Week 16, where they would not be projected to win. The Week 17 matchup between Seattle and St. Louis would be very important for the division, but Seattle wouldn’t be likely to win that contest either.
When it’s all said and done, this lowly, murky division should see San Francisco sneak, with a losing record, into the playoffs after an abysmal start.
Thankfully for fans, no team will make the wild card from the NFC West.
NFC North
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The North division has been up and down this season. The Packers and Bears both started off hot. The Bears should thank a silly NFL rule that cost Calvin Johnson’s Detroit Lions a Week 1 upset. The Bears were slowed in the middle of the season but have since then picked up despite an embarrassing loss to Tom Brady’s Patriots at home Week 14.
The Packers suffered an even bigger loss Week 14. Not only did they lose to the Lions on the road, but Aaron Rodgers suffered a concussion and is uncertain for a huge matchup against the Patriots this Sunday night. Chicago is expected to beat Minnesota this week and could finally control the division as the Packers are expected to lose to the Patriots even if Rodgers plays.
The Lions have played fantastic this season although their record doesn’t show it. Brett Favre’s Minnesota Vikings were one of the most disappointing teams this season.
The Packers’ Super Bowl hopes seem to have been left in Detroit. They needed the win to keep pace with Chicago, New Orleans, New York and Tampa Bay for a playoff spot.
Chicago and Green Bay do meet again in Week 17, but it may not be enough for the Packers to overcome after losing to the Patriots this week and battling the Giants Week 16. The Bears face the Jets Week 16, but a loss won’t matter if they handle the Vikings outside like they should.
Chicago takes the North and Green Bay misses out on the playoffs after a tough season hindered by injuries.
NFC South
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The South has been one of the toughest divisions this season. Although Carolina is the worst team in the league, Josh Freeman’s young Tampa Bay Buccaneers came out of nowhere to surprise people this season. The resilient Buccaneers are out of the division race and will most likely miss the playoffs, but it doesn’t take anything away from how great they have been this year. They made great strides and should be proud of their accomplishments.
The Atlanta Falcons have been one of the hottest teams in the league all season. They have a stranglehold on the NFC at the moment and should finish the season still atop the NFC. The Saints could give the Falcons fits if they sweep but I predict the Falcons to finish the season with a 10 game-win streak in tact.
The Saints, despite losing to the Falcons Week 16, finish the season with their heads held high after the injuries they suffered this season. They still make the wild card and are able to defend their Super Bowl Championship.
The Panthers ponder all offseason if Andrew Luck is the quarterback they’ve been searching for since Jake Delhomme’s demise.
With three potential playoff teams this season, the South should remain a force for seasons to come.
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NFC East
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This division used to be the cream of the crop in the NFC in past years, but the Redskins and Cowboys declined mightily this season. Jason Garrett has his Cowboys playing better since he became interim head coach, but injuries, undisciplined penalties and poor coaching did this team in for the season early on.
The Giants and Eagles rebounded this season and are among the strongest teams in the entire league.
Michael Vick has the Eagles soaring high this season with his improved field vision and accuracy. Equipped with his rocket arm, speed and cat-like quickness and agility, Vick has the Eagles in fantasy shape to make it to the Super Bowl.
The Giants' aerial attack has sputtered due to injuries to their wide receivers. Eli Manning has regressed after starting the season strong. The Giants actually lead the league in turnovers but if they can manage to right their wrongs, they’ll be in prime shape with this veteran team.
The Giants rushing attack has been on point in recent weeks. Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs each have three rushing touchdowns and over 400 combined rushing yards in the past two games.
The Giants host the Eagles Week 15 in a division deciding matchup. Whichever team wins will have sole possession of the division but the loser should still make the playoffs as they both have fine matchups to finish the season.
Both teams will represent the East strongly in the playoffs.
AFC West
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The West has actually been surprising this season. It was not as terrible as we have come to expect in recent years with this division, as the Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs finally came to play. Like the NFC West, three teams are still in this division race. The Raiders are 6-7 and are likely out of it after suffering a heart-breaking loss to the Jaguars last week, but are not officially eliminated just yet. They’ll win against Denver this week, but as they finish up with Indianapolis and Kansas City, they’ll be watching the playoffs from home.
San Diego was terrible to open the season, suffering five losses, including two to Seattle and St. Louis. They continued their old story of picking up the pace in the second half of the season, as they are 5-1 in their past six games. With San Francisco, Cincinnati and Denver remaining on the slate, they should sweep and finish the season with a surprising 10-6 record.
