2008 NFL Playoff Predictions

With the NFL playoffs set, I couldn't resist my annual playoff prediction post. I know you've all been checking wondering when I was going to get it on the site, so, without further ado, here's JMO:Just the Facts 2008 NFL playoff predictions:

NFC
The New York Giants and the Carolina Panthers have the bye (So much for my prediction that the 2007 Super Bowl Champions wouldn't make the playoffs...)

Wild Card Round
Falcons vs Cardinals
The battle of the birds. Youth triumphs over experience in this contest as rookie Matt Ryan elevates the Falcons over Kurt Warner and the Cards.

Eagles vs Vikings
Did all of the birds make it this year? (Nope, the Seahawks are sitting at home right now.) The Eagles left it all on the field last week with their drubbing of Dallas. They are unable to overcome Adrian Peterson and the Vikings.

Divisional Round
Falcons vs Giants
The Giants D-line proves too much for young Matt Ryan. Giants win easily.

Vikings vs Panthers
Though they run well, the Panther struggle to stop the Vikings ground game and lose a close game.

Championship
Vikings vs Giants
They say defense wins championships. They are right. With Peterson unable to run against the Giants, they are forced to try to win through the air. They are unsuccessful. The Giants return to the big game.

AFC
The Tennessee Titans and the Pittsburgh Steelers have the bye. (Steelers need it with the injury to Big Ben. He may not play at all in the playoffs)

Wild Card Round
Ravens vs Dolphins
More birds. The Dolphins storybook season following last season's nightmare ends here. The Ravens D is too much for Pennington.

Colts vs Chargers
(This is a good time to mention that the 8-8 Chargers are hosting the 12-4 Colts. More on this sad state of affairs below.) Indy won the game in the regular season and they will do it again.

Divisional Round
Ravens vs Titans
The Titans have had a little magic up their sleeve all year. Some how they find a way to win late in the game.

Colts vs Steelers
Leftwich plays admirably and adequately. But adequate is not enough when Peyton is on the other side of the ball. Despite a great season, the Steelers lose their first playoff game of the post season.

Championship
Cots vs Titans
Nothing like peaking at the right time. Last year the Giants showed us how well that works, this year it's the Colts. Though they fight valiantly, the Titans fall to the Colts in overtime.

Super Bowl
Colts vs Giants
The matchup the networks wanted. The "Manning Bowl" will go down in history as the first time two brother's faced each other at quarterback in the big game. It will have another distinction of the most non-called false start penalties ever. (It is illegal for the QB to go under center and come out without the ball. The Mannings do this 20-30 times a game.) It will also be one of the most lopsided wins in recent memory, bringing to mind the Cowboys/Bills Super Bowls of the 90's as the elder Manning picks apart the Giants secondary and the younger Manning picks the turf out of his helmet. Colts win in a landslide 47-10.

Now, back to the fact that the 8-8 Chargers are hosting the 12-4 Colts. This is just because the Chargers won their sorry excuse for a division and the Colts squeaked in as a wild card team. This is also happening in the NFC where the 9-7 Cardinals are hosting the 11-5 Falcons. Consider this: There are four teams in the playoffs that have a worse record than the 11-5 Patriots. Yet New England is not in the post season. This has happened too often the past few years. The NFL needs to move to a seeded post season where division is irrelevant. The NHL and NBA are very successful with this model. The time has come.

Watch for my next picks in a few weeks when I preview the four possible Super Bowls based on the teams that make it to the Championship Round in each division. (Of course, I may feel compelled to predict the next round of games. We'll have to see how I did with this round.)