How will your team do? Check the Schedule

One thing that has become obvious to me following the NFL is that it is fairly easy to determine what teams are going to be in the playoff hunt based on their schedule. There are a few elite teams like the Patriots, Steelers, Colts (with Manning), and we have to add the Packers, that can win enough games to get into the playoffs no matter their schedule. But the rest of the NFL teams success are based on their schedule. There are a lot of teams in the middle.

Scheduling explains why teams like the Chiefs and Falcons can win their division one season and barely be in contention for the playoffs the following season. On the flip side why a teams like the 49ers and Bengals can contend for the division title after being at the bottom of the league last season.

I actually wrote my Playoff Predictions a few weeks ago and even with some major injuries I post them today and not much has changed:

NFC:

Packers, 49ers, and Saints will win there divisions will be in.

The NFC East will be decided by 2 remaining games between Giants and Cowboys, if they split those games the Cowboys will get in with a better division and conference record. The Giants are a better team, but they had a much rougher schedule and will need to sweep the Cowboys to get in. Neither team has much chance for a Wild Card.

The 2 Wild Cards are between Lions, Falcons, and Bears. This is where my prediction has changed as the Bears had a soft schedule, so soft even without Cutler I would have gave them a shot to make the playoffs, but after losing Forte its pretty bleak. I am going to have to pick Falcons and Lions.

AFC

Patriots and Texans (even w/ 3rd string QB) are running away with their divisions.

Ravens have already beat the Steelers twice and have a soft schedule so they will likely win the AFC North.

Here is the other change in my original prediction. I had the Raiders winning AFC West at 9-7, which they may be, but I think the Broncos will win the AFC West at 10-6. Yes I have joined Team Tebow I will blog on that another day.

Steelers are easily a Wild Card Team, the last spot is between the Jets and Bengals who I believe will have the same record at 10-6. The Tie Breaking Procedures are way too long to analyze here, but the Bengals have a great shot at going 11-5 if they can beat the Texans (w/ a 3rd string QB) on the road and save us from that discussion. The AFC North is the best division in the AFC so lets go with the Bengals.

Playoff Predicitions

Pretty simple, in the NFC no one is going up to Green Bay to beat the Packers, so they will be in the Super Bowl, but I am looking forward to the re-match from Week 1 against the Saints. This game will be to offense what the Bama-LSU rematch will be to defense.

In the AFC, by far the best division is the AFC North, so they will produce the Super Bowl contender. Getting 3 teams from 1 division in the playoffs is exceptional!

So it will be the Ravens or Steelers going to face a Packers team that is even better than the team that won the Super Bowl last season.