2011 NFC Championship Prediction

Packers @ Bears

Overview

There’s no secret between these two divisional foes. The Packers and Bears know each other inside and out. I think this will be a relatively low scoring affair as a sloppy Soldier Field, hasty weather conditions, and two aggressive defenses will make their mark on this game. The Packers are hot, plain and simple. But at the same time, the Bears were the ones that won their division; the ones that earned a playoff bye and home field advantage, and yet are being somewhat disrespected in the eyes of the media. I think this game will come down to two matchups. The first being the offensive line of the Packers versus the defensive front of the Bears which includes the likes of Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs, and Julius Peppers just to name a few. The second matchup being between the quarterbacks, Rodgers versus Cutler. Who will get the most protection? Who will make the clutch throws? Who will protect the football? In my opinion, the quarterback that answers these questions will go onto the Super Bowl and I think Aaron Rodgers will be that guy.    

Prediction

Packers win 21 – 17

 

2011 NFC Divisional Round Predictions

#6 Packers @ #1 Falcons

Overview

The Falcons escaped with a narrow 3-point win at home against the Packers in their regular season showdown, and I see the playoff matchup between these teams will pretty much follow suit. Aaron Rodgers earned his first playoff game last week on the road in hostile Philly against the Eagles. He’s carried the Packers for the entire season, especially during the last few weeks, but I see that all coming to an end against the Matt Ryan led Atlanta Falcons. ”Matty Ice” has only lost twice at home in his entire career and although I think this will be another grind-it-out game that comes down to the last second, I’ll give the slight edge to Ryan and the Falcons. The Falcons have had a knack for coming away with the “W” in close games as they have an impressive 6-2 record in games decided by 6 points or less this season.     

Prediction

Falcons win 26 – 24

#4 Seahawks @ #2 Bears

Overview

The Seahawks come into this game with absolutely no pressure on them yet again as nobody thought they would even make the playoffs, let alone beat the defending champs and play in the NFC Divisional Round. Seattle actually beat the Bears in their week 6 matchup, but I don’t see the same result this time around. The Seahawks will face a much tougher defense in the Bears then they did last week when they beat the Saints. I think it’s safe to say that Marshawn Lynch will not break 8 tackles en route to a 60-plus yard td run and Matt Hasselbeck will not throw 4 td passes against a very stout Bears defense. The only concern I have about the Bears is with quarterback Jay Cutler, who’s the epitome of recklessness and inconsistency. This will be Cutler’s first ever playoff game and while I do think he will make mistakes, in the form of a pick or two, I don’t think the Seahawks will be able to capitalize on them against the Bears’ strong defense.  

Prediction

Bears win 23 – 14

NFL Divisional Round Preview

AFC

Jets @ Chargers

After a great all around performance against the Bengals last week, the Jets and their borderline cocky coach Rex Ryan are in for a rude awakening this week against the streaking Chargers. The Chargers come into their first playoff game on an 11 game win streak and coming off an all important first round bye. The high-powered Chargers offense goes up against the #1 rated defense of the Jets, but something has to give. I think the Chargers solid offensive line and big, physical receivers will be too much for the Jets secondary to handle.

Prediction – Chargers 

Ravens @ Colts

The Colts and MVP Peyton Manning go up against the rugged Ravens in what looks to be a very intriguing divisional matchup. The Colts have a great, balanced offense while the Ravens have a solid defense and a superb running game. The Colts only flaw is their battered secondary, but I don’t think the Ravens have a good enough passing game to both keep up with the Colts offense and exploit the Colts secondary.

Prediction – Colts

NFC

Cardinals @ Saints

The Saints come into their first playoff game on a 3 game losing streak and searching for their lost confidence. The Cardinals, however, come into their matchup with the Saints after a shoot-out win against the Packers. This game should be another high scoring affair, but I think the key to the game will be which team can run the ball. I believe that the Cardinals passing game is at least just as good as the Saints passing attack, and the Cardinals running game is more consistent than the Saints running game.

Prediction – Cardinals 

Cowboys @ Vikings

The Cowboys run into Minnesota on a 4 game winning streak. Their defense has been absolutely terrific during the 4 game win streak and their offense is balanced and extremely dangerous. The Vikings run defense is one of the best in the league and their passing attack is explosive with play-makers like Brett Favre, Sidney Rice, and Percy Harvin. The edge in this evenly matched game goes to the team that has been playing the best football of late, the Dallas Cowboys.

