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The grass is green, the yard lines are nice and straight, and the smell of charcoal is in the air. The beginning of the 2014-2015 NFL regular season is upon us! What better way to get us kicked off than predicting this season’s playoffs? Be warned, many of you WILL NOT like my final Super Bowl prediction. But hey, that’s not my problem. My job is to guess the best scenario for each team and I’m giving it to you guys. Let the season commence!
NFC Division Winners and Wild Cards
NFC East: Philadelphia Eagles
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No other team in the NFC East is as explosive as the Eagles. Despite the loss of DeSean Jackson to division rival Washington Redskins, Chip Kelly’s high octane offense was successful in bringing in versatile running back Darren Sproles from the Saints. Nick Foles had a great year last season throwing for 2,891 touchdowns, 27 touchdowns, and only 2 interceptions in 13 games. The only downside could be their defense, who happened to rank 29th in the league. But such an impediment should not affect them in taking the NFC East crown.
NFC North: Green Bay Packers
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Despite missing 7 games last season, Aaron Rodgers was able to lead the Packers into the playoffs – fairly easily, I might add. It helped that quarterbacks Jay Cutler of the Bears and Christian Ponder of the Vikings also suffered injuries through the season that helped the Packers stay in the division race while the Lions floundered. Now, here’s a key stat: without Rodgers, the Packers went 2-4-1 last season. Not even Eddie Lacy, who many analysts already give “elite” status to without true reason, could have saved the Pack. But the 3rd rank offense of last year should have little to no problems winning the NFC North.
NFC South: New Orleans Saints
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Let’s face it, the Panthers lost a few important weapons on offense. Cam and Olsen will not be enough. Their defense may be stout but the Saints will have no mercy. The Saints claimed the number four spots in both offense and defense. Expect that defense under Rob Ryan to be a bit better. Their biggest acquisition is easily free safety Jairus Byrd, who came from the Buffalo Bills.
NFC West: Seattle Seahawks
Dean Ruts / The Seattle Times
The defending Super Bowl champs. Why not? Their defense has not worsened and the offense is better than last year with a healthy Percy Harvin. The 49ers are on the cusp of disaster with the countless suspensions on defense, leaving the door wide for the Seahawks. The Legion of Boom will continue to reign.
Wild Card #1: Detroit Lions
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Matthew Stafford is ready to take the Lions back to the postseason. Reggie Bush is bound to have a great year and Calvin Johnson will keep being “Megatron”. They may not have much of a chance when it comes to the division lead but it will be enough to claim the #5 seed in the NFC.
Wild Card #2: Arizona Cardinals
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As I stated above, the 49ers will be lost on defense. Many people don’t realize that the Cardinals had the #6 defense last season and statistically the best offense in the NFC West. Carson Palmer, along with Michael Floyd and Larry Fitzgerald, led the best offense in the NFC West but still failed to make the playoffs. Let’s also take into consideration that Tyrann Mathieu is returning to the line-up after sustaining a season-ending injury last year. Don’t overlook this team. They are here to surprise.
NFC Seeding
#1 Seahawks, #2 Saints, #3 Packers, #4 Eagles, #5 Lions, #6 Cardinals
Depsite having the 6th hardest schedule, the Seahawks are due for another hot regular season and the Saints will compete for the #1 seed as they have to face an easier division while having a great offense. The Packers defense will fail them in a few games and the Eagles will face the same problem. The Cardinals and the Lions will be victims of merely better teams in their division.
AFC
AFC East: New England Patriots
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The Patriots started off very rough but were still able to win. Eventually, it would lead on to an AFC Championship appearance, only to fall to the Broncos. This year, the Pats have a much stronger defense after the acquisitions of Brandon Browner and Darrelle Revis and the offense, many of whom were new to the offense, have another year under the offensive scheme.
AFC North: Cincinnati Bengals
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This is the division that keeps me up at night. Although I would like to give the Ravens and the Steelers a shot, the Bengals have the defense to retain the AFC North. Last year’s #3 defense and #10 offense will look at having another great season but not without a fight from their division rivals. The only thing anybody would really need to watch is Andy Dalton. His inconsistency plagues the Bengals when it counts the most but I do expect him to improve this season.
AFC South: Indianapolis Colts
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Not much of a contest in this division. Texans, Titans, and Jaguars? Speaks for itself. It’s hard to see Andrew Luck slowing down anytime soon. He is a defense away from going all the way. On offense, with the addition of Hakeem Nicks, there is great potential as he keeps growing as an NFL quarterback.
AFC West: Denver Broncos
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This is a no-brainer but I do expect the Chargers to make a bit of noise. At this point, however, the Broncos are the better team on paper and especially after coming off a legendary regular season. Despite the annihilation in the Super Bowl against the Seahawks, the Broncos come in with very high Super Bowl aspirations. And why wouldn’t they? Especially after having one of the greatest offensive regular seasons.
Wild Card #1: San Diego Chargers
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The one team that truly gave the Broncos trouble and they are improved for 2014. Malcom Floyd is back in the NFL’s #5 offense and Donald Brown was added to the running back mix that already consisted of the dangerous duo of Ryan Mathews and Danny Woodhead. The one negative side that the Chargers had was their defense. In order to fix that, they brought in Pro Bowler Brandon Flowers at cornerback and will have 100% healthy men in Dwight Freeney and Melvin Ingram. Like last year, expect a splash from the Bolts and maybe a run at the division.
