By Staff Writer John Manuel & Steve Shoup:
JOHN – POINT:
With no Redskins game last Sunday and a somewhat quiet week at the Park, let’s take a look at the teams who are actually playing well. That is teams that have coaches who have not yet looked toward 2013. Basically, the NFL Playoff Picture. After ten weeks we should have a good idea of who are the front-runners in the AFC and NFC.
Who will be all smiles at the end of the season in the NFL playoffs?
Let’s first look at top of the AFC and who is the front runner to not only get home field but also take advantage when the playoffs come around. Houston comes off a solid road win and look to be in great shape at 8-1 and wins over Baltimore and Denver already. It is going to be tough to knock them from getting home field. Baltimore has the next best record but I think Denver ends up getting the 2nd spot in the AFC. Peyton Manning has been playing at a MVP level all season and they are the closest to Houston when it comes to all around talent.
New England is well on its way to winning the East in a subpar division. As for the North, everything changed Monday night when Big Ben injured his shoulder. I would have had Pittsburgh edging Bmore but now got the Ravens back in the lead. Do you see anything different and I will give you the more difficult chore by adding wildcards in the AFC?
STEVE – COUNTERPOINT:
I’m with you on the division leaders, though I feel that not only did the Roethlisberger injury keep Baltimore in the top spot of the North, but it could keep them in 2nd place as well. The Ravens face the Steelers in two of their next three games and if they split or win both of those, it could be hard for them to finish 3rd.
As for the wild cards, I don’t think we will see any shocks. Even with the Roethlisberger injury, I still fully expect the Steelers to be in the postseason. As for the other spot I think the Colts will maintain their lead for a wild card spot. As for other contenders, I don’t know if any of the Dolphins, Bengals, Titans or Chargers can even get to 9 wins, and if they do will it be enough?
I would say the Chargers have the most talent of that group, but they are led by Norv Turner so my faith isn’t exactly sky high. Who do you see in the Wild Card, and how does the NFC shape up for you?
JOHN:
Wow, that just shows the AFC is not that strong after the top couple teams. I do agree the Steelers will hold on even with Roethlisberger and that the Colts should hold off that group of shaky teams including Norvell’s Chargers.
Big, big test for the Colts this week with the Patriots. This will be a great matchup between Luck and Belichick but then again Belichick’s defenses have blown for the past few seasons so maybe the rookie can show something.
The only team I can challenging for the 6th and final spot are the Bengals and that is only because of the bounce back they showed Sunday. I am shocked after 9 or 10 games we have so many teams in the AFC that are dead in the water.
I think we are going to see a crazy amount of coaches gone after the season. As for the coaches who should be safe, what do you see at the top of the NFC? Gonna let you get first crack even though you sent the same question my way.
STEVE:
I definitely agree about the coaching turnover after this season, though I don’t think it will be limited to just the AFC. As for the NFC I think most of the division races are pretty clear cut. Despite struggling the past couple of weeks, the Giants should runaway with the East, since the Cowboys, Eagles, and Redskins seem to keep trying to one-up each other in terms of futility.
Out West, I don’t think the 49ers have much to fear, despite not coming away with a win versus the Rams (not losing either did help though). Yes the Seahawks have 6 wins as well, but they have 4 losses, including three in the division. Seattle only has three remaining home games, where they are 5-0, compared to 1-4 on the road. I don’t see the 49ers having more than 5 losses (plus the tie), meaning the Seahawks would have to go 5-1 down the stretch to beat them for the division.
Down South, I think the Falcons have enough of a lead to hold off both the Buccaneers and Saints, despite the fact that both teams are playing better.
The North is the only division race that to me could get really interesting. The Vikings should be in it due to their record, but I can’t see them getting the job done. Of their final 6 games, they play the Bears twice, Packers twice, and Texans once. Assuming they win their 6th game against the Rams, they’d need to win at least four of those other games (and probably all in the division) to even have a prayer to take the North. The Bears may have the lead now, but I don’t think they’ll hang on to it. Their schedule is tough (though not as bad as the Vikings), and questions about Jay Cutler’s health, will probably leave the Packers to take the division.
Overall I see Atlanta and San Francisco coming away with the byes, mainly because the North will probably beat each other up. Before we get into the brutal NFC Wild Card picture, who do you think will take the divisions?
JOHN:
I think the NFC could have had a major shift Sunday night if Jay Cutler cannot get back on field soon. Jason Campbell was as brutal as Caleb Hanie last season and if they have to rely on him the Packers will pass them for sure. Which would kill the Bears as my preseason call as NFC Champs. I think the Vikings will fade and the Lions can’t recover.
I can’t see Atlanta blowing their lead because I cannot see the Saints or Bucs going lights out. As for the west I am a believer in what Seattle and Russell Wilson have going on but the 49ers will hold them off.
I think the East is going to get tight between the Giants and Cowboys. The Giants pull this crap every season but one of these it’s not going to turn around. The Cowboys have questions at owner, GM, coach, quarterback and chaperone but I can see them catching the Giants. It’s a complete tossup to me with the loser out and not making it as a wildcard.
As for the two wild cards I start with the Bears if Cutler is out more than two games or the Packers if he is back quick. As for the second one I am going with Seattle to take it. So no playoffs for Muscle Hamster, Bounty Squad, Mr. Samantha Steele, Toasty Nnamdi, or Coach Quit. Have any surprises taking the wild cards?
STEVE:
I’m with you on the Bears getting a wild card spot, even if Cutler needs some down time. And I don’t see the Vikings being able to survive that awful schedule (though Ponder is still a winner for obvious reasons). While I’d love to say Seattle I just really don’t know if they can win on the road, especially with a rookie quarterback. I think Doug Martin runs the Bucs into the playoffs. Tampa has looked like a brand new team these last 5 weeks, and really haven’t been non-competitive in a single game. Their schedule is pretty favorable (outside of Atlanta twice and Denver), and I could see them taking the final playoff spot.
If my predictions hold up (which I don’t know I’d bet on), we’d see just one new playoff team in the AFC (the Colts), and just two new teams in the NFC (Bears and Bucs), which is below average.
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