Predictions Sure To Go Wrong, Part I: Looking Forward

OK, I'm going to be out of town on Friday through Sunday -- might end up with a late Final Fine Blotter.

Anyhow, some predictions as to where I see the playoffs going:

I see the playoffs basically revolving around three storylines:

The Fail Mary
Andrew Luck and Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.

So let's start in the NFC, because I think most of these are effectively forced, if my idea is correct:

(And if it's wrong, it gets left up here and I scratch my head, as can happen from time to time!!)

Basically, the only way that Seattle and Green Bay can have The Rematch of the Fail Mary is in the NFC Championship, in Green Bay.

This basically forces all other results:

Wild Card:  Seattle and Green Bay win.

Divisional:  Seattle and Green Bay win.  This is becoming less and less in-feasible, when you take a look at things.

Atlanta, to me, is a classic "Show-Me" team -- a "Missouri", if you will.  They've gone down this road several times before, and have only reached the Super Bowl once (when the Vikings promptly choked what was probably their best chance to ever end their Super Bowl futility in 1998-99).  The thing is, this Falcon franchise has done a lot in the regular season and almost nothing in the playoffs.  I can easily see a Seattle team "shock the world" and go into Atlanta and unseat the #1 seed there.

Again.

The last team to do it:  Green Bay.  When they won the Super Bowl over Pittsburgh.

Speaking of...

Now you've got not only a quarterback controversy in San Francisco, you now have a possible change in KICKER in San Francisco, entering the playoffs!  And look at the stats on the two QB's in San Francisco and tell me, other than something fishy, why in the Hell are they about to dump Alex Smith...

Is it buyer's remorse from not taking the QB everybody thought you were going to take, and he fell all the way to...  Green Bay???

If this were legitimate, San Francisco could book their Super Bowl tickets now.  They are, and not close, the best team in the NFC.

They won't even get out of the divisional round.  And the moment that game ends (caveat:  If the Seattle win occurs first...), let the hype begin.

As for that game, I truly do not know yet.  This could really come down to "HOW MUCH WOULD YOU GIVE FOR A SUPER BOWL TITLE???"  In past years, I don't think this would be a question -- but witnessing first-hand what some demented individuals (and not all in Seattle) in the "12th Man" are willing to do to people, could I see the NFL giving at least an NFC title, if not a Super Bowl, to a fanbase willing to almost-literally human sacrifice everything at the Altar of the Holy NFL Shield?

You bet I can, but I don't know what they're going to do -- it could be like last year's Super Bowl.  Get the ball in the air at the gun with the game on the line (again!!!), and the result may not matter so much!

AFC: 

Wild Cards:  Indianapolis and Houston win, for if Cincinnati wins, then they face Denver and Indianapolis cannot.

Divisionals:  New England wins.

Denver beats Indianapolis, but Luck is quite serviceable in the loss.  At the end of the game, the cameras swarm Colt Quarterback Past and Present/Future, and a moment is shared which is seen as the Passing of the Torch, that Peyton has blessed the new Quarterback of the Colts.

AFC Title:  Depends on if patriotism becomes the forefront again.  If not, I see Denver taking it and getting Peyton (who I believe will best AP for the MVP) to the Super Bowl.

Super Bowl:  Denver wins if it's against Green Bay -- not sure on the other matchup, because of "WHAT WOULD YOU GIVE FOR A SUPER BOWL TITLE?"

I think the one thing that would shock me the most is if Green Bay won the Super Bowl this year, barring some significant events taking place in the playoffs.