2016-17 NFL Playoffs baby. I know it's a little late considering they start today, but hey better late than never.
So I'm going to go round by round and give throw a random score out there for each finish too. We'll see who ends up being the most accurate when we're all said and done. Bonus points if you don't pick the Patriots to win!
Here's a reminder of the seedings...
AFC:
1. New England Patriots (14-2)
2. Kansas City Chiefs (12-4)
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (11-5)
4. Houston Texans (9-7)
5. Oakland Raiders (12-4)
6. Miami Dolphins (10-6)
NFC:
1. Dallas Cowboys (14-2)
2. Atlanta Falcons (11-5)
3. Seattle Seahawks (10-5-1)
4. Green Bay Packers (10-6)
5. New York Giants (11-5)
6. Detroit Lions (9-7)
OK. So let's start with the Wild Card round.
Wild Card
Oakland Raiders vs Houston Texans
This game could go either way. The Raiders seem to have fallen apart with Carr out, but the Texans aren't the team to cry to about having Quarterback troubles. So it could be close, but I'm giving it to Oakland because they still have an all around winning team and I think Connor Cook may surprise some people.
Winner: Raiders, 20-17.
Detroit Lions vs Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks don't seem to be their old selves anymore, but they're still a solid team and at home they're still pretty unstoppable. They're pretty beat up though, but I still give this one to them.
Winner: Seahawks, 31-20.
Miami Dolphins vs Pittsburgh Steelers
Big Ben, Antonio Brown, and Le'Veon Bell are all playing in the playoffs for the first time together. I'm going to say it now and I'll say it in the later rounds, those three are dangerous together when healthy. The key is staying healthy.
Miami beat this team in Miami early in the season and knocked Big Ben out of the game, but a lot has changed since then. Specifically, Matty Moore being the starting QB.
This should be Pittsburgh's most comfortable game during their playoff run...should.
Winner: Steelers, 38-21.
New York Giants vs Green Bay Packers
This is my toughest call yet. Both of these teams are very very similar in a lot of ways, and because of that I want to give it to Green Bay just because they have home field advantage. But the Giants are pretty tough, and if you think about it if they were in another division they'd be sitting at the three seed gearing up to play the Lions at home.
But Green Bay is hot. They turned it on...in fact the last time I've seen Green Bay come on like this towards the second half of the season was in 2010, when they beat Pittsburgh in the Super Bowl as a wildcard.
But none the less I think the Giants came to play all season long. Eli and OBJ run the game when they're together, and so I'm pulling for them to come out winners in this one.
Winner: Giants, 35-31.
Divisional Round
Seattle Seahawks vs Atlanta Falcons
This is a tough one to call, but I'm giving it to Atlanta because they're the healthier team. Seattle is just too beat up and I can't see them coming out of the Georgia Dome with a win.
Winner: Atlanta Falcons, 30-22.
Oakland Raiders vs New England Patriots
Oh what a treat it would be if Oakland somehow upset Tommy Brady and the Pats, but it's not happening. Not without Derek Carr.
Winner: Patriots, 35-17.
Pittsburgh Steelers vs Kansas City Chiefs
Steelers dominated this team early in the year after an embarrassing loss to the Eagles with a lot to prove. But now they've won 8 straight games and they're not playing in the comfort of Heinz Field.
This is going to be a tough physical matchup, but I still give it to Pittsburgh.
Winner: Steelers 31-21.
New York Giants vs Dallas Cowboys
Oh this is going to be a fun one. I'm gonna say it, I am. The Giants will beat the Dallas Cowboys for the fourth time in a row. I like the Cowboys a lot, and they are going to be a dangerous franchise for awhile. But it's an average defense that is way overdue to fall apart, and a team led by two rookies with no playoff experience.
Eli and OBJ will bring it home once again.
Winner: New York Giants 39-32.
Conference Round
New York Giants vs Atlanta Falcons
The Giants have been hot, but who better to cool them down than Matty Ice? This Falcons team isn't the best, but all the pieces will fall into place to allow them to get into this Super Bowl.
The Falcons will play their last game in the Georgia Dome by securing the NFC.
Winner: Atlanta Falcons, 35-28.
