The NFL Playoffs and Team Chances - Post Your Thoughts

[Dave2112]

It's that time of year again! Here's my take on the teams left and the chances they have.

AFC -

San Diego Chargers - The odds-on favorite to win the Super Bowl. I think thier chances are very good, with one factor to consider. The Chargers are going to go as far as LaDanian Tomlinson goes. Should something happen to him, or teams manage to shut him down, I'm not sure Phillip Rivers can carry this team. That being said, I'm gonna say 3-1 odds on the Bolts. Good run defense, ok pass defense plus home-field advantage in a stadium where they're undefeated this year.

Baltimore Ravens - The team that could get past the Chargers. Waaaaay back in week Two, I posted a thread for people to make early-season predictions. Back then, I picked Baltimore and Atlanta. Well, the Falcons tanked, but I'm sticking with the ravens. The Chargers are my "heart" favorite in the AFC, but my head isn't backing off of Baltimore now. The one defense that can shut down LT and give any of the AFC quarterbacks nightmares. Steve McNair has resurged and given the Ravens the QB they've needed to go with the rest of the team. 2-1 odds.

Indianapolis Colts - Sorry, Colts fans (and I'm one of them), but it's One and Done this year for Peyton and Company. The run defense is last in the league and they draw Kansas City in the first round. KC will run the ball dowbn thier throat with Larry Johnson, the leagues' 2nd leading rusher. Not only that, but there's the Choke Factor. I've said it before and I'll say it again...Peyton Manning is the Dan Mrino of our era...all the records and no ring. IF they get past KC, there's still the other good rushing teams in the AFC to contend with. 18-1 odds.

New England Patriots - Not the pick they once were, but never count them out. The team nobody in the AFC wants to play. No matter who gets hurt or who they plug in...all they do is win. Like Jacksonville last year, they have very quietly racked up a 12-4 record without much fanfare. If Peyton Manning is our Dan Marino, then Tm Brady is our generation's Joe Montana...no real records but a handful of Super Bowl rings. The downside to the Pats' run: getting past (most likely) both San Diego and Baltimore. The upside: Coaching staff. Quite simply, when it comes down to single games that really matter, nobody can game=plan you like the New England Patriots. 5-1 odds.

New York Jets - Eric Mangini has had a hell of a rookie year as Head Coach. Chad Pennington has played a full 16-game season. Could it happen? Why, yes. But it will take three "any Given Sunday" games and not everyone can pull off what the Steelers did last year. A better running game than it looks, and an accurate QB. However, very dropsy receivers and a suspect pass D. 12-1 odds. (Although I'd LOVE to be wrong here. GO JETS!)

Kansas City Chiefs - Luckily, they get Indy's no-stop run D for thier first game, so they should advance to the second round. However, I don't see them with enough firepower to take over against Baltimore's D, or enough of thier own D to stop San Diego or even New England perhaps. That being said, ball-control is in thier corner with Larry Johnson and the special teams are good. Also, nobody knows much about them and they could surprise. 10-1 odds.

NFC -

Chicago Bears - I'll say this first here. The Bears will lose thier first playoff game. A great job this year by the Bears, but too many questionables. With Tommie Harris and Mike Brown out and Tank Johnson in trouble, the defense has been slipping. And what do you say about Rex Grossman? Any QB who's been told he's on a half-to-half leash is not going to perform well. He's the guy who will throw an 85-yard TD pass...and follow it up with 3 interceptions. All it's gonna take is just one bad half and the Bears run is over. And for those who think the Super Bowl is Chicago's destiny...I remind you of a few very short years ago when the Bears were a league-leading 13-3, got Home-Field...and lost thier first game. History repeats itself. All of that being said, this is the NFC, and a couple of well-played games could get them thier shot. 8-1 odds.

New Orleans Saints - Speaking of destiny...he he he. This is my personal pick to go all the way this year. The Saints have that thing you can't see on paper. Heart, desire, teamwork...all of that. Two good running backs to go between, a career-year quarterback who fits with this system and enough defense when it counts (the bend-don't break thing) to get to the SUper Bowl for the first time. Of course, a weak NFC helps and I can't say they can definitely win the Big One against the AFC's representative. But, with almost all of America behind them, this could be the year. 3-1 odds.

