Separating Playoff Contenders from Pretenders

Posted on January 3, 2009. Filed under: Uncategorized |

OK-For the record, in week 10 I made the following picks for the playoffs:

AFC
Division Winners: Jets, Steelers, Titans, Broncos
Wildcards: Ravens, Patriots

NFC
Division Winners: Giants, Packers, Panthers, Cardinals
Wildcards: Redskins, Buccaneers

Shows how much I know…6/10…..

But what of the REAL playoffs?
Wildcard weekend kicks off Saturday, with a matchup you thought you’d never see in the playoffs, and one you might have picked for the AFC Championships game before the season.

The Cardinals and Falcons are both playoff pretenders. The Cards, while improved, are benefitting from a bad division. The Falcons are in the best division in football, the NFC South (with everyone over .500)… But with a rookie quarterback, they will fall.

The Colts and Chargers…are both contenders, as is everyone in the AFC except Miami. The Chargers may be 8-8, but don’t forget they lost to the Refs against Denver, and to the Panthers on the last play of a game early in the season. They’ve won four in a row and have hit their stride.
But the Colts..they’re scary..9 in a row, and that includes wins over the Steelers and Titans.

The Dolphins don’t have much left in the tank I think. If they survive Baltimore, a big if, they’ll run into a Steelers defensive buzzsaw. But Baltimore…that’s the real scary team…I definitely don’t want to see them in the AFC title game.

The Titans…I’m labeling pretender…They’re overrated, and a good defense will shut them down, be it the Steelers or Ravens.

For the NFC, you’ve still got the Eagles and Vikings. The Vikings don’t stand a chance. And the Eagles….Ugh.

I heard it again today…Eagles being picked as a FAVORITE to go to the Super Bowl.

Let me say this loud and clear…..or in black and white……

THE EAGLES ARE THE MOST OVERRATED NFL TEAM FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS…….THEY WILL NOT WIN THE SUPER BOWL…WON’T GET THERE…WILL CHOKE….REALLY….GET OVER IT.

There…I feel better.

That really leaves the Giants and Panthers…both contenders.

So…..here’s how I see it all shaping up:

Colts over Chargers
Cardinals over Falcons

Eagles over Vikings
Ravens over Dolphins

Divisional Round:
Giants over Eagles
Panthers over Cardinals

Steelers over Colts
Ravens over Titans