Pittsburgh Steelers vs New England Patriots
I'm saying it. I'm saying it because I am a Pittsburgh Steelers homer, and I hate the Patriots. It's quite terrible in fact because it looks like they are the two teams that have the best chance to win the Super Bowl, and they're both on two opposite ends of my spectrum. So this is going to be an emotional game for me.
And so take this write up with a grain of bias, but I am calling for the Steelers to win.
So I will say what I said at the beginning. This is the first time that the Steelers are this healthy. The Killer Bs are all ready to go. With Big Ben, Antonio Brown, and Le'Veon Bell all healthy...the realm of what could happen is endless. But the key is staying healthy, and if the Steelers are healthy by this point of the playoffs after a physical game in KC...I'm giving them the win over New England.
The Patriots don't have Gronk. Yeah I know, they won without him. They won without Brady even. But who did they play? Look at the teams they played this year...how many of them ended up in the playoffs. They played Miami and Houston. Big whoop...Houston is in the playoffs because they sucked the least in the AFC South. Miami is the 6th seed that also barely squeezed it in, I'm not counting them.
The other two teams they played...Seattle...which they lost. And Pittsburgh, who didn't have Big Ben, and yet that game was still close.
I still agree that the Patriots are the favorites in the postseason. But I think people are putting too much weight on the Patriots. They aren't as ahead of the pack as everyone thinks.
The Patriots were the team that everyone was on since the beginning. Look at the Chicago Cubs...they were the same way and look what happ- OK bad example. But still, I'm just feeling a really 2010 finish for this New England Patriots team.
The closest matchup between Pittsburgh vs New England that we can look back to I think would be the opening game last season where the Steelers lost 28-21 in New England...and if you remember, they did not have Le'Veon Bell in that game.
If Pittsburgh stays healthy, they can do it.
Winner: Steelers, 24-21.
Super Bowl LI
Pittsburgh Steelers vs Atlanta Falcons
I think the Steelers would be the favorite in this matchup, especially after upsetting the Patriots. But I think Atlanta could give them a fight.
None the less I still stand true to what I've been hammering this whole post. If the Steelers are healthy they win it all.
Winner: Pittsburgh Steelers, 34-28.
So I'm going to go round by round and give throw a random score out there for each finish too. We'll see who ends up being the most accurate when we're all said and done. Bonus points if you don't pick the Patriots to win!
Here's a reminder of the seedings...
AFC:
1. New England Patriots (14-2)
2. Kansas City Chiefs (12-4)
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (11-5)
4. Houston Texans (9-7)
5. Oakland Raiders (12-4)
6. Miami Dolphins (10-6)
NFC:
1. Dallas Cowboys (14-2)
2. Atlanta Falcons (11-5)
3. Seattle Seahawks (10-5-1)
4. Green Bay Packers (10-6)
5. New York Giants (11-5)
6. Detroit Lions (9-7)
OK. So let's start with the Wild Card round.
Wild Card
Oakland Raiders vs Houston Texans
This game could go either way. The Raiders seem to have fallen apart with Carr out, but the Texans aren't the team to cry to about having Quarterback troubles. So it could be close, but I'm giving it to Oakland because they still have an all around winning team and I think Connor Cook may surprise some people.
Winner: Raiders, 20-17.
Detroit Lions vs Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks don't seem to be their old selves anymore, but they're still a solid team and at home they're still pretty unstoppable. They're pretty beat up though, but I still give this one to them.
Winner: Seahawks, 31-20.
Miami Dolphins vs Pittsburgh Steelers
Big Ben, Antonio Brown, and Le'Veon Bell are all playing in the playoffs for the first time together. I'm going to say it now and I'll say it in the later rounds, those three are dangerous together when healthy. The key is staying healthy.
Miami beat this team in Miami early in the season and knocked Big Ben out of the game, but a lot has changed since then. Specifically, Matty Moore being the starting QB.
This should be Pittsburgh's most comfortable game during their playoff run...should.
Winner: Steelers, 38-21.
New York Giants vs Green Bay Packers
This is my toughest call yet. Both of these teams are very very similar in a lot of ways, and because of that I want to give it to Green Bay just because they have home field advantage. But the Giants are pretty tough, and if you think about it if they were in another division they'd be sitting at the three seed gearing up to play the Lions at home.
