Who wins the NFC?
The NFC, to me, is pretty simple. The best two teams are Green Bay and Seattle, and whoever secures home field between those two goes to the Super Bowl. Arizona is a nice story, but without Palmer and health questions to guys like Tyrann Mathieu and Larry Fitzgerald, I just don't see them holding up. Moreover, Seattle can definitely win the division, and Arizona on the road versus at home is an entirely different animal.
The Packers were my preseason pick to go to the Super Bowl, so I must stick with them. Their offensive line has gone 14 weeks without an injury, and giving Rodgers time in the pocket is like feeding a raccoon garbage. He will eat it up every time! But, home field is vital. It is very hard to pick against Seattle at home. And, while both battle for seeding, they are also in a dogfight for their division.
Who wins the AFC?
This is going to be a boring answer, but I feel it will come down to Denver and New England again. Whoever has home field advantage has the distinct upper hand, as New England trounced Denver in Foxboro by 22 points. Moreover, with the additions of Revis and Browner, the health of Wilfork, and the rise of LaFell, the Pats look like the better team and are my pick. Isn't it amazing how good Brady makes guys look on the football field? Welker has done nothing this year in Denver, while no-namer LaFell has 7 touchdowns in New England. Look out for Brady and Belichick, and make sure you have high security around when their playoff opponents are practicing.
AFC Wild Card: What a mess!
The AFC Wild Card picture has to be one of the most intriguing story lines this year. Currently, there are three teams at 8-5 and five at 7-6, all vying for 2 spots. If you forced my hand, I'd have to say the Steelers and Ravens will take the final two spots. I'm going to rule out the 7-6 teams, and Baltimore has by far the easiest schedule of the three 8-5 teams (Baltimore, Pittsburgh and San Diego). With Pittsburgh's final two games at home and San Diego's final two on the road, I have to give the edge to Pittsburgh. That means three AFC North teams make it, but don't look for any to take down the 2 great QBs.
Teams I'm rooting for the most
In the AFC, the team I'm rooting for the most is Indianapolis. Andrew Luck is already an elite quarterback, but the rest of his team is pretty mediocre. Similar to the old school Trent Green Chiefs, I love offense, and I love the underdog. Let's go Colts!
As for the NFC, I will obviously be pulling for Dallas, but just to keep things fresh, I will root for Green Bay the second most. It is hard to believe Rodgers hasn't won a second Super Bowl by now, and there's something about him and the Pack that I find myself compelled to root for. Maybe, it's the cheese heads? Not sure, but go Pack!
Super Bowl Predictions
My pre-season prediction was Green Bay over Denver. How cool would it be to follow up Favre-Elway with Rodgers-Manning? If I amended my pick now, it would be Packers over Patriots.
Regardless, it should be a great Super Bowl, a fun stretch run and another intriguing January and February that decides legacies. So, sit back and enjoy the ride!
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