AFC Playoff Picture

In my previous post I wrote about the NFC Playoff picture and why I believe it’s going to be the Arizona Cardinals vs Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl. Let’s look at why this is going to happen on the AFC side of things.

Denver Broncos

Peyton Manning is going to go down as one of the greatest quarterbacks to play the game. Hall of Famer all the way, first year, but when it comes to the playoffs he just doesn’t show up. His record speaks for itself. First round, he’s playing either the Chiefs or Steelers. Both can beat the Broncos in Denver. Peyton is just not a playoff quarterback. Honestly, if Rex Grossman hadn’t been the opposing quarterback he may not have had his one Super Bowl victory.

Houston Texans

I’m just not seeing the Houston Texans make it past the Chiefs. They have a solid defense but their offense is shaky. I’m not seeing them doing much against Kansas City’s solid defense, even though I like Brian Hoyer. Alex Smith will nickel and dime the Texan’s defense to death.

Cincinnati Bengals

With AJ McCarron as quarterback, I find it highly unlikely they’ll be able to win a shootout against the Steelers. Brown can’t be covered, neither can AJ Greene, but Brown just has a better quarterback throwing him the ball. I really wanted to see Andy Dalton win a playoff game but he may not get a chance to play this year.

New England Patriots

I have a friendly bet going with my boss on this. She’s a Patriots fan, so if they make it, I have to do the chicken dance at a meeting. If the Chiefs make it, she does. With that said, Tom Brady is arguably one of the best quarterbacks ever. Another first ballot Hall of Famer, I just don’t think it’s their year. They have a lot of players coming back from injury for their game. It wouldn’t bother me if they make it again, but I just don’t see them beating the Steelers or the Chiefs with the team’s current shape.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Face it, their defense is terrible, but their offense puts up points. They’re explosive with Big Ben in there and even more so if DeAngelo Williams is playing too. Unfortunately, he’s been ruled out. Even with a mediocre running back in the game, Brown still can’t be covered. If it goes to a shootout, Steelers have it but will lose in the AFC Championship game.

Kansas City Chiefs

You can’t win with Alex Smith, unless you’re Andy Reid or Jim Harbaugh. A game manager is what he’s called. Yeah, he manages to win 10 in a row and that’s not stopping any time soone. Their offense is on fire and so is their defense. There isn’t a team in the NFL as hot as they are right now. Jeremy Maclin and Travis Kelce are turning into a pretty great one two punch. What more do you need?

Chiefs, Steelers, Patriots, Bengals, Broncos, Texans. That’s my ranking. To be honest, I just don’t want the Broncos to go. All the others can win. Well, I don’t really want to do the chicken dance either, so Patriots can’t go either. Whatever the outcome, enjoy the games this week and have fun. 

NFC Playoff Picture

With the impending NFL playoffs starting this Saturday, I wanted to throw in my two cents. I’m hoping for an Arizona Cardinals vs Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl. They both have defenses that can shut down any of the offenses in the playoffs right now, only makes sense they’ll be in the Super Bowl. Let’s break it down, by first looking at the NFC playoff picture.

Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers had an easy schedule, playing in a fairly week division. They really only had two tests. The Green Bay Packers in Carolina that they almost lost, but were able to pull it out in the end. The other was in Seattle against a Seahawks team that wasn’t performing to their usual standard. At this point, Seattle is now playing at a high caliber and is the only team that has a chance of beating the Arizona Cardinals.

Seattle Seahawks

On to the Seattle Seahawks. Russell Wilson has been lights out over the last few weeks. Seattle’s defense is back to being LOB. To make things better, Beast Mode should be back. Everything is looking up for Seattle, but their kryptonite over the last couple of years has been the Arizona Cardinals. They’ve been splitting their games over the last two years, winning the last contest.

Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers are not playing the way they should be. Aaron Rodgers isn’t playing his kind of football right now. Then again, when they won their last Super Bowl, they entered in at a lower seed, much like they are now. If they expect to win, then Aaron Rodgers needs to show up on game day.

Washington Redskins

The Washington Redskins are playing pretty good ball right now, but not enough to get past Carolina, Arizona or Seattle. Their defenses are too good at the moment. The Redskins rely heavily on the performance of Kirk Cousins. All three defenses have a way of making quarterbacks look bad. Nothing against Cousins but he just doesn’t have what it takes, at this time, to beat them. You like that?

Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings are in the same boat as the Redskins. They’re playing some good football right now but are too inconsistent when it matters. Yeah, they won the NFC North, only because of Rodger’s struggles. Seattle and Arizona have already shown they can shut down AP. Seattle has a league leading 81.5 rushing yards allowed per game for the year, followed by Carolina at 88.4 and Arizona  at 91.3. All three are also in the top 10 for yards per carry. This doesn’t bold well for AP and the Vikings.

Arizona Cardinals

Arizona is a top 5 defense and arguably the best offense this year. Any team that has to play Arizona is going to be in for a good beating. They are tough on both sides of the ball.  They’ve been playing tough teams all year long and have maintained their performance. It’s going to be either them or Seattle from the NFC in the Super Bowl. I’m tired of seeing Seattle there so it’s time for a fresh look.

Arizona, Seattle, Carolina, Minnesota, Green Bay, and then Washington is my rankings for NFC. I would love to see Washington go (Washington fans, you like that?) but I don’t see that happening. There are too many strong defenses out there. Aaron Rodgers needs to step up for the Packers to have a chance. Minnesota has to go against some tough running defenses. Cam Newton and the Panthers passing game relies on play action. The fact that Seattle and Arizona don’t let up a lot of rushing yards, both also support two of the best defensive backfields in the game. Arizona has been more consistent than Seattle this year, and that’s what’s going to be the difference maker between those two.