|
My Part II: Onto the NFC and then the Championship games and Super Bowl...
DAL @ PHI (W) - Philly wins because they want to put some doubt in the WC round by making DAL look weaker than they are, but DAL will still play the opening round at home as the 4 seed, a position they won't lose and are unlikely to gain on.
GB (W) @ DET - Green Bay rests their starters but Detroit wants the #1 pick. Just in case JAX does something crazy, the Lions throw the game in whatever ways they can and gift GB the win.
CHI @ MIN (W) - Doesn't matter, MIN wins.
WAS @ NYG (W) - Doesn't matter, NYG wins.
NO (W) @ ATL - The NFL wants the Saints in for their market size and it looks better than having SF in, putting 3 teams from the same division in the playoffs and cluster of West Coast teams. Diversity and still have alot of fans? Saints win. New Orleans in provides an easy win for the 2 seed, which will keep a larger fan base happy.
CAR @ TB (W) - This game hardly matters except Tom could pick end up a 2 seed if LA loses. They'll surely have Tom win but not until a little after ARZ to keep suspense and people watching. Plus, with a Rams win, TB would lock in on the 3 seed and the old man Tom could face the young, fresh face in Philly for a dramatic first round game!
SEA @ ARZ (W) - This game could put ARZ in the 2 seed if TB and LA lose but that's not going to happen. The Shield will have ARZ win early while dragging out the Bucs and Rams games and keep the viewers on a few minutes longer. ARZ @ DAL will provide for a great first round matchup that would feature plenty of fireworks and a dramatic rematch of a 3 point win for ARZ in week 17.
SF @ LAR (W) - The NFL wants nothing more than as many playoff games as possible in LA so you can bet your ass they aren't losing to the 49ers. That said, they'll drag this one out the longest, maybe even into OT. Game, set, match, 2 seed. The Rams will get NO but whoever does is likely going to blow them out. Might as well guarantee LA gets a 2nd playoff game rather than potentially ending up at DAL in week 1.
1. GB
2. LAR
3. TB
4. DAL
5. ARZ
6. PHI
7. NO
Wild Card Round
7 NO @ 2 LAR
6 PHI @ 3 TB
5 ARZ @ 4 DAL
I'm not even going to sugar coat any of these, the top seeds winning will keep butts in the seats for some excitement in the Divisional round. I think the ARZ v DAL game will be close throughout but the others only close through the half when LA and TB pull further and futher away.
Divisional Round
4 DAL @ 1 GB
This will be a game the NFL wants, two old teams with a bitter rivalry (especially amongst the fans). GB outmatches DAL and moves on.
3 TB @ 2 LAR
As big of a draw as LA is, Tom brings viewers. You have to feel like the NFL wants Tom vs Aaron and that's the way I'm leaning but Stafford back in Green Bay to renew that rivalry is something I can't ignore either. I flipped a coin on this one and have LA winning on a last-second FG.
NFC Championship
2 LAR @ 1 GB
AFC Championship
4 CIN @ 2 KC
Earlier I said that I would wait on the championship game until I put out my thoughts on the NFC so here we are. Two new bloods in CIN v LAR? Or the faceoff everyone has been waiting for in Aaron v Pat and a rematch of Super Bowl I? A last hurrah for Rodgers in GB?
55 years later, I'm going with what I think would be the biggest game the NFL could hope for in KC v GB. Two masterful QBs with defenses that are just good enough to make a difference but bad enough to let these two duke it out all night.
Super Bowl LVI
2 KC @ 1 GB
And then it comes down to who wins. The NFL is going to make sure this one stays close. Rodgers is a HOF QB already in the twilight of his career, so does he need the win to cement a legacy? Pat can be the NFLs next golden goose ala Brady and the NFL could leverage talk of the next great dynasty all offseason. Which do they prefer? I have to go with putting the bullseye on Pat. The next Tom everyone chases but when the chips are down they just can't catch him.
KC wins.
|