NFL Playoff Predictions

The Tom Brady-less 2008 NFL season has eclipsed the halfway point and all 32 teams have nine games in the bag (well, except for San Francisco and Arizona, who are currently slogging it out on Monday Night Football as I type this, but they'll get there soon enough). Time to make a series of playoff predictions so that once the season is complete, I can reread this post, scratch my head and mutter something along the lines of "what the hell was I thinking?"

Parity seems to be making a huge comeback to the league. Fans of the Tennessee Titans and New York Giants would probably have an argument against that assertion, but there really are no sure picks beyond those two squads. The AFC East, the division to which I'm most partial, is currently a four-way dash to the top. I definitely couldn't have imagined that at this time last year.

So let me embarrass myself now.

First up, the NFC.

East Champs: New York Giants (Currently 8-1)

I don't see the reigning champs finishing any worse than 11-5, and although the remaining three teams in the division are all very much alive, I think they're going to have to settle for a Wild Card. Eli and company look ten times better than last year's championship team, which should absolutely frighten the rest of the NFL.

North Champs: Minnesota Vikings (Currently 5-4)

The Chicago Bears (currently 5-4) could easily win this division, especially if they are able to beat the Vikes in the Metrodome in a few weeks. But the Bears' problem this year, as it has been for the past several years, is the quarterback spot. Kyle Orton thinks he could play this weekend against Green Bay, but something tells me that his high ankle sprain won't be completely healed for little longer. Rex Grossman kept the Bears in it 'til the end against the Titans, but we've seen so much inconsistency from him in the past that we can never safely bank on him. A case can also be made for the Packers (currently 4-5), but I feel that their last two games (OT loss against the Titans and a one-point loss against the Vikes) show their inability to put games away. I give this one to the dudes in purple because they've got a veteran in Gus Frerotte, a stud in Adrian Peterson, and schedule that looks favorable down the stretch.

South Champs: Carolina Panthers (Currently 7-2)

The Panthers will exact revenge on the Bucs in Week 14 for a humiliating loss earlier this year, and, in doing so, will wrap up the NFC South. Kudos to Matt Ryan and the surprising Falcons (currently 6-3), but reality will soon set in, and I don't see that squad keeping pace with Tampa Bay or Carolina.

West Champs: Arizona Cardinals (Currently 5-3)

These guys would have to have a supreme meltdown to not win this, 2008's sorriest division. They could probably finish 8-8 and still not break a sweat about the 49ers sneaking up on them. Oh, and Kurt Warner for MVP? I dunno. Maybe.

Wild Card #1: Washington Redskins (Currently 6-3)

I'll take a page from the CBS pundits and say that the Redskins won't overtake the Giants, but they'll finish a close second because their remaining divisional games are all at home. They've already shown they can handle the Cowboys and the Eagles, so it'll be interesting to watch their rematch against the Giants. Plus, they get to play a couple o' cupcake teams like the Bengals and 49ers. Playoffs? No problem.

Wild Card #2: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Currently 6-3)

The defense will get 'em in. The offense will determine whether they stay in or not. I have to admit that I haven't seen them play at all this year, but their remaining schedule looks like they'll have no problem racking up a few wins.

Okay. Deep breath. AFC Time.

East Champs: New York Jets (Currently 6-3)

As much as it pains me as a Pats fan to say this, I think the division will start to take a definitive shape when Favre and the Jets beat New England on Thursday night. The Patriots many injuries are simply going to catch up to them. As I write this, I'm browsing through a story that says Adalius Thomas is likely gone for the season. I think it also comes down to the comparison of QBs. Favre is Favre. The dude will probably have an adjective made out of his name someday to describe outstanding quarterbacks. Matt Cassel is Matt Cassel. Sure, it looks like he's gaining confidence and growing up before our eyes, but in the classroom that is the NFL, he remains a C-student (7 TDs against 7 INTs in 8 starts). The Jets can score more points than the Patriots, and that's the difference.

North Champs: Pittsburgh Steelers (Currently 6-3)

Although the Ravens (currently 6-3) could very well surprise us, this division comes down, once again, to the respective QBs. Ben Roethlisberger has a ring. Joe Flacco is the rookie, and although he's been impressive, I've gotta believe that experience is going to trump inexperience.

Look for the Bengals to play spoiler. Am I joking? Yes. Yes, I am. Ha ha.

South Champs: Tennessee Titans (Currently 9-0)

I think they've padded the lead pretty well. The Colts (5-4) are a distant second. Will they finish 16-0? Of course not. Will they be playing in January? Let me answer that question with another question: is Barack Obama the President-Elect?

West Champs: Denver Broncos (Currently 5-4)

The San Diego Chargers have relegated themselves to sitting on the sidelines come playoff time due to their inconsistent play against teams they could've and should've beaten. Did you see that game this past weekend? The lowly Chiefs would've taken them to overtime were it not for the fact that they have nothing to play for! Now they have to virtually run the table against teams like the Steelers, Colts, Buccaneers and Broncos. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why the Denver Broncos will win the West in spite of themselves.

