NFL Wild Card Predictions

Kansas City Chiefs over Tennessee Titans: I firmly believe that the 2017 Tennessee Titans are the worst team to make the playoffs in my conscious lifetime. Marcus Mariota has played well below-average all season long, their pass-catchers not named Delanie Walker are inconsistent at best and their secondary is once again one of the most burnable in the league. If this mediocre team whose playoff berth can only be described as a miracle comparable to Moses parting the Red Sea can go into the notoriously hostile environment of Arrowhead Stadium and pick up a victory over a Chiefs squad that appears to have regained their mojo over the past month after a really rough mid-season stretch, I'll probably have a shock-induced stroke.

Atlanta Falcons over Los Angeles Rams: To me, this is the biggest coin flip of the weekend. In one corner, you have 2017's most surprising success story headed by a 1st-year head coach and a 2nd-year quarterback that made stunning progress after a disastrous rookie campaign. In the other, you have the defending NFC Champions that have cemented themselves as the posterboys for epic big-game collapses. Despite every sign telling me otherwise, I'm going to give the Falcons a slight edge here. I think they have the speed and proficiency in the front 7 to shut down LA's offensive centerpiece Todd Gurley plus their postseason experience gives them an edge over a young Rams team that very well could be overwhelmed with the magnitude of the moment.    

Jacksonville Jaguars over Buffalo Bills: If LeSean McCoy was healthy, this game could've turned into a dogfight. The Jags defense is somewhat vulnerable against the run and in a battle between QB's that are making their 1st-career playoff starts, Blake Bortles' tendency to throw INT's in bunches is a huge disadvantage against the typically turnover-averse Tyrod Taylor. However, with McCoy set to play through a pretty serious ankle sprain and the absence of another player that can be effectively plugged into the workhouse RB role in this firepower-deprived offense, I think that the Bills long-awaited return to the playoffs will be ruined by a talented Jags D that can get to the quarterback and shutdown the pass with relative ease.

New Orleans Saints over Carolina Panthers: On paper, you would think that the Panthers vaunted defense (3rd against the run, 7th in total yards allowed, 11th in points allowed) allowed would give them the edge in this matchup, but the Saints cruised to wins in both of their regular season meetings this season. I don't expect the tide to suddenly turn in a playoff environment on Sunday afternoon. While the Saints defense can be exposed, Carolina's erratic offense simply can't be trusted to put up a ton of points, especially against a team with a dense arsenal of offensive weapons (Drew Brees, Alvin Kamara, Mark Ingram, Michael Thomas, Ted Ginn Jr.) that possess the explosiveness to break off chunk gains or score long TD's at any given moment.

NFL Wild Card Predictions

Texans over Raiders: This weekend's most hotly anticipated game also happens to be the hardest one to pick a winner for. No one knows what the hell the Raiders will look like with an erratic rookie quarterback in Connor Cook running the offense and The Texans are the gold standard when it comes to finding new ways to lose in the playoffs every January. However, I think the Texans huge advantage on the defensive side of the ball-particularly in the secondary-will be enough for them to earn the prestigious honor of getting railed by either the Patriots or the Chiefs in the Divisional Round next week.

Seahawks over Lions: The Lions season-ending 3-game losing streak that cost them a shot at winning the NFC North has now put them in the awful position of having to travel to Seattle on Wild Card weekend. On the plus side, their complete lack of a running game and the absence of safety/defensive leader Earl Thomas makes the Seahawks nowhere near as frightening as they have been in the past few years. That being said, I still don't have enough faith in this young Lions squad to go on the road and take out the most battle-tested playoff team in the NFC.

Steelers over Dolphins: Behind running back Jay Ajayi's ridiculous 204 yard-performance and a pair of interceptions from their defense, the Dolphins picked up an impressive 30-15 win over the Steelers in Miami on October 16th that kickstarted their unlikely playoff run after a brutal 1-4 start. I don't expect the same result this time around. This is a much more aggressive, well-rounded Steelers squad than the one that defecated all over the field in Week 6 and I don't think that the Dolphins defense has the depth or firepower to contain Ben Roethlisberger, Le'Veon Bell and Antonio Brown for 4 quarters.
 
