MMQB's Midseason Playoff Predictions

[Prime Time]

http://mmqb.si.com/2014/10/30/nfl-midseason-playoff-predictions/

Spoiler Alert!
Half a season. That's all The MMQB's resident psychic needs to know (well, guess) what's coming up in 2014's second half and the playoffs
By Greg A. Bedard

Whew, what a season!

After putting all the different calculations and permutations from the NFL season so far into The MMQB Super Computer (Ok, it’s my feeble brain, just play along), we determined how the rest of the 2014 season will play out.

And, boy, what a race we’re going to have just to get to the postseason. The top of the NFC goes wild, with four different teams finishing 12-4. Two of those 12-win teams will have to play on the road on Wild-Card weekend. The AFC has some of the usual suspects, as well as an upstart sneaking into the last spot.

Once the playoffs begin it’s rematches and storylines galore, especially when Super Bowl XLIX kicks off in Glendale.

THE AFC PLAYOFF TEAMS

1. Denver Broncos, AFC West champs, 14-2.

2. New England Patriots, 12-4, AFC East champs.

3. Indianapolis Colts, 11-5, AFC South champs.

4. Cincinnati Bengals, 9-6-1, AFC North champs. The AFC’s only drama is in the North, where the Bengals win the division by the slimmest of margins: their tie against the Panthers. The Ravens, Steelers and Browns all finish 9-7.

5. San Diego Chargers, 11-5, Wild Card.

6. Houston Texans, 9-7, Wild Card. The surprising Texans will go 5-3 in the second half. Their 8-4 conference record gives them the tiebreaker over Baltimore, Miami, Pittsburgh, Kansas City and Cleveland.

THE NFC PLAYOFF TEAMS

1. Arizona Cardinals, 12-4, NFC West champs. In the NFC, four teams from two divisions will finish with 12 wins. Arizona wins the NFC West tiebreaker and takes the top seed.

2. Philadelphia Eagles, 12-4, NFC East champs.

3. Detroit Lions, 11-5, NFC North champs. The Lions upset the Packers at Lambeau Field on the final day of the season, and the season sweep gives them the tiebreaker for the division title.

4. New Orleans Saints, 11-5, NFC South champs. The Saints take advantage of a home-heavy second-half schedule, finishing the regular season on a 9-1 run.

5. Dallas Cowboys, 12-4, Wild Card. The Cowboys finish strong, but lose the division to Philadelphia on a tiebreaker.

6. Seattle Seahawks, 12-4, Wild Card. Last week's victory in Carolina ends up being the first of eight consecutive wins for the defending champs. But their hot streak is snapped in Arizona in Week 16. They lose the tiebreaker to the Cardinals and have to settle for a Wild-Card spot.

THE POSTSEASON

AFC Wild Card: The big Wild-Card weekend headline is Andy Dalton, Marvin Lewis and the Bengals continuing their playoff drought. The Bengals lose at home to the Chargers for a second straight year.

AFC Wild Card: Andrew Luck and the Colts knock off the AFC South rival Texans.

NFC Wild Card: The Saints end the Cowboys' magical season, simply outscoring them in the Superdome.

NFC Wild Card: The Seahawks stay hot and grab a road win in Detroit, making the Lions' return to the playoffs a short one.

AFC Divisional Round: The Broncos roll over the Chargers in Denver for a second time this season.

AFC Divisional Round: New England beats the Colts in a Divisional Round rematch.

NFC Divisional Round: This year, the Eagles have no trouble holding court at home against the Saints.

NFC Divisional Round: The Seahawks finally find the right formula in the desert and edge the Cardinals. Arizona's dreams of a home Super Bowl are dashed.

AFC Championship: It's Manning vs. Brady XVII, and Peyton gets the better of the Patriots for a second straight January.

NFC Championship: The Seahawks run out of road magic in the frigid Linc. Chip Kelly leads the Eagles to the Super Bowl in his second season.

Super Bowl XLIX: The Eagles simply don’t have enough on defense to slow down Manning, and Peyton finally gets that second Super Bowl title. The question immediately becomes: Will Manning ride off into the sunset and retire, or will he be back for more in 2015?

 

[Fatbot]

Here's my list. I'm not happy about it, but going thru week by week, some teams (*cough Whiners*) have pathetically easy schedules remaining:

AFC
1. DEN 14-2
2. NE 12-4
3. IND 12-4
4. PIT 11-5
5. CIN 10-5-1
6. HOU 10-6
(KC, BAL & MIA miss at 9-7)

NFC
1. DAL 13-3
2. AZ 12-4
3. GB 12-4
4. CAR 9-5-1
5. SF 11-5
6. DET 11-5
(PHI misses at 11-5, SEA misses at 10-6)

 

[Prime Time]

I think the Colts and the Steelers are flawed teams. They might make the playoffs but barely. The Chiefs with Andy Reid as coach are better than both of them. The Ravens will get in ahead of the Texans.

No way that the Cowboys end up with a 13-3 record. I'll take the Seahawks and the Eagles to make the playoffs over the Panthers and the 49ers. The Cardinals are overdue for a letdown and will make the NFC West closer than some might think. JMO.

 

[mr.stlouis]

I've been expect ARZ to tank all year. IDK what happens.

Seahawks miss out, Niners win the division, ARZ #2 WC.

 

[Fatbot]

I think the Colts and the Steelers are flawed teams. They might make the playoffs but barely. The Chiefs with Andy Reid as coach are better than both of them. The Ravens will get in ahead of the Texans.

No way that the Cowboys end up with a 13-3 record. I'll take the Seahawks and the Eagles to make the playoffs over the Panthers and the 49ers. The Cardinals are overdue for a letdown and will make the NFC West closer than some might think. JMO.

I agree with all your assessments of which teams are better talent-wise. All I did was go thru the schedule making gut picks and came up with my mess, hope yours is what actually happens!