2013 Playoffs: Who's in? Who's out?

I can't wait to read this in December when it becomes laughably absurd!

NFC locks:

• San Francisco (West champ)
• Green Bay (North champ)
• Seattle (wildcard)

NFC bubble:

• Washington, New York, Dallas (could see any winning the East)
• Atlanta, New Orleans, Tampa Bay (could see any winning the South)

NFC longshots:

• St. Louis, Chicago, Minnesota

NFC hopeless:

• Arizona, Carolina, Detroit, Philadelphia

My picks: Atlanta (South champ), Dallas (East champ), New York (wildcard)

Commentary: Can't see San Francisco or Seattle getting left out, but I think it's at least a year early to project a big jump for St. Louis. Green Bay will cruise to the North title. The East and South will be so competitive it's hard to envision the second wildcard not coming from one of those races. My Dallas pick is sort of a shot in the dark as I'm literally projecting all three teams at 9-7 or 10-6. I think Atlanta will be just a little too much for New Orleans and an improved Tampa Bay. New York will squeak past Washington for second place and New Orleans, Tampa Bay, and Washington will all be disappointingly left at home.

AFC locks:

• Denver (West champ)
• New England (East champ)
• Houston, Indianapolis (South champ, wildcard)

AFC bubble:

• Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Baltimore (could see any winning the North; runner-up likely the second wildcard)

AFC longshots:

• Kansas City, San Diego, Miami, New York, Cleveland

AFC hopeless:

• Oakland, Jacksonville, Buffalo, Tennessee

My picks: Cincinnati (North champ), Pittsburgh (wildcard)

Commentary: Denver and New England are #4 and #5 in my power rankings and are in the same category as Green Bay for easy division titles. Houston and Indianapolis are so far ahead of Tennessee and Jacksonville that the South's second-place team feels like a wildcard lock (I think Indianapolis will jump Houston for first place). The North race is tied with the NFC East for most fascinating race. I think Cincinnati continues its steady rise and edges it out for first place. I think Pittsburgh has a bit of a wake-up season while Baltimore has a bit of a hangover season. But I could see both teams getting left home if one of my "longshot" teams can get to 9-7 or 10-6 and take the tiebreaker over the North loser.

SF, ATL, NY, GB, Chi, Wash

Den, NE, Pitt, Hou, Mia, Indy

Originally posted by jreff22:
SF, ATL, NY, GB, Chi, Wash

Den, NE, Pitt, Hou, Mia, Indy

Kicking Seattle out of the playoffs by sheer force of will? I like it!

Originally posted by jreff22:
SF, ATL, NY, GB, Chi, Wash

Den, NE, Pitt, Hou, Mia, Indy

No Seattle ?! I can't see it.

If Dalton and Bradford become more than game managers both could be dangerous. Their mutual problem is arm strength. Peyton Manning and Brady are on the decline, the only question is how fast they start going downhill. Miami is my sleeper.

Originally posted by RishikeshA:
If Dalton and Bradford become more than game managers both could be dangerous. Their mutual problem is arm strength. Peyton Manning and Brady are on the decline, the only question is how fast they start going downhill. Miami is my sleeper.

Cincinnati has improved enough around Dalton (I agree Dalton is limited) that I think they are right in the thick of it with Pittsburgh and Baltimore. St. Louis is at a similar point in development to Cincinnati, but perhaps a year behind. SF and SEA are also bigger obstacles at this point than BAL and PIT.

Peyton and Brady are interesting indeed. I've always felt like a Peyton homer in that debate, so I'm sort of rooting for Brady to decline faster and for Peyton to go out on top. In last year's playoffs, I thought they both showed some troubling signs.

I do like Miami's chances to improve, but after DEN, NE, IND, HOU and the North champ, there is literally only room for one more AFC team. Miami's only hope is that either IND or HOU regress big-time so the South only gets one playoff team, and/or Miami must have a better record than both teams that lose the North and both teams that lose the West. You have to like Miami more than five of these seven teams: IND, HOU, PIT, BAL, CIN, KC, SD.

Originally posted by LieutKaffee:
Cincinnati has improved enough around Dalton (I agree Dalton is limited) that I think they are right in the thick of it with Pittsburgh and Baltimore. St. Louis is at a similar point in development to Cincinnati, but perhaps a year behind. SF and SEA are also bigger obstacles at this point than BAL and PIT.

Peyton and Brady are interesting indeed. I've always felt like a Peyton homer in that debate, so I'm sort of rooting for Brady to decline faster and for Peyton to go out on top. In last year's playoffs, I thought they both showed some troubling signs.

I do like Miami's chances to improve, but after DEN, NE, IND, HOU and the North champ, there is literally only room for one more AFC team. Miami's only hope is that either IND or HOU regress big-time so the South only gets one playoff team, and/or Miami must have a better record than both teams that lose the North and both teams that lose the West. You have to like Miami more than five of these seven teams: IND, HOU, PIT, BAL, CIN, KC, SD.

I was impressed with Miami when they played the Niners. They made some bold moves, Wake is elite. Tannehill has a gun.

I honestly do not see the Seaducks as a lock.

NFC: SF, GB, NYG, NO, SEA, TB
AFC: NE, PIT, DEN, HOU, CIN, IND

I have 5 of 6 AFC teams returning to the playoffs, which is extremely unlikely, but the bottom 9 teams just seem so weak. I wanted to pick CLE but it's inexcusable that they aren't even trying to upgrade the QB position.

In no particular order

NFC: 49ers, Packers, Falcons, Giants, Seattle, Panthers (I believe Cam really turns it up and Saints remain average)
AFC: Pats, Broncos, Texans, Bengals, Chiefs, Colts (Steelers and Ravens both finish somewhere between 7-9 and 9-7 and miss playoffs)

NFC: 49ers, Pack, Falcons, NYG(Would love to destroy them once and for all in the playoffs), Seattle, and Carolina

AFC: Pats, Broncos, Texans, Ravens, Bengals, and Chiefs

You wanna laugh in Dec, okay...

AFC
East: Bills (Division Champs)
North: Browns (Division Champs)
South: Jaguars (Division Champs)
West: Raiders (Division Champs)

SB Favorite: Browns

NFC
East: Eagles (Division Champs)
North: Lions (Division Champs)
South: Bucs (Division Champs)
West: Cardinals (Division Champs)

SB Favorite: Cardinals

SB PREDICTION: Browns 24 - Cards 10

Book it!

NFC: SF GB WAS ATL SEA NO

AFC: NE DEN IND PIT CIN BAL

Not the exact order of seeding but just the teams that make it imo

Originally posted by Rascal:

Originally posted by jreff22:

SF, ATL, NY, GB, Chi, Wash

Den, NE, Pitt, Hou, Mia, Indy

No Seattle ?! I can't see it.

I don't see Seattle as a lock. Tough games in the west and someone has to loose. Tough getting a wildcard with that divisional competition. And whilst I see them as tough competition for the future I think this year will be a disappointment for them.

Originally posted by Rascal:

Originally posted by jreff22:
SF, ATL, NY, GB, Chi, Wash

Den, NE, Pitt, Hou, Mia, Indy

No Seattle ?! I can't see it.

it's called regression to the mean...