Midseason NFL Playoff Seeding Predictions

AFC Playoff Seeding

1. New England Patriots (15-1): Injuries to players like Dion Lewis, Julian Edelman, and Nate Solder have been unable to derail this offensive locomotive, but as they continuously stack up, it will be interesting to see if the perfect record remains.

2. Cincinnati Bengals (12-4): The Bengals have always been known to start well in September and October, but with consecutive losses over the past two weeks, the number one overall seed in the AFC seems unlikely.

3. Denver Broncos (11-5): The quarterback situation is difficult to figure out, but I simply don't see the Broncos making it past the first round of the playoffs despite a great defense.

4. Indianapolis Colts (8-8): The AFC South is the softest division in football, and once Andrew Luck is able to return from injury, the Colts will be a solid bet to win the division.

5. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6): A healthy Big Ben will make this team dangerous by the end of the season, even though star running back Le'Veon Bell is injured.

6. Buffalo Bills (10-6): The Bills have an easy schedule to end the year, and talent on either side of the ball will make them a solid playoff contender.

NFC Playoff Seeding

1. Carolina Panthers (14-2): The undefeated Panthers are certainly clicking on both sides of the ball, where Luke Kuechly is making a strong case for Defensive Player of the Year. Cam Newton is earning MVP buzz, even with Kelvin Benjamin out for the year.

2. Green Bay Packers (12-4): The Packers have cooled off  substantially since their 6-0 start to the season, where the injury to receiver Jordy Nelson is finally starting to catch up with this dynamic offense. Running back Eddie Lacy will need to return to last season's form in order to take some pressure off of the reigning MVP.

3. Arizona Cardinals (11-5): Carson Palmer is sneaking his way into the MVP discussion thanks to his impressive statistics (3,066 yards, 27 TD's, 9 INT's) and 8-2 overall record. The Cardinals must hope that Palmer remains healthy in order to prevent last year's collapse from happening again.

4. New York Giants (10-6): With the Redskins, Cowboys, and Eagles all playing poorly, the Giants are pretty close to locking down an NFC East title. As long as the Giants are in the playoffs, you can never count out Eli Manning and the Giants.

5. Seattle Seahawks (10-6): A rough start to the season and an injured "Beast Mode" has left the Seahawks out of the discussion for a first round bye in the postseason. With the abundance of talent on this roster, expect the Seahawks to turn it around late in the season.

6. Minnesota Vikings (9-7): With Adrian Peterson leading the league in rushing yards (1,006 yards), less pressure is placed on Teddy Bridgewater to make plays, as seen last season. Their schedule is not easy, per se, but they should be able to make the playoffs.