The NFL regular season is over. While 18 teams will go home to lick their wounds and prep for the future, 12 teams will gear up for war. The prize: the Super Bowl, one of the most prestigious titles in all of sports. In this post, we'll break down each game and pick our eventual winner. Let's get started.
Wild-Card Round:
#6 Detroit Lions at #3 Seattle Seahawks
This would be a much easier task if Detroit was playing at Seattle. Unfortunately for the Lions, they find themselves playing against the Seahawks in a very tough atmosphere. We all know how good the Seahawks are at home. That being said, Seattle is not at 100%. They lost Earl Thomas for the season, so QB Matthew Stafford should take a lot of shots downfield. But even without Thomas, Seattle has an incredible defense. They should apply a lot of pressure to Stafford and essentially nullify the run game. Thanks to injuries, Russell Wilson is not as mobile as he has been in past seasons, so Detroit can concentrate on covering the passing game.
Key Player for Detroit: Zach Zenner- Zenner has shown flashes of brilliance in recent weeks, but he'll be tested against Seattle. For Detroit to win, they'll need a solid ground game, not just a solid passing game.
Key Player for Seattle: Richard Sherman- when you lose one of the best safeties in the game, problems arise. Sherman and the rest of Seattle's secondary will need to step up to stop Detroit's receivers.
Pick: Seattle- the Seahawks defense will ultimately prove to be too much for a game Detroit team. Expect the Seahawks to pull away in the second half.
#5 New York Giants at #4 Green Bay
This is a really tough game to call. Both teams are pretty equal on talent level. If Green Bay was at full strength, they'd probably be the easy favorites. But injuries have decimated their roster all season long, so they've had to adapt. New York on the other hand, is flying high thanks to the likes of Odell Beckham Jr. and Landon Collins. Green Bay is playing at home, and like the previous match-up, that really tips the scale in their favors.
Key Player for New York: Landon Collins- the safety has been one of the most remarkable defensive players in the entire league. The Giants will need big plays out of him.
Key Player for Green Bay: Aaron Rodgers- there is possibly no one in the more league with more momentum than Rodgers. After a shaky start to the season, Rodgers is posting MVP-worthy numbers and is playing some of the best football of his career. If this continues on Sunday, the Giants will be in a world of trouble.
Pick: Green Bay- while I would not be surprised if New York pulled off the upset, the Packers have too much momentum on their side to lose.
#5 Oakland Raiders at #4 Houston Texans
The real question here is how well Brock Osweiler will play. He struggled consistently throughout the season and was eventually benched in favor of Tom Savage. Unfortunately, Savage was concussed in Week 17, so Osweiler once again finds himself in the starting position. Houston fans should undeniably be worried, as Oakland's defense has the potential to eat him alive. That being said, Oakland's offense also has the potential to carve holes through Houston's defense.
Key Player for Oakland: Kelechi Osmele- Osmele and the entire offensive line will need to keep Houston's big men at bay. That will be easier thanks to JJ Watt being injured, but Houston still has the ability to rush the QB.
Key Player for Houston: Will Fuller V- the rookie has emerged as a great deep-threat option this year, but he will need to be a playmaker for Houston. The Texans simply do not have the talent to match up with the Raiders so they will be forced to rely on big plays to win.
Pick: Oakland- the Raiders are one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl. This shouldn't be anything more than a warmup game for them.
#6 Miami Dolphins at #3 Pittsburgh Steelers
In Week 6, these two teams met. In a bit of an upset, the Dolphins won by 15 points. While it may be easy to point to them as the obvious winner, things are much different now. The biggest difference: Matt Moore is the QB for the Dolphins. In the Week 6 win, Ryan Tannehill was at the helm for Miami. Say what you want his ability, but he still picked up the W. Moore on the other hand, is much less capable. This should be a closer game than the first meeting.
Key Player for Miami: Jay Ajayi- the running back emerged to become one of the league's best running backs. He played very well against Pittsburgh in Week 6, but that was when he was a bit of an unknown commodity. Now that Pittsburgh has had time to prepare for him, he might be easier to contain.
Key Player for Pittsburgh: Antonio Brown- the best wide receiver in the league, Brown struggled against Miami the first time around. He will need a bigger game this time if Pittsburgh wants a chance at winning.
Pick: Pittsburgh- it's hard to bet against Roethlisberger in the playoffs. Add in the fact that Matt Moore is playing, and you have a perfect recipe for Pittsburgh to win.
Divisional Round:
#3 Seattle Seahawks at #2 Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta is defined by its explosive offense. With players like Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, and Tevin Coleman, how can you not be? The problem is its suspect defense. It's prime for guys like Jimmy Graham and Doug Baldwin to run over. Granted, it might not be enough, but it should at least keep them competitive. Seattle's defense will have their hands full, but they have the tools to get the job done.
Key Player for Seattle: Thomas Rawls- Seattle's leading rusher of this season was Christine Michael, who is now in Green Bay. Rawls is now the starting running back, but the whole run game remains weak. Rookie Alex Collins has shown potential, but Rawls will shoulder most of the load.
Key Player for Atlanta: Matt Ryan- the former Boston College QB is one of the front-runners for the MVP award. Against Seattle, he'll have a very tough outing, but he needs to succeed if Atlanta is to win.
Pick: Seattle- Atlanta's offense might be stumped by Seattle, while Seattle has the potential to run over the Falcons.