Kansas City still controls their own destiny as they have a game lead in the division at the moment. Kansas City still has St. Louis, Tennessee and Oakland left on the schedule. Kansas City should beat St. Louis on the road and then has the luxury of finishing the season with two home games. Kansas City regroups after a tough loss to the Chargers and seals their playoff fate.
The Chargers miss out on the wild card spot.
AFC North
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The North is the most physical division in all of professional football. It is led by the hard-hitting Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens. The Steelers sit 10-3 atop the division, while the Ravens are still lurking with a 9-4 record. Anything can happen with the division as the teams are just one game apart from each other. One lucky team will receive a first round bye.
That team will be the Pittsburgh Steelers who will manage to close out a tough win against the Jets in Week 15. The Ravens, after their walk-off pick-six in Houston, will fall short at home to the defending Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints this week to drop them out of the division race.
The Cincinnati Bengals were one of the most disappointing teams this season, but the Cleveland Browns have been one of the toughest teams to battle all season. The Browns could give both teams fits in the upcoming weeks as they look to finish the season strong, but Peyton Hillis won’t be enough to pull any upsets over the Ravens or Steelers.
The Ravens finish 2-1 with a wild card spot while the Steelers sweep the rest of their schedule to hang on to the division title.
AFC South
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Shocker of the year, the Indianapolis Colts don’t win the AFC South and fail to make the playoffs for the first time in what seems like forever. The Jaguars upset the Colts earlier this season. This week, they shock Peyton Manning and the Colts by running through them in Indianapolis behind the bowling ball Maurice Jones-Drew. David Garrard has been effective and efficient this entire season while Manning just had his first quality game after throwing 11 interceptions in three weeks leading up to Week 14.
The Jaguars almost lost to the Raiders but managed to pull out the win in the waning minutes of the game behind Jones-Drew’s touchdown. The Jaguars rushing game is on point right now while the Colts’ is nowhere to be found. Rashad Jennings and Maurice Jones-Drew gut the Colts defense as Jacksonville stuns Indianapolis once again.
Tennessee and Houston started the season hot but fell of quickly and never managed to rebound. They both had opportunities in Week 14 to get back in the division race but fell just short of winning their games.
Tennessee, Houston and surprisingly Indianapolis are left wondering where they went wrong as they watch the Jaguars compete in the first round of the playoffs.
AFC East
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The East has been one of the toughest divisions to play against. Even the Bills have battled in most of their contests this season. The Dolphins upset the Jets last week on the road. Still, the Jets are one of the premier teams in the AFC. They have been embarrassed in the past two weeks by the Patriots and Dolphins and will most likely fall to the Steelers this week. They’ll manage to bounce back and finish the season 2-1.
The Patriots will sweep their remaining schedule and hold a 14-2 record, the best in the league. They’ll hold home field advantage throughout the playoffs, where Tom Brady is even more dangerous. The Patriots never lose at home and will be deadly throughout the playoffs. They have already beaten the Ravens, Steelers and Jets. Brady obliterated the Steelers and Jets in primetime. Bill Belichick has his young, inexperienced defense believing in every word he says, ready to give their coach every ounce of energy they have. Brady will be even more focused, determined and prepared, a deadly combination for all who oppose in the playoffs.
NFC Seeding
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1. Atlanta Falcons (14-2)
2. Philadelphia Eagles (12-4)
3. Chicago Bears (11-5)
4. San Francisco 49ers (7-9)
5. New Orleans Saints (12-4)
6. New York Giants (11-5)
AFC Seeding
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1. New England Patriots (14-2)
2. Pittsburgh Steelers (13-3)
3. Kansas City Chiefs (11-5)
4. Jacksonville Jaguars (10-6)
5. Baltimore Ravens (11-5)
6. New York Jets (11-5)
NFC Wild Card: New York Giants @ Chicago Bears
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The Giants demolished the Bears earlier in the season. The Giants' supremely athletic defensive line ate up the Bears' offensive line and took out Jay Cutler with a concussion. The Bears do not have the offense to compete with the Giants. The Bears have a great defense, but the Giants' two-headed rushing attack will be stand the test. Eli Manning and Hakeem Nicks, despite the cold weather, will be the determining factor in the contest. The Giants have too much firepower on both sides of the balls for the Bears.
