[NYSportsGuy210]

No surprises this year folks. I know we have three weeks left still in the regular season but outside of the Packers somehow winning the NFC North by running the table with Aaron Rodgers back everything seems pretty much in place. I see all 6 teams in each conference that are currently play off eligible making it after week 17.

(Sorry Dallas and Cardinals fans).

That being said the only things that really need to be figured out these next three weeks is where will San Francisco land in the playoff seeding and can they avoid the #6 seed so they don't have to face the Seahawks in Seattle in the divisional round? To do that 49ers have to run the table and finish 12-4 (certainly possible) as I see Carolina losing one more game this year to New Orleans at home. This will cause the Panthers to finish 11-5 and be that dreaded #6 seed.

Now both the #5 and the #6 seeds in the NFC will win their wild card games as Detroit and Dallas and or Philadelphia are not better than San Francisco nor Carolina. Any way you slice those wild card match ups the #5 and #6 seeds will win them.

So its very very important for the 49ers to run the table now and beat Tampa Bay, Atlanta and Arizona at Arizona to secure a #5 seed and avoid playing the Seahawks till the NFC title game. If they do this....I believe they beat Philadelphia in round 1 and New Orleans in New Orleans in round 2. Seahawks will murder Carolina at Seattle so that sets up today's match up again....only back in Seattle this time.

As far as the AFC goes, well we all thought Indianapolis could be giant killers this year and make things interesting like Baltimore did last year. But no Reggie Wayne means not happening. Colts passing game is not effective and their running game a bust with Trent Richardson. Baltimore as a #6 seed will be interesting but their defense is not as good as it was last year. KC will beat Indianapolis in round 1 at Indy and may even beat New England at New England in round 2. Again No Gronk....means no team is really left to stop Peyton Manning and the Colts on their way to the Super Bowl in the AFC. And we know Cincinatti can put up points, but can they really out gun sling the Colts? I doubt it. If those two teams lock up it'll be a 55 -41 type win for the Broncos. So that leaves KC as your only hope. But we saw what Denver at home did to KC....nothing to stop that from happening again.

So as long as both Seattle and Denver have home field advantage throughout.....and now New England has no more Gronk....there really isn't left much out there to stop Denver and Seattle from meeting. Again the two #5 seeds can possibly change that....but it's unlikely.

[Cuse0323]

It's the NFL, man. The playoffs are a whole new game. Rarely do the top 2 teams get there and Seattle isn't getting there.

[NYSportsGuy210]

It's the NFL, man. The playoffs are a whole new game. Rarely do the top 2 teams get there and Seattle isn't getting there.

Not this year my friend. Unfortunately both the NBA and the NFL are extremely watered down as far as quality teams this season.

Last year in the NFL there were several quality Super Bowl caliber teams in both conferences....not this year however.

[Cuse0323]

Not this year my friend. Unfortunately both the NBA and the NFL are extremely watered down as far as quality teams this season.

Last year in the NFL there were several quality Super Bowl caliber teams in both conferences....not this year however.

Still several this year. We shall see.

[NYSportsGuy210]

Still several this year. We shall see.

My actual post above disproves this. Read it before you comment.

[ThaTopMoron]

No surprises this year folks. I know we have three weeks left still in the regular season but outside of the Packers somehow winning the NFC North by running the table with Aaron Rodgers back everything seems pretty much in place. I see all 6 teams in each conference that are currently play off eligible making it after week 17.

(Sorry Dallas and Cardinals fans).

That being said the only things that really need to be figured out these next three weeks is where will San Francisco land in the playoff seeding and can they avoid the #6 seed so they don't have to face the Seahawks in Seattle in the divisional round? To do that 49ers have to run the table and finish 12-4 (certainly possible) as I see Carolina losing one more game this year to New Orleans at home. This will cause the Panthers to finish 11-5 and be that dreaded #6 seed.

Now both the #5 and the #6 seeds in the NFC will win their wild card games as Detroit and Dallas and or Philadelphia are not better than San Francisco nor Carolina. Any way you slice those wild card match ups the #5 and #6 seeds will win them.

So its very very important for the 49ers to run the table now and beat Tampa Bay, Atlanta and Arizona at Arizona to secure a #5 seed and avoid playing the Seahawks till the NFC title game. If they do this....I believe they beat Philadelphia in round 1 and New Orleans in New Orleans in round 2. Seahawks will murder Carolina at Seattle so that sets up today's match up again....only back in Seattle this time.

