Thursday, August 28, 2014

Complete 2015 NFL Playoff Predictions

Wild Card Round

(3) Colts over (6) Jets: Andrew Luck, unlike New York's quarterback duo of Geno Smith and Michael Vick, has proven himself as a winner in the postseason with his comeback victory over the Chiefs. The Jets team as a whole is too young to beat Indy and this incredible passing game.

(4) Ravens over (5) Bengals: Just two years ago, Joe Flacco caught fire in the postseason to lead his team over the 49ers in the Super Bowl. Baltimore's passing game may have trouble early against a relatively stingy Bengals defense, but Cincy's horrendous record in the postseason under Marvin Lewis will continue into 2015.
(6) Packers over (3) Bears: Aaron Rodgers, a Super Bowl winning quarterback, has repeatedly proven himself when it comes to clutch situations, as seen when he defeated Chicago in Week 17 of the 2013 regular season. Ironically, we have them playing Chicago once again with the same result.

(5) 49ers over (4) Eagles: The 49ers have made it to three straight NFC Championship Games, and are quite possibly the most talented wild card team of the past 5 years. Philadelphia doesn't stand a chance, even with home field advantage.

Divisional Round

(3) Colts over (2) Broncos: The third year for quarterbacks is almost always a breakout year in the NFL. With Reggie Wayne coming back from injury, and Hakeem Knicks arriving from New York, Luck has the offensive weapons  needed to knock off the Denver Broncos in January.
(1) Patriots over (4) Ravens: The Patriots and Ravens by now are used to playing each other in the postseason, but the Patriots are clearly far more talented than the Ravens, especially with their two new cornerbacks in Brandon Browner and Darrelle Revis. Tom Brady is bound for yet another AFC Championship Game.

(1) Seahawks over (6) Packers: In a neutral location, I believe the Green Bay Packers would be capable of beating Seattle during the postseason; however, seeing how the game is in Seattle, it will be extremely difficult for Aaron Rodgers to overpower the Legion of Boom on the road. Russell Wilson and the Seahawks offense will be able to put up plenty of points against a mediocre Packers defense.

(5) 49ers over (2) Saints: Colin Kaepernick is surrounded by plenty of weapons on offense, including Anquan Boldin, Frank Gore, and Vernon Davis. Jim Harbaugh will find a way to quell the damage done by Drew Brees and New Orleans' passing game, and the 49ers will be playing in their fourth straight NFC Championship Game.

Championship Round

(1) Patriots over (3) Colts: The New England Patriots remain undefeated against Andrew Luck during his time in Indy, yet with Luck bound to improve during the regular season, these games are going to get a whole lot more competitive. With Revis and Browner both on the Patriots' roster, Luck will have more difficulty finding his three most talented targets--Knicks, Hilton, Wayne--but as we've seen, this quarterback can find a way. Tom Brady is becoming more experienced with his young wide receivers, and hopefully, Rob Gronkowski will be healthy for playoffs. The Logan Menkins trade left some people scratching their heads, but the aging offensive lineman was traded for a draft pick and a little-known tight end Tim Wright. Wright had 54 catches as an undrafted rookie, so this could be one of Brady's favorite targets later in the year. In the end, we have Tom Brady advancing to the sixth Super Bowl of his career.

(5) 49ers over (1) Seahawks: These two teams are coming out of the same division, yet clearly, they are the NFC's most talented teams. A rivalry has been born recently between San Francisco and Seattle, seeing how they have two of the league's most stifling defenses and battle within the same division. Luckily, the San Francisco 49ers are expecting to get linebacker NaVorro Bowman by Week 7, so he will be in midseason form just before the postseason. Seattle's offseason losses will have a bigger impact on this team than people seem to think, where receiver Golden Tate has left for Detroit, while Red Bryant and Chris Clemons have left for Jacksonville. Jim Harbaugh will be on the hot seat if San Francisco is unable to make the Super Bowl yet again, but luckily for 49ers fans, we see San Francisco topping their division rivals for a spot in the "Big Game."

Prediction for the Super Bowl will arrive within the next few days

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