2010 - 2011 Playoff Preview

It's that time again: Time for me to review how my preseason predictions panned out. In this post I'll also be cursing at least four teams by predicting that they will do well in the playoffs!

You can find my preseason preview here. Here's how I did:

AFC
East
Prediction: Patriots
Actual: Patriots
Look, I got one!

West
Prediction: Chargers
Actual: Chiefs
At least I got the first two letters right!
(Other notable prediction: Raiders didn't finish last)

North
Prediction: Bengals (stop laughing)
Actual: Steelers
My biggest error was underestimating Pittsburgh without Big Ben. No MVP for him this year, huh?

South
Prediction: Jaguars
Actual: Colts
Up until the last two weeks of the season, this looked like it was going to happen! Especially when the Jaguars beat the Colts in the first half of the year.

Wild Card
Prediction: Jets & Ravens
Actual: Jets & Ravens
Wow. I don't know what to say! That's pretty impressive!

NFC
East
Prediction: Cowboys
Actual: Eagles
I couldn't have been more wrong in this one! I predicted Eagles last and Giants second to last. Ended the exact opposite.

West
Prediction: 49ers
Actual: Seahawks
In my defense, the Seahawks are the first time in NFL history to win their division with a losing record. And the 49ers weren't all that far out!

North
Prediction: Vikings
Actual: Bears
Can anyone make any sense out of this division?

South
Prediction: Saints
Actual: Falcons
I did say that the Falcons would surprise a lot of people. They even surprised me and took the division! I did have them in the playoffs as a wild card team.

Wild Card
Prediction: Redskins & Falcons
Actual: Packers & Saints

I predicted 5 of the 12 Playoff Teams. Not too shabby. However, my predicted Super Bowl isn't even possible.

Playoff Predictions
If my playoff predictions are anything like my season predictions this year then be sure to bet on the opposite of whomever I choose! I only had 5 weeks were I was able to predict more than 11 winners! And I had weeks where I was less than .500! It was sad!

Anyway, here we go:

AFC
Wild Card Round:
Jets at Colts
Tough tough game to call! The Colt's running game seems to be draped on the back of UConn's Donald Brown which leads one to believe that Peyton will be chucking the rock all over the field. But the strength of the Jet's defense is their cornerbacks, and they have two this year. Peyton can't just throw to his tight end all day, it's not Dallas Clark, he's out with injuries. Couple that with the fact that Manning has already thrown 17 INTs this year and while Revis and Cromartie only have 3 INTs between them, it's because QB's don't like to throw in their direction! Though I know the Colts are dangerous in the post season, I just don't think they can get past the Jets.
Winner: Jets

Ravens at Chiefs
I'm not really sure how the Chiefs snuck their way out of the AFC West. But I do know it's past their curfew and they will have to go back home. Cassel won't be able to compete with the Ravens solid Defense.
Winner: Ravens

Divisional Round:
Ravens at Steelers
The AFC Divisional round is a pair of Divisional Match-ups! The Ravens and Steelers split their games this year, each winning by three on the other teams turf. This will be a great game. Smash-mouth, up the middle, in your face football. In the end (hang on, let me flip a coin) the Ravens will end the Steelers bid to be the first team to win six rings.
Winner: Ravens

Jets at Patriots
One of the things the Patriots have going for them in this game is that they lost to the Jets earlier in the year. "Nobody beats the same team three times in one year" is a favorite mantra of many analysts. The other thing the Patriots have going for them is that they are playing the Jets. Without some favorable bounces, poor decisions by opposing teams, and, frankly, some dumb luck, the Jets aren't even in the playoffs. The match-ups they face against New England will prove to be insurmountable.
Winner: Patriots

Championship Round:
Ravens at Patriots
The Patriots will devour the chance to avenge the embarrassing loss they suffered to the Ravens in the Playoffs. Bending but not breaking, the Patriots young Defense gets all of their "Big game" jitters out of the way as Brady has his second post season game without an INT.
Winner: Patriots

NFC
Wild Card Round:
Packers at Eagles
This game is just as hard to predict as the Jets/Colts game. The difference is, while neither the Jets nor the Colts would make it to Dallas, I could see either of these teams headed to the big dance. That's what makes this game so difficult. Sending either team home could mess up all of my future predictions! When all is said and done, I think that, under the pressure, Vick will try to do too much and the Packers will come out on top.
Winner: Packers

Saints at Seahawks
Listening to sports radio, analysts are searching for any reason why the Saints might lose this game: the trip might be too much, the injuries to their running game, the field surface, playing with a ball specially designed to be invisible to the Saints. None of these will make a difference. Seahawks: You made history by being the only team with a losing record to host a playoff game. Enjoy playing golf next week.
Winner: Saints

Divisional Round:
Saints at Falcons
The Saints are in rough shape. The Falcons are firing on all cylinders. Unable to get a running game going the Saints are forced to the air where the Falcons intercept three of Drew's passes. This is where the defending champions bid for a repeat ends.
Winner: Falcons

Packers at Bears
I've never been able to put much stock in the Bears. And Aaron Rogers seems to be doing amazing things with Favre's old team. When all is said and done, I think the first three quarters will be competitive, but the Packers pull away in the fourth.
Winner: Packers

Championship Round:
Packers at Falcons
The NFL won't be thrilled that they have a couple of non-huge market teams in this game, but after the incredibly competitive battle that ensues, this game will be remembered for a long time! Ryan vs Rogers. Not the changing of the guard, but rather the new guard. A couple of QBs who will meet many more times in the post season. Home field advantage prevails.
Winner: Falcons

Super Bowl
Falcons vs Patriots
The Patriots bitterly remember their last trip to the Super Bowl. There is no chance that Bill Belichick let's that happen again. Young defense? No problem. Rookie Tight Ends? Best in the game. No Pro Bowl receivers? That's nothing new. This isn't the best possible Super Bowl for the casual fan. A more competitive game would be Falcons/Ravens, or even Packers/Steelers. But the way New England is playing, they are unstoppable. Patriots, true to form, win by 3.
Winner: Patriots

There you have it. So it's likely that the Eagles will beat the Packers and go on to beat the Colts in the Super Bowl, because I predicted otherwise. Feel free to provide your predictions. What a great time of year!

DOH! I had the NFC seeded incorrectly! The Packers were a Wild Card team which means they would have faced the Falcons if they won! I've already picked that game as I predicted the Packers defeating the Bears. Which means I have the falcons topping the Packers. My original picks would have had the Saints facing the Bears and I would have picked the Bears over the Saints. Which would lead to a Bears/Falcons Championship game. I don't see the Bears going into Atlanta and beating the Falcons. So my Super Bowl pick remains. Go Patriots!