I published my AFC playoff picks a little earlier today, so
let’s get to the league’s other conference.
NFC Postseason
1. New Orleans Saints (13-3) – NFC South
Champion, Home Field Advantage
The Saints are back, and they will be running neck-and-neck
with Atlanta through the majority of the season before pulling ahead in the final
weeks of the regular season. As bad as their defense was last year, I have a
lot of respect in Rob Ryan and am confident he can transform their defense into
a more reliable unit that will allow their offense to do their thing.
2. San Francisco 49ers (13-3) – NFC West
Champion, 1st Round Bye
The 49ers will be in the same sort of battle with Seattle as
the Saints will be with Atlanta. But a couple tough road matches for Seattle
will allow San Francisco to clinch the West, and a home win against the Packers
will hold off Green Bay to clinch the first round bye.
3. Green Bay Packers (13-3) – NFC North
Champion
The Packers are too talented a team for me to predict fewer
wins for them. That said, they struggled in the early part of last season, and
they also had to deal with replacement officials who cost them a game last
year. But it’s a new year and they will look to keep their defense healthy for
once so they can dominate the division.
4. New York Giants (9-7) – NFC East
Champion
If I hadn’t gone through all 256 games and predicted winners
for them, I would’ve thrown the Redskins in as the NFC East winner, but I think
a slightly better division record will give the Giants a slight advantage over
the Redskins and Cowboys and will give New York their shot at truly hosting
Super Bowl XLVIII.
5. Atlanta Falcons (12-4) – 2nd Place NFC South,
Wild Card
The Falcons are probably the best team in the NFC, but it
isn’t by much and a more difficult road schedule than just about anyone else
will cost them the division title. They will have to go on the road through the
playoffs.
6. Seattle Seahawks (12-4) – 2nd Place NFC
West, Wild Card
The Seahawks always struggle on the road, and that docked
them a win or two that they could have gotten at home. If they lose Percy
Harvin to injury, I might take them down to 11 or even 10 wins. But they still
have the best secondary in the NFC and a solid front seven to keep opposing
ground attacks at bay.
Other Contenders
Despite my predictions of five teams with 12+ wins in the
NFC, the rest of the conference has a little more parity than the AFC. In the
East, both the Cowboys and Redskins are serious division title contenders.
The Bears are my top NFC North contender behind the Packers,
but if Christian Ponder shows improvement over last season, Adrian Peterson
will be able to help him make up for the loss of Percy Harvin and give the
Vikings a chance at a playoff birth.
In the South, I could see the Panthers winning as many as
nine games, but that will not be enough for a wild-card spot in this year’s
NFC. As for the West, the Cardinals will be an infinitely better team with
Carson Palmer under center, but only if the offensive line can keep him on his
feet. My doubts about that were a big part of me only giving them six victories
in 2013.
Preliminary Playoff
Predictions
Though I correctly picked three of last season’s NFC playoff
teams, my preseason predictions of how the road to the Super Bowl would unravel
were not good at all in this conference. I’m back for another shot this year,
so here it goes.
NFC Wild Card
Seattle Seahawks
@ Green Bay Packers
The playoffs have not been kind to Green Bay lately, and
Seattle will be out to prove that they can beat the Packers with the best refs
the NFL has to offer.
Atlanta Falcons @
New York Giants
Matt Ryan will have his chance for revenge after Atlanta’s
embarrassing 24-2 loss to New York in the 2011 playoffs.
NFC Divisional
Playoffs
Seattle Seahawks @ New
Orleans Saints
Sean Payton and his team missed participating in the
playoffs last year. You better believe they won’t let this trip end so soon.
Atlanta Falcons @ San
Francisco 49ers
The Ravens’ defense manages to hold off Colin Kaepernick in
Super Bowl XLVII, but the Falcons’ defense doesn’t have a chance.
NFC Championship Game
New Orleans Saints @ San
Francisco 49ers
I wish I planned this from the beginning. Probably the best
playoff game played during my lifetime was this matchup in 2011, which Alex
Smith won with a sensational touchdown run and his hookup with Vernon Davis for
the team’s third installment of The Catch. Colin Kaepernick will play the hero
this time.
Super Bowl XLVIII
San Francisco 49ers vs Denver
Broncos
The 49ers are the more complete team of the two; that much
is certain in my mind. Any other year, I take the 49ers 10 times out of 10. Why
not this year? The Broncos will be better prepared to handle the elements of
MetLife Stadium. With two years of experience playing in the cold, Manning’s
offense won’t be as sloppy as his Colts were in Super Bowl XLI.
Again, the support you all show by reading my blog means the
world to me. Never hesitate to comment on my posts, whether on my blog or on
Facebook.
Tomorrow I plan to be watching the 2013 Hall of Fame induction
ceremony and should be on Twitter through most of the event, so feel free to chat
with me there, @cpuffnfl.
I will be back on here Monday with my reaction to this
preseason’s inaugural game, between the Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins,
which begins at 8:00pm on NBC.
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