As far as the AFC goes, well we all thought Indianapolis could be giant killers this year and make things interesting like Baltimore did last year. But no Reggie Wayne means not happening. Colts passing game is not effective and their running game a bust with Trent Richardson. Baltimore as a #6 seed will be interesting but their defense is not as good as it was last year. KC will beat Indianapolis in round 1 at Indy and may even beat New England at New England in round 2. Again No Gronk....means no team is really left to stop Peyton Manning and the Colts on their way to the Super Bowl in the AFC. And we know Cincinatti can put up points, but can they really out gun sling the Colts? I doubt it. If those two teams lock up it'll be a 55 -41 type win for the Broncos. So that leaves KC as your only hope. But we saw what Denver at home did to KC....nothing to stop that from happening again.

So as long as both Seattle and Denver have home field advantage throughout.....and now New England has no more Gronk....there really isn't left much out there to stop Denver and Seattle from meeting. Again the two #5 seeds can possibly change that....but it's unlikely.

dude... you really typed this shit up too quickly

[VegasInsider]

Broncos/Patriots vs. Saints/Seahawks

[therocket]

Seems obvious but its the nfl. Whoda thunk balty was going to win it all this time last year? Or when the packers won it As a 6 seed? Or both times the g men won it. Or arizona when the made it. Whoever is the hot team playing for thier lives these last few weeks will be a formatable opponent for the top seeds. Seems like we have the same conversation every year about who can possibly beat these juggernauts scorching through the competition during the regular season. I can't tell you who it is but someone will screw up your Seattle v Denver Super Bowl in New Jersey.

[frostno98]

If some one can beat the Seahawks at home in the 1st round no one is going to be the Saints at home. The Broncos are a virtually lock to make it the Superbowl. The Patriots are not even guaranteed the #2 seed because they will probably lose to both Baltimore and Miami on the road.

[NYSportsGuy210]

dude... you really typed this shit up too quickly

Thanks for the typo catch....yea it was a Fruedian slip. Hehe. Change it to Broncos.

[NYSportsGuy210]

Seems obvious but its the nfl. Whoda thunk balty was going to win it all this time last year? Or when the packers won it As a 6 seed? Or both times the g men won it. Or arizona when the made it. Whoever is the hot team playing for thier lives these last few weeks will be a formatable opponent for the top seeds. Seems like we have the same conversation every year about who can possibly beat these juggernauts scorching through the competition during the regular season. I can't tell you who it is but someone will screw up your Seattle v Denver Super Bowl in New Jersey.

There are no "hot" teams going into this year. Last year Baltimore had a top notch team defense and decent offensive weapons....wasn't a shock that they won the Super Bowl. In fact, there were a legit 7 to 8 teams last year that all had decent odds of winning the Super Bowl. This year there is like four at best.

If San Francisco wins out and Crabtree becomes a major force you can argue them....but other than that with Gronk out.....there are no other major threats to either Denver nor Seattle.

[frostno98]

It's the NFL, man. The playoffs are a whole new game. Rarely do the top 2 teams get there and Seattle isn't getting there.

It's the 1998 Vikings 15-1/Broncos 14-2 all over again. Both #1 seed teams steamed roll the regular season only to have the Vikings lose in the NFC Championship game because Gary Anderson who was perfect at FG missed at chip shop to put the Vikings in the Superbowl. Only something flukie will prevent this from happening.

[NYSportsGuy210]

It's the 1998 Vikings 15-1/Broncos 14-2 all over again. Both #1 seed teams steamed roll the regular season only to have the Vikings lose in the NFC Championship game because Gary Anderson who was perfect at FG missed at chip shop to put the Vikings in the Superbowl. Only something flukie will prevent this from happening.

Yea but the Vikings lost to a 14-2 very talented Atlanta Falcons team that year in the NFC championship game. If the Seahawks go 14-2 and as dominant as they are at home playing defense who's gonna stop them? You can say maybe the Niners....especially if they get hot and finish the regular season 12-4....but we saw what Seattle did to them at Seattle the last two seasons. We saw what Seattle did to the high octane Saints offense too. So who's left?

[Cuse0323]

Yea but the Vikings lost to a 14-2 very talented Atlanta Falcons team that year in the NFC championship game. If the Seahawks go 14-2 and as dominant as they are at home playing defense who's gonna stop them? You can say maybe the Niners....especially if they get hot and finish the regular season 12-4....but we saw what Seattle did to them at Seattle the last two seasons. We saw what Seattle did to the high octane Saints offense too. So who's left?

Eagles are the hottest team in the league right now, can't count them out. A lot of football left, Saints looked like shit last week and came back strong this week. Panthers are still a good team too.

[NYSportsGuy210]

Panthers are a fraud. Their defense is physical but in their 8 game winning streak look at the crappy teams they beat. Put them up against a play off contender not named Detroit or Dallas and they will get stomped.

[k13]

You could have had this for +1500 for a while....now its probably +300 or some kind of a joke like that.

[Statman]

You never know...this is the NFL. If you've been betting this game long enough, you know that weird things can happen....