Giants over Packers: The Packers have ripped off 6 straight wins and have a certified playmaking wizard in Aaron Rodgers at quarterback that gives them a shot to beat any team on any given day, but even with all the fallout from Bieberyachtgate, I can't bet against an Eli Manning-led team with this strong of a defense in the playoffs. 

2016 NFL Prediction Bonanza (Playoffs, Year-End Awards and more)

The NFL season officially kicks off tomorrow with a rematch of Super Bowl 50 (Carolina Panthers vs. the defending champion Denver Broncos) at the stadium formerly known as Sports Authority Field in Denver. In honor of football's glorious return, here are my playoff, year-end award and other miscellaneous predictions for the 2016 season.

Playoffs:

AFC:

1.Pittsburgh Steelers

2.New England Patriots

3.Oakland Raiders

4.Indianapolis Colts

5.Denver Broncos

6.Cincinnati Bengals

Wild Card:

Raiders over Bengals

Broncos over Colts

Divisional Round:

Steelers over Raiders

Patriots over Broncos

Conference Championship:

Steelers over Patriots 

NFC:

1.Seattle Seahawks
2.Green Bay Packers

3.Carolina Panthers

4.New York Giants
5.Arizona Cardinals
6.Minnesota Vikings

Wild Card:

Panthers over Vikings

Giants over Cardinals

Divisional Round:

Seahawks over Giants

Panthers over Packers

Conference Championship:

Seahawks over Panthers

Super Bowl:

Seahawks over Steelers 

Year-End Awards:

MVP: Russell Wilson (Seahawks)

Offensive Player of the Year: Russell Wilson (Seahawks)

Defensive Player of the Year: Khail Mack (Raiders)

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Ezekiel Elliott (Cowboys)

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Noah Spence (Buccaneers)

Comeback Player of the Year: Jordy Nelson (Packers) 

Coach of the Year: Jack Del Rio (Raiders) 

League Leaders:

Passing Yards: Drew Brees (Saints)

Passing Touchdowns: Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers)

Rushing Yards: Todd Gurley (Rams)

Rushing Touchdowns: Adrian Peterson (Vikings)

Receiving Yards: Julio Jones (Falcons)

Receiving Touchdowns: A.J. Green (Bengals)

Sacks: Khalil Mack (Raiders)

Interceptions: Malcolm Jenkins (Eagles)

Tackles: Luke Kuechly (Panthers)

AFC Team Most Likely to Surprise: Oakland Raiders
AFC Team Most Likely to Disappoint: Kansas City Chiefs
NFC Team Most Likely to Surprise: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
NFC Team Most Likely to Disappoint: Washington Redskins 

Top 10 Veterans that Need to Prove Themselves:
1.Kirk Cousins, quarterback (Redskins)
2.Tyrod Taylor, quarterback (Bills)
3.Olivier Vernon, defensive end (Giants)
4.Jeremy Hill, running back (Bengals)
5.Tashaun Gibson, safety (Jaguars)
6.Bene Benewikiere, cornerback (Panthers)
7.Derrick Shelby, defensive end (Falcons)
8.Greg Robinson, tackle (Rams)
9.Darqueze Dennard, cornerback (Bengals)
10.Robert Woods, wide receiver (Bills)

Top 10 Under-the-Radar Rookies to Look Out for:
1.Tyler Boyd, wide receiver (Bengals)
2.Jordan Jenkins, outside linebacker (Jets)
3.Devontae Booker, running back (Broncos)
4.Yannick Ngakoue, defensive end (Jaguars)
5.Joe Thuney, guard (Patriots)
6.Pharoh Cooper, wide receiver (Rams)
7.Justin Simmons, safety (Broncos)
8.Jerrell Adams, tight end (Giants)
9.Alex Collins, running back (Seahawks)
10.Jeremy Cash, outside linebacker (Panthers)

Projected Top 10 Draft Order for 2017:
1.49ers
2.Browns
3.Titans
4.Falcons
5.Dolphins
6. Browns (from Eagles)
7.Rams
8.Chargers
9.Cowboys
10.Lions 

