NFL Super Bowl Predictions: Projecting The 2010 Playoffs Through The Big Game

There are just eight teams remaining in the 2010 NFL postseason. And before the divisional round kicks off this Saturday afternoon, here's a look at how it will all go down.

A pair of AFC division rivalries are the focus as the Ravens and Steelers meet up in Pittsburgh, and the Jets and Patriots tangle in Foxboro.

Down south there is a storm brewing between the No. 1 overall seed Atlanta Falcons and the Wild Card Green Bay Packers. Sunday's NFC divisional matchup features the upset-minded Seahawks on the road against the surprising Chicago Bears.

Who wins?

Find out as I take you through Super Bowl XLV with my NFL postseason predictions.

AFC Divisional: Baltimore Ravens Vs Pittsburgh Steelers

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BALTIMORE, MD - DECEMBER 05: Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger #7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers throws a pass against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on December 5, 2010 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Geoff Burke/Getty Images)

No two teams are as even as the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens. The league's best rivalry has been superb the past few seasons, including a two playoff meetings between the two in the last decade.

Baltimore won the first meeting in 2010 (17-14) at Heinz Field with a last-second touchdown pass. Pittsburgh broke the hearts of Ravens' fans when they scored late in the second match up to come away with a season split (13-10).

Saturday afternoon's game is a rubber match, and the winner will likely be moving on just as black and blue as the loser. No doubt this is a pick em' game. How can one argue against either team?

John Harbaugh and Joe Flacco are 4-2 in the postseason in three seasons, and all those games have been on the road. Mike Tomlin's Steelers won the Super Bowl just two seasons ago and have had their own fair share of playoff success.

Prediction: Baltimore 20 Pittsburgh 17

NFC Divisional: Green Bay Packers Vs Atlanta Falcons

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ATLANTA - NOVEMBER 28: Quarterback Matt Ryan #2 of the Atlanta Falcons rushes out of the pocket away from Brandon Chillar #54 of the Green Bay Packers at Georgia Dome on November 28, 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

The Packers have won three-straight must-win games to get to this point. Saturday night's game will no doubt be their toughest though. The Atlanta Falcons boast one of the NFL's toughest stadium's to win on the road.

Atlanta was 7-1 in the Georgia Dome this season and is coming off of a bye week. The Falcons will be led by Matt Ryan's possession passing game and Michael Turner's pounding running game.

However, the Packers aren't your average No. 6 seed. They are a 10-win team with arguably the league's fastest defense. Play-makers like Charles Woodson and Clay Matthews will be front and center on Saturday night.

Atlanta will play well at home like the top seed they are, however you can't help but remember what the Green Bay defense did to Michael Vick on the road last weekend. Vick, who many believed was the league MVP in 2010, was completely shut down in the Packers' 21-16 win. It was also the same Philadelphia team that beat Atlanta 31-17 earlier this season.

Prediction: Green Bay 24 Atlanta 20

NFC Divisional: Seattle Seahawks Vs Chicago Bears

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CHICAGO - OCTOBER 17: Julius Peppers #90 of the Chicago Bears rushes against Russell Okung #76 of the Seattle Seahawks at Soldier Field on October 17, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. The Seahawks defeated the Bears 23-20. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Since 2001, the Seahawks and Bears are each 3-3 against each other. Seattle won at Chicago earlier this season (23-20), but that seems like a long time ago as the Bears have improved drastically since.

This time around, Chicago will be hosting the Seahawks as the hands-down favorite while also coming off of a bye week. No way Seattle pulls off another upset, right?

The Seahawks shocked the nation a week ago when they did what they were supposed to do: win on their home field as a division winner. The defending champion New Orleans Saints didn't know what hit them after a 41-36 loss to the seven-win NFC West champions.

This week it's Chicago on upset alert as the nothing-to-lose, everything-to-gain Seahawks take to the road in hopes of crashing the NFC Championship Game and maybe even the Super Bowl party. It's tough to imagine that happening though.

Prediction: Seattle 14 Chicago 24

AFC Divisional: New York Jets Vs New England Patriots

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FOXBORO, MA - DECEMBER 06: Danny Woodhead #39 of the New England Patriots runs with the ball against Bart Scott #57 and Jason Taylor #99 of the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium on December 6, 2010 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Ryan vs Belichick III is set to kick off on Sunday afternoon. The trash talk festival which has dominated Sportscenter for the past week will finally come to a head. A Woodhead.

The Pats have ruled this "rivalry" over the past decade, winning 15 of 21 match ups. Though the two teams split the regular season series, New England's 45-3 dismantling in Week 13 erased any question of which is the better team.

