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!!