NFL Playoff Predictions (12 weeks through season)
After eight weeks of NFL play, I mentioned that it was one of the more bizarre seasons in recent memory. Fast forward to this week and most of the teams that led their respective divisions in week eight are still on top of their divisions. So maybe the season wasn't a fluke for a number of teams after all.
The Eagles are clearly the team to beat in the NFC right now, but will a lack of playoff experience hurt the team? Are they peaking too early? The AFC is loaded, especially at the top of the conference with the likes of New England and Pittsburgh. I'd argue that those two AFC teams are the most likely teams in the entire league to reach the Super Bowl.
And of course, you cannot forget about teams that get hot at just the right time. Both conferences have teams that were expected to make the postseason at the start of the season that are currently on the outside of the current playoff picture. Could teams like Oakland, Los Angeles (Chargers), Seattle or Detroit sneak into the postseason and make some noise?
With that being said, here is how I think the rest of the regular season will shake out, first taking a look back at what I thought the playoff picture would be after eight weeks of play.
To see my past playoff predictions, please refer to "NFL Playoff Predictions (8 weeks through season)", "NFL Playoff Predictions (4 weeks through season)" and "NFL Playoff Predictions."
(My NFL Playoff Predictions after eight weeks of the regular season)
AFC
#1 Seed - New England Patriots
#2 Seed - Pittsburgh Steelers
#3 Seed - Kansas City Chiefs
#4 Seed - Tennessee Titans
#5 Seed - Oakland Raiders
#6 Seed - Buffalo Bills
Wild Card Round - Raiders over Titans; Chiefs over Bills
Divisional Round - Patriots over Raiders; Steelers over Chiefs
AFC Championship - Steelers over Patriots
NFC
#1 Seed - Philadelphia Eagles
#2 Seed - Seattle Seahawks
#3 Seed - New Orleans Saints
#4 Seed - Minnesota Vikings
#5 Seed - Atlanta Falcons
#6 Seed - Green Bay Packers
Wild Card Round - Saints over Packers; Falcons over Vikings
Divisional Round - Falcons over Eagles; Seahawks over Saints
NFC Championship - Seahawks over Falcons
Super Bowl - Seahawks over Steelers
My updated playoff predictions (following the 12th week of NFL play)
AFC
#1 Seed - New England Patriots
#2 Seed - Pittsburgh Steelers
#3 Seed - Tennessee Titans
#4 Seed - Los Angeles Chargers
#5 Seed - Jacksonville Jaguars
#6 Seed - Oakland Raiders
Wild Card Round - Raiders over Titans; Jaguars over Chargers
Divisional Round - Patriots over Raiders; Steelers over Jaguars
AFC Championship - Steelers over Patriots
NFC
#1 Seed - Philadelphia Eagles
#2 Seed - Los Angeles Rams
#3 Seed - New Orleans Saints
#4 Seed - Minnesota Vikings
#5 Seed - Atlanta Falcons
#6 Seed - Seattle Seahawks
Wild Card Round - Saints over Seahawks; Falcons over Vikings
Divisional Round - Falcons over Eagles; Saints over Rams
NFC Championship - Falcons over Saints
Super Bowl - Steelers over Falcons
Notes - In the past four weeks, division leaders have really played great football. As a result, my predicted division winners have not changed all that much. Kansas City has really fallen off after a hot start while the LA Rams have overtaken Seattle. Outside those two divisions, my division winners remained the same.
Where most of the changes happened were in the wild card spots for each conference. Jacksonville has continued its strong season and is control of its own destiny in the final five weeks of the regular season. If the Jaguars get in, their lack of playoff experience might be their downfall despite a tenacious defense. Oakland, my preseason Super Bowl pick, has endured an up-and-down season and is currently on the outside of the playoffs. They are a team I think finds a way to sneak into the postseason, whether it be as a wild card or winning an AFC West division that could see its winner finish 8-8.
In the NFC, Atlanta has finally started to look like a team that made the Super Bowl last year. The NFC South is the best division (record-wise) in all of the league and it's possible three teams make the postseason. Right now, I have the Falcons as a wild card team, but I think they could also win the division if their two matchups with New Orleans end in wins. Seattle has been hurt by injuries on defense and have a pretty tough schedule down the stretch. I certainly think they can sneak in, but it also wouldn't shock me if they lose out on the final wild card slot to a Carolina or even Detroit.
All I can say is, the next five weeks of NFL action should be some of the best of the year with so many teams still battling for division titles and spots in the postseason.
Check back after the final week of the regular season to see my NFL Playoff Predictions!
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