AFC Wild Card 

New York Jets 22 San Diego Chargers 19

This is a rematch of the Chargers last postseason game, in 2009. The Jets won that game and I don’t expect anything different here. The Jets have no fear of going on the road in the playoffs and play a lot of close games. The Chargers, meanwhile, always choke in the playoffs and suck in close games. Until Norv Turner is gone, they won’t go far in the playoffs.

Baltimore Ravens 17 Cleveland Browns 10 

The Browns are a nice story as an 11 win team, but a lot of that has to do with their easy schedule. Baltimore is still the better team here and beats their divisional rival for the 3rd time in the season. They’re at home and teams that beat a divisional rival twice have a huge advantage against them in the playoffs. 

NFC Wild Card

Philadelphia Eagles 34 Detroit Lions 21

The Eagles could be on quite a run to end the season. I expect they could struggle to start the season against St. Louis (a tough home team), the Giants (always good in the first half of the season), and the Falcons (a very talented team who is great at home). However, their schedule gets easier after that and this team has a lot of talent. I expect them to be hot coming into the playoffs and to beat the inexperienced Lions here.

Atlanta Falcons 24 St. Louis Rams 21

The Falcons have to go on the road here and the Rams are a very good home team and not a team to be taken lightly after going 9-7 after a ridiculous hard schedule. However, I really like the Falcons this year and Matt Ryan to finally win a playoff game after failing in his first two tries in his young career. Besides, the Rams are a home dome team so the Falcons won’t be in the elements.  

 

AFC Semis

New England Patriots 28 New York Jets 21

Patriots. Jets. The rematch. The Jets beat the Patriots last season, but I don’t think I’d be a homer to say that was a surprise. The Jets played an absolutely perfect game and the Patriots made a lot of mistakes and it was still only a 7 point game. This is the rubber match after these two split the season series and I’m giving the Patriots the advantage. They have the better team. They got better in the offseason. The Jets got worse. 

Baltimore Ravens 27 Houston Texans 20 

I’m not in love with the Ravens or anything, but I give them the advantage here in Houston against an inexperienced, poorly coached Houston team. Besides, Houston is coming off a bye, which, historically, actually hurts them in the playoffs.

NFC Semis

Atlanta Falcons 27 Green Bay Packers 21

This game is the opposite as last year’s Atlanta/Green Bay playoff game. Green Bay is the #1 seed coming off a bye and playing at home. The Falcons are coming off of a road win in the wild card round of the playoffs. I expect the result to be the opposite too. The Falcons match up with the Packers better in cold weather, ironically, while the Packers are defending champions coming off a first round bye, two situations that ironically work against them.

Philadelphia Eagles 31 New Orleans Saints 27

The Saints had a great regular season at 13-3, but it ends without a playoff game once again. The Eagles are red hot coming off a late season surge into the playoffs and the #3 seed. The talent level is pretty even here, but I like the Eagles a lot in warm weather (great pass offense, great pass defense) and the Eagles aren’t cold coming off a first round bye like the Saints.

AFC Championship

New England Patriots 23 Baltimore Ravens 17

The Patriots seem to be facing all their old demons. The Jets beat them in 2010. The Ravens beat them in 2009. If anything, that works in the Patriots’ favor. You don’t want to mess with this team when they’re motivated and they will be here. That’s all I have to say about that.

Atlanta Falcons 27 Philadelphia Eagles 24

The Eagles won on the road in warm weather, but they come back home here in cold weather. I think that gives Atlanta the advantage. Also, Michael Vick and Andy Reid have struggled in the playoffs before. Reid always seems to mess something up (4 NFC Championship losses) and Vick is 2-3 career. This will be a close game, which I think suits the Falcons better. The Falcons have the weapons to hang with the Eagles and the pass rush and cornerbacks to slow their offense.

Super Bowl

New England Patriots 27 Atlanta Falcons 21

The Falcons have a very complete team, but I still believe the Patriots are the best team in the league. They’ve had bad luck in the playoffs in the past few years, but have remained an amazing regular season team, going 14-2 last season. I may sound like a homer calling it bad luck, but what else do you call it when a team that used to be great in the regular season and the playoffs all of a sudden is only great in the playoffs. I think Brady and Belichick get back to the Super Bowl this year, winning their 4^th (tying Brady with Montana for most all time). Joe Montana once lost 3 straight playoff games. The following season, he won the Super Bowl. I see something similar happening here.