Philadelphia Eagles - The NFC's "team no one wants to play". Back in mid-season, I posted another thread for mid-season picks. I predicted the Eagles as a wild-card stating at that time that "Jeff Garcia would do very well in place of Donovan McNabb." I was right about that, but even I didn't see the Eagles winning the division. This is a solid team who is peaking at the right time. In the playoffs, it doesn't matter who has the best record going in, it matters who is hot right now. And Philly is hot. It is my belief that they will play in the NFC Championship game against New Orleans...and lose by not much. That being said, there is a chance for them to pull it off if they play a great game three times. 6-1 odds.

Seattle Seahawks - The darlings of America last year, at least the Seahawks have broken the long run of Super Bowl losers missing the plyoffs the next year. Of course, they play in a division with Arizona, San Francisco and St. Louis. A couple of thier losses can be chalked up to the injuries of Matt Hasselbeck and Shaun Alexander. However, the defense has struggled of late and the offense is streaky. On opening game against Dallas at home should get them to the second round, but not much farther. 7-1 odds.

Dallas Cowboys - As the Eagles are peaking at the right time, the Cowboys are falling apart at the wrong time. While Tony Romo is remaing calm and unflappable, he's about the only one. Terrell Owens will be looking for yet another team next year, and has probably already checked out. Also, the "answer" for the 'Boys has more dropped passes than anyone in the league. The defense has forgotten how to defend the pass (a strength earlier) and the running game has stalled. Going into the playoffs with the bad taset of losing at home to the lowly Lions isn't going to help attitudes, especially with an opening game against the Seahawks in Seattle and thier 12th Man stadium. 15-1 odds.

New York Giants - Obscure tiebrakers aside, the team that should have this spot is the Green Bay Packers, giving Brett Favre one last shot. Or the Tennessee Titans, for that matter. In this situation, a rules change could have been understood. This team is a complete mess and got in only because of a weak conference. Best record of the mundane teams, but not the best by a long shot. Nothing to really hype about thier chances. 1,000-1 odds.

So, my final predictions -

The "I'd Love to See It" Pick : New York Jets vs. New Orleans Saints (Doesn't matter who wins)

The "Heart" Pick : New Orleans over San Diego ; 31-24

The "Head" Pick : Baltimore over New Orleans ; 26-21

 

[maniactickler]

Pats vs Philly. Pats winning.

 

[german]

AFC
San Diego
No doubt it rest on L.T but I think the play of Rivers will determine if they go to the Superbowl.

Baltimore
My pick now..........can someone say the U........Ray Lewis has been quite and letting his play talk, the D is quality. The factor here in my opinion is not McNair but Lewis (Jamal); if he can carry the ball 25-30 times and get his 70-100 yards they are off to the big one.

Indianapolis
If they dont score often and early teams will just run the clock on them, and going up against defenses of Baltimore and San Diego that might be difficult to do.

New England
I don't think Brady can do it alone.....

New York
Anything can happen, but I doubt they can 'rattle the cage'.

Kansas City
L.J is a great back but if people can remember the San D vs K.C game - L.J didn't live up to the hype. I think the offense relies to much on him and I am not a fan of their defence.

NFC
Chicago
You can't take two out of three of their defensive leaders (Harris and Brown) out and still expect them to play at the same level. I think the coach and so called offensive leaders have to swallow their pride and give Benson the ball; I think he holds the key to their Superbowl run.

New Orleans
I am the first to admit I was wrong about this team.........on offense you cant fault them but the "bend dont break" attitude on defense will get them burnt in the playoffs.

Philadelphia
I don't know.....something just seems to be clicking for them. Would not be surprised to see them at the end.

Seattle
Any given Sunday. The players they have on both sides of the ball will make them a threat. They could crawl under the radar and make a few up-sets.

Dallas
I refuse to get into this Romo hype......I pick them to be a first round victim.

New York
I agree it should be Green bay here but thats beside the point. They will limp in and they will limp out.

Hmm to the hard part now.........Ravens over the Eagles.

Priest

 

[ticklingfeet4fu]

AFC-

San Diego Chargers--- this is a balanced team. Rivers can hurry the team down the field with his arm or they can use LT's legs and control the game and the clock. Defense has allowed 18 points per game. So if the Chargers get out to an early lead, it could be lights out for their opponents. I expect the Chargers to play and WIN the Super Bowl!!!

