NFL Playoff Scenarios: 8 Super Bowl Matchups That We Want To See
The NFL Playoffs are here with a new overtime format and a slew of new teams.
The old "sudden death" overtime is gone, and the new rules are set to start this Saturday.
Wonder how long it will take for us to see how the ruling worked out?
The "usual suspects" are still in place (New England, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Indianapolis) but a few new names (Chicago, Kansas City, Seattle) have also taken shape. Perhaps the only constant in this wacky NFL season has been the Patriots and their impeccable leader Tom Brady. This season has had so many twists and turns, but now has become a field of just 12 teams.
This year's playoffs present even more intriguing stories and questions. Questions that need to be answered and stories that will be written. Year in and year out, we learn the same lessons from playoffs, they can't be scripted in any way.
Tracy Porter dashed Peyton Manning's hopes of winning a second Super Bowl last season as New Orleans erupted. Truth is though, that game was over before Porter's pick six. The start of the second half was the true icing on the cake though the game was close.
Here are some potential Super Bowl match-ups that we want to see.
New England Patriots v. Philadelphia Eagles
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Who wouldn't want to see this match-up? These are the two most explosive offenses in the NFL and can attack in an instant. You wouldn't want to even blink if this were the Super Bowl game. If you were to blink, you just might miss something dramatic.
Both of these teams have high-scoring offenses for sure. Also, their defenses are equally as bad and can't stop opponents.
The Eagles have become masters of the "big play" with Michael Vick at the helm. Supported by play-makers like LeSean "Shady" McCoy, DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin, Vick is at the top of his game. If he gets back to his mid-season form and plays mistake-free football, the Eagles will be very hard to beat.
Their defense can play much better than they have this season. When healthy, they have enough talent to force pressure on the opposing quarterback and create turnovers. They usually are able to turn this into offensive momentum and breakout to score some points.
New England remains the best-coached football team in the NFL. They're so disciplined and have the perfect personnel in place to continue to win. Tom Brady is in a class of his own at quarterback. Nothing phases this man. I guess that's what having a gorgeous supermodel wife like Gisele does to a man. Take away his top weapon (Randy Moss) and he's still every bit as dangerous.
Chicago Bears v. Pittsburgh Steelers
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Pittsburgh is still as vicious as they've always been even though NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has tried to eliminate brutality from the game. Needless to say, Goodell and Steeler linebacker James Harrison didn't exchange Christmas gifts in 2010. Nor will they in 2011 whether the NFL has a season or not.
The Steelers have such a rich history as their six rings are unsurpassed. They now look to add to that total with a seventh and put a difficult regular season behind them. Through all the challenges of this season, the Steelers again emerge strong and ready for another run. While the defense is always key in Pittsburgh, Ben Roethlisberger is the major factor. To his own credit, Roethlisberger is a winner and is the toughest quarterback in the NFL today.
Chicago has had a "renaissance year" in 2010. Led by Jay Cutler, they've returned to the playoffs and now look to do some damage. Though they're a 2-seed, they are a dark horse in the NFC.
Although Cutler has been very good this season, their defense and special teams would be the reason that they get to the Super Bowl. Brian Urlacher's had a sensational year as the defensive leader. At 32, this may be his best season yet.
Kansas City Chiefs v. Green Bay Packers
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In a rematch of Super Bowl I, the Packers and Chiefs do battle. This is a game that no one would expect but would definitely draw ratings for its historical meaning. A lot has changed since their Super Bowl meeting in 1967. Theirs was the first AFL-NFL World Championship Game. This was when there were two separate football leagues. Not to mention that the game was played in mid-January.
Green Bay appears to be at healthy and may be the most dangerous team coming into this weekend. Aaron Rodgers thrives off of the blitz and exploits it every time. Watch films of him while faced with pressure. He remains calm under pressure and performs well.
The Packer receiving corps is the best in the NFL and even without an established running game, the Pack have been a major success. Ryan Grant and Jermichael Finley both missed practically the entire season.
They had too much talent to possibly miss the playoffs in 2010.
Kansas City is a different type of team. They rely on their running game and help their quarterback out along the way. Thomas Jones and Jamaal Charles are the best running tandem in the league today. They complement one another perfectly.
Dwayne Bowe has been instrumental to Matt Cassel's growth and development. Together, they've helped return the surprise Chiefs to respectability.
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New Orleans Saints v. Indianapolis Colts
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Colts-Saints? Back-to-back years? Who would win this time? Well, on paper this looks and sounds good but it's not that simple. Both of these teams have been ripped apart by the injury bug and have never been able to properly heal. It would be nearly impossible to see a Super Bowl rematch this year.
As the Super Bowl runner-ups typically do, the Colts have had a pretty tough year. Despite a year which saw them nearly left for dead due to injuries, we come back and here they are again. They're again standing tall in the playoffs regardless of how bad their season was at times.