NFL Conference Championship Picks

Last week's record: 2-2 (Correct: Cardinals, Broncos Incorrect: Chiefs, Seahawks)
Overall record: 5-3

New England Patriots over Denver Broncos: The potential final installment of Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning is without question the least intriguing matchup out of the 17 times these future Hall-of-Famers have squared off since 2001. In case you've been living under a rock for the past year, Tom Terrific is still playing at a very high level at age 37 while Manning continues to look more decrepit and frail by the week. Manning's physical limitations have turned this once potent Broncos offense into one of the most ineffective units in the NFL and that inability to generate much offense will more than likely cost them another trip to the Super Bowl. The fact that Denver is one of the few places in the NFL where struggles (he's 0-2 in the playoffs and 2-6 overall at Mile High Stadium) is a completely legitimate cause for concern for the Patriots, but he won't need to be great to take out this Broncos squad. If Brady can generate two or three drives where the Patriots get the ball into the endzone, it will be enough to sink the Broncos and their porous offense. Any hope of the Broncos winning this game will lie completely on the shoulders of their top-ranked defense. The Broncos ability to get to the quarterback and force turnovers was the primary reason they were able to win 12 games this year and they're going to need step up yet again if they want to deify the odds and get to Super Bowl 50. Brady's absurdly fast release and their reluctance to run the ball/throw deep downfield makes the Patriots one of the most turnover-averse offenses in the NFL, but if anyone is capable of forcing Brady to get off his game, it's this defense. The skill of the Broncos defense should be enough to keep it close, but their inability to match the absurd offensive production of the Patriots will prevent them from making their second Super Bowl in three years.

Carolina Panthers over Arizona Cardinals: All week long I had the Cardinals locked in as my pick. I believed their more weapon-packed offense and substantially better health would push them over the edge in an almost dead-even matchup with the Panthers. However, with the massive amounts of snow that just hit the Charlotte-area and projected game-time temperature just above freezing, I believe the balance has shifted into the Panthers favor. The Cardinals have almost zero experience playing in the cold and the Panthers rush-heavy offense is much better suited for extreme weather conditions than the Cardinals field-spreading, aerial-driven attack. Their abundance of talent at just about every position on the field and the brilliance of their head Bruce Arians t-who has proven time and time again how well he handles adversity-gives the Cardinals a serious shot of going into Charlotte and winning, I just don't have enough faith in their ability to play in bad weather to give them the nod in this game.

NFL Divisional Round Picks

Last week's record: 3-1 (Correct: Chiefs, Steelers, Seahawks Incorrect: Redskins)
Overall playoff record: 3-1 

Kansas City Chiefs over New England Patriots: I'm well aware that this is a very controversial pick and to be honest, it's easily the pick I'm least confident in for the entire divisional round given the Patriots' absurd playoff success over the past 15 years and my terrible record of picking against them since their last playoff loss in the 2013 AFC Championship game against the Broncos. That being said, I'm just not sold on the Patriots as a viable contender right now. They've played some of their worst football in the Bill Belichick-era over the last month and a half and even with a pair of high-impact players in Julian Edelman and Don'ta Hightower set to return from injury this week, I'm not convinced the week of rest will do much to fix their recent woes. They are still far from 100% health wise with the condition of Rob Gronkowski seemingly to only deteriorate further in the past week, their offensive line is still incredibly shaky and the whole Chandler Jones situation is cause for a concern for a team that pretty much never has to deal with internal crisis. The unusual sense of instability and question marks facing this Patriots squad makes the Chiefs the worst possible opponent for them to be facing right now. The Chiefs have been playing with their backs against the wall since mid-October (they've won 11 straight games after starting the season 1-5) and that sense of urgency makes them a really tough team to beat right now. The game-time decisions designations given to star wideout Jeremy Maclin and outside linebacker Justin Houston is certainly a big blow, but the Chiefs' strong running game and sheer amount of defensive firepower should be enough to keep them in the game regardless of whether or not Maclin and Houston are able to play. If this game somehow turns into a offensive shootout, the Patriots will be end up being victorious, but if the Chiefs talented defense buckles down and keeps Tom Brady's big play total to a minimum, they should be able to pull off a shocking road victory against the defending Super Bowl Champs.

