NFL Divisional Playoff Predictions

So glad I don't have any homework this weekend, so I can actually enjoy the playoffs this weekend!

Last weekend, I went 3-for-4 with my picks.  Green Bay and Baltimore both won, as I'd predicted, though I wasn't expecting quite the whoopin' that the Ravens put on the Chiefs.  If I was going to pick one game incorrectly, I thought it would have been the Jets beating the Colts.  Turns out, the one game I got wrong was the one I thought was the easiest pick - New Orleans was supposed to kick the crap out of Seattle, but the Seahawks pulled off the upset.  Once again, these games figure to be pretty close for the most part.  So here goes...

NFC Divisional: Seahawks at Bears 
The world is still in shock after the Seahawks' upset of the defending Superbowl champion Saints last Saturday.  This week, however, Seattle won't be so lucky.  They'll be playing in Chicago, which in itself is a tough play to play, and they're 1-7 in road playoff games, winning only their first one in 1983.  Their defense is still shoddy - they ranked 27th in the league this season, and they gave up 36 points to New Orleans in the Wild-Card round.  The Hawks had to rely on their offense to out-duel Drew Brees and the Saints, but they definitely won't be able to do that against Chicago's defense, which ranked 9th in the league and second against the run.  Marshawn Lynch certainly won't be pulling off another monster touchdown run like he did last week - not against guys like Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs.  Granted, the Bears' offense hasn't been much to write home about either, but they've gotten it done when they needed to.  Running back Matt Forte will be key to the Bears winning this game, and look for Jay Cutler to target up-and-coming WR Johnny Knox.  And who can forget the ever-dangerous return man Devin Hester?  As long as Cutler doesn't screw up too badly like he tends to do at times, the Bears should have no problem with Seattle.  
Bears 24, Seahawks 7.  

NFC Divisional: Packers at Falcons 
If you want a team that's been quietly getting it done all season, look no further than the Atlanta Falcons.  They don't really stand out in any offensive or defensive category, ranking near the middle of the pack on both sides of the ball.  And yet they'll be sending seven players to the Pro Bowl this year - among them QB Matt Ryan, RB Michael Turner, WR Roddy White, and TE Tony Gonzalez.  Not to mention they've earned the top seed in the NFC.  This weekend, they'll be up against another team emerging from the shadows, the Green Bay Packers.  Don't let the sixth-seed ranking fool you.  These guys pack a punch, boasting the league's fifth-ranked offense and fourth-ranked defense.  Aaron Rodgers is probably the best quarterback not to make the Pro Bowl this year, and he showed why by throwing for three touchdowns against Philadelphia last week.  The recent emergence of RB James Starks should add some balance to the Green Bay's offense.  The Pack's strength, however, lies in their defensive playmakers like LB Clay Matthews, CB Charles Woodson, and FS Nick Collins.  They'll have their work cut out for them this weekend against Atlanta's explosive playmakers on offense, but I think they'll be more than up to the task.  Though I'm impressed with the job that the Falcons have done this season, I think the advantage goes to Green Bay, as Atlanta's defense isn't quite ready for the Packer's offense.  Whatever the outcome, you can bet this will be an exciting game to watch.
Packers 24, Falcons 17.  

AFC Divisional: Jets at Patriots 
As much as I hate to admit it, I gotta hand it to the Patriots - they really know how to build a good team around Tom Brady.  I'm pretty sure he's the only player left from their championship team in 2001 (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong), but this team gets it done year after year.  Many are saying this Patriots team is even better than the one that went 18-1 in 2007, and that they're the favorite to win it all this year.  But first, they have to get past a New York Jets team that has the league's third-best defense and fourth-best rushing attack.  Throw in QB Mark Sanchez and WR Santonio Holmes, and you've got yourself a pretty well-rounded team that, on paper, has as good of a chance as anyone of winning the Superbowl.  The only caveat is that the Jets have been inconsistent toward the end of the season, leaving me to wonder, what kind of performance will we see from Sanchez this Sunday?  In order for New York to win this matchup, they'll need to wear down New England's defense using RB's LaDanian Tomlinson and Shonn Greene, which will give Sanchez the opportunity to take advantage of the Pats' young secondary with throws to Holmes and Braylon Edwards.  On defense, the Jets have to be able to get to Tom Brady pretty quickly, a tough task against an O-line like New England's.  They will also need to look out for the Patriots' breakout running backs BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Danny Woodhead.  CB's Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie will be critical to stopping the offensive juggernaut that is the Patriots; the game will hinge on how well the Jets' secondary covers WR Wes Welker and TE's Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez.  My heart tells me to pick the Jets, but my head tells me to play it safe and pick New England.  The Jets certainly have what it takes to win in Foxboro, but the question is, will they bring it?
Patriots 27, Jets 17.


AFC Divisional: Ravens at Steelers 
There's no love lost between these two division rivals.  The last game between the Steelers and the Ravens featured a quarterback getting his nose broken and the starting tight end on either side getting knocked out of the game.  These teams play physical, and there's nothing to convince me that won't be the case Saturday afternoon.  The Steelers had the NFL's second-best defense in 2010, led by versatile All-Pro safety Troy Polamalu (7 interceptions) and hard-hitting linebacker James Harrison.  The Ravens' defense hasn't been too shabby, either - not when you've got guys like Ray Lewis and Ed Reed.  They certainly wreaked havoc on the Chiefs last week, holding them to just a single touchdown.  Both of these teams have playoff-tested quarterbacks in Ben Roethlisberger and Joe Flacco.  RB Rashard Mendenhall has been a workhorse for the Steelers this season, rushing for over 1200 yards and 13 touchdowns, but he doesn't figure to get too far against a Ravens defensive front that ranked fifth in the league at stopping the run.  And Ravens RB Ray Rice definitely won't get much against the Steelers top-ranked run defense, which these season has been one of the best of all time, allowing only 62.8 yards per game.  Both teams will have to rely on their passing attacks to get the job done.  Both have the weapons to do so.  The Ravens picked up former Pro Bowl WR's Anquan Boldin and T.J. Houshmandzadeh in the offseason to complement TE Todd Heap.  Pittsburgh's speedy WR Mike Wallace has become Big Ben's go-to guy this season, finishing second in the league in yards per catch and fifth in receiving yardage, and could probably be the difference-maker for the Steelers.  This will be a close, low-scoring game, as has been the case every time these two teams have played for the last few seasons.  You could call this one either way.  From a statistical standpoint, the matchups of pass offense vs. pass defense favor the Steelers, and Pittsburgh has never lost to an AFC North opponent in the postseason.   Joe Flacco will eventually figure out how to crack the Steelers' defense, but it won't be this weekend.
Steelers 13, Ravens 10.  

And here's my predictions for the rest of the playoffs:

AFC Championship: Steelers 24, Patriots 21
NFC Championship: Packers 20, Bears 3
Superbowl XLV: Steelers 21, Packers 20