Baltimore Ravens--- no doubt this team can play defense. This team has some great defensive players. McNair leads this offense. Offensively they are still a bit challenged, in my opinion, and if it ends up being the Chargers and the Ravens that will be an interesting game. Ravens won the regular season match-up 16-13.

Indianapolis Colts--- Payton Manning can not score if he does not have the ball. The Colts got the unfortunate match-up of the Chiefs. If the Colts don't find an answer for Larry Johnson, it could be one and done.

New England Patriots--- still a VERY dangerous team. They have ALL the tools to make a run at their fourth title in six years.

New York Jets--- lack of a running game will hinder this playoff run. Jets fans keep in mind, you were only expected to win 5 games and you ended up with more wins than every team in the NFC except for two teams.

Kansas City Chiefs--- a dangerous team because they do play better defense than in the years past. They also have lots of weapons on offense. This team is not your typical 6 seed team. They will play hard for 60 minutes. Look for this team to get out of the wild-card round.

NFC-

Chicago Bears--- can you really believe in Rex Grossman??? I am not so sure. I know that the Bears have had four games this season where they turned the ball over at least five times. If the Bears turn the ball over during the playoffs, they are dead.

New Orleans Saints--- America's Favorite Team right now. Balanced offense. Great special teams. Questionable defense. If they can get early leads and let the emotion of their crowd help them, they could advance to the Super Bowl.

Philadelphia Eagles--- what a remarkable run this team had to finish the season. This team has overcome adversity to rise to the division title. Jeff Garcia is confident and Brian Westbrook who is always questionable before every game gets the job done.

Seattle Seahawks--- they have the talent and ability, but can they execute. Offensively, they NEED Shawn Alexander to be the running back he was last year. If they get that RB back they can win. If not...vacation starts early.

Dallas Cowboys--- the talent is here. Can they overcome the non-sense??? I actually like Tony Romo but he cannot play like he has played the last four weeks. The fact that this team is NOT home might be a plus. Defensively, this group couldn't catch a cold. This is a horrible secondary and it has gotten torched over the last four weeks giving up 14 touchdowns.

New York Giants--- exactly what frame of mind is Eli Manning??? If Tiki gets stopped, can Eli come through??? That is an interesting question.



My pick for the Super Bowl is New Orleans Saints versus San Diego Chargers.

 

[Tickle Fiend]

I'm just ranking them based on who I feel has the best chance to win their conference.

AFC:

1.San Diego
2.Baltimore
3.New England
4.Indianapolis
5.Kansas City
6.New York

NFC:
1.Chicago
2.New Orleans
3.Dallas
4.Philadelphia
5.Seattle
6.New York

 

[giantfan121262]

It's that time of year again! Here's my take on the teams left and the chances they have.

AFC -

San Diego Chargers - they are just playing so well right now you have to make them the odds on favorite to represent the AFC. LT is their X factor. He will carry the team as far as it goes. Philip rivers is the benefactor of the LT hype because the coach asks him to not lose the game rather than win the game. You really ghave to wonder if Rivers can carry the team if LT, God Forbid!, get's hurt.

Baltimore Ravens - If there is any team that can beat the chargers it's Baltimore. their D is about as good as it gets. As they always say, and from what I have experienced from playing, Good Defense almost always stops a Good Offense. McNair and Co. will dictate how far they go because you know their defense will always keep them in a game

Indianapolis Colts - With their D as soft as it is, and it's softer than elevator music, this will put that much more pressure on Manning to win the game. So far, he has not shown he can do it, and this is when he had Edgerin James to keep linebackers honest. What makes you think that he can do it without the running game he once had? He is not a money player. I'm sorry! they may beat KC, but I think they will lose in the Divisional playoff.

New England Patriots - A scary team indeed. If there is a team that knows how to win in the postseason, it has to be New England. they have been there so many times it's almost like clockwork to them. Tom Brady is about as clutch as they come, and he is one guy I would love over center in a 2 minute drive. They can go all the way with their intangibles alone.