Prediction - Cowboys

NFL Power Rankings (Week 17)

1)  Colts (14-1) – LW 1

2)  Chargers (12-3) – LW 3

3)  Saints (13-2) – LW 2

4)  Eagles (11-4) – LW 5

5)  Vikings (11-4) – LW 4

6)  Cardinals (10-5) – LW 6

7)  Bengals (10-5) – LW 8

8)  Packers (10-5) – LW 7

9)  Patriots (10-5) – LW 9

10)  Cowboys (10-5) – LW 10

11)  Ravens (8-7) – LW 11

12)  Broncos (8-7) – LW 13

13)  Steelers (8-7) – LW 15

14)  Falcons (8-7) – LW 18

15)  Jets (8-7) – LW 19

16)  Texans (8-7) – LW 21

17)  Giants (8-7) – LW 12

18)  Titans (7-8) – LW 14

19)  Dolphins (7-8) – LW 16

20)  Jaguars (7-8) – LW 17

21)  Panthers (7-8) – LW 21

22)  49ers (7-8) – LW 22

23)  Bears (6-9) - LW 25

24)  Raiders (5-10) – LW 23

25)  Bills (5-10) – LW 26

26)  Seahawks (5-10) – LW 24

27)  Browns (4-11) – LW 29

28)  Redskins (4-11) – LW 27

29)  Bucs (3-12) – LW 30

30)  Chiefs (3-12) – LW 28

31)  Lions (2-13) – LW 31

32)  Rams (1-14) – LW 32

NFL Power Rankings (Week 16)

1)  Colts (14-0) – LW 2

2)  Saints (13-1) – LW 1

3)  Chargers (11-3) – LW 4

4)  Vikings (11-3) – LW 3

5)  Eagles (10-4) – LW 5

6)  Cardinals (9-5) – LW 8

7)  Packers (9-5) – LW 6

8)  Bengals (9-5) – LW 7

9)  Patriots (9-5) – LW 10

10)  Cowboys (9-5) – LW 11

11)  Ravens (8-6) – LW 13

12)  Giants (8-6) – LW 14

13)  Broncos (8-6) – LW 9

14)  Titans (7-7) – LW 17

15)  Steelers (7-7) – LW 19

16)  Dolphins (7-7) – LW 12

17)  Jaguars (7-7) – LW 15

18)  Falcons (7-7) – LW 18

19)  Jets (7-7) – LW 16

20)  Texans (7-7) – LW 21

21)  Panthers (6-8) – LW 22

22)  49ers (6-8) – LW 20

23)  Raiders (5-9) – LW 27

24)  Seahawks (5-9) – LW 24

25)  Bears (5-9) – LW 23

26)  Bills (5-9) – LW 25

27)  Redskins (4-10) – LW 26

28)  Chiefs (3-11) – LW 28

29)  Browns (3-11) – LW 30

30)  Bucs (2-12) – LW 31

31)  Lions (2-12) – LW 29

32)  Rams (1-13) – LW 32

NFL Power Rankings (Week 15)

1)  Saints (13-0) – LW 1

2)  Colts (13-0) – LW 2

3)  Vikings (11-2) – LW 3

4)  Chargers (10-3) – LW 4

5)  Eagles (9-4) – LW 8

6)  Packers (9-4) – LW 7

7)  Bengals (9-4) – LW 5

8)  Cardinals (8-5) – LW 6

9)  Broncos (8-5) – LW 9

10)  Patriots (8-5) – LW 11

11)  Cowboys (8-5) – LW 10

12)  Dolphins (7-6) – LW 14

13)  Ravens (7-6) – LW 16

14)  Giants (7-6) – LW 12

15)  Jaguars (7-6) – LW 13

16)  Jets (7-6) – LW 19

17)  Titans (6-7) – LW 17

18)  Falcons (6-7) – LW 18

19)  Steelers (6-7) – LW 15

20)  49ers (6-7) – LW 21

21)  Texans (6-7) – LW 23

22)  Panthers (5-8) – LW 20

23)  Bears (5-8) – LW 22

24)  Seahawks (5-8) – LW 24

25)  Bills (5-8) – LW 26

26)  Redskins (4-9) – LW 27

27)  Raiders (4-9) – LW 25

28)  Chiefs (3-10) – LW 28

29)  Lions (2-11) – LW 29

30)  Browns (2-11) – LW 32

31)  Bucs (1-12) – LW 30

32)  Rams (1-12) – LW 31

NFL Power Rankings (Week 14)

1)  Saints (12-0) – LW 1

The Saints capitalized on a chip-shot missed field goal and came away with a 33-30 victory in overtime against the Redskins.

2)  Colts (12-0) – LW 2

The Colts kept their undefeated season alive with a win against the streaking Titans.

