NFC Playoff Predictions 1.0: Seeds 1-4
NFC Playoff Predictions 1.0: Seeds 1-4
While the AFC is hard to predict, the NFC is even harder. All of the divisions could have 2 or 3-10+ win teams. The talent level is just so dispersed amongst the teams, and so many surprising results could happen. We have the NFC South, Brees, Brady… or Ryan? The NFC North: Is Rodgers still going to be the same? Can Kirk take over? The NFC East: Will Dak vs. Carson finally be answered? NFC West, NFC Champs repeat, or are the Seahawks back?
First Seed: Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks? First seed? Yep. They are going to dethrone the San Francisco 49ers and become the champs. Why? You might be asking that, but there are a few major factors in this. One of them is the inexperience in the wide receiver core.
While you may not think this is important because of George Kittle, it is. This offense needs a WR. The top guys only have no experience or one year of experience. The best WR and veteran leader, Emmanuel Sanders, went to the Saints last season. In games without Sanders, Jimmy G. only threw for 219 yards per game, compared to 266 yards when he had Sanders. That is quite the drop. Meanwhile, Wilson still has Lockett, and have added Greg Olsen and Phillip Dorsett. Wilson is easily a better QB with a better overall arsenal. To add to that, the 49ers have the 4th toughest strength of schedule – Seahawks’ schedule ranks 14th.
Still, the 49ers are a team you cannot just forget. They went to the Super Bowl and cannot be counted out. A few other tough opponents can be found in the Atlanta Falcons, Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings, Buffalo Bills, and the Philadelphia Eagles. The schedule is still pretty hard, but again we are talking about the Wilson-led Seahawks. They were 5-0 in 1 PM games last year, even though historically, west coast teams do not play all that well.
I think the NFC West comes down to week 17. The Seahawks travel to Santa Clara for one last game. With the division potentially on the line, I truly believe the Seahawks will be the victors and enter the playoffs as the 1 seed.
Overall Record: 12-4
Second Seed: Minnesota Vikings
One of the most intriguing teams heading into the new year is the Minnesota Vikings. This offseason they traded away Stefon Diggs but drafted Justin Jefferson from LSU to be his replacement. Jefferson, obviously, isn’t what Diggs is, but he can prove to be an immediate target for Kirk Cousins both in the slot and in the red zone. But something just as important arose earlier last week.
Dalvin Cook, who is seeking a contract for $13 million a year or more, is willing to hold out. This is horrible news for the Vikings. Last year, on the “average play” (defined as not down by a lot/does not have a large lead; essentially close games), they led the league in rushing percentage. Cook needs his money or this team can crumble. The run game is even more important this year without Diggs, and with a very good team, they need to capitalize. Pay the man.
Assuming that Cook can get his money, this Vikings team is going to do some serious damage. While they have the 10th hardest schedule, they are ready to be Super Bowl contenders. The first thing I really want to address is how overrated Green Bay is. Last year, 10 of their 13 wins came against teams who were at .500 or below. No wonder they played so well. This year they definitely have more games against good teams and they didn’t address any offensive needs. The team overall might’ve gotten worse defensively, and new issues arose with bad chemistry between Lafleur and Rodgers. Needless to say, they aren’t even a 10 win team.
The Vikings are primed to win this division and with some ease. They face some tough defenses, but they can breeze through most of their opponents. They have to worry about New Orleans, Tampa Bay, Seattle, Atlanta, Dallas, and even their two Detroit games. Yet, even in those games, they can definitely go 6-2. I think this team could be very good.
Overall: 12-4
Third Seed: Philadelphia Eagles
Another very situation has developed in Philadelphia. On Monday we found out Brandon Brooks tore his Achilles. This loss is one of the biggest losses the Eagles could’ve taken. In his entire career in Philly, he missed only one game. Guess what – the Eagles allowed 7 sacks in that game. This could really affect this team, but I am still a big believer in Lane, and Kelce and I have faith that Seumalo and Dillard can step up. But still, there is a void left, and a rookie may have to fill it.
Nonetheless, the Eagles have had one of the biggest offseason, acquiring a lot of WRs and DBs. The improvement definitely improves playoff odds, and they are my 3rd seed. The main question we really have to answer, though, is Dallas or Philly? Obviously, you know my answer, but probably not why. While it seems Dallas overall has more overall offensive firepower, this is the first time in a while we have seen Wentz with a potentially good WR core. Goodwin and Reagor add a lot of speed that this offense simply did not have last year. Furthermore, Wentz is just a better QB. Last year, he was 3rd in game-winning/comeback drives and was extremely crucial for the Eagles’ road to the playoffs. In the final quarter of the season, when the offense seemed the direst, he passed for nearly 300 yards a game 7 TDs to no INTs.
That being said, the Cowboys-Eagles game is still extremely crucial. If either team wins both, the other team can kiss the playoffs goodbye. Each team matches up so well against each other. A revamped Eagles secondary, with Slay, Robey-Coleman, and McLeod leading the pack versus a young but bright WR core of Cooper, Gallup and Lamb is certainly something to look out for. It’s almost scary to think about how these two teams play it out. I say they split the season series with an early-season Cowboys dub in Philly, and a late-season division deciding win for the Eagles in Dallas during week 16.
Overall, the Eagles have a pretty easy schedule, but they still have two small gauntlets to run. Weeks 4-6 they play the San Francisco 49ers, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Baltimore Ravens. 0-3 could be a likely scenario but I see a 1-2. The next gauntlet they have to worry about is the Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks, New Orleans Saints, Arizona Cardinals, and the division deciding game versus Dallas. That’s another scary stretch, but I see a 3-2. That brings us to a 3-5, with 8 easy games left. I see them winning those 8.
Overall: 11-5
Fourth Seed: Atlanta Falcons
I can guarantee you one thing right now, you’re scratching your head. “No way! It’s Bucs or the Saints.” But you are wrong. You see, many many factors and strengths of this team are simply being overlooked. From the offensive additions to players returning from injury, a lot of things are trending up. This team will be playing better on paper. They may have one of the toughest schedules in the league, but they are going to prove everyone wrong.
Last season after a really rough start, the Falcons made some coaching changes and went 6-2 on their last 8 games. Going into this year, new coaches now have experienced and can lead this team back to its success. But we should be focusing our attention on what made the Falcons bad last year, injuries and unsuccessful scoring rates. They were 5th in total yards, but 13th in scoring. Their redzone success rate was 51.67% for 25th in the NFL. Not something to be proud of. They had only a 42% conversion on 3rd downplays. But this can all change. The signing of Todd Gurley could prove to be extremely vital. Even if Gurley has arthritis, he can still be great. The run game of the Falcons last year was amongst the worst, and yet they still were 5th in total offense. Gurley is the final piece for offensive success.
Still, the defense is a concern for many, but I see them improving a lot. Just to start things off, Raheem Morris now has a full season at defensive coordinator. Last year he took over at the bye week and allowed 18.6 points per game. That would’ve ranked top 5 in the league. The other coordinator who was fired allowed a whopping 31.25 points per game. It’s safe to say this guy knows how to run this D. The good news just keeps on coming. We see the return of Keanu Neal, one of my favorite safeties in the league. He is a monster and can be top 5 when healthy. We also have other significant things happening to revamp secondary, like drafting AJ Terrell, and the continuation of developing Isaiah Oliver. Dante Fowler fills the role De’Vondre Campbell left and will be even better.
Simply put this team is really being overlooked. No one sees the greatness I just said, and yet not once did I have to mention Julio or Matt Ryan. This team will win the division.
Overall: 10-6