JC's NFL Playoff Predictions

This is always fun for me to do. So let's get right into it.

It's playoff time. Can't beat it. The first game Saturday is meaningless. I don't think anybody cares about Cinci and Houston. But with Houston's QB problems, the Bengals, believe it or not, will make it to the 2nd round of the playoffs. They will earn the distinct honor of getting destroyed by the Patriots a week later. In Sunday's AFC match-up, Tim Tebow, or Tim Tivo  (as U.S. Congresswoman Corrine Brown likes to call him) has zero chance against Pittsburgh.

Over in the NFC, the first round games are a lot more intriguing. The best game of the weekend will be Lions at Saints. Unfortunately, I'm going to miss this one because I'll be in lovely Newark, NJ for the Heat/Nets game. But I think Drew Brees throws for 350 yards, 3-4 TDs and win in a shootout with both teams each putting up 30 points. Megatron will have to wait another year and hopefully get a more favorable match-up to start the playoffs. The Giants then pull off a nice win against a very good Falcons team. But we ain't in the Georgia Dome no more and the G-men are used to the cold weather. My man Eli comes through big and extends his great season.

After all of that gets resolved, the real games can get going. Frank Gore runs for 100 yards while Alex Smith shows the world why he was the number 1 overall pick and deserves to be "the man" in San Fran. But it's not enough - Brees has another field day against a pretty solid 49rs defensive performance proving again why him and the Saints are Super Bowl bound. The Giants have no shot in the Frozen Tundra of Lambeau Field. Eli tries his best, but throws a couple of late game picks and Aaron Rodgers breaks all sorts of Green Bay playoff records picking apart the Giants Defense. Brandon Jacobs fumbles the ball at the goal line ending a nice drive and gets into a fight with a teammate on the sidelines. New Yorkers blame Coughlin for no reason.

After Brady puts on a clinic against Cincinnati, the game of the week is Ravens/Steelers. As a sports fan, I really hope that Cincinnati beats Houston in that almost meaningless game we  discussed before. This makes the divisional playoff game between Baltimore and Pittsburgh the game of the year so far. I think Joe Flacco has his coming out party and Baltimore's defense is just too much for a beat up Ben Roethlisberger.

This sets up the best of the best. The final four of the NFL. Ravens/Patriots and Saints/Packers. Flacco outplays Tom Brady in New England. Wes Welker gets his head taken off by Ray Lewis. And Ed Reed takes a Brady Interception to the house. The game that we've all been waiting for throughout the season is definitely the Saints at Green Bay. This one is going down to the quarterback who has the ball last. Period. So in a game that goes back and forth for 4 quarters, Rodgers scores a bit too soon at the end and leaves Drew Brees one last chance to win the game. He does.

Super Bowl XLVI - this is the big one. Unfortunately the game is in Indianapolis. Whose stupid idea was that? What happened to Pasadena? Or New Orleans? or Miami??? Come NFL - get it together.

I think that a Saints/Ravens match-up is really intriguing. An aging Ray Lewis and Ed Reed - two of the best at their positions ever - get one more shot at another title.The problem is that they're playing against a QB-TE combination better than any we may have ever seen. Jimmy Graham scores 3 touchdowns and catches for over 200 yards to become the first tight end to ever to be named Super Bowl MVP.

There you have it. I think this is going to be one of the best playoffs ever to watch. Enjoy it, because after February, we don't have anymore football until preseason starts in August.

Also See:

JC's NBA Playoff Predictions 2011