3)  Vikings (10-2) – LW 3

Favre finally looked human against a stifling Cardinals defense.

4)  Chargers (9-3) – LW 4

The Chargers are on an impressive 7 game win streak.

5)  Bengals (9-3) – LW 5

They clinched their first winning record since 1991 with their win against the Lions last week.

6)  Cardinals (8-4) – LW 6

The Cardinals are a surprising 3-3 at home and 5-1 on the road this season.

7)  Packers (8-4) – LW 10

The Packer’s defense, which is rated #1 overall, was flying around the field in their MNF win against the Ravens.

8)  Eagles (8-4) – LW 9

They took advantage of an injury plagued Falcons team last week.

9)  Broncos (8-4) – LW 12

An absolute rout of the Chiefs helped the Broncos keep pace in the top-heavy AFC West.

10)  Cowboys (8-4) – LW 8

Their usual December woes began with their loss against the Giants last week.

11)  Patriots (7-5) – LW 7

They just can’t get it done in Miami.

12)  Giants (7-5) – LW 14

The only time the Giants show some spirit is when they play the Cowboys.

13)  Jaguars (7-5) – LW 17

A win against the Dolphins next week will put them in great position to make the playoffs.

14)  Dolphins (6-6) – LW 19

Chad Henne is growing into a better qb everyday.

15)  Steeleres (6-6) – LW 11

They’re to good to keep blowing these leads.

16)  Ravens (6-6) – LW 13

Their offense has struggled for most of the season.

17)  Titans (5-7) – LW 15

Wasted opportunities stopped the Titans 5 game win streak.

18)  Falcons (6-6) – LW 16

Injuries to Matt Ryan and Michael Turner were too much to overcome against the Eagles.

19)  Jets (6-6) – LW 21

Rookie Mark Sanchez will not play next week due to a knee injury.

20)  Panthers (5-7) – LW 22

Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers.

21)  49ers (5-7) – LW 20

Vernon Davis has emerged as a legitimate, consistent threat in the passing game.

22)  Bears (5-7) – LW 23

Not an impressive win against a bad Rams team.

23)  Texans (5-7) – LW 18

They have the talent but they don’t know how to play a complete 60 minutes.

24)  Seahawks (5-7) – LW 25

One week they’re impressive, the next week they look horrible.

25)  Raiders (4-8) – LW 28

Gradkowski to Murphy is looking like a solid combination the past 3 weeks, just ask the Steelers.

26)  Bills (4-8) – LW 24

No offense and a poor run defense aren’t a great combination for success.

27)  Redskins (3-9) – LW 27

Tough loss against the undefeated Saints. Suisham has to make that chip-shot field goal.

28)  Chiefs (3-9) – LW 26

Embarrassing outing at home against the Broncos.

29)  Lions (2-10) – LW 29

Stafford is out next week due to a shoulder injury.

30)  Bucs (1-11) – LW 30

Rookie qb Josh Freeman’s 5 interceptions were too much for the Bucs to overcome and beat the Panthers.

31)  Rams (1-11) – LW 31

Injuries have absolutely dismantled the Rams.

32)  Browns (1-11) – LW 32

Another loss at home, they’re now 0-5.

NFL Power Rankings (Week 12)

1)  Colts (10-0) – LW 1

They haven’t played particularly well of late, but they keep finding ways to win.

2)  Saints (10-0) – LW 2

The Saints high-octane offense might meet its match next week against the Patriots and Tom Brady.

3)  Vikings (9-1) – LW 3

The old gunslinger isn’t playing like a 40-year-old.

4)  Patriots (7-3) – LW 6

The Pats hope to crush the Saints quest for an undefeated season.

5)  Chargers (7-3) – LW 8

The Chargers lead their division and are playing solid, complete football.

6)  Cardinals (7-3) – LW 7

At 7-3 the Cardinals have a healthy 3 game lead in their division.

7)  Bengals (7-3) – LW 4

Bad loss in Oakland last week, but they can get back on track as they face the Browns.

8)  Cowboys (7-3) – LW 10

Ugly win against the Redskins last week, but they are still in first place in the NFC East.

9)  Steelers (6-4) – LW 5

Bad loss at home against KC and Roethlisberger’s status is uncertain.

10)  Eagles (6-4) – LW 11

They won a close game and kept pace in the tight NFC East.

11)  Giants (6-4) – LW 16

They snapped their 4 game losing streak at home against Atlanta last week.

12)  Packers (6-4) – LW 14

The defense has played better of late, but the Packer’s success lies in the hands of the offensive line.

13)  Broncos (6-4) – LW 9

After a 6-0 start the Broncos have lost their last 4 games.

