NFL Playoff Predictions: 25 Surprises You Can Bet On in the Next Round
NFL playoff predictions can now be applied to the next round, as the Green Bay Packers' defeat of the Philadelphia Eagles put the finishing touches on the schedule for next week's divisional round.
We have some pretty good matchups to get ready for, including the third rendition of both Ravens versus Steelers and Jets versus Patriots. Of course, we also have to consider whether the Packers can keep rolling against the Falcons and if the Seahawks can pull off yet another upset on the road against the Bears.
And while we will discuss who will win each of these games, we have other predictions as well.
Here are 25 surprising developments you can bet on in the next round.
25. The Seahawks Will Play with the Same Kind of Energy
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I honestly couldn't tell if the Seahawks were really that good or the Saints were just that bad on Saturday. But I do know that it was damn fun to watch the upstart Seahawks take it to the defending champs.
Another thing I know is that the Seahawks played with as much energy as you're likely to see out of an NFL team. A lot of that had to do with the crowd, no doubt. But something like that doesn't go away so easily and I fully expect them to take it into Chicago.
24. The Jets Will Use Some Trick Plays Against the Patriots
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I don't know about you, but I've never credited the Jets with having an overly-creative offensive scheme. Their games typically seem to consist of running the ball between the tackles and then hoping like hell that Mark Sanchez can make some plays in the passing game.
Well, Rex Ryan should know by now it's going to take something unexpected to beat Bill Belichick. As such, there will perhaps be no better time for Rex to go to Brian Schottenheimer and ask him what's in the back pages of the playbook.
Here's hoping they can come up with something. Because otherwise, I'm just blowing hot air.
23. The Jets Will Forget About BenJarvus Green-Ellis
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Let's talk running backs, shall we?
The last time the Jets visited Foxboro, they got spanked 45-3, as I'm sure you know quite well.
Tom Brady was quite brilliant in that game, throwing for 326 yards and four touchdowns.
But while you can bet that the Jets remember all of that quite well, they might forget that BenJarvus Green-Ellis also had a great day, as he rushed for 72 yards and scored two touchdowns.
And because the Jets will be so preoccupied with Brady (as they well should be), the man they call "the Law Firm" should be in for another big day.
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22. Matt Forte Will Be the Star on Offense for the Bears
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Let's face it, even if the Saints did have a healthy backfield, Drew Brees probably would have thrown a boatload of passes against the Seahawks anyway. The Seahawks pass defense, to put it simply, stinks.
As such, it would be advisable for the Bears to dial up plenty of throws for Jay Cutler as well.
But hopefully Lovie Smith knows as well as I do that good things happen for his team when Matt Forte gets his fair share of touches. That didn't happen in the Bears' first meeting with the Seahawks and that didn't work out so well.
Besides, the last thing the Bears want to do is let the Seahawks dictate the tempo of the game like they did on Saturday. And Forte can help them avoid that.
21. Michael Turner Will Get More Than 25 Carries
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No player in the NFL was a bigger workhorse than Michael Turner this season, as the Falcons running back led the NFL with 334 carries.
The Packers are often times unfairly bashed for having a weak run defense, but that might be an erroneous claim. Opponents averaged just 24.7 rushes per game against the Pack, the sixth-lowest total in the NFL.
But the Falcons are not going to shy away from giving the ball to Turner as often as possible, especially early. He had four games during the regular season in which he carried the ball more than 25 times and the Falcons won all four of them.
20. The Packers Will Run the Ball Effectively Again
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After barely averaging 100 yards rushing per game during the regular season, the Packers rushed for 138 against the Eagles, whose run defense is pretty solid.
Raise your hand if you didn't see that coming.
Moreover, who knew it would be James Starks racking up the yards? After getting just 29 carries all season, he ran for 123 yards on 23 carries and was a big reason why the Packers were able to control the tempo of the game.
The Falcons are tough against the rush, but that won't deter the Packers from going to the ground game once again. And after watching Starks, we're willing to bet they can get it done on the ground once again.
19. The Jets Will Not Run the Ball Effectively
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The Patriots were one of the more underrated teams when it came to stopping the run this year. In retrospect, this may have had something to do with the fact that opposing teams usually had to take to the air in order to keep up with them.
The Jets were very successful running the ball right at the Colts on Saturday, as they rushed for 169 yards and averaged 4.4 yards per rush. Both of those numbers are more or less right on par with their season averages.
