NFL: Looking Ahead at the Playoffs

Posted on | December 31, 2008 | 2 Comments

Yesterday I took a look at the Wild Card match-ups. As I wrote yesterday, I won’t go into any specifics for this weekend’s games – I’ll save that for my predictions on Friday. But I will jump a couple steps ahead to the Divisional Playoffs.

Just like every other season, at least one higher seed will lose in the Divisional Playoffs. So which team or teams would that be?

Well, interestingly enough, I see a few different teams that are vulnerable. In fact, the only team I feel confident about seeing in the Championship Game is the Pittsburgh Steelers. I think the Titans are vulnerable and both teams in the NFC might just lose in the divisional round.

Let’s first take a look at the Titans. They are a solid team and I think they’re built to win in the playoffs (thanks to goo defense and a good running game). But I don’t like the fact that they lost their last game of the season. That is never a good sign. And they were pretty much crushed by the Colts. It might be the Colts they see in the playoffs as well.

As for the NFC, the New York Giants lost 3 of 4 games in December and the one game they won was in OT. Not a good sign. The Giants certainly aren’t playing good football. But we’ll see how they come out and play in the playoffs.

Lastly, the Carolina Panthers look like a solid team. But they did lose to the Giants in Week 16 and they almost lost in Week 17. Yes, they have a very solid running game and a good defense, but they might have to face the Vikings or the Falcons in the playoffs. If that happens, I would consider it a toss-up.

So who do I see as the favorites in the AFC and the NFC. The simple answer is: nobody. I don’t think there are any favorites at this point. If I had to choose I would go with the Giants and the Steelers… but certainly I don’t feel comfortable with that pick.

Related posts:

1. NFL: Looking toward the Divisional Playoffs
2. NFL Football: Divisional Playoffs – My Sunday Picks and Saturday Reviews
3. NFL: Playoffs… Playoffs! Let’s Talk about the Playoffs
4. NFL: Super Seven for Wild Card Playoffs
5. NFL: The Super Seven for the Divisional Playoffs

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