NFL Playoff Predictions and Newslines
Week 17 in the NFL is upon us, and that means the playoffs are just around the river bend (credit: Pocahontas). That said, here are my pre-Week 17 playoff picks and Super Bowl prediction. I’ll start off by saying that those two big AFC and NFC 1-seed games from Week 16 (Steelers at Titans, Panthers at Giants) were way over-hyped. Sure, they were two big games because of the teams’ records being so good, but the games were mis-marketed. For those not familiar with the NFL picture this season, both of those games last week were to essentially determine which team gets the No. 1 seed, and therefore home-field advantage, throughout the playoffs for each conference.
However, what all of the big networks (including the NFL itself) forgot is that receiving the No. 1 seed will be a curse instead of a blessing for one of those two teams that won (either the Titans or Giants), and maybe even both of them. Being at home in the playoffs doesn’t mean as much as being hot entering the playoffs, be it on the road or at home. Just last season, the New York Giants won 12 consecutive road games, including all three of their playoff victories, en route to their upset Super Bowl XLII victory over the dominant New England Patriots, who had just become the first team in history to go 16-0 on the regular season, and in turn, clinch home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Wildcard teams always seem to sneak into the championship run. That’s not only in the NFL, either. Remember the ’07 Rockies? This was a team who surprised everyone in the baseball world by making it into the World Series, not by gaining the 1-seed, or even a division championship, but by getting hot late in the season and riding that momentum to sweeps of the Phillies and Diamondbacks before hitting the Boston brick wall in the championship.
All that said, the Colts are my hot team this year. Indianapolis started poorly this season, but Tony Dungy (possibly the greatest coach on any current sideline) and Peyton Manning (THE BEST quarterback on any current team) have guided the Ponies to clinch the 5-seed in the playoffs, and in my opinion, a ticket to Super Bowl XLIII. The playoffs will go as follows, in my head:
(3) Dolphins def. (6) Ravens: Chad Pennington outplays rookie Joe Flacco in this playoff situation
(5) Colts def. (4) Chargers: Chargers squeak by in the sub-par AFC West, but not by Colts
(6) Cowboys def. (3) Vikings: Dallas starpower finally comes into play against one-man show Adrian Peterson and Vikes
(5) Panthers def. (4) Cardinals: Cardinals are absolute opposite of a hot team right now
(5) Colts def. (1) Titans: Tennessee can only beat Indianapolis so many times in one season
(2) Steelers def. (3) Dolphins: after physical bout with Ravens, Dolphins offense too weakened against Steeler defense
(1) Giants def. (6) Cowboys: Giants sqeak by Cowboys here because of rest in the first round
(2) Falcons def. (5) Panthers: only because of home-field advantage, and this is the NFC South, where home teams dominate
(5) Colts def. (2) Steelers: lack of offense leads to Steelers getting dominated
(1) Giants def. (2) Falcons: Falcons dream season comes to end in New York (errr..New Jersey)
Colts def. Giants: elder Manning able to score opportunistic touchdowns off key Eli turnovers
The Southeast is going to go crazy if there’s a Manning-vs.-Manning Super Bowl. I can’t imagine. If this does happen, I don’t see big brother Peyton allowing a loss to little Eli to happen.
The Consumption Of 
In San Diego right now, there is a lot of hype over the game tomorrow with the Chargers against the Broncos. I am not a Chargers fan, but it’s still kind of exciting. We’ll have to see what happens. It will be very interesting.
http://kaybee.mlblogs.com
You think that Miami will beat the Jets tomorrow? Sorry Joey, but I’m going for the Patriots winning the Division when they beat the Bills & the Jets beat Miami. (Man do I hate rooting for the Jets!)
Julia
http://werbiefitz.mlblogs.com