NFL Predictions: What Does the 2011 Playoff Picture Look Like Now?

Having just passed the midway point of the 2011 NFL season, we can now see a legitimate playoff picture forming amidst the chaos that has reigned throughout the year.

The question we have to examine now is, who is for real, and who is a phony?

One week, the Baltimore Ravens will engineer a brilliant comeback on the road against the rival Pittsburgh Steelers, while the next week they lay an egg facing the lowly Seattle Seahawks.

The Detroit Lions stormed out of the gate at 5-0, and have since fallen to 6-3 losing three of their last four.

The Atlanta Falcons have fluctuated from week to week, while the hopeful Tampa Bay Buccaneers have fallen completely off the map. And do we even need to talk about porcelain doll Michael Vick and his lame-duck Philadelphia Eagles anymore? .

Who will rise and who will fall in the latter half of the 2011 season?

NFC No. 1 Seed: NFC North Champion Green Bay Packers

Things should be fairly self-explanatory at this point for the Green Bay Packers. They are 9-0 and rolling their way towards a possible perfect season. Seemingly unstoppable, it would take more than a little bit of luck for the Chicago Bears or Detroit Lions to dethrone them for the division title.

Though the San Fransisco 49ers will likely keep pace until the very end, it doesn't seem likely that the 'Pack will lose their grip on the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

They might drop a game or two along the way, possibly the Thanksgiving game in Detroit, but that's about it.

The road to the Super Bowl goes through Lambeau Field in 2011.

Final Record: 14-2

NFC No. 2 Seed: NFC West Champion San Fransisco 49ers

I had said the 49ers would win the NFC West back in Week 2. What I didn't count on was the manner in which they would dominate the division.

At 8-1 with seven games left on the schedule, the 49ers look to be headed for 13-3 at worst. After all, five of those seven games are against their terrible division rivals: two against the St Louis Rams and Arizona Cardinals, and one against the Seattle Seahawks. There isn't much else to say beyond congratulations to this team.

Jim Harbaugh is looking like a lock for coach of the year.

Final Record: 13-3

NFC No. 3 Seed: NFC South Champion New Orleans Saints

New Orleans is sitting pretty at 7-3 having just defeated the Atlanta Falcons, largely thanks to Mike Smith handing them the OT win last week.

At this point, it will be very, very difficult for the 5-4 Falcons to mount a divisional comeback against the Saints. This leaves New Orleans with a fairly easy road to the playoffs as the 4-5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers and 2-7 Carolina Panthers are not exactly looming threats.

New Orleans will roll into the playoffs for the third consecutive year, hoping for an eventual Week 1 rematch against the Green Bay Packers.

Final Record: 11-5

NFC No. 4 Seed: NFC East Champion New York Giants

Make no mistake, the New York Giants are for real. Despite their plethora of injuries, Eli Manning and his team are playing top notch football, and Manning is in the middle of a career campaign. With five of their six wins being fourth quarter comebacks, this team has proved they can finish football games, much like they will do with the 2011 season on the whole.

With the preseason favorite Philadelphia Eagles all but finished (especially if they lose Sunday night at the Meadowlands) and the Redskins in a freefall, the 5-4 Dallas Cowboys are the only team standing between the 6-3 Giants and their first division title since 2008.

With a one game advantage and two games still to play against Dallas, the Giants are looking for a clean sweep to clinch a playoff berth before the regular season finale. Theirs is a brutal schedule down the stretch, but the games against their three division rivals should put them over the edge.

Final Record: 10-6

NFC No. 5 Seed: Wild Card Chicago Bears

The red-hot Chicago Bears have gotten hot at the perfect time. With four straight victories under their collective belts, the Bears are pushing hard for a wild card berth.

Simply put, the chances they can catch the Green Bay Packers are slim to none. They'll have to settle for a Wild Card, even with a possible 11-5 record.

With viable MVP candidate Matt Forte leading the charge, these Bears are thinking a return to the NFC Championship.

Final Record: 11-5

NFC No. 6 Seed: Wild Card Detroit Lions

After roaring out of the gate to a 5-0 start, the Detroit Lions have slowed up a little bit and reached 6-3. Having split the season series with the Chicago Bears, the Lions still have plenty of winnable games left on their schedule, and at home on Thanksgiving have a chance to unseat the Green Bay Packers from their undefeated perch.

Even if they lose on Turkey Day, they have enough winnable games (featuring opponents like the Carolina Panthers and San Diego Chargers) to pull off a 10-6 record.

The Atlanta Falcons are also a viable candidate for this seed, but if I were a betting man, I'd go with the Detroit Lions.

Final Record: 10-6

AFC No. 1 Seed: AFC East Champion New England Patriots

The New England Patriots are not even close to being the AFC's best team. Not by a long shot. However, at 6-3 it is conceivable that the Patriots could finish the season 13-3.

They face the Chiefs, Colts, Eagles, Redskins, Dolphins, Broncos and Bills between now and the end of the season. Does anyone think they should lose those games? No. They will probably win out, and at worst they will go 12-4.

The Patriots will win the AFC East and first-round bye, and then they will exit the playoffs at home in the divisional round once again.

Sorry boys, not with that pass defense.

Final Record: 13-3

AFC No. 2 Seed: AFC South Champion Houston Texans

Yeah, Matt Schaub has been replaced with Matt Leinart. Don't worry, this team didn't need a high powered passing attack to succeed.

Not only will the Houston Texans get their first franchise playoff appearance, they will get their first ever playoff bye as well.

With the league's best defense and rushing attack, the Texans should smash right through their remaining schedule, which includes the Jaguars, Colts and Panthers. 

Defense and running is the stuff championship teams are truly made of, and the Texans still have a top-three wide receiver to help out their backup-turned-starting quarterback.

Final Record: 11-5

AFC No. 3 Seed: AFC North Champion Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers are playing at a level similar to or possibly above the Houston Texans. They could conceivably end up with the same record of 11-5, given their schedule.

Here's the catch though: The Houston Texans already beat them, and thus own the tiebreaker.

This means that the Steelers will be hard pressed to earn the AFC's second seed and home field advantage, barring a Houston or New England collapse.

You'll see them in the postseason though.

Final Record: 11-5

AFC No. 4 Seed: AFC West Champion Oakland Raiders

The Oakland Raiders are going to be battling out until the bitter end to win the AFC West, but in the end their schedule and style of play should help them win out over Tim Tebow's surging Denver Broncos.

The Raiders have made vast improvements since the 2009 season, and anything short of the playoffs this year will not suffice for their organization. They will be playing every game like it's the playoffs from here on out.

Final Record: 9-7

AFC No. 5 Seed: Wild Card Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens had a promising start to 2011 with a blowout of the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, they have fluctuated since then, and you never know which Ravens you are going to get on a week to week basis.

Despite their clean sweep of the rival Pittsburgh Steelers, it seems likely that the Ravens' road to the Super Bowl will once again take them on three straight road games.

Final Record: 10-6

AFC No. 6 Seed: Wild Card New York Jets

The New York Jets are very precariously perched here. One bad play, one miscue, one screwup, and the 2011 season could very well be over.

9-7 SHOULD be a record that gets the sixth seed in the AFC playoffs, and the Jets will own tiebreakers against the Buffalo Bills and San Diego Chargers, and should be able to defeat the Cincinnati Bengals as well.

This is a team that plays well down the stretch and when pride is teetering on the brink of collapse. They can rally to win four games and finish strong.

Note that the Cincinnati Bengals and Denver Broncos will remain threats for the sixth seed, especially now that Tim Tebow's team owns the tiebreaker against the Jets.

Final Record: 9-7