NFL Playoff Predictions: Cinderellas Primed to Crash the Ball

The following teams have the momentum and talent to shock the world and win the Super Bowl. They aren't favorites, but they are dangerous. This article is devoted to the teams ready to don Cinderella's glass slipper. 

I considered a team with over 10:1 odds to win the Super Bowl on Football Locks a Cinderella candidate. This ruled out the following teams.

Green Bay Packers: 9:5

New England Patriots: 4:1

New Orleans Saints: 5:1

Pittsburgh Steelers: 8:1

Baltimore Ravens: 10:1

The Cinderella Candidates

Dallas Cowboys (15:1)

The Cowboys are back-to-back ridiculously self-inflicted late-game collapses away from having won seven games in a row. While these gaffes are certainly cause for alarm, they are something that is fairly easily correctable.

And if they correct that, then this team is dangerous. The passing offense is clicking and getting healthy, and the running game is good enough to take the pressure off of that passing game.

Dallas is eighth in yards per rush and sixth in yards per pass.

This team is also improving on defense. For the season they have allowed an average of 4.2 yards per carry, and over their last three they are allowing just 3.9 yards per carry.

They are also doing a fine job of sending the QB to the turf. They are ninth on the season in sack percentage.

This team has the playmakers on offense and defense who can put them in a position to beat any other team. They are strong in all the areas you need to be to make a playoff run.

They just have to get out of their own way late in games.

Atlanta Falcons (25:1)

The Falcons got off to a slow start, but they have won seven of their last nine and are starting to click on offense and defense.

Atlanta has an outstanding rush defense; they are fourth in the NFL. They also have an improving pass defense. For the season they are 17th in yards allowed per pass, and that number has been on a steady slope of improvement.

Over their last three games they are allowing just 6.1 yards per pass, and that number would have them ranked fourth if it was for the season.

The Falcons' pass defense has tightened up their coverage, and they have also ratcheted up the pressure on the QB. 

They are 22nd on the season in sack percentage, but over the last three games they have been sacking the QB on 10.4 percent of all pass plays. That would be tops in the league if it were for the season.

Offensively, this is a balanced team that can hurt their opponents in a variety of ways. They have Michael Turner, who is a consistent back and almost always gets positive yards. They also have Matt Ryan, who is on the verge of becoming an elite QB. 

Ryan got off to a slow start, but has posted a QB rating over 100 in six of his last nine games. He has not thrown a pick in four of his last five contests. He also has a plethora of weapons at his disposal.

Roddy White is one of the best receivers in the game. Julio Jones can stretch out the field, and TE Tony Gonzalez is one of the best red-zone and third-down options the NFL has ever seen.

This team is capable of winning every game they play.

San Diego Chargers (20:1)

It is going to take a minor miracle for the Chargers to get into the playoffs. If they do, they will be dangerous. The Chargers are playing as well as any team in the league right now.

This team absolutely destroyed the Baltimore Ravens this past Sunday—and that was a Ravens team many felt was the best in the AFC.

The Chargers scored 34 points on the vaunted Ravens defense, and they made it look easy. San Diego scored on six of its first seven possessions, and then coasted in the fourth quarter with the game well in hand.

This is an offense that is finally getting healthy and they are proving they are unstoppable. Vincent Jackson and Malcom Floyd are great weapons on the outside. Antonio Gates is finally starting to look healthy, and Ryan Mathews has added big play ability to the backfield.

Defensively, this team is showing what it is capable of when the offense doesn't continually put it in a hole with turnovers. The Chargers have allowed just 5.4 yards per pass attempt over their three game win streak.

That number equals the Steelers number on the season, and Pittsburgh leads the league in this stat.

The rest of the league is hoping that the the Chargers do not make it to the playoffs.