Wild Card #2: Miami Dolphins
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The Dolphins will be looking to make their first playoff appearance since the 2008 season. The one thing that kept the Dolphins out of the playoffs last season was themselves. With the addition of Knowshon Moreno, Ryan Tannehill will have a much more balanced attack on offense. Let’s not forget to mention that last year’s drama regarding Richie Incognito is now a thing in the past.
AFC Seeding
#1 Colts, #2 Broncos, #3 Patriots, #4 Bengals, #5 Chargers, #6 Dolphins
The Colts have the easiest schedule in the NFL while the Broncos and Chargers are placed in the top-5 teams with the hardest schedule. Patriots will face some challenges within their own division, possibly dropping one to the Dolphins. The Bengals will win their division with a record of 9-7 or 10-6.
Wild Card Rounds
NFC BYE: Seahawks and Saints
#3 Packers vs #6 Cardinals (W)
Many analysts see the Packers getting to the Super Bowl. When the Pack won the Super Bowl in 2010, they claimed the #5 defense in the NFL. This defense won’t be nearly as good and having the home-field advantage won’t stop them against the improved offense and defense of the Cardinals.
#4 Eagles (W) vs #5 Lions
A battle of two high octane offenses. I see these two teams as fairly even and will take the home team for the win. Philly fans will drive Foles past Matthew Stafford and Megatron.
AFC BYE: Broncos and Colts
#3 Patriots (W) vs #6 Dolphins
In a battle between division rivals, it’s pretty hard to go against the Patriots. The playoff, and championship, experience puts the Patriots on a whole other level. Do expect this one to be a lopsided match.
#4 Bengals vs #5 Chargers (W)
This would be the second consecutive match-up between the two teams in the very same round. Last year, the Chargers made easy work of the Bengals, defeating them 27-10. Look for this game to be just about the same. The Chargers have improved on both sides while the Bengals have not impressed me during the offseason.
Divisional Rounds
NFC
#1 Seahawks (W) vs #6 Cardinals
Two top-tier defenses will clash but one will stand. The Legion of Boom does not look to regress this year, much less in the playoffs.
#2 Saints (W) vs #4 Eagles
The Saints are ready for another deep postseason run. Although I very much like the Eagles and their offense under Chip Kelly, the Saints have the offense to match and a fairly better defense.
AFC
#1 Colts vs #5 Chargers (W)
The Colts lost in this same round last season. Let’s face it, they haven’t changed much on both sides and Hakeem Nicks isn’t going to be the answer. As I’ve said before, the Chargers, assuming they keep their offensive weapons and they maintain a healthy defense, have improved a lot.
#2 Broncos (W) vs #3 Patriots
In this match-up, let’s focus on defense. We know these two teams can score endlessly. But, who will have the defense that can keep pounding it out? The Broncos pass rush is much more superior than that of the Pats, giving the defending AFC Champions the edge.
Conference Championships
NFC
#1 Seahawks vs #2 Saints
The Saints have always been a fun team to watch. A Drew Brees connection with Jimmy Graham in the end zone is a sight everyone can enjoy. Unfortunately, I don’t see much of that happening. You’ll see a team rely more on 2nd year receiver Kenny Stills and on RB Mark Ingram. The Seahawks have too many weapons, so Graham may be taken out of the picture early. Although preseason indicates very little, the defending champs look great on offense. The two RB tandem of Marshawn Lynch and Robert Turbin will prove to open up the field against the Saints. The Saints will go marching home.
AFC
#2 Broncos vs #5 Chargers (W)
I can already hear the screaming. Why am I picking the Chargers? Well, who was the one team that gave the Broncos trouble last season? The Chargers. Who had the offense and defense to go toe to toe with the Broncos? The Chargers. The Broncos have not improved on offense, unless you would really like to call Emmanuel Sanders an upgrade, while the Chargers have another year with Keenan Allen, the return of WR Malcom Floyd, and added RB Donald Brown. The Broncos made big signing on defense but think about this, Shaun Phillips had more sacks than DeMarcus Ware and Aqib Talib is a bit injury prone. TJ Ward is solid and will add much needed protection on the back-end of the defense. But the Chargers aren’t there for the deep ball. The inside of the field will see the likes of Allen, Gates, Green, and occasionally Danny Woodhead. The one true deep threat the Chargers have is Malcom Floyd, who can easily steal the ball in the air. This will be a dog fight. Philip Rivers will keep proving doubters wrong. No doubt about it as it’s time for the Chargers to shine.
Super Bowl XLIX
Seahawks vs Chargers
I will stand with the statement that I think a Chargers/Seahawks Super Bowl would have been much more entertaining. And I was getting very tired of analysts making “obvious choices” to please the audience. Aren’t they here to tell you WHY these teams have the chance to win it?
Anyways, this will be a top-5 offense (Chargers) going against a top-5 defense (Seahawks). Here is the big question, how will the defending champs fare against the Bolts defense? This will determine the game. The Chargers are much more improved since they now have Brandon Flowers, Dwight Freeney, Corey Liuget, and Melvin Ingram in the starting line-up. Eric Weddle has always been a key player for the defense, earning him Pro Bowl honors twice in the last three years. In order for the Seahawks to penetrate the defense and repeat, they will need to work on the inside. The Chargers proved that they were not very good against mobile quarterbacks and leave wide open space in the middle of the field. But as I said before, the Chargers have several players back that can change that dynamic. Russell Wilson will need to show much more mettle this time around since the score will be nowhere near 43-8. This time, there will be a new champions. (Gets ready for the uproar)
Chargers 24-20 Seahawks