While all 32 NFL teams will start the season with the same, unscathed record, there will be only twelve to move on to postseason play in January of 2012.
I’ve spent my previous two articles making division-by-division predictions for both the AFC and NFC. With those predictions now official, I’ll now take my playoff field and whittle it down until there is only one. As always, this has the chance of being totally wrong in a few months, but I’ll be sure to look back at this and laugh when the playoffs do come around, and half of these teams don’t qualify.
In the meantime, though, I can only go with how the teams look on paper. Let’s start with the seedings, shall we? (Note: * denotes division winner)
AFC
1) New York Jets*
2) Baltimore Ravens*
3) San Diego Chargers*
4) Indianapolis Colts*
5) New England Patriots
6) Pittsburgh Steelers
NFC
1) New Orleans Saints*
2) Green Bay Packers*
3) Philadelphia Eagles*
4) St. Louis Rams*
5) Atlanta Falcons
6) Minnesota Vikings
Now that we have that out of the way, let’s play it out.
Wild Card Round
AFC
6) Pittsburgh Steelers def. 3) San Diego Chargers
5) New England Patriots def. 4) Indianapolis Colts
NFC
3) Philadelphia Eagles def. 6) Minnesota Vikings
5) Atlanta Falcons def. 4) St. Louis Rams
Divisional Round
AFC
1) New York Jets def. 6) Pittsburgh Steelers
5) New England Patriots def. 2) Baltimore Ravens
NFC
5) Atlanta Falcons def. 1) New Orleans Saints
2) Green Bay Packers def. 3) Philadelphia Eagles
Conference Championships
AFC
1) New York Jets def. 5) New England Patriots
NFC
2) Green Bay Packers def. 5) Atlanta Falcons
Super Bowl
Green Bay Packers def. New York Jets
That’s right, folks. I look for the Packers to repeat in 2011. Why? Well, when you look at the fact that this team is coming off of a Super Bowl victory despite having many of its starters on injured reserve, a healthy Green Bay team should scare the daylights out of anybody coming to Titletown. It’s also fair to mention that the Packers talent on the offensive side of the ball is as formidable as ever; Aaron Rodgers has cemented his place in the upper echelon of NFL quarterbacks, and he has plenty of proven targets in Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, and Jermichael Finley. On defense, the Pack has the hard-hitting Clay Matthews leading a mix of high-profile veterans and young guys who should only continue to improve. We could be looking at a dynasty in the making.
The Jets got better, too, and have all the pieces in place to win the AFC. Rex Ryan’s team may have to wait another year to get a ring, though, as this team will live and die with the performance of quarterback Mark Sanchez. In a matchup of Sanchez versus Rodgers, I have to take someone with the pedigree of Rodgers. Sanchez is improving, but it will take another year or two before he’s anywhere near Rodgers’ level.
Now, let’s see how it all plays out. Maybe Sanchez and the Jets will prove me wrong, or maybe neither of these teams will even reach the postseason, let alone the big game itself.
I doubt the latter point, but that’s why they play the games…