Welcome to part two of my playoff predictions! Last week was the AFC and now this week will be the NFC. The NFC looks very different from last year as the Arizona Cardinals are out of contention for the playoffs and the Carolina Panthers are almost out of contention and barely staying alive. These two teams were in the NFC championship last year, so we will see two new teams in the NFC championship this year. There are also more surprises this year in the NFC as the Dallas Cowboys are in first place as they are led by rookie quarterback, Dak Prescott and rookie running back Ezekiel Elliot. With a great O-Line protecting Dak and Zeke they look to make a deep playoff run to show everyone what Dallas can do. On to the list!!!
Sixth Seed (Second Wildcard): Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are storming up the NFL rankings as they continue their excellent play. They started the season slow but they started to pick things up. With impressive wins against the Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs, they look to finish the season strong. Their late season turnaround were caused by Tampa Bay's defense stepping up and great play by the Bucs young QB and WR in Jameis Winston and Mike Evans. Winston has elevated his play in the last couple of weeks to help put the Bucs in a position to make the playoffs. Their next two games are very winnable as they faced the struggling Saints then the Carolina Panthers, who look completely different from the Super Bowl team last year. Also, the Detroit Lions have a very tough two games left against the Cowboys and the Packers which could cause them to lose their division and to lose their wild card spot and this is where Tampa Bay could slip in. As long as Jameis Winston keeps up his level of play and the defense continues to play at a high level, they will sneak into the playoffs.
Fifth Seed (First Wildcard): New York (New Jersey) Giants
This situation looks all too familiar. The Giants struggle in the beginning of the season and yet they manage to get a wildcard spot. Eli and Odell have always been a tough combo but add in an improved Giants defense. They look like a scary wildcard like they have been before. Their last two games will be against the Eagles and Redskins, who will not make the playoffs. The Giants look like they can win the division but they need to win out and have the Cowboys lose both their final two games. I don't see that happening but I'm pretty sure the Giants wouldn't mind having the wildcard. I have a feeling that the Giants will upset someone in the first round because the Giants are always a dangerous wild card team. So whoever ends up being the fourth seed, they better be careful and have a good game plan against the Giants.
Fourth Seed: Green Bay Packers (NFC North Winner)
The Green Bay Packers haven't been themselves this season as they have been quite inconsistent. The offense and defense have not been at the level it was at the previous years. They were on a four game losing streak earlier in the season that involved losses to the Falcons, Colts, Titans, and Redskins. These were teams that the Packers easily beat in the past, but now lost and had trouble against. If this prediction comes true, they would go up against a clicking Giants team who's defense has become dangerous the last couple of weeks. If the Packers want to win another ring they will have to get back into championship form soon or they could see a quick playoff exit or not make the playoffs at all.
Third Seed: Atlanta Falcons (NFC South Winner)
The Atlanta Falcons have one of the best QB and WR combos in the NFL in Matt Ryan and Julio Jones. They also have a great running game with Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman. The one problem with the Atlanta Falcons is their defense. In order to win games, the Atlanta Falcons rely on their offense to win games since their defense struggles. It seems like the Falcons locked up their division as they will face the struggling Saints then Panthers. The defense need to find it's groove if the Falcons want to make a deep playoff run. The offense can only do so much. Everyone knows the saying that defense wins championships. If the Falcons run into a high powered offensive team, it may lead to a shootout which may cause a playoffs exit for the Falcons.
Second Seed: Seattle Seahawks (NFC West Winner)
The Seattle Seahawks made people doubt in the beginning of the regular season if they are the same dominant Seahawks as they started 1-2. Fast forward to now, those doubts have gone away. With Russell Wilson at quarterback and Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor leading the Legion of Boom, Seattle looks to have another deep playoff run. To close the season, they will face the Arizona Cardinals, who are not the same team they are last year, and one of the worst teams in the league, the San Francisco 49ers. It looks like they will win out for the rest of the season. Also, tight end Jimmy Graham is finally looking like is old self as he is starting to find chemistry with Russell Wilson. Look for the Seahawks to be dangerous in the playoffs and look to be a Super Bowl contender.
First Seed: Dallas Cowboys (NFC East Winner)
The Dallas Cowboys have been one of this season's surprise teams in the NFL. When Tony Romo got hurt in the preseason, people wondered what the Cowboys would do. So they turned to rookie quarterback, Dak Prescott out of Mississippi State and haven't looked back since. Also, Ezekiel Elliot has been running all over the NFL with dominant performance after dominant performance. He is one of the league's leading rushers and he is only a rookie. Also having the best offensive line in the league to protect these two doesn't hurt either. Look for this team to be very hard to stop during the regular season and the playoffs as they look to make a Super Bowl run.
Those are my predictions for the NFL Playoffs this year. When the playoffs have been all set and we know who will be playing who I will be making another article about those match-ups. Thank you for reading and I will see you next week!