14)  Jaguars (6-4) – LW 17

They’ll get a test next week on the road against the 49ers.

15)  Ravens (5-5) – LW 12

A tough schedule and an inability to win close games has the preseason Super Bowl contenders at a mediocre 5-5.

16)  Falcons (5-5) – LW 15

Another tough loss for the Falcons, this time to the Giants in overtime.

17)  Dolphins (5-5) – LW 18

With Ronnie Brown out for the rest of the season, Ricky Williams has to step up and play like he did in his first 4 years in the NFL.

18)  Texans (5-5) – LW 13

They have to learn how to close out games.

19)  Titans (4-6) – LW 21

The combination of the reemergence of Vince Young and the MVP candidate Chris Johnson have the Titans on a 4 game winning streak.

20)  Panthers (4-6) – LW 19

The ground game has been carrying them this season, but in order to win Delhomme has to show that he can stretch the defense.

21)  49ers (4-6) – LW 20

Alex Smith and Vernon Davis have shown great chemistry, but they have to start scoring sooner rather than later.

22)  Jets (4-6) – LW 22

Too many turnovers have put the defense in a position to fail.

23)  Bears (4-6) – LW 23

The Bears have lost 5 of their last 6 games and look to be spiraling downward.

24)  Chiefs (3-7) – LW 27

They get better and better every week and they showed their progress with a win against Pittsburgh last week.

25)  Seahawks (3-7) – LW 24

They get a great chance at win number 4 against the Rams next week.

26)  Redskins (3-7) – LW 25

With Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts injured it’s hard to picture a late Redskins run at a playoff position.

27)  Bills (3-7) – LW 26

They’re searching for a new head coach and Mike Shanahan is a very appealing option.

28)  Raiders (3-7) – LW 29

Bruce Gradkowski got the Raiders a much-needed win against a very good Bengals team. Is this the end for JaMarcus Russel?

29)  Lions (2-8) – LW 30

Matt Stafford exploited the porous Browns defense to the tune of 400+ passing yards and 5 tds including the game winner with no time left on the clock.

30)  Bucs (1-9) – LW 28

First they fire the offensive coordinator 10 days after hiring him, now they fire the defensive coordinator 10 weeks into the season.

31)  Rams (1-9) – LW 31

With Marc Bulger out at least 3 weeks, Kyle Boller will start for the Rams who will be searching for their next franchise qb.

32)  Browns (1-9) – LW 32

A pass interference call in the end zone gave the Lions a chance to win and they capitalized on the Brown’s mistakes.

Manning leads another 4th Quarter comeback with a little help from Belichick

       

Arguably the best sports rivalry this decade was on center stage last night as two of the NFL’s best teams squared off. The undefeated Colts took on the surging Patriots for what was yet another instant classic. After the first quarter the score was knotted at 7, but the Patriots pulled away in the second quarter and took a 24-14 lead into halftime. After a scoreless third quarter the Pats opened up the fourth quarter with a 5 yard touchdown pass from Brady to Moss and it seemed that the Patriots had a strangle hold on the game. Peyton Manning responded with a touchdown pass two minutes later to Pierre Garcon, but after a Gostkowski field goal with 4 minutes remaining and the Patriots on the winning side of a 34-21 score it looked like it was too little too late for Manning and the Colts. But Peyton Manning never lost his composure as he led another scoring drive capped of by Joseph Addai’s second touchdown of the game with 2:23 left in the game. The Colts were now down 34-28 opted to kick it deep to the Patriots rather than try the onside kick because they still had three time-outs and the two-minute warning to stop the clock and potentially get the ball back with enough time to win the game. The Patriots ran the ball on first down and threw a short pass to Welker on second down. After the Colts stopped the clock on two time-outs the Patriots threw the ball on third and short in order to get the first down and basically seal the game. Brady took a quick three-step drop and threw to the right side in an attempt to hit Welker but rookie Jerraud Powers stepped in front of the pass and almost intercepted it. It was fourth down and 2 with 2:08 remaining in the game and with the Patriots backed up on their own 28 yard-line it was a no brainer to punt the ball away, but the mad-man behind the patented hoodie felt otherwise. After the Patriots burned their last timeout to think it over, Brady and the offense stepped onto the field and it was clear that the Pats were going for the fourth down conversion and the win. The Colts blitzed heavily on the play and forced Brady into a quick throw to the right side where he completed the pass to Kevin Faulk for what appeared to be a first down, but the referee motioned that Faulk was juggling the ball and therefore he doesn’t get the forward progress because he didnt have possession of the ball when he was initially hit. The play could not be reviewed by the booth because it came before the two-minute warning and the Patriots could not challenge the spot of the ball because they had just used their third and final timeout just before the fourth down play. Thus, the ball was spotted about a foot before the first down marker and the Colts took over on downs at their own 29 yard-line with 1 timeout remaining and 2 min left in the game, an absolute eternity for Peyton Manning. After a pass to Reggie Wayne and a Joseph Addai run the Colts were at the 1 yard-line with 4 chances at scoring the winning touchdown, but they only needed two chances as on second and goal from the 1 Peyton Manning threw a bullet on a slant route to Reggie Wayne who made a finger tip grab and the Colts took an unthinkable 35-34 lead. After a desperate lateral attempt by Wes Welker failed and the clock read all zeros the Colts emerged with an amazing fourth quarter comeback win, and the Patriots were left wondering and hoping that what had just happened was nothing but a dream.