NFC Wild Card: New Orleans Saints @ San Francisco 49ers
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The 49ers managed to sneak into the playoffs. Since they won their division they have the luxury of hosting a home playoff game. That won’t matter against these New Orleans Saints hoping to defend their Super Bowl Championship.
Alex Smith and Brian Westbrook won’t be enough to compete with Drew Brees’ high-powered, non-stop offense.
Saints win easily.
AFC Wild Card: New York Jets @ Kansas City Chiefs
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The Chiefs have been very good this year. Matt Cassel has been very smart this season, refusing to turn the ball over. Thomas Jones and Jamaal Charles is a great one-two bunch and Dwayne Bowe became one of the most unstoppable receivers mid-season. Their coaching staff is fantastic.
Unfortunately, they’ll host a superior Jets team that will figure it out come playoff time just like last season. The Jets boast a better rushing attack, supporting cast for Mark Sanchez and defense. The defense will be able to keep the Chiefs offense in check.
AFC Wild Card: Baltimore Ravens @ Jacksonville Jaguars
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The Jaguars shocked the AFC this season. They’ll enter the playoffs having dominated the AFC South. Maurice Jones-Drew is one of the top rushers in the league. Mike Sims-Walker has been a disappointment but Marcedes Lewis was one of the best surprises this season.
Like Kansas City, they’ll simply square off against an over-matched team. The Ravens have too much offense for the Jaguars defense, which can be shredded at any given time, and have been on several occasions.
NFC Divisional: New York Giants @ Atlanta Falcons
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The Giants continue the similar story that brought them to the Super Bowl years back. They were the road warriors then and will be the road warriors now. This is when the Giants play their best, with their backs against the wall, with no pressure on their shoulders.
The Giants will go into Atlanta, where the Falcons have been unbeaten this season, and stun “Hotlanta.”
Matt Ryan will experience pressure he has never seen before this season. Michael Turner will be shut down and the Giants will run through the Falcons’ suspect defense.
NFC Divisional: New Orleans Saints @ Philadelphia Eagles
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In one of the most exciting matchups of the season, Michael Vick’s Eagles will outscore Drew Brees’ Saints. DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin will prove to be too fast for the Saints secondary. Even if potential weather conditions arise, LeSean McCoy has shown enough power this season to pull the load for the Eagles. More importantly, Vick will still be deadly enough for the Saints defense.
AFC Divisional: Baltimore Ravens @ Pittsburgh Steelers
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In what will surely be the most physical playoff matchup of the season, this third meeting will be just as low scoring but watch to watch as the previous two. These AFC North division rivals split in the regular season. Although Roethlisberger will enjoy the week off to rest, the Ravens will remember that it was their own silly play calling that cost them the second meeting. The Ravens have too much offense for the Steelers stout defense at the end of the game to seal the win.
AFC Divisional: New York Jets @ New England Patriots
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Like the Ravens and Steelers, these bitter rivals split in the regular season. Tom Brady embarrassed the Jets to send them on a downward spiral. He is also seemingly invincible at home. The Jets, after building momentum in Kansas City, send everything they have at Tom Brady for revenge. Rex Ryan’s defense stuns Tom Brady and Bill Belichick in Foxboro.
NFC Conference: New York Giants @ Philadelphia Eagles
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The Giants meet the Eagles for the third time this season after being swept in the regular season. In both games, the Giants come up just short of mastering how to contain Michael Vick. With the pressure of being sent home, the Giants defensive line finally force Vick into his worst game of the season. The running game also keeps Vick off the field long enough to build a lead to keep the victory intact.
AFC Conference: New York Jets @ Baltimore Ravens
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The Jets lost the opening game of the season to the Ravens due to horrible play calling. Brian Schottenheimer won’t let that happen again. This time around he’ll do the smart thing and call swing passes to LaDainian Tomlinson and use Shonn Greene to beat the Ravens down. The Ravens offense falls victim to Jets defense, which has built too much momentum along the playoffs.
Super Bowl XLV: New York Jets Vs New York Giants
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In a New York subway Super Bowl, both teams boast two of the best defenses in the league. Both rushing attacks are supreme but the game will come down to which defense can force the other quarterback into a game-changing mistake. Justin Tuck’s defensive line will get that job done against the younger Mark Sanchez as the Giants take the game.
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