NFL Playoffs 2011: 5 Bold Predictions for the Postseason

Well folks, the playoffs are almost here and with teams like Green Bay and Pittsburgh hoping to defending their conference crowns, there are other contenders like New Orleans, New England and Atlanta looking to knock off the previous champions.

Through 15 weeks of play five playoffs spots remain. But with the smoke clearing each week, playoff predictions become more realistic. So, here are five for this January.

Ravens Go One-and-Done

Until the Ravens actually prove they can win on the road more consistently, they have no chance of winning the AFC.

And thanks to another road loss this season (now 3-4 in away games), Baltimore has squandered off their lead atop the AFC North. Not to mention they still have to play at Cincinnati in Week 17, which could drop their road record to 3-5 this season.

In the postseason, the Ravens have yet to prove they can beat Pittsburgh in January, and in addition to Pittsburgh, other teams like New England and Denver won't be easy outs either.

Baltimore was exposed by the Chargers on Sunday night and have other weak road losses to Tennessee, Jacksonville and Seattle. Despite beating the Steelers in Pittsburgh, the Ravens haven't really shown up against the mediocre teams away from home.

Therefore, since Baltimore has yet to prove their consistency on the road, don't expect them to win on the road in January. The defense may be stout, but as we even saw from Arizona in Baltimore, it's possible to move the ball and score against Ed Reed and Co. early and often.

Baltimore is vulnerable, so they must prove the skeptics wrong otherwise, it's another long offseason for the Ravens.

Jets Make Another Deep Run

The Jets were embarrassed by the Eagles on Sunday however, with two winnable games remaining, New York can get some important momentum back before the playoffs begin.

Also favoring them, is the Bengals (who sit behind them at No. 7) having a more difficult schedule remaining. Now include their slated opponent in the wild-card round, Houston, and the Jets will make noise in the playoffs.

The Texans may have already won the AFC South, but thanks to their loss on Sunday it's unlikely they earn a bye week. Therefore, expect the banged up Texans to host Gang Green in January.

In that game, the Jets win once again and prove their playoff worth in the fight for the AFC title. After having lost two straight conference title games despite being the No. 6 seed, it's obviously a familiar position for them.

To that end, the Jets at least make the divisional round for a third consecutive season, but don't discount them from another title game appearance because they have proven the cynics wrong more than once before.

Cowboys Go One-and-Done

Much thanks to the New York Giants choking at home against Washington, the Cowboys are in prime position atop the NFC East.

Well, someone has to win this division and for as inconsistent as everyone has played, Dallas has been the most consistent so they get it basically by default. And in the wild-card round they'll most likely matchup with the Atlanta Falcons.

Now, the Falcons may have a weak pass defense for Tony Romo to exploit however, the Cowboys defense was lit up by Eli Manning so Atlanta's Matt Ryan will do work also.

It will be a rather high-scoring affair, but unfortunately for Dallas the Falcons come out on top. The reason is because the Falcons are healthier and more balanced offensively.

RB Felix Jones may have had a good game against Tampa Bay, but that's because if was Tampa Bay. Atlanta has a solid rush defense and their pass rush has made significant improvements.

So, expect Tony Romo to be under much more duress since the game will rely on his right arm for the Cowboys. The Dirty Bird's solid rush offense will keep Dallas off balance and the game tempo in their control.

Patriots Win the AFC

Although New England lost to Pittsburgh and has their most impressive wins (albeit, not that impressive) over the Jets (twice) and the Broncos, this season's Patriots have a different feel to them than 2010.

Last season they relied too heavily on Tom Brady, and the pass defense was even worse than this season. Well, there's also a motivational factor taking place as New England hasn't won a playoff game since the 2007 AFC title game over San Diego.

And sure it was Tim Tebow and the mediocre Broncos offense, but the pass rush was getting pressure thanks to blanketed coverage. At this point New England can use any type of improvement to look for and the Denver game was it.

Also, it's not like the Steelers blasted them anyway. It was just a 25-17 game in Pittsburgh and New England even had a possession at the end to win. If history has taught us anything, winning at Pittsburgh the second time around is possible, even in the playoffs.

The Denver Broncos did it during the 1997 season and the Patriots did it in the 2004 season. As for 2011, if there's any one team that can do it, it's New England.

Packers Win the NFC

Definitely a foregone conclusion but nonetheless, still happening.

Green Bay may have fallen on the road at Kansas City, but the Saints lost to the Rams in St. Louis, so worst-case scenario we call that a wash.

What's also important to remember here are the Packers final two regular season games.

Both are at home against NFC North rivals (Chicago, Detroit), so playing against teams who know them very well in December weather conditions will be key to how they perform at home in the playoffs.

The Packers were somewhat exploited by Kansas City however, no NFC team they'll face in January has that kind of rushing offense. New Orleans may rank No. 9 in rushing, but that's only because they gain all those yards in garbage time.

If any team were to slow down the Saints passing game, they would struggle to run the ball.

As for Green Bay, they're also the only NFC playoff team who plays outdoors in a cold-weather city. That is an extreme advantage for the Packers to capitalize on and one of the more evident reasons why they win the NFC title.

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