Arizona Cardinals over Green Bay Packers: The Packers showed their first signs of life in over a month with their 35-18 victory over the Redskins last weekend. While the Packers certainly appear to be back on track after a rough finish to the season, I still don't think they'll be able to take out a Cardinals squad that is far more talented than they are on both sides of the ball. The Cardinals decimated the Packers 38-8 just three weeks ago plus they should be hungry to prove they're still serious Super Bowl contenders after getting embarrassed by the Seahawks at home in the regular season finale. Barring an epic meltdown from the Cardinals, I just don't see a way that the Packers can come with a victory here.

Seattle Seahawks over Carolina Panthers: Don't get it twisted, I don't think the Carolina Panthers 15-1 season is a fluke. They've been phenomenal on both sides of the ball and proved their critics wrong at just about every possible juncture all season long. The problem is that they have the misfortune of playing the one team still alive in the NFC that matches up very well against them. The Seahawks defense has the speed,  physicality and front-seven talent to stop the Panthers rush-first attack, take their star tight end (and one consistent option in the passing) Greg Olsen out of the game and force Cam Newton to make contested, difficult throws from the pocket. If you stop the Panthers from running the ball effectively and prevent Olsen from being a factor, their odds of winning rapidly diminish. It also doesn't help that this is a much different Seahawks team than the one Panthers pulled off a spectacular late-game comeback against in Week 6. The Seahawks have overcame their early-season struggles (they are 9-2 since that loss to the Panthers with both of their losses coming against divisional opponents) by re-gaining their edge on defense and becoming a seriously formidable offense behind career-best play from quarterback Russell Wilson and wide receiver Doug Baldwin. The Seahawks suddenly potent offense hit a bit of a snag last week against the Vikings in subarctic conditions, but the lack of extreme weather in this game paired with the return of running back Marshawn Lynch to the lineup after missing the past two months with an abdominal injury leads me to believe they'll get back on track this week, especially against a Panthers defense that has struggled of late (excluding their Week 14 shutout of the Falcons, they've allowed an average of 25.8 points in their last five games.) I fully expect this game to be a highly competitive battle, I just don't think the Panthers are quite capable of defeating the Seahawks at this point in time.

Denver Broncos over Pittsburgh Steelers: The Steelers paid a big price in their miraculous last-second victory over the Bengals last week. Wide receiver Antonio Brown sustained a concussion on the game-winning drive after taking a vicious helmet-to-helmet hit from Bengals outside linebacker Vontaze Burfict and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger sprained the AC joint in his throwing shoulder after landing awkwardly on a clean hit by Burfict in the 3rd quarter. With Brown and running back DeAngelo Williams-who also missed last week's contest with a high ankle sprain- already ruled out and Roethlisberger playing with an injury that limits his ability to throw the ball downfield, The Steelers are pretty much doomed for their divisional round contest against the Broncos. The Broncos top-ranked pass defense is hard enough for most healthy teams to throw on and with a game-breaking, elite receiver in Brown sidelined and a banged-up Roethlisberger under center, it's going to take a series of major miracles for the Steelers to pick up significant yards through the air. The absence of Williams also prevents the Steelers from being able to make for their sudden shortcomings in the passing game with a consistent rushing attack. Fitzgerald Toussaint and Jordan Todman exceeded expectations a week ago against the Bengals a week ago, but the Broncos have a much more stout rushing defense than the Bengals and are bound to be prepared for the heavy dose of running The Steelers are going to be forced to do with Roethlisberger's limitations in the passing game. Unless Peyton Manning turns the ball over like crazy or the Steelers offense miraculously overachieves, the Broncos should be able to ride the strength of their defense to a victory.