NFL Power Rankings (Week 10)

1)  Saints (8-0) – LW 1

They have to avoid a letdown against the dismal Rams next week, but I think they’ll jump on the Rams early.

2)  Colts (8-0) – LW 2

Colts vs Pats next week, I can’t wait.

3)  Steelers (6-2) – LW 7

They’re looking to even up the season series against the hated Bengals.

4)  Vikings (7-1) – LW 3

I suspect no rust coming off their bye week.

5)  Bengals (6-2) – LW 5

The Bengals are looking to sweep the Steelers next week.

6)  Patriots (6-2) – LW 6

They’re back in first place in the AFC East and playing better every week.

7)  Broncos (6-2) – LW 4

Their defense has been consistently solid, but their offense has less than stellar at times.

8)  Cardinals (5-3) – LW 14

The Cardinals are 1-3 at home this year, but 4-0 at home.

9)  Cowboys (6-2) – LW 9

Same talented Cowboys except this time it looks like they are more focused and have less distractions.

10)  Falcons (5-3) – LW 11

Despite not beating their big-time opponents the Falcons are still in a great position to win the wild-card.

11)  Chargers (5-3) – LW 16

Philip Rivers led a late fourth quarter game winning drive against the Giants. Lets see if this momentum can help the Chargers finally play up to their potential and sustain it.

12)  Eagles (5-3) – LW 8

Tough loss against the Cowboys last week. They need a healthy Westbrook to overtake first place in the NFC East.

13)  Texans (5-4) – LW 13

Mistakes at crucial times have killed them, exhibit A was last week folly against Indy.

14)  Ravens (4-4) – LW 10

Cedric Benson ran for 100+ yards in both games against the Raven’s defense. What happened to their heralded run-stopping defense?

15)  Giants (5-4) – LW 15

They have to start showing some sense of urgency if they want to stay in the race for the NFC East.

16)  Packers (4-4) – LW 12

Absolutely horrendous loss in Tampa Bay. There’s nothing more to say.

17)  Dolphins (3-5) – LW 18

Their schedule is rough, and they are a better team than their record insists.

18)  Jets (4-4) – LW 19

Their defense needs to get “nasty” again.

19)  Bears (4-4) – LW 17

The Cardinals had their way with a porous Bears defense, scoring on every possession in the first half.

20)  49ers (3-5) – LW 20

They lost 4 in a row but I wouldn’t panic yet, mainly because of their weak division.

21)  Jaguars (4-4) – LW 22

If their defense limits the damage, they can be dangerous because of their playmakers on offense.

22)  Panthers (3-5) – LW 23

If (this is a huge if) Delhomme can avoid turnovers then the Panthers can turn it around and contend for a playoff spot.

23)  Titans (2-6) – LW 26

Vince Young is playing well, but they’re winning because Chris Johnson is running out of his mind and the defense is playing much better.

24)  Seahawks (3-5) – LW 24

Must win against the Cardinals next week.

25)  Bills (3-5) – LW 21

Fitzpatrick has filled in admirably. Is there a qb controversy?

26)  Redskins (2-6) – LW 25 

Once again the Redskins talent doesn’t live up to their potential.

27)  Chiefs (1-7) – LW 28

A poor offensive line and a quarterback that holds on to the ball until the last possible second aren’t a good combination.

28)  Raiders (2-6) – LW 27

Let’s see if the bye week gave them time to regroup, I doubt it.

29)  Bucs (1-7) – LW 32 

Josh Freeman looked GREAT in his debut.

30)  Lions (1-7) – LW 29

Calvin Johnson comes back next week, that’s positive, I guess.

31)  Rams (1-7) – LW 30

They play the Saints next week, it keeps getting worse.

32)  Browns (1-7) – LW 31

Uh, really, I’m speechless.

LW=Last Week