NFL Playoffs
Every year I try to pick the winner of every NFL playoff game straight up prior to the playoffs starting, I’ve been within 2 games in the past, but that is as close as I’ve gotten. It’s such a crapshoot most years anyway, but one of these years I’m going to be perfect. Also I’ll say this, if the NFL playoffs are a crapshoot and the best team doesn’t always win, then why do people always claim that the best team would win a college football playoff? So the best team would win every year in college but not in the pro’s? On to the picks:
Wild Card Weeked (and the hardest weekend to pick):
NY Jets over Indianapolis – Close game, I think the Jets are overrated but that Indy team isn’t that great either.
Baltimore over Kansas City – Tough game to pick, I just like the Ravens playoff experience and coaches better.
New Orleans over Seattle – Not even close.
Green Bay over Philadelphia – I’ll take Aaron Rodgers over Mike Vick, even on the road. He’s been there before and the Packers played better down the stretch, which I look heavily at.
Divisional Weekend:
Pittsburgh over the Jets – Better team, better coaches, more playoff experience, home field.
New England over Baltimore – See above, all the same reasons plus revenge for last season’s playoff massacre.
New Orleans over Atlanta – Think the loss a couple weeks ago to NO took a lot out of Falcons, better coaches on NO sideline.
Green Bay over Chicago – Yes, I know the Bears beat them in the regular season, this is the playoffs. These teams are familiar with each other and GNB is healthy now.
Conference Champsionships:
New England over Pittsburgh – Matchup favors NE and Pitt hasn’t been playing as well lately as they did earlier in season.
New Orleans over Green Bay – Even without Chris Ivory and Pierre Thomas, their running game is still better than Green Bay’s and I think the lack of ability to run and dependency on Rodgers finally catches up to the Pack.
Super Bowl:
New England over New Orleans – Hard to believe a couple weeks ago that I’d be picking NE here as I still don’t entirely like their front 7 on defense at all, but it’s manageable and I think in a shootout they can pull through.