NFL Divisional Playoff Round Predictions

Last Week's Record: 4-0

Baltimore Ravens over New England Patriots: For the fourth time in the past seven years, the Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots will be squaring off in the playoffs at Gillette Stadium. Much has been made this week that the John Harbaugh-led Ravens are the only team to beat the Patriots multiple times at home in the playoffs in the Bill Belichick era. If the Ravens come out and contain this high-flying Patriots offense, I believe they will pick up their third victory in Foxboro. The Ravens are one of the few teams in the league that matchup well against the Patriots. They have one of the strongest front sevens in the league with a pair of excellent pass rushers in Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil,  their defensive coordinator Dean Pees-who worked under Belichick for years in New England before going to Baltimore- knows a lot of their offensive tendencies and they play with a toughness that gives them a chance to beat anyone on any given day. However, the Patriots are not going to be an easy out. Tom Brady is an animal (or as he said himself earlier this week "a fucking machine") in the cold, especially at home, and their defense is going to make sure Joe Flacco and co. don't get comfortable with the running game and their trademark deep passes. The Patriots are without question a better overall team than they were in their previous losses to the Ravens, but as long as the Ravens can consistently apply pressure to Brady so he can't burn their below-average secondary, contain Rob Gronkowski and Flacco continues to deliver in the playoffs, they should be able to take out the Patriots in what is poised to be a tight, hard-fought contest. 

Seattle Seahawks over Carolina Panthers: Yes, the Panthers finished the regular season below .500. Yes this game is in Seattle, where the Seahawks have only lost twice since 2012. Yes, the Panthers looked terrible offensively in their victory last week against the Cardinals. Even with all these factors pointing to the Panthers getting blown out by the defending champs, I don't think that will be the case. The Panthers and Seahawks are two teams that just play each other close in every single meeting. Even when the Panthers were in the midst of a massive slump earlier this season, they only lost to the Seahawks by four points. These are two physical, defensive-minded football teams with nearly identical strengths and I expect yet another low-scoring, hard-fought battle to occur when these two square off at CenturyLink Field tonight. Though the Panthers should keep it close, I expect the Seahawks to come out on top. This game is going to come down to the running attack and defense, and the Seahawks have the edge in both of those. The Panthers defense and running back Jonathan Stewart have been excellent over the past month or so, but even with the hot streak they're on at the moment, they can't top this Seahawks defense and the inhuman behemoth that is Marshawn Lynch. The Seahawks are just an incredibly tough out at home and are playing better than any team in the league right now, which gives them a slight advantage in this matchup.

Green Bay Packers over Dallas Cowboys: This game is being hyped to all hell and deservedly so. It's the first ever playoff meeting between teams that finished the regular season 8-0 at home and 8-0 on the road respectively. One of these highly impressive streaks is going to come to an end on Sunday, and I believe that's going to be the Cowboys string of road victories. The Cowboys have played excellent for a vast majority of the season and proved their naysayers repeatedly wrong along the way, I just don't think they have a strong enough secondary to stop the Packers' absurdly stacked receiving corps. Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb have decimated just about every secondary they've faced this season and considering Orlando Scandrick is the only cornerback the Cowboys have that has had any success against a top-tier receivers  this season, this trend should continue without much difficulty. DeMarco Murray going up against this horrid Packers rush defense and Tony Romo's excellent play on the road should keep the 'Boys very much in the game, I just can't pick against this high-powered Packers offense, even with a not fully healthy Aaron Rodgers, in the extremely cold confines of Lambeau Field at the moment.  


Denver Broncos over Indianapolis Colts: To be honest, I don't have a lot of faith in the Broncos or Colts right now. Peyton Manning has looked like absolute trash of late and Andrew Luck has been horrid in his two career road playoff games (50.4 CMP %, 2 TD's, 5 INT's, 56.4 QBR). Of course someone has to win this game and based on the supporting casts around them, I have to go with the Broncos to win this battle of the two sloppiest teams still alive in the playoffs. The Broncos have a strong defense with a great pass rush and loaded secondary that is completely capable of making sure Luck has another terrible road playoff outing and running back C.J. Anderson should continue to save this squad from Manning's recent woes. Unless they buck all their recent trends, the Colts just don't have enough firepower on either side of the ball to take out the Broncos.