New York Jets - Eric Mangini has done a phenominal job as a rookie head coach, but let's not forget the job Tannenbaum did in the offseason by going out and getting two solid offensive linemen to shore up an offensive line that was made of Swiss cheese last year. I don't care WHO you put back there, whether it be Terry Bradshaw, Johnny Unitas, or Joe Montana, if you don't have time to throw, you aren't going to get the job done. I like the toughness of Mangold, setting up the run, and chad has shown that he can be a great QB. He is cool under pressure, and he has a very accurate arm. I think there about 1 year away in making a serious run, but let's not forget their D in Vilma, and their pass coverage in Kerry Rhodes. If there was a weakness, I would say their run defense needs a little work.

Kansas City Chiefs - Should the Jets and Giants lose, I would love to see KC go places because Herman Edwards deserves it. He got shafted last year by the Jets. How can you blame the coach for injuries which ravages a team down to their fourth string QB as their starter by the 8th game in 2005, and ravaged an OL which had a combined 5 years of experience between the five players? He should have been given the benefit of the doubt because he took the team to the postseason the previous 3 out of 4 years. KC has LJ who is just awesome and wants the ball. I think their D will keep them in the game, because of Herm's mentality. I hate to say it, but I see a one and done this year.

NFC -

Chicago Bears - With the defense losing key players, and Rex Grossman as erratic as they come, you can't see the Bears going all the way. I can see them losing the first game in the division round.

New Orleans Saints - New Orleans is a feel good story this year. They have Reggie Bush coming into his own. Drew Bres might have Joe horn to throw to. If the Saints offense is at full strength, they can be dangerous. Alot of people out there don't believe in their offense, but I am not one of them. I saw how they picked apart the Giants secondary (which is not hard to do mind you), but they can beat the best of them with what they have. I like their chances to go to the NFC championship, but I thibnk experience (or lack of) will hurt them in that game.

Philadelphia Eagles - If there is a team that is equivlant to the San Diego chargers in the NFC, it has to be Philadelphia. I think this is the team I pick as the favorite to go to the Super Bowl to represent the NFC. Their roll compounded by their experience in the play offs will be a recipe for a Super bowl appearance.

Seattle Seahawks - Sorry Seattle fans, but after beating Dallas, you are going nowhere! I was not impressed with them when they played the Giants in week 4 of this season, and last year. The game this year was lost more by the Giants on turnovers rather than Seattle making big plays. I believe that if the Giants played 60 minutes of solid football, they wpuld have won. Last year they SHOULD have won but Feely missed not one, but two FG attempts.

Dallas Cowboys - One and done! They should be happy to be there. they are not playing well right now. If you lose at home to New Orleans and Philadelphia, and LOSE to DETROIT (you gotta be kidding me), then, not only are you a little short on experience in the postseason, but you are just not playing well right now, and have no momentum, hence you really have no business being there.

New York Giants - Relax Dallas fans, I am about to give MY team, that I have rooted for my whole life, who I pick in pools (WHY, I DON"T KNOW they never cover), a serious reality check. What's fair is fair! Can these guys really look in the mirror and say they deserve to be there? NFW. Sure, Tiki had the game of his life last week against Washington, but if you stop Barber, which you can do, their offense is...well... offensive. Pelixico runs routes when he feels like it, Shockey, their key player, might not play. Who is left, Eli? God help us! Let's noty forget that their OL is depleted which in cludes the LT in Petigouet. They become to predictable, where Manning does his five step drop and two seconds later he is on the ground. Their pass defense is so bad, I, at 44, and about 40 pounds above my playing weight, can pass on them. Stahan is out, so there goes the pass rush, putting even more pressure on the secondary. I hope they do some things from a sentimental standpoint, but I highly doubt it.

AFA the Super Bowl goes, I think the team that represents the AFC will run away with the game.

 

[CitY of MicA]

Well, my initial thoughts are ouch, it was painful seeing the Broncos go down the way they did. But, of course, that has nothing to do with the playoffs 🙁 .

It's been such a strange year- I honestly feel like any NFC team could go to the super bowl. Having said that, I don't like the Giants chances 🙄 . I will root for them, however.


mein prediction
Ravens over the Bears in the Super Bowl...

 

[Iggy pop]

Chargers and the Saints is my pick