[NYSportsGuy210]

You never know...this is the NFL. If you've been betting this game long enough, you know that weird things can happen....

"Any Given Sunday" I get it.....but this year it's so watered down. It's like two teams are head and shoulders above everyone else.

[Big Bear]

"Any Given Sunday" I get it.....but this year it's so watered down. It's like two teams are head and shoulders above everyone else.

i couldnt agree more. And with Gronkowski out for the year
you can count the Patriots out.

[zacher]

Patriots have been out. I cant remember the last time they covered a spread. They'll find a way to win by 1..that doesn't work in the playoffs. I agree that the Seahawks at home will be hard to stop. The second they travel wether that be in the Super Bowl or not…they'll get beat…I just put a couple bucks on the packers +6500…they won the Super Bowl in 2010 like they did now…good start slow middle and strong finish. If that team is clicking it is hard to stop…just don't know when it will start clicking.

But I agree it will probably be Seahawks / Broncos and I am saying Peyton takes it home with a win by 3

[k13]

"Any Given Sunday" I get it.....but this year it's so watered down. It's like two teams are head and shoulders above everyone else.

Neither looked impressive this week.

One bad game is all it takes.

[SamDiamond]

Yeah, because the NFL Playoffs always follow seeding....

The last 3 Super Bowl winners were a #4 seed, another #4 seed, and a # seed.

[SamDiamond]

"Any Given Sunday" I get it.....but this year it's so watered down. It's like two teams are head and shoulders above everyone else.

Wow, you really think this year is any different than years past?

Seriously?

Shit, just go back to 2011---- 15-1 Green Bay and 13-3 New England.

The 9-7 Giants won the Super Bowl.

[In The Money]

If some one can beat the Seahawks at home in the 1st round no one is going to be the Saints at home. The Broncos are a virtually lock to make it the Superbowl. The Patriots are not even guaranteed the #2 seed because they will probably lose to both Baltimore and Miami on the road.

The niners would have beat them in NO if it wasnt for that BS call on cry baby brees

[NYSportsGuy210]

The niners would have beat them in NO if it wasnt for that BS call on cry baby brees

Again as I have stated the Niners could be what the 2011 Giants team was but we have already seen what Seattle does to teams at their place. It's not like SF even kept it close in both their last two losses in Seattle. I don't remember the 2011 15-1 GB Packers being that dominant at home defensively or being known as a defensive juggernaut team....I remember Aaron Rodgers just out gunning everyone else. Same thing with the 15-1 Minnesota Vikings in 1998.....they just out gunned teams with Cunningham and Randy Moss. Seattle is different than that.

[easyliving]

ill say it for the 200th time, Niners would beat the Seahawks regardless of venue in a playoff game.

[packerd_00]

If some one can beat the Seahawks at home in the 1st round no one is going to be the Saints at home. The Broncos are a virtually lock to make it the Superbowl. The Patriots are not even guaranteed the #2 seed because they will probably lose to both Baltimore and Miami on the road.

The Patriots wont get very far after losing Gronkowski yesterday,he was a huge piece of there offense.

[BigWangDangALang]

Chiefs stand a chance.

[ThaTopMoron]

Chiefs stand a chance.

Chiefs will easily go into Indy and take out the Colts. Offensive coordinator will be too stupid to try and scheme the game to beat the Chiefs through the air and beat the man 2 man defense that KC will play. that's how Manning beat KC. Colts will continue to be stupid and try to run the ball predictably and the Chiefs will shut it down just like every decent team has recently.

[NYSportsGuy210]

Chiefs stand a chance.

We saw what happened when the Chiefs played Denver at Denver. Heck even at Arrowhead.

[NYSportsGuy210]

ill say it for the 200th time, Niners would beat the Seahawks regardless of venue in a playoff game.

How can you be so sure? Reasons?

[Big Bear]

the difference this year is Seattle has home field locked up.

Aint NOBODY winning in Seattle .

And who is going to challenge the Broncos?

Bengals??? No way

[Twiz]

Broncos should win AFC, if not them, Chiefs or dare i say...colts if they can get their mojo back.

NFC is a toss up. Absolutely will NOT be carolina (I say this with a NFC 'ship future on them...). Most likely will NOT be seattle. Detroit or San Fran in my opinion.

Gun to my head I'd say Broncos vs 49ers in the SB...Broncos 31-27 as far as bold predictions go...hell take it a step further line opens Denver -4.5...

[Madison]

Anyone predcting a super bowl winner best have a VERY VERY good advanced weather forecast for Feb/NY. The winner will likely be a nasty weather tolerant team. Saints and the like probably NOT.

[Darkside Magick]

Number 1 seeds in recent years do not go to the Super Bowl...look for a darkhorse like Cincinnati