This will undoubtedly be the game plan against the Pats. But it won't work and the Jets' fate will fall into the hands of Mark Sanchez.
Speaking of Sanchez, we'll hear more on him later.
18. Marshawn Lynch Won't Even Gain 25 Yards
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Marshawn Lynch got to show a national TV audience what Beast Mode is all about. The Saints also learned something about it—the hard way.
But alas, that's as good as it's going to get for Mr. Lynch. The Bears don't like it when people run on them, which is why they had the NFC's most impenetrable rush defense.
So while I do think Lynch will get his carries early, I wouldn't expect him to run wild like he did against New Orleans. In fact, I'm putting the over/under at 25 yards.
Takers?
17. Rashard Mendenhall Will Be an Afterthought
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With the Ravens still possessing one of the most beastly run defenses in football and with Big Ben enjoying such a pain-free afternoon, the natural upshot would be a decrease in touches for Rashard Mendenhall.
And as is usually the case, a decrease in touches will equal a decrease in production. Mendenhall is a very good running back, but this just isn't going to be his day.
16. So Will Roddy White
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The Packers have one of the best pass defenses in the league and it was very much on display on Sunday against the Eagles.
And indeed, there are only a handful of teams that gave up fewer receiving yards per game than the Pack and they allowed only 16 receiving touchdowns all season.
One of the guys they frustrated was Roddy White, as they held the NFC's leading receiver to just five catches for 49 yards.
Suffice it to say they can do it again.
15. Devin Hester Will Score a Touchdown on Special Teams
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Remember the opening kickoff of Super Bowl XLI?
Of course you do. That's the one that Devin Hester returned 92 yards for a touchdown, which was as good as things got for the Bears in that game.
The Seahawks are pretty good on special teams, but Hester is one of those guys who has the rare ability to conjure a big play when one is needed.
The Bears will need one against Seattle and Hester will deliver.
14. Ben Roethlisberger Will Play Four Quarters with a Clean Uniform
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Of all the bold predictions I make in this slideshow, this is the one I was most hesitant to make.
The last time the Steelers and Ravens hooked up, Big Ben was sacked three times and had his nose broken. And when he played the whole game against the Browns in Week 17 without being sacked, it was the first time since Week 11 that he had been sacked fewer than three times.
So call it a stupid hunch or misplaced faith in Pittsburgh's porous offensive line. Here's hoping I can call it a fact by when things go final on Saturday.
13. Matt Ryan Will Also Be Safe
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The fact that the Packers had success getting to Michael Vick on Sunday should not come as a surprise. Getting after the quarterback is what they do and Vick's struggles against the pass rush in recent weeks were well documented.
But I'm here to tell you it won't be so easy against Matt Ryan and the Falcons. The Falcons gave up just 23 sacks all season. Only the Colts and the Giants gave up fewer.
The Packers did get Ryan twice in their first meeting, but I'm thinking they won't be able to improve on that number.
12. Jay Cutler, on the Other Hand, Will Be on the Ground Quite Often
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The Seahawks were hardly the most prolific team when it came to rushing the passer this season, but they did manage to have a banner effort against the Bears, as did most teams this season.
Back in mid-October, the Seahawks sacked Cutler six times on the day. High as this figure seems, it's pretty much par for the course as far as Chicago's offensive line goes.
So I dare say it's going to happen again. The Bears offensive line did play well for a few games there, but no longer. After all, the Packers also sacked Cutler six times and that was in Week 17.
11. Matt Ryan Won't Get Pressued Much, But He Will Turn the Ball Over
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As much as we love to praise Matt Ryan, it has more to do with his poise than his statistical brilliance. And while I still think he won't be spending too much time on the turf this Saturday, I do think he's going to make some miscues.
Indeed, the only team that picked off more passes than the Packers this season is the Patriots. And because Roddy White's struggles might make Ryan try to force the ball to him, I'm thinking he'll throw not one, but two interceptions in this game.
10. Joe Flacco Will Have a Big Day
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Thanks to his late fumble the last time the two teams hooked up, we haven't talked much about how well Flacco has played against the Steelers this season.
In two games against Pittsburgh, Flacco has passed for 522 yards and two touchdowns and has thrown just one pick.
Flacco had perhaps the best game of his season against the Chiefs on Sunday. He completed 73.5 percent of his passes and ended up throwing for 265 yards and two touchdowns.
While it is often times a bad idea to doubt the Steelers in their own house, I have a sneaking suspicion Flacco will be able to carry over this week's success against them.