But Green Bay is hot. They turned it on...in fact the last time I've seen Green Bay come on like this towards the second half of the season was in 2010, when they beat Pittsburgh in the Super Bowl as a wildcard.
But none the less I think the Giants came to play all season long. Eli and OBJ run the game when they're together, and so I'm pulling for them to come out winners in this one.
Winner: Giants, 35-31.
Divisional Round
Seattle Seahawks vs Atlanta Falcons
This is a tough one to call, but I'm giving it to Atlanta because they're the healthier team. Seattle is just too beat up and I can't see them coming out of the Georgia Dome with a win.
Winner: Atlanta Falcons, 30-22.
Oakland Raiders vs New England Patriots
Oh what a treat it would be if Oakland somehow upset Tommy Brady and the Pats, but it's not happening. Not without Derek Carr.
Winner: Patriots, 35-17.
Pittsburgh Steelers vs Kansas City Chiefs
Steelers dominated this team early in the year after an embarrassing loss to the Eagles with a lot to prove. But now they've won 8 straight games and they're not playing in the comfort of Heinz Field.
This is going to be a tough physical matchup, but I still give it to Pittsburgh.
Winner: Steelers 31-21.
New York Giants vs Dallas Cowboys
Oh this is going to be a fun one. I'm gonna say it, I am. The Giants will beat the Dallas Cowboys for the fourth time in a row. I like the Cowboys a lot, and they are going to be a dangerous franchise for awhile. But it's an average defense that is way overdue to fall apart, and a team led by two rookies with no playoff experience.
Eli and OBJ will bring it home once again.
Winner: New York Giants 39-32.
Conference Round
New York Giants vs Atlanta Falcons
The Giants have been hot, but who better to cool them down than Matty Ice? This Falcons team isn't the best, but all the pieces will fall into place to allow them to get into this Super Bowl.
The Falcons will play their last game in the Georgia Dome by securing the NFC.
Winner: Atlanta Falcons, 35-28.
Pittsburgh Steelers vs New England Patriots
I'm saying it. I'm saying it because I am a Pittsburgh Steelers homer, and I hate the Patriots. It's quite terrible in fact because it looks like they are the two teams that have the best chance to win the Super Bowl, and they're both on two opposite ends of my spectrum. So this is going to be an emotional game for me.
And so take this write up with a grain of bias, but I am calling for the Steelers to win.
So I will say what I said at the beginning. This is the first time that the Steelers are this healthy. The Killer Bs are all ready to go. With Big Ben, Antonio Brown, and Le'Veon Bell all healthy...the realm of what could happen is endless. But the key is staying healthy, and if the Steelers are healthy by this point of the playoffs after a physical game in KC...I'm giving them the win over New England.
The Patriots don't have Gronk. Yeah I know, they won without him. They won without Brady even. But who did they play? Look at the teams they played this year...how many of them ended up in the playoffs. They played Miami and Houston. Big whoop...Houston is in the playoffs because they sucked the least in the AFC South. Miami is the 6th seed that also barely squeezed it in, I'm not counting them.
The other two teams they played...Seattle...which they lost. And Pittsburgh, who didn't have Big Ben, and yet that game was still close.
I still agree that the Patriots are the favorites in the postseason. But I think people are putting too much weight on the Patriots. They aren't as ahead of the pack as everyone thinks.
The Patriots were the team that everyone was on since the beginning. Look at the Chicago Cubs...they were the same way and look what happ- OK bad example. But still, I'm just feeling a really 2010 finish for this New England Patriots team.
The closest matchup between Pittsburgh vs New England that we can look back to I think would be the opening game last season where the Steelers lost 28-21 in New England...and if you remember, they did not have Le'Veon Bell in that game.
If Pittsburgh stays healthy, they can do it.
Winner: Steelers, 24-21.
Super Bowl LI
Pittsburgh Steelers vs Atlanta Falcons
I think the Steelers would be the favorite in this matchup, especially after upsetting the Patriots. But I think Atlanta could give them a fight.
None the less I still stand true to what I've been hammering this whole post. If the Steelers are healthy they win it all.
Winner: Pittsburgh Steelers, 34-28.