NFL Wild Card Predictions

Carolina Panthers over Arizona Cardinals: The Carolina Panthers are riding a giant wave of momentum right now after going 4-0 in December and making a highly improbable run to an NFC South title. I expect their hot streak to continue into the playoffs as they face the injury-riddled Cardinals in the Wild Card round. The Cardinals have just not been the same since Ryan Lindley took over at quarterback for the injured Drew Stanton. Lindley can makes some plays from time to time, but his accuracy woes and inability to protect the ball are a huge hindrance to this team. The Cardinals haven't won either game Lindley has started this year and I don't expect that to change today. The Cardinals talented defense is more than likely going to give Cam Newton some trouble and keep them in the game, I just don't have enough faith in the Lindley-run offense to put up enough points on this suddenly stout Panthers defense to pick up the victory.  

Baltimore Ravens over Pittsburgh Steelers: Of all the Wild Card matchups, this is easily the most intriguing. Ravens/Steelers is arguably the most heated rivalry in the NFL and the two squaring off in the playoffs is only going to raise the intensity. These two teams are much more evenly matched than their regular season matchups indicate (in both games, the home team won by a wide margin) and I expect this game to reflect that. Even though the Steelers have been playing better of late and have never lost to the Ravens in the playoffs, I have to go with The Ravens in this one. Joe Flacco is a completely different animal in the playoffs, they have a front seven that can disrupt Ben Roethlisberger and they'll be hungry to avenge their blowout loss at Heinz Field in October, and prove themselves as legitimate contenders after a mediocre December. However, to pick up this win the Ravens are going to need start fast and not let up. The Steelers are going to test the Ravens weak secondary even more than usual without star running back Le'Veon Bell in the lineup, and I don't trust them to hold up for an entire game against the Steelers loaded receiving corps. Even though they have to go on the road and play a squad who can easily exploit their secondary problems, I believe the Ravens are fully capable of deifying the odds and advance to the Divisional round.    

Indianapolis Colts over Cincinnati Bengals: In my eyes, there's no two teams in the NFL this season that have been more erratic than the Colts and Bengals. The Colts were mostly dominant throughout the season then all but completely crapped out down the stretch. The Bengals have been far more traditional with their inconsistent play: looking like legitimate title contenders some weeks and looking like a low-level arena football team in others. In their regular season meeting in October, the Colts handed the Bengals one of their embarrassing losses- forcing nine straight three-and-out's and holding them to just 135 yards of total offense as they cruised to a 27-0 victory. Given the high-stakes stage of this second meeting, I fully expect the Colts to win yet again. Though the Bengals picked up a impressive, hard-fought victory over the Broncos in primetime just two weeks ago, this team typically falters in big-game situations. Whether it be because of Andy Dalton's turnovers, the defense getting torched or another unforeseen factor, the team just implodes when they're in the spotlight, and I expect the same thing to happen again this year. The Bengals have sabotaged themselves three straight years by playing their sloppiest football of the season on wild card weekend and were sent packing in the ugliest possible fashion as a result. The Colts haven't been without their share of recent playoff woes, but they're nothing compared to those of the Bengals. Plus Andrew Luck is pretty much unflappable and recovers from turnovers as well as any quarterback in the league; a skill that Dalton does not possess. That quality alone is enough to give the Colts the advantage in this matchup. Unless the Bengals completely stray from their recent tendencies, the Colts should be able to take this one without too much difficulty.       

Dallas Cowboys over Detroit Lions: The Dallas Cowboys have proven all their detractors (myself included) wrong all season long and strung together a 12-4 season against all odds. Now that the playoffs are here, the same skeptics are looking for Tony Romo and co. to choke under pressure. At least for this week, I expect the Cowboys to continue to prove people wrong and pick up a playoff win. The Cowboys haven't looked this good since I started paying attention to football in the late '90s, and I truly believe they could beat just about anybody in the league right now if they continue to play at the same level. I expect the Lions outstanding defense to show up and make this a low-scoring affair, but their lackluster offense led by Matthew Stafford- who is playing the worst football of his career right now- to hold them back immensely in what should be a tight contest. The Cowboys are having the ultimate fairy tale season right now and I expect that Cinderella story to continue into next week.