Tom Brady has proved to be lethal over the season's final weeks and now it's up to the Jets' defense to back up the talk with some actual play. New York will have to run the ball superbly and keep "the hair" on the sideline. Surprise surprise. The key to beating the Patriots is dominating possession and keeping the offense off the field. Is there any other way?

Maybe, but I don't see it happening.

Prediction: New York 21 New England 31

NFC Championship Game: Green Bay Packers Vs Chicago Bears

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GREEN BAY, WI - JANUARY 02: Quarterback Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers is congratukated by quarterback Jay Cutler #6 of the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field on January 2, 2011 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

The North will decide the NFC's Super Bowl XLV representative this postseason as the Packers travel to Chicago, the site of their Week 3 loss to the Bears.

Green Bay shut down the Bears in a week 17 game at Lambeau Field (10-3), clinching a Wild Card spot for the Packers and making this match up possible. The Packers beat themselves in the Week 3 Monday night game as they managed 18 penalties and a critical fumble late in the fourth quarter which gave the Bears the ball for the go ahead game-winning field goal as time expired.

If Green Bay could beat Philadelphia and Atlanta, one would have to like their chances outside in the cold at Soldier Field. An NFC Championship Game in a 72-degree dome, no thanks. I'll take the NFL's oldest rivalry outdoors in the January frost for a trip to the sport's biggest game.

Prediction: Green Bay 23 Chicago 14

AFC Championship Game: Baltimore Ravens Vs New England Patriots

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FOXBORO, MA - OCTOBER 17: Rob Gronkowski #87 of the New England Patriots gains yards as he is chased by Haruki Nakamura #43 of the Baltimore Ravens at Gillette Stadium on October 17, 2010 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

A rematch of an early season game at Foxborro, which the New England won 23-20 in overtime, would see the wild card Ravens on the road for the third straight week against the No. 1 overall seeded Pats.

Baltimore defeated the Patriots in a 2009 AFC wild card game last season. The Ravens had success bringing pressure up the middle and making Brady uncomfortable in the pocket. The result was a Ravens' blowout win and a ton of Brady turnovers.

Can the Ravens go on the road and duplicate a similar performance? It would sure be tough and after all, both home teams can't lose on Championship Sunday, can they?

I'll stick with the odds and take the Patriots to win at home in a close one.

Prediction: Baltimore 23 New England 26

NFL Pro Bowl: AFC Vs NFC

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HONOLULU, HI - FEBRUARY 08: Wide receiver Roddy White #84 of the NFC All-Stars Atlanta Falcons catches a pass and gets tackled by safety Michael Griffin #33 of the AFC All-Stars Tennessee Titans in the 2009 NFL Pro Bowl at Aloha Stadium on February 8, 200

Why not? It's an NFL game that takes place during the postseason. The Pro Bowl looks to be a toss up as always. So I'm going to flip a coin. Heads is the AFC, and tails is the NFC...it was tails.

Prediction: NFC 51 AFC 50

Super Bowl XLV: Green Bay Packers Vs New England Patriots

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FOXBORO, MA - DECEMBER 19: Cornerback Kyle Arrington #27 of the New England Patriots evades wide receiver James Jones #89 of the Green Bay Packers to run the ball 36 yards and score a touchdown during the third quarter of the game at Gillette Stadium on

The only thing this game is missing is Brett Favre. The Packers and Patriots, a matchup straight out of 1996. Both of these teams met in a close one in Foxboro in Week 15, won by the Pats 31-27. Green Bay was playing without then-injured quarterback Aaron Rodgers however.

This time around, the two teams would be on a neutral field with weather being a non-issue. Both Brady and Rodgers would be on center stage as the two biggest weapons on the field. Whichever team has the most success against the opposing quarterback, would clearly have the advantage as each team is predicated on it's passing attack.

This time around I think the Packers figure it out. Their pass defense is one of the league's best as opposed to New England's, and they have the play-makers on the defensive end to get after Brady a lot like the New York Giants did in Super Bowl XLII.

Prediction: Green Bay 31 New England 28

Super Bowl MVP: Aaron Rodgers

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PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 09: Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers prepares to pass against the Philadelphia Eagles during the 2011 NFC wild card playoff game at Lincoln Financial Field on January 9, 2011 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by

The team projected by many to win it all before the season began does just that and the man most responsible, Aaron Rodgers.

The quarterback cements himself next to names like Brady, Manning, and Brees with a Super Bowl victory, and rightfully so he takes home Super Bowl XLV MVP honors.

Patrick Clarke is a student at Towson University and a writing intern for Bleacher Report.