Tag Archives: playoffs

Will the Patriots Make the Super Bowl?

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It’s that time of year again… The Patriots are 11-3 and in sole possession of first place in the AFC after having clinched the AFC East last week. The question most of you are wondering is as follows: Can the Patriots make it to the Super Bowl? It looks like the Patriots should have earned themselves a first round bye and potentially home field advantage throughout the playoffs. The latter part I see to be very important.

Going to Heinz field and facing a Steelers team that isn’t depleted by injuries is not an easy task and that was proven earlier this season. That doesn’t look to be the case though. If the Patriots do meet the Steelers in the playoffs they will have to come through Foxboro and it’s a whole different atmosphere for them. Roethlisberger looks very hurt and an injury like that can keep most players out for a few weeks. The Ravens could be a tough game, but Joe Flacco looks average at best, and even the Ravens defense can get beat by a good offense as that was shown Sunday night. The Texans don’t have the passing game to really take advantage of the terrible Patriots secondary like most teams can. As far as the rest of the AFC goes there isn’t any other team in the conference that would really scare me; especially if they are coming to Gillette.

The Patriots secondary is clearly their weakness and at times has been exposed but it works into the Patriots favor that the list of potential quarterbacks they could face in the AFC playoffs are headlined by Big Ben and followed with QB’s like T.J. Yates, Joe Flacco, Mark Sanchez, Tim Tebow, and Matt Hasselbeck.

Anything can happen in the NFL, but if I had to put my life savings down on a team to come out of the AFC, it would be the Pats.

2011 NFL Playoff Seeding Predictions

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Playoff Prediction:

AFC

1. Steelers (13-3) – Pittsburgh has one tough game remaining on their schedule and that’s this weekend against the 49ers. I got them winning that one and also beating the Rams and Browns.

2. Patriots (13-3) – I have the Pats winning out against their rather easy remaining schedule, unfortunately they lose the tiebreaker to the Steelers.

3. Texans (12-4) – They luck out and get to play Carolina and Indy the next two weeks, but then have to face the Titans who I think will be fighting for their playoff lives in week 17. I see them losing that one.

4. Denver (10-6) – They lose this week to the Pats but then win out. If that is the case it doesn’t even matter what the Raiders for Chargers do.

5. Ravens (12-4) – They have two reasonably tough matchups remaining with the Chargers and Bengals. I see them losing one of them and getting the Wild Card.

6. Titans (10-6) – This is the sleeper team that I see passing the Jets. I see both the Jets and Titans finishing at 10-6 but the Titans will hold the tiebreaker by having a better conference record.

Left Out: Jets (10-6), Raiders (8-8), Chargers (8-8), Bengals (8-8)

NFC

1. Packers (16-0) – They should win out and clinch the 1 seed

2. Saints (13-3) – They have a reasonably easy remaining schedule as long as they can beat the Falcons, which I see happening. They steal the 2 seed from the 49ers.

3. 49ers (12-4) – They have two potential losses when they play this week vs. the Steelers, and when they go to Seattle the following week.

4. Cowboys (10-6) – It will more than likely come down to week 17 and I see them holding it together for a full 60 minutes and beating them. The overall conference record will be the tiebreaker.

5. Falcons (10-6) – I see them along with the Giants and Lions finishing at 10-6. Atlanta beat Detroit so they get the tiebreaker here.

6. Lions (10-6) – They will finish 3-3 in their division, as will the Giants, but it looks like Detroit will have the better conference record.

Left Out: Giants (10-6), Bears (8-8), Seahawks (8-8)

Check back in at the end of the Regular Season and I will have a full NFL Playoff prediction including who will win this years Super Bowl.