NFL Playoff Predictions

Trying to predict the NFL is futile. You may be able to get 60% of the games right on a weekly basis if you're just going straight up, but picking against the point spread, it's nearly impossible to get >50% consistently. Those people in Vegas that set the spreads know what they're doing. You might as well just flip a coin if you're betting on the spread, no matter how much you think you know about football.

As far as the playoffs go, everyone I've heard or read this year seems to be looking for "this year's Giants" that will come on strong at the end of the year and win the Superbowl from a 5 or 6 seed wild card. I hate the reactive sports society we seem to live in these days, where everyone just seems to react to what happened most recently to determine what will happen next. It's ridiculous. Just because the Giants won the Super Bowl last year from the Wild Card doesn't mean it has to happen again this year with someone like the Ravens, Colts, Falcons or Eagles. Jesus people, think outside of the comfort zone for once. I know the Giants did it last year (barely, just barely, beat the Pats on a miracle play), and the Steelers and Colts before that, but that has no bearing on what will happen this year.

Everyone's darling (this year's "Giants") seems to be the Colts. Sure they finished strong, winning 9 in a row to close out the year, but I still don't see them winning it all. That Defense is just too weak, and their Offense, while still good w/ Manning and Wayne, has taken a step back from the past couple years. They beat up on a pretty weak schedule for much of their recent streak, and had to pull out some squeakers. Still, 12 wins is 12 wins, and they're a good football team. Just not a Super Bowl team.

This year's Giants? There is none. There doesn't have to be. Jeez.

Onto the predictions, which are sure to be completely wrong, but hell, I'll give it a shot based on my 17 weeks of NFL Sunday Ticket-watching this year:

Wild Card:

AFC
Chargers over Colts
Ravens over Dolphins

NFC
Falcons over Cardinals
Eagles over Vikings

Divisional:

AFC
Titans over Ravens
Steelers over Chargers

NFC
Eagles over Giants
Panthers over Falcons

Conference Championships:

AFC
Titans over Steelers

NFC
Panthers over Eagles

Super Bowl XLIII:

Tennessee Titans vs. Carolina Panthers


Yeah, right. Like I'm gonna predict this game and jinx my team even further? I'm already playing with fire by predicting the Titans make the Super Bowl. I'll predict this game, if and when we get there.

There they are. I'm sure it'll be fun looking back at this in a few weeks to see just how wrong I was. Maybe I should've just flipped a coin and see how that bracket turned out. I think I may do just that...

Happy New Year!!

Titans finish the season 13-3, #1 seed, favorite in the AFC, and I'm still scared out of my mind...

Long time, no post-y. Don't worry, I'll make up for it now.

I don't expect my fears about the Titans to garner any sympathy from my friends, who are mainly fans of the Chiefs (2-14) and Rams (2-14. Also they're gay....), but I don't care. Look, I'm the one who predicted this could be a Super Bowl team way back during Week 1, as long as we had a QB who wouldn't mess too many things up. That's exactly what we got this year from Kerry Collins. Still, the Steelers game aside, this team just hasn't looked right for the last 5-6 weeks (ever since I attended the Jets debacle, coincidentally).

Look, I'm uber happy that we got the bye and homefield - hopefully some rest for Haynesworth, Vandenbosch and our offense will do them well. Still, the AFC is pretty stacked and pretty even this year. The one team I don't really fear in the 2nd round (the Dolphins), is the only team we can't end up playing (b/c they're the #3 seed, even though the Colts and Ravens have better records - stupid NFL). So that leaves either the Colts, Ravens or Chargers as our 2nd round foe. Great.

The freaking Chargers, led by Marmalard himself, beat us twice last year, once in the playoffs. I hate that team, hate their bitch QB, and I fear their offense. They are looking kinda scary hot right now, but maybe they just need an old fashioned beat down by a physical Titans defense to set them straight and shut them up - something they didn't have to face all year in the AFC West. Fear Factor (scale of 1-10): 7

I am one of the few people, apparently, that just doesn't think the Colts are that great this year. At least not nearly as good as they have been in the past 5-6 years or so. But still, it's Peyton Manning, and that bastard can win the game for them on his own. I don't think they're as good as 12-4 indicates, but Peyton is still Peyton, and has tormented us in the division for years now (even though we beat him in the only game that mattered vs. the Colts this season). Fear Factor: 6

And the Ravens? Man, they scare me the most. As I said before, I hate playing the Ravens. We beat them earlier this year, but that was due to a late "comeback" after we were down 10-3 for much of the 2nd half. The Ravens played better that game, but steady Kerry Collins came through at the end to get us the W. Now it looks like Flacco is much more poised than he was in the earlier meeting, so that added to their sick defense is a scary proposition. Plus, Ray Lewis is a scary mofo that always acts like he wants to eat your children. Or at least help you beat a murder rap by obstructing some justice. I hate when justice is obstructed. Let's just say I'll be pulling for the Fins to knock out the Ravens this weekend :) Fear Factor: 9


This all being said, I think the Titans have the best team in the AFC this year, and I see no reason why we shouldn't win 2 and be playing in Tampa for SuperBowl XLIII in a few weeks. It's just a matter of making sure the team that shows up is the same one that beat the Steelers, Colts and Ravens this year, and not the one that laid that stinky egg vs. the Jets a few weeks back.

Oh, and by the way, Steelers fans - you deserved this, you Terrible Towel-waving, obnoxious bastards:



If you really need something like this to fire you up next time we play, then I'm much less worried about your loser of a team than I was before. Stomp that towel, Len-fatty!!!