9. Troy Polamalu's Name Won't Be Called Very Often
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Troy Polamalu is a man who embodies the phrase "difference maker." And the Ravens know that as well as anyone.
In two games against Baltimore this season, Polamalu racked up nine tackles and of course had that one key sack and forced fumble in their last meeting.
In keeping with my prediction that Joe Flacco is going to have a good game, he's not going to be able to do that if Polamalu is causing havoc.
And he knows that.
8. Matt Hasselbeck Will Throw Four Touchdowns Again
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Lynch is going to have his troubles on the ground, but luckily for the Seahawks, Matt Hasselbeck will pick up the slack.
One thing that stood out from his performance is how flawlessly he used his receivers to the best of their abilities. Seattle's receiving corps really is not a very talented bunch, yet Hasselbeck made them look like stars using nothing more complicated than his grit and cleverness.
So despite the fact his four-touchdown performance against the Saints was his first such game since Week 5 of the 2009 season, I'm thinking he can do it again.
7. They Will Go to Four Different Receivers
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Well, since I made the damn prediction, I may as well keep going with it.
Hasselbeck wasn't exactly guilty of favoritism with his awesome performance against the Saints. Eight different players caught a pass and five of them caught more than one pass. And judging from the nature of Seattle's game plan, this seemed to be the point.
Well, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. And you know what, I also wouldn't be surprised if the four guys that catch touchdowns in this game aren't the guys who caught them last week.
6. Tom Brady Will Throw an Interception
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Tom Brady will throw an interception? Blasphemy, sir!
Indeed, that's something we haven't seen Brady do since Week 6 against Baltimore, when he threw two. In 11 games since then, it's been 26 touchdowns and no picks.
Come on, the guy is due.
5. Mark Sanchez Will Give the Patriots Headaches
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Statistically, Mark Sanchez did not have a very good game against the Colts on Saturday night. But as you well know, he was money on that final game-winning drive, completing three passes for 38 yards.
The last time Sanchez was in Foxboro, he completed just 17 passes and threw three picks and the Pats crushed the Jets 45-3.
While I fully expect the Jets to stick with the running game, I also expect Sanchez to play surprisingly well. The Jets may not win the game, but Sanchez will silence the crowd at least a couple times throughout the game.
You've been warned, New England.
4. The Packers Will Beat the Falcons and It Won't Be Close
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I suspect that, for many, the notion that the Packers will beat the Falcons won't be too hard to believe after watching the Pack make Vick and the Eagles look decidedly human on Sunday.
But let us not forget that Matt Ryan and the Falcons are nearly unbeatable at home and that they already beat the Packers in the Georgia Dome this season.
Well, it won't happen again. If the Packers can indeed get further production out of their running game in this one, then the Falcons are not going to be able to beat them. And like they did against the Eagles, I'm thinking the Packers will have the lead early. And once they have it, they won't let it go.
This game may not end in a blowout, but it's not going to be a game that can be saved by more late Atlanta magic.
Final Score: Packers 31, Falcons 17
3. Ravens Vs. Steelers Will Be a Shootout
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If I have Joe Flacco having a big day and Big Ben ending the day with a clean uniform, I'm clearly thinking this game will be a slugfest.
Indeed, that would be quite the departure from the kind of games these two teams usually are, which tend to be wars of attrition.
Nevertheless, these are two teams with a lot of weapons on offense. And as great as both defenses are, there have been times this season when they've looked pretty beatable.
Final Score: Ravens 30, Steelers 28
2. The Patriots and Jets Will Go Down to the Wire
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The first meeting was pretty heavily in favor of the Jets. The second was very much in the favor of the Patriots.
The third meeting will be a happy medium.
The Patriots do indeed have the firepower on offense, but the Jets showed on Saturday that they have the goods to hang with anyone.
That being said, despite the fact I think this will be a close game, the Pats are just too good.
Final Score: Patriots 24, Jets 21
1. The Seahawks Will Beat the Bears
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Right now, you're probably thinking this is nothing more than a case of me jumping on the Seahawks bandwagon.
Truth be told, that's exactly what it is going on here.
The fact of the matter is I'm just not a big believer in the Bears. They just don't strike me as a truly solid 11-5 football team. This may have something to do with the fact that, except for a few exceptions, they mainly beat up on some pretty lousy competition.
But as I've already pointed out, they didn't beat up on Seattle. And they won't this time around, either.
Final Score: Seahawks 28, Bears 24
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