Wild Card #1: New England Patriots (Currently 6-3)

Look for Cassel's crew to finish right behind the Jets and probably make an early exit in the first round, regardless of whom they play.

Wild Card #2: Indianapolis Colts (Currently 5-4)

It's taken a while for Manning to look like he's fully recovered from that offseason knee surgery, but he's looking like the supremely confident quarterback we're used to. Would I ever count a Manning-led team out of it? Not on your life. Of course, it's also nice to have teams like Houston, Cincinnati and Detroit on your remaining schedule.

As a famous philosopher once said, "it is what it is." If there's one thing I've learned through all of this analysis, it's that being a sports prognosticator isn't as easy as one would believe. Make sure to check back in at the end of December so you can guffaw at my picks. I'll be eagerly awaiting your ridicule!

Very Unpatriotic.

Football is a game of peaks and valleys. At least that's what my high school football coach used to drum into our heads. While I didn't care for my coach, and I wouldn't have expected any sagely advice from such a dull man, I found this particular aphorism to be true.

Sure enough, the first six weeks of another NFL season has provided some high points and, as a Patriots fan, a whole lotta low points. The casual observer might figure that New England's low point transpired in the first quarter of Week One's game when Kansas City's Bernard Pollard did his best to make Tom Brady do a flamingo impression, effectively tearing the all-world quarterback's ACL and MCL. But, I can assure you that the team's pitiful performance last night against the Chargers did so much more to perpetuate the awful feeling of malaise that currently surrounds the squad.

Here's a glimpse into the average Pats fan's mind after Brady went down against the Chiefs: Sure, it's a kick in the groin to lose the reigning MVP, but come on! Let's be realistic. Mr. Brady is definitely a vital part of our offense, but just look at how many other cogs there are in the machine! Matt Cassel played all throughout the preseason, so he knows the ins and outs of this offense. And hey, let's be honest: with an offense as stacked as this, we could put Tarvaris Jackson behind center and still put points on the board. These guys might not replicate the 16-0 record of last season, but because they play in the weakest division in football and because most of the same faces were back to play out the NFL's easiest schedule, it's not unrealistic to think that this team will finish 12-4 or 13-3.

In Cassel we trust!

For a few weeks there, we were able to delude ourselves into actually believing this, especially after Cassel was able come out and play mistake-free ball in his start against the Jets. Hell, we were even able to chalk-up the embarrassing 38-13 loss to the Dolphins as an inevitable hiccup in a 16-game schedule.

Flash forward to last night in San Diego.

The feelings of doom began on the Chargers' first play from scrimmage, when Philip Rivers connected with Vincent Jackson for a 48-yard gain that setup a field goal.

The feelings of doom blossomed into feelings of despair when Rivers hit Malcom Floyd with a 49-yard touchdown pass a few minutes later. It seemed that before the Pats had even arrived at Qualcomm Stadium they were trailing 10-0. The remainder of the first half was just an ugly blur that left last year's AFC runners-up ahead of the reigning champs by two touchdowns.

If the theme of the first half was that New England's defense is old and vulnerable, then the second half's theme dealt with the very un-Bradylike play of Matt Cassel. Brady's understudy nearly inspired new hope among the faithful when he led the team 76 yards down the field to the doorstep of the end zone. But then he dashed our hopes with his two-bit attempt to sneak past the San Diego defenders on fourth-and-one. What's worse is that before he tried to maneuver his lanky frame past the menagerie of defensive linemen and linebackers, he failed to spot a wide-open Benjamin Watson in the back of the end zone. Fueled by the roar of the hometown crowd, the Chargers seized the ball back and Rivers was able to march his team 98 yards for another touchdown; the coup de grâce that put New England down 24-3 when they should have only trailed 17-10. The game was over in the third quarter.

The second crushing defeat in a span of three games brings with it a whole host of questions. First and foremost: how can last year's juggernaut barely scrape together 10 points when they hold the football longer than their opponent? And how long can the Pats stay confident in Matt Cassel if he continues his lackluster play? How will the Patriots deal with playing in a division that's no longer a laughingstock? (For those not keeping score at home, the once-lowly Buffalo Bills, New York Jets and Miami Dolphins are now 4-1, 3-2 and 2-3 respectively.) Can Laurence Maroney stay healthy once he’s back on the field? How long will it take Randy Moss, notoriously unhappy while playing for the unsuccessful Oakland Raiders, to throw in the towel on the 2008 season? These questions may seem premature for a team that has 11 games remaining on their schedule, but with upcoming games against solid opponents and having to play in an increasingly competitive division, they must be posed.

And while they still maintain a winning record in the face of two humiliating losses, can anyone still realistically see this team finishing with 12 wins? Of course not. How about 10? Even that's iffy. A team whose three wins come against squads that are collectively 6-10 is highly suspect.

Next week presents the challenge of a “must win” game, which is something that this group really hasn’t had to face very often. Gillette Stadium will undoubtedly be packed with fans lusting for a dismantling of the Broncos, who have also dropped two of their last three. Anything short of a win will most likely introduce the team to something else with which they’re unfamiliar: a chorus of boos cascading down upon them from their hometown fans.