#4 Green Bay Packers at #1 Dallas Cowboys
The resurgence of the Cowboys has been one of the biggest stories of this season. They went from a mediocre team to viable Super Bowl contenders. The Packers, on the other hand, have managed to stay great for years now. That being said, it's hard to go against the 'Boys. Ezekiel Elliot just had arguably the best season for a rookie running back ever, the defense is flying high, and Dak Prescott is coming off of a Pro Bowl season.
Key Player for Green Bay: Clay Matthews- Matthews dealt with injury problems this season, but is now back. He and the rest of the Packers will have a hard time containing Elliot, but it's absolutely necessary.
Key Player for Dallas: Dez Bryant- the explosive receiver is one of the best in the game, and he should take advantage of an injury-riddled secondary.
Pick: Dallas- if Green Bay was at full strength then they might be the favorites here, but right now it's hard to pick against Dallas.
#5 Oakland Raiders at #1 New England Patriots
In an explosive second-round game, we have the two best AFC teams playing. The Patriots will get a boost from playing in Foxborough, and the Raiders are further weakened by the loss of Derek Carr. Carr was playing like an MVP, and not having him seriously hurts the Raiders. If Carr was active, I would probably pick the Raiders to win.
Key Player for Oakland: Khalil Mack- one of the most feared defensive players in the league will need to be at his best here. If he can and teammate Bruce Irvin can keep the pressure on Tom Brady, maybe they can force some bad throws.
Key Player for New England: Julian Edelman- with Gronk out, Edelman is the biggest target for Brady. He and the other prominent receiving members of the receiving corps, like Chris Hogan and Malcolm Mitchell, will need big games.
Pick: New England- if Carr was playing, I'd pick Oakland to win, but the Raiders aren't good enough without him.
# 3 Pittsburgh Steelers at #2 Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs have some explosive, dynamite weapons on their team. This includes Travis Kelce, Eric Berry, and Tyreke Hill. Their defense and special teams are among the best in the league and should give Pittsburgh fits. Pittsburgh's Le'Veon Bell is the best back in the league, but KC can shut him down.
Key Player for Pittsburgh: Ryan Shazier- the former OSU standout will have his work cut out for him as he faces Spencer Ware. He'll also need to put pressure on Alex Smith.
Key Player for Kansas City: Justin Houston- Houston is expected to be back for this game, and hopefully he'll be healthy. Houston is the heart of KC's linebackers, so his presence will instantly elevate them.
Pick: Kansas City- the Chiefs are simply a better all-around team than Pittsburgh
Conference Finals:
#3 Seattle Seahawks at #1 Dallas Cowboys
Man, what a game this should be. Two of the best young quarterbacks in the league will be put to the test against two elite defenses. This game might just come down to whichever QB plays better. If Seattle still had Marshawn Lynch (who retired last season), they would be better equipped to deal with Dallas. Instead, Thomas Rawls will have his work cut out for him.
Key Player for Seattle: Jimmy Graham- Graham might just be Seattle's best weapon against a physical Dallas defense. The big-bodied tight end is a great pass-catcher and should get plenty of targets from Russell Wilson.
Key Player for Dallas: Tyron Smith- Smith helms the best offensive line in the country. Doug Free, Travis Frederick, Zack Martin, and La'el Collins are all tough, physical players that can create massive holes for Elliot to run through. That being said, Seattle has a ferocious rushing defense led by Bobby Wagner. If Dallas's o-line can hold them back, the Cowboys' chances of winning go up markedly.
Pick: Dallas- if Russell Wilson was 100% healthy and totally mobile, he might give Dallas fits. But since he's injured, Dallas will be able to contain him.
#2 Kansas City Chiefs at #1 New England Patriots
You might think that the Raiders and Steelers are the biggest threat to New England, but don't count Kansas City out. The Chiefs have one of the best D/ST units in the league and that could prove to be the tipping point.
Key Player for Kansas City: Alex Smith- the Patriots will try to put pressure on Smith, but he needs to stay cool and find the open receiver. If he plays well, the Chiefs have a realistic shot at winning.
Key Player for New England: Malcolm Butler- the man behind one of the greatest plays in NFL history will have his work cut out for him against the likes of Jeremy Maclin and Travis Kelce.
Pick: Kansas City- this is a big upset, but I think it's possible. Kansas City is on an incredible roll while New England is without Gronk, undeniably their biggest weapon. Plus, every good prediction needs a big upset and risky pick.
Super Bowl
Dallas Cowboys vs. Kansas City Chiefs
If you had told me at the beginning of the year that I would be picking these two teams to meet in the Super Bowl, I would have laughed. In fact, in my preseason predictions, I picked Carolina to beat Pittsburgh in the Super Bowl. Yeah, that worked out well.
Key Player for Dallas: Sean Lee- the Cowboys will need their defensive leader to step up and contain the Chiefs' explosive players.
Key Player for Kansas City: Spencer Ware- Ware has done an admirable job stepping up in replace of the injured Jamaal Charles. But he'll need to have an epic game if he wants to keep the Chiefs in contention.
Pick: Dallas- it's simple, Dallas is the best team in the NFL. Kansas City has the talent to keep it close, but it won't be enough.
Super Bowl MVP: Ezekiel Elliot- you just know Elliot will have a career-defining perofmance here. He'll become the first rookie to ever win Super Bowl MVP.
Thanks for reading everyone.