Peyton Manning basically had to do a great deal of this himself this year. Joseph Addai, Bob Sanders and Dallas Clark all missed a bulk of the season. Also, key players didn't step up for Manning as they should have. No one besides Reggie Wayne shined alongside Manning on offense.
The Saints were the "feel good story" of early 2010 with their Super Bowl win. They lifted the spirits of an entire city with their Super Bowl victory and did more than people on the outside looking in could ever know. Credit Drew Brees and Sean Payton for their preparation and execution that led to the Saints' historic run last year. They're back and hungry for more.
The defense must again be key contributors as they were last year. They were able to make critical plays that helped their high octane offense out. Those same plays haven't been as frequent this year and have limited them.
Atlanta Falcons v. Baltimore Ravens
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This was a great Thursday night match-up in Week 9 as Atlanta won 26-21 at home. Matt Ryan's game-winning drive put the game away and proved that the Falcons were indeed for real.
Atlanta has had themselves a very good season as NFC leaders. Ryan has evolved into a star and the kid is a winner without a doubt. Especially at home. Ryan, along with teammates Michael Turner and Roddy White have been a terrific trio this season. They're all representing the NFC in the Pro Bowl and have led Atlanta to home-field advantage throughout the NFC Playoffs.
Baltimore's defense is still hungry but now their offense is starting to get into the act. They've been able to put up sufficient enough points all season. Ray Rice has become an elite runner and will only continue to grow. Joe Flacco must play mistake-free football to be successful. In games where he turns the ball over, the Ravens have not fared well.
Their defense still plays on respect with veterans Ed Reed and Ray Lewis leading the way.
New York Jets v. Seattle Seahawks
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This would probably be the biggest surprise of all potential Super Bowl pairings. Seattle's had a below-average season and still managed to win a pathetic NFC West at 7-9. Charlie Whitehurst played a flawless game last week but still didn't even earn a playoff start this weekend against New Orleans. Many expect them to be one-and-done against the defending champions, but Qwest Field is a very difficult place to play.
New York's season didn't go as expected. They were recognized by many as an elite team. With Rex Ryan at the helm, the Jets were expected to build upon last year's success and were the sexy pick to win the AFC East. This year, they were hoping to dethrone the New England Patriots and earn a top seed. Mark Sanchez's inconsistent play, paired with other team struggles, was enough to bump them down to No. 6.
By looking at their stats and everything, it's amazing to think that Seattle is at this point. The fact that they, along with 11 other teams have the same opportunity to go on to play in the Super Bowl is remarkable in fact. For a good portion of the year, this team seemed to play "down in the dumps" football, particularly in the second half of the season. They're here now, though, and looking to make some noise.
Pittsburgh Steelers v. Atlanta Falcons
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This Week 1 match-up would be even better in early February. These two teams played a great game to open the season as the Steelers won 15-9 at Heinz Field. At that time though, Ben Roethlisberger was suspended and both teams were a lot different. This match-up in the Super Bowl could be a very good one though. At the moment, both teams appear to have hit their proverbial stride.
The Falcons have taken advantage of a relatively weak schedule and went 13-3. While they are a good football team, they went 4-3 against playoff teams. Notably, they went 0-2 in the state of Pennsylvania. Their loss to the Eagles was highlighted by the fact that Michael Vick was out and Kevin Kolb played that day. Otherwise, they've been one of the NFL's surprise teams in 2010. Luckily for them though, the Super Bowl wouldn't take place in the state of Pennsylvania.
Pittsburgh has relied heavily on Rashard Mendenhall and Mike Wallace for offensive production. These two have helped Ben Roethlisberger this season by having breakout years. Their defense has been targeted by the NFL this season with their share of fines, particularly James Harrison, their carnivorous linebacker. Troy Polamalu is healthy coming into the playoffs and ready for another run.
Philadelphia Eagles v. Baltimore Ravens
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This would be one match-up that everyone would be watching. It would probably turn into a chess match between Michael Vick and Ray Lewis. Epic. These two teams would pair up nicely and make for a great Super Bowl XLV.
Baltimore has had another solid season and finds themselves in the playoffs. They would have a steep mountain to climb in the AFC if they're to make it this far but they definitely can. Their defense may be able to thwart Philly's "big play" ability in this game as well. If they were to blitz Vick as teams have in the past, they could have success. Also, Baltimore has its fair share of defensive play-makers.
Philadelphia is an enigma. They were 10-4 and looked to possibly earn an early bye. That fell apart in the final two weeks as the Eagles played some miserable football to close. If they were able to avoid this, there wouldn't be so many questions surrounding them. There are many "ifs" concerning this football team, but it's hard to deny the explosiveness that we've seen from them this year.
Leave Your Own Predictions Here.
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It's all on the line now folks. In this next month, the real separation of NFL superpowers will take place.
Please